VICHY FRENCH ORDER OF BATTLE: Dakar Fleet - (Richelieu class battleship, flagship - Admiral Landriau).

Transcription

1 151 VICHY FRENCH ORDER OF BATTLE: Dakar Fleet - (Richelieu class battleship, flagship - Admiral Landriau). (La Galissonniere class heavy cruiser). (La Galissonniere class heavy cruiser). (La Galissonniere class heavy cruiser). (Duguay-Trouin class heavy cruiser). (2,610 tonnes Fantasque class destroyer). (2,610 tonnes Fantasque class destroyer). (2,610 tonnes Fantasque class destroyer). (Redoubtable class submarine - torpedoes 1, plus 2 reloads). (Redoubtable class submarine - torpedoes 1, plus 2 reloads). (Redoubtable class submarine - torpedoes 1, plus 2 reloads). Land-based air support: 1 Curtiss Hawk flight (P-36 Mohawk - see the US aircraft list), 1 Glenn Martin 167A-3 flight. Also the Vichy French player can use the following German submarine on wolf pack duties: (Type VII submarine - torpedoes 1, plus 2 reloads). Campaign victory conditions - the battle continues until either side has gained an automatic victory, or one side decides to admit defeat. An automatic victory is gained by the Vichy French if both Barham and Resolution are sunk as well as at least three of the troop transports. The British and Free French have an automatic victory if either Richelieu is sunk or in the naval battle at least four troop transports reach the enemy s table edge and sail off it (representing the transports reaching the coast and landing the troops in sufficient strength to win ashore).

2 152 Scenario: The Denmark Strait Set up the two sides 24 inches apart, steaming toward each other. The British are deployed to the south-east heading north-west, with Hood leading, the Germans to the north-west heading south-west, with Prinz Eugen leading. Visibility range is 24 inches. Sea condition is choppy. Tactical moves are used only. GERMAN ORDER OF BATTLE: (battleship, flagship of Admiral Lutjens). (heavy cruiser). BRITISH ORDER OF BATTLE: (battleship, flagship of Vice-Admiral Holland). (battleship). Victory conditions - The Germans score a major success if both their ships survive with their speed and buoyancy undamaged, or if both British ships are sunk; they score a minor success if one British ship is sunk. The British gain a major success if Bismarck is sunk, and a minor success if Prinz Eugen is sunk. The game continues until the players decide to end it (for example, by sailing their ships off the tabletop to end the action - which can be assumed to mean the weather has worsened dramatically, contact has been lost, the will to pursue has become jaded, or strategic orders received to break off the action!). While in reality this was an extremely short naval action, we decided to give it a run through to show how the game mechanisms work. True, on setting out it was possible that this could end just as quickly as the real battle, but with all things equal it didn t seem likely! As this is a one-off battle and not part of a campaign we dispensed with the campaign rules and set up as described above. Having set up the ships it became apparent that 1941 radar was of no use, despite every ship present possessing such high technology, and that the ships were already in sight. What is more, since the sea condition was choppy so the spotter planes carried by Bismarck, Prinz Eugen and Prince of Wales would be of no use. The German player, who we ll call Lutjens, rolled to see who should go first, and scored a 4. The British player - Holland - scored 3 on a die, so the decision was with Lutjens. He decided to move first. His first action was to have both his ships shoot at Hood as he started the battle with a tactical advantage. His ships had their broadsides open and able to shoot while the British ships were in a position where they would only be able to respond with their forward bow-facing batteries.

