| Leyte
Gulf: Battle Scenarios 5a and 5b
By Robert Holzer
February 2006
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The Japanese battle line departs Brunei
Bay, 22 October 1944.
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Battle Scenario 5a
Third Fleet vs. Kurita
25 October 1944
While turning northward to chase Ozawa, Admiral
Halsey orders four of his fast battleships
to cover the eastern entrance of San Bernardino
Strait. So in the morning hours of 25 October,
Kurita's forces and 3rd Fleet's Task Force
34 simultaneously run into a final clash of
battleships.
Timeframe: Day
Weather Condition: 1 (Clear)
Axis Forces
Force A
- BB01 Kongo ’44
- BB04 Haruna ’44
- BB09 Nagato ’44
- BB11 Yamato ’44
- CA05 Myoko ’44
- CA07 Haguro ’44
- CA11 Chokai ’44
- CA15 Suzuya ’44
- CA16 Kumano ’44
- CA17 Tone ’44
- CA18 Chikuma ’44
- CL22 Noshiro ’44
- CL23 Yahagi ’44
- DD92 Yukikaze ’44
- DD93 Isokaze ’44
- DD96 Urakaze ’44
- DD100 Nowaki ’44
- DD114 Kishinami ’44
- DD117 Okinami ’44
- DD118 Hamanami ’44
- DD119 Asashimo ’44
- DD121 Hayashimo ’44
- DD122 Akishimo ’44
- DD136 Shimakaze ’44
Variant
To balance forces, player might explore
if availability of any of the following ships
would have made the difference:
- BB12 Musashi ’44
- CA09 Atago ’44
- CA10 Takao ’44
- CA11 Maya ’44
- DD101 Hamakaze ’44
- DD107 Naganami ’44
- DD113 Fujinami ’44
- DD120 Kiyoshimo ’44
Allied Forces
Task Force 34
- BB56 Washington
- BB60 Alabama
- BB62 New Jersey
- BB61 Iowa
- CA32 New Orleans
- CA45 Wichita
- CL64 Vincennes
- CL89 Miami
- CL80 Biloxi
- DD386 Bagley
- DD392 Patterson
- DD535 Miller
- DD536 Owen
- DD537 The Sullivans
- DD539 Tingey
- DD650 Caperton
- DD651 Cogswell
- DD652 Ingersoll
- DD653 Knapp
- DD673 Hickox
- DD674 Hunt
- DD675 Lewis Hancock
- DD676 Marshall
Some authors assume that only four U.S.
battleships would have been sent, while others
conclude that all six available battleships
would have been sent. So feel free to add
the following to the U.S. forces above to
balance forces:
- BB59 Massachusetts
- BB57 South Dakota
Special Rules
Setup: Neither player has the initiative.
Roll for the initiative before beginning play.
Task Force 34 sets up in hexes D14-D16. Force
A sets up in hexes D2-D4.
Torpedo Shortage: Japanese ships
do not have torpedo reloads.
Battle Damage: Prior to beginning
play the following ships have suffered damage:
- BB09 Nagato 2 hull hits, a drop
of 1 in speed and 2 primary hits.
- BB10 Yamato 1 secondary hit.
- CA17 Tone 1 tertiary hit.
Variant: No Japanese ship starts
with any battle damage.
Game Length: The game lasts for up
to four rounds (88 impulses), or until the
Japanese have withdrawn, or all ships on one
side have exited the map or been sunk. At
the end of each round, beginning with the
second, the Axis player rolls one die. On
a result of 1 through 4 the game ends as the
threat of American reinforcements has forced
sparked a Japanese withdrawal.
Victory Conditions: The Axis player
wins if he or she sinks all American ships.
Any other result is an Allied victory.
Mississippi fires, off the Phillipines.
