Strategy in Strike South:
The Invasion of Malaya
By Doug McNair
April 2006

Having looked at the Mediterranean in 1940 for my last Second World War at Sea article, I expected that a trip halfway around the world to Malaya would yield a very different gaming situation in Strike South. But though the Axis foe in Southeast Asia is far different from Il Duce, the overall situation in the Gulf of Siam in December 1941 bears striking similarities to that in the Mediterranean in October 1940.

The British are once again sorely unprepared for the task at hand. When Operational Scenario 1 begins on the morning of December 8th, the Japanese invasion fleet has already reached the east coast of the Malayan peninsula. As in the Mediterranean, British air and surface forces are woefully under-strength relative to the enemy. Furthermore, the Gulf of Siam and the Malacca Strait are much like the Mediterranean in that they offer submarines a set of chokepoints where they can take up station and torpedo enemy ships.

But the British face significantly more danger from the air in Malaya than they did in the Med before Fliegerkorps X arrived. While the Japanese naval force covering the invasion does not include carriers, they do have a powerful Indochina air force. Their threat is somewhat mitigated by the fact that Singapore is beyond the range of Japanese fighters from Indochina. British F2A CAP fighters based at Singapore aren’t brilliant, but there are enough of them to cause serious trouble for unescorted Japanese bombers.

However, once the invasion forces have unloaded at least three cargo points (representing Japanese troops) at British airbases in Malaya, the Japanese can take them over and start transferring aircraft there. That puts Singapore within range of Japanese fighter escort, and raises the threat level to Red.

It’s up to the Royal Navy and the Dutch submarine forces to prevent this. The Eastern Fleet (battleship Prince of Wales and battle cruiser Repulse in the lead) must steam up the coast and stop the invasion before it succeeds. But doing that means steaming into the Japanese air umbrella and the gunsights of Japanese cruisers and battleships sent to cover the invasion. It also takes them away from the only place where incoming British convoys can land troops to oppose the Japanese invasion.

Allied Strategy

As in the Med, the only chance British surface forces have against this invasion is a well planned dash to the scene of the action, under cover of darkness. If they can get in, blow up the Japanese transports unloading at the British airbases, and get out and back to Singapore (hoping Japanese task forces run afoul of Allied subs and minefields), then the incoming British troops may get a chance to defend the Empire.

The Royal Air Force (and Royal Australian Air Force) must start by transferring bomber units northward from Singapore to bases on the western Malayan coast at Alor Star and Penang. These and other northern bases start with a few air units at the ready, and the western bases in particular are safe from the Japanese invaders (though not from long-range bombers). From here they can mount air raids on the invaders, torpedoing and bombing the transports on the east coast before the Japanese can unload their troops.

The northernmost Dutch submarine flotilla is in the best position to do serious damage to the southernmost Japanese invasion fleet at Kota Bahru. The other Dutch subs are too far south to cause trouble for the invaders, but they can do lots of damage to Japanese ships searching for the Eastern Fleet as it makes its run out of Singapore.

Japanese Strategy

The success of the invasion is everything to the Japanese. The tiny Eastern Fleet is of little consequence to the Japanese Navy, so the Japanese player get no victory points for sinking or damaging British ships in this scenario. British air units and Dutch subs do pose a threat, however, so destroying them gets the Japanese VP’s as does unloading cargo in Malaya.

The Japanese must make a priority of taking over the British airbases on the Malayan east coast and transferring their own air units there. Putting lots of fighters on CAP at those airbases allows the Japanese player to effectively ground the Royal Air Force, intercepting British flights every time they leave a base. Putting bombers and search planes there allows them to locate and sink British troop convoys quickly once they enter the map. Airpower is also the best weapon the Japanese have for neutralizing the Eastern Fleet’s threat to the transports of the invasion force.

If the Japanese can unload lots of cargo points on Malaya, take over the British eastern airbases and transfer their air units there, and sink British troop convoys before they reach Singapore, then they have a good shot at victory — if they can avoid losing too many ships and air units in the process.

