Turn 1

Turn 2

Turn 3

Turn 4

Turn 1

IJN Comments: The USN escapes Pearl Harbor with the 7th AF and two three battle wagons -- the Maryland with 4 damage, the Tennessee with 1 damage, and the crippled Pennsylvania.  Given the larger nature of the two operational BB, I'd say the USN has gotten off a little on the lucky side.  In Indonesia, the Prince of Wales and 5th Air Force are destroyed.  The Repulse gets away unscathed.  Fortunately for the IJN, the I-Boat manages to sink the Hermes.

The USN rolls X and Z onto the board -- including one in NPO for the extra PoC.  That also lets the USN get his three smaller CV to Australia to threaten Indonesia on Turn Two.

The IJN was lucky with Hermes.  The USN was lucky with its location uncertain rolls and came out of the raids a bit ahead.  On the whole, I'd give the USN the slight edge for the turn.

Sunk

456 Prince of Wales.
553 West Virginia
453 California
443 Nevada
443 Arizona
443 Oklahoma
117 New Orleans
117 San Francisco
1241 Hermes.
24* 5th A.F.

IJN gains 6 PoC.

Turn 2

Note: Houston was actually raiding into the South Pacific this turn rather than sitting in the Philippines as shown above.

IJN Comments: I go with fairly standard patrols to allow maximum flexibility after I see USN patrols and LBA.  With 3 USN CV in Australia, I already know I'm going to put at least 4 LBA in Indonesia -- maybe more if Alan aggressively puts his LBA there as well!  (At the recent Midwest Open, two of my opponents put all three Allied LBA in Indonesia -- which seemed to be effective in drawing IJN strength out of the East!)  I realize this could mean no patroller in the Marshalls, but I'm OK with that -- my only goal there is to make sure the USN doesn't flag it!

Alan uses his LBA in the Mandate and Coral Sea.  He patrols SPO and Marshalls to threaten a huge block if I go for two or three Allied home areas.

Since Alan's been conservative, I decide to do likewise and go for the one-area attack while securing the perimeter and taking green bases.  I use a combination of BB and CV along with my LBA in the South Pacific and Marshalls.  I use a flag defense in the Central Pacific and two CV and my NLF in the Aleutians to try to secure both Attu and Dutch Harbor in a single move (figuring it's easier to get Midway later).  Unless Alan plays it perfectly safe in his home areas (going for maximum attrition on my 118s), it have to take some risks with his CV this turn to attack my perimeter.  My Hawaiians force is large enough to lap the USN by one on the surface while having enough CV (all my fast ones) and NLF that he'd need to bring everything to challenge the area (a fight that would bloody the USN enough that I wouldn't mind not getting Pearl Harbor).

Alan attacks the CPO with surface forces and the SPO with all of this CV and half of his surface forces.  It's a solid and very threatening move given USN control of the Mandate this turn combined with the reinforcement flexibility that will allow his NLF to move from Samoa next turn.

I do well in the minor areas -- with no losses in the U.S. Mandate and Coral Sea, killing one CA in the Marshalls, and killing two British BB in Indonesia.  That means the British will have very little after turn four.

In the Central Pacific, the first day round sees Ryujo cripple Idaho.  That encourages me to stay for a second round.  It's also a day action which sees Ryujo disable New Mexico to Samoa.  With no BB left in the area, I'm going to stick it out.  However, the very next action is night.  Atago puts one damage on Portland.  The Allies miss Atago, but the five CA ganging up on Ryujo sink her.  Pity -- a whiff there probably would have meant conversion of Midway.  In pursuit, Atago sinks Northampton while being disabled.  The net effect of the battle is one cruiser, a damaged cruiser, and a crippled BB in exchange for the Ryujo.  I'd hoped to do more damage to the USN surface fleet, but it's a pretty even trade on the whole -- since the BB will not be able to repair at Pearl Harbor next turn.

In the South Pacific, the first round is day action.  The IJN sinks Hornet and puts 1 damage on Yorktown.  The I-Boat also whiffs.  That hurts since I really needed to sink two CV this turn.  The USN puts 3 damage on my LBA and sinks both Kaga and Hosho.  I'd run except that he'd easily sink both of my BB for nothing in return.  So I stick it out.  It's daylight again.  My LBA whiffs and is shot down.  The USN also disable Fuso to Saigon.  Hyuga has no chance of escape, so she stays and hopes to bring her guns to bear.  Fortunately, it's a night action.  Hyuga sinks the patrolling Louisville while being sunk in return.  The surface attrition is even (which is good for me) but the LBA, Hosho, and Kaga are a steep price to pay for one USN CV plus 1 damage on another.

Interestingly, the first and second rounds were day (or a meaningless day followed by night) in every area while the third round saw night action everywhere!

This turn was good for me on the surface but I lost ground in the air war.  I'll have to try to press my surface edge in future turns while compensating for the losses in the air war.  The base and port conversions were good for the IJN this turn.  However, the PoC is lower than I'd like.  I may need to start fighting for every PoC already!

Sunk

444 Hyuga
145+4 Kaga
015+2 Ryujo
014+1 Hosho
34* 25 AirFlot
033 Yokosuka [invades Johnston Island]
033 Sasebo [invades Dutch Harbor]
443 Royal Sovereign.
443 Ramillies.
117 Northampton
117 Louisville
117 Australia.
027+4 Hornet

IJN converts Dutch Harbor and Johnston Island by invasion; Attu, the Philippines, and Singapore by isolation.

IJN gains 5 PoC to increase the over-all IJN lead to 11 PoC.

Turn 3

IJN Comments: My big problem this turn is that I only sank one USN CV last turn.  That gives the USN a lot of flexibility -- particularly if I go all-out to convert Pearl Harbor.  The other problem is that, with option #3, the USN can push two Marines forward onto Lae -- which is the problem that spelled my doom in my game with Andy.

As a result, I decide to go with a plan that's a bit riskier than normal.  I'll use my LBA to convert Pearl Harbor and scatter my carriers in small attack groups around the rest of the board in order to cause USN CV attrition.  The bonus in this plan is that using LBA in the Hawaiians may draw the USN Marines there.  The downside is that while my forces are concentrated against the USN, the British will get Indonesia at no cost.  I hate giving up Indonesia even once and even though two British CVL will be withdrawn.  I'd be more concerned about Lae except that I already know I'm going to commit enough to the South Pacific to stop any Marine that goes there.

My final placement sees attacks in every Allied home area and every other non-British sea area.  I send one CV to the Hawaiians to take out the Marine that heads there -- leaving it to my LBA to handle the USN LBA.  The SPO and CPO get enough forces to almost guarantee I stop the USN Marines and land my own forces on Midway.  The USN chooses to avoid those forces and concentrate on the Hawaiians, Marshalls, and Coral Sea.  His CA in the North move to score some attrition while opening up a minor raiding lane from the Hawaiians.  It's a good US move, but gives me excellent chances to score the CV attrition I'm looking for.  All four USN CV are at risk.

In the North Pacific, Ashigara is sunk.  In the Central Pacific, Kure invades Midway unopposed.  In the South Pacific, day action sees the 2nd Marines annihilated.

In the Coral Sea, it's day followed by night.  Junyo manages a whopping one damage against Lexington.  Lexington sinks Mutsu in preparation for the night action.  At night, Kumano manages another one damage against Pennsylvania -- re-crippling her.  In return, Kumano is sunk while Junyo is disabled back to Japan with 2 damage.  A very lopsided battle in favor of the USN.

In the Marshalls, it's day action.  Hiryu puts 2 damage on Enterprise before being sunk.  Given the low PoC situation, I decide to stay for night action.  I figure I have a 25% chance to deny the USN control and eliminate one hot spot for next turn.  The odds are decent that one of my CA will come out merely disabled too.  I sink Canberra.  In return, Chikuma is sunk but the USN whiffs against Mikuma.  With a 50% chance to deny control, I have to stay.  But I don't like it because Mikuma is almost certainly dead.  Mikuma whiffs and is then sunk.  Aack!  Again, another very favorable battle for the USN.

