Battlestations: Midway/Battle of the Vella Gulf

American Objectives
 * Destroy the Japanese Shipyards

Japanese Objectives
 * Destroy the American Shipyards

This battle is very similar to Steel Monsters, but the difference is that this battle features a lot of fast, light units versus the larger, more powerful ones of Steel Monsters. This battle features a LOT of PT boats, with each player having two to start with. Unfortunately there is no way of regaining them once they're down.

Each player is given a cruiser and two PT boats. The two players controlling the shipyards can deploy a destroyer each. Considering each shipyard contains 20 destroyers, destroyers are extremely expendable in this mission. Just be sure to expend their torpedoes as much as possible before they go down.

Player Slots
🇨🇴 American Slots Elco (PT) - PT-123 Elco (PT) - PT-124 Elco (PT) - PT-125 Elco (PT) - PT-126 York (CA) - York Elco (PT) - PT-131 Elco (PT) - PT-132 York (CA) - Exeter Elco (PT) - PT-133 Elco (PT) - PT-134 🇨🇴 Japanese Slots Gyoraitei (PT) - Gyoraitei No. 2 Gyoraitei (PT) - Gyoraitei No. 3 Kuma (CL) - Oi Gyoraitei (PT) - Gyoraitei No. 4 Gyoraitei (PT) - Gyoraitei No. 5 Gyoraitei (PT) - Gyoraitei No. 6 Gyoraitei (PT) - Gyoraitei No. 7 Gyoraitei (PT) - Gyoraitei No. 8 Gyoraitei (PT) - Gyoraitei No. 9 🇨🇴
 * Cleveland (CL) - Cleveland
 * Cleveland (CL) - Detroit
 * Shipyard (contains 20 Fletcher-class DDs)
 * Shipyard (contains 20 Fletcher-class DDs)
 * Tone (CA) - Chikuma
 * Kuma (CL) - Kitakami
 * Shipyard (contains 20 Fubuki-class DDs)
 * Shipyard (contains 20 Fubuki-class DDs)

American Strategy
The Americans have a PT boat advantage - their Elcos can easily sink Gyoraiteis. Additionally their Elcos are more effective against ships - they can fire four torpedoes while the Gyoraitei can only deploy two. Unfortunately it is hard to use this to your advantage.

The first thing is, as with most multiplayer games, is to sink that which cannot be easily replaced. This namely refers to the enemy cruisers - once they're down, the enemy will be unable to deploy anything heavier than destroyers at you (which, in this map, are actually quite heavy).

The Japanese Kuma-class cruisers are quite easy targets for patrol boats, especially when captained by an inexperienced player who uses AA guns on them. The Kuma class, unfortunately, lacks flak cannons. Since it only sports machine guns, you can counterattack their machine guns with your own to protect yourself while you set yourself up with a torpedo run. Their artillery will then be your main threat, but the enemy will have a hard time hitting your small, swift, Elco.

That said, the enemy Tone-class heavy cruisers are something different. They have flak guns and are more like the Cleveland-class cruiser than initially meets the eye. The best way to attack the Tone is to, as always, hit it from behind. If you can get a PT boat behind the Tone, it will be completely unable to hit you or turn away while you pound it with torpedoes. Enemy destroyers, however, can easily pick you off while you do this.

Be careful with the Cleaveland-class cruisers, although initially they look very strong, their armor is very weak, in a one on one battle with the Chikuma they will be sunk. Either group the cruisers together and attack the Tone or rush around their flank on their exposed right and hit the shipyards hard and fast. You only need to destroy those to win.

It can be tempting to attack from the left, or up the middle. But the Japanese coastal guns are very ideally placed, lots of players underestimate them. Between the crossfire of the shore batteries and the Chikuma you can be sunk very quickly.

Japanese Strategy
The Japanese have a huge firepower disadvantage when the map starts. The Americans have superior PT boats, superior light cruisers, and two heavy cruisers instead of just one. This means that you're going to want to even the odds first.

Always be aware of your right flank. Play defensively at first and wait for the enemy to attack you. Split the two light cruisers up - have one cover the middle and the other cover the east - and keep Chikuma where it is; you'll want to know where the brunt of the enemy force is moving first before Chikuma moves. Meanwhile, use your PT boat's torpedoes to weaken the enemy warships as much as possible to try and even the odds a little bit. Send them on suicide runs so you can focus all your attention on your deadlier warships.

Once the enemy arrives, hold the line and do everything you can to stop the enemy from punching through. Make good use of the Chikuma now; it's the strongest ship on the map, and as such it should always be engaged against one of the other enemy cruisers.

If you can hold the line against the enemy cruisers, then all the enemy will have left are destroyers; simply charge past them and knock out the shipyards to finish the mission.