Naval Thunder - 2nd Battle of Guadalcanal

Washington

On Tuesday evening Mog and I played our first game of Naval Thunder for a very long time.

I prepared the ship charts from the scenario at the back of the book,
The US forces were Task Force 64:

US Destroyers

• BB Washington (Flagship) 
• BB South Dakota 
• DD Walke 
• DD Benham 
• DD Preston
• DD Gwin 

The Japanese force was made up of the following elements
Bombardment Element

• BC Kirishima 
• CA Atago (FF) 
• CA Takao

Sweeping Element

• CL Sendai
• DD Uranami
• DD Shikinami

Detached Scouting Element

• DD Ayanami

Screening Element

• CL Nagara 
• DD Samidare
• DD Teruzuki
• DD Inazuma 
• DD Asagumo 
• DD Shirayuki
• DD Hatsuyuki

Sendai

Setting up the mission we then randomised who got the forces, Martin was the US Navy and I was the Imperial Japanese Navy. The two forces edged closer and the Ayanami was soon exchanging shots with the US destroyers. The action started in earnest on the fourth turn, engaging a radar target a Salvo of 16" shells crashed into Sendai sinking her immediately, Benham finished off the badly outnumbered and out-gunned Ayanami who in her death throes set Benham on fire which was also abandoned sinking.

Things continued well for the US Navy, next turn a salvo from Washington sank Shikinami, while a salvo from South Dakota sank Uranami whose torpedoes had missed the battleship. Walke torpedoed and sank the light cruiser Nagara, thinks were looking bad for the Japanese Navy.

However, the US destroyers were now badly outnumbered themselves, Walke, Preston and Gwin were soon despatched to the bottom. 

Another fantastic radar controlled shot from Washington knocked out B turret on Kirishima. 

Nagara about to meet a sticky end

The Japanese destroyers now closed on the US battleships who had lost their screening destroyers and soon  24" Long Lance torpedoes were cutting through the water towards their targets. Cry foul, out of all the torpedoes launched only a single one struck Washington and exploded with little effect against the torpedo bulges. For their troubles Teruzuki was sunk by the 5" secondaries of Washington and Shirayuki by the 5" guns of South Dakota. Kirishima too another four 16" shells from Washington.

It was time to call a close, the Japanese had taken a pounding, loosed all their torpedoes to ill effect and the remaining ships were in grave danger from the 16" guns of the two US battleships.

I don't think I would play it any more different the next time, just hope for better effect from the Long Lance torpedoes and not quite so many long range 16" gun hits from the US Battleships.