Carrier Strike (1992 game) Manual

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INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................1Your Game Box Should Contain ..........................................................................................1

STARTUP ................................................................................................................................1Backup Disks .......................................................................................................................1README File........................................................................................................................1Installing the Game..............................................................................................................1Soundcard Setup .................................................................................................................1Documentation Check..........................................................................................................1

GAME CONCEPTS ..................................................................................................................1Game Scale..........................................................................................................................1Terrain and Units .................................................................................................................1Combat Forces.....................................................................................................................2Ship Abbreviations...............................................................................................................2Game Abbreviations.............................................................................................................2Game Terminology ..............................................................................................................2

Aircraft Terminology Ship Terminology Weapon TerminologyTutorial ................................................................................................................................3Summary of Game Menus ...................................................................................................3

TALKING TO THE COMPUTER ..............................................................................................3Using the Keyboard .............................................................................................................3

HotkeysUsing the Mouse..................................................................................................................3

SETTING UP THE GAME........................................................................................................4Randomized Battles .............................................................................................................6

British ReinforcementsThe Campaign Game............................................................................................................7Battle Plan ...........................................................................................................................8Options Menu ......................................................................................................................8

TURN SEQUENCE ...................................................................................................................9START OF TURN PHASE .......................................................................................................9

Wind Direction.....................................................................................................................9Cloud Cover .........................................................................................................................9Radar Reports .....................................................................................................................9

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Continues...

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ORDERS PHASE ...................................................................................................................10General Rules ....................................................................................................................11

Task Force Movement Night Turns Night TF Movement Night Aircraft Movement Night Surface Combat Night Submarine Contact Night Aircraft Repairs Wind Direction Fuel Consumption

Orders................................................................................................................................13Text Window Icons ............................................................................................................14Map Icons..........................................................................................................................15Utility Menu Options ..........................................................................................................16Unit Menu Options.............................................................................................................18Hotkeys..............................................................................................................................22Flight Operations ...............................................................................................................22

Aircraft Readiness States Accessing the Flight Operations Display Flight Operations Display Description of the Flight Operations Display Carrier Name Display Mission Display Flight/Fuel/Elevator Clocks Display Air Group Display Target/Set Direction Display Flight Deck Display Mission and Flight Deck/Hangar Buttons Hangar and Ordnance Display

Search Operations .............................................................................................................26Search Vectors Setting Search Direction Assignment of Search Vector Launching Float Planes Armed Search Planes Spotting Enemy/Dummy TFs Search Plane Combat Breaking Radio Silence

Combat Air Patrol ..............................................................................................................29Launching CAP Missions CAP Effectiveness Sending Long-Range CAP CAP and Deck Damage Landing CAP Landing L-R CAP

Air Strikes..........................................................................................................................31Launching Air Strikes Selecting Air Strike Targets Strikes with Unassigned Targets Arming the Strike Strike Movement Locating the Target Attacking Alternate Targets Attacking Airfields Air Group Splitting Off from Strike Return to Base/Carrier Aircraft Ditching Recalling a Strike

AIRFIELDS ............................................................................................................................34LANDING AIRCRAFT ............................................................................................................35

Limited Deck Space Procedure..........................................................................................35Clear Deck Procedure ........................................................................................................35Emergency Landings .........................................................................................................36

Special Emergency LandingsLanding Combat Air Patrol (CAP) ......................................................................................36

COMBAT ...............................................................................................................................37Air Group Disruption..........................................................................................................37

CAP Coordination Loss Disruption CAP vs. Escort Combat Disruption CAP vs. Bomber Combat Disruption Flak Combat Disruption

Air-to-Air Combat ..............................................................................................................38Air-to-Sea Combat .............................................................................................................38

Flak Combat Ship Target Selection Ship Evasion Ratings Aircraft Accuracy Ratings Weapon Accuracy Rating Combined Arms Effect Hitting the Target

DAMAGE ...............................................................................................................................40Ship Damage .....................................................................................................................40

Armor Penetration Primary Damage Starting Fires Special Carrier Damage Air Combat Mission Change Secondary Damage Crippled Ships Scuttling Crippled Ships

Airfield Damage .................................................................................................................42Damage from Naval Bombardment Damage from Air Bombardment

Surface Combat .................................................................................................................43Surface Combat Resolution

Naval Bombardment ..........................................................................................................44Unloading Transports ........................................................................................................44Submarine Combat............................................................................................................44

GENERAL WITHDRAWAL.....................................................................................................45END OF BATTLE ...................................................................................................................45

Home Port Phase...............................................................................................................45

REPAIR PHASE ....................................................................................................................47Ship Repairs ......................................................................................................................47Aircraft Repairs..................................................................................................................47Airfield Repairs ..................................................................................................................47

SCORING...............................................................................................................................47CAMPAIGN PROGRESS .......................................................................................................48TUTORIAL .............................................................................................................................48DESIGNERS NOTES.............................................................................................................53

The Campaign....................................................................................................................53Search Operations .............................................................................................................53Air Strikes..........................................................................................................................54General Withdrawal ...........................................................................................................54

STRATEGY AND TACTICS ...................................................................................................54Strategy Notes for the Campaign Game.............................................................................54

Allied Player Strategy Japanese Player StrategyTactical Notes ....................................................................................................................55

Searching for Enemy TF Hiding from the Enemy Aircraft Management Use of Non-Carrier Task Forces

MAPS ....................................................................................................................................58STORY: The Fast Carriers: Weapons Systems Survey, 1917-1975, by Martin Campion .......61CHARTS & TABLES..............................................................................................................77

Game Abbreviations...........................................................................................................77Flak Modifiers ....................................................................................................................77Target Selection Values (Air to Sea) ..................................................................................77Ship Evasion Ratings.........................................................................................................77Aircraft Accuracy Ratings ..................................................................................................77Weapon Accuracy Rating...................................................................................................78Japanese Aircraft Ordnance...............................................................................................78Allied Aircraft Ordnance.....................................................................................................78Fuel Consumption..............................................................................................................78Allied Aircraft .....................................................................................................................79Japanese Aircraft ...............................................................................................................87Weapon Data .....................................................................................................................93Ship Class Data (Allied Ships, Japanese Ships, Generic Ships) .........................................94Ship Availability ...............................................................................................................113Menus and Command Summary .....................................................................................122

INTRODUCTIONCARRIER STRIKE simulates naval-air battles inthe South Pacific during WWII. CARRIER STRIKEcan be used to recreate historical battles orrandom-historical battles (battles that couldhave happened at a particular time). TheCampaign Game allows you to complete onebattle and jump immediately into a new bat-tle. Ships sunk or badly damaged in one bat-tle will be unavailable for the next battle. TheCampaign Game allows one battle per monthfrom May 1942 to June 1944.

In CARRIER STRIKE you issue movement ordersto friendly Task Forces (TFs) and direct theFlight Operations on your carriers. Flightoperations consist of selecting ordnance forbombers; moving aircraft from the hangar tothe flight deck; launching aircraft on CAP,search and strike missions; and selecting orchanging strike targets.

YOUR GAME BOX SHOULD CONTAIN Disk Rule Book Data Card

STARTUPBACKUP DISKSYour game disk has no physical copy protec-tion, so please make a backup copy and putthe original away for safekeeping. Use theinformation that came with your computer tomake the backup copy.

README FILEYour game disk may come with a READMEfile that contains rules updates and/or errata.Please read this file before playing the game.

INSTALLING THE GAMEUse the instructions on your Data Card toinstall and play CARRIER STRIKE.

SOUNDCARD SETUPCheck your Data Card for any informationrelating to the selection of your computerssoundcard system.

DOCUMENTATION CHECKTo verify that you have a legitimate copy ofthe game you will be asked to answer a ques-tion using information from this rule book.Note: Do not count section headings as partof paragraphs. See your Data Card for anyfurther instructions.

GAME CONCEPTSGAME SCALEEach hex on the map is 17 miles across.Each daylight turn is 20 minutes. Each nightturn is 1 hour (see the Night section onpage 11).

TERRAIN AND UNITSCARRIER STRIKE map areas contain the follow-ing types of terrain:

Open sea (light blue or light blue with ared dot)

Restricted waters (light blue with a darkblue dot or light blue with a dark blue andred dot)

Coastal (gray, green, and light blue)

Land (gray and green)

Terrain will affect naval movement as follows:

Task Forces may never enter a land hex.

Task Forces may never move through aland hex side.

In addition to the above movement restric-tions, Task Forces (TFs) in restricted watersor coastal hexes will be easier to sight andmore vulnerable to submarine attacks.

The map shows the various TFs involved inthe battle by single ship icons (one TF) ordouble ship icons (more than one TF). Airstrikes are shown by plane icons. Air units onCAP and Search missions are not shown onthe map. Both sides always operate in a hid-den mode unless spotted by enemy forces.

COMBAT FORCESA typical battle in CARRIER STRIKE will containsome or all of the following:

1. Carrier TFs2. Surface Combat TFs3. Bombardment TFs4. Transport TFs5. Replenishment TFs6. Land Based Air Groups

You will be assigned a mission to bombardor unload transports at a land base or to pre-vent your opponent from doing the same.You must use your carrier forces to assistfriendly forces and prevent enemy forcesfrom completing their missions. In CARRIERSTRIKE you have limited control overthe air missions from airfields. (See thesection on Airfields on page 34.)

