A site for Avalanche Press’ Great War at Sea, World War II at Sea

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You may want to watch this short video on installation and basic usage. VASSAL SWWAS how to.

Situation

The Japanese military leadership saw the world in a horrifically scared lens in 1942. A generation of nationalists and outright racists saw the world through that lens and assumed the worst of each adversary. Of the Americans they thought that a democracy was weak and that if they could bring the American Fleet to battle that Americans would grow tired and disheartened and would sue for peace when faced with a defeat and the prospects for a long war. For Yamamoto, he knew it was a hail Mary pass, but he also knew that without a forced peace early, the Americans would crush Japan in something more than 18 months based on production alone.

Threatening to resign if his plan was not accepted by the war council, Yamamoto convinced them to back his Midway plan to lure the American Carriers out to be destroyed in an engagement that would clear the way for the mythical Final Battle that would stop the Americans. All he needed to do was launch the attack on Midway, let the Americans take the bait.

But like all Japanese plans, this one was Byzantine in complexity. Designed to throw the Americans off, the Japanese fleet split into multiple groups. One attacking the American Alutian Islands, another group hanging back as an over the horizon reserve to make a surface attack after the American carriers had been destroyed and at the center, the mailed fist of the Kido Butai, the Japanese carrier strike force, which would attack Midway island and occupy it to draw the Americans out to sea in a Japanese trap.

Unfortunately for Yamamoto, the Americans had read his book. Literally.

The Americans had broken the Japanese code, JN25b, and knew where the attack would take place, where the Japanese fleets would rondevous and when they would do it. In the best of American style, like in the Westerns, they knew just how to set a trap and so waited for the Japanese north-east of Midway, the place least likely for them to be spotted and least likely for the Japanese to expect.

Early in the morning of June 3rd, 1942. American spotting planes caught sight of the landing attack force and conducted air strikes which yeilded no resupts, but in the morning, the action starte in style with the Japanese attacking Midway Island itself. Now that the Americans knew the Japanese carrier strike force was near, both sides committed search assets to look for the opposing fleet. The Americans spotted the Japanese first and launched strikes against them which arrived as the Japanese air groups were being rearmed with naval strike munitions (their search assets had found the American fleet very shortly afterward.)

Over several strikes the Japanese were devestated, losing three carriers. But were able to attack and fatally criple one of the American carriers, Yorktown.

Both sides had been blooded, but the Japanese had lost three carriers and in the morning the fourth, Soryu, had been found and sunk as well.

The tide of the war in the Pacific had turned and from this high-water mark, the Japanese would never have the resources or naval airpower to take the war to America.

Midway Deluxe lets you replay the historical battle, the what-ifs, the prelude and the aftermath. Become Jack Fletcher or Chūichi Nagumo and change the course of history

Midway Deluxe Edition includes 560 playing pieces: 280 “long” ship pieces and 280 square ones representing aircraft, smaller ships and markers needed for play. There are two operational maps forming a 42x28-inch playing area covering the Hawai’ian islands, Midway and surrounding waters.

Like its sister game South Pacific, Midway Deluxe Edition includes not only the standard, generic Tactical Map but also a special Tactical Map, this time showing Pearl Harbor with all of the locations of American warships on the fateful morning of December 7th, 1941.

Buy a copy of Midway Deluxe Edition and come play it online with this VASSAL module

Vassal Download

AARs

Coral Sea - Battle Scenario 6 - The Japanese Strike

The first AAR. Woo Hoo. Being the webmaster has it's perks.

The Japanes strike hit high and low. The CAP from the Yorktown managed to reduce the escort flight of Zeros and managed to splash three in the first pass. The Dauntlesses on CAP did their best to hit the Kates skimming the water on the the Lexington's starboard side, but in the end, had to watch in frustration as the crack pilots of the Shokaku held steady and delivered their torpedos in a spread that was impossible for the helmsman to avoid.

Four fish hit the water, three aimed true. The Lexington turned to starboard to comb the incoming wakes, but the third and final fish found her. Ripping into the starboard beam near the front elevator, the torpedo opened a huge gash down the side and the hit knocked out some electricity to the fore part of the ship and sent fire through the decks below the hanger, but the hit did not do enough damage to slow the Lady Lex nor to disrupt her flight operations.

Over the Yorktown, Val after Val heeled over and gracefully braved the AA fire and aimed their bombs at the flight deck on the wildly manouvering flat top.

The flak drove some of the Japanese pilots to release early and get the hell out of dodge, but three bombs pierced the flight deck. The Americans had prepared, flushing the fuel lines with CO2 and removing all loose ordnance, but the hits were enough to disable the front elevator which skewed to the port and fell partially into the hanger deck.

American damage control teams sprang into action and kept the fires under control, but the Yorktown was certainly hurt. Losing 4 hull boxes and with one deck box gone, the Yorktown was going to need to get to Pearl, but she would get to Pearl and then she would be back and she'd be bringing a few friends with her...

Dicussions

This is going to be linked to the wordpress component to allow members to comment on the scenario or the game in general. I think it will be easy to filger by the game name and the scenario name. Not doing this till I get WP hooked up.

Errata

This is going to be linked to the wordpress component to allow members to add errata to the scenario. I think it will be easy to filger by the game name. Not doing this till I get WP hooked up.

Articles

Not sure what this is yet. We could create a sort of blog entry that is specific to this game (Eastern Fleet).