The Struggle for Guadalcanal:
by Byron Bond

November 13, 1942 (May 14, 1998 CGC-time)

Round three of the historical series of Guadalcanal naval battles was fought at the CGC on 5/14/98. The game, using modified Command At Sea rules, presented the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal - known as Third Battle of the Soloman Sea to the Japanese - using historical OOBs and special rules (unknown to the opposing fleets) to simulate the action of 11/13/42 when a US cruiser/destroyer force took on two IJN battleships and a swarm of escorting destroyers in a confused, close range night action described by one (real life) USN participant as "a barroom brawl after the lights had been shot out".
 

There is not room here to track every ship, but because we had such a great time, and the game featured so many historically-possible situations, I will present a summary of the game, as well as after thoughts, and also set the stage for part II which continues at the June meeting.

The IJN CinC, John Troise, embarked on (BB) Hiei, had orders to sail the two sisterships Hiei and Kirishima down 'The Slot' to bombard Henderson Field. Strategically, this would neutralize USN airpower, which would allow a heavily-escorted transport group (not gamed) to land desperately needed reinforcement troops on Guadalcanal for the last Imperial Army attempt to drive the Marines of the island. Attached to BatDiv 11 was DesRon Ten, consisting of the (CL) Nagara and 4 destroyers, commanded by Tom Cusa and tasked with protecting the northern (port) flank of the formation; and DesRon 4 with 5 DDs commanded by Mike Smith and screening the waters between the BBs and the island of Guadalcanal itself. The two BBs, not anticipating any Allied response, entered Iron Bottom Sound with all main battery turrets loaded with special Type 3 bombardment ammunition, not suited for anti-surface action, and a key driver of the events to follow. In addition, the weather was terrible north of Savo Island, and the IJN ships entered the Sound badly scattered and struggling to regain station. The time was 0125 as the ships entered the sound at 25 kts; a dark moonless night, with low overcast, and average visibility restricted to less than 8,000 yards - well inside point blank range for all vessels.
 

On the USN task force, Frank Luberti commanded TG 67.4 from the veteran cruiser San Francisco, with (CA) Portland and CL's Helena, Atlanta, and  Juneau in company. Matt Roos commanded DesRon 10 consisting of 4 DDs leading the cruiser column, while DesRon 12, 4 more DDs commanded by John Manning followed the cruisers into the inky darkness a single column. Having been warned of the Japanese approach, the American column patrolled the Sound eager to pounce on the (hopefully) unsuspecting Japanese. Applying the lesson of the Battle of Cape Esperance, the Americans formed all their vessels into a single column. Unfortunately for the Admiral, however, the extemporaneous makeup of the group meant that he remained onboard San Francisco, thereby entering battle without the advantages of the brand new SG radars found on the light cruisers. This was to be in the game, as in history, critical as the first detection of the Japanese was made by the  Fletcher-class DD O'Bannon, but the signal reporting this to the CinC was delayed and confused.

As the American radar screens reported to the various units the approach of the Japanese, the Japanese lookouts, tasked with identifying friendly vessels, failed to detect the American column until the first rounds of 5" fire from DesRon 10 splashed the waters around the Nagara and (IJN) DesRon 10. Thus began a remarkable action between two destroyer squadrons, who soon found themselves at less than 1000 yds apart with all guns blazing. Indeed, the Akatsuki and Blue narrowly averted collision and passed down each other's starboard side, literally scraping the paint off each other's hull. It was however, to be a triumph for Tom Cusa who skillfully directed his squadron in feats of daring and skill that   will be long remembered. In this, he was assisted by one of those tragedies of war that happen all too often in the confusion of night - the Jarvis, wildly turning to evade collision and to setup for a torpedo launch, was obliterated by an errant full salvo from San Francisco which crushed the brave 'tin can'. In the mad, desparate minutes to follow, the Japanese CL and destroyers were eventually overwhelmed by USN firepower, but not before their torpedoes and guns dealt full destruction to BOTH USN destroyer squadrons, and drove a fateful wedge between the the column of cruisers. Let it be said that the USN players fought hard and well, but the demoralizing blow of a loss to friendly fire, the presence of a light cruiser as IJN squadron leader, and the fates of war (and D10s) led to their defeat.