SHIP ABBREVIATIONSID DESCRIPTION ID DESCRIPTION

CV Fleet Carrier CVL Light CarrierBB Battleship BC BattlecruiserCA Heavy Cruiser CL Light CruiserCS Seaplane Cruiser CLAA Light AA CruiserDD Destroyer DE Destroyer EscortAO Oiler AP TransportAPD Destroyer Transport

GAME ABBREVIATIONSA list of the game abbreviations is on page 77.

GAME TERMINOLOGYThe following three sections will help explainsome of the game terms used in the manualfor aircraft, ships, and weapons.

AIRCRAFT TERMINOLOGY Dogfight is the aircrafts ability to hitenemy aircraft and to avoid being hit.

Cannon is the aircrafts ability to destroyenemy aircraft.

Load is the aircrafts bomb load capacity.

Endurance is normal time in air (numberof 20 minute turns).

Durability is how much damage an air-craft can take before being destroyed.

SHIP TERMINOLOGY Speed is how fast the ship can possiblytravel.

Durability is how much damage the shipcan take before being destroyed.

Armor is the ships defensive ratingagainst enemy bombs, shells, and torpedoes.

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Capacity is the amount of either aircraftor cargo that a ship can carry.

WEAPON TERMINOLOGY Warhead is the amount of damage andpenetration the weapon can inflict.

Flak is the flak effectiveness rating againstenemy aircraft.

Range is the weapons surface combatrange for ship-to-ship fire.

Accuracy is the weapons rating to deter-mine hits on the enemy.

TUTORIALIn order to give you an idea of how to playCARRIER STRIKE, a tutorial has been included inthe manual (see Page 48).

SUMMARY OF GAME MENUSA few of the important game menus that areincluded in the main body of the manualhave been duplicated and grouped togetherfor you at the end of the manual. These areespecially useful when playing with the keyboard.

TALKING TO THE COMPUTERUSING THE KEYBOARDNote for IBM users: Make sure your [NumLock] and [Caps Lock] are off before playing.

Use the following keys to move the cursoraround the map in large increments:

IJ K

M

Use the following keys on the numeric key-pad to move the cursor:

7 8 94 61 2 3

Note: Using the 2 or 8 keys will movethe cursor generally either south or north,respectively, due to the hex grid.

HOTKEYSOther options can be accessed with hotkeycommands. These commands are listed onthe back of this rule book and can be displayedduring the game by pressing the ? key.

USING THE MOUSEUse the mouse to move the pointer over themenu items and buttons. To move around themap, click the pointer at the edges of the map.To select hexes or units, click the pointer overthe desired hex. Use the left mouse button toactivate the Unit Menu over a particular unit(Task Force, Air Strike, or Airfield). If you clickthe right mouse button, you will be given infor-mation about friendly units in the hex. To escapeout of most menus, click the right mouse button.

All keyboard commands also work if you areusing a mouse.

SETTING UP THE GAMEWhen you start a game, the Setup Menu allowsyou to load saved games or set up new ones.You can return to this menu while playing byselecting ESC on the General Orders Menuand SETUP on the Options Menu.

Setup Menu

SCENARIO PLAYER BALANCE

SAVED GAME JAPANESE MAX HELP COMPUTER JAPANESE

CORAL SEA ALLIED HELPCOMPUTER JAPANESE

MIDWAY BOTH HUMAN EVEN

EASTERN BOTH HELP ALLIEDSOLOMONS COMPUTER

SANTA CRUZ MAX HELPALLIED

TOROKINA

MARIANAS

ACCEPT SETUP

Using the mouse, place the mouse pointerover the box you wish to select and click theleft mouse button. After making your selec-tions, place the mouse pointer over theACCEPT SETUP box and click the left mousebutton. Using keyboard, you can use the 4and 6 keys (or the left and right arrow keys)to move from SCENARIO to PLAYER to BAL-ANCE. Use the 8 and 2 keys (or the upand down arrow keys) to alter your selection.Press to accept your selections.

SCENARIO selection allows you to load asaved game or start one of the scenarios:

Saved Game loads a previously savedgame. When you select this option, you willbe asked to choose from a list of five differentsaved games (a-e). From the keyboard typein one of the letters (a-e) or with a mouse,place the pointer over one of the boxes (a-e)and click the left mouse button. It would behelpful to you to keep a list of your savedgames while you play or look at the gamedirectory before playing the game. Note:When you load a saved game, remember toreset the Player and Balance options.

Coral Sea (7-9 May 1942)The Japanese attempt to capture PortMoresby by sea. The carriers Shokaku,Zuikaku, and Shoho were used to cover inad-equate surface and amphibious forces. TheAllies countered with carriers Lexington andYorktown in historys first carrier vs. carrierbattle.

Japanese Objectives:Unload transports at Port Moresby, bombardPort Moresby, and destroy Allied fleet.

Allied Objectives:Protect Port Moresby and destroy Japanesefleet.

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Midway (4-6 June 1942)The Midway operation was the CombinedFleets first attempt to lure the Americans intoa decisive battle. The Japanese plan squan-dered their numerical advantage by spread-ing their ships all over the Northern andWestern Pacific. The carrier strike force withcarriers Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Soryu wassent ahead of the fleet to neutralize the air-field on Midway. Thanks to their codebreak-ers the Americans knew they were coming.American carriers Yorktown, Enterprise, andHornet surprised the Japanese near Midwayon June 4th.

Japanese Objectives:Unload transports at Midway, bombardMidway, and destroy Allied fleet.

Allied Objectives:Protect Midway and destroy Japanese fleet.

Eastern Solomons (24-25 August 1942)This was the Combined Fleets first generalfleet action to support amphibious landingson Guadalcanal. Carriers Shokaku, Zuikaku,and Ryujo, along with a powerful surfaceforce of 3 battleships, 12 heavy cruisers, 3light cruisers, and 25 destroyers weredeployed to cover a pitifully weak amphibi-ous force with just 1,500 SNLF troops (theU.S. 1st marine Division had over 10,000combatants on the island). The Americanshad the carriers Saratoga and Enterprise inthe immediate area and the carrier Wasprefueling 250 miles farther south.

Japanese Objectives:Unload transports at Tassafaronga, bombHenderson Field, and destroy Allied fleet.

Allied Objectives:Protect Henderson Field and destroyJapanese fleet.

Santa Cruz (25-26 October 1942)Admiral Bull Halsey took command ofSouth Pacific Forces in mid-October. Toprove his aggressive spirit he planned animmediate carrier strike against the JapaneseFleet patrolling north of Guadalcanal.American carriers Enterprise and Hornetengaged the Japanese carriers Shokaku,Zuikaku, Junyo, and Zuiho in Japans lastchance for a decisive carrier battle.

Japanese Objectives:Bomb Henderson Field and destroy Allied fleet.

Allied Objectives:Protect Henderson Field and destroyJapanese fleet.

Torokina (1-3 November 1943) (Hypothetical)When U.S. Marines hit the beach at Torokina,it was the first step in Operation Cartwheel,the plan to encircle and beseige Rabaul. TheJapanese were determined to crush theMarines before an airfield could be cleared inthe dense Bougainville jungle. After a year ofrefitting and training new pilots, the carriersShokaku, Zuikaku, Junyo, and Zuiho werecalled on to halt the Allied advance.American carriers Saratoga, Essex, BunkerHill, Princeton, and Independence gave theAllies a clear numerical and qualitativeadvantage over their foes.

Japanese Objectives:Destroy Allied fleet.

Allied Objectives:Unload transports at Torokina, bomb Rabaul,and destroy Japanese fleet.

Marianas (19-20 June 1944)The carrier battles of 1942 had decimated theranks of Japanese Navy pilots. From December1942 to May 1944 they commissioned fournew carriers (Taiho, Ryuho, Chitose, andChiyoda) and trained hundreds of newpilots. When the Americans invaded Saipanin June 1944 the Japanese were as ready asthey could possibly be, yet the Americanswere far more prepared than their Japanesecounterparts. Fourteen USN carriers had beenadded since the battle of Santa Cruz. TheAmerican pilots had received much on-the-job training during carrier raids on Kwajalien,Eniwetok, Rabaul, and Truk. The two fleetscollided west of Guam on 19 June 1944.With 9 Japanese and 15 American carriers itwas by far the largest carrier battle in history.

Japanese Objectives:Destroy Allied fleet.

Allied Objectives:Unload transports at Saipan, bombardTinian, destroy Japanese fleet.

PLAYER CONTROL selections choosewhether sides are human or computer con-trolled. These options may be changed dur-ing play by selecting the CHANGEPLAYER/BALANCE option. With theseoptions you may play through games com-manding the side with the most interestingstrategic situation, or replay saved games tosee if you could do better than your opponentin an identical situation.

BALANCE selections allow you to play withboth sides on equal footing or to favor oneside over the other.

EVEN means the game will operate with nor-mal rules for both sides.

HELP gives the player being helped the following advantages:

Reinforcements arrive sooner. Ships have improved damage control. Opponents submarines are less effective. Easier for air strikes to locate targets. More accurate search reports. Increased flak disruption. For Japanese the Allied flak disruption is reduced.

MAX HELP gives the player being helpedthe same advantages listed above at theHELP level, but the effect is doubled.

ACCEPT SETUP allows you to exit theSetup Menu with the options highlighted inyellow.

