Scenario 10: Attack Transport Fleet
Scenario 10: Attack Transport Fleet
Historical Background:
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, only six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea, the United States Navy decisively defeated an Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) attack against Midway Atoll, inflicting irreparable damage on the Japanese fleet.
It’s time to strike back and avenge the bombing of the Midway Islands! A Catalina flying boat detected a few single Japanese transport ships that were - for what ever reason – separated from the main fleet (that are not already located).
Both sides can’t detach their best flight crews at the moment because they need to cover the carriers for an enemy attack that can happen every minute, but both sides have their reasons to attack the separated vessels and to protect the ships.
Setup:
Use a gaming area with width and length like two Nexus gaming mats.
Setup for the US side:
2 Dauntless (or Avenger) dive bombers
2 Grumman Wildcat fighters (with one Rookie pilot – if available)
All to be placed in any formation at one side of the gaming mat - heading for the ships
versus
2 Mitsubishi Zeros - two rulers away from their side in any formation
2 Ship targets in the middle of the map two rulers away from their side (with AA fire) one ruler distance between the ships
1 Mitsubishi Zero – as reinforcements at their side of the map, when the US bombers are a half ruler away from the first ship
Alternative: 1 Dauntless, 2 Wildcats vs. 1 Zeros, 1 ship and 1 reinforcement Zero
Winning conditions for the US side: Hit one ship and bring one bomber safe back to your side.
Setup or the Japanese side:
2 Mitsubishi Zeros at their side of the map (with one Rookie pilot – if available)
2 Ship targets in the middle of the map two rulers away from their side (without AA fire) one ruler distance between the ships
1 Mitsubishi Zero – as reinforcement at it’s side of the map, when the US bombers are a half ruler away from the first ship
versus
2 Dauntless (or Avenger) dive bombers two rulers away from their side in any formation - heading for the ships
2 Grumman Wildcat fighters two rulers away from their side in any formation - heading for the ships
Alternative: 2 Zeros, 1 ship vs. 1 Dauntless, 2 Wildcats
If you don’t have US Dive bombers, use Wildcats as bombers and give the evasion ability.
Winning conditions for the Japanese side: Shoot them all down.
Special Rules:
Bomber movement:
Only with slow maneuvers as long as they have the bomb load on board. Emergency release of the bomb is possible.
Altitude:
Simple altitude rules are included to simulate the dive bomb attack. You are only allowed to reduce the altitude. Once you reached a lower level – you stay there for the rest of the mission. You are only allowed to fly dive maneuvers or dive bomber maneuvers. (No Split-S or climb maneuvers) An Immelmann has no influence on the altitude. As soon as one bomber change the altitude, the enemy Japanese planes will dive too, to get the bombers. (Japanese planes cannot fire at diving US Dive bombers).
All planes start at level 4 (with four attitude pegs). You can't get lower then level 1 (with one attitude peg)
The US player controls the bombers himself. The US bombers for Japanese players are AI controlled & fly directly to their target ship and hit automatically.
Each bomber has one bomb.
AA fire:
For the US player the Japanese ships have AA capacities. Each ship shoot at a half ruler distance (measured from every point of the ship) only at one target at the same time. The will shoot at the attacking bombers first. If no bomber is in range they shoot at all other Allied planes in range. Fire is simultaneously to the plane’s fire phase.
For dive bombers/bombers:
Use a dice (D6) to determine if the plane hit or not.
Level 4 = result 1 - 2 one A damage
Level 3 = result 1 - 2 one B damage result 3 - 5 one A damage
Level 2 = result 1 - 3 one B damage result 4 - 5 one A damage
For fighters:
Use a dice (D6) to determine if the plane hit or not.
Level 4 = result 1 one A damage
Level 3 = result 1 - 2 one A damage
Level 2 = result 1 - 3 one A damage
If the ship is hit by a bomb, the AA-fire stops immediately. The ship is hit if any parts of it are covered by the bomb card.
Dive bombers become a + 1 bonus for the dice roll after a dive bomb maneuver but additional: rear gunners are not allowed to shoot after a dive bomb maneuver.
AI behavior:
For the US side: Enemy Zeroes try to shot down the bombers first, but won’t scarify themselves for fighters on their six. So they attack the escort fighters when they get 5 damage point or more. The AI controlled Zeros don’t withdraw and fight until all bombers are shot down or retreat.
For the Japanese side: All AI bombers will attack the nearest ship. After the bombing the AI bombers try to escape as soon and quick as possible and the escort fighters will protect them till the end. AI bombers hit automatically if they are in range, according to the rules, of course.
Coral Sea Rules:
- If Lexington was not sunk or Lexington suffered only minor damage then add 1 US plane.
- If Yorktown was sunk then reduce US aircraft by 1.
- If Shokaku and/or Zuikaku were not sunk or heavily damaged then add 1 Japanese plane.
Reply With Quote
Well, I do have 2 Avengers I would love to get into action. (And 4 Devastators. 
Originally Posted by Skafloc
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