Midway (Re-fight) Take II

After a little taste of the "feel" of the Midway game from the previous week we decided it had to be done "head-2-head" with the former USN player volunteering to act as umpire to spice things up with added suspense in the "searches". It was now "double-double-blind" as we would not know where the other player was actively searching. This was going to be 'pants wetting stuff'. Drawing lots was thrown out of the window as the other IJN player from last time definitely wanted to "play red" (I think it was the lure of all that "kit"). So we started in earnest contemplative silence. All I knew was that the Japanese were heading to Midway in force. Midway was banging out searches and getting interesting CV results. I committed my B-17 squadron to a long range daylight raid. It annoyingly failed to find the Japanese Fleet on its first go (as often happened when the distance was great the enemy were not where you expected them to be) but despite the ponderous turn-around time a second B-17 strike found an IJN carrier force. The B-17 was immune to AA and CAP (aka a free attack) and was allowed a "low odds - high level attack" (see below, not what I had expected - the cunning IJN player had divided his force of four Fleet Carriers into "two groups of two", nevertheless I targeted the Kaga):

The Kaga disappeared in a cluster of water spouts, bombs dropping tantalisingly near but missing, then a game changing "direct ht" followed by billowing black smoke and flames. With "ready aircraft" on deck the 'poor Japanese damage control' rule came into effect and Kaga blazed out of control - doomed to sink, with her precious cargo of planes incinerated (see below, the US Army Air Force flyers had struck the first blood - big time):

There was a stunned silence, the IJN player knew this was not going to be a cake-walk now; the gods of fate and war seemed to be mocking him (see below, a gruesome dead-pool - the CAP were forces to ditch [but the pilots were picked so no Allied VPs] but 10VPs for the Kaga and 5 VPs for the five squadrons/flights lost = 15 Allied VPS):

Both players hunkered down for the main event. The IJN player was intent in wrecking Midway's search and offensive capabilities. His direct approach was ignoring the loitering fog-bank at the top of the map. Whereas the USN was actively using it to hide his carrier forces TF16 and TF17 - which was risky as it could 'blow away' by the fickle prevailing winds at any time (see below,  the plans as reconstructed [as I was not in a position to take photos of both players maps for obvious reasons] the Japanese bravely divided his forces to "flush out the Americans", whereas the USN concentrated their and stole into the enemy's backyard and attacked from behind):

US Plan: Hide and Seek

IJN Overlaid on US Plan: The many fingers of the Kit-Kat

The Japanese brought their carriers in close and hammered Midway. Initially the US Marine pilots had a chance to get a carrier but as only 50% [two flights/squadrons of attackers] of the attackers found the carrier, those that got through were hammered by a combination of deadly Zero CAP and AA fire, being brought down - had all four flights/squadrons arrived it might have been another matter The valiant US Marine defenders were thus doomed to be ground down, as the airport eventually became wrecked and non-operational (no planes left) with only one full strength US Marine ground unit remaining. Still the Stars and Stripes proudly flew over Midway. The only sign of the USN was a decoy DD Flotilla sailing south near Midway designed to look as if they were "pickets" for the US Carriers. This was to tempt the IJN attention south (see below, the Midway Ground defences look almost totally wrecked and a sole Buffalo Marine Corp fighter flight to protect it):

However as the IJN player basked in his triumph the USN player announced "carrier strike" of IJN CV group. The attack squadrons of Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown swamped the air defences and sunk the Light Carrier Zuiho [5 Allied VPs], destroyers and damaged a cruiser [about another 5 Allied VPs worth]. I was hoping it was a IJN Fleet Carrier group but the IJN player had been playing very canny here, as I had not got my "grand prize". This was a stunning player shock to the IJN player as this came as a complete surprise - a literal "bolt out of the blue". "He's somehow got behind me" was all he could say. A second night phase then ensued (see photographs below, perhaps the raid was a little "overkill" .. but satisfactory):

US Air Waves: Three sent "two get through" (see below):

IJN CAP defend: The sole IJN Fighter is overwhelmed and the AA swamped (see below, even though one wave "missed" the target):

As sunk light CV (Zuiho), DD Flotilla and a damaged CA (see below, the BB was too tough to hurt):

Midway however was primed for invasion, but the transport fleets and Midway Bombardment force were being harassed by multiple US Submarine attacks during the day and night. Eventually some torpedoes got through. A transport was damaged and the damaged cruiser sank (another 4 Allied VPs). The Japanese order of battle was now looking very "holey" in places. However with three active Fleet Carriers and yet another Light Carrier in play the IJN was still as powerful as the "as yet" untouched USN TF16 and TF17 Carrier Groups. Dawn would see a Midway invasion fleet assembly and the USN had to commit their carrier forces. Unbeknown to the USN the IJN had split their forces, with half their carrier strength (the most powerful half) on the wrong side of Midway (see below, the US Sub Pickets attack the IJN Fleets during the night phase):

Dawn also caught the IJN looking in the wrong place and the Fleet Carrier Hiryu paid the price. This time their was a frantic CAP battle between Zeros and Wildcats before the Zeros attacked and shot up a couple of flights of torpedo bombers, but again the defences were swamped by all three US CVs attacking squadrons (every plane they could muster got through). The Hiryu exploded into a mass of wrecked metal along with a bevy of escorting destroyers and cruisers (another 5 Allied VPs for the CV, 4 more for the aircraft and another 6 to the damage to the surface ships - another 15 Allied VPs). The US Commander breathed a sigh of relief (see below, another surprise attack, this time with three waves getting through - carnage ensued and the IJN CV destroyer screen was sunk as an added insult - they would have been handy chasing off US submarines):

Midway on the other hand was being invaded and the US ground forces were slowly crumbling. It would take all day but they were doomed. The US TF16 and TF17 recovered their planes and attacked what IJN targets they could find, damaging a BB, sinking a CA and sinking more DD's, another 10 VPs worth but the USN now was forced to perform a tactical withdrawal as Midway fell (13 IJN VPs + another 8 from destroying air assets and the ships decoy USN DD Flotilla - caught by the Kaga's Air Fleet). The USN was now "unaware of where the surviving IJN Fleet Carriers were, so caution and discretion was the order of the day. Note: In hindsight the US Commander's suspicions (mine) were actually totally wrong and if I had hung around I could have well sailed into a trap! Both players agreed [a good] game over (see below, ...):

The VPs were tallied and the score was 2:1 in the USN favour (50+ USN to 20+ IJN). Midway had fallen and that would have strategic consequences for the security of Hawaii and the Aleutians. However half the IJN carrier force had been sunk and the remaining Japanese aircrews had suffered losses during the air battles over Midway. All three USN Carriers were intact and their air crews were virtually unscathed. The morale of the USN pilots would be soaring high. The most likely outcome would be the IJN would consolidate their Aleutian Carrier Force with the surviving Midway Carriers to seek battle with teh Americans. The USN Midway Group (TF16/17) perhaps a reinforced by other USN assets (CVs USS Saratoga and USS Wasp) would be tempted to re-take Midway. I think it could be time to paint up some of that 1/3000 Navwar Pacific War kit that's in the loft ;)

The Aftermath: Both Players were mentally exhausted ... we had played long past our mid-week stopping point and would be very tired but yet enthralled the next day, with events running back through our heads. Countless what-if scenarios to consider. There would be another contest to come for sure ...

Research Note: Interesting Article regarding Midway and Wargaming:
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/moc-warfighter/vol1/iss11/5/