BACKS TO THE SEA: Java 1942
BACKS TO THE SEA: Java 1942
The Dutch East Indies campaign opened on December 17th 1942 with Japanese landings on Borneo. A Japanese invasion of the region was expected as the oil and rubber resources made them a prime target for Japanese war aims. Malaya, Hong Kong and the Phillipines had already been attacked. The United States, Great Britain, The Netherlands and Australia were all at war with Japan. The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command was created in 1942 to coordinate Allied military forces in SE Asia.
On 18th of February the first Japanese air strikes hit targets on Java. Japanese airpower consisted of both IJN and IJAAF air groups. Their aircrews were a well experienced force flying formidable aircraft like the Ki-43 and A6M series. The Allied air forces were a mix of new pilots and old hands cobbled together from four different services. During the fighting they suffered high attrition rates and were hard pressed to replace lost crews or aircraft. They also possessed no coastwatchers or radar facilities to warn of incoming raids.
On February 20th the ABDA naval strike force suffered a catastrophic defeat at the Battle of the Java Sea which effectively ended Allied naval power in the East Indies. The sea lanes were from then on controlled by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Japanese landings on Java took place on March 1st 1942. Landing on the eastern and western regions of the island the invasion forces were able to gain a foothold quickly and move inland . Allied panic and confusion on the ground could not be reversed by air forces fighting a war of survival themselves. On March 5th the capitol Batavia was captured by the Japanese 2nd Division. With no naval support and no realistic prospects of reinforcements the Allied forces on Java were doomed. By March 12th the last Allied units had surrendered to the Japanese. The loss of the Dutch East Indies marked the low point of Allied fortunes in the Pacific and the zenith of Imperial Japan's empire.
This FSO recreates the last stand of the combined Allied air forces on Java in 1942.
Country Percentages:
Axis 52%
Allied 48%
Field Assignments:
Axis Bishop
Allied Knight
CM Rook
OOB:
Axis (IJN/IJAAF):
A6M2 (min 24)
Ki-43-II
D3A1
G4M1
Country Percentages:
Axis 52%
Allied 48%
Field Assignments:
Axis Bishop
Allied Knight
CM Rook
OOB:
Axis (IJN/IJAAF):
A6M2 (min 24)
Ki-43-II
D3A1
G4M1
Allied (NEIAF/RAF/RAAF/USAAF):
P-40E (max 16)
B-339D (Brewster, max 16)
Hurricane II
A-24 (SBD)
Special Rules and Ordnance Restrictions:
* All aircraft types must be used by a minimum of 12 *players*.
* Level bombers are limited to 18,000 feet max alt.
* The SBD is limited to the 500 lb and 100 lb bomb loads.
P-40E (max 16)
B-339D (Brewster, max 16)
Hurricane II
A-24 (SBD)
Special Rules and Ordnance Restrictions:
* All aircraft types must be used by a minimum of 12 *players*.
* Level bombers are limited to 18,000 feet max alt.
* The SBD is limited to the 500 lb and 100 lb bomb loads.
* The A6M2, Ki-43, P-40 and Hurricane all have bombs disabled.
* The Brewster has the 4 x 50 cal armament option disabled.
* The Hurricane has the 20mm gun option disabled.
* Each frame has a naval battle at T+65 between cruiser task groups manned by downed players. Each CiC will designate the TG commanders. Victory will be determined by the side who sinks the most ships in points. Cruisers are worth 2 points and Destroyers 1 point. Aircraft will not be permitted in the naval battle. PT boats will not be enabled.
* ALL AIRCRAFT ARE TO BE LANDED AND THE PLAYERS TOWERED OUT BY FRAME END OR WILL BE CONSIDERED SHOT DOWN AND THE CREWS KIA.
Scoring:
Aircraft Pts
------------
Aircraft = 5 pts
Landing Bonus = 2 pts
Target Pts
----------
Gun = 0 pts
Hangar = 25 pts
Cruiser = 100 pts
Destroyer = 50 pts
All Other = 3 pts
* The Brewster has the 4 x 50 cal armament option disabled.
* The Hurricane has the 20mm gun option disabled.
* Each frame has a naval battle at T+65 between cruiser task groups manned by downed players. Each CiC will designate the TG commanders. Victory will be determined by the side who sinks the most ships in points. Cruisers are worth 2 points and Destroyers 1 point. Aircraft will not be permitted in the naval battle. PT boats will not be enabled.
* ALL AIRCRAFT ARE TO BE LANDED AND THE PLAYERS TOWERED OUT BY FRAME END OR WILL BE CONSIDERED SHOT DOWN AND THE CREWS KIA.
Scoring:
Aircraft Pts
------------
Aircraft = 5 pts
Landing Bonus = 2 pts
Target Pts
----------
Gun = 0 pts
Hangar = 25 pts
Cruiser = 100 pts
Destroyer = 50 pts
All Other = 3 pts
Naval Battle Pts
----------
Naval Victory = 100 pts
Arena Settings:
- Newbrit terrain
- Fuel burn 1.0
- Icons friendly 3k/enemy 3k
- 0.3 Ack
- Fighter and Bomber warning range 42,000 (about 8 miles)
- Tower range set to 42,000 (for display only to match the above setting)
- Haze/fog full visibility (17 miles)
- Radar off
- Enemy collisions on
- Friendly collisions off
- Killshooter off
- Time: 15:00 ( 3PM ) Game Clock
- Formations: On
- Formation Autopilot: On
- Bomber calibration: Automatic
- Wind: 0K-10K NW TO SE - Speed 5
Arena Settings:
- Newbrit terrain
- Fuel burn 1.0
- Icons friendly 3k/enemy 3k
- 0.3 Ack
- Fighter and Bomber warning range 42,000 (about 8 miles)
- Tower range set to 42,000 (for display only to match the above setting)
- Haze/fog full visibility (17 miles)
- Radar off
- Enemy collisions on
- Friendly collisions off
- Killshooter off
- Time: 15:00 ( 3PM ) Game Clock
- Formations: On
- Formation Autopilot: On
- Bomber calibration: Automatic
- Wind: 0K-10K NW TO SE - Speed 5
10K-20K N TO E - Speed 10
20K+ NW TO SE - Speed 10
Designer's Notes:
* The Dutch B-339D version of the Brewster F2A fighter was a de-navilised export model of the F2A-2. It was lighter than the USMC F3A-3 used at Wake and lacked the heavier equipment added to the Buffalo version of the RAF. It also had a 1200 hp engine the British model lacked. The combat record of the Dutch flown B-339s was reasonably good versus the Japanese. They lost 30 aircraft and 17 pilots killed while claiming 55 victories over Malaya and the East Indies.
Design by Warloc
* The Dutch B-339D version of the Brewster F2A fighter was a de-navilised export model of the F2A-2. It was lighter than the USMC F3A-3 used at Wake and lacked the heavier equipment added to the Buffalo version of the RAF. It also had a 1200 hp engine the British model lacked. The combat record of the Dutch flown B-339s was reasonably good versus the Japanese. They lost 30 aircraft and 17 pilots killed while claiming 55 victories over Malaya and the East Indies.
Design by Warloc