CDG Solution Winners #26: The Battle of Surigao Strait 1944

By Armchair General

Nathaniel Eatwell
St. James, MN

COA 2 accomplishes 3 things:
1) Surprise, which can negate the American numerical advantage.
2) It pulls the Americans away from the beach leaving the invasion force vulnerable.
3) Once in the Mindanao sec. we will have more room for maneuver.
Yamashiro (1) and Fuso (2) draw out the Americans where the battleships (4-7) ambush them, the Yamashiro (1), Fuso (2) and Mogami (3) also join the attack.

Paul Penrod
Bel Air, MD

This one rivals the Alamo CDG! Outgunned 4 to 1 to an enemy with radar guided fire. Nishimuras only course would be to stay out of the Surigao Strait (of course, in reality he didn’t!) and try to draw some of the 7th fleet into an ambush. The Japanese had three things going for them, despite the odds—4 destroyers with long-range torpedoes, extensive training in night fighting sans radar, and the Fus and Yamashiro were faster than the modernized U.S. battleships of the U.S. 7th fleet, most of which were at Pearl Harbor and spoiling for revenge. Assuming that the PT boats stay out of it. (in the real battle they scored no hits), the US cruisers and destroyers will chase the bait, get well ahead of the U.S. battleships (slower) and be ambushed by the destroyers.

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Ramon Vega Dorticos
San Juan, Puerto Rico

The aggressiveness of the American naval commanders is well documented so we must take advantage of that weakness. My choice is Action two, the Bait and Ambush. It is obvious the Americans have more firepower than we have, so a shootout is a dumb move, even more so in such close quarters. The key is to send in first the “big, juicy” targets to tempt American forces. These “big” targets are our battleships. This bait will be spotted quickly since the Americans have PT-boats in the Surigao Strait. They will relay this info, and Oldendorf will send the bulk of his fleet to chase these two massive battleships. Meanwhile, we will line up our destroyers on the coast, very close to the mouth of the Surigao Strait, with torpedo launchers ready to fire a barrage in the mouth of the strait. The Mogami will move out of it’s hiding spot once the American forces begin exiting the mouth of the Surigao Strait. With our forces firing from the East, South and West, the American forces will be caught in a massive crossfire that includes shells, torpedoes and havoc. Then it is we who will pick on their ships one at a time, since they will have to assemble in a single file to go through the strait. We concentrate firepower from all sides by choosing this course. After severely destroying the fleet, the rest of the fleet will flee from the Gulf or face certain annihilation.