Coral Sea USA

[Longasc]

I just restarted, I think I messed up.

I didn't deploy any units near Port Moresby and the arriving reinforcement fleet got destroyed, even after I deployed a CA there to help them out.
The two Japanese Carriers and their fleets were not really a problem, but that might be due to me not deploying any units near Port Moresby.

What would or what did you do?

Split forces or just give a damn about Port Moresby and reconquer it later?

[Ballacraine]

Well the first attempt I made, it never crossed my mind that I would have enough 'prestige' to afford an extra AC, so I went in with just the one.

Late on it got sunk so that was campaign over.

There is a small flotilla that enters near to Port Moresby a few turns in.
It will probably fail to cope with the larger Japanese force, but after you get mauled if you run to the South that fleet pursues.

I intercepted the invasion fleet with a 2 carrier fleet & managed to sink 3 Jap flattops.

You really need to be able to field 3 squadrons of fighters to fight off the Jap bombers.

HTH

[jamcclenny]

I made the same mistake you did.

It seems like if you lose Port Moresby, the campaign is over.

Restarting the scenario again .

[Qwer28]

USA and japan campain have same scenarios?

[Longasc]

Thanks for telling your experiences!

Yeah was my latest idea, not to fight for Moresby but to run and unite with the larger fleet to fight together. Will try to escape South the moment they spawn.
Erm... just read that you lose the Campaign if you lose Moresby! Aaargh. What to do now?!

I have a core Lexington and a core Yorktown but no Battleship, and cannot field all two CAs. 2 CVs, some DDs, 1 CA only and one in reserve. I have 3 core fighter squadrons and 2 Dauntless bombers, should work out with the auxiliary fighters.
I placed the reserve CA near Moresby when some naval command points got free to help the small fleet there... wasn't a good idea, the whole fleet went down nevertheless. With the CA.

I spent quite some time bombing the island to the upper right and the ships there. Did you do this with aircraft only or did you sail up there?

[Ballacraine]

I would make sure to engage the fleet to the East of Moresby to get their attention.
After getting mauled by them steam full speed to the South.
The AI red mist will ensure they determinedly pursue you.

( Now watch them fix that in a patch. )

I didn't bother with engaging the large fleet warned about in the North East.

I just steamed the main force to the cluster of islands to the north of the centre of the map & intercepted & sank the invasion fleet.

[Loki1942]

Sent in my bombers to take out the transports carrying the Port Moresby invasion force, worked like a charm

[Myrddraal]

USA and japan campain have same scenarios?

Hi Qwer, they share some key battles, but they also have unique scenarios.

[Longasc]

Let me give you a short report how I did this scenario last night. The unfortunate only loss was a core destroyer.

I placed all my core units in the North East and steamed straight North West.
2 Carriers
with 1x Wildcat, 2x Dauntless. Later bought another Wildcat from the per turn income
2 Kingfisher Recon
1 Cruiser
2 Destroyers

Tulagi was bombed by the Dauntlesses, till only the Marines were left. A lone non-core DD steamed there to shoot them. Took a while.
The dive bombers were back for carrier battles. This was when I bought the 2nd Wildcat. Together with the NPC fighter I won air supremacy.
Note dive bombers are best for destroyers, torpedo bombers are better at taking out large ships.

Port Moresby was undefended. When the fleet appeared near it in the East, I sent this fleet immediately straight SOUTH.
The horde of enemy Destroyers and the Mogami followed it. That is the major ruse in this scenario you should use, too. The small fleet will get destroyed, unfortunately.

Then I placed (all core) a Sub, a DD and a Patrol Boat near Port Moresby just in time to shoot the ONLY 2 Japanese Troop Transports. One made it on land with 2 strength points, but got shot next turn by the Patrol Craft. They are great at direct damage from sea to land. The B17 was kinda superfluous.

In the meantime I had some trouble with subs, despite attempts to screen my ships they slipped through and nibbled at my ships. They must be carefully balanced, I know "we" want stronger sub torpedos but they were already an annoying concern and cost only ~60 resources.

I fulfilled all secondary objectives, but I didn't get credit for destroying all Japanese Aircraft. BUG? It even said "Air Supremacy achieved blabla". It might be that the last Jap plane sunk with a carrier and it didn't trigger properly therefore or so.

All in all a very exciting scenario!

[monkspider]

This scenario seems pretty problematic. I lost the first couple times I played because I didn't even notice that you could deploy close to Port Morseby so I would always lose when I failed to stop the invasion. I would say make it more clear in the briefing that you need to deploy close to Morseby, or take away the far-eastern deployment zone entirely since it is pretty pointless.

[monkspider]

Well, third time is the charm! Deploying my main fleet near Moresby made the battle fairly easy. I won a pretty decisive victory, getting all the secondary objectives except the destroy all enemy aircraft one. it was pretty gratifying to sink all of their carriers including Shoho while losing none of my own. Good scenario, if the player can avoid the eastern deployment red herring.

[simcc]

For this scenario this is what i did.

I have 2 wildcats, 1 devastator and 1 dauntless.

I deploy 1 dauntless, 2 DD and a small carrier (Avenger) IIRC on Port Moresby. Fly the other dauntless from south to join the defense of Port Moresby. Dauntless works like magic on there.

Sail the right fleet up north to destroy Tulagi force with another of my carrier (Yorktown) with 2 wildcats. This fleet attract lots of planes and I down all the planes there and sail west to finish off the top carrier later.

The south fleet I deploy a devastator and with the another on the carrier there both able to sunk that small carrier south then fly right to main fleet and refuel and fly top left to sink those 3 carriers.

After Port Moresby defense is done those fleet and dauntless go from right side to engage main IJN carrier.

Manage to get all carrier before they flee and sunk most of the japanese fleet with no losses of any ships.