Frame 2 – The Battle for Midway

Introduction

The Battle of Midway, fought over and near the tiny U.S. mid-Pacific base at Midway atoll, represents the strategic high water mark of Japan’s Pacific Ocean war. Prior to this action, Japan possessed general naval superiority over the United States and could usually choose where and when to attack. After Midway, the two opposing fleets were essentially equals, and the United States soon took the offensive.

Japanese Combined Fleet commander Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto moved on Midway in an effort to draw out and destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s aircraft carrier striking forces, which had embarassed the Japanese Navy in the mid-April Doolittle Raid on Japan’s home islands and at the Battle of Coral Sea in early May. He planned to quickly knock down Midway’s defenses, follow up with an invasion of the atoll’s two small islands and establish a Japanese air base there. He expected the U.S. carriers to come out and fight, but to arrive too late to save Midway and in insufficient strength to avoid defeat by his own well-tested carrier air power.

Yamamoto’s intended surprise was thwarted by superior American communications intelligence, which deduced his scheme well before battle was joined. This allowed Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, to establish an ambush by having his carriers ready and waiting for the Japanese. On 4 June 1942, in the second of the Pacific War’s great carrier battles, the trap was sprung. The perserverance, sacrifice and skill of U.S. Navy aviators, plus a great deal of good luck on the American side, cost Japan four irreplaceable fleet carriers, while only one of the three U.S. carriers present was lost. The base at Midway, though damaged by Japanese air attack, remained operational and later became a vital component in the American trans-Pacific offensive

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/midway/midway.htm

Overview of Battle

This frame will pit the US against the IJN in a fierce fight for control of Midway.

Each side, the IJN and the US, are allocated a fixed amount of planes. Any pilot may fly any plane as their CO assigns. This event will not be measured on Lives Lost, it is measured on Planes. When you run out of planes as a team, your team is on the ground. Landing and saving your planes is paramount to the success of your side. Ground Guns, Vehicles, LVts, Gunners for Bombers are Unlimited, if they are available, you may use them. It is strongly recommended that if you are assigned a vehicle or gun position, you realize it is a vital part of the mission and do your part. One gunner in a jeep can get that one last shot on that one last torpedo plane and deny the other team a victory. Everyone matters, every position matters, until the end of the frame is called.

If the US demolishes the IJN forces, the follow-on troop transports must retreat, as if they did not, they would just be annihilated by US aircraft. In this case, Japan no longer has the ability to invade Midway. If the IJN demolishes the US forces, there is nothing left to preclude capture of the island. Thus, the fight is about Japan paving the way to capture or being stopped from doing so, and who controls the area around Midway is the victor.

US Carriers may begin operations anywhere in sectors 12,12-12,12-12,13 and 13,13.
The IJN carriers may begin operations anywhere in sectors 7,12-8,12-7,13 and 8,13.

Victory Conditions

If the IJN fails to launch a credible air attack on Midway, it loses, regardless of any other aspects. Otherwise, the victor is the side that has the most points, except that if the US has the most points but has no CV’s left at the end of the frame, it is a draw. Points are 75 points per CV, 1 point per kill stat, and 0.1 point per object destroyed stat.  A credible attack is dedicating at least one single mission to an attack of Midway with at least 1/3 of the available pilots on this mission.

Japanese Forces

4 CV groups
Akagi C15
Kaga C16
Hiryu C17
Soryu C18

Japanese (IJN) forces consist 180 Planes (Assuming 90 Registered IJN)
This is the Minimum Plane Allocation regardless of turnout, if less than 90 arrive for the frame, the number of planes are still available for the IJN Commander to allocate to any player as the CO wishes. If more than 90 participate in the frame, the plane allocation will be distributed at the same percentages. (Percentage of “Turnout x 2?)

45 A6M2 (25%)
15 A6M3 (8.3%)*
60 D3A1 (33.3%)
60 B5N2 (33.3%)

US Forces

3 CV groups
Yorktown C9
Enterprise C10
Hornet C11
and Midway.

United States (US) forces consist 180 Planes (Assuming 90 Registered US)
This is the Minimum Plane Allocation regardless of turnout, if less than 90 arrive for the frame, the number of planes are still available for the US Commander to allocate to any player as the CO wishes. If more than 90 participate in the frame, the plane allocation will be distributed at the same percentages. (Percentage of “Turnout x 2?)