RANDOMIZED BATTLESYou may select one of the above listed sce-narios and then randomize it. The orders ofbattle, objectives, and starting locations ofthe forces will be altered to create a combatsituation where the enemy forces and inten-tions are unknown. Randomized battles arerecommended for those who wish to recreatea realistic fog of war.

The computers selection for ships for ran-dom battles may be those that actually partic-ipated in the historical scenario or those thatwere available at that time and could haveparticipated. Listed below are the carriersavailable for each scenario:

Coral Sea (May 1942)JAPANESE: Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, Soryu,Shokaku, Zuikaku, Junyo, Zuiho, Shoho, Ryujo

ALLIED: Lexington, Yorktown, Enterprise,Hornet

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Midway (June 1942)JAPANESE: Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, Soryu,Junyo, Zuiho, Ryujo, Hosho

ALLIED: Yorktown, Enterprise, Hornet Hosho appears only in historical Midway scenario.

Eastern Solomons (August 1942)JAPANESE: Shokaku, Zuikaku, Junyo, Zuiho,Ryujo

ALLIED: Saratoga, Enterprise, Hornet, Wasp

Santa Cruz (October 1942)JAPANESE: Shokaku, Zuikaku, Junyo, Hiyo,Zuiho

ALLIED: Enterprise, Hornet

Torokina (November 1943)JAPANESE: Shokaku, Zuikaku, Junyo, Hiyo,Zuiho, Chitose, Chiyoda, Ryuho

ALLIED: Saratoga, Enterprise, Essex,Yorktown*, Lexington*, Bunker Hill,Independence, Princeton, Belleau Wood,Cowpens, Victorious

Marianas (June 1944)JAPANESE: Taiho, Shokaku, Zuikaku, Junyo,Hiyo, Zuiho, Chitose, Chiyoda, Ryuho.

ALLIED: Saratoga, Enterprise, Lexington*,Yorktown*, Hornet*, Wasp*, Bunker Hill,Essex, Independence, Princeton, BelleauWood, Cowpens, Cabot, Monterey, SanJacinto, Langley, Bataan* These carriers were sunk in 1942; Essex Classcarriers were renamed in their honor.

BRITISH REINFORCEMENTSDuring 1943 and 1944 there is a chance thatBritish carriers may be deployed in the SouthPacific. As a general rule the British carrierswill be deployed to fill the gaps created byheavy American carrier losses.

THE CAMPAIGN GAMEIn a Campaign Game you may fight a seriesof battles, one per month, to cover the SouthPacific campaign of May 1942 to June 1944.The starting point for a Campaign Game maybe the same as for any of the first five scenar-ios listed above. To start a campaign, select ascenario to reflect the desired starting point.You have the option of randomizing the firstbattle of the campaign or fighting the actualhistorical battle.

After completing a battle, all sunk ships aredeleted from the available list, damagedships will become unavailable for the periodof their repairs, reinforcements will be addedto the available list, and a new random battlewill be generated for the next month. Notethat due to heavy damage and losses of aplayers fleet, it is possible that one or moremonths may be skipped in a campaign beforethe fleet is ready to engage in another battle.Pilot experience may go down when addi-tional pilots replace pilot losses.

During June 1942, battles will be fought on theMidway map. During June 1944, battles will befought on the Marianas map. All other battleswill be fought using the South Pacific map.

The Campaign Game covers two years ofcombat in the South Pacific area of opera-tions. During this time many new bases willbe constructed and old ones abandoned.Most of the battles will involve one or both ofthe players attempting to bombard or unloadtransports at one of these base locations.Victories on either side will affect theprogress of base construction which willnever be faster than it was historically (seeCampaign Progress on Page 48).

BATTLE PLANAfter you exit the Randomized Battle Menu,you should see the Top Secret Battle Planscreen. Click the right button (press thespace bar). Next is displayed the date andyour mission orders for the battle. Click theright button (press the space bar) to con-tinue.

OPTIONS MENU

Japanese/Allied PlayerORDERSEND TURNSAVESETUPACCEPT

ORDERS takes you to the Orders Phasewhere you issue all orders regarding TaskForce movement and Flight Operations. Youmay also examine friendly airfields, sightedenemy TFs, and evaluate the overall strategicsituation.

END TURN will end the Orders Phase ofeach players turn and start the ExecutionPhase. During the Execution Phase the com-puter will move TFs, search aircraft, and strikeaircraft in the directions determined by theplayers. All combat for each 20 minute turnwill be displayed and resolved at this time.

SAVE allows you to store the current gameto disk. You will be asked to choose one offive letters (a-e) to save your game under.With the keyboard press (a-e) or with a mouseplace the pointer over one of the boxes (a-e)and click the left mouse button. It might behelpful to you at this time to keep track ofyour saved games.

SETUP returns you to the Setup Menudescribed on page 4.

ACCEPT puts your choice into action.

Sound/Delay Menu

SOUND DELAYON NONEOFF LOW

MEDIUMHIGH

ACCEPT

Using the mouse, place the mouse pointerover the box you wish to select and click theleft mouse button. After making your selec-tions, place the mouse pointer over theACCEPT box and click the left mouse button.Using keyboard, you can use the 4 and 6keys (or the left and right arrow keys) tomove from SOUND to DELAY. Use the 8and 2 keys (or the up and down arrow keys)to alter your selection. Press toaccept your selections.

SOUND ON/OFF allows you to turn thesounds of battle on or off. Turning the soundoff will help speed up game play.

DELAY NONE/LOW/MEDIUM/HIGHdetermines how long each message will bedisplayed on the screen. Play with this to findthe level that works for you.

ACCEPT sets your selections and exits themenu.

You can also change the sound/delay levelsduring the Orders Phase by selecting UTILthen DELAY using the mouse or by pressingthe F10 key. You can change the levels dur-ing the Execution Phase by pressing [Space].

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TURN SEQUENCEEach game turn consists of the followingsequence of phases:

Start of Turn Phase:Wind DirectionCloud Cover

Japanese Player Turn:Radar ReportsOrders PhaseLand AircraftResolve Surface CombatResolve Naval BombardmentUnload Transports at Objective

Allied Player Turn:Radar ReportsOrders PhaseLand AircraftResolve Surface CombatResolve Naval BombardmentUnload Transports at Objective

Execution Phase:Move/Resolve Air StrikesMove/Resolve Search MissionsMove Task ForcesResolve Submarine AttacksGeneral WithdrawalEnd of BattleRepair Phase

START OF TURN PHASEWIND DIRECTIONEvery turn there is a 1% chance that the windwill change direction.

CLOUD COVERAt the start of a scenario or battle, whiteclouds will be randomly placed on the map.Each turn the clouds may move a hex or dis-appear from the map. New clouds may alsoappear on the map. If clouds are in a hex withan enemy TF or land base, then there is a67% chance that any search or strike aircraftwill not locate the enemy TF or land base.

RADAR REPORTSRadar reports may occur any time an enemyair strike moves within 70 miles of a friendlyTF. The report will tell how many enemy air-craft are in detection range and enemy strikeicons will be placed on the map. Radarreports do not indicate whether strike aircraftare inward or outward bound. Allied shipsare equipped with radar at the start of thegame. Japanese ships do not have radar untilAugust 1942.

ORDERS PHASEAt the beginning of the Orders Phase, youwill see a map displayed on the screen.Below the map are 13 mouse buttons andbelow that is the text window for messagesand other information. Above is a samplescreen of the Midway scenario.

The map shows two Allied TFs near the topof the screen and one Japanese TF close tothe middle of the screen. To the right of theJapanese TF are two Allied strike air groupswhich were launched from Midway towardsthe spotted Japanese TF. At the bottom of themap is Midway shown by the American flagicon. A storm system with numerous cloudsappears on the bottom left side of the map.

The left side of the text window containssome general information. MODE:TF meansthat you are operating in TF Mode whichallows you to access the two Allied TFs andobtain information concerning them. Thereare also two other Mode options: MODE:CAP

and MODE:STRIKE. The next informationDATE: 6/4/42 0700 is the date of the scenarioJune 4, 1942 and the time is 7:00 AM. Thenext line shows LOC: 48 27 which meansthat the map cursor is at X coordinate 48 andY coordinate 27.

The right side of the text window shows TF51Air Combat which means that the cursor isover TF51 which is an Air Combat TF. Beloware two carrier pictures labeled A and B.The left carrier is the Enterprise and the rightcarrier is the Hornet. You can access theFlight Operations Display by pressing the let-ters A or B or place the mouse pointerover one of the pictures and click the leftmouse button. The compass is located on thefar right side of the text window and showsTF51 is heading SW, which is shown by thewhite line. The wind is blowing from the NEas shown by the darker shaded area on thecompass.

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GENERAL RULESTASK FORCE MOVEMENTTFs will automatically move at maximumspeed in the direction they are pointed. ATFs speed is always equal to the speed ofthe slowest ship in the TF or 30 whichever islower. Each turn a TF will gain MovementPoints equal to its TF Speed. When a TF hasaccumulated 50 or more Movement Points, itthen spends 50 points and advances one hexin the direction it is heading. A TF may have6 possible directions:

030-NE

090-E

150-SE

210-SW

270-W

330-NW

You may alter a TFs direction by 60 degreesby pressing:

< -60

> +60

To change TF direction using the mouse, movethe pointer over the desired portion of thedirection compass (located on the lower rightside of the screen) and click the left button.

