Welcome to the third mission (Fleet Command) of the OOB Boot Camp tutorial campaign.
I chose the "Naval Academy" specialization (granting 2'000 XP to newly purchased naval units) because that is what makes most sense before a mission focused on naval combat.
 |
| Figure 1 - Briefing |
The mission briefing has three critical pieces of intelligence: a) capturing primary VPs will add more units to our force, b) the OPFOR includes a battleship (the screen moves to the top right of the map hinting on its location) and c) both sides include aircraft carriers (one on the Green Team, two on the Red Team).
The campaign map also provides some information: a) the light cruiser sunk on the previous mission won't be present in this one, b) paratroopers will be available to the Green Team in the next mission and c) the Red Team will have the initiative (move first each turn) on this mission.
This last bit of data is quite obscure or at the very least I've been quite negligent in noticing it: the red arrow in the campaign map appears to be the convention the designers chose to indicate initiative.
I've included as an insert the mission "button" for the previous mission where a green arrow is evident - spoilers: the next mission also has a green arrow but I haven't checked if the US Pacific campaign follows the same convention.
 |
| Figure 2 - Turn Overview |
The second image depicts the deployment phase Turn Overview with an insert detailing the initial resources.
As primary objectives we're tasked to destroy the single OPFOR battleship (BB) and take three VPs. As secondary objectives we're advised to not lose our (single) carrier (so that it will be available in the next mission), to sink both enemy carriers (for a core reconnaissance air unit) and to destroy two Coastal Guns.
At this point I have $590 and can deploy 20 points of naval and air units each. Available (as auxiliaries) are one Yorktown-class aircraft carrier (CV), two New Orleans-class CA, four Gleaves-class DD (not upgraded to '41 version), one Tambor-class submarine (SS), one P40 Warhawk (land-based) fighter (airborne adjacent to the airfield), one SBD2 Dauntless tactical (dive) bomber (airborne adjacent to a Gleaves-class DD with a TBD Devastator tactical bomber overhead both belonging to the OPFOR), one TBD Devastator tactical (torpedo) bomber (aboard the CV) and a Coastal Gun. Also available (as a core unit) is one F4F3 Wildcat (carrier) fighter aboard the CV.
 |
| Figure 3 - Strategic Map |
The third image is the "Strategic Map" at the end of the deployment phase. The Green Team starts at the Western edge of the map with most of its strength towards the South close to the islet where the Coastal Gun stands. Further North three (auxiliary) DDs form a picket line with a Red Team DD and TBD in sight.
 |
| Figure 4 - Strategic Map |
The fourth image is an edited "Strategic Map" where the "Deep Water" tiles appear in white with black borders and no units are shown other than the Green Team's Coastal Gun and the (AI controlled ally) Blue Team's AA Gun.
Deep draught ships (aircraft carriers, battleships and heavy cruisers) cannot enter "Shallow Water" tiles and thus the Green Team heavies exiting the "Bay" are forced to follow the "Channel" in order to reach the "Ocean". Following this path is further reinforced by the location of the VPs. While destroyers can navigate shallows they lose the support of the larger ships and reduce the strength of the latter's screen.
The presence of ports is not only thematic in a naval scenario, they are also the only location were ships can be repaired efficiently. Ships can also be repaired by "Support Ships" but these require money and Command Points and I've only used them in the very last mission of the US Pacific campaign so my understanding of their capabilities and limitations is lacking.
The Red Team's Coastal Gun locations can be deduced by careful analysis of the map. They will have to be placed on land tiles and their range of nine tiles (same as our own) makes their placement in the North-South stretch of land bordering the Green Team's deployment zone illogical. The two islands with villages and ports (and an airfield in the one in the Southeast corner) are the most logical candidates but any of the islands in the Northwest-Southeast diagonal is a possibility.
---
Comments on this post are disabled. That's just for ease of management. They will be enabled in the last post for each mission.
