On Tuesday, a friend and I played out a slightly expanded Java Sea using GQIII rules.
TEAM EVIL
Destroyer Squadron 4
CL Naka (F)
Destroyer Division 2
DD Yudachi
DD Samidare
DD Murasame
DD Harusame
Desdiv 9
DD Minegumo
DD Asagumo
Eastern Covering Group
Rear Admiral Takeo Takagi
Cruiser Division 5
CA Nachi (F)
CA Haguro
Desron 4, Desdiv 24
DD Yamakaze
DD Kawakaze
Desdiv 7
DD Sazanami
DD Ushio
Destroyer Squadron 2
Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka
CL Jintsu (F)
Desdiv 16
DD Yukikaze
DD Tokitsukaze
DD Amatsukaze
DD Hatsukaze
Main Force
BB Kongo
BB Haruna
CA Atago
CA Takao
CA Maya
DD Arashio
DD Hayashio
DD Nowaki
Totals: 2 BB, 5 CA, 2 CL, 17 DD
TEAM COLONIALIST OPPRESSORS
BB HMS Prince of Wales
BC HMS Repulse
CA HMS Exeter
CL HMS Danae
CL HMS Dragon
CL HMAS Hobart
CL HMAS Perth
CA USS Houston
CL USS Boise
CL USS Marblehead
CL HNLMS De Ruyter
CL HNLMS Java
CL HNLMS Tromp
DD HNLMS Kortenaer
DD HNMS Witte De With
DD HNMS Evertson
DD HMS Electra
DD HMS Express
DD HMS Encounter
DD HMS Jupiter
DD HMS Scout
DD HMS Tenedos
DD HMAS Vampire
DD USS John D Edward
DD USS John Paul Jones
DD USS John D Ford
DD USS Alden
DD USS Pope
Totals: 1 BB, 1 BC, 2 CA, 9 CL, 15 DD
First off, I'm a little displeased now with how GQIII handles Type 284 radar in daylight. All my readings seem to indicate that hits came quite soon after it provided a range, but Prince of Wales and Repulse banged away for ages at Kongo and Haruna, only to knock out a turret and three hull boxes. In return, Repulse was dpwn to 19 knots and had only a single operable turret.
That being said, the game was an interesting one. I kept most of my light cruisers on my flanks (Boise, De Ruyter, and Tromp on my right; Java, Dragon, and Danae on my left) and kept the two "S"-class DDs, as well as HMAS Vampire and the three Dutch DDs in reserve to screen Prince of Wales and Repulse. The two Aussie CLs and Marblehead were my lead heavy ships, followed by Exeter and Houston, all in line abreast, and ahead of both of them were five American four-pipers, and ahead of them were HMS Jupiter and the three "E" Class DDs.
My opponent held off on firing his long lances for a while, which gave me time to close the range. Prince of Wales and Repulse headed straight for Kongo and Haruna at 15 knots (to present the smallest possible aspect for torpedo attack), keeping back, but the two IJN BCs turned broadside as soon as possible and hammered Repulse. Prince of Wales remained safely within her immunity zone, however, and most of the fighting on both sides was done by the cruisers and destroyers. Houston and Exeter were both hammered and sank, as were Hobart and Marblehead, with Perth left as a drifting hulk. All of the "E" class, all of the four pipers, and Jupiter were sunk, but a gallant series of torpedo attacks sank three Japanese heavy cruisers and two light cruisers. I also sank three IJN destroyers, and most of the rest were pretty badly mauled, sans guns and torpedoes, generally. Rapid-firing 5.9- and 6-inchers wreaked havoc on the IJN cruisers as the range dropped, and as the game ended, my reserve destroyers had reached the battle. I think I would have been able to launch a coordinated attack with my three Dutch DDs on the IJN BCs, which were moving slowly and wholly unscreened by destroyers as they dueled with PoW and Repulse at about 19,000 yards range. Elsewhere, I had enough functional light cruisers to deal with his functioning DDs, but even two IJN heavy cruisers were murder. We called it a draw, and each of us felt the other was about to win.
tries the naval wargame in the Axis & Allies series.
