Battle for the South Pacific

Scenario 17

May 1942  to December 1943

Fog of War: On

Japanese Submarine Doctrine: Historical

Replacement Rate: Variable

Commitments: 100% both sides

Game Version 2.2

Contents:

• Strategy Plans and Objectives
• Operational Directives
  Initial Strategy and Plans

Primary Objectives:

• Feign attack (operation GO!) on Port Moresby (air, some limited invasion where possible, possibly some limited ship losses though no Capital losses permitted)
• Primary objective (operation GO TOO!): Combined Fleet invasion of Noumea, supported by air bases (LRB) Efate, Luganville, and Santa Cruz Island.
• Secondary objective (operation BO!): should invasion fleet be discovered before landfall, the secondary objective will be a fleet invasion of Lunga (Guadalcanal)

Guiding Principles and Doctrine

• Capital Ships and specifically Carrier Forces are of primary importance.  If IJN can maintain a superior carrier fleet operational in the South Pacific for the duration of operations, IJN will dictate direction of conflict.  If IJN loses its operational control of a Carrier Force, the Army will not maintain it’s hold in the South Pacific
• Therefore, IJN will build and maintain a Carrier Force to protect BB and invasion forces; secondary to this IJN is authorized to use light carriers and seaborne based air/fleet for operation GO! in order to maintain feign in and around PM

Operation GO!

• Assembly of primary attack force (TF1) around middle May to initiate feigning attacks complimented by land based bombing
• Assembly of primary invasion force around end May to capture Gili Gili, Buna, and to build up presence on North East coast of New Guinea
• Assembly of land based air forces in and around Rabaul, and New Britain in order to create initial and then sustained feign on PM
• Operation GO! will be initiated with a gradual build up through May topped with a major fleet deployment in June and July 1942

Operation GO TOO!

• Create a wholly new primary base in South Pacific (as Rabaul will increasingly be attacked once ruse of Operation GO! is exposed, encircled) at Santa Cruz Island; this is dependent on the elimination of Guadalcanal as a base for offensive allied air attacks;
• Creation of a supplemental base behind Rabaul as a reserve base; target is Kavieng.
• Assembly of primary attach force (CF 1) Carrier Fleet 1 around middle to late June 1942 with supplemental troop carrier and BB reserves
• Co-coordinated, layered ring and path of Air Bases commencing with:
  • Phase 1
    • Shortland, Bougainville (expand beyond base 5 to 9) ongoing; achieve by July 1943
  • Phase 2
    • Jointly land at or around September 1942:
      • San Cristobal 42,43 (engineer force, air base to grade 5, 1 Division or less))
      • Santa Cruz 53,44 (engineer force, air base to grade 5, 1 Division or less)
  • Phase 3
    • Followed by landing at or around October 1942:
      • Luganville, Espiritu Santo 53,53 (engineer force, 2 Divisions)
      • Efate Port Vila, 55,57 (engineer force, 2 Divisions)

Operation BO!

• Initiate major offensives in order to capture Lunga (Guadalcanal) as a precursor to Operation GO TO! Or as an alternative should operational superiority present itself.
• Use forces directed for latter phases of Operation GO TO!

Operational Directives

Opening Phase – May 1942 to end June 1942 – Directive #1

1.      Build up offensive air resources to give impression (feign) impending attack on PM; using Shokaku and Zuikaku with re-fitted Shoho for advanced CAP, patrol off NE coast of New Guinea; seeking out to engage enemy carrier forces

2.      Supplement with largest possible surface BB fleet as bait to draw our enemy carriers; and as an offensive anvil on which to smash the air borne hammer;

3.      As long range bombers appear, relocate to Rabaul for attacks on PM, Gili Gili etc.

4.      Establish reserve base permitting engineer presence

5.      Verify supply positions

6.      Build up air base at Shortland

The following Carriers are due in the region within the next 40 days:

• Akagi – 33
• Kaga – 40
• Hiryu – 25
• Soryu – 20
• Junyo – 29
• With CLVs Ryujo and Zuiho also.

A number of BB are also due in the area in the next 30 days such as:

• Kongo – 33
• Haruna – 36
• Hiei – 30
• Kirishima -  39
• Mutsu – 21
• Nagato – 30
• Yamato - 25

This suggests that the immediate month be focused on reconnaissance in order to determine where the bulk of the enemy may be based.  Land based bomber attacks on New Guinea are imperative as IJN does not want to allow any reinforcement of that area before we can launch a major offensive, sometime middle to late June 1943.

Order of Battle

• TF 1: Shokaku, Zuikaku, 2CA (Truk)
• TF 2: Shoho, 4CA (Truk)
• TF 3: Transports (Rabaul)
• TF 4: 2CL (Rabaul)
• TF 5: Minesweepers (Shortland)

Opening Phase – May 1942 to end June 1942 – Directive #2

Due to apparent operational superiority in and around Gili Gili and Lunga, the invasion force and screening vessels marked for the build up of Operation GO! have been instructed to redirect their efforts in support of Operation BO! With immediate affect (May 4^th 1942) that force shall initiate invasion landings at Lunga.

This directive replaces the component of Directive #1 as it relates to Operation GO! invasion landings only – air operations as part of Operation GO! are to continue (in order to shield from