Game Summary

Here’s how things went in a recent game:

Setup

Japanese: The Japanese troop transports and escort vessels range up the east Malayan coast from Kota Bahru to just south of Mergui. There is a covering force of cruisers and destroyers just a few zones east of Kota Bahru, two light cruisers a bit farther east, and a distant covering force of two battleships, two cruisers and several destroyers near Saigon. There are also three Japanese submarine flotillas in a north-south line just a few zones east of Malaya, with the northernmost on a latitude even with Alor Star and the southernmost just south of Singapore.

Fuel is a concern for the Japanese. All Japanese ships have three fuel boxes crossed off to begin with. The Japanese player decides to split the distant covering force into two task forces, sending one to Saigon to refuel. The other will head westward to threaten the Eastern Fleet, and will switch off with the refueled task force when its fuel runs low.

The two Japanese CL’s have a high fuel capacity, so they will head southwest at full speed to bypass Singapore and enter the Malacca Strait to intercept the British troop convoy (escorted by the cruiser HMS Exeter) before it can reach Singapore. The Japanese covering force of cruisers and destroyers is already near the Eastern Fleet’s projected course northeastward and doesn’t need to burn much fuel for now.

Allied: The British Eastern Fleet is at Singapore and must stay there for at least two turns before leaving (some of their ships are in refit and have to stay longer). There’s an incoming British troop convoy to the northwest in the Malacca Strait. The main strength of the Royal and Royal Australian Air Forces is at Singapore, with a few units at the northern Malayan bases (some of which are already being invaded). One Dutch submarine flotilla is near the Japanese invasion forces at Kota Bahru, and the rest are farther south.

Battleship Haruna.

Turn 1 (December 8th, 1941)

The weather is cloudy. British air search spots the Japanese invasion forces at Kota Bahru (the eastern Malayan airbase nearest to Singapore), but not at Patani (the eastern airbase two zones to the north). Japanese air search spots nothing.

Two steps of British air units (a Blenheim IV and a Beaufort) hit the invasion forces at Kota Bahru. The Beaufort sinks a Japanese large transport with a torpedo hit, scoring 12 VP’s for the Allies since the transport was fully loaded with 3 cargo points. The British planes take no losses from anti-aircraft fire.

Vildebeest torpedo bombers out of Singapore transfer northward to Alor Star.

The four F2A fighter steps flying CAP over the western Malayan airbase at Penang fail to intercept an incoming flight of Japanese bombers. The bombers roll 10 dice but only score three hits, so they don’t reduce Penang’s airbasing capacity.

One step of Vildebeests based at Kota Bahru take to the air and hit the transports invading the base. They torpedo a small transport, but roll a 2 on the torpedo table and inflict no damage (it’s a dud). The Vildebeests relocate to Penang.

The score is now Allies 12, Axis 0.

Turn 2

The weather turns clear. British air search spots the three southernmost Japanese invasion task forces on the Malayan coast, including the one at Patani airbase. They also spot Japanese TF1 heading into Saigon. Japanese air search spots the British troop convoy two zones west of Penang. They also spot the Eastern Fleet at Singapore.

The British troop convoy moves two zones to the east-southeast so it’s still under Penang’s CAP umbrella. Japanese TF1 makes port at Saigon. Dutch Sub Flotilla 2 contacts the Japanese covering force of cruisers and destroyers four zones east of Kuantan but can’t get a firing solution on it. Dutch Sub Flotilla 3 contacts the invaders at Kota Bahru, and sinks a light transport (8 VP’s for two cargo points carried).

There is only one Japanese transport left for the invasion of Kota Bahru. Japanese Sub Flotilla 1 mines the eastern boundary of Singapore’s sea zone.

The four F2A fighter steps flying CAP from Penang intercept seven steps of Japanese torpedo bombers (four G3M2’s and three G4M1’s) heading for the British troop convoy. The CAP eliminates one step of G4M1s (6 VP’s).

Then the Japanese hit the convoy. The British AA splashes one step of G4M1’s (6 more VP’s for the Allies). But then the Japanese planes torpedo HMS Exeter and damage it to the tune of three hull boxes and two secondaries, slowing its speed by one. They also sink two British large transports, scoring 24 VP’s for the Japanese player. There is only one transport left in the convoy, along with HMS Exeter.

The score is now Allies 32, Japanese 24.