A TF will lose 33% of its accumulated move-ment points for each 60 degree course changeit makes.

A carrier TF that performs Flight Operationsduring the turn may not alter its direction forthe remainder of the turn.

A TF will lose one movement point for eachenemy aircraft that attacks it.

A TF that has a -> symbol next to its mis-sion on the display has enough movementpoints to move one hex during the ExecutionPhase. A TF that has an * next to its mis-sion on the display is under computer con-trol. These TFs have either completed theirmission, have crippled ships, or havereceived a General Withdrawal Order from theSupreme Commander. The TFs will usuallyproceed towards their home base.

NIGHT TURNS

Night TF MovementStarting with the 2000 turn the game willcontinue to have 20 minute turns, howeveryou will not be able to change any ordersuntil the next hour unless you hit the spacebar during the turn. Starting at 0400, you willbe able to continue changing orders every 20minutes.

Night Aircraft MovementNight lasts from 1900 to 0540. During nightturns Flight Operations will be restricted.Only float-planes and patrol aircraft may flyduring the night without suffering operationallosses. During night turns, search planes willnot sight enemy TFs, bombers will not locateor attack enemy units, and fighters will notengage in air-to-air combat. Search planes,

CAP, and air strikes may be launched beforedaylight (0600 hours) but they will notsearch or engage in combat until the 0600turn. Fighters and bombers that remain in theair at 1900 will lose 20% of their aircraftevery hour (on the hour). These are aircraftthat become lost and are forced to ditch. Anexception to this rule is that CAP aircraft willnot lose 20% of their number on the 1900turn. Airborne CAP will take 20% losses onthe 2000, 2100, 2200, and 2300 turns. SeeAircraft Ditching on page 34.

Night Surface CombatSurface combat consists of one or morerounds in which each ship has a chance tofire. When surface combat begins, a startingrange will be determined. During daylightturns the starting range will be equal to 20 +Random (15). During night turns the startingrange will be 5 + Random (15). After eachround of combat, the range will be adjustedand another round will be fought if the TFsare still in range. During daylight the maxi-mum range is 35 (thousand yards). Duringthe night the maximum range is 20.

Night Submarine ContactTFs will be harder to locate by submarinesduring the night turns.

Night Aircraft RepairsDamaged aircraft may be repaired during the2200, 2220, 2240, 2300, 2320, and 2340game turns. Each air group may repair 1 air-craft per turn; a maximum of 6 aircraft maybe repaired during the night.

WIND DIRECTIONThe wind direction is shown on the TF direc-tion compass as a shaded blue area. This isthe direction the wind is blowing from. TheTFs movement direction must be alignedwith the wind direction if carriers in the TF areto perform Flight Operations (launch or landaircraft). If the TFs direction is not alignedwith the wind and Flight Operations areattempted, then the TF will automatically turninto the wind. When this occurs the TFsaccumulated movement points will be set tozero. Whenever a TF performs FlightOperations, the TF will be unable to changeits direction for the remainder of the turn evenif the TF was aligned with the wind directionbefore Flight Operations were attempted.

FUEL CONSUMPTIONShips will consume their fuel at a rate thatvaries with their TFs speed:

TF SPEED FUEL USE

27+ 1 every 4 hours18-26 1 every 6 hours9-17 1 every 12 hours0-8 none

If a ship runs out of fuel, the TF speed will bereduced to 5 knots.

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ORDERSAt the start of your orders phase, the map willbe displayed. Just below the map are 13mouse function buttons. These functionsmay be performed by moving the pointerover the desired button and clicking the leftmouse button. Listed below is a briefdescription of the mouse function buttonsand their keyboard equivalents:

GENERAL ORDERS MENU

BUTTON DESCRIPTION KEYBOARD

MODE Set Display Mode none(TF, CAP, STRIKE Units)

Move Large Increments J,K,I,M

CNTR Center Cursor F2

ZOOM Change Map Scale F1

UTIL Utility Menu none

PREV Previous Unit* none

NEXT Next Unit* N

STAK Next Unit in Hex* Space Bar

SNOOP View Enemy TF P

ESC Quit, Return to Last Menu Q,Esc

* the type of Unit is set with the Display MODEbutton.

MODE button (no keyboard equivalent)allows you to cycle through three differentunit modes: Task Force Mode, CAP Mode,and Strike Mode. The current mode you arein is displayed on the left side of the mes-sage text area below the map.

While in TF Mode, you will see displayedpictures of carriers on the right side of themessage area only if the TF is an Air CombatTF. Clicking the left mouse button (or press-ing the A, B, C, D keys) over the carrier pic-ture will access the Flight OperationsDisplay.

If you are in CAP Mode, you will see a dis-play on the right side of the message areawith F3-CAP with six aircraft symbols belowit. If you place the mouse pointer over thebox and click the left mouse button (or pressthe F3 key), a display will come up showingthe planes which are on CAP over your TF.

If you are in Strike Mode, the display willhave STRIKE with six aircraft symbols belowit. If you click the right mouse button whileover a hex containing a strike, you will see alist of the planes on strike missions; clickingthe right mouse button again will give you avisual display of the strike. Clicking the rightbutton again will return you to the map. Ifyou click the left mouse button while over ahex containing a strike, the Unit Menu willappear.

(J,K,I,M Keys) allows you to movethe cursor on the map either 10 hexes to theleft/right or 8 hexes up/down to move quicklyaround the map.

CNTR (F2) allows you to center the map onthe present cursor location.

ZOOM (F1) allows you switch the map scalegiving you either a tactical or strategic viewof the map.

UTIL (no keyboard equivalent) allows you toaccess the Utility Menu.

PREV (no keyboard equivalent) moves thecursor to the previous unit accessed.Depending upon what mode you are in (TF,CAP, or Strike), the cursor will move to thelast TF, last CAP Air Group, or Strike AirGroup accessed.

NEXT (N) moves the cursor to the next unit.Depending upon what mode you are in (TF,CAP, or Strike), the cursor will move to thenext TF, next CAP Air Group, or next StrikeAir Group.

STAK (space bar) displays the next unit inthe same hex only if there is more than oneunit in the hex. If there is one TF in a hex,there will be a single ship icon displayed. Ifthere is more than one TF in a hex, there willbe a two-ship icon displayed.

SNOOP (P key) allows you to view the shipsspotted in an enemy TF. First place the mapcursor over the enemy TF and then select theSNOOP option.

ESC (Q or ESC Key) allows you to go to theOptions Menu.

TEXT WINDOW ICONSIn the text window below the buttons, the fol-lowing icons may be displayed:

ICON DESCRIPTION KEYBOARD

Carrier Pictures Flight Ops Display A,B,C,D Compass Set TF Direction CAP Examine TF CAP F3Strike Examine Strike E

Carrier Pictures is displayed while you arein TF Mode and the map cursor is over an AirCombat TF. There are a maximum of fourcarriers per Task Force. Each carrier will havea separate picture displayed on the right sideof the text window. The carriers will also havea letter (A, B, C, or D) in the picture as well.Placing the mouse pointer over the carrierpicture and clicking the left mouse button (orpressing A, B, C, D) will then allow you accessto the carriers Flight Operations Displaywhere you may fuel, arm, and launch aircraft.

The Compass is located on the far right sideof the text window. A TF symbol is displayedin the middle of the compass. There are sixquadrants shown in light blue that representthe six direction headings (NE, E, SE, SW, W,NW). The TFs heading (the direction it ismoving) is shown by a white line on thecompass. The wind direction is shown by thedark blue shading in one of the six quad-rants. You can change a TFs heading bymoving the mouse pointer over the desiredquadrant and clicking the left mouse button(or press the keys).

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The CAP picture is displayed if you are inCAP Mode. You will see a display on theright side of the message area with F3-CAPwith six aircraft symbols below it. If youplace the mouse cursor over the box andclick the left button (or press the F3 key), adisplay will come up showing the planeswhich are on CAP over your TF.

The Strike picture is displayed if you are inStrike Mode. The display will have STRIKEwith six aircraft symbols below it. Place themouse cursor over the picture and click theright mouse button to see the planes onstrike missions.

MAP ICONSThe following icons may be displayed on themap:

ICON DESCRIPTION KEYBOARD

Ship (TF)* Examine TF GStrike* Examine Strike E

* Click the right mouse button to perform thisfunction.

The Ship (TF) icon is represented on themap by a small picture of a ship. Move themap cursor to the location of the TF and clickthe right mouse button or press the G key.

A window will be displayed showing the fol-lowing information about the TF:

TF # TFs mission Destination Home Base List of all ships in the TF with each shipsid (A-Z), ship type, ship name, ships maxi-mum speed, ships current damage level,ships fire level, and the ships current fuellevel.