3 153 Shooting at long range he rolled a 1 for Bismarck, and a 3 for Prinz Eugen. At least 5 and 4 were needed respectively, so all the main gun batteries missed. He then announced he was increasing the speed of his squadron from 3 inches to 4 inches, and moved them forward, albeit with a slight change of direction to try and keep Hood vulnerable for as long as possible. A quick glance at the ship charts had shown that at long range Hood s armour is only D and so vulnerable to long range plunging fire. When the range closed this would no longer be the case. Before changing direction he needed to check for making orders to change direction. Since his flagship Bismarck was not leading but Prinz Eugen was he needed to check if his orders to change direction would be followed; a 6 was rolled, and anything from 3 or above would have been sufficient, so the squadron changes direction slightly. The British now move, also increasing their speed by 1 inch to 4 inches, 1 inch being the maximum battleships can accelerate each turn. Remember that the ships all began the game moving at cruising speed, which for all the ships engaged in this game is 3 inches, or half their maximum speed. The British ships attempt to shoot using their forward batteries. They could have turned to present their broadsides and then shoot, but Holland was anxious to close the range as soon as possible, which meant steaming straight down the throat of the German guns! His own shooting failed dismally to score any hits. Hood targeted Prinz Eugen and rolled a 2 (5 needed), Prince of Wales shot at Bismarck and scored 4 (6 needed). With forward-shooting guns you need to hit twice with the dice to actually score a hit, but since in both cases the first die roll failed rolling a second die was pretty pointless. The second game turn begins. Lutjens again increases the speed of his squadron, which now steams ahead at 5 inches. Before he moves the ships he decides to shoot with both his own ships guns at the Hood. Prinz Eugen misses, but Bismarck rolls a 6 and scores a hit! A quick check reveals that this means Bismarck s A main battery guns have beaten Hood s A rated armour at medium range. First of all a temporary shell splash marker is placed beside Hood (which will effect her own shooting), and then a roll for damage is made. 1 turns up, meaning Hood s weapons take a hit (a red damage marker). Now this is interesting, receiving a red damage marker also means Hood would blow up, just like in the real battle! Our Holland is more fortunate than his real-life counterpart and rolls a 5, so Hood stays afloat. It is worth pointing out that while both German ships were engaging Hood this did not mess up the chances to hit because they were firing shells of different s (A and B). This means the observers on each ship could correct the fall of shot without getting confused since the shell splashes produced by each size of shell would be a different size! The British ships now move, also increasing to 5 inches to ensure the range doesn t widen again. If it does even Prinz Eugen s guns could send Hood to a watery grave! Hood and Prince of Wales then use forward-facing shooting again. Hood rolls a 6 - normally a hit, but a second die roll has to be made since the shooting is not broadside. A 2 is rolled, so Hood misses. Prince of Wales also misses.

4 154 During the third game turn Prinz Eugen scores a hit on Hood at medium range, but with B shells against A armour the best this can do is mess up Hood s own guns aim, so a temporary shell splash marker is once again staying beside Hood. The British squadron now turns to port (turns left!), at last opening up their broadsides to enable hopefully more effective shooting. As if to confirm this Prince of Wales scores a hit with her main battery on Prinz Eugen (her secondary battery of 5.25 guns also opened fire for the first time, but missed). The German heavy cruiser takes an orange damage marker, meaning her ability to send or receive orders and so change course is impaired. Turn four dawns. It is clear that Bismarck s secondary 150mm guns could in theory shoot as they re in range, but Lujens works out that since they fire C shells it would be a waste of time since they can t touch either of the British ships at medium range or closer. A typical naval shooting match now ensues, with the squadrons steaming parallel and exchanging blows. Prince of Wales score a hit on Prinz Eugen again, this time giving her a red damage marker, damaging her guns. Fortunately for the German ship there is no flashdown to a magazine and she doesn t blow up! Prinz Eugen again manages to hit Hood, but the only point of her shooting is to hopefully distract Holland from having Hood and the Prince of Wales target Bismarck, as well as to spoil Hood s aim. However, this can t go on for too long - Bismarck needs to do some serious damage and then switch targets! On turn five Prinz Eugen is hit yet again, this time taking a black marker, meaning her buoyancy is damaged. At the start of turn six Lutjens frowns. He had been considering getting Prinz Eugen much closer in order to use her broadside torpedoes and try to sink a British ship using them. Now his heavy cruiser looked so mauled that it was playing on his mind. Rather than risk her being sunk he decides to send her off sharp to starboard and so make a run to escape. However, as Prinz Eugen has an orange communications damaged marker he needs to roll 4-6 to get the ship to obey. He rolls a 5, so she does and he detaches her, getting her to work up to full speed (six inches) and having her make smoke to cover her tracks! Bismarck, still very much in the fight and wishing to cover the withdrawal, slows to 4 inches. During the next turn Prince of Wales scores a black buoyancy damage marker against Bismarck, then a few turns later Hood hits Bismarck as well, despite the odds being against this happening. Hood s guns need a basic 5-6 to hit, but have suffered a red -1 damage marker, and since both her guns and Wales s were shooting at Bismarck, and they are all of the same shell (A), another -1 was applied. This meant Hood needed a 7 to hit. This was achieved by rolling a 6 on one die, and then you roll again in line with the rules, now needing 4-6. Hood rolled a 5, and scored a second red weapons hit on Bismarck - the German ship refused to blow up! Things were starting to look bad for Lutjens, but refusing to give up he suffered Hood again hitting Bismarck, this time damaging the propulsion (a white marker). Bismarck s maximum speed in battle now reduced from 6 inches to 3 inches! Realising the game was up, quite literally, Lutjens had his flagship Bismarck turn and try and get her away. control failed to fix the propulsion damage, meaning it was beyond repair.