Battle Scenario 5b
Seventh Fleet vs. Kurita
25 October 1944
After destruction of the southern Japanese
pincer (Nishimura and Shima),
Rear Adm. Oldendorf receives orders to immediately
turn northward with his force to intercept
any possible Japanese intruders coming through
San Bernardino Strait, while 3rd Fleet is
chasing Ozawa. After leaving behind some screening
forces, Oldendorf turns northward and stumbles
into Kurita’s fleet just before the
Japanese make contact with the U.S. CVE Taffies.
How will the old U.S. battlewagons stand against
Yamato?
Timeframe: Day
Weather Condition: 1 (Clear)
Axis Forces
Force A
- BB01 Kongo ’44
- BB04 Haruna ’44
- BB09 Nagato ’44
- BB11 Yamato ’44
- CA05 Myoko ’44
- CA07 Haguro ’44
- CA11 Chokai ’44
- CA15 Suzuya ’44
- CA16 Kumano ’44
- CA17 Tone ’44
- CA18 Chikuma ’44
- CL22 Noshiro ’44
- CL23 Yahagi ’44
- DD92 Yukikaze ’44
- DD93 Isokaze ’44
- DD96 Urakaze ’44
- DD100 Nowaki ’44
- DD114 Kishinami ’44
- DD117 Okinami ’44
- DD118 Hamanami ’44
- DD119 Asashimo ’44
- DD121 Hayashimo ’44
- DD122 Akishimo ’44
- DD136 Shimakaze ’44
Variant
To balance forces, player might explore
if availability of any of the following ships
would have made the difference:
- BB12 Musashi ’44
- CA09 Atago ’44
- CA10 Takao ’44
- CA11 Maya ’44
- DD101 Hamakaze ’44
- DD107 Naganami ’44
- DD113 Fujinami ’44
- DD120 Kiyoshimo ’44
Allied Forces
Battle Line
- BB41 Mississippi
- BB46 Maryland
- BB48 West Virginia
- BB43 Tennessee
- BB44 California
- BB38 Pennsylvania
- CA28 Louisville
- CA36 Minneapolis
- CA33 Portland
- CA03 Shropshire ’43 (Royal Australian
Navy)
- CL58 Denver
- CL56 Columbia
- CL46 Phoenix
- CL47 Boise
- DD480 Halford
- DD481 Leutze
- DD505 Thorn
- DD508 Cony
- DD562 Robinson
- DD569 Aulick
- DD571 Claxton
- DD586 Newcomb
- DD628 Welles
- DD643 Sigourney
- DD649 Albert W.Grant
- DD662 Bennion
- DD663 Heywood L. Edwards
- DD664 Richard P. Leary
- DD665 Bryant
- DD679 McNair
- DD691 Mertz
Special Rules
Setup: Neither player has the initiative.
Roll for the initiative before beginning play.
Battle Line sets up in hexes C5 – Z9.
Force A sets up in hexes D2-D4.
Torpedo Shortage: Japanese ships
do not have torpedo reloads.
Battle Damage: Prior to beginning
play the following ships have suffered damage:
- BB09 Nagato 2 hull hits, a drop of 1
in speed and 2 primary hits.
- BB10 Yamato 1 secondary hit.
- CA17 Tone 1 tertiary hit.
Variant: No Japanese ship starts
with any battle damage.
Torpedo Consumption: As the U.S.
destroyers have already spent some of their
torpedoes, the Allied player secretly must
roll onedie for each American destroyer. On
a result of 5 or 6, a destroyer still has
all its torpedoes available, on a result of
4 it has only half (round down fractions)
available. On a result of 1 through 3, it
has already spent all its torpedoes in the
previous battle.
Game Length: The game lasts for up
to four rounds (88 impulses), or until the
Japanese have withdrawn, or all ships on one
side have exited the map or been sunk. At
the end of each round, beginning with the
second, the Axis player rolls one die. On
a result of 1 through 4 the game ends as the
threat of American reinforcements has forced
sparked a Japanese withdrawal.
Victory Conditions: The Axis player
wins if he or she sinks all American ships.
Any other result is an Allied victory.
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