This scenario was inspired by the Russian attack on a convoy of iron ore sailing from Sweden to Germany described in “After Jutland“, Chapter 6, pages 90-91. The Russian attack group of destroyers has a close cover force of cruisers and a distant cover force of dreadnoughts. The Germans expect the operation and counter with their own cruiser and dreadnought supporting forces.
Winds WSW at 5 knots. Sea state 2. Visibility 6 NM.
Convoy escorts (one armed merchant cruiser and two groups of trawlers) attempt to distract the attacking Russian destroyers.
The escorts make smoke.
The convoy makes smoke and heads south at its best speed of 10 knots.
The convoy is destroyed. The old German cruisers are losing the fight with the Russian cruisers.
German dreadnoughts are sighted.
The Russian dreadnoughts press on southwestward to support their cruisers.
The German dreadnought divisions deploy into a battleline while the Russian dreadnoughts reverse course and head northeast.
Cruisers and destroyers clear the line of fire for the dreadnought action.
With the visibility only 12,000 yards the battlelines close to under 10,000 yards. Hits accumulate rapidly.
The two lead Russian dreadnoughts are overwhelmed by a fortunate series of hits from four German dreadnoughts.
With only two Russian dreadnoughts left to face six relatively intact German dreadnoughts, we called the game. The convoy and most of the German cruisers had been destroyed, but the loss of the Russians dreadnoughts was a high price to pay for meeting the mission objective.
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Love these lesser known (even if only inspired by) scenarios.
Love these lesser known (even if only inspired by) scenarios.