Victory in the Pacific

Battles of Numbers
Case #6

One Allied Cruiser 1-1-7
vs. One Japanese cruiser 1+2-7

This is actually the first case I tested – to compare the Markov chain approach to that used by William Burch. No simplifying approximations are needed for this simple case – so all 35 possible battle states are recorded: 

7 for the Japanese {Intact, 1 Damage, 2 Damage, Disabled, 1D+Dis, 2D+Dis, Sunk}
5 for the Allied {Intact, 1 Damage, Disabled, 1 Damage+Disabled, Sunk}

Our results are the same, so either we’re both right or both wrong but for the same reasons :-).  But these Markov chain calculations are more compact and easier to generalize.

Starting data:

IJN vs. Allied (both intact):
10/36 = 27.78% to sink it
6/36 = 16.67% to disable it

Allied vs. IJN (both intact):
4/36 = 11.11% to sink it
6/36 = 16.67% to disable it

… and corresponding values if the target is already damaged. The Japanese cruiser also loses the attack bonus if having any damage.

Lanchester Equivalent Value LEV = sqrt(0.4444/0.2778) = 1.26 Allied cruisers equal one Japanese cruiser.

 

Probability Distribution of Battle-Ending States

Green = battle continues; nothing should remain here at the end.
Blue = Allied Victory (control of area)
Purple = Japanese Victory
Grey = Draw (both knocked out of the area)

State

 

15

IJN

US

 

0

0

0.00%

1

0

0.00%

2c

0

0.00%

D

0

12.50%

1D

0

0.42%

2D

0

0.43%

S

0

9.11%

0

1

0.00%

1

1

0.00%

2c

1

0.00%

D

1

2.08%

1D

1

0.10%

2D

1

0.11%

S

1

1.58%

0

D

16.67%

1

D

1.11%

2c

D

1.14%

D

D

4.17%

1D

D

0.10%

2D

D

0.11%

S

D

2.97%

0

1D

0.93%

1

1D

0.12%

2c

1D

0.13%

D

1D

0.23%

1D

1D

0.02%

2D

1D

0.02%

S

1D

0.19%

0

S

29.63%

1

S

1.67%

2c

S

1.70%

D

S

7.41%

1D

S

0.11%

2D

S

0.11%

S

S

5.14%

Summary of results

IJN Victory

53.09%

Draw

20.58%

US Victory

26.33%

Continue

0.00%

US Sunk

45.76%

IJN Sunk

18.99%

Back to main article