You can access further information about theship upon pressing the id letter for the ship(A-Z) or by placing the mouse pointer overthe letter and clicking the left mouse button.This screen displays the following informa-tion about the ship:

Ship type and name What TF the ship is attached to The number and types of weapons Ship class Amount of ammunition and torpedoesremaining Ships durability, armor, speed, capacity Fire level Number of aircraft Flight deck damage for carriers List of air groups (A-D) on the carrier

If the ship is a carrier, you may press the airgroup letter A-D or place the mouse pointerover the letter and click the left mouse button

to bring up a display showing the details ofthe air group as listed below:

Aircraft groups designation, type, nationality What carrier the group is attached to Aircraft type Experience rating Number of aircraft operational and damaged Aircrafts dogfight, cannon, load,endurance, and durability

You may scuttle any ship that has greaterthan 50% flotation damage. To scuttle a shipin the current TF, press the G key or clickthe right mouse button to list the ships in theTF. Select the ship you wish to scuttle. A(S)cuttle Ship message will appear at thebottom of the ship display. Press the S keyor place the mouse pointer over the (S) onthe display and click the left mouse button. AScuttle Ship Y/N question will be dis-played. You must press the Y key to con-firm your desire to sink the ship. Scuttling aship will give the enemy points for the shipbeing sunk. However, some advantages toscuttling heavily damaged ships are that theTF will move faster, a small TF that wasdetached to escort the ship will not be a sit-ting duck as it travels to its home base, andyou could merge the remaining ships of adetached TF into an existing TF without anyloss in speed due to a heavily damaged ship.

The Strike icon is represented on the mapby a small aircraft picture. Move the mapcursor to the location of the Strike icon andclick the right mouse button or press the Ekey. A window will be displayed showing theaircraft assigned to strike missions. Clickingthe left mouse button will allow you access tothe Unit Menu.

UTILITY MENU OPTIONSThe Utility Menu may be displayed on thescreen by placing the mouse pointer over theUTIL button and clicking the left mouse but-ton. The Utility Menu is described belowalong with the keyboard commands:

Utility Menu

BUTTON DESCRIPTION KEYBOARD

SUNK List Types of F8Ship Sunk

SCORE Display Current F9Score

VIEW-TF Show Friendly TF F5

VIEW-AF Show Airfield F6

BATTLE Review Battle Plan F7PLAN

AUTO Computer Alt/MMOVE Controls TF

EARLY Ends Current Battle Alt/EEND

DECLINE Refuse Current Setup Alt/D

DELAY Set Sound/Delay Levels F10

SEARCH Set Search Lines ALT/WON/OFF ON/OFF

EXIT Exit Game - Alt/QReturn to DOS

ESC Exit the Utility Menu None

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SUNK (F8 key) lists the number of shipsfrom both sides that have been sunk.

SCORE (F9 key) displays the Japanese andAllied total points, which is the sum of theaccumulated mission and damage points.Below the total score for each side is dis-played the carrier icon pictures. For everycarrier that has been sunk, there will be aburning carrier icon displayed. In the textwindow the date and time will be displayedalong with the amount of mission and dam-age points that have been accumulated overthe campaign. Click the right mouse buttonor press a key to exit the display.

VIEW-TF (F5 key) shows a birds-eye viewgraphic display of the various ships in thefriendly TF. Click the right mouse button orpress a key to exit the display.

VIEW-AF (F6 key) shows a birds-eye viewof an airfield.

BATTLE PLAN (F7 key) allows you toreview the battle plan for the current month tosee what your orders are.

AUTO MOVE (ALT/M) allows you to switchbetween automatic movement on/off. Whenthe automatic movement is on (engaged), thecomputer will control the movement of all yourTFs. When automatic movement is off, youhave control over the movement of your TFs.

EARLY END (ALT/E) allows you to end thecurrent battle only if there are no air strikes inthe air and one of the players is withdrawing.

DECLINE (ALT/D) allows you to decline thecurrent months battle. You must select thisoption before 0500 on the first day of the bat-tle. You will be asked a question if you wishto Decline Battle. Press the Y if you wish todecline the battle. If not press the N key tocontinue playing the current battle. Using themouse, place the pointer over either the YESor NO buttons and click the left mouse button.

DELAY (F10 key) allows you to change thesound on/off and the delay levels.

SEARCH ON/OFF (ALT/W) allows you totoggle between having the search lines beingdisplayed during the Execution Phase. Note: If you are playing a two player game,the search lines will always be set to off.

EXIT (ALT/Q) allows you to exit the gameand return to DOS.

ESC (None) allows you to exit from theUtility Menu.

RECALL STRIKE (ALT/K) allows you toorder a strike to return to its home basebefore completing its mission. To recall astrike, place the map cursor over the strikeyou wish to recall. Next press ALT/K or clickthe left mouse button and select RECALLSTRIKE from the Unit Menu. The recalledstrike will move the same as an unassignedstrike. It will move toward its home TF butwill not automatically jettison its ordnance. Arecalled strike may be reassigned a new target before it lands. Recalling a strike willforce the strikes home TF to break radiosilence, giving the enemy a chance to detectthe home TF.

STRIKE AF (ALT/F) allows you to select anairfield target to attack with the aircraft inyour current strike. First place the map cur-sor over the strike you wish to assign theairfield target to. Next press ALT/F or clickthe left mouse button and select STRIKE AFfrom the Unit Menu. A Target Display willthen be shown to allow you to choose whichtarget you wish to attack. The display lists thetarget letter (A, B, C, D, etc.), the target name,and the range in miles to the target. The current target is displayed next. Using thekeyboard, press the letter of the target youwish to attack. Press ESC or space bar to exitthe menu. Using the mouse, place the mousepointer over the letter of the target name you wish to attack and press the left mousebutton. Press the right mouse button to exitthe menu.

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UNIT MENU OPTIONSThe Unit Menu can be accessed by movingthe map cursor over a unit icon or airfieldand clicking the left mouse button. Whenusing the keyboard you can use the optionslisted below at any time as long as the mapcursor is over a friendly TF. The Unit Menu isdescribed below along with the keyboardcommands:

Unit Menu

BUTTON DESCRIPTION KEYBOARD

RECALL Order Strike to Alt/KSTRIKE Return to Base/CV

STRIKE AF Select Airfield Target Alt/F

STRIKE TF Select TF Target Alt/S

LIST TF CAP List CAP groups F3

LR-CAP Order CAP Group to LCover a Different TF

DISP TF Display Search Aircraft SSEARCH from TF

SET TF Set the Priority Search HSEARCH Direction for TF

LIST TF List Search Missions F4SEARCH

REFUEL TF Refuel TF Alt/R

MERGE TF Merge TF ALT/A

DETACH TF Detach TF ALT/Z

DISP AF Display Search Aircraft TSEARCH from Airfield

LIST AF List Air Search YSEARCH from Airfield

LIST AF List CAP from Airfield OCAP

EXAMINE AF Display Air Groups Ffrom Airfield

ESC Exit the menu None

STRIKE TF (ALT/S) allows you to select anenemy TF to attack with the aircraft in yourcurrent strike. First place the map cursor overthe strike you wish to assign the TF target to.Next press ALT/S or click the left mouse but-ton and select STRIKE TF from the UnitMenu. A Target Display will then be shown toallow you to choose which of the spotted TFyou wish to attack. The display lists the targetletter (A, B, C, D, etc.), the TF#, the bearingto the target, the range in miles to the target,the number of ships in the TF, the number ofCVs (carriers), and the number of transports.The current target is displayed next. Usingthe keyboard, press the letter of the TF youwish to attack. Press ESC or space bar to exitthe menu. Using the mouse, place the mousepointer over the letter of the TF you wish toattack and press the left mouse button. Pressthe right mouse button to exit the menu.

LIST TF CAP (F3 key) allows you to displaythe CAP flying over your TF. First place themap cursor over the TF. Next press F3 or clickthe left mouse button and select LIST TF CAPfrom the Unit Menu. A list of all your planeson CAP will then be shown. The display liststhe CAP air group letter (A, B, C, D, etc.), thegroup designation, the type of aircraft, thenumber of undamaged aircraft on CAP, thenumber of damaged aircraft on CAP, and thetime in air. Press the space bar, ESC, or clickthe right mouse button to exit the menu. Ifyou wish to land some of the air groups andyou are using the keyboard, press the letterof the CAP air group you wish to land. PressESC or space bar to exit the menu. Using themouse, place the mouse pointer over the let-ter of the CAP air group you wish to land andpress the left mouse button. Press the rightmouse button to exit the menu.

LR-CAP (L key) allows to you to fly Long-Range CAP over other TFs. You may reas-sign normal CAP groups (those coveringyour own carrier TFs or airfields) to fly Long-Range CAP over other TFs. Move the mapcursor to the TF you wish to protect. Pressthe L key or click the left mouse button andthen select LR-CAP from the Unit Menu. Nextmove the map cursor over a carrier TF or anairfield (which has CAP flying over it) andpress F3 (or click the left mouse button) toget the TF-CAP Display. Select the group youwish to fly Long-Range CAP by either press-ing the letter (A, B, C, D, etc.) adjacent to theCAP air group you wish to fly LR-CAP, orplace the mouse pointer over the letter (A, B,C, D, etc.) and click the left mouse button. Adelay period equal to the range between thetwo TFs divided by 2 must elapse before theLong-Range CAP arrives on station. The CAPwill abandon their station and return to thecarriers when the time in air is greater thanthe aircrafts endurance minus range/2.Note: Aircraft on CAP missions can only beassigned to Long-Range CAP if the range tothe target is less than or equal to the aircraftsendurance/2.

DISP TF SEARCH (S key) allows you todisplay the search patterns for your aircraftflying search missions. First place the mapcursor over your TF. Next press the S keyor click the left mouse button and selectDISP TF SEARCH from the Unit Menu. Ifyour TF has search aircraft out, you will seewhite lines displayed on the map comingfrom the TF and going out on the planessearch vector. A white circle will be drawnshowing the current location of each plane.Red lines will appear on the map when thesearch planes are returning to their carrier.

