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Sara's War

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BF110C4 said:
Technically for american forces the dive bombers acted as the scouts, unless you're launching planes with radar in which case the japanese planes on't be able to keep up.
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Well a couple of factors: First is that the TBU does indeed have radar. It also has longer range and greater speed than the SBDs. Saratoga intends for her birds to cover the most likely sectors of approach while Ryujo and Zuiho cover the adjoining sectors just in case.

Edit: While designed as the TBU, all production models were TBY-2s and so in interest of accuracy, will be referred to as such from this point forward.
 
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I assume float planes from the scout cruisers the Japanese favored would also go out, since this is so important? UAVs from the "destroyer" too?


Night operations are one of the big areas a modern tech supported task force could easily exceed Abyssal capabilities, absent gratuitous magical bullshit. Modern search capability isn't nearly as restricted by daylight - modern long-loiter aircraft, long range radar against technology that doesn't detect emitting, UAVs, satellite. Might even extend to aircraft retrieval at night, or earlier launch depending how the Japanese girls have trained and if they can be guided by GPS or by an operator's instructions, extending the operations window greatly. If this was possible, I'd launch sometime in the middle of the night and hit them at or just before dawn. If not, well, you do have TWO dedicated night fighter / strike carriers in the Saratoga and Independence.

After all,
Upon recovery of the planes, Pownall cancelled a planned second strike against the Wotje Atoll in fear of a Japanese counterattack. The counterattack came in the form of night bombing attacks, which the Americans had no means of defense from the air since the American pilots had no night flight training.
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Chapter 24: Prelude to Battle
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    • Chapter 24: Prelude to Battle

    Saratoga cursed under her breath. She really should have figured this one out herself. Nagato had accepted her recommendation but the final plan had been more audacious than Sara had expected. Sara had considered that they had the advantages of range and intelligence on the enemy. Nagato had seen one more advantage, and she planned to use it.

    Saratoga and Independence both had experience in night missions. Once the enemy forces were located, Nagato proposed to launch a strike calculated to hit at first light. This would greatly reduce the efficiency of AA fire and catch the Abyssal carriers without a CAP. It was a bold plan that required careful coordination. The attack squadrons would be guided in by the Radar equipped TBY-2s. Fighter support would come from F6F-5Ns.

    Sara had something extra special in store for these Abyssals: Her AD-1s were to carry the 1600 pound Mark 1 bomb. Sinking the carriers was a bonus, but Sara wanted to be sure those decks were cracked. Deprived of their air cover, the Abyssal ships would either be forced to withdraw, or accept action on unfavorable terms. Sara hoped the Abyssal fleet would withdraw.

    This is a recovery mission. The job is to get our girls and go home.

    "Are you sure about this?" Independence wanted to know.

    "Sure? Of course not. Certainty isn't part of our business. But it's our best shot and as much as I hate to admit it, Nagato is a pretty good tactician. Getting used to that bow?" Sara asked, gesturing to the spare that Ryujo had loaned Indy.

    "Balance is good. Still takes some getting used to."

    "I'll say it does. But remember: You can handle this. We're going to send these monsters running and get our friends back."

    "Right." Independence nodded with a determined look. Saratoga smiled and patted her on the arm. When they saw port again, Sara expected that Indy and the others would be immediately turned over to American authorities and sent back to the states. Maybe they would assign a detachment to operate out of Japan or at least let the girls train in Yokosuka for a while.

    She could hope.

    "Indy? Got something for you." Saratoga passed her a handful of special arrows.

    "What are these Sara?"

    "Bearcats. They're smaller and faster than our Hellcats. I talked to Nagato, I want you to stick close to home base. These are the best interceptors in the fleet. If something gets loose this way, you use those and kill it."

    "I promise!"

    "Good." Sara glanced over at Mogami, who was busily launching floatplanes. "I need to get my scouts up. YOU go below and get a little rack time." She told the little carrier. "It's going to be a busy day and I want you rested."

    "Kay Sara."

    "Good. I'll be down to check on you in a little bit."
     
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    • Chapter 25: Contact!
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    • Chapter 25: Contact!

    The next few odd hours passed in nervous tension. Saratoga was certain she knew where the enemy would be. At least as certain as one could when basing lives upon a theory. She could not keep lingering doubt from her mind.

    What if they don't turn up? Does it mean we missed them or does it mean they aren't there at all? Or maybe they ARE out there but lining up to hit us from an angle I didn't consider. I was so sure when it was just planning,,,

    Stop it!     She ordered her mind. You made your estimates based on the best information you had available and this plan wasn't hatched in a vacuum. Nagato looked at the same puzzle as did nine other carriers. Worrying is normal but you want to fight a risk free war? Buy a board game!

