WWII PTO The Start of 1944

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SPI - WWII PTO - January to March 1944

SPI - WWII PTO - Scenario 5: Island Hopping 1944 (2)

The war in the Pacific was one of the most bitterly fought battles of the war. It alaso saw the largest sea battle ever fought when the Imperial Japanese navy endeavoured to crush the industrial might of the United States by catching it's navy off-guard whilst landing an invasion force in Leyte Gulf in the Phillipines. Over 250 battleships, heavy cruisers, aircraft carriers and escort carriers took part.

The Battle of Leyte Gulf also saw the the first attacks by Kamakaze pilots on Americam battleships and proved a turning point in the war in the Pacific, it was the beginning of the end.

Throughout 1944 the giant battleships Yamato and Musashi posed a serious threat to security in the area.

Scenario 5: Island Hopping, shows the early battle for the Pacific, and how difficult it was to regain territory.

Amphibious Assault on The Marshall Islands

US Forces, including two Task Force battleship groups attack The Marshall Islands at the beginning
of the Pacific Campaign, Japanese forces counter-attack

Overall Strategy - Objectives

US Objectives

1) To control the Marshall Islands
2) To control the Marianna Islands
3) To hold New Guinea
4) To capture non-airbase hexes in the Phillipines
5) To capture airbases in the Phillipines
6) To capture Japanese supply bases

Strategy for Offense

1) Stick to objectives at all costs
2) Attack New Guinea whenever possible and endeavour
to gain control
3) Launch any multiple offensives in one area only

Japanese Objectives

1) To capture minor ports and airfields:
Kiska, Johnstone, Palmgra, New Guinea
2) To capture major ports and large airfields:
Pearl Harbour, Midway, Gilbert Islands
Fiji, Samoa, New Caledonia
Solomon Islands, New Guinea, Australia, Anchorage

Strategy for Defense

1) Defend Marshall Islands, Marianna Islands and the
Phillipines at all costs
2) Beware of large attack formations - especially if these
include carriers

Turn 1 - January 1944 - US Initiative

- US Task Force 1 attacks Wotje in the Marshall Islands - US Task Force 2 attacks Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands - Japanese Tasl Forces 1 & 3 intercept along with fighters and bombers - Aircraft from Japanese airforce attacked, and counter-attacked with fighters - Aircraft from both carrier forces engage in one round of combat, all aircraft from 7 Japanese carriers counter-attack US CV's and CVE's. All 7 US CVE's and and 5 CV's committed in order to win air superioruty over the invasion zone - Japanese bombers based at Kwajalein and Eniwetok Islands attacked twice and destroyed by carrier-borne aircraft from Saratoga and Enterprise II - Aircraft from Lexington II and Yorktown II to provide air-cover over landing zones and air-superiority - Amphibious assault, Wotje attacked first on a 3:1 ratio, defender loses 3 steps (of 4), so therefore one remaining Japanese unit (depleted), one step loss for US attack force - Assault on Kwajalein successful, Japanese forces eliminated, with no loss to American forces	US marine divisions and infantry begin the assault
Land-based aircraft from both sides are fully committed to the battle for the air space over the Marshall Islands	With attacks and counter attacks resolved, the ground offensive begins with mixed success.
All Japanese carrier-based aircraft from Task Force 1 are committed to the defense of the Marshall Islands	US Task Force 1 has 7 CVE's and 5 CV's committed and succeed in winning the air war over the Marshalls
After the battle, Wotje has been weakened, whilst Kwajalein has been occupied by US Forces	Task Forces have returned to base and US Marines have moved into Kwajalein. Wotje remains in Japanese hands
*Turn 1 - Japanese Offensive* - Japanese Task Force 1 & 3 attacks US Fleets 1 & 2 while still in Marshall Islands. - US Task Force 2 suffers two ships hit (damaged), Baltimore and Minneapolis - changed to their depleted sides - US carriers and Task Force withdraw from combat after 1st round - Japanese Task Force 2 leaves Legaspi in the Phillipines to sail south towards the American fleet (Task Force 3) docked in Darwin, Australia. US Task Force 3 moves to intercept in the straights south of New Guinea - intercept successful. - US attacks first (as it intercepted) - no effect, the Japanese Task Force responds and incurs a hit against Pensacola, which suffers a step loss. - US Task Force disengages and returns to port. - Japanese Task Force chases to complete its mission to attack the same Task Force (3) whilst based at Darwin. - Attack is unsuccessful and the Japanese Task Force withdraws and returns to the Philippines	Japanese Task Force 2 engages the US Navy (Task Force 3) at Darwin to no effect
The Mariannas after the attack, where Japanese Task Force 1 is based. Ground based aircraft were not used in the attack because they were just out of range	The US base in the Gilbert Islands, with ground based bomber squadron having suffered heavy losses. The Islands are also a strategic objective of Japanese Forces