SET TF SEARCH (H key) allows you to setthe Search Priority Direction (PSD) for yoursearch aircraft. You can set the direction thatsearch aircraft will fly from the current TF bypressing H to enter the Set Search routine.With a mouse, this can be done by movingthe mouse pointer over the current TF, click-ing the left mouse button, and then selectingSET TF SEARCH on the Unit Menu. To alterthe PSD, press the keys or click onthe buttons. With the mouse,the PSD may also be set by placing themouse pointer on the map in the area youwish to search and then clicking the leftmouse button. If you are playing the Japaneseplayer and have a TF containing BB, CA, CL,or CS type ships, you may launch floatplanes from those ships to perform searchmissions. While in Set Search, float planesmay be launched by pressing the F key orplacing the mouse pointer over the LNCHbutton and clicking the left mouse button.This will cause one float plane per eligibleship to be launched. A single ship can neverlaunch more than one float plane per turn.

LIST TF SEARCH (F4 key) allows you toview all of the air groups on search missionsfrom the current TF. First place the map cur-sor over the TF. Next press the F4 key orclick the left mouse button and select LISTTF SEARCH from the Unit Menu. A list of allyour planes on search missions will beshown. The display lists the air group letter(A, B, C, D, etc.), the group designation, thetype of aircraft, the number of undamagedaircraft on search, the number of damagedaircraft on search, and the time in air. Pressthe space bar, ESC, or click the right mousebutton to exit the menu.

REFUEL TF (ALT/R) allows you to refuel theships in the TF. A TF may be refueled from aland base that has more than 250 fuel pointsor from another TF that has a replenish mis-sion or from other (larger) ships in the sameTF. First place the map cursor over the TFyou wish to refuel. Next type Alt/R or with themouse click the left mouse button and thenselect REFUEL-TF on the Unit Menu. Thecomputer will automatically select the bestfuel source in the current TFs hex andattempt to transfer fuel to any ship with lessthan 20 fuel points. No ship can gain morethan 5 fuel points per turn and no ship willever be increased above 20 fuel points. Whenrefueling from ships in the same TF only,ships with more than 30 fuel may transferfuel to other ships. When a TF performs fuel-ing operations its accumulated movementpoints will be set to zero. If the destroyers ina TF are running low on fuel, they may auto-matically attempt to take fuel from largerships (with more than 30 fuel) in the same TF.

MERGE TF (ALT/A) allows you to mergeships only from Surface Combat TFs into thecurrent TF. First place the map cursor overthe TF you wish to add ships to. Next pressALT/A or with the mouse click the left mousebutton and then select MERGE TF on the UnitMenu. Starting with the lowest numberedSurface Combat TF in the same hex with thecurrent TF, the computer will automaticallytransfer ships to the current TF (largest shipsfirst) until the current TF has 22 ships orthere are no more ships in the SurfaceCombat TFs.

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DETACH TF (ALT/Z) allows you to detach aSurface Combat TF from the current TF. Firstplace the map cursor over the TF you wish todetach ships from. Next press ALT/Z or withthe mouse click the left mouse button andthen select DETACH TF on the Unit Menu.The current TF must have at least 6 destroy-ers to be eligible to detach a force. The newlycreated Surface Combat TF will take the firsttwo battleships, the first two cruisers, andabout half of the destroyers from the currentTF. The current TF will always retain at leastfour destroyers for a screen. Ships withgreater than 24% flotation damage will notbe detached.

DISP AF SEARCH (T key) allows you to dis-play the search patterns for your aircraft flyingsearch missions from airfields. First place themap cursor over your airfield. Next press theT key or click the left mouse button andselect DISP AF SEARCH from the Unit Menu.If your airfield has search aircraft out, you willsee white lines displayed on the map comingfrom the airfield and going out on the planessearch vector. A white circle will be drawnshowing the current location of each plane.Red lines will appear on the map when thesearch planes are returning to the airfield.

LIST AF SEARCH (Y key) allows you toview all of the air groups on search missionsfrom the current airfield. First place the mapcursor over the airfield. Next press the Y keyor click the left mouse button and select LISTAF SEARCH from the Unit Menu. A list of allyour planes on search missions will then beshown. The display lists the air group letter(A, B, C, D, etc.), the group designation, the

type of aircraft, the number of undamagedaircraft on search, the number of damagedaircraft on search, and the time in air. Pressthe space bar, ESC, or click the right mousebutton to exit the menu.

LIST AF CAP (O key) allows you to displaythe CAP flying over your airfield. First placethe map cursor over the airfield. Next pressthe O key or click the left mouse button andselect LIST AF CAP from the Unit Menu. Alist of all your planes on CAP will then beshown. The display lists the CAP air groupletter (A, B, C, D, etc.), the group designa-tion, the type of aircraft, the number ofundamaged aircraft on CAP, the number ofdamaged aircraft on CAP, and the time in air.Press the space bar, ESC, or click the rightmouse button to exit the menu.

EXAMINE AF (F key) allows you to look atall the air groups that are at the airfield. Firstplace the cursor over the airfield. Next pressthe F key or click the left mouse button andselect EXAMINE AF on the Unit Menu. Anairfield display will appear showing theamount of fuel points on the airfield alongwith the airfield capacity and damage level. Alist of all your air groups will be displayedshowing the air group letter (A, B, C,.D, etc.),the air group designation, the type of aircraftin the air group, the number of planes dam-aged (DA), the number in the hangar (HG),the number fueled (FU), and the numberready (RD). To the right of the number readyis the armament that the planes are carrying:TP (Torpedo), AP (Armor Piercing 1000 lb),ap (Armor Piercing 500 lb or 250 kg), HE(High Explosive).

ESC allows you to escape from the Unit Menu.

HOTKEYSThe following is a list of Hotkey functionswhich do not have a mouse equivalent com-mand:

HOTKEY DESCRIPTION

N Next TF, switch to TF mode

V Next Strike, switch to Strike mode

Z Next Airfield

X Next Enemy TF-Snoop

? Help Key

FLIGHT OPERATIONSEach aircraft carrier or land base is allowedto perform a certain number of FlightOperations (FOs) per turn. For a fleet aircraftcarrier (CV) the FO limit is 36, for a light air-craft carrier (CVL) the FO limit is 18, and fora land base the FO limit is equal to its airfieldcapacity. The FO limit regulates the numberof aircraft that may be launched or landed ina single turn. An aircraft carrier may neverlaunch and land aircraft in the same turn.Each aircraft carrier in the game will contain2 to 4 air groups; 1 Fighter Group, 0-2 DiveBomber Groups, and 1 Torpedo BomberGroup.

AIRCRAFT READINESS STATESA Carrier Air Group (CAG) may have aircraftin varying states of readiness as shown below:

Damaged; must remain in the hangar untilrepaired.

Unready on Deck (UD); must be lowered tohangar, fueled, and raised back to deckbefore launching.

In the Hangar (HG); must be fueled andraised back to the deck before launching.

Fueled (FU); must be raised to the deckbefore launching or defueled for safe storagein the hangar.

Ready on Deck (RD); ready for launch, maybe lowered to clear flight deck. Must be low-ered then defueled for safe storage in thehangar.

Assigned; performing a CAP, Search, orStrike Mission.

Waiting to Land; circling carrier waiting forflight deck to be cleared or repaired.

ACCESSING THE FLIGHT OPERATIONS DISPLAYTo perform Flight Operations for a carriermake sure you are in TF Mode if you areplaying with a mouse. Place the map cursorover an Air Combat TF which contains a car-rier or carriers. You will see the carrier pic-ture(s) displayed on the right side of the textwindow. Next press the letter (A,B,C,D) toselect the desired carrier. With a mouse, putthe mouse pointer over the picture of thedesired carrier and click the left mouse but-ton. The Flight Operations Display will nowbe shown for the carrier selected.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS DISPLAYThe Flight Operations Display will be shownwith the assigned air groups listed on the leftside of the screen. Aircraft icons for each airgroup will be differently colored. Select theletter (A,B,C,D) or place the mouse pointerover the icon of the air group and click theleft mouse button to perform FlightOperations. The current air group will haveall of its planes colored white and the airgroup icon will also be white.

Flight operations with the selected groupmay be performed at this time by clicking the

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flight op buttons or pressing the keysdescribed below. Press the ? key to displaythe keystrokes that correspond to each flightop button. The table below is a summary ofthe mouse button boxes along with the corre-sponding keyboard commands.

FLIGHT OPERATIONS DISPLAY MENU

BUTTON KEY DESCRIPTION

>> W lower max number of unready aircraft to hangar.

E fuel 1 aircraft.

R fuel max number of aircraft.

T defuel max number of aircraft.

ORD Y changes type of ordnance if there are no aircraft in Ready-On-Deck status.

MIS H sets group mission if 1 or more aircraft in Ready-On-Deck status.

P lowers 1 ready aircraft from deck.

[ launches 1 ready aircraft (will perform assigned mission).

] launches max number of ready aircraft.

SET DIR S set priority search direction (PSD) if Search mission selected.

TGT-TF S select TF target if Strike mission selected.

TGT-AF F select Airfield target if Strike mission selected.

ESC* ESC end flight ops for this carrier.