Turn 3

The weather is still clear. More British planes transfer northward from Singapore to Penang and Alor Star. British air search loses contact with the Japanese covering force, but maintains contact with Japanese TF1 in Saigon. Japanese air search loses all contact with British task forces.

Eastern Fleet leaves Singapore, splitting off a destroyer and a minesweeper into separate diversionary task forces. The main force of the Eastern Fleet heads north, hugging the coast, and goes right through the minefield that the Japanese sub flotilla laid east of Singapore. Destroyer HMS Electra hits a mine and sinks. Then the same Japanese sub flotilla contacts Eastern Fleet and torpedoes the battleship Prince of Wales, but only does two hull boxes in damage.

What’s left of the British troop convoy heads south into the Alor Star sea zone, where more F2A’s are now up on CAP to protect it.

Japanese TF1 refuels at Saigon, and the covering force makes for the east Malayan coast ahead of Eastern Fleet. But a Dutch sub flotilla contacts the covering force and sinks Japanese destroyer Fubuki (16 VP’s).

Both subs of Dutch Sub Flotilla 3 make contact with the remaining invaders at Kota Bahru. They sink the remaining transport there (a large one, for 12 VP’s), but run afoul of the Japanese destroyers protecting the invasion and are both sunk themselves (8 VP’s for the Japanese). There are now no Allied subs in a position to attack the invaders. But they did stop a Japanese takeover of Kota Bahru airfield.

Two small British airstrikes hit the next Japanese invasion force up the coast, at the airfield at Patani. One step of Blenheims out of Alor Star attacks and misses, while one step of Vildebeests out of Penang is shot down by Japanese anti-aircraft fire (6VP’s for the Japanese — serves the British right for naming a torpedo bomber after a landbound ruminant . . .).

The score is now Allies 60, Japanese 38.

Another flying ruminant: an F2A “Buffalo” fighter in American colors.

Turn 4

It is now night, and the weather is clear. Air units are grounded. The British troop convoy moves south along the coast to just northwest of Kuala Lumpur. Eastern Fleet moves three zones northeast to just southeast of Kuantan airbase.

The Japanese Covering Force moves to block it, ending up in an adjacent zone just northeast of Eastern Fleet and just east of Juantan. The Dutch subs make no contact, and the British destroyers of Eastern Fleet drive a Japanese sub away.

Turn 5

The three British ships at Singapore are still in refit and unable to leave. The weather stays clear. The Japanese cover force stays in place, waiting for Eastern Fleet to come to it, but Eastern Fleet goes right around them hugging the coast, ending up just northeast of Kuantan. Japanese subs contact it but are unable to fire. There is no Allied sub contact, but the Japanese contact the British destroyer on the diversionary mission.

Turn 6

The British ships at Singapore are still refitting. The weather stays clear. The two Japanese light cruisers move to just southwest of Singapore, heading for the Malacca strait to intercept the British troop convoy, which is now three zones to their northwest and two west of Kluang airbase.

The Japanese covering force steams north into Eastern Fleet’s zone, and contacts it on a roll of 6. Three Japanese subs also contact Eastern Fleet and fire, but don’t damage any ships.

The British win the initiative in battle. Contact was on a roll of 6 so it’s a surprise sighting, and the Japanese (as losers of initiative on the first round) won’t be able to move on the first movement impulse. The British get to fire guns and torpedoes before the Japanese can fire, and get a +1 to every “to hit” roll on the first fire round.

The British set up in the northeast section of the tactical board, with BB Prince of Wales leading the charge against the Japanese and BC Repulse in the hex behind it. The Japanese setup in the southwest section, with their five cruisers in the lead and their two destroyers behind. The CAs will steam toward Prince of Wales and take its fire while the DDs maneuver for a torpedo run on Prince of Wales from the flank.

Surface Combat

Impulses 1-5: Prince of Wales moves west to keep the Japanese ships within nighttime sighting range (three hexes) while remaining outside normal torpedo range. Repulse advances into the hex Prince of Wales just vacated. They fire at the Japanese CAs Chokai and Mikuma (respectively), with their +1 bonuses for surprise. Chokai takes five hits, knocking out five of her main guns. Mikuma takes three hull hits and loses one speed. The light cruisers escorting Repulse do one hull damage to CA Kumano.