From carriers:

46 F4F (26%)
46 SBD (26%)
23 TBM (13%)

On Midway
14 Brew (8%)
28 SBD (15%)
8 TBM (4%)
5 B-26 (3%) No Formations
10 B-17 (5%) No Formations

 

*Taking Liberties

The IJN gets A6M3′s to account for the US having some better models of aircraft than were there historically.
B-17′s are given the lowest bomb loadout to account for historical difficulty in level bombers hitting ships.
B-16′s are given the lowest bomb loadout to account for their use at Midway was as torpedo bombers with balky torpedo-release mechanisms.

Weapons settings

A6M2, no bombs.
B-17G, only 12×500 lb bomb loadout to account for real-life difficulty of hitting ships.
B-26B, only 8×500 lb bomb loadout to account for use and difficulties as torp bomber in real battle.
B5N2, no 800 kg AP bomb.
Brewster B-239, no 2×50 + 2×50.
D3A1, no 2×60 kg bombs.
F4F-4, no drop tanks.
SBD-5, no 2×100 lb bombs, no 1600 lb bomb.
TBM-3, no rockets or bombs.
5″ and 40mm guns disabled on ships.
Ship Hardness is 3 times main arena standard.
AutoAck is 0.02
Fighter Hanger and Bomber Hangers and Ordinance will have a 5 minute downtime.
B-17s and B-26s are level bombers.  No dive bombing.

Wind. 10 mph from east to west at 5k altitude on up.

Clouds. Some fleecy clouds may be possible.

Radar. Base Warning Flash

Object down time. Destroyed objects stay destroyed.

Setting Name	Value	Explanation
BomberWarningRange	132,000	Bases flash when enemy is 25 miles away.
DownTimeMult	200	Destroyed objects stay destroyed.
ExitWhileMoving	gunner, boat, amphib	No exit while moving, except for gunner, boat, and amphib.
FighterWarningRange	132,000	Bases flash when enemy is 25 miles away.
FlightModeFlags	Formations ARE NOT Enabled and Auto Calibrate Bomb Sight	No formations. Easy-mode bombsight.
FuelBurnRateMult	1.213	Fuel burn rate.
GroundAutoLethality[Armored]	0.03	Weak auto ack. If you want ack, man it.
GroundAutoLethality[Hard]	0.03	Weak auto ack. If you want ack, man it.
GroundAutoLethality[Soft]	0.03	Weak auto ack. If you want ack, man it.
KillShooter	1	KillShooter is on
PerkPointsDisabled	1	Perk points are disabled.
PlayerResupplyTime	0	No resupply.
RadarAlt	1000	Planes under 1000 ft won’t show up on radar (under radar).
RadarMode[Bishops]	Disable Friendly Counters, Disable Enemy Counters	US has no radar.
RadarMode[Knights]	Disable Friendly Counters and Disable Enemy Counters	IJN has no radar.
RadarMode[Rooks]	Disable Friendly Counters and Disable Enemy Counters	No radar.
RadarUpdateRate	0	No delay.
RandomRotate	0
SectorCounterAlt	1000	Planes under 1000 ft won’t show up as counters (under radar).
SectorCounterRange	0	0 mile range on counter radar.
TaskGroupCommandCnt	10	Can control up to 10 task groups.
TaskGroupRespawnTime	360	Task groups don’t respawn.
TowerBasedRadarRange	0	0 mile radar range.
ViewModeFlags	2	External view for bombers only.
Object Name	Hardness	Explanation
Ship	3.0	Ship hardness is 3 times main arena standard.

Scenario design: The Aces High Scenario Team, ROC, Brooke, Soulyss, Redtail7

Midway: The Aces High Terrain Team
http://downloads.hitechcreations.com/ahiiterr/midway.res

Scenario CM: ROC

Side CMs
IJN: Brooke
US: Redtail7

US Team CO: GhostCDB

IJN Team CO: -ammo-