Game report HALSEY-NIMITZ : Fall of Java 1942

I could at last try the Netherlands East Indies 1942 scenario I had written for the HALSEY campaign rules of Sam Mustafa’s NIMITZ set. I controlled the ABDA, and my old partner in games Patrick was commanding the IJN.

There was however a misunderstanding as he’d used the older version of the campaign to plan his deployment, but we had an enjoyable game nonetheless. He should have started all his forces between D1 & D3 on the 1st day’s 1st phase, but his main force made an appearance but on day 2 in C6. You will find a copy of my campaign here :

The Fall of Java 1942

And before people ask, yes, there is a discrepancy between the published map and the playing board. On the board, you can go from A6 to B5 as the peninsula doesn’t reach up to the square’s border. This is after all still a work in progress, and furthermore, mere handwork.

So, with this in mind, this the way forces were deployed. The IJN force in D3 is mostly a diversionary force, meant to be a sacrifice in order to allow the passage of the main body. It consisted of 4 transports (the campaign has a small land combat module, so these soldiers carried have an important role) with 6 destroyers. On the ABDA side, there are but few options, in fact, no good option, the least bad one being to have as big a force as possible to engage IJN formations, which is why I gathered 4 light cruisers (including the Boise) and 9 destroyers, using the last remaining 6 destroyers to create 2 diversions beyond the 2 decoy counters I was allowed.

With all ready, we started the game. You can see on the following map the moves of the 1st day. Given the presence of transports, the IJN moved only in the night phase, while I sent forces from Tilatjap in 2 directions.

The IJN failed a first detection roll, and I sent my B17 on a raid to Bandjermasin, losing one, but destroying 2 Lily bombers on the tarmac. A revenge raid by the Bettys on Tilatjap failed to do damage, but the remaining Lily bombers from Bandjermasin took out both Bleinheims at Surabaya, halving my bomber force. The Blenheims from Tilatjap then sank the 1st IJN transport of the game.

Day 2 was the day the naval decison was made. Things started extremely well for the ABDA, which managed to catch the detected IJN diversionnary force in square C4. This was a true massacre, as the Allies destroyed te remaining 3 transports as well as 3 destroyers for no loss. IJN Kates however crippled Boise in 2 successive attacks, and the cruiser had to drop out of the Task Force.

The night phase saw the big battle take place, as the transports had anchored and were still with their escorts, giving the ABDA a great advantage. This is why, despite te unbalance of forces, I decided to attack. I still had 3 light cruisers (De Ruyter, Java & Marblehead) & 9 destroyers  in my formation) and I could hope to deal a lot of damage to the IJN force (8 transports escorted by Nashi, Haguro, Myoko, Sendaï, Jintsu, Nagara, Aganon & Yubari with 14 ! destroyers, as the other force escorts had joined). I won initiative & decided to play 2^nd, for the sake of the positional advantage.

The battle itself was something most inelegant, actually more a brawl than and organized fight. When the IJN heavy cruisers advanced, I could position 4 destroyers to try to torpedo them. But I paid a heavy price in the gunnery phase, as the IJN rolled so well, both for hitting and damaging, that 8 of my destroyers were crippled. In return, I sank a single IJN DD. In the torpedo phase, I rolled for a single destroyer, and missed. The second turn saw the slaughter of the cripples, while the 3 light cruisers escaped the battlefield.

All hope was not lost though, as I had mauled the landing force previously. With but 5 days to go, and an equal number of counters, I could still hope to hold Java. In fact, I was still confident enough to allow a single counter to evacuate in order to get VPs… But the dice gods had decidedly turned against me. Submarine attacks on the IJN heavies resulted in the loss of 6 ! submarines for the ABDA (special rules in my campaign to allow for this), and the land battle went swimmingly for Japan. In the end, Java fell by the end of day 7, after an astounding number of excellent dice rolls for the IJN. Meanwhile, the Japanese Air Force found the 3 retreating cruisers and sank the poor USS Marblehead (De Ruyter & Java escaped).

In total, the IJN scored a great 106 VPs (with 30 due to the excellent ASW performance) vs 39 for the ABDA. The butcher bill was somewhat more balanced though, with 15 ABDA infantry counters, 9 destroyers, a light cruiser sunk, a light cruiser crippled (the Boise escaped after all !) against 6 IJN destroyers sunk and 11 infantry counters destroyed. I also lost all my planes (4 Blenheim, 6 P40, 3 Buffalos & 3 B 17) but killed 4 Lilies, 2 Bettys and 2 Vals, 2 Kates and 1 Zero.

In the end, a result close to what happened then and a very enjoyable game. I’m doing some adjustments to the victory conditions, in favor of the  ABDA, and am looking foreward for playing the IJN next time.