* Can also exit by clicking the right mousebutton.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FLIGHT OPERATIONSDISPLAY

Carrier Name DisplayThe screen display which follows shows theFlight Operations Display for the CV (Carrier)Enterprise. The carriers name is displayed inthe upper left corner of the display.

Mission DisplayTo the right of carriers name is the MissionDisplay box where the air groups missionsare shown. There are three types of missions:CAP, Search, and Strike. Clicking on the MISbox or pressing the H key will cycle youthrough the three missions. Below theMission is displayed the flight number.Below that is the aircrafts name followed bytwo sets of numbers. The first number is theamount of planes being launched off the car-rier deck by the currently accessed AirGroup. The second number is the total num-ber of planes being sent on that mission fromall the carriers Air Groups.

Flight/Fuel/Elevator Clocks DisplayTo the right of the Mission Display box arethe four clocks which show the level remain-ing to perform Flight Operations (Fl. Op),Fueling Operations (Fu. Op), Elevator UpOperations (Ev. Op), and Elevator DownOperations (El. Dn). As planes are movedaround the carriers flight deck and hangarthese clocks will show less operationsremaining (the amount in white).

An elevator up operation occurs whenever anaircraft is raised to the deck. An elevatordown operation occurs whenever an aircraftis lowered from the deck. Elevator Operationsis equal to either elev up or elev down,whichever is greater. The ElevatorOperations number is frequently used in cal-culating carriers flight operation limits.

There are limitations on the number and typeof Flight Operations that may be performed ina single turn. Fleet carriers (CVs) have a FOlimit of 36. Light carriers (CVLs) have an FOlimit of 18. Flight operation limits aredescribed below:

A carrier may not launch and land planesin the same turn.

The number of aircraft launched plusElevator Operations may never exceed the FOlimit.

The number of aircraft On Deck may neverexceed the FO limit.

The number of aircraft Landed may neverexceed the FO limit.

Unready aircraft (UD) may not be loweredand fueled in the same turn.

Aircraft in the hangar (HG) may not befueled and raised to the flight deck in thesame turn.

The number of aircraft Fueled plus thenumber Defueled may not exceed the FOlimit.

Aircraft may not change ordnance and beraised to the flight deck on the same turn.

Air Group DisplayThe left side of the Flight Operations Displaycontains four Air Group boxes (A, B, C, D)which show the air groups designation, air-craft name, a description and picture of theordnance being currently carried, and a smallcolored picture of a plane. The planes colorscan be gray, blue, dark green, or light green.The air group which is being accessed willhave its planes and text colored white.

Target/Set Direction DisplayAbove the four Air Group boxes can be dis-played either TGT-TF and TGT-AF whenlaunching Strike missions or SET-DIR whenlaunching Search missions. After launchingthe desired number of planes from the flightdeck, you must select the desired box toeither select a target to attack or a direction tosearch. When these boxes are displayed,pressing the ? key will display the keyboardcommands for these boxes as well. If you areon a Strike mission, place the mouse pointerover the TGT-TF or TGT-AF box and click theleft mouse button. Using the keyboard, pressS or F. You will next be asked to selectyour target. If you are on a Search mission,place the pointer over the SET-DIR box andclick the left mouse button. Using the key-board press S.

Flight Deck DisplayThe middle of the screen shows the carrierflight deck. In order to launch planes, theymust be on the flight deck. There are two but-tons on the top of the flight deck. These arethe Launch buttons. The button with one uparrow ([ key) allows one plane at a time tobe launched. The button on the right with twoup arrows (] key) allows the maximumnumber of planes from the currentlyaccessed Air Group (planes are coloredwhite) to be launched.

Mission and Flight Deck/HangarButtonsTo the right of the flight deck are seven but-tons. The top button labeled MIS allows youto cycle through the three possible air mis-sions: CAP, Strike, and Search. Press the H

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key or place the mouse pointer over the boxand click the left mouse button to cyclethrough the missions which are displayed inthe Mission Display box. The next buttondown will move the maximum number ofplanes from the hangar to the flight deck.Press the I key or place the mouse pointerover the box and click the left mouse button. The nextbutton will move the maximum number ofunreadied planes from the flight deck to thehangar. Press the W key or place themouse pointer over the >> box and clickthe left mouse button. The last box is theESC box which allows you to escape fromthe Flight Operations Display. Press the ESCkey or place the mouse pointer over the boxand click the left mouse button. Note: Youcan always escape by clicking the rightmouse button at any time.

Hangar and Ordnance DisplayOn the far right side of the Flight OperationsDisplay is the Hangar Deck. This is whereplanes are stored, fueled, and armed. At thetop of the Hangar Deck is a button boxlabeled ORD. Pressing the Y key or placingthe mouse pointer over the box and clickingthe left mouse button will cycle through thevarious weapons the Air Group can carry. Tothe right of the ORD box is a picture of theweapon available to select. If the box is blankand you select this option, the Air Group willdisarm, removing any weapons currentlybeing carried. The Hangar Deck is separatedinto two parts. The lower section containsunfueled aircraft. The upper Hangar Deck hasfueled aircraft which should be armed if theyare going on a Strike or an armed Searchmission. Near the middle of the Hangar Deckare three buttons which allow you to moveaircraft on the Hangar Deck. The leftmostbutton with two down arrows allows you todefuel the maximum number of aircraft andwill move the aircraft to the lower HangarDeck. Press the T key or place the mousepointer over the box and click the left mousebutton. The middle button with two up arrowsallows you to fuel the maximum number ofaircraft and will move the aircraft to the upperHangar Deck. Press the R key or place themouse pointer over the box and click the leftmouse button. The rightmost box with oneup arrow will fuel one aircraft and move it tothe upper Hangar Deck. Press the E key orplace the mouse pointer in the box and clickthe left mouse button.

The above Flight Operations Display screenwas taken from the Midway scenario and isfrom the carrier Enterprise, whose name isshown in the upper left corner. There are fourAir Groups on the Enterprise: Fighter 6 F4FWildcat, Scout 6 SBD Dauntless, Bomber 6SBD Dauntless, and Torpedo 6 TBDDevastator. The last Air Group is currentlybeing accessed with its text and planes inwhite. The Torpedo 6 Air Group containsTBD Devastators which are armed with MK-13 Torpedoes. The Air Group is attempting tofly a Strike mission against a spottedJapanese TF. On the Mission Display at thetop of the screen is displayed its Strike mis-sion, its flight number 11:50, 3 TBDDevastators have so far been added to thestrike with a total of 9 planes (6 were Fighterswhich were launched earlier in the turn) onthe strike. Launching the 9 planes hascaused the Flight Operations clock to moveto the 3 oclock position.

SEARCH OPERATIONSSEARCH VECTORSSuccessful search operations are critical tovictory in CARRIER STRIKE. Most of your intelli-gence on enemy TFs will be provided bysearch aircraft. Search aircraft will be launchedfrom land bases, carrier TFs, or JapaneseTFs equipped with float planes. Each searchaircraft will fly along its assigned search vec-tor out to its maximum range and returnalong a slightly different vector (+/- 9 degrees).Thus each search aircraft covers a 10 degreearc and 36 aircraft launched simultaneouslyfrom a TF could cover the entire 360 degreessurrounding the TF.

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After aircraft have been assigned their searchvectors they will appear on the TFs searchdisplay the following turn. The search displaywill show which vectors are being searchedand where each aircraft is located along itssearch path. White lines will be used to des-ignate outbound aircraft and red lines willdesignate returning aircraft.

Each turn an unarmed search aircraft will fly51 miles (three hexes) along its search vec-tor. An armed search aircraft or an unarmedTBD will fly 34 miles (2 hexes) along itssearch vector.

Fighter, Fighter-bomber, Dive Bomber, andTorpedo Bomber type aircraft will fly a maxi-mum of 10 turns on the outward leg of asearch mission. Float planes will fly out tothe maximum of their endurance.

SETTING SEARCH DIRECTIONYou can set the direction that search aircraftwill fly from the current TF by pressing H toenter the Set Search routine. With a mousethis can be done by moving the pointer overthe current TF and clicking the left button andthen selecting SET TF SEARCH on the UnitMenu. You may enter the Set Search routinefrom the carrier Flight Operations display byselecting a search mission for an air groupand then selecting Set Search. To alter thePSD, press the keys or click on the buttons. With the mouse thePSD may also be set by clicking the leftmouse button over the area on the map youwish to search.

Above is the Set Search Direction Display.The map shows Midway with an Americanflag at the lower bottom of the screen. To theNW of Midway is a spotted Japanese TF. TheAllied TF51 has already sent out searchplanes a few turns before (shown by thewhite search vector lines) and spotted the

enemy TF. If you wish to search the areanorth of TF51, place the pointer on one of thefour direction buttons and click the left mousebutton or use the keys to move theyellow Priority Search Direction (PSD) vectoruntil it comes to angle 337. Note: With amouse you can also place the mouse pointeron the map to the north of TF51 and click theleft mouse button to set the direction. PressESC, click the right mouse button, or placethe pointer over the ESC button box and clickthe left mouse button to set the direction. Ifthe TF had float planes, pressing the F keyor placing the pointer over the LNCH buttonwould launch all eligible float planes fromevery ship in the TF.

