WWI Naval Battle – Return of von Spee

The German Asiatic and Mediterranean squadrons are attempting to return to Germany in September of 1914. Scouting Group I has evaded the British in order to escort them back. While coaling in Faxa Bay Iceland, they are caught by the Battlecruiser Fleet.

German light cruisers were required to stay stationary for the first three turns (15 minutes) and were limited to an ordered speed of 10 knots on turn 4. German heavy ships were required to stay stationary for the first four turns and were limited to an ordered speed of 5 knots on turn 5 and 10 knots on turn 6. The Goben and the three battlecruisers of the 2nd BCS were limited to 22 knots due to maintenance issues.

Scale: 1/6000 miniatures, 500 yards/in ground scale.

Rules: Computer code in development.

Visibility 22,000 yards. Wind northeasterly at 25 knots. Seastate 3.

Status at the end of the game: RvS status

Damage output file: RvS output

Plot: RvS plot

 

The game was stopped at this point due to the time and to avoid the long gunnery duel which would have followed.

WWI Naval Battle – Skagerrak, July 1914

After the battle in the Fehmarn Belt, the surviving British ships passed through the Kattegat to the Skagerrak. There they were met by the other division of the 2nd Battle Squadron (four Orion class dreadnoughts) and the battlecruiser New Zealand (assigned to the 1st BCS at this time). This force was then intercepted by German ships from Wilhelmshaven.

Scale: 1/6000 miniatures, 500 yards/in ground scale.

Rules: Computer code in development.

Visibility 16,000 yards. Wind northerly at 16 knots. Seastate 3.

Status at the end of the game: belt4 IO

Damage output file: Belt4 output

Plot: belt4plot

 

WWI Naval Battle – Fehmarn Belt, July 1914

In June 1914, units of the British fleet were in the Baltic Sea. A division of the 2nd Battle Squadron (four King George V class dreadnoughts) commanded by Vice Admiral Sir George Warrender and three light cruisers were in Kiel, Germany between June 23rd and June 30th. The 1st Battlecruiser Squadron commanded by Rear Admiral Sir David Beatty visited Riga, Revel and Kronstadt, and was in Kronstadt on the 28th when the assassination of Austrian Archduke Ferdinand occurred.

This hypothetical engagement assumes (1) that the Austrian government promptly responded to the assassination with a declaration of war on Serbia, (2) that a state of war existed between Britain and Germany on July 1st, and (3) that the Germans sortied their available ships to intercept the British squadrons before they could exit the Baