Naval Battles of WW2 Part V Sep 42 - Aug 43

Battle of Cape Esperance – 11/12 October 1942
Japanese efforts to drive the Americans off Guadalcanal continued throughout August and September. Both sides sent reinforcements and supplies while the Japanese navy attempted to suppress Henderson airfield with air raids and naval bombardments. A major Japanese offensive in early September failed, and so they planned a new ‘final’ attack for late October.

On 11 October 1942 two fast Japanese seaplane carriers, escorted by six destroyers, departed Shortlands loaded with heavy equipment, supplies and troops for Guadalcanal. Cover for this operation was provided by Rear Admiral Goto on board the Cruiser Aoba, accompanied by two more cruisers and two destroyers. As the supplies were delivered Goto would sail on to Henderson to perform another bombardment. Since the battle of Savo Island the Americans had not contested the waters around Guadalcanal at night with surface ships and so Goto expected no opposition. However, the Americans were running their own reinforcement and supply mission, and as cover for this they committed a task force commanded by Rear Admiral Scott aboard the Cruiser San Francisco. Scott’s Task Force 64 contained three further cruisers and five destroyers.

American reconnaissance spotted the approaching Japanese, so unlike Goto, Scott was anticipating encountering his enemies. Just before midnight of the 11th the two forces ran into each other off Cape Esperance, but this time the Japanese were taken by surprise. The initial American salvoes crippled the cruiser Furutaka, which later sank, Aoba was heavily damaged with Goto mortally wounded, and the destroyer Fubuki exploded and sank. The Japanese reply heavily damaged the Cruisers Salt Lake City and Boise, and the Destroyer Farrenholt. Inexplicably, the American Destroyer Duncan broke ranks and charged the Japanese. Now caught between both sides she took fire from friend and foe alike and was sunk. The two battered opponents now withdrew to lick their wounds. Scott had achieved a minor tactical victory, but more importantly he had prevented the bombardment.

Both sides grossly overestimated the damage they had inflicted. Initially the Americans even claimed to have sunk more enemy ships than were actually present. Despite surprise and a superior force Scott had only managed a minor victory, but when compared to Savo Island it was seen as a great success and was presented as such to the American public as a tonic just two days after finally revealing the Savo disaster. Meanwhile, both supply convoys safely reached their destinations and unloaded their precious cargoes.

Scenario 1: The Battle

Set up: Play as a Quick Start battle from the 2nd edition rulebook. Use the 1st edition Battle Map 6. The island in sector B5 is open sea. Each unit is placed in the specific sector detailed below.

Victory: The winner is the first player to accumulate 3 Victory Points. You earn Victory Points as follows:
• Half a Victory Point for each enemy Destroyer you destroy.
• Half a Victory Point for each enemy Cruiser you cripple.
• 1 Victory Point for each enemy cruiser you destroy. Note that a crippled Cruiser that is subsequently destroyed yields only 1 Victory Point, not one and a half.
• 1 Victory Point if you claim the Objective marker.
Historically the Americans won with 3 Victory Points: 1 for the Objective marker, 1 for sinking Furutaka, half for sinking Fubuki, and half for crippling Aoba. The Japanese scored only 1 Victory point for sinking Duncan and crippling Boise.

Americans – 91 points, 9 units
CA: San Francisco in G4.
CA: Salt Lake City in G3.
CL x 2: Boise in G4, and Helena G3 (use Boise).
DD x 5: Buchanan and Mc Calla in G2, Duncan in E4, and Farenholt and Laffey in G5 (use any Fletcher class model with Buchanan card).

Japanese – 72 points, 5 units
CA: Aoba in E4.
CA x 2: Furutaka in E3, and Kinugasa in D4 (use Aoba model* with Kinugasa card).
DD x 2: Fubuki in E3, and Hatsuyuki E4 (use Yukikaze model with Fubuki card).
*All three Japanese cruisers should use the Aoba model. To differentiate between the two different cards either mark the Aoba in some way or use Agano models for Furutaka and Kinugasa.

Special Rules:
1) The entire battle is played with Darkness Rules.
2) The battle starts with the Turn 1 Surface Attack phase. The American player automatically has the initiative on Turn 1.

Option: Set up as per a normal Quick Start battle i.e., Ships set up in their relevant Ship deployment area rather than the sectors designated above.

Scenario 2: The Convoys
This scenario adds the two convoys for a larger perspective battle.

Set up: Play as a 200 point battle. Use the 1st edition open see map. Place a double island in sectors F4 and F5 (Guadalcanal). Use the forces from Scenario 1 plus the units below:

Americans – 187 points, 24 units
Aux x 2: McCawley, Zeilen (use SS American Victory).
DD: Gwin (use Taylor model).
DD: Nicholas (use Kidd).
DD: Sterett (use Bagley model).
DD x 5: Hopkins, Hovey, Southard, Trever, Zane (use Edsall model with Zane Sudden Strike card).
Inst x 2: Forward Airstrip.
Ftr: F4F Wildcat.
DB: SBD-3 Dauntless (use SBD Dauntless model).
PB: B-17E Flying Fortress (use B-24D Liberator model).

