#00 Getting Started This scenario is used with the Getting Started instructions to help you get started with the Guadalcanal Naval Battles game. The scenario is based on a hypothetical attack by the Japanese in September, 1942 and the defense of Guadalcanal by an American cruiser force. #01 The Battle of Savo Island - 0100 0100 09 August 1942. When the Marines landed at Guadalcanal, the Japanese were not willing to give up the island without a fight. In particular, Admiral Makawa was ready to strike back with his cruiser force. In the early morning of August 9th, his cruiser force penetrated the radar pickets operating outside Savo Island and devastated the defending American cruisers stationed in the channel. The loss suffered by the Americans would be one of the worst defeats of the United States Navy. The struggle over the following months would result in that area of water becoming known as Iron Bottom Sound, by virtue of the number of ships sunk there. In this version of the battle, the Japanese ships have not yet penetrated the radar picket line. This scenario will play much differently than the historical battle as the American player will be able to react far better than occurred historically. For more information, see the Overlay Chart: Savo Island.bmp. #02 The Battle of Savo Island - 0135 0135 09 August 1942. In this version of the Savo Island battle, the Japanese have already penetrated the radar picket line and are about to engage the American cruisers. This scenario will play more historically since the American player loses 30 minutes of reaction time, reflecting the historical confusion of the American naval forces defending the channel. For more information, see the Overlay Chart: Savo Island.bmp. #03 The Battle of Savo Island (Alt) - 0135 0135 09 August 1942. The American defenders in the water off Guadalcanal Island were so disorganized during the Japanese attack, that no signficant response was possible. In this hypothetical scenario, it is assumed that the Eastern Force is able to respond to the attack in time and that the HMAS Australia is able to rejoin its division for the fight. #04 The Battle of Cape Esperance - 2330 2330 11 October 1942. The fighting on Guadalcanal Island had been going on for months and was becoming a battle of attrition. The Japanese were becoming anxious to eliminate the annoyance of Henderson Field and its aircraft. Admiral Makawa formed a powerful force to strike at the defenders of Guadalcanal Island, but his ships were detected on route to the island and with the advantage of radar, the Americans were able to establish a strong defensive line off Cape Esperance to stop him. For more information, see the Overlay Chart: Cape Esperance.bmp. #05 Cruiser Night Action - 0150 0140 13 November 1942. In November, the Japanese sent group after group against Guadalcanal in attempts to destroy the Americans there and reinforce their own forces. Vice Admiral Abe's force, including two battleships, was sent to Guadalcanal to bombard and completely destroy Henderson Field. However, upon arrival at Guadalcanal, it was met by a cruiser force, equipped with the latest radar and a wild melee ensued. In the end, one of the Japanese battleships was severely damaged and the attack was called off, but not without inflicting heavy damage to the American ships. The next morning, as the American cruiser Juneau was sailing away from the battle, it was struck and sunk by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine and over 700 men, including the five Sullivan brothers, went down with the ship or later perished in life rafts waiting to be rescued. For more information, see the Overlay Chart: Cruiser Night Action.bmp. #06 The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (Alt) - 0030 0030 14 November 1942. After the Cruiser Night Action, it was Admiral Mikawa's turn to attack and bombard Henderson Field. Historically, his attack was unopposed, except for a couple of PT boats from Tulagi. Lee's battleship force, detached from the Enterprise Task Force to protect Guadalcanal, didn't arrive in time to stop Mikawa's bombardment. In this hypothetical scenario, it is assumed that Lee arrives in time to engage Mikawa's attack. #07 The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal - 2300 2300 14 November 1942. The Japanese had hit Guadalcanal with two attacks already in the previous days. Now, Vice Admiral Kondo's Attack Group was approaching Guadalcanal with a sizeable force. This force included remnants of previous attacks such as the Battleship Kirishima. However Admiral Lee was ready with his battleship force to oppose the Japanese. The result would be one of the few battleship-vs-battleship fights of World War II. Note: the three PT boats in this scenario are known to have been patrolling the area during the battle, but the actual PT designations are not know to the author. The designations used in the scenario are thus generic. For more information, see the Overlay Chart: Guadalcanal.bmp. #08 The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (Alt) - 2300 2300 14 November 1942. Historically, the battleship Yamato was held back by Admiral Yamamoto and not committed during the Battle of Guadalcanal. At this time in the war, battleships were considered most useful as aircraft carrier escorts and the narrow channels off Guadalcanal Island were not considered suitable waters for ships of this size. But the Americans had shown in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal that battleships could indeed fight in this situation and could prevail. In this hypothetical scenario, the Japanese attack on Guadalcanal of 14 November is modified to include the Yamoto and the addition of a reinforcement group whose task it is to reach the reinforcement objective in the scenario. #09 The Battle Off Tassafaronga - 2300 2300 30 November 1942. After the loss of so many transport ships, the Japanese were desperate to reinforce their soldiers fighting on Guadalcanal. To try and get some supplies to them, they formed a group of destroyers, some of which were to provide escort while the others were loaded with drums of provisions that they would jettison off Tassafaronga. In the dark, this force encountered American cruisers and with the advantage given to them by radar, the Americans would engage the Japanese before they could reach their destination. But the Japanese destroyers fought back viciously and severely damaged the cruiser force before having to retire. For more information, see the Overlay Chart: Tassafaronga.bmp. #10 PT Action - 0030 0030 11 January 1943. With the Japanese group forces on Guadalcanal starving and being beaten, the Japanese make attempt after attempt to supply and reinforce them. Small groups of destroyers were sent to Guadalcanal in the "Tokyo Express" at night in attempts to reach the Japanese forces with supplies. On January 11th, one such attempt was intercepted by PT boats guarding the approach to Guadalcanal and a fierce night action took place. #11 Operation KE - 2300 2300 01 February. The battle of Guadalcanal was finishing. The Japanese had given up hope of retaining the island and prepared one last Tokyo Express to the island to pick up the remaining soldiers there. During the night, a force of Japanese destroyers attempted to penetrate the American naval defences to reach their soldiers. But the Americans and especially the PT boats, were ready to prevent that. #12 The Battle of Kolobangara - 0110 0110 13 July 1943. After the fall of Guadalcanal, the battle in the Pacific began a long series of fights up the Solomon Islands. During this time, the Japanese were continually challenged to reinforce their forces using the technique of the Tokyo Express, a formation of fast ships travelling at night. On the night of July 12-13, Admiral Ainsworth and his mixed force of light cruisers and destroyers set out to intercept one such Tokyo Express. But in this instance, unknown to the Americans, the Japanese had deployed their first operational use of radar detection. This made it easier for the Japanese to detect the radar-equipped American ships than it was for the Americans to see them. In the first part of the battle, the outcome was fairly balanced. #13 The Battle of Kolombangara - 0200 0200 13 July 1943. After the first part of the battle of Kolombangara, the outcome had been fairly balanced. Both sides had lost a light cruiser and the remaining forces were widely dispersed. Unknown to Admiral Ainsworth, the Japanese had regrouped and were returning to rejoin the fight. Ainsworth set out after the supposedly retreating Japanese but again due to the Japanese radar detection, he was at a disadvantage in terms of knowing where the enemy was and what it's intentions were. #14 The Battle off Cape St. George - 0150 0150 25 November 1943. The battles of the Solomon Islands had moved to Bougainville. Again the Japanese resorted to the Tokyo Express to reinforce and resupply their forces. As one such mission was returning from a successful drop-off, it was intercepted by an American force consisting entirely of destroyers. The result would be one of the more significant destroyer actions of the war.