My First Major Victory as the IJN

[bill44]

Just started playing the campain as the IJN, and the crowded sea lanes take some getting used to. Well I had lost some 3 transports and one or two of my little spy's, then an A maru, was hit near Assan Basin, I sent Togo's force out (at this point the BB's AC's and PC's) heading west, I caught Pallada, boyarin, and 8 DD's, overwhelmed them in a short night battle.
Since I had such a long strung out line, I turned each group by succession, meaning that the BB's were out of the fight for a while, but my AC's and PC's were able to devistate the Russion raiders, when I had crippled the raiders, I got my PC's, to start chewing up the DD's.
By this time my BB's were in a position broadside to the crippled raiders, and smashed them with salvo after salvo, Boyarin was sinking and Pallada, was blazing all along her upperworks, I continued to pound the sinking Boyarin, with my AC's, no quarter would be givin in this struggle. I turned my attention back to Pallada who was now a mass of twisted steel and smashed guns, but still sporadically a gun fired here and there, eventually she succumed to her damage and sank, by this time Boyarin was gone also.

[Bullethead]

Bravo!

The best formation for offensive night action is something of a toss-up. It all depends on where the enemy bears when you meet him, and you don't any real control over that. If you're in a line and meet the enemy ahead or behind, 1/2 your force will likely never fire a shot. OTOH, if the enemy appears to 1 side or the other, then you're in a pretty good set-up. Just the opposite for steaming in parallel division columns, which are best for head-on encounters and not so great from the sides.

Still, I seem to have slightly more head-on encounters than side-on, so I favor the parallel column arrangement for night work. If I expect action during the night, I change the formation around sundown to parallel columns, and then go back to line at dawn.