In the Hawaiians, it's day action.  I use Akagi on Saratoga, two LBA against Yorktown, two LBA against the Marines, and one LBA against Allied LBA.  The odds favor the Allies to win the fight, but I'll be happy if I can sink the CV.  Akagi merely disables Saratoga.  My LBA sink Yorktown.  I also sink the Marines.  So, as it turns out, I win day action in every area with USN CV.  I have ten bonus and six non-bonus shots on USN CV.  I manage to sink exactly one.  Since sinking USN CV was my major objective for the turn, the turn is a disaster.

In return Akagi is sunk, one LBA is shot down, and another takes 3 damage.  The I-Boat disables Colorado to Pearl Harbor.  The next round is also day.  My four LBA manage a grand total of two damage on a single LBA.  In return, I lose another LBA.  The next round is a night.  My CA cripple Mississippi with 5 damage and sink Vincennes.  In return, Haguro is disabled and Maya is sunk.  I'd like more night action, but it's day once more.  This time my three LBA land 3 damage on both the 5th and 7th AF.  I've had a huge number of low-damage hits this turn.  In return, the Allies down two of my LBA.  That's enough to get me to withdraw.  There's no pursuit.  The battle is a disaster for the IJN -- losing 4 LBA and my best CV for a single USN CV and Marine.

The lopsided Hawaiians battle may doom my position.  One thing I definitely didn't count on was a USN with Lae and eight LBA next turn together with a Indonesia conversion threat!  Worse, the USN will have three CV in operation next turn -- when I'd hoped to bring that number down to two or less.  The failure to convert Pearl Harbor will also mean problems from Adjustment #3 for the rest of the game (unless Alan leaves Samoa nearly undefended this coming turn).  My PoC position is also very weak.  I'll need two very big turns to have any hope of holding off the USN reinforcements!  The bases and NLF seem to be my only advantages next turn.

Sunk

554 Mutsu
1+27 Ashigara
1+27 Maya
1+18 Chikuma
1+18 Mikuma
1+18 Kumano
146+4 Akagi
118+3 Hiryu
34* 21 AirFlot
34* 22 AirFlot
34* 23 AirFlot
34* 24 AirFlot
033 Kure [Invades Midway]
117 Vincennes
117 Canberra.
027+4 Yorktown
0272 Indomitable. [Removal]
0272 Formidable. [Removal]
043 1st Marines
043 2nd Marines

IJN converts Midway by invasion.

IJN gains 2 PoC to increase the over-all IJN lead to 13 PoC.

Turn 4

IJN Report: Although it was nearly hopeless, I decided to give one more turn a whirl.  I patrolled 3 CA each in the Hawaiians and U.S. Mandate.  I didn't expect to get either, but wanted to pull his LBA away from the forward bases (or have the opportunity for a major coup if he didn't).  I patrolled most areas with a single CA.  The exceptions were both of my LBA in Indonesia (to prevent conversion of Singapore and Saigon), a large force of BB and CV in the Marshalls to prevent conversion of those bases, and a large, mixed force in the South Pacific with my two NLF to secure Lae and Guadalcanal.  I also used one CV in the Japanese Islands to protect my repairing CV and secure the POC.

I won Indonesia and South Pacific without a contest and secured Lae and Guadalcanal.  My control of bases is the one part of the game that looks really good.  Despite a strong USN raid into the Japanese Islands, I win that area and sink one USN CA while banging up a USN BB (mostly thanks to Lexington missing her speed roll).  I lose the CPO despite my CA disabling the BB.  I lose the Marianas with no casualties on either side.  The Marshalls sees two IJN CV sunk in exchange for one USN CV.  In the night battles, the IJN prevents the USN from keeping control, but does not manage to get the flag for herself.

The turn was OK for the IJN except that the POC would have moved two toward the USN and there's no perimeter for next turn.  In addition, thanks to hot shooting by the LBA in the U.S. Mandate and Hawaiians, the surface attrition went against the IJN nine hulls to two!  That's enough to get me to throw in the towel.  I needed a bit better result in the Marshalls to get the flag there and the miracle in the Central Pacific.  I got everything else I needed...  But it's just not enough.

Congratulations, Alan!