Dan wrote the original report of their face-to-face match, then Alfred interspersed his own comments and recollections.

DH: I just played my top 10 game FTF with Alfred this afternoon. We played with options one and two, and the bid went to five POC with Alfred taking the Japanese. Alfred's Japanese conceded to my USN at the end of turn seven with the POC at eight for the Japanese. I estimate the end POC to have been near zero, before adjustment.

The report is from memory so there are gaps.

AW: Alzheimer's? The mind is a terrible thing to waste!

DH: Turn one went well for the Japs, with all ten USN Pearl ships sunk, the POW surviving with four damage from Indo, and the Hermes sunk by I-Boat. One USN force (W) arrived in Hawaiian waters.

AW: This was the best Pearl Raid I've had in years!

DH: Turn two Alfred opened with a three zone attack 6,4,2 CA in HI, USM, CS, two CA in Marianas (Houston was in Manila), a few patrollers in Cen Pac, a ship in AI & JI. My response was four CA to Marshalls, plus the usual Brit Indo, and a CA to North Pac. My LBA went CP, Marianas, SP, Alfred placed three Marshalls, two Indo, one SP, with SNLF to USM and Marianas. He raided Junyo to Indo, Shoho to AI, CVs plus to HI, USM.

AW: Should've raided some CVs and screeners in CS.

DH: Junyo kept my CV out of Indo, but the Brits went in, my five USN CVs to Marshalls, five CA to CS, five to AI w/ failed speed roll BB memory fails on rest. Hope rested on Marshalls. Combat round one in Marshalls - three USN CV disabled, one by I-Boat (Lex with two damage). My 20 dice only found one hit but still flamed one LBA. Round two Alfred put one damage on an 0-2-7 CV. Third round Alfred put two damage on Sara. I shot down his two LBA, probably one each round, or if not both on three.

In Indo the British sank an LBA round one, but were basically destroyed trying to find a night (one CA lasted till game turn seven). In SP the LBA killed each other after a few rounds of missing. One US CA died in day in AI versus Junyo, the rest ran as did the two Jap 1-1-8s in CS.

I can't remember the last game where Japan lost five LBA turn two, but I have a feeling I've seen a turn two where they (or I) had none left. Still, I have played so many, many games.

AW: This is most killed T2 IJN LBA I've seen playing either side. It could've been 6 as Dan had 2 more shots in round 2 (Junyo whiffed round 1)! And I sank no CVs as compensation. This would constantly haunt me.

DH: Turn three Alfred put all he could in HI with Marshalls blocked, six ships patrolled USM. I put a CA in Marshalls to threaten to turn it, which drew a big response. LBA - only IJN to USM, five USN to HI. Japan SNLF to AI. One British patrolling CA with two failed BB rollers held Indo.

Japanese CVs in HI - 1-3-8x2, 1-1-8, 1-2-8, 0-1-5, 0-0-5, 0-1-4. They downed three LBA but lost a 1-3-8 and 0-1-5, plus 1-2-8 max-ed as the rest were disabled (Hosho ran). My three damaged CVs dropped the only Jap LBA in USM, my eight escorts kept the Jap ships at bay through one(?) night. One US CV helped win CS v two Jap CA, the fifth did the same in SP.

AW: The T2 LBA losses left too many holes which I could never plug. Shouldn't have tried to flip Pearl.

DH: Turn four Alfred repaired Soryu and two CA, shielded by four CA and two
0-0-5 raiders. My four CA and two CV which could reach Japan went elsewhere (though they wanted to go in!) I believe I pressed an attack in Marianas instead.

Turn four or five a 5-6-5 passed a speed roll to patrol CP. In the night that occurred Junyo and Hiyo with a CA met two 5-6-5s with bonus! with the 5-6-5, while two dinked CV watched, in CP. With predictable results.

AW: I missed a chance again to sink CVs as Dan got night vs. +2. With so many CVs Dan even put one with gunnery on the line to try to draw fire away from patroller. It didn't matter; two carriers disabled his patroller and my CA missed.

DH: Turn five Alfred was complaining about my five CVs (one damaged 1-3-7 died with two more hits turn four) and my access lanes. He moved to control/deny Marianas so I focused on Marshalls. South Pac continued to swing as did the bases in the north (he took Dutch Harbor turn three, I re-took Dutch Harbor turn four). Two SNLF were sent packing turn four or five in SP (one died).

AW: That's two damage on one hit from sub.

DH: Turn six two SNLF took Lae from Indo (two Marines were there, one disabled and traded after a night battle). Kwajalein was taken by a Marine after a day removed my patrolling CVL to a downed LBA, and a night drove off my CA to a sunk BC. Preventing my control cost the Marine and saved the other base for a time. I tried to open up Marianas, lost my air cover in the first round but held for night with flag (three 5-6-5s with bonus! plus other BBs & four CA to a similar force. The night sank two 5-6-5s with bonus!, five damage on the third (which died in the retreat, two CA sunk with three or so IJN sunk (including retreat combat).

Sometimes the odds don't play out.

AW: Two NLF with screeners (I think 5 BBs and 4 CAs.) and 3 big CVs attacked CPO vs. 027+2 and 3 LBA. I got night but put just 2 hits on CVL for 2 damage! One NLF flipped Midway.

DH: Turn seven saw large Japanese forces in Indo and Marianas, with Indo having more surface forces, Marianas better day forces. My ships were based at Guadalcanal and possibly Lae again, plus in Kwajalein which was taken by a Marine after a day removed my patrolling CVL to a downed LBA, and a night drove off my CA to a sunk BC. I also tossed two CVL versus two LBA, one which had three damage. Result - a sunk CVL and two LBA with three damage. The bulk of my forces fell upon the Marianas, where the battle ended quickly in the demise of most of the Japanese (and Iowa sank to two hits from a 4-4-4!) Carrier losses had been more even but the Nips had less to spare.

We counted POC, and Alfred concluded that the game was lost and we could let the shopkeeper go home (he's part of our game club and it was an open meeting.)

AW: I probably could've apportioned forces better between JI, Mari, and Indo, but I had really lost already. Another well-played game by Dan.