Allied future ships against Japanese (Java Sea revisited…; GQ3.3)

As you recall from our ‘what if?’ scenario we played 30th Dec. 2025 (separate BLOG-entry), the Royal Netherlands Navy envisaged early 1940 the development of Battle Cruisers for the defense of her colonies in Asia. In December we tried to find out if such a fictional battle cruiser (BC) had any chance against a Japanese battleship… We ended that game after 6 turns with the question how she would be able to fight the potent Japanese 8-inch cruisers, like Myoko-, Takao- and Mogami-class? So this game we put up a Dutch battlecruiser, together with 1 x US Northampton-class 8-inch cruiser and 3 destroyers (2 x US Fletcher-class and 1 x NL ‘Callenburgh’-class) against 1 x Mogami-class (IJN Mikuma), IJN Takao, 1 x Myoko-class (IJN Nachi) and 3 ‘Kagero’-class destroyers.

‘what if?’ scenario

Initially I tried to compose both fleets as fair as possible; hence the amount of cruisers and destroyers. The Japanese had together 27,5 Victory Points and the NL/US fleet 28,5 VP. However, because the Dutch BC and US cruiser had no torpedo tubes, the Japanese fleet had 68 x 24-inch long range torpedoes (Type 93 ‘Long Lance’) and the 3 Allied destroyers only 28 x 21-inch…Spoiler-alert!
Scenario as last time (comparable with 1942 ‘Java Sea’): Dutch/US modern Taskgroup, consisting of 1 BC (HNLMS Amsterdam; 9 x 11-inch; flag), 1 CA (USS Augusta CA-31; 9 x 8-inch) and 3 destroyers (HNLMS Callenburg, USS Fletcher & USS Guest) with each 5 guns would search for the Japanese covering force of the Japanese landing fleet around 1943/’44. Assuming the war in Asia didn’t start in 1937-’38, but in 1943…. so 3 Japanese heavy cruisers (IJN Nachi, Takao & Mikuma (in total: 30 x 8-inch) and 3 x 1940s Kagero-class destroyers (IJN Kagero, Isokaze & Amatsukaze) each with six 5-inch guns.

Set up

On a 4 x 6 feet table, both 1:3000 scale task groups were approx. 30,000 yds. apart. Distance scale: 1 cm. = 200 m. Wind: from North, Bf 4, visibility: 21.000 yds (determined by dice); Each Taskgroup had 1 gunnery division (battlecruiser and/or cruisers) and 1 destroyer div. At the start of the game those ships sailed towards each other at 15 kts (NL/US from the SE) or 10 kts. (Japan from the NW).

Turn 1 & 2
Japanese fleet consisted of a division cruisers in quarter line with a division destroyers (line abreast) all maintaining 10 kts.; NL/US fleet pushed their destroyer screen (line abreast) further in front of BC (blue flag), to improve warning/scouting possibilities. Allied destroyers (DD) increased to 20 kts. 

Turn 3
All destroyers visual detected each other at about 21,000 yds. IJN Mikuma detected the Allied DD’s as well. Allied major combatants and most Japanese major combatants were not detected yet. IJN Mikuma fired with ‘A’ & ‘C’ 8-inch turret at USS Guest at > 20,000 yds: miss. The large splashes around the US destroyer provided the Dutch rear-admiral information that at least 1 Japanese cruiser (or battleship) was getting into range…

Turn 4

Based on the conclusion that at least part of the Japanese covering force was detected, all NL/US combatants increased speed in order to detect the full threat. The Allied destroyers turned to a westerly intercept course (line astern formation) with 30 kts; the BC & CA (line astern) increased speed to 20 kts. As both task groups came closer the majority of units saw each other. IJN Mikuma had now the full picture of the incoming Allied threat. The 3 Japanese cruisers opened fire at the 3 Allied destroyers (at 18,000 yds) as they assumed their 8-inch guns couldn’t penetrate the armor of the

Dutch BC. Only IJN Nachi scored hits at USS Fletcher. Unfortunately 1 critical hit (out of 4 hits!), resulting in a jammed rudder, resulting in a slow but permanent port turn of the destroyer. The Allied guns (11-inch, 8-inch and 5-inch) did only hit IJN Kagero lightly at 15,000 yds (and none of the cruisers!). 