Then the Japanese return fire. CA’s Mogami and Suzuya do five hits to Repulse, knocking out three primaries and one tertiary plus her torpedo mount. Chokai fires her two remaining guns and gets a lucky hit on CL Dragon, knocking out her only gunnery factor. Then CA Mikuma (which was slowed and won’t be able to keep up) fires her Long Lance torpedoes at long range (halving the number of dice rolled) at Prince of Wales, but misses.

Repulse fires her main battery.

Impulses 6-9: The Japanese CAs all charge at Repulse. Now that surprise is gone, the British ships are easier to hit than the Japanese (BBs and BCs are +1 to hit in combat, but CAs and smaller are not). Prince of Wales could keep her +1 to hit bonus by moving adjacent to the Japanese CAs, but that would be suicide due to their huge advantage in torpedoes.

So Prince of Wales retreats northwest to stay outside regular torpedo range. She fires, and destroys CA Mogami’s torpedo mount! British CL Danae then does two hull and one secondary damage to CA Kumano, which replies by knocking out Danae’s only gun. The Lucky Chokai then fires her two remaining guns and KO’s CL Durban’s only gun.

All three British CL’s are now gunless, but they have their torpedoes. They fire at CA Suzuya and do five hull and two secondary hits. Suzuya and Kumano then fire torpedoes at Repulse, doing seven hull hits, knocking out all her tertiaries and AA guns and slowing her to a speed of 1.

Impulses 10-13: CAs Suzuya and Mikuma move east to keep within firing range of Repulse while moving out of sighting range from Prince of Wales. The gunless, torpedoless British CLs flee northeast. No other ships can move this impulse. The Brits fire guns but get no hits.

Then Suzuya and Mikuma fire and sink Repulse. Kumano fires and KO’s the only gun on DD Jupiter escorting Prince of Wales. Then Lucky Chokai hits destroyer escort Vampire, but it’s a dud. The Japanese save their torpedoes for Prince of Wales.

Impulses 14 – 17: Prince of Wales and her DD’s flee northeast. Three Japanese CA’s and two DD’s pursue. Prince of Wales hits Kumano twice, knocking out three secondaries. Lucky Chokai hits DE Tenedos, but once again it’s a dud (it seems Chokai’s supply chief isn’t as lucky as Chokai herself . . .). Prince of Wales is still too far off for a full-strength torpedo shot, so the Japanese wait.

Impulses 18 – 22: Prince of Wales keeps fleeing, and the Japanese pursue. Prince of Wales does three more hits to CA Kumano at long range, one of them a critical, doing five hull and sinking her for 41 VP’s! Then the British make a successful disengagement roll to end the battle, denying the Japanese DD’s their torpedo run on Prince of Wales.

The Japanese end the turn by unloading 16 cargo points on the east Malayan coast, for 32 VP’s. In particular, they unload 5 points at Patani airbase, meaning they’ve taken it over and can now transfer air units there.

Score: Allies 101, Japanese 70.

Turn 7 (December 9th, 1941)

The weather stays clear. The British ships in Singapore are still refitting. The Japanese put up lots of search planes with plenty in reserve for air strikes. The British transfer fighters to Kota Bahru airbase to fly CAP over Eastern Fleet.

British air search sights many of the invasion forces plus the covering force, distant cover force and the two CL’s gunning for the troop convoy west of Singapore. Japanese air search sights Eastern Fleet and the refitting ships at Singapore, but does not sight the convoy.

The convoy heads southwest to avoid the oncoming CL’s, and the CL’s charge through the straight west of Singapore, and through a British minefield. They do not strike any mines. They end up in the same zone with the convoy, but just barely miss making contact!

The defanged British CL’s split from Eastern Fleet, which can move at Speed 3 each turn without them. But instead of charging north toward the invaders, Eastern Fleet moves one zone southeast to avoid the Japanese battleship Haruna and supporting ships of TF2. Eastern Fleet would also have no CAP this turn if they headed north, and there are plenty of Japanese torpedo bombers waiting to hit them. The defanged CL’s move two zones due east as a diversion from Eastern Fleet, and to try to lure TF2 into the patrol zone of a Dutch sub flotilla.