Japanese – 187 points, 19 units
Aux x 2: Chitose, Nisshin (use Chitose).
DD: Akitsuki.
DD x 2: Asagumo, Natsugumo (use Isokaze model with Asagumo card).
DD x 3: Ayanami, Murakumo, Shirayuki (use Yukikaze model with Fubuki card).
Ftr: Elite A6M2 Zero.
Ftr: A6M3 Hamp (use A65M Zeke model).
PB x 4: G4M1 Betty.

Special Rules:
1) Change the special ability on the Chitose card to Vital Cargo 6, and its point value to 8.
2) Both sides may use their Vital Cargo special abilities on the central island.
3) The G4M1 Betty’s have a bomb factor of 6 instead of a torpedo factor of 2

Operation Reservist – 8 November 1942
As part of Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Vichy French Morocco and Algeria, The Allies aimed to capture the vital port of Oran. American troops, supported by the Royal Navy, would land to the East and West of the city, and then converge on their objective, but planners were worried that the French would have time to damage the port facilities.

A plan was devised to send the sloops HMS Walney and HMS Hartland, ex-US Coast Guard cutters, under an American flag, directly into the port with a unit of troops from the US 1st Armoured Division along with British commandoes. It was hoped that surprise, combined with the US flag, would discourage the French from opening fire; it didn’t work.

The two sloops were shot to pieces when they entered the harbour by the Vichy French ships based there, and both were sunk. The loss of life was horrific with most of the crews and soldiers killed or wounded. The French now sallied forth from Oran to contest the Allied landings. The Vichy sloop La Surprise headed for the western landing sight where it was intercepted and sunk by the destroyer Brilliant. Three Vichy destroyers headed for the eastern landing and were confronted by the Cruiser Aurora and two destroyers. The French departed piecemeal as they became ready to sail, and so had to fight the British individually. Tornade and Tramontane were both sunk, but not before Tornade had badly damaged Boadicea. Typhon, lightly damaged and on her own escaped back to Oran. The Vichy Super Destroyer Epervier, undergoing a refit, was unable to sail and she remained in port.

After hurriedly commissioning Epervier, she and Typhon attempted to attack the Allied landings the next day and met the British cruisers Aurora and Jamaica. Epervier was sunk and Typhon, once again lightly damaged and on her own, returned to port where she was scuttled the next day just before the Americans captured the city. The defeat of Operation Reservist gave the Vichy French time to damage their port facilities, which they then helped to repair when they joined the Allied cause!

Set up: Play as a Quick- Start battle from the 2nd edition rulebook. Use the 2nd edition Battle Map 4. The British player sets up as Player 1. Walney and Hartland are set up in sector K4. The battle starts with Surface Attack phase of Turn 1 (no movement), although see Special Rule 2 below.

Victory: The winner is the first player to accumulate 4 Victory Points. You earn Victory Points as follows:
• You earn 1 Victory Point for each enemy ship you destroy, apart from Aurora.
• The Vichy French player earns 1 Victory Point for crippling Aurora.
• The Vichy French player earns 2 Victory Point for destroying Aurora. Note that a crippled Aurora that is subsequently destroyed yields only 2 Victory Points, not 3.
• You earn 1 Victory Point if you claim the Objective marker.
• The British player earns 1 Victory Point for each Auxiliary unit removed per Special Rule 6 below.
Historically the British won with 4 Victory Points: 1 for the Objective marker, and 3 for destroying La Surprise, Tornade, and Tramontane. The Vichy French player scored only 2 Victory points for sinking Hartland and Walney.

British – 39 points, 6 units
CL: Aurora (use Sydney model with Penelope card).
DD x 2: Boadicea, Brilliant (use Witte de With model with Bulldog Sudden Strike card).
DD: Calpe (use John C. Butler or Samuel B. Roberts model with Ledbury card).
Aux x 2: Hartland, Walney (use Halcyon).

Vichy French– 33 points, 5 units
DD: Epervier (use Milan).
DD x 3: Tornade, Tramontane, Typhon (use T27 model with Brestois card).
DD: La Surprise (use M1 model with Sudden Strike card).

Special Rules:
1) On Turn 1 the Vichy French player automatically has the initiative, and no Vichy French ships may fire torpedoes.
2) In the Turn 1 End of Turn phase La Surprise may move one sector. She was already underway to investigate reports of landings when the British entered the harbour.
3) All British ships, La Surprise and Tramontane are free to move from Turn 2 onwards. Tornade and Tramontane are free to move from Turn 3 onwards. They may not move on Turn 2.
4) Tornade has a Speed of 1. She damaged her bow in a collision while leaving Oran. You will need to mark her in some way.
5) Aurora may use her Night Fighter special ability from the start of the game. It’s not really night but she shot exceptionally well in this engagement.
6) If Walney and/or Hartland have not been destroyed by the end of Turn 1, they are removed from play and each will award a Victory Point to the British player as per the victory conditions above.
7) Epervier may never move or fire torpedoes. Torpedoes can’t be fired at her.

Option: Ignore Special Rules 4 and 7. Epervier may begin moving on Turn 3.