The game is World War II in Asia and the Pacific (there is also the Europe side as well from them).
In the optional rules, there are rules for advanced naval combat that separates submarine warfare, surface engagements, and carrier combat. Below is an overview of the surface combat - carrier combat is different from surface combat and utilizes a different battle board.
Cheers
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2. The US fleet in New Britain is going to send an American infantry to invade Palau Islands. The fleet’s path must be announced.
3. The Japanese know the Allies are at sea because they pass a space next to their port in the Carolines. The Japanese then decide to try to intercept the Allied fleet in the space designated as the interception space.
4. With interception successful, in order for the Allied fleet to complete its mission, it will need to win the sea battle with the Japanese first. Units will be transferred to the Battle Board.
5. With clear weather, both sides set up in the ‘Long Range’ boxes on their respective sides. The US transport with its cargo must be set up in the “Out of Range” box. The Japanese as the attacker fires first. Because of the extreme range, only the battleships can hit the US fleet, and only at a ‘1’. Both Japanese battleships target the US battleship. Both miss. Then the US fleet fires its battleship at a ‘1’, as its cruisers and destroyers are out of range.
6. Once both sides have fired, it is now the 'Manoeuvre ’ step. Japanese decide to move all their ships in closer.
7. The Americans decide to keep their heavy ships back, but move their destroyers up. Ships can only move forwards or back 1 space, except for destroyers, which can move 2.
8. It is now the second round of firing. Both Japanese battleships and the cruiser target the US battleship and score a hit, even with the range penalties. The 3 Japanese destroyers have 2 option: either fire torpedoes, or fire guns. The choose to fire torpedoes - 2 destroyers target on US destroyer, and the 3rd targets the second US destroyer.
9. Both US destroyers are hit.
10. It is now the US’s turn. the battleship and both cruisers target a single Japanese battleship, while the 2 US destroyers will target the second Japanese battleship with torpedoes. The destroyers both hit their target, but the other ships miss.
11. Casualties are now removed. Battle can continue, unless one side decides to retreat or is destroyed.
Now here is carrier combat:
2. The Japanese have to declare their moves. The entire fleet in Carolines will join up with the 3 battleships in Borneo and a transport loaded with an infantry from Nagasaki (not shown) in sea zone SP 2.
3. The Allies know the Japanese fleet is at sea because they entered a sea zone next to a port they control (New Britain). They will attempt an interception with the entire fleet from New Caledonia and the British battleship in Papua. No other planes have the range to make the interception. INterception will take place in sea zone SP 10 (New Britain) since those are considered home waters and the Allies get +1.
4. The interception rolls for the Allies are successful. These are the units that will be involved. Now we need to determine initiative. The Japanese win the initiative roll and choose to engage in carrier combat rather than surface combat.
5. Both sides must now prepare for carrier combat. Units must be arranged in groups of no more than 3 ships. Then the planes need to be assigned to either CAP or Strike. Both the Japanese and US fighters are held back for CAP duty, while all tac bombers are selected to do a Strike.
6. the Strike planes will pass each other and no combat will occur between them. Each Strike group has to get past the enemy CAP before moving on, however.
7. Since the Japanese won initiative, they get to go first. Combat is for 1 round. The US fighter scores a hit but is shot down in return.
8. Now the tac bombers can continue on. 2 tac bombers will attack the British carrier group while the other 2 will attack the US carrier group.
9. It is not over yet … . The ships in each group get to fire AA at the incoming planes. The British group scores a hit, but the US group misses. The hit plane is immediatley destroyed.
10. Now the planes start their attack. Each plane chooses which ship it will attack (multiple planes can select the same ship to hit). The tac bomber misses the British carrier, but both planes attacking the US group hit the US carrier and sink it. The planes must now return to their carriers.
11. Now it is the Allied turn. The same procedure is followed as before. The defending CAP fighter shoots at the incoming planes, and they get to fire back.
12. The Japanese CAP fighter misses, but the Allied planes shoot it down.
13. Both planes select the same carrier group to go after. The ships miss their AA fire, so the planes are free to attack.
14. Both planes score a hit on the carrier and it is sunk. Planes must now return home.
15. Planes on both sides must land on their carriers. The US plane lost its carrier, and so must ditch at sea (destroyed). Both sides may reshuffle the composition of their groups. At this point, the Japanese player decides if they wish to retreat, and they choose to continue the battle instead. The Allies, however, choose to retreat, The Allied ships return to port and the Japanese fleet continues on its original mission.
