Night Action in the Slot

Saturday night I ran a night time destroyer action using Snorkers! (Good Oh!) to familiarize myself with the rules for night fighting, searchlights, and radar. Scott was sick, Big Pat had a pile of marking to do, and the weather was filthy, so Weirdy-Beardy stayed home. So I played with myself. As usual.

With the last game I ran into some issues with things not being resolved in the correct order. All gun fire and torpedo attacks from an activated squadron are declared. Then gun fire is resolved, including reaction fires. Then torpedoes are resolved. So the Litko torpedo and splash markers that the Mad Padre gave me, which I've just been using to show what was going on and add drama to the photos, will now have a proper use for game play to show declared attacks and their targets.

American scout planes have spotted a large Japanese force of  eight destroyers (four Fubuki class and four Kagero class) led by a Tenyru class light cruiser heading south towards Guadalcanal.  TF-51 consisting of the USS Atlanta light cruiser and eight Fletcher class destroyers is dispatched to intercept.

Both sides start with a Force Morale of 20, but the Japanese roll an inferior commander, knocking them down to 18. The Americans roll a superior commander, moving theirs up to 24.

The night fighting rules assume the use of star shells etc., so there isn't any extra spotting, but gunnery is limited to medium range. The Japanese, who trrained more for night fighting, get an extra Jack (activate with a +1 on guns) card in their deck and can still launch their deadly Long Lance torpedoes at long range.

The Americans do not get any air power, but both sides can use spotter or patrol aircraft. Note to self: paint up a Japanese patrol plane.

Table set up. I diced for deployment. Japanese closest to camera. Americans in the far corner. Note that I've gotten more filter material and upgraded my fog/mist banks to be more irregular

IJN in 3 columns, Line Ahead. Tenyru in the middle.

USN also in three squadrons in echelon. The Atlanta is closest, so that there's less chance of the Japanese getting into a radar shadow created by one of the islets. The PBY is waiting to be deployed on table.

Both forces advancing at a moderate speed. Random Event on the Joker results in the Tenyru having Ammo problems and a permanent -1 on all gunnery and torpedoes. 

IJNS Hayashio fires a spread of Long Lances at USS Taylor. A sharp eyed ensign spots the phosphorescent track at the last minute and she evades.  

 

Japanese activate again on an Ace. They try to pin the Taylor with searchlights but fail. All 3 ships can now engage Taylor at close range. Hayashio and Amagiri engage with broadsides. Yugiri has a good firing solution and launches torpedoes! The Taylor fails to evade this time and two hit! With her back broken she goes down fast

USS Atlanta engages with the Hayashio with her full broadside of 16 5" guns and two torpedoes. Hayashio is rocked by multiple hits, starting fires. There is a sickening clang as an American torpedo hits, but it is a dud! 

Strong and O'Bannon emerge from the fog bank launching torpedoes! Yugiri and Amagiri each take two hits. Both take hits in their engine rooms Flooding fast, they both go under

IJNS Tenyru leads her squadron forward. Hatsukaze snaps on searchlights, pinning the O'Bannon. Tenyru gives a broadside. Hatsukaze launches torpedoes. O'Bannon and Strong fire at the revealed Hatsukaze. O'Bannon takes hits and desperately weaves but two Long Lances split her asunder! 

Ouch. Just the one hit would have sunk her.

The USN get an Ace, so Strong activates again and fires her last torpedoes at the Asagiri. Asagiri evades one, but one explodes, crippling her and causing flooding. 

DesRon 2 advances on a King. They save their torpedoes and USS Charles Ausburne, The Sullivans, and Fletcher engage the burning IJNS Hayashio with broadsides. Hayashio scores some hits on the Charles Ausburne but a flurry of devastatingly accurate gunnery sinks her.  

A PBY drones overhead trying to make sense of the flashes of gunfire below them in the dark. "It's the Yamato!" Their poor intelligence will cost the Americans their next card. The PBY crew fly back to Tulagi for beers. 

Atlanta gives the Tenyru a broadside causing a lot of damage and starting fires. She fires her last two starboard torpedoes, but they sail off into the Pacific night.

Tenyru and Hatsukaze launch torpedoes at DesRon 2. The reaction fire from the Americans pushed both into "Damaged" giving them -1 modifiers.  Tenyru misses her target, but USS The Sullivans is hit by two with devastating results. 

Meanwhile the crippled Asagiri in the foreground, is making smoke and trying to limp away before the Strong kills her.

Even though the Americans have drawn a Queen (+1 torpedoes, yeah they probably should have activated DesRon 2 to torpedo the Tenyru and Hatsukaze instead), they activate The Strong who maneuvers to give the Asagiri a broadside, reducing her to a flaming wreck.

The Japanese Flanking Detachment comes out from behind the fog bank to ambush the American rear!
USS Nicholas is engaged by all three ships, taking massive damage. The bridge is hit and she is crippled and on fire!

At the end of another card deck morale is checked. The USN are still in the fight but the IJN failed their roll. They withdraw into the gloom, hoping that dive bombers from Henderson Field don't hunt the Tenyru and Hatsukaze down in the morning.  The Americans search for survivors in the darkness

That was a very satisfying game. Everything I've been looking for really, ever since I started this project. I need to work on my IJN tactics and have them stand off and fire torpedoes from long range before getting in close.