Japanese TF2 moves three zones south into the same zone with the British DD that split off from Eastern Fleet at Singapore, but fails to contact it. TF2 is now two zones northeast of Eastern Fleet. Most of the damaged Japanese cruisers from last turn’s battle head northward, away from Eastern Fleet.

Then the Japanese invasion forces at Patani (TF7) leave shore and move one zone east and away from British air units at Penang. The Japanese DD on the coast just south of them moves to guard TF7’s rear from British surface ships.

A Japanese sub flotilla contacts Eastern Fleet and misses Prince of Wales. A second sub attacks and misses a defanged CL. A third attacks the British DD which TF2 failed to contact, but the destroyer sinks it (8 VP’s). Then a Japanese sub returns the favor by sinking the same British DD.

British bombers from Singapore strike the two CL’s that failed to contact the troop convoy. Japanese AA destroys one British air step (6 VP’s), and the remaining Beaufort step torpedoes CL Kinu, doing only 1 hull damage.

Then the Vildebeests from Penang hit the invasion force just north of Patani and sink two large transports (16 VP’s, since they had two cargo points remaining per transport). The Vildebeests can make it back to Penang this turn, and can fly again next turn, but by then there’ll be Japanese CAP in the air from Patani, so. . . .

A Blenheim out of Alor Star scores a bomb hit on a transport north of Patani, but it’s a dud. Then a Swordfish step out of Alor Star attacks the damaged CA Suzuya (whose torpedoes helped sink BC Repulse) north of Kuantan airbase. It scores two torpedo hits, and sinks it for 41 VP’s!

The Japanese transfer 10 steps of Ki43 fighters from Duong Dong and Konpong airfields to their new airbase at Patani. Then two Japanese torpedo bomber flights (out of Thu Dau Moi and Saigon) fail to locate Eastern Fleet. But the flight out of Soc Trang makes it. Four steps of G3M2’s and one of G4M1’s attack Prince of Wales. British AA kills one step of Japanese aircraft (6 VP’s), and the rest go in. They score only five hull and two tertiaries on the battleship.

Score: Allies 172, Japanese 76.

Lucky Chokai.

Turn 8

The weather remains clear. The British ships in Singapore are still refitting. The British put up four F2A CAP steps at Kota Bahru to protect Eastern Fleet. The Japanese put up four steps of Ki43 fighter CAP at Patani to protect invading forces from British airstrikes out of Penang. Allied air search loses contact with invasion TF7 that sailed east from Patani, but they do contact TF1.

Japanese air search spots all British fleets. Japanese ASW planes spot a British sub flotilla but fails to kill any.

Eastern Fleet heads north toward the invaders, hugging the coast. TF2, with one Japanese battleship and support ships, just misses it. TF1 (with the other battleship) is low on fuel now, so it keeps back. Lots of Japanese task forces head south, thinking Eastern Fleet would do the same this turn.

The covering force (now consisting of CA’s Chokai and Mogami, plus two DD’s) contact Eastern Fleet again, one zone southeast of Kota Bahru. Prince of Wales pummels them with long-range fire and they disengage.

The Japanese CL’s west of Singapore contact the troop convoy before it moves. It’s a surprise sighting, and they sink the last remaining troop transport (12 VP’s), but CA Exeter destroys the guns of CL Yura and disengages.

A Dutch sub torpedoes BB Haruna from TF2, doing four hulls and one primary, but the sub is sunk by Haruna’s escorting destroyers (4 VP’s).

A Japanese sub contacts Eastern Fleet and sinks DD Express. Another sub fires and misses Prince of Wales, while another misses a defanged CL.

Two steps of Beauforts out of Singapore hit the two Japanese CL’s that just sank the last troop ship. The CL’s down one air step (6 VP’s), and the planes miss the CL’s. British fighters on a sweep mission out of Alor Star fail to intercept the Japanese CAP fighters at Patani.

The three steps of Vildebeests at Penang know they’ll be in for it they take off due to the Japanese CAP two zones away at Patani, but if they stay on the ground they’ll be blown up by bombers from Indochina, and if they wait till next turn to fly there will be up to 10 steps of Japanese CAP in the air! So, they go for another strike on the invaders. The Japanese CAP intercepts them and shoots down two of their three steps (12 VP’s), and the remaining step is shot down by Japanese AA from the invaders (6 VP’s).

