Victory at sea Battle

I set up another battle for Victory at Sea, this time I wanted to try using a battleship. So I made up some forces that came to about 785pts.

The IJN

Furutaka - Furutaka Class Cruiser

Mogami - Mogami Heavy Cruiser 

Kumano - Mogami Heavy Cruiser 

The USN

USS Idaho - New Mexico Class Battleship 

USS Chicago - Northampton Class Cruiser

USS Indianpolis - Portland Class Cruiser 

2 x Fletcher Class  destroyers

I rolled for each fleets mission. Quite impressively the IJN rolled Last Stand meaning they had to fight to the end and take as many ships with them as they could. The USN rolled destroy so were all out to destroy the IJN force. A pitched battle was on the horizon. 

IJN fleet in top left. USN bottom right 

Turn 1

The USN had the initiative and forced the IJN to move first. The japanese forces stayed together as a group, the US ships split with the destroyers and USS Indianpolis pushing forward and the USS Idaho taking a role at the back with its superior weapons. The shooting was opened by the Idaho landing an extreme range hit on the Furutaka causing 1 damage.

USS Idaho's guns move into position 

The Furutaka returned fire but missed the US battleship.

The Furutaka fires off  long range shots to no effect

The USS Chicago got involved  next firing a volley at the Furutaka (This was the closest of the 3 IJN ships so took the first lot of fire) a shell struck home but bounced off the armour.  The Kumano fired its front three turrets at the USS Idaho but missed. The USS Indianpolis also missed its shots. The destroyers were out of range so their guns stayed silent. 

Turn 2

The US still hold the initiative and the fleets get closer apart from the Idaho which remains further away.

The US destroyers push forward. The Idaho stays at range to engage the IJN 

The USS Idaho again opens up the gunnery phase with a full broad side at the Furutaka. 2 Shells smash into the Japanese ship causing 4 damage and a critical hit to the engines. 

The Furutaka now concerned with the closing US Destroyers switches its fire to the immediate threat. Unfortunately it couldn't hit the smaller ships. 

The Furutaka frantically shoots at the closing destroyers

The USS Indianpolis opens fire and lands 3 shells on the Furutaka causing 2 damage. The Kumano sees the Furutaka taking the hits and opens fire at the USS Chicago. 3 shells strike the US ship and cause 3 damage.  The USS Chicago ignores the Kumano for now and aims at the battered Furutaka. 2 shells hit the side of the shop causing 2 damage but one shell travels through the ship and hits the magazine causing a catastrophic explosion destroying the ship in a massive flash and cloud (Exceptional roll on the crit table and vital system table). 

The Mogami crew enraged by the destroyed Furutaka fire their guns at the USS Chicago causing 2 damage. 

Turn 3

The IJN take the initiative and force the US to move first. The US destroyers push forward and close to point blank range with the Kumano hoping that the ship will pass them before they can launch the torpedoes at the destroyer. 

the US destroyers push closer to the IJN force

The Mogami unable to target the destroyers with its main guns opens up with its light guns at the closest destroyer but all the shits go wide. The Mogami's turrets engage the USS Indianpolis causing 3 damage. 

The USS Idaho's guns traverse to point at the Mogami and all its guns fired. 

Another broadside from the Idaho! 

The Idaho's shells rip into the Mogami causing 10 damage, a critical hit to engineering and a critical hit to the weapons. 

The Kumano opens fire at the USS Indianpolis and the shots lands home causing 3 damage. The USS Chicago hits the Kumano for 2 damage. One of the US destroyers hits the kumino with its light guns causing 1 damage. The other destroyer landed hits on the Mogami. Only causing 1 damage but that was enough to push the Japanese ship past its crippled point so now the Mogami was crippled and had only 2 working turrets now. 

The destroyers shells cripple the Mogami 

Turn 4

The IJN hold the initiative. The Mogami crippled can only limp forward, the Kumano sailed onwards determined to keep fighting. The US destroyers closed in on the Mogami like sharks on  injured prey. The USS Indianpolis also closed the distance. The USS Chicago and USS Idaho still kept at a distance watching the Kumano. 

You can see US destroyer moving in hoping to finish the Mogami off

The Mogami had to open the gunnery phase first as it was crippled and easy pickings. It  fired its working torpedoes at the closing destroyer but they missed.  The light guns raked the same destroyer causing 3 damage and its turrets unable to hit the destroyers fired at the USS Indianpolis but the crew were disheartened to see their shells bounce off the ships armour.  Time for the US to strike. The destroyer virtually next to the Mogami launched all of its torpedoes (US torpedoes not known for reliability) and managed 1 live torpedo which struck the Mogami a mid ships, ripping a hole in the shop and caused 11 damage. The Mogami was destroyed and started to sink. 

US destroyer slams a torpedo into the Mogami 

The Kumano was now surrounded!! 

Refusing to surrender the Kumano landed 5 shells on the USS Indianpolis causing 4 damage and a critical hit to the engines.  It's light guns missed the destroyer that had sunk the Mogami. A long shot the crew knew but they unleashed all their starboard torpedoes at the USS Indianpolis and managed to get 3 torpedo hits. Massive damage (38!) sank the US ship.  The USS Idaho fired a broadside at the Kumano causing 8 damage and a critical hit to the weapon systems. The USS Chicago struck the Kumano causing 1 damage and another critical hit. The Kumanos crew frantically tried to repair some of the critical damage but failed to do so. 

Turn 5

The Kumano being circled fighting till the last

The US had the initiative and the USS Idaho opened fire with its guns. 7 shekss ripping into the Kumano causing 16 damage and a critical hit again to the engines. The Kumano desperately fired at the USS Idaho, its shells bouncing off the battleships massive armour. The Kumano also unleashedits port torpedoes and managed to land one torpedo into the side of the USS Idaho. The torpedo caused 10 damage to the US ship. The USS Chicago fired at the Kumano causing 2 damage and a critical hit. A shell managed to destroy the Kumanos bridge! The destroyers peppered the Kumano with their light guns and managed to add a bit more damage but again that was enough to cripple the Kumano. Leaving it with only 2 working turrets. 

Turn 6 

things are not looking good for the kumano

The IJN (well the Kumano really) won the initiative and fired at the USS Idaho, the shells hit but damage. The USS Idaho sailed closer to the Kumano who stubbornly refused to strike its colours so the USS Idaho fired a broadside at point blank range into the Kumano. The 14 inch guns boomed and struck the Kumano causing 30 damage and 3 critical hits. 2 more to the engines and 1 shell struck the already destroyed bridge. The Kumano was destroyed and slipped beneath the waves. 

US Victory points - 785

IJN Victory points - 140

Us Major Win 

Great game, I thought the forces were a bit mis matched but I should have fired the IJN cruisers torpedoes more and used their supreme long range to get hits in on the US early. Really like this game!! 

Stay safe all