Scenario 3.a
Eastern Solomons – The Battle
Time: 0100, 24 August to 1800, 24 August (18 turns)
Weather: Scattered Clouds
Allied Order of Battle
CV Enterprise
CV Saratoga
CV Wasp
BB North Carolina
CA Minneapolis
CA New Orleans
CA Portland
CA San Francisco
CA Salt Lake City
CL Atlanta
CL San Juan
21DD, 3AO, 6SS
Sea Based Planes: 15 Avenger, 36 Dauntless, 34 Wildcat
Land Based Planes at Espiritu Santo, Henderson, Ndeni and/or New Caledonia: 3 B-17, 5 Catalina, 3 Dauntless, 2 Hudson, 2 P-39, 4 Wildcat.
Land Based Planes at Australia, Gili-Gili and/or Port Moresby: 3 A-20, 8 B-17, 10 B-25, 20 B-26, 2 Beaufighter, 3 Beaufort, 1 Catalina, 1 Hudson, 6 P-39, 16 P-40.
Allied Ships’ Starting Positions
Japanese Order of Battle
CV Shokaku
CV Zuikaku
CVL Ryuyo
AV Chitose
CAV Tone
CAV Chikuma
BB Hiei
BB Kirishima
BB Mutsu
CA Aoba
CA Atago
CA Furutaka
CA Haguro
CA Kinugasa
CA Kumano
CA Maya
CA Myoko
CA Suzuya
CA Takao
CL Jintsu
CL Nagara
CL Tatsuta
CL Tenryu
CL Yura
31DD, 4APD, 5AP, 1PG, 12SS
Sea Based Planes: 17 Kate, 4 Jake, 1 Judy, 8 Pete, 17 Val, 25 Zero
Land Based Planes at any or all of Buka, Buna, Gasmata, Kavieng, Lae, Rabaul, Shortland and Truk: 8 Betty, 1 Emily, 2 Mavis, 3 Nell, 2 Rufe, 2 Val, 20 Zero
Japanese Ship’s Starting Positions
Special Rules – Japanese Only
Special Rules - Allied Only
Optional - Allied Only - CV Wasp Night Capable Air Factors
Optional Extra Planes
Special Victory Conditions
Historical Background
The battle of the Eastern Solomons was the result of a poorly organized, poorly co-ordinated, misinformed and nominal Japanese effort to dislodge the newly arrived Americans from Guadalcanal. To the Japanese high command, Guadalcanal was a distraction from their main focus, which was their efforts to dislodge the Australians from Papua New Guinea.