Turn 2 - February 1944 - US Initiative

- US Task Force 1 returns to the Marshall Islands to attack the third island, Eniwetok, without Marines this time.
- US also calls up forces from Fiji to join task force (includes New Orleans and destroyers and SS units, STP's carrying 1 8-3 infantry division (xx) to join Task Force 1 in attack on Eniwetok).Fiji group vessels approached by Japanese bombers based at Rabual and Kavieng on the Bismarck Archipelago (two groups).
- US fighters scrambled from islands in the area, such as Fiji, Somoa and Guadalcanal in the Solomons. Counter-attack successful, one Japanese bomber destroyed and one depleted (as no quality rating to defend itself with).

New Orleans support forces leaves Fiji to join US Task
Force 1 in attack on Eniwetok in the Marshalls

Japanese land-based bombers attacks New Orleans but
is counter-attacked by US fighters

- Fiji task force moves to join Eniwetok invasion force (Task Force 1) . US Task Force 1 is attacked by Japanese carrier-borne aircraft, US fighters meet challenge, one US fighter group is lost from carrier USS Cabot, other aborted, 1 Naval Air depleted from CV Bunker Hill.
- Warship Indiana hit and is depleted by Japanese super battleship Yamato.
- US Task Group 1 responds but fails to inflict any damage to Japanese fleet.

The Fiji Task Force with New Orleans arrives at Eniwetok and is immediately attack by Japanese Naval Air	Close-up of the attack on Eniwetok, note that Naval Air is committed from both Task Forces
A US land-based fighter-bomber squadron joins the land assault but is attacked by Japanese land-based fighters	Situation check: US Task Forces prepare for the invasion of Eniwetok after air war is resolved

The Battle for Eniwetok & Wotje

- The amphibious assault on Eniwetok is successful and US troops move in to occupy the island - 2:1 attack, with -2 modifier throws 3 (after modification) for a D2x result (defender loses 2 steps, attacker loses 1 step). Defenders strength was doubled a s island was a fortress island.
- Wotje (in the Marshalls) is also attacked by US troops who made a successful landing in the Turn 1. The Japanese unit is eliminated.
- The Marshall Islands are completely controlled by US Forces, this is the first strategic objective achieved in the game.
- Japanese Task Force 1 returns to Truk but remains a threat.
- Carrier USS Cabot leaves the Task Group for refit at Midway on next Seasonal Turn (aircraft lost during battle for Eniwetok). The battleship Indiana, damaged and depleted in the same campaign, joins her. New Orleans escorts both ships.

Eniwitok and Wotje are successfully attacked and occupied by US Forces	The Marshalls are now occupied by US Forces and Task Force groups begin to disengage from the battle
Task Forces disperse and US Forces consolidate the islands, with engineers fortifying Eniwetok	The Japanese base at Truk, where Japanese Task Force 1 resides still threatens the Marshalls to the east
This image demonstrates the proximity of the two opposing forces, see also Japanese fighter based on Wake to the north	The carrier USS Cabot and the heavily damaged battleship Indiana retreat to Midway for repairs, New Orleans escorted

Turn 2 - February 1944 - Japanese Forces Regroup

- Japanese Task Forces 2 & 3 relocate to Truk in the Carolines and Wake respectively, carrying with them reinforcement troops (6-3 infantry divisions) x 2.
- The Japanese Imperial Navy does not have the resoorces to mount an all out invasion unless it is to be virtually unopposed. They also have 3 Marine Corps, based in Yokohama, Truk & Rabaul. Marines are essential to successful amphibious landings as they suffer less penalties on the die-roll (-3 if they have been transported more than 6 hexes though).
- Marine Corps at Rabaul transported to Truk, courtesy of Tasl Force 1, a 6-3 infantry division replaced it, strengthening the garrison at Rabaul.
- Bringing Marine Corps together in Truk in the Caroline Islands brings the possibility of an invasion force together in one place ready for transport by Tasl Group 1.
- There are severeal poorly defended American bases including Kiska in the Aleutian Islands to the north, along with Johnston Isalnd and Palmyra.

