Defending the Malay Barrier: Campaign Conclusion

 

The final objectives chart. Japan just one short of victory in the time allowed.

Objectives translated onto the campaign map.

During the course of the campaign, Victory Points (VP's) were accumulated by each side which will affect the level of victory. I will deal with that next.

Continued -

The total VP's each side won are as follows:

Japanese = 108.75

Allies = 167.5

A Japanese/Allied ratio of  1:1.5

This would give the Allies a Strategic Victory. i.e. The best that they could achieve.

However, the Japanese successfully captured Singapore which is an objective in its own right for the purposes of victory. The rules are specific about what the outcome is if both Singapore AND all other objectives are met or not met, but not when one achieved and not the other. Implying this would be a draw.

Given the disparity of VP's I decided to downgrade the Allied result to a marginal victory which highlights the closeness of the final outcome.

Out of interest I list here the total losses for each side and the total allied vessels who live to fight another day.

Japanese

Battlecruisers:            1 sunk, 1 crippled

Cruisers:                     5 sunk, 3 crippled

Floatplane carriers:    2 sunk

Destroyers:                 21 sunk, 10 crippled

Transports:                13 sunk, 1 crippled            

Allies

Battleships:                1 sunk

Battlecruisers:            1 sunk

Cruisers:                    11 sunk, 6 crippled

Destroyers:                18 sunk, 7 crippled

Allied survivors

(not including crippled who will return to service after drydock)

Destroyers:    9

Japanese survivors have not been included due to the fact that they had many other assets in the region at this time.

At first glance, it is a very daunting prospect for the allied navies to challenge the overwhelming force deployed against it at the start of the campaign. Not just the number of vessels but the fact that many allied vessels were of WW1 vintage, and although modernised up to a point, were outclassed by their more modern counterparts. That said, this was partially offset by their ability to 'rapid fire' from more gun calibres than the Japanese which made a difference at closer ranges.

The Japanese though were up against the clock and there was little room for failure in any action. In the final turn, resources were allocated to patrols with the intention of intercepting any allied sweeps before they could approach invasion convoys. This meant fewer escort warships for the convoys but the gamble was made that there would still be enough to defeat any sweep given the lack of available vessels for the allies. 

A failure to intercept the sweep that made contact with this convoy proved to be fatal for the Japanese (in game terms). They had the firepower to overwhelming the Anglo/Dutch force but not enough ships to close off any allied attempt to reach effective torpedo range of the transports which proved very costly.

The scenario writers have provided a very detailed campaign game which potentially provides a different playthrough each time. Many reinforcements, particularly carriers, could have arrived for both sides but the roll of the dice dictated otherwise.

Two other similar scenario books have been purchased: 'The Solomons Campaign' and 'Sudden Storm 1937' (a 'what if' campaign set in the Pacific). I intend to play them at some point in the future but for the next WW2 naval action I am perusing possibles in the Norway/North Atlantic and Mediterranean theatres.

These scenario books along with the GQ3 rules can be purchased from the Old Dominion GameWorks website https://www.odgw.com/home.html.