The Japanese could launch a strike on Prince of Wales this turn, but they hold back so they can get all their torpedo bombers out of the hangar and do massive strikes next turn.

Score: Allies 172, Japanese 116.

Turn 9

The weather remains clear. The British put up more CAP, and now have six steps of CAP protecting Eastern Fleet from Kota Bahru. The Japanese keep their two steps of Ki43 CAP up at Patani, but transfer the other six Ki43 steps out and back to Thu Dau Moi Indo-China so this turn’s incoming torpedo bombers can have fighter escorts, which can then land at Patani (whose capacity is only 10 steps). British air search keeps sight of most Japanese task forces, while Japanese air search loses sight of all but Eastern Fleet.

Japanese TF7 moves back toward Kota Bahru to restart the invasion there, now that the Vildebeests threatening that area are gone. That puts TF7 three zones north of Eastern Fleet. The escort ships currently at Kota Bahru move north to join TF7. The badly damaged covering force heads eastward toward Saigon.

Eastern Fleet would love to go after TF7, but knows that the CAP out of Kota Bahru can only intercept one flight outside its base zone. Only if Eastern Fleet goes to Kota Bahru itself can the CAP intercept all the incoming Japanese bomber flights. So that’s where it goes.

A Japanese sub contacts Eastern Fleet at Kota Bahru, but British destroyers drive it off. Then a Swordfish step out of Kuantan airbase attacks and torpedoes CA Kumano three zones to the southeast, but just barely fails to sink it (it’s reduced to Speed 1). A Beaufort out of Singapore also attacks it, but misses.

Then Vildebeests out of Singapore fly west and attack the CL’s which sank the troop ship. They miss, and lose one step to AA fire (6 VP’s). Then British fighters on a sweep mission out of Alor Star intercept the Japanese CAP fighters at Patani, but the British are the only ones to take a hit (6 VP’s).

Then the Japanese torpedo bombers come in. Three steps of G4M1’s, one step of G3M2’s and four steps of A6M2 fighter escorts out of Pnomh Penh hit Eastern Fleet. Six steps of F2A CAP fighters out of Kota Bahru intercept them and fight air-to-air combat. The CAP scores one hit (6 VP’s) and the escorts score two (12 VP’s). The CAP then kills one bomber step (6 VP’s).

Then four steps of bombers attack Prince of Wales. British AA scores one hit, which is soaked up by fighters (6 VP’s). The bombers do three torpedo hits, inflicting five hull damage and knocking out all of Prince of Wales’ remaining tertiary and AA guns, and slowing her to Speed 2.

Then Duong Dong sends three steps of G3M2’s and one step of G4M1’s, escorted by one step of Ki27 fighters and two steps of A5M4 fighters (the A5M4’s are on a suicide mission, since they don’t have the range to make it to Patani). The escorts kill one step of British CAP (6 VP’s), while the CAP kills one G3M2 step (6 VP’s). The rest go in. One step of A5M4’s soaks up Eastern Fleet’s one AA hit, and the other runs out of fuel and crashes (12 VP’s). But the bombers score four torpedo hits, doing 20 hull damage! Prince of Wales sinks.

Score: Allies 208, Japanese 146.

Put not your trust in Princes.

With the sinking of Prince of Wales, Eastern Fleet is no more. British air power is greatly reduced, and Japanese CAP from Patani give complete protection to TF7 coming in to invade Kota Bahru. The Japanese still have all but one of their destroyers and can switch all their search aircraft to ASW, so the Dutch sub flotillas will have a hard time doing any damage. The British have no way to stop the rest of the invasion, and their incoming troop convoys (scheduled to enter the board on future turns) must abort since the RAF can’t protect them anymore.

The British unloaded no troops on Malaya, while the Japanese will be able to unload 23 more cargo points for 46 VP’s.

But Eastern Fleet, the RAF and the Dutch submariners gave a fine account of themselves, much better than their historical counterparts managed, and when you add the VP’s the Allies score for damage to still-floating Japanese ships the final score is Allies 240, Japanese 192 — a convincing Allied victory!

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