5 155 Hood then hit Bismarck again, causing an orange damage marker. From the British squadron the firing then slackened. Holland, realising time was running out, chose now only to shoot with Prince of Wales to increase the chance of hitting with one ship (to remove the -1 modifier for having to A shell ship batteries engaging the same target). Lutjens doesn t even bother to shoot with Bismarck s stern guns, but races for the table edge, or rather at the speed allowed, limps there... Having steamed off the table edge, the game ended. So, as the weather worsened and Bismarck slipped out of sight, it could be said that neither side truly won since the victory conditions were not met. However, Lutjens was thankful for having avoided defeat, while Holland claimed a moral victory since he was left in possession of the sea and the German ships were clearly seriously messed up! The success of propaganda, it seems, is in the eye of the beholder...

6 Main Main Main Main Main Main

7 Strategic rates (x2 maximum movement rate), cannot change direction or speed. 2. Stop once first ships at double standard visibility distance. 3. Tactical rate (x0.5 maximum movement rate). 4. Ships shoot, move in any order, check radar, check observation sightings, change direction if order die roll made. WORLD WAR TWO NAVAL WARGAME RULES confirms an a ship is counter is a real ship (remove any false decoy counters in range). Your own ship is a destroyer or smaller, -1 inch. Your own ship is a battleship, +3 inches. Looking at ship which is shooting guns or which is on fire (ie; has a red or orange marker), +4 inches. Looking at a destroyer or smaller craft, -1 inch. Looking at a battleship, aircraft carrier or merchant ship, +3 inches. At night time reduce visibility to a third of the totals shown, and modify as follows; Your own ship is using searchlights, +2 inches. Looking at a ship using searchlights, +4 inches. 'evading torpedoes in the vicinity' roll add 1 to the chance of a miss. rules apply as shown. No spotter aircraft from ships may be used. Halve the ship speeds of destroyers and smaller craft. All gunfire and torpedoes automatically fail to hit on an initial roll of 1-3. Aircraft cannot be used. Halve ship speeds, destroyers and smaller craft may not be used. For all gunfire hits automatically fail on an initial roll of 1-3. may not be used. Aircraft cannot be used. +1 to hit vs. a ship model (cannot be used vs. a counter, real or decoy). +1 to hit vs. a ship model or a counter known to represent in a real ship. DP guns get to shoot twice at enemy aircraft during air attacks in range. British 1939, 6" (5-6). SWR, AWR. 1940, 10" (4-6). SWR, AWR. 1941, 16" (3-6). SWR, AWR, FCR , 24" (2-6). SWR, AWR (FCR up to 16"). 1944, 24" (2-6). SWR, AWR, FCR. 1945, 28" (2-6). SWR, AWR (FCR up to 24"). German , 14" (5-6). SWR. 1941, 16" (4-6). SWR, AWR , 21" (4-6). SWR, AWR. American 1942, 5" (2-6). SWR, AWR, FCR. 1943, 24" (2-6). SWR, AWR (TTR up to 16"). 1944, 24" (2-6). SWR, AWR, TTR. 1945, 28" (2-6). SWR, AWR, TTR. Italian , 12" (5-6). SWR. Japanese , 20" (5-6). SWR, AWR. Battleship, aircraft carrier or merchant ship, 1"/turn. Heavy cruiser or light cruiser, accelerate 1", decelerate 2". Destroyer or smaller, 2". Flagship and its formation does as wishes. To change direction if other line ahead/abreast squadron or single ship or destroyer group: 3-6 British/Commonwealth (except in 1940), German/Japanese , or American. 4-6 other navies/years. -1 if the flagship has an orange Comms d marker. -1 if at least one of the recipient ships has an orange ALL Comms AT SEA! d marker. 1 = opposing player chooses new direction! If order made successfully, flagship can issue another order.