More info is here:
http://ahevents.org/pacific-theatre/current-or-next-scenario.htmlRegistration is here:
http://ahevents.org/scenario_registration.htmlDates:
July 18: test frame -- please all attend
July 25: frame 1
August 1 : frame 2
August 8: frame 3
August 15: frame 4
May 7, 1942, Coral Sea, before dawn.
Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi looks out from the bridge of his flagship, Myoko. There are American carriers out there -- somewhere. He knows this because his scouts spotted them yesterday as they were entering a rain squall. Yes, they are out there. Today is the day to hunt them down and to destroy them.
Under his command are the IJN fleet carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku (both veterans of Pearl Harbor, Indian Ocean, and the sinking of British carrier Hermes), as well as the the cruisers Myoko and Haguro and several destroyers. Covering the invasion fleet is the light carrier Shoho and numerous cruisers and destroyers, all under the command of Rear Admiral Aritomo Goto. Also, there is the Imperial Japanese Army air base at Lae, current home of the 4th Ku (bombers) and of the famed Tainan Ku (fighters). Altogether, it is a potent force of A6M2 Zero fighters, D3A1 Val divebombers, and B5N2 Kate torpedo bombers, as well as some scout planes.
Takagi's and Goto's missions are to destroy the US carriers and to capture Port Moresby for the glory of Japan. Then, Japan can turn its attention to Australia.
Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher is also preparing for the day ahead. Thanks to intercepts and previous cracking of the Japanese communication codes, the allies have been able quickly to assemble a sizeable opposing presence of their own. Under Fletcher's command are the USN fleet carriers Lexington and Yorktown; their contingent of F4F-4 Wildcat fighters, SBD-5 Dauntless divebombers, and TBM-3 Avenger torpedo bombers; and numerous cruisers and destroyers. Also, there is the air base at Port Moresby, current home of the 8th Pursuit Group (P-39D's) and 3rd Bombardment Group (SBD-5's), and some scout planes from Australia.
Fletcher's job is to stop the invasion of Port Moresby and, for the first time in the war, to turn back the fierce Japanese.
Now it is 6 am on May 7th, and the launch signal has been given. Planes roar down the decks of carriers, into the early morning skies. This will be the day that sees the world's first carrier-vs.-carrier battle. The next two days will decide whose ships rest on the bottom of the ocean and who controls Port Moresby.
This is a side-switch scenario. There are two teams (Team Alpha and Team Zulu). First, Team Zulu will be the US forces and Team Alpha will be Japanese forces, and there will be two days of battle (frames 1 and 2). Then the teams will switch sides, and we will run the fight again in frames 3 and 4. Fighter pilots get two lives and bomber pilots get three lives.
