Scenario 9
Encircling Rabaul
A Hypothetical Scenario by James Lutz
Time: 0100, 15 January to 0800, 20 January (128 turns)
Weather: Scattered Clouds
Allied Order of Battle
CV Enterprise
CV Hornet
CV Lexington
BB Colorado
BB Nevada
BB South Dakota
BB Washington
BB West Virginia
CA Astoria
CA Chicago
CA Indianapolis
CA Minneapolis
CA Pensacola
CA Portland
CA Quincy
CL Atlanta
CL Helena
CL Hobart
CL Honolulu
CL Raleigh
CL San Diego
CL St Louis
31DD, 3PG, 6APD, 11AP,
14SS
Sea Based
Planes: 12 Avenger, 34 Dauntless, 31 Wildcat
Land Based
Planes at Espiritu Santo, Henderson and/or New Caledonia: 6 B-17, 14 B-25, 5 Catalina, 12 Dauntless, 7 P-38, 10 P-40, 11
Wildcat
Land Based Planes at Australia, Port Moresby, Gili-Gili and/or
Buna: 12 B-17, 8 B-25, 21 B-26, 3 Beaufighter, 1 Catalina, 6 Hudson, 10
P-39, 19 P-40
Allied Ships’ Starting Positions
- West Virginia, Nevada, Colorado, St.
Louis, Hobart, San Diego, 11AP, 6APD, 14DD, and 3PG at Port Moresby or two
hexes from the south edge of Sector V, VI, or VII.
- 1DD at Buna.
- All other ships enter Turn 1 anywhere on
the east edge south of Ndeni; on Turn 6 or later, anywhere on the south
edge of Sector VIII; Turn 10 or later, anywhere on the south edge of
Sector VII; Turn 14 or later, anywhere on the south edge of Sector VI.
Japanese Order of Battle
CV Hiyo
CV Zuikaku
CVL Shoho
CVL Zuiho
AV Chitose
BB Hiei
BB Kongo
BB Yamashiro
BB Yamato
CA Aoba
CA Ashigara
CA Atago
CA Chokai
CA Furutaka
CA Kumano
CA Maya
CA Mikuma
CA Mogami
CL Isuzu
CL Jintsu
CL Kitakami
CL Nagara
CL Sendai
CL Yubari
30DD, 8PG, 3APD,
4AP
Sea Based
Planes: 3 Dave, 4 Jake, 2 Judy, 28 Kate, 6 Pete, 22
Val, 38 Zero
Land Based
Planes at Buka, Buna, Buin, Gasmata, Kavieng,
Lae, Rabaul and/or Truk: 26 Betty, 7 Kate, 7 Mavis, 24 Nell, 2 Pete, 3 Rufe, 3
Emily, 12 Val, 35 Zero
Japanese Ships’ Starting Positions
- 8 PG in Sectors I, II, III, or IV.
- AV Chitose may have established a
seaplane base in any partial land hex in Sectors I, II, III, or IV. 2DD
may accompany the Chitose. If not, the 2DD enter with the “other ships”.
- 4AP, 3APD, 6DD and 1CL at Rabaul or enter
with other ships.
- All other ships enter Turn 1 or later
anywhere on the north board edge.
Special Rules – Allied Only
- All Allied bases except Buna have radar.
- Allied CV, BB, CA, CL, DD, SS, AP and APD
have radar.
- Buna can handle only Wildcat, Dauntless,
Avenger, P-38, P-39 and P-40 aircraft, and has no Maximum Launch
capability. The same restrictions apply to any Japanese base captured by
the Allies.
- A base is captured by landing the
required number of troop points in excess of Japanese troop points (see Special
Victory Conditions below). The Allied player may start using a
captured base two turns after the turn of its capture.
- BB West Virginia, BB Colorado and BB
Nevada may be pre-designated as carrying HE ammunition and may be reloaded
with same or normal when in port. BBs with HE use a BHT value of 16 for
bombardment. Their gunnery factors are reduced as follows: West Virginia
10, Colorado 9 and Nevada 8.
Special Rules – Japanese Only
- Japanese bases Rabaul and Lae and CV Zuikaku
and AV Chitose have radar.
Special Rules – Both Players
- Use base values as given in the “Guadalcanal” scenario.
- The Optional Rule - Expanded Ship
Functions, 7. Ammunition Reloads, is compulsory.
- APs and APDs may transfer troops among
themselves at the rate of 3 points per turn that the ships are anchored in
port, including a captured port.
Special Victory Conditions
- Allies capture Rabaul and score 100 points if they unload
150 more troop points at Rabaul than the Japanese do.
- Allies capture Gasmata and score 50
points if they unload 100 more troop points at Gasmata than the Japanese
do.
- Allies capture Buka and score 25
points if they unload 75 more troop points on Buka island than the
Japanese do.
- Allies capture Buin but score no extra points if they
unload 75 more troop points at Buin than the Japanese do.
- Japanese score 2 points for each troop point
unloaded at any of his bases or on Buka island.
- Japanese score 1 point for each troop point
unloaded within two hexes of Gasmata or within three of Rabaul or Buin.
- Japanese score 25 points if the
Americans fail to unload at least 15 points at Henderson.
- The Allies win and the game ends
immediately if at any time the Allies capture Rabaul and have more victory
points than the Japanese.
- The Allies win if they capture Gasmata or
Buka and have more victory points than the Japanese.
- If the Allies do not capture one of Buka,
Gasmata or Rabual but they have at least 150 victory points more than the
Japanese, the game is a draw.
- The Japanese win if the Allies do not
capture one of Buka, Gasmata or Rabaul and have less than 150 victory
points more than the Japanese.
From James Lutz’ Players’ Notes
“Overall, this scenario can lead to massive air actions and
surface battles. The fight for control of bases will be critical.”