    Activity picked up as Fairies scrambled inside her Combat Information Center. ~Enemy carriers located...~ Details filtered in. Finally! Right where we expected them. Just don't get cocky, Sara. How many battles have been lost by commanders who thought they were seeing everything go just right until they lost? Napoleon at Waterloo, for certain. She hurried to Nagato and reported.

    "Very good. Do you have the strike leader aboard?"

    "Yes. I have three TBYs for the command element. He'll have to take the turret but we can handle it."

    "Good. It's time. Prepare for strike launch."

    "Yes ma'am! Come on Indy! Shake a leg kid! We've got work to do!"

    "Launching CAP now!"

    ***

    "All carriers damaged. One battleship and two destroyers sinking or sunk. other ships hit." Saratoga reported some time later.

    "Good. The question is whether they will withdraw or continue onward." Nagato noted. "And our strike losses?"

    "Minimal. They're on their way back now."

    "And now back to the waiting."
     
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    • Keep the CAP up just because they are out doesn't mean others aren't out there. Have the DD's doing ASW because they have to know where you are going.
     
    CAP is certainly important. But unless the enemies have night capability, it will always be possible to launch the first strike wave at dawn before the first enemy wave arrives. In this case, they know exactly where a large enemy force is located so they can launch at first light, can home onto smoke, and they have decks that aren't involved to spot extra CAP.

    I might be worried about an island airfield princess at Roi-Namur? Is that a thing? Not too familiar with Kancolle. Also the possibility of other forces - subs, other air groups, sneaky surface assets, etc.
     
    Except the night strike that just went in proved that their night fighting capabilities are limited to non-existent. As I said, you'll still spot a CAP, but you have to launch strikes sometime.
     
    Doesn't mean another group of abyssals doesn't have that capability Night Capable Carriers were thin on the Ground until 44 if I'm correct.
    But thin doesn't mean not exist.
     
    Sara and Indy have planes out right now. Until they have to start retrieval their decks are free, and they should still have some fighters on hand. The window of flight operations for the other four opened at dawn, which is the same time the night strike was over the Abyssal force. Their launch can be covered by Sara and Indy, and then the two Americans have to land their strike and can be covered by the Japanese assets. Sometime in here you expect the enemy first strike to hit; if it's carriers only then it would be equal to the travel time between the groups plus how long they were delayed by damage from the night strike. So sometime around when Sara and Indy are finishing up recovering planes. If there's more than just the known Abyssal carriers out there then you unfortunately can't predict arrival times, as you don't know the distances.

    I think you're missing that currently the decks of the battlegroup are staggered. So one group can cover for the other during vulnerable times.
     
    Chapter 26: Roundhouse
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    • A/N: This chapter clears up (Hopefully) the launch plan for the task force The Operations of Kido Butai are based on known Japanese procedures which differed from the American concept of the "Alpha Strike"

    Chapter 26: Roundhouse

    Shokaku smiled at Saratoga. "My Tenzans report significant results thanks to the guidance from your bombers."

    "Glad to hear it." Sara replied. Although only Saratoga and Independence were thoroughly trained night carriers, Shokaku was not unfamiliar with night missions. Each carrier in Dai-ichi Kido Butai had assigned a single chutai of either B6N Tenzans or D4Y Suisei bombers. A chutai being a formation of nine aircraft. Only the best, most qualified were selected to accompany the American strike. This added a full squadron's worth of torpedo bombers and another of dive bombers to beef up Indy's Avengers and Sara's Skyraiders. It required assigning Shokaku's strike leader to ride in one of the three TBYs assigned to guide in the strike force. It also left the bulk of Kido Butai's power for the second wave.

    On Nagato's order, it was time to unleash hell.

    While Independence , Zuiho, and Ryujo rotated CAP around them, Japan's All-Star team set to work. 162 bombers and 81 fighters. If the night strike had been as effective as the initial reports indicated, then the second wave would be devastating but Saratoga would not be part of that. After recovering her scouts, Saratoga had been instructed to stand by. Nagato was concerned. She had no desire to be caught out by an unreported Abyssal force.

    Saratoga had come to both respect and dread those instincts.

    Nothing to do but wait as around her, Akagi and her fellows calmly began launching. As the second strike winged off , Sara waited for her planes to return.

    Finally the first strike returned. Time to quickly recover. Simple enough for the six chutai from Kido Butai. A bit longer for Saratoga and Independence. Sara was justly proud of her deck team.

    Meanwhile, in JDS Kaga's Operation Center, Nagato was informed and queried on a new contact by radar. She quickly confirmed to the Captain that this was not a known friendly force. The Captain nodded and turned to the Officer of the Deck.

    "Sound Battlestations. Enemy planes inbound..."





