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For you micronaught WWII players out there, have you ever ran the scenario, or battle, about the Japanese air attack against the Repulse and Prince of Wales off the coast of Malaya?

If, any suggestions to one who wants to get into WWII naval battles?

I don't think the results would be much different from the actual event. I would be more inclined to research what Japanese surface units were in the area and have Repulse and Prince of Wales square off against them...preferably nighttime or overcast conditions to take the aircraft out of the equation.

...of course I am a big fan of battleships!

I agree I think a naval engagement, would be more exciting in many ways. I love naval battles probally why i like world war one era better no stinking airplanes, to worry about.

I did host a game once where i had the Yamato and Bismarck vs Hood and Missouri 1945 era. A what if game using seekrieg 5 rules, which are very very detailed rules.

I have ran the game several times and well each time it varries. The axis will win sometimes and others its the Allies.

fullmetaljacket

Yeah, that makes sense.
What If the Japanese didn't send their planes but several warships to engage the Repulse and Prince of Wales, with their destroyers that were present as well. It would make for a fun battle for sure.

Thanks

I was involved with something similar to E.springer's scenario in the early 1970s. For obvious reasons, I don't remember all the details, but initially the British capital ships chewed up the Japanese cruisers. Then the Japanese torpedoes arrived. Repulse took four Long Lance and capsized within minutes. PoW took only one, turned south and (with admirable screening from the destroyers) was able to get out of torpedo range before the destroyers could reload.

Don S.

Here is a possible scenario that you might consider. The Japanese had an Invasion Force and a Covering Force that was in the vicinity of where Force Z was heading.

Malay Invasion Force-Vice Admiral Kondo commanding.
BatRon 3, BatDiv 2-HIJMS Haruna, Kongo
CruRon 4, CruDiv 1-HIJMS Atago, Takao
DesDiv4-HIJMS Arashi, Nowake, Hagikaze, Maikaze
DesDiv 6-HIJMS Ikazuchi, Inazuma
DesDiv 8-HIJMS Asashio, Michishio, Oshio, Arashio

Covering Force-Vice Admiral Ozawa commanding.
HIJMS Chokai, Inazuma
DesFlot 3:
DesDiv 12-HIJMS Murakamo, Shinonome, Shirakumo, Usugumo
DesDiv 19-HIJMS Ayanami, Isonami, Shikinami, Uranami
DesDiv 20-HIJMS Asagiri, Amagiri, Yugiri

Covering Force-Rear Admiral Kurita commanding.
CruDiv 7- HIJMS Mikuma, Kumano, Mogami, Suzuya
DesDiv 11-HIJMS Fubuki, Haysuyuk, Shirayuki

You may want to add these ships to Force Z. They were still in Singapore at the time of Force Z's demise:
HMS Danae, Dauntless, Durban,Tenedos, and two unnamed destroyers.

This information is coertesy of Avalanche Press "Strike South" board game.
Hope this bit of historical information helps. Pete.

If you are looking at gaming the loss of Repulse and PoW, it's probably worth reading 'Battleship' by Martin Middlebrook and Patrick Mahoney.

While the actual historical events would probably not make a brilliant game, there are a number of historical 'what-ifs' that could be fun to investigate.

From memory:
There were RAF fighters (Brewster Buffalos) available to provide cover to the RN ships, but they weren't called for until after the first of the three attacks against the ships (the first damaged PoW with bombs, the second with torpedos sunk PoW and was out maneouvered by Repulse, the third sunk Repulse with torpedos), and arrived just as Repulse sunk. Have them called after the Japanese recon plane was spotted, and stick 4 Buffaloes over the ships (perhaps after the first raid, so that PoW is damaged).

The force was supposed to include a carrier (HMS Indomitable, with 2 squadron of Albacore, 1 squadron of Fulmar and 1 squadron Hurricane), but she suffered damage in a grounding, and wasn't present. If you fight the historical scenarion, try it again, but with Fulmar / Hurricanes on hand to chase away the recon plane and break up the Japanese bomber / Torpedo bomber attacks.

A further alternate on that is to assume that the Japanese submarine that first spotted force Z missed them - this can give you a classic 'fleet action' (albeit with land based airsupport for the Japanese and carrier and limited land-based fighters for the British)

Probably the most interesting option - apparently the Japanese aircraft were out looking for the RN ships during the night, and accidentally found and attacked their own ships. The RN force was close enough to see the attack (estimated about half a dozen miles from the lead element?), but turned to avoid (hoping to sneak up on the invasion fleet transports?). What if the RN force had attacked? ( I think it was the covering cruiser force they nearly encountered). A nice confused night encounter - Play it three way, with the third player controlling the Japanese air, who gets points for any ship he sinks!

Many years ago I ran a Naval Campaign on the Japanese conquest of the southwest Pacific. Mostly historical, with a few 'what if's ' thrown in to keep both sides wondering. US heavy cruisers with torpedo tubes, anyone? Anyway, the battle off Malaysia was the closest to history in terms of the available forces. The British chose to attack the transport force off Thailand. The kid running the British managed to evade the Japanese scouting force and was intercepted by the Japanese main body shortly after dawn. The Japanese had two Kongo class BC's , a heavy cruiser division, a destroyer squadron with a CL as flag, and a couple three DD's as escort to the BC's. THe British had PoW, Repulse, and five DD's(the oldest class General Quarters had stat's for). The Japanese had the numbers, but were poorly deployed at the start.
On the first turn, one of the Japanese BC's lost a turret and was almost blown up on a critical hit. One of the Japanese players remarked 'this is a bad omen'. He was correct. The game was a slugfest. The teenaged kid running the British destroyers managed to totally neutralize the Japanese DD's, losing all his ships in the process but keeping them off the capital ship's backs, and sinking most of the Japanese light forces in the process. I don't think the Japanese heavy cruisers got a single hit with their torpedos.
At the end, the Prince of Wales was crawling south at five knots, one Mogami dead in the water waiting for a heavy swell to capsize it, and the Japanese CL waiting for POW to leave so it coulld begin picking up survivors. Everything else was sunk. The CL was barely damaged but had expended most of it's ammo and all it's torpedos on the Britishh DD's.
The transport force was saved, so it was technically a Japanese victory. But all the players agreed the British won the battle of the headlines and the history books.

Thanks for the info and the What If idea too I think this will be done at a later date as I'm just going to get some ships for Battle of Cape Spada...Brits vs Italians...simple to start off into the naval action