I had the pleasure of playing another game yesterday, this time against another local who already had a French collection in 1/3000.
We ran with a simple 150-point game, since I can't really scrape more than that together with my IJN in 1/3000 scale.
My opponent, of course, wanted to use his own French vessels.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any pictures of the battle, so we'll have to do without.
Our scenario was to be an Encounter battle, in the day and on clear seas.
There were two land masses on the battlefield: a cape protruding from the French long table edge and a decent-sized island also roughly in the center, but slightly towards the Japanese side.
The French force:
Commander: 3 star
Core fleet:
>Cruiser squadron
CA Algerie (Algerie class) - Squadron and fleet flagship
CA Colbert (Suffren class)
CA Foch (Suffren class)
>Destroyer squadron
DD Le Hardi (Le Hardi class)
DD Le Mars (l'Adroit class) - I believe she was squadron flagship; might also have been Le Hardi
DD Tornade (Bourrasque class)
The Japanese force:
Commander: 2 star
Core fleet:
>Cruiser squadron
CA Kako (Furutaka class) - Squadron and fleet flagship
DD Sazanami (Fubuki class)
Close support:
>Destroyer squadron
CL Yubari (Yubari class) - Squadron flagship
DD Mutsuki (Mutsuki class)
DD Uzuki (Mutsuki class)
Distant support:
>Air cover
2 G4M "Betty" bomber flights
This matchup was going to be pretty interesting; the French rather outgun and outarmour me and have a solid torpedo arsenal.
I'd have to rely on my superior speed (all French vessels were speed 3) and better torpedoes, plus maybe my decent rapid-fire guns.
After all, the guns on the French destroyers are pretty solid, if only they were rapid fire...
My first squadron would also have to hold on by themselves for a bit, until Yubari and her destroyers could arrive from support.
One undergunned heavy cruiser and a single modern destroyer aren't quite enough to vanquish than entire French force.