    (Historical note: Shokaku and her sister did; indeed, attempt a night strike on the US Carriers at Coral Sea on the evening of May 7th, 1942. Without radar or solid communications, the mission did not go so well as here. The loss of carrier attack bombers on this mission may well have made the difference between Yorktown's survival and participation at Midway a month later)
     
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    • Chapter 27: Counterstroke
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    • Chapter 27: Counterstroke

    Saratoga groaned as the klaxon sounded aboard JDS Kaga. There; sure enough, her own radar had picked up an estimated 97 bogeys inbound. It was going to get rough.

    "Indy! Get the rest of your Bearcats up! I'm sending up some Corsairs."

    "On it!" The smaller carrier answered.

    Nagato relayed word that the all stars were launching Reppus in local defense while Ryujo was centering hers on JDS Kaga and Zuiho's fighters were soon falling in behind Saratoga's Corsairs.

    "Damn it!" Pennsylvania swore at Nagato. "Give us a chance to fight back! I didn't just wake up to just stand here and be killed!"

    Nagato nodded. "Just be careful what you shoot at."

    "Fine. We'll just kill the devil birds. No shooting the meatballs." Pennsylvania agreed then turned to the other American Kanmusu. "We'll form up around the weird destroyer here. I'll deploy ahead. Nevada! You get Starboard! Arkansas! Take the port! Swayback! You and Pensacola drop astern of us about 10,000 yards! Hughes! You're with me! Lamson! You go with Nevada. Anderson, glue yourself to Arkansas and stay there!"

    A chorus of 'Ayes' answered her.

    "Look after our hosts ladies! Cover them like you would Franklin Delano Roosevelt himself!" Penn turned back to Nagato. "I think that covers it. Oh! One more thing ladies: Send 'em back to hell!"

    ***

    In the event, there were few leakers from the incoming strike. Torpedo bombers had little chance with their fighter cover shredded away. In another place and time, the Hellcat mastered the Pacific skies, but they never faced Bearcats and Corsairs flown by experts. Reppus tore into the approaching dive bombers. Torpedo planes pressed into suicidal runs. And yet many hesitated when confronted with the unexpected opposition. Hesitation was almost always fatal. Especially against the murderous flak of American battleships.

    The last bogeys finally broke off.

    "Sara? Where did those planes come from?" Independence wanted to know. "Didn't we get their carriers? Or didn't we get them enough?"

    "We did. That's the thing." Sara replied as it dawned on her.

    "Now I have to go kill myself."
     
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    • Saratoga and two CVL isn't that bad. The problem is she doesn't know where exactly they are.


    e: To clarify, historical Saratoga and CVLs Langley and Princeton were the task force that covered part of the Marshall Islands campaign, which is the island chain where the shipgirls are currently operating. If there's a second Abyssal task force in the area, it could be them.
     
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    Chapter 28: Kwajalein
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    • Chapter 28: Kwajalein

    Kaga could be truly insufferable in success, Saratoga thought. Though it had been her own scouts to locate the remaining Abyssal task force, it had been the strike power of Dai-ichi Kido Butai that sent the enemy to the bottom. An enemy which by Sara's own reasoning and recollection had been a twisted version of herself. A point which Kaga had confirmed with some degree of satisfaction as she noted the reports of massive fires engulfing Sara's doppelganger.

    "The original is always better than a copy." Sara replied. "I'm sure I'll have the chance to return the favor one of these days."

    "Perhaps." Kaga shrugged.

    "In any case," Nagato stated. "I find all of you have performed admirably. And now we are safely at our second objective."

    "Just hope we find New York there." Arkansas remarked.

    "We all do Miss Arkansas." Nagato assured.

    ***
    Several hours later, the kanmusu recovered at Bikini lined up as an honor guard as Saratoga stepped forward in her robes to begin the summoning. As Colors played, a line of kanmusu began to emerge from the waters. Conygham, Ralph Talbot, Mugford... destroyers; ten in all, followed by submarines and lesser types.

    But no New York...

    "Oh fer Christ sake! New York! Get your ass on deck!" Pennsylvania swore loudly.

    "Pennsylvania? Is that you?" A voice called back.

    "Yes it's me you slack-ass! Who'd ya think it was? Admiral Sims?"

    "No..." The answer came back as a sheepish girl finally stepped up the ladder. "Thing is... I thought the Navy was done with the likes of us?"

    "Shit no! You ol' barge! We got work to do!"
     
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    • wildredlifer said:
    Ironbottom sound is going to be a whole different ballgame.
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    Yeah. Sara's dreading that but five cruisers... (six if Canberra has not been summoned back yet... A seventh if they are very lucky) is too much firepower to ignore, even if all those cruisers and their tin can friends still think the war is on....
     
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