Turn 5

USS Fletcher managed to stop the flooding of her damaged bulkhead but her jammed rudder forced her out of the destroyer division… The remaining Allied destroyers made smoke to cover her manoeuvre and repairs. Both remaining destroyers however maintained their intercept course towards the Japanese fleet; now with full speed. The Dutch BC and US cruiser increased speed to improve hitting chances towards the Japanese cruisers. The Japanese fleet increased speed as well and deployed their destroyers in such a clever way that deployed smoke from their destroyers did hide their vulnerable cruisers from the BC. So the Dutch BC and US cruiser lost sight of the majority of the Japanese fleet!

HNLMS Amsterdam was only able to hit IJN Kagero at 15,000 yds. (once) but it was very difficult to hit those fast and agile destroyers by the other allied units. The Japanese returned fire (only possible from the Japanese DD’s, only possible against Allied DD’s) but missed completely. The hit of a 11-inch salvo at IJN Kagero did hurt: she was hit in her boiler room, she lost a torpedo mount, a fire started and she lost her depth charges. All resulted in a speed limit of 28 kts.

Turn 6
USS Fletcher was unable to repair her jammed rudder and maintained her forced circle and couldn’t participate in the fight. IJN Kagero was unable to put out the fire.

Both allied destroyers maintained their intercept course at full speed; still making smoke to cover USS Fletcher. Due to windspeed (4 Bft), smoke lasted only 1 turn at the time. The Allied major combatants changed course slightly towards the Japanese main force, while maintaining broadside chances. Both sides planned a torpedo-attack: the 3 Japanese destroyers launched a large volley of 24-inch torpedoes to the West at 15.10h; USS Guest launched 10 x 21-inch torpedoes at 15.05h. in NW direction in order to prevent any Japanese (destroyer) manoeuvre towards the Allied major combatants. 

The Japanese DD’s maintained their smokescreen on a Southern course. Possibly to a combination of the speedlimit of IJN Kagero, the maneuvering of IJN Takao and the slight course change of HNLMS Amsterdam, IJN Takao became visible between the smoke screens.. HNLMS Amsterdam fired at her with 2 forward 11-inch turrets at once at 15,000 yds but missed again! USS Augusta didn’t hit IJN Isokaze but either USS Guest or HNLMS Callenburgh did hit the already damaged IJN Kagero, resulting in additional damage. The return fire from IJN Takao (2 fwd 8-inch turrets) towards the BC missed as well. The only Japanese hits were from IJN Amatsukaze towards HNLMS Callenburgh, resulting in a critical hit: her fire control director was damaged (degrading her gunnery hitting chances).

Turn 7
USS Fletcher was stil not able to repair her jammed rudder but IJN Kagero managed to put out her fires.

The Dutch rear-admiral signaled both Allied destroyers (only one with a full load of torpedoes) to change course to north and lay a smokescreen south to north. The plan was to let the Allied major combatants change course west and close the distance towards the Japanese fleet quickly. And then break through the fresh smokescreen and fight the Japanese cruisers at close range (as the long range results of the 11-inch guns of the BC proved disappointing this battle). While this order was processed, the Japanese cruisers all launched long range 24-inch torpedoes at 16.30h. in NE direction (assuming the Allied major combatants maintained their NW course). During the actual maneuvering the Japanese cruisers became suddenly all visible as the Japanese destroyers stopped making smoke and the Japanese cruisers were also ordered to close the range. 

Now the major combatants of both fleets steered with high speed directly at each other (and the torpedo salvo of the Japanese cruisers was aimed wrong). However with her recent course change to West, HNLMS Amsterdam ran into 2 spreads of 24-inch torpedoes launched in turn 6 (from the Japanese DD’s). The Type 93 torpedo is oxygen powered and very difficult to see (and thus to evade!). One spread did miss the BC but the second spread did hit, resulting in major damage and a speed limit of 22 kts. HNLMS Amsterdam fired with her fwd 11-inch turrets at IJN Takao at 8,000 yds but missed again! USS Augusto missed again at IJN Nachi (at 12,000 yds). Only USS Guest was able to score hits at the already damaged Japanese destroyer IJN Kagero. Two 5-inch hits at 3000 yds, resulting a quite some additional damage at the ship (bulkhead, torpedo mounts, etc.). HNLMS Callenburgh was unable to fire her guns or launch torpedoes as she was inside the smokescreen. The Japanese shooting however was more accurate: IJN Takao (8-inch guns) and IJN Kagero (5-inch guns) fired both on USS Guest, resulting in heavy damage (torpedo mounts, several hull boxes). IJN Amatsukaze did hit poor USS Fletcher once (still circling around, not protected by smoke anymore). Her damaged bulkhead was hit a second time! Both remaining Japanese cruisers missed against HNLMS Amsterdam and USS Houston.
 
Turn 8
The unexpected severe under-water damage to HNLMS Amsterdam triggered a morale check of the crew, but her crew fought the damage bravely and stayed in the fight. However IJN Kagero was so battered that she steered away, trying to flee the scene.
The Japanese fleet was in a better shape than the Allies: the 3 cruisers were all operational and both remaining destroyers could still fight and were busy reloading their torpedoes. The only undamaged and fit Allied ships were cruiser USS Augusto and destroyer HNLMS Callenburgh… USS Fletcher was hopeless; USS Guest was damaged (and out of torpedoes) and HNLMS Amsterdam had a severe speed limitation of 10 kts.!
USS Guest managed to extinguish her fires but poor USS Fletcher was unable to repair her damaged bulkhead or jammed rudder and maintained her useless circling… So the Dutch rear-Admiral signaled his force to escort HNLMS Amsterdam towards Australia and disengage from the enemy.
However, behind the devastating Japanese torpedo spread there was another one… HNLMS Amsterdam, with her limited speed of 10 kts, was unable to evade this spread at all and took another 2 hits of 24-inch torpedoes! Out of 2 remaining hull boxes she got 7 hull boxes damaged, including her fwd 11-inch turret and engineering (again). She sunk very quickly with a lot of personnel loss… The commanding officer of USS Augusto took over command over the remaining Allied ships.  
Based on the last signals of the Dutch rear-admiral, USS Guest and HNLMS Callenburgh tried to maintain their northerly course. However, they ran into the Japanese cruiser force at very close range.

All fired at each other, except that HNLMS Callenburgh and IJN Mikuma were within 200 yds from each other so it was impossible to fire at each other. IJN Takao took two 8-inch hits from USS Augusto. Her return fire was far more deadly: she hit the lightly armored USS Augusto 4 times (6 damage points), resulting in damage to her engine room, to one 8-inch turret and damage to secondary armament. IJN Mikuma took two 5-inch hits at 1000 yds from USS Guest but her devastating return fire from her multiple 8-inch guns and AA-guns resulted in 14 hits (while USS Guest had at that stage 6 remaining hull boxes). The change that USS Guest became crippled/sunk was very likely… The 2 remaining Japanese destroyers fired at the circling and damaged USS Fletcher and did hit her twice. 2 undamaged hull boxes remained after this engagement. However USS Fletcher managed to return fire with her 4 remaining 5-inch guns and hit IJN Isokaze 3 times!

Outcome of this devastating fight:
The allies had lost 1 BC (16 VP), probably one destroyer (USS Guest; 2,5 VP) and were probably about to lose the continuously circling USS Fletcher (2,5 VP) and the remaining HNLMS Callenburgh (surrounded by 3 enemy cruisers at close range; 2,5 VP). Only USS Augusto had a small chance to escape the remaining Japanese force…  
All Japanese ships had some damage (and 1 destroyer had left the battle) but if they would decide to finish off the remaining Allied destroyers and let USS Augusto escape, they had probably sufficient time to reload their torpedoes, repair some of the damage and be still a reasonable covering force of the Japanese Landing Force. A major Japanese victory!

Verdict
This fictional naval skirmish took us approx. 5 hrs play time to conduct 8 turns (with making pictures & taking notes). As we saw last time, the first conclusion is that the game uses very realistic & fast shooting tables (Combat Rating Tables). If you use those CRT’s you can see at once which guns/torpedo’s have which range. The torpedo rules work also very well.
I started this game with the question would a Dutch battlecruiser make a difference? Unfortunately, this particular game resembled too much the actual 1942 Java Sea battle. In Feb. 1942 the Allied force was badly hit by Japanese Long Lance torpedoes. Same here: the most potent warship (the Dutch BC) was sunk by 3 Long Lance torpedoes (out of 16 launched by Japanese destroyers). In addition, there were 4 unpleasant surprises: first the hitting chances of the 11-inch turrets of HNLMS Amsterdam was much worse than the former game. Two: HNLMS Amsterdam had only 7 hull boxes total. Although this matches the German Scharnhorst-class, it didn’t give much chance against Type 93 torpedoes… Three: USS Augusto was too lightly armored for a heavy cruiser (compared to the Japanese heavy cruisers) and Four: the Japanese made clever use of distance and smoke screens. Next time we need to use spotter float planes or radar to overcome this.