May 1, 1942 - Coral Sea: Tulagi Onslaught!
The Japanese force invading Tulagi is met by Allied Air forces that try to thwart the Japanese invasion. The attacks were made by USA carrier air units but they could have been made by US Army bombers or Australian and New Zealand forces. Again that gives our friends Down Under a choice of forces of their own.
Historical Background:
The invasion of Tulagi, on 3–4 May 1942, was part of Operation Mo, the Empire of Japan's strategy in the South Pacific and South West Pacific Area in 1942. The plan called for Imperial Japanese Navy troops to capture Tulagi and nearby islands in the Solomon Islands Protectorate. The occupation of Tulagi by the Japanese was intended to cover the flank of and provide reconnaissance support for Japanese forces that were advancing on Port Moresby in New Guinea, provide greater defensive depth for the major Japanese base at Rabaul, and serve as a base for Japanese forces to threaten and interdict the supply and communication routes between the United States and Australia and New Zealand.
Without the means to effectively resist the Japanese offensive in the Solomons, the British Resident Commissioner of the Solomon Islands protectorate and the few Australian troops assigned to defend Tulagi evacuated the island just before the Japanese forces arrived on 3 May. The next day, however, a U.S. aircraft carrier task force en route to resist the Japanese forces advancing on Port Moresby (later taking part in the Battle of the Coral Sea) struck the Japanese Tulagi landing force in an air attack, destroying or damaging several of the Japanese ships and aircraft involved in the landing operation. Nevertheless, the Japanese troops successfully occupied Tulagi and began the construction of a small naval base.
Setup:
The Allied attack planes start on one side of the gaming area, the Japanese interceptors on the other side of the playing mat. In the middle of the map two Japanese transport ships and a light cruiser are deployed and ready to unload troops in Tulagi. The transports have an A/A AA gun and the light Cruiser has a CC/C AAA with 2 rules of max range and 2 A/A AA gun.
Mission goal:
This is a bombing run for the Allies and an interception mission for the Japanese where the goal is to divert the enemy bombers from the ships or to sink the ships.
Damaging ans sinking the ships:
Use the bombing rules as per the rulebook. If the bomb hits the ship with the center of the bomb card in the ship model draw 3 B chits. If the bomb card center doesn't hit the ship model draw 1 B chit. A boom! sinks automatically the ship. If two special damages are drawn the ship is sunk. If one special damage is drawn the ship is damaged. The second time a transport is damaged its destroyed. The third time the light cruiser is damaged is destroyed.
The same rules are used for strafing. A plane can only strafe at close range and draws just a B chit.
This means that a bomb that marginally hit a ship or a strafe can only damage a ship.
Playing with the Allies:
Bomb and strafe the enemy ships. You'll win if you sink both transports or one transport and the light cruiser. It's a draw if you can only sink one enemy ship. You're defeated if you can't sink any ship or you lose all your planes. Your planes with 2/3 of damage must immediately retreat and break out any attack they were making.
Planes:
US Navy/Allied Air Forces:
You can use the following groups of planes:
2 Dauntless and 2 Wildcats;
4 Wildcats (Two of them are armed with bombs and use the loaded plane rules);
1 B-25 and 2 P-40's;
2 B-25's and 1 P-40;
Japan:
You can use the following groups of planes:
4 A6M2 Zeroes;
3 A6M2 Zeroes and 2 Aichi D3A Val's (Unloaded).
Playing with the Japanese:
Protect your ships. You'll win if at the end of the battle two of your three ships are undamaged. It's a draw if you can only save one ship. You're defeated if you can't save any ship or you lose all your planes. Enemy planes with 2/3 of damage must immediately retreat and break out any attack they were making.
Planes:
Japan:
You can use the following groups of planes:
3 A6M2 Zeroes;
2 A6M2 Zeroes and 2 Aichi D3A Val's (Unloaded);
US Navy/Allied Air Forces:
You can use the following groups of planes:
2 Dauntless and 2 Wildcats;
4 Wildcats (Two of them are armed with bombs and use the loaded plane rules);
1 B-25 and 2 P-40's;
2 B-25's and 1 P-40;
Aftermath
Over the next several months, the Japanese established a naval refueling, communications, and seaplane reconnaissance base on Tulagi and the nearby islets of Gavutu and Tanambogo, and in July 1942 began to build a large airfield on nearby Guadalcanal. The Japanese activities on Tulagi and Guadalcanal were observed by Allied reconnaissance aircraft, as well as by Australian coastwatcher personnel stationed in the area. Because these activities threatened the Allied supply and communication lines in the South Pacific, Allied forces counter-attacked with landings of their own on Guadalcanal and Tulagi on 7 August 1942, initiating the critical Guadalcanal campaign and a series of combined arms battles between Allied and Japanese forces that, along with the New Guinea campaign, decided the course of the war in the South Pacific.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Skafloc
Mission 5 Query?
Hi Neil!
Thanks Neil for the clarification!
Bookmarks