The I-Boat Raid and CPO Withdrawal adjustments are in play.
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IJN Report: Nevada, crippled OK, 2x117 and 7th AF
escape Pearl. POW escapes Indonesia. I think 3 CV made it to Australia.
IJN Report: Japanese
Indo: 4 LBA
Japan: 107
Mari: 127
CPO: 127
Aleut: 127
SPO: LBA
Marsh: LBA and 444 (was unsure if I was going to need the LBA elsewhere)
HI: 6 CA
USM: 4x118
Coral: 2x118
US Response
most Brit BBs to Indo, with some patrols in IO and BOB SPO, Marsh, CPO: 1 green
CA each Coral, USM, Aleut: 1 LBA each, NPO: 1 CA
Japanese Raids:
Aleut: Junyo, Shoho, Saesbo
Coral: Zuikaku, Zuiho (OK is repairing in Aust)
USM: 2x554, 3x444, 2x117, Akagi, Kaga, Hosho
HI: 4x436, 2x127, Shokaku, Soryu, Hiryu, Ryujo, Yokosuka
Nick hits
CPO: Lexington, Idaho (trying to preserve patroller)
Coral: Enterprise, NV, 2x117
USM: the rest (12 CA, NM, Yorktown, Hornet, Saratoga)
Aleutians: LBA shot down, DH invaded, with no IJN losses
CPO: IJN CA crippled and disabled
Marshalls: green CA sunk
SPO: green CA escapes to Singapore
Coral: IJN sink Enterprise, while Zuiho is sunk and Zuikaku disabled with 2
damage
In the big fight, Japan gets an initial day action. Yorktown and Saratoga as sunk, while Akagi and Kaga are both disabled with damage. The I-boat misses.
Hosho is left to square off against Hornet, and in the next day round manages a disable while being sunk in return! This sets up a classic "meat grinder" situation, with only one LBA left.
Japan finally withdraws after round 7 (I think), but not before having sunk 9 cruisers while only losing 1 in return. POC goes to 14.
USN Report: On turn 2, the IJN achieved favorable attrition against both the American carriers and cruisers in a long drawn-out battle in the U.S. Mandate. One Allied LBA survived to maintain control, but the weakened American fleet was never able to mount an effective counteroffensive. Instead the IJN easily captured all the important interior bases and established a strong perimeter.
IJN Report: IJN abandons Indo and concentrates on Hawaii and CPO (to invade Midway). The USN forces at Midway (BB, CA, CV) attack into the NPO, sinking one CA.
Japan wins Hawaii, losing on Zuikaku. In night battles with the T3 BBs, the USN sink 3x436 (!!) while losing NC and Colorado. USN loses 3 LBA. I think USN managed to hit Kaga, but only for 1d, leaving it still operational!! The 2 Marines escapes with 2d.
USN loses one CA in fending off 118s from the other two home areas with surface and Hornet. POC goes to 19.
IJN Report: IJN holds Indo with 4 LBA, and
Hawaii with 2 LBA and Fuso.
Flag defenses in vulnerable areas:
Japan: 695, 127, Hiyo
Mari: 554, Junyo
Marshalls: 118(pat), 3x127, Akagi(3d), Kaga(3d)
3x118 go to USM while the rest to SPO to invade Guad (5xBB, 8xCA, 5xCV, 2xNLF).
Nick defends USM with 3xLBA, with one each going to SPO and Coral. He eventually sends 3xBB to USM to hunt the 118s, and the rest (5xBB, 6xCA, 3xCV, Marines) to Marshalls.
In combat, IJN sink a patroller which had been sent to HI.
SPO: IJN down the LBA and invade Guad.
USM: the 118s escape unscathed!
Marshalls: an initial day round lets the IJN sink Wasp and the Marine, losing
Akagi, while Kaga is disabled again!! (this time to Japan). USN manages to sink
2x127 and 118 while losing no additional ships. USN gets the Marshalls flag. POC
goes to 27.
IJN Report: While I usually let Marhalls be the weak spot, I can't do so here, it might allow the bases to flip.
So, fleet goes to Marshalls, while 2xLBA go to each of Indo, Hawaii, and SPO. One 118 each goes to Mari and CPO which can be raided through the hole.
Nick patrols a large Brit force in Indo (including Hermes), with a green CA in Hawaii.
I keep Yokasuka on Lae and send Kure to Mari to help defend the Philippines. Nick sends one marine each to Indo and Coral. I send a backup CV to Mari, Indo, SPO, and Hawaii.
Nick raids CPO and Mari in force, missing a number of speed rolls but getting plenty of material to each. There's a chance he could take the Philippines if things go badly....
Nick gets night against the flag in Indo. Kaga is finally sunk, but not before taking down Cornwall with her single shot! The marines will get to land....
But in Mari, first round day sees Shokaku and Lexington disable each other. Kure gets to land in the Philippines first!
The only other action is that USN loses their last green CA in the Hawaiians, while the USN invade Guad. POC goes to 29.
IJN Report: IJN has a complete perimeter, and sends the fleet to Indo (to protect 3xNLF who will fend off invasions in that area) and 6xLBA to Hawaii.
Nick challenges Hawaii with all the air power he's got: 5xCV, 4xCVL. The USN agrees to a first round night in order to invade Johnston Island, allowing the I-boat to cripple a CV with it's parting shot.
The first round of USN fire downs only a single LBA, while losing 2xCV and 2xCVL, with another CV disabled. The remaining USN forces only manage to down one more LBA before being disabled or sunk, at which point the USN resigns.
The Turn 2 USM battle along with the incredible resilience of the IJN CVs made this a very hard game for the USN.
USN Report: On turn 6, the Japanese LBA held on
to the Hawaiian Islands while sinking or max-damaging most of the American
carriers that dared to oppose them. The Japanese fleet easily held Indonesia and
controlled the interior areas.
With the score at 29 POC and no interior bases for the Allies, the IJN were
guaranteed a victory.
Rob Flowers and I have completed our VitP T10 match. Rob won as the IJN at the end of turn 6.