@Karaiskandar & yourworstnightm:They aren't just putting up a good fight. The IJN is my nightmare right now.
@Meadow: Thanks. Its good to know that my efforts to create an interesting pacific war are paying off.
As the invasion fleet tries to withdraw, Japanese carriers launch repeated attacks, heavily damaging many vessels, and even sinking one of Halsey's heavy cruisers.
In response to these repeated attacks, American bombers attack the Japanese fleet before it sorties out to sea again. These raids succeed in destroying 2 vessels, the elderly battlecruiser
Kirishima, as well as the the aircraft carrier
Ryujo. After these attacks, the Japanese fleet escapes to sea, and withdraws for safer waters.
With the threat of the smaller Japanese fleet now gone, American marines launch the invasion of Yap island, in the Caroline Islands chain. The Japanese garrison is soon crushed, and the island falls to US forces.
With the Allies and the Japanese embroiled in full scale war, Germany and its fellow powers in the Mitteleuropa alliance begin to get adventurous. The first sign of a brand new, and aggressive Mitteleuropan policy is unveiled through the actions of the Ottoman Empire. Having been long on the downfall, the Ottoman Sultan decides that the best way to revive the empire is to seize control of the Middle East's oil reserves, using the vast economic benefits of the oil trade to prop up the Ottoman regime. The first step is a massive attack on Persia, one of the worlds biggest oil producers. Germany, and the rest of the Mitteleuropa alliance pledge their support, sending tens of thousands of soldiers to aid the Ottoman attack.
Mitteleuropa's diplomacy also begins to get more aggressive, with German diplomats finally convincing both Bulgaria and Norway into accepting German protection and joining the Mitteleuropa alliance.
Meanwhile, American scientists perfect theoretical research into applying the Airforce's turbojet fighter technology for carrier-borne aircraft.
As American battleships scout out a new future landing zone for the second attempt at a New Guinea landing, they run into big trouble. Admiral Koga, having repaired his vessels in mainland Japan, is sent on the offensive in the seas around New Guinea, running headlong into King's elderly battleships, which are wide open for enemy carrier attack.
American battleships reel under devastating carrier aircraft attacks, by from what seem like hundreds of enemy bombers and fighters. King quickly reverses course, fleeing towards Truk. However, his fleet has taken a beating, with the veteran battleship
USS Nevada going under, as well as having a number of escorting vessels and the rest of his battleships taking heavy damage.
As if things could not get any worse, they do. Admiral Koga's real target is revealed, when his carriers engage Admiral Halsey's task force head on in the seas off the coast of New Guinea. Halsey, not one to run from a challenge, turns his carriers into the wind and launches every warplane in his fleet at the Japanese, vowing to put Koga's ships in their place.
However, what happens next stuns even the most battle hardened admirals in the US navy. A large group of Japanese dive bombers, which had been searching for Halsey's ships and had gotten lost in the clouds, emerges from them and finds themselves right on top of Halsey's fleet. From out of the blue, the Japanese bombers dive onto Halseys vulnerable ships, scoring multiple devastating bomb hits right through the flight decks, and detonating the ammunition store rooms on the carriers. After the Japanese aircraft withdraw and the smoke clears, the extent of the damage is revealed.
Four aircraft carriers, as well as two heavy cruisers are destroyed, with a fifth carrier, the
USS Franklin, barely being able to remain afloat.
The nightmare scenario for the US navy has come true. The best carriers of the US navy have been destroyed. The United States Navy has been beaten. There are no longer any carrier task groups left to fight in the pacific.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, horrified at the situation, gives the order that no one in the military wanted to give. Retreat. The remaining combat ships, now with no defenses left, flee the area and return to the safety of the United States, completely impotent in the face of Japanese naval power.
Morale for the war effort reportedly plummets after this stinging defeat. Some even talk of making peace with Japan. However, President Truman assures the public that despite this setback, America will prevail, and will fight until the brutal Japanese Empire is utterly defeated!