In this hypothetical engagement, the Germans send a portion of the High Seas Fleet into the Gulf of Finland in an attempt to engage and destroy the Russian Baltic Fleet.
The Germans have limited knowledge of the Russian dispositions. Only cruisers and torpedo boats are spotted so far.
Russian torpedo boats attempt to close to torpedo range, which for their torpedoes is only about 4,000 yards.
German light cruisers screen the battle line and shoot up the Russian torpedo boats.
The few surviving Russian torpedo boats launch, but the German dreadnoughts turn away and are not hit.
Russian destroyers attack and the German dreadnoughts turn away again. These destroyers have a slightly better torpedo with a range of about 6,500 yards.
German armored cruisers also turn away from the torpedo threat, but don’t comb the tracks quite long enough. Two ACs are torpedoed, one of which sinks. This error was caused by the week-long delay between the first half of the game (when the torpedoes were launched) and the second half (when they arrived).
Both sides try to reform their lines in the confined waters of the gulf.
The Russians Turn back to the NE. If they continued to skirt the southern shore of the gulf, the southerly wind would inhibit their shooting. Pre-dreadnoughts and armored cruisers comb torpedo tracks.
The German dreadnoughts start to take damage.
The Russian fleet has suffered much worse.
With one pre-dreadnought sunk and several large ships heavily damaged, the Russians give up the game.
Copenhagen the verb that is. In May 1914 the British finally accept Admiral Fisher’s suggestions (made in 1904 and 1908) to preemptively attack the German fleet in the naval base at Wilhelmshaven. A routine flight by the German Navy’s only dirigible, the L 3, spots the British in the North Sea in time for the German fleet to sortie.
Visibility was 14,000 yards. Wind was westerly at 8 knots and the seastate was 2.
The light cruiser screens have formed up in line ahead. The fist hit has blown up HMS Southampton.
British fleet. The wreck of the Southampton is visible in the upper right corner.
German fleet
The light cruisers withdraw under fire from battleships.
Two British dreadnoughts in the lead division have been lost to turret hits followed by magazine explosions.
The fleets close to around 5000 yards as damage mounts. British destroyers have launched torpedoes and withdrawn.
German torpedoes hit the British line, crippling or sinking several ships. With the British clearly worsted, the Riskflotte theory is vindicated.
Analysis:
Examining only the battleship action, the British hit rate was 9.3% and the German hit rate was 14.1%. This difference was the result of the westerly wind blowing the gun and funnel smoke in front of the British line, while the German smoke was blown to the disengaged side. The British needed the guidance in the Grand Fleet Battle Orders (~ May 1916):
Weather …The leeward position, with the wind on the engaged bow, is usually the better … the main consideration is that of being in a position where the gun and funnel smoke from our own ships do not interfere with gunlaying… [page 15]
I don’t know if there was any such guidance in May of 1914.
The British suffered gun losses due to 29 turret face penetrations. Four British battleships were lost to explosions as a result of turret fires reaching the magazines. Turret hits represented 14.7% of all hits on British ships and 12.7% of all hits on German ships. These numbers are consistent with the algorithms. The consequences (for the British) of turret hits are so significant that the algorithms for turret face hits and penetrations will be elaborated in future code modifications. For example, the probability of a turret hit for flat trajectory shells will be examined, and the curvature of British turret faces might need to be modeled.
The strategic lesson is that a preemptive attack should have been considered at an earlier date, ideally before the Germans developed effective AP shells.
In another non-historical scenario, the Italians decide the Central Powers will be the winning side. The Italian fleet sails out to challenge the French fleet.
Visibility was 24,000 yards. Wind was north-westerly at 16 knots and the seastate was 3.
The fleets deploy into battle lines, with the Italians (on the right) somewhat more organized. An early French torpedo boat attack has been repulsed with heavy loss.
The four French dreadnoughts and the lead pre-dreadnought take damage from the five Italian dreadnoughts. French ACs (background) attempt to get within torpedo range.
The Italians also take damage, but not nearly as much.
One French dreadnought has been sunk and one has no propulsion. Italian torpedo boats (bottom) close in on the crippled French dreadnoughts to use their short-ranged torpedoes.
The remaining French dreadnoughts are slowed by flooding damage and are overtaken by the pre-dreadnoughts. Several French ACs are quickly sunk when the Italian battle line shifts fire to them.
The Italian battle line evades a torpedo attack by a turn together. One dreadnought has sunk.
The volume of fire of the four Cavour and Duilio class ships was about 50% greater than that of the four Courbet class ships (13 gun vs 10 gun broadsides and a slightly higher rate of fire). The longer range French torpedoes might have evened the odds, but the attacks were stopped or evaded. A decisive victory for Italy and a good test of the code.
This fictional scenario was designed to test new destroyer/torpedo boat guide algorithms. For each fleet, two ships can be designated as guides. DD/TB units can then be ordered to take station on those guides instead of being given normal movement orders.
Visibility was 24,000 yards. Wind was north-westerly at 10 knots and the seastate was 2.
The fleets have maneuvered to nearly parallel courses at about 15,000 yards.
The wreck of the French AC Waldeck Rousseau can be seen in the left rear. The remaining ACs and two of the French battleships have taken medium damage. The few remaining French TBs are in the foreground.
Within minutes of each other, battleships from each side suffer steering hits and turn out of line. The Utah was designated as a guide for US DDs, so they followed her. Preventing this will require a code change.
When we quit, damage to the battleships was about even, but the French armored cruisers and torpedo boats had suffered much more damage than those of the US. The small French TBs were sunk primarily by fire from the 5 inch guns of the US BBs. There were no successful torpedo attacks, but the US AC Montana was accidentally torpedoed by US DDs.
This fictional scenario was designed to test revised torpedo algorithms and also to experiment with several tactical concepts mentioned in Friedman, Naval Weapons of World War One, Chapter I:1, Gun Tactics. Fleets of 16 battleships (as envisioned by Plunkett) meet on opposite courses (addressed in Admiral Callaghan’s ‘Instructions for the Conduct of the Fleet in Action’ of October 1913). The order of battle assumes that the British and German battlecruisers and the British 5th Battle Squadron are engaged elsewhere. The 12in gunned British battleships were sent to cover Tershellling in the event the German fleet attempted to return to port by that route. The German pre-dreadnoughts were left in port. HMS Audacious was not lost in 1914.
Visibility was 11,000 to 12,000 yards, with the best visibility looking toward the east. Wind was westerly at 10 knots and the seastate was 3.
British destroyers launch torpedo attacks toward the German line and retire.
The German battleships have taken some torpedo hits, but continue without loss of speed. British armoured cruisers have taken damage from the leading German battleships.
The older ships at the rear rear of the German line suffer under the guns of the leading British battleships. British armoured cruisers are shattered and British light cruisers pass down the German battleline.
Two British armoured cruisers and one light cruiser are sunk, but the German battleships take much more damage than the British. With the battle still in doubt, we had to call it a day.
ncc1717.com 
You must be logged in to post a comment.