Turn 3 - March 1944 - US Forces Strengthen Pacific bases

US forces regroup and do not plan any offensives in this turn, this might be a mistake, however, a number of American bases important to the Japanese lie virtually undefended.

- USS Cabot and Indiana move to Pearl Harbour to complete refit.
- Task Force 1 moves infantry division from Marshalls to Kiska in the Aleutians
- Task Force 2 takes an Engineer unit to Palmyra, the only unit available for boarding to defend the island (strength 1-3)
- Task Force 3 takes a depleted 8-3 (5-3) infantry division from Australia to Fiji
- Task Force 1 returns to the Gilbert Islands. Task Force 2 & 3 remain in Palmyra & Fiji on alert

Turn 3 - March 1944 - Japanese Offensive - Target: Palmyra

- Japanese Task Force 1 & 2 head for Palmyra with invasion force. Departing from Truk in the Caroline Islands, they are intercepted by US Task Force 2 south of Wotje in the Marshalls.
- Five Bomber squadrons mobilize and join in the attack on the Japanese forces at sea, scambled from local airbases. Fighter-bombers will funstion as bombers.
- Japanese carrier-borne aircraft attack the American fleet. US aircraft carriers launch defense. The US carrier Langley loses her aircraft in the ensuing battle. US aircraft now counter-strike.
- US carrier-borne aicraft retaliate and five Japanese carriers and some or all of their aircraft are depleted (Chiyoda; Zuiho; Junyo; Hosho; Hiyo), This is a distrous outcome for the Japanese invasion force. Only the Zuikayu & Shokaku survive the attack with all aircraft accounted for, whilst aircraft on the Junyo & Hiyo are depleted.
- US land-based bombers are now activated and attack the weakened Japanese carriers. The Chiyoda, Hosho and Zuiho are sunk (they had already lost their aircraft) and the large carrier Hiyo is sunk, along with its depleted aircaft squadrons.
- After such a disastrous engagement the Japanese commander decides to disengage and not fight a sea battle, with mutual agreement the US commander agrees not to engage his battleships as he has succeeded in thwarting the possible invasion of Palmyra.

Japanese Task Force 1 sailing from Truk in the Carolines is intercepted by US Task Force 1 south of the Marshalls	Bombers and fighter- bombers from the Gilbert Islands and other bases join in the attck on the Japanese carrier force
US bombers are commited to the attack and Japanese carrier- borne aircraft are scrambled, only to be counter-intercepted	The battle nearly over, the Japanese commander, under enormous pressure decides to disengage from the battle

- The Japanese Task Force returns to the Carolines
- US Task Force 1 returns to the Marshalls, with the carriers USS Langley departing for Pearl Harbour for restoration of her aircraft lost during the battle. USS Bunker Hill joins her to have her naval-air repaired and upgraded following an early engagement in the battle.

Turn 3 - March 1944 - Situation Report

The battle for Palmyra demonstrated the strength of bomber and fighter-bomber squadrons, which were not engaged by Japanese fighers from their carriers as all were intercepted by US naval-air from their carriers. This in turn allowed the bombers overwhelming attack strength against the Japanese carriers. A +2 die-roll modifier helped a great deal (as the US bombers were all land-based bombers), and were allowed multiple strikes according to their combat strength - 15 strikes in all!

With hindsight the Japanese Task Force could have avoided most US land-based bombers and sailed north of the Marshall Islands instead. Unfortunately a bad decision was realised too late and the task force was unable to turn-around once it was intercepted. The situation does not, however, reflect the historical events, and there was no such early victory over the Japanese Imperial Navy. Instead such a victory was to prove elusive until the battles of the Phillipine Sea and Leyte Gulf, later in 1944.

Seasonal Turn - Spring 1944 - Reinforcements Arrive

US Reinforcements

Battleships Iowa and New Jersey join Task Force 2, along with 3 CV's, Franklin; Wasp II and Hornet; CVL Bataan also joins, with depleted air.

Japanese Reinforcements

CV Taitio joins Task Force 1 with naval-air plus one 4*-4/4 fighter based at Kavieng (Bismarck Archipelego)

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