[Presenter voice]: In a world where the Battle of the Coral Sea never happened and Saratoga was never torpedoed, one man, Isoroku Yammamoto, seeks out a decisive battle with his foes. And he is determined to dispense with complicated plans, and goes straight for the gut!
Starring:
Kaga (90),
Akagi (91),
Zuikaku (84),
Shokaku (84),
Hiryu (73),
Soryu (71)
(sub-total 493)
with a special guest appearance by Carrier Division 2:
Junyo (48),
Ryujo (38),
Zuiho (30),
Shoho (30)
Hosho (15),
(sub-total 161)
For a grand total of 654 aircraft.
Opposing them, after a long streak of setbacks in the Pacific, but itching for a fight, is Team America, with
Saratoga (88),
Yorktown (85),
Enterprise (85),
Hornet (85),
Lexington (78),
Midway Island air base (127)
sporting a total of 548 aircraft.
In this greatest clash of carrier fleets, who will emerge victorious? [/Presenter voice]
Assume we're running this simulation many, many times, what's the likeliest outcome? Assume that the Japanese have enough men to clear the island IF AND ONLY IF they cleared the area of US ships, without suffering heavy losses themselves. The actual utility of holding Midway should be beyond the scope of this discussion.
Have at it!