Meanwhile, the two BBs became aware of the seriousness of the threat, and decided to strike down their Type 3 bombardment rounds and ready the main battery with AP shell. Like Nagumo at Midway, the IJN CinC (John ????)
had a tough call: 1) fire the bombardment rounds ineffectively at the enemy column, leaving him unable to crater Henderson Field; 2) follow safe handling procedures and convert to AP ammunition, but losing the ability to fire the main turrets for 15 minutes or more; or 3) hastily strike down the Type 3 while simultaneously bringing up the AP. This last option was the one taken, which kept the two BBs from firing for only 9 minutes, but at a risk - the turrets were now crowded with various unstowed rounds, and any penetrating turret hit would have resulted in the ship's immediate destruction. Fortunately for the IJN, while the two ships were taken under fire, that fire was ineffective due to range and visibility, and again fate sided with the
Sons of Nippon. Actually, the two capital ships played little part in the battle as they scrambled to change ammo, their main impact being the remarkable accuracy of the secondary batteries (fired witjout the benefit of director control!) which seriously damaged DDs and cruisers alike.

All the while, through a serious lapse on the IJN command and control, Mike Smith's DesRon 4 was not advised of the fury to the east, and continued to sail, after regaining formation, down the western edge of the action, oblivious to the action, until suddenly, at 0145, the order came to turn east and engage the unseen enemy. More on this dramatic turn
of events later.
 

On the US side, the best laid plans were soon awry as, it seemed, everything went to hell in a handbasket, and the situation got worse from there! Having had painful experience of dealing with the dread 'Long Lance' torpedo, Frank Luberti had order the cruisers, upon detection of the enemy, to split their column to minimize the danger area of the expected mass torpedo launches. As a result, while the furious destroyer action was being fought, the cruisers Portland and Atlanta detached and proceeded northwest. This placed them west of the main action, where they were able only to pick away at the IJN DDs inflicting much agony on the USN squadrons. They were forced further out of the main arena by a couple of salvoes of torpedoes, and ended the game to the northeast, undamaged. The remaining three cruisers, however, made up for them and endured their own
hell. As we've seen, San Francisco's first salvo fell short and destroyed the Jarvis. Seeing firsthand the danger of firing into a confused melee, the three cruisers turned their attention to the two BBs which finally appeared out of the gloom. Leaving the DD action astern, they boldly turned west towards Guadalcanal, and at such short ranges, their massed 6" and 8" guns were able to penetrate the belt armor of the two BBs, who could only respond with secondary fire as the gun crews worked furiously to load AP ammo. It was just then, as their fire began to be felt on the BBs, that they detected the last-gasp launch of torpedoes from the dying IJN destroyers. Desperately putting on turns, the three cruisers speed westward, and appeared to be safe when an amazing combination of events occurred! Helena, the last in column, was hit in the stern by the last possible 'Long Lance', damaging her rudders and causing major flooding aft. It was at this moment that the hitherto unengaged IJN DDs
off Guadalcanal received their order to come left 90 degrees. No one was more surprised than they to suddenly find themselves heading dead on towards thirty thousand tons of death and destruction in the form of the three US cruisers at less than 2000 yards! Out of command, the mighty Helena plowed into the Harusame, sinking the DD that had not fired a single round, put seriously damaging her own bow in the process. This, combined with the aft torpedo damage doomed the unlucky, and nearly new, cruiser.
 

As the game was called (an hour early it turned out - the ref (me!) having misread his watch!), we found the two embattled US cruisers sandwiched between two IJN BBs to the north, and 4 undamaged IJN DDs to the south...not to mention the 16 Long Lance torps speeding toward them from those same DDs. The two US DesRons had ceased to be an effective force, and we have seen how the two unengaged cruisers found themselves out of the action to the northeast of the main battle. On the Japanese side, the two BBs were ready to enter action; DesRon 4 was closing in for the kill on the main body; and DesRon 10 had sacrificed itself, taking twice as many ships down with it, an driving away two cruisers.

And so, the battle ended, for a few hours anyway...
 

PART TWO - The day action of Nov 13

At the June meeting, we will meet again to fight out the day action that will take place 16 hours after the action described above. In this scenario, obviously not historical, but based on history and the action above, the Japanese hold the waters off Guadalcanal, and the USN throws in every available asset to drive them out and support the desparate Marines who are
defending against the vicious assaults being made by the newly arrived reinforcements successfully landed without the appearance of US airpower. This will be a terrific, daytime (!) clash of capital ships in a no-holds barred deparate fight to the finish. Because it is daylight, and both Ryujo and Hornet are still afloat, this game will see AIRPOWER on the game table (but no tanks (or Nazis), sorry armor fans), and hey, is that a periscope feather I see?

For an excellent site on teh real campaign for Guadalcanal, check this out.

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