I have just finished battle as Japan vs. UK. I was intercepting UK convoy to Hong Kong where I made invasion.
It was quite nice battle showing a lot of things.
Japan fleet:
2 battleships 27500 tons: 10x14" guns (US style), 12" belt, turret, 2" deck armour (so quite old and vulnerable)
2 modern battlecruisers 35900 tons: 6x16" (Renown style), 12.5" belt, 4.5"deck, 15" turret armour (quite modern)
3 CVL - total 78 aircraft (22,22,34) - 1/4 fighters, 3/4 torpedo bombers
4 CL
5 DD
UK fleet:
3 battleships (all very dangerous, but only one with excellent armour)
- 39700 tons - 12x16" (2x3,3x2), 12" belt, 3.5" deck, 12" turrets
- 38300 tons - 8x15" (QE style), 12.5" belt, 5.5" deck, 15" turrets
- 27500 tons - 8x15" (QE style), 12" belt, 2" deck, 12" turrets (similar to my battleships)
2 battlecruisers
- 36700 tons: 6x16" (Renown style), 12" belt, 4" deck, 12" turret
6 DD
17 merchants (convoy)
Battle was quite interesting. Firstly both scout forces have just met and have started shooting. No important hit was received on any side. After some time UK main force commit to fight and close with their scout force. At that time my first strike about 40 torpedo bombers have started attack. As at their ships were almost undamaged and really close their AA fire and speed prevent my bombers do serious damage. But still 2 torpedoes hit targets but without any visible effect of enemy fleet. After that my attack was regurarly about 15-20 bombers.
After some damage to my scout force and some damage to british force the 3rd torpedo bomber strike manage to put 6 torpedoes to their battleline as at that time British battlecruisers sailed to north after convoy out of visible range.
Even with battleline heavily damage they continue fire as their turrets and fire control was probably undamaged. However getting hits on both side situation on British side has started to be critical. Their ships damage with torpedoes was deep in water and my battlecruisers and battleships even damaged can withstand more punishment. At this situation first British battleship have stopped dead in water, which was good thing as my ammuniton start to be quite low as first turrets were out of ammunition.
However my next torpedo attack was interesting. It was at time when British scout force have tried to save British battleline and tried to cover them. Torpedo bombers split their targets and made 6 hits to very slow sailing British battleship.
But rest of the torpedo bombers have tried to attack new combatants - battlecruisers and made 2 another hits. "Applause NWS team for the work on that".
The British battlecruisers were but another thing. Even with such torpedo hits they were still able to make between 20-25 knots and were able to disengage (after action report shows that one of the battlecruisers has remaining only about 3 % of floating points).
So British fleet was non exist so another task was interecept convoy. And that was issue as I am playing in Rear Admiral. My flag ship was able even after repairs made only 12 knots and any try to divert another division to north to attack convoy which was about 5-10 miles after my flag ship visibility range was quite horror. Finally I was able to do it with cruiser division however as soon as they close distance to the convoys the screen of the convoy attack cruisers.
The cruisers opened fire to 2 destroyers but for my suprise they started pursuit them instead of destroying convoy.
Finally I was lucky as my torpedo bombers made some hits and the cruisers too to slow down the convoy that even my crippled fleet could catch them. As night was comming it was race for time. Finally I managed to destroy 14 from 17 merchants.
So British loss was almost whole convoy, 3 modern battleships, 2 battlecruisers heavily damaged and 1 destroyers sunk.
I have one battleship and battlecruiser heavily damaged the rest capital ships were damaged seriously but still capable.
note: the point for succesfull strikes were that British ships have almost no AA defence except heavy AA. From my previous tests small strikes to heavily defended targets by AA fire are something different. In past I have regurarly strikes about 6-8 torpedo bombers and no hits. So it seems that overhelming defences is quite important. And on opposite good AA can disrupt attack quite succesfully against small strikes.
Suggestions:
1. if AI ships fight unarmed merchants, they should close as much as possible, not fighting from distance and be distracted by destroyers. CLs instead of sinking convoy was just hunting 2 destroyers from long range (probably to be save from torpedoes).
2. if there is target and AI ships is set up to independent they should hunt target not wait for crippled fleet able to make only 12 knots
3. if there is indentified ships by other ships they could be set as target for air strike
Note:
Handling of carriers are excellent, really intuitive be where there is no threat changing their position pernamently from S from main force to W of main force - applause
Hit percentage of main guns of capital ships was about 4% with improved directors and firing distance most usually about 15-20k yards, sometimes 12-25k yards. Much better than RTW1 in 20s.
One month later after this major victory Japanese forces were repulsed from Hong Kong.