Battlestations: Pacific/2nd Battle of Guadalcanal

2nd Battle of Guadalcanal is a relative easy mission in that it that you, the player, can focus on controlling a single type of unit with very little to no orders to any other unit needed. The mission is divided into three different parts beginning with you being in control of a submarine stalking three troop transport and the objective of sinking at least one of them. After that the player gets a fighter unit and some PT-boats to take out more transports and lastly gets control of a battleship tasked to sink the enemy battle fleet.

Primary Objectives

• Prevent the Unloading of any Japanese transport ships.

Secondary Objectives

• Both Battleships must survive.

Hidden Objectives

• Destroy all 3 seaplanes stationed at Savo island.

USS-Sub eliminating Japanese transport ships

Use all weapons

Don't get to focused on staying stationary, instead remember that you has both aft and stern torpedo tubes. There is also the two artillary pieces to use when the submarine is surfacing if all other fails

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While torpedoing first ship, be sure to fire ahead of it to hit.

For this mission, the upgradeable units is between a sub, fighter airplane and battleship upgrade. Since both the first two parts are relative easy, upgrading the 2 South Dakota class battleships to Iowa class for the last part is advised.

The first part of this mission starts with giving the player control of a Narwhal class submarine with 4 tubes forward and 2 backward unless the player chooses to upgrade it. Begin by increase speed to full ahead and raise periscope for a look around, which will reveal 3 transport ship just ahead of you making for some sweet targets to practice some torpedoing skill. So use your 4 forward torpedo launchers to send the first ship to the bottom while continuing at full speed ahead.

This attack will cause a number of Japanese PT-s to be sent out toward you, but ignore them as you should be gone toward the safety of the deep by time your finished and they get to you. So instead use your periscope to keep track on the closest ship, because the moment you passing in front of it you should turn right facing the 3rd and furthest away ship. This maneuver will allow you to use your 2 stern torpedo's to launch and sink the ship you just passed. The main reason for the right turn was to give your torpedo's to rise up to the hit it, as torpedo's launched to close will just pass underneath its target.

The moment the aft torpedo's are launched, do a hard left turn to position your forward tubes to take out the last ship. At this point, one can either complete the left turn to sink the last ship with torpedo's as the forward tubes should be reloaded by now or you can rise to the surface to use your artillery to sink it while doing the left turn to steer your sub to the colored area. Either way, once the last ship is joining its two other sister ships dive as deep as possible and check the map so you move into the colored area where you can escape deep down and finish the first part of this mission.

Strafing all day long

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Strafing transport ships.

The Second part of this mission gives you control of 6 PT boats in formation, a P-40 Warhawk(Unless upgraded) and a flight of B-25 Mitchell if you earned this bonus unit on earlier missions. Allow the Pt's on their course and instead send your fighter ahead of them toward the Japanese PT's with 2 transports behind. The easiest way here is to take control of the P-40 flight and sink the closest PT while you pass them on the way toward the first two transports behind them, then do the same to both transports. At this point send your own PT's to deal with the remaining Japanese PT's thats between them and your fighter.

Turn your own fighter toward the next wave, consisting of another 3 transport and a PT and strafe them until they are driftwood. Assuming you don't have the bonus unit, the B-25, this is the time to get the bonus objective since the remaining 3 transport have plenty of distance to cover before they can land.

File:2nd Guadalcanal pt2.jpg

The Bonus Objective

So steer your P-40 toward the lone island and you should see the hidden objective, 3 Japanese scout Seaplanes on the beach, so do your duty and finish them with a strafing run. If you miss any of them they will take of to the air and you will have to shot them down but that shouldn't be much a problem.

With the bonus objective done, time to deal with the last group of transports and their escorting PT but you should know what to do with them at this point. Once the transports has been sunk, the 2nd part of this mission is over.

Time for the big boys to play

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New enemies arrive.

The last part gives you control over a South Dakota class battleship (again unless upgraded) with several Japanese ship around you. So start by taking out the ship on your left and then move to the right taking out the ships as they pass you, in total of 5 or 6 ships(1 on the left, rest on the right). Since you have this shiny nice battleship, taking them out should be relative easy but by the time the last of them sinks a new Japanese force arrives.

Now, if your daring just turn your broadside toward them and start bombarding them with your single battleship. But reinforcement is just a little distance away in form of a second battleship plus its destroyer escort and the moment you see them the secondary object is given.

So its advised that you move West-Southwest while bombarding the enemy fleet as this not only gives you control of the reinforcement sooner but draws the enemy toward them. Once you have control over both battleship and the 4 destroyers, sinking the enemy capital ship and its escort without losing either of your battleship shouldn't be too hard. Once the last enemy ship takes a dive to Davy Jones locker your won.

Congratulation, you have 2nd Battle of Guadalcanal.