Assignment of Search VectorAt the end of a turn in which search planeshave been launched, the computer will auto-matically assign those planes a search vectoras close as possible to the last PSD set forthe TF. Note that each TF has only one PSDfor all the carriers in the TF; therefore if youwish to launch planes on different PSDs, youmust wait until the next turn to select anotherPSD for the TF. The computer uses the fol-lowing rules in assigning search vectors:

No more than 1 aircraft per turn will beassigned to a single search vector.

No more than 2 aircraft can ever share thesame search vector.

An aircraft will not be assigned to a searchvector if another aircraft was assigned thatvector on the previous turn.

LAUNCHING FLOAT PLANESIf the Japanese player has a TF containingBB, CA, CL, or CS type ships, then he maylaunch float planes from those ships to per-form search missions. While in Set SearchMode, float planes may be launched bypressing F or clicking the LNCH button.This will cause one float plane per eligibleship in the TF to be launched. Note: A TFcan only perform one float plane search mis-sion per turn. In CARRIER STRIKE, the Alliedplayer does not have any float plane capabil-ity. Historically the Allied ships that had floatplanes did not, for the most part, use them insearching for enemy TF.

ARMED SEARCH PLANESFighter and Bomber aircraft may be assignedto fly search missions. To fly search, thegroup must be assigned a Search Missionbefore the aircraft are launched (see FlightOperations). Searching bombers may only bearmed with 250 kg, 500 lb, or HE bombs. Ifan armed search bomber locates an enemy TF,it may get a chance to attack an enemy ship.

SPOTTING ENEMY/DUMMY TFSIf a search aircraft enters or moves adjacentto a clear weather hex containing an enemyTF, there is a 67% chance the TF will besighted. If the TF occupies an overcast hex,there is a 33% chance the search plane willsight it. If a TF is sighted, a TF icon will beplaced on the map. Enemy Task Forces inrestricted waters or coastal hexes have aneasier chance of being spotted. If an enemyTF is in the same hex as a friendly TF, thenduring daylight hours it will be automaticallyspotted; during night there is a randomchance of being spotted.

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When you receive sighting reports during theSearch Phase you get a visual birds-eyeview of an enemy TF. The view may includeonly a fraction of the TFs total of ships.Sometimes the report will show a carrier in anon-carrier TF. Some views will show noships at all which means the pilot was too faraway to identify any ships in the TF. Some ofthe sighted TFs will be dummy TFs whichwill be mirror images of real enemy TFslocated elsewhere on the map. Dummy TFsare used to simulate the confusion whensearch planes miscalculated or garbled thelocation in their sighting reports. Afterrepeated sightings, the dummy TFs will beremoved from the screen.

During your orders phase the Snoop optionmay be used to view the last sighting reportfor each detected enemy TF. Move the cursorover the TF icon and press the P key orwith the mouse select SNOOP by clicking theleft mouse button.

SEARCH PLANE COMBATWhen a search plane sights a TF that is cov-ered by enemy CAP fighters, there is achance it will be shot down. The search pilotexperience and aircraft dogfight capability arecompared to the quantity and quality ofenemy CAP to determine the search planeschance of survival. If the search plane isarmed and it survives enemy CAP, it may geta chance to attack an enemy ship. Once againthe search pilot experience is compared tothe quality and quantity of enemy CAP todetermine its chance of conducting an attack.

If a search plane is destroyed by CAP there isa 10% chance that a search plane destroyedby CAP message will be displayed. If a

search plane evades an enemy CAP groupthere is a 20% chance that a search planeevades enemy CAP message will be dis-played.

BREAKING RADIO SILENCEThere is a random chance that TFs may belocated when they break radio silence torecall strikes or Long-Range CAP. In additioncarrier TFs may be located when they launchstrikes and pilot radio chatter betrays theirposition. The more planes in the strike, thegreater the chance it will reveal its home TFsposition.

COMBAT AIR PATROLLAUNCHING CAP MISSIONSAll aircraft may fly Combat Air Patrol (CAP)missions to protect a TF or airfield fromenemy bombers. In order to launch CAP youshould first move the map cursor over a car-rier TF. Next press the letter (A, B, C, D) orplace the mouse pointer over the carrier pic-ture you want and click the left mouse button.You are now in the Flight Operations Display.Make sure you click on the fighter icon groupand that it turns white in color. Move yourfighters from the hangar deck to the flightdeck. Select the MIS button or press the Hkey. Stop when the mission display boxshows: mission:CAP. Use the launch but-tons on the carrier deck or the [ or ] keysto launch your CAP. A fighter group must beassigned a CAP mission before the fightersare launched. CAP aircraft may remain onstation for an entire day (in reality a fractionof them would be landing, refueling, andlaunching each turn but this has beenabstracted for playability). The Time in Air fora normal CAP group will remain at zero dur-ing daylight hours.

CAP EFFECTIVENESSCAP is at its peak effectiveness when itengages less than 3 enemy air groups perturn. CAP will start to lose effectivenesswhen forced to engage numerous enemy airgroups in the same turn. Large fighterescorts protecting enemy bombers will beparticularly effective at lowering CAP effec-tiveness. The Time in Air flag will be incre-mented to reflect CAP exhaustion. NormalCAP operating from an undamaged carrierwill have its Time in Air flag reset to zero atthe end of the next Orders Phase.

SENDING LONG-RANGE CAPYou may reassign normal CAP groups(those covering your own carrier TFs) to flyLong-Range CAP over other TFs. Move themap cursor to the TF you wish to protect andpress L. When using a mouse, place themouse pointer over the TF, click the left but-ton, and then select LR-CAP from the UnitMenu. Next move the cursor/pointer to a car-rier TF and press F3 (or click the left but-ton) to get the TF-CAP Display. Select thegroup you wish to fly Long-Range CAP. Adelay period equal to the range between thetwo TFs divided by 2 must elapse before theLR-CAP arrives on station. The CAP willabandon their station and return to the carri-ers when Time in Air is greater thanEndurance minus Range/2. Note: Aircraft onCAP missions can only be assigned to Long-Range CAP if the range to the target is lessthan or equal to the aircrafts endurance/2.

CAP AND DECK DAMAGEWhen an aircraft carrier has its flight deckdamaged, CAP fighters based on that carrierwill be eventually forced to land. The Time inAir flag will increment 1 for each turn theCAP is on station and 1 for each 90 enemystrike bombers engaged or 1 for every 30enemy escort fighters engaged. The fighterswill attempt to land when their Time in Airflag equals or exceeds the fightersEndurance. The Time in Air flag will reset tozero if the carriers flight deck is repaired.

LANDING CAPNormal CAP may be ordered to land if itshome carrier has not performed any launchesduring the turn. To land CAP press F3 to listthe CAP over the current TF (with the mouseclick the left button over the current TF andselect LIST CAP from the Unit Menu). Selectthe CAP group you wish to land. The CarrierLanding Display will be shown on the screen.Click the arrow buttons or press Q or E toland some or all of the aircraft in the group.You may exit the menu by pressing the ESCkey or the right mouse button.

LANDING L-R CAPLong-Range CAP may be ordered to landafter it has arrived over its objective TF. Toland Long-Range CAP press F3 to list theCAP over the current (objective) TF (with themouse click the left button over the currentTF and select LIST CAP from the Unit Menu).Select the CAP group you wish to land. Youmay exit the menu by pressing ESC or theright mouse button. The CAP group will dis-appear from the CAP list and return to itshome base/carrier like an air strike that has

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completed its mission. The returning CAPgroup may be viewed using the strike displayfunctions. Recalling a Long-Range CAP mis-sion will force the home TF to break radiosilence. When a Long-Range CAP group isordered to land, there is a chance its homeTF will be detected. This detection will notoccur if the LR-CAP returns to its carrier dueto normal fuel restrictions.

AIR STRIKESLAUNCHING AIR STRIKESAir strikes may be formed to attack enemyships or airfields. Air strikes are formed bylaunching bombers and fighter escorts whilein the Flight Operations Display. Targets areassigned to the current strike by clickingthe TGT-TF or TGT-AF buttons on the FlightOperations Display and then selecting fromthe list of eligible targets.

Before launching aircraft, you should verifythat the group has the proper missionassigned. When a group has aircraft inReady-On-Deck status, you may assign it anew mission by clicking the MIS button orpressing H. When the correct mission(CAP, Search, or Strike) appears at the top ofthe Flight Operations Display, you are thenready to launch aircraft.

You may place numerous air groups fromdifferent carriers in the same TF into a com-bined strike if you choose the same target. Inthe Mission Display box on the FlightOperations Display, you will see the type ofaircraft and the number being launched cur-rently, followed by a colon and a secondnumber which is the total number of aircraftin the strike.

SELECTING AIR STRIKE TARGETSTargets may be assigned to the current strikefrom the Map Display by typing Alt/S to tar-get a TF or Alt/F to target an airfield or click-ing the mouse over the current strike andselecting TGT-TF or TGT-AF from the UnitMenu (the current strike is the one displayedin the window below the map).

To assign a target from Map Mode, make surethe correct strike is displayed in the windowbelow the map; this is the current strike.Press Alt/S to assign a TF target or Alt/F toassign an airfield target. With a mouse, movethe arrow to the strikes location and click thebutton and select STRIKE-TF or STRIKE-AFfrom the menu. Select the desired target fromthe list of eligible targets on the Select TargetDisplay.

STRIKES WITH UNASSIGNED TARGETSAn air strike is not required to have a targetassigned on the turn it is launc