Dateline - London, Nov 1943 In the South Pacific, American naval forces, in a David-versus-Goliath struggle, have captured the island of Levu Vana. Victory required an expensive toll, however, paid in blood. In the twilight hours before dawn, a Japanese task force of twelve destroyers, one light cruiser, three heavy cruisers and the battleship Yamato steamed into a narrow strip of water called Pala Passage. It was a powerful force, poorly matched by the slight American group supporting the amphibious assault on Levu Vana, but the U.S. Navy is neither cowardly or passive in the face of danger.

The Americans were aware of the Japanese approach, and had prepared an intense welcome. The first part of the narrow passage was mined, and the minefield was backed up by PT boats and submarines. Waiting at the end of this gauntlet was a surface group of two heavy and one light cruisers and eight destroyers.

Task FOrce 40 opens fire on Sho FOrce.

The Imperial juggernaut approached, secure in victory through sheer size and firepower. The battle was joined when the first Japanese destroyer in the lead center column of ships fell victim to the minefield. Not sure of the cause of the explosion, Japanese starshells lit up the lightening sky and probed into the remaining darkness. Caught by surprise, the American PTs were detected in column formation, proceeding slowly as they crept up on the enemy. The boats leapt to attack speed as deadly explosives replaced the star shells.

The American numbers quickly dwindled and only three of the eight boats survived long enough to launch a torpedo attack, then they also were destroyed in a hailstorm of gunfire. But their attack proved successful on two levels. First, a heavy cruiser, which had been aimed at, was hit and destroyed. Secondly, widespread panic was introduced as the Japanese ships wildly maneuvered to avoid both real and perceived torpedo threats. Even in the best of locations, such close-quarter maneuvering is dangerous, but in a minefield, it becomes doubly so. More ships fell victims to mines, including a heavy cruiser that would remain crippled and trapped in the minefield, unable to escape.

Emerging from the minefield, the remaining Japanese ships sought out more Americans to attack - and found them. More starshells lit up the far end of the passage and backlit the approaching three columns of Americanwarships, in two destroyer columns and an angled cruiser column. On the Japanese left and north side of the passage, a destroyer column raced into close quarters and engaged the enemy light forces. Both sides devastated the other with guns and torpedoes, and more Japanese ships were lost to mutual collisions.

The queen of the chessboard then announced her presence. Yamato's massive shells streaked the length of the water and the American flagship disintegrated in only a few minutes. More shells reduced the second heavy cruiser into an easy torpedo target for nearby Japanese destroyers. To the south, after losing their lead ship to Yamato, the destroyer column executed a perfect turn about, and used smoke to back up and reassess the situation. Japanese destroyers attempted to follow and close, but radar on the US destroyers allowed them to ignore the smoke and enabled the Americans to discourage the approach with deadly accuracy. To the north, the lone American "light" cruiser, a Brooklyn class, introduced the Japanese destroyers to the lethal efficiency of her fifteen six-inch guns.

In the center area, chaos and confusion reigned. The Japanese light cruiser sliced through a Japanese destroyer and another destroyer collided with and then locked horns with an American destroyer, who was the last surviving member of the northern column. A final gasp of fuel sped a Mk13 torpedo into the stern of the last fully operational heavy Japanese cruiser.

As dawn broke, sunlight revealed a seascape of carnage. At one end was the trapped Japanese cruiser. At the other, the three US destroyers, hidden by smoke, closed on the lone American cruiser to make a last stand if need be. Yamato turned right from the minefield, unaffected for the most part by the minor damage of two mines, and aimed herself down the passage to the hapless U.S. survivors. Close by three destroyers sought protection under the battleship's big guns. To the north, the last heavy cruiser, light cruiser and a destroyer prepared to follow the battleship's lead and finish up the Americans here and at the landing.

Suddenly, a destroyer immediately astern of Yamato erupted in flames from several torpedo hits. Below, a submarine captain cursed and began to figure how to set up for another shot, this time with his bow tubes. But before the Japanese could respond to this threat, out of the sun swept a squadron of six PBJ bombers (US Navy B-25s) with torpedoes. Pressing home their attack, the bombers tried to execute an anvil, but failed. They did, however, hit Yamato more than once, despite heavy antiaircraft gunfire and loss of one aircraft.

The battleship was beginning to weaken, and for the first time, the specter of defeat turned his gaze away from the Americans. As the Japanese refocused their attention, which was made more difficult by the PBJs attacking Japanese float planes, Yamato was rocked by multiple torpedo hits from a submarine on her port bow, to the north. Two destroyers raced about, frantic to find the underwater sniper that had dared to attack their queen. As they careened about slightly to the north, a second periscope broke the surface. This time, there would be no miss.

Patience and luck had driven the battleship right over the top of this submarine, and now the captain had the perfect shot. A full volley slammed into the unprotected stern of Yamato. Crippled and with only a fragile screen surviving to escort her, Yamato came about and yielded the field to the exhausted, determined, and very lucky American survivors.

[Ed note: "Pala Passage" was the most spectacular and best organized naval game I've ever seen. Chris Carlson and Mike Harris presented the game at Cold Wars '98. It's unique in allowing aircraft, major surface ships, light craft, submarines and even mines to all take part. All were necessary for an American victory.

Pala Passage
Minefields in Pala Passage
Ships for Pala Passage

Pala Passage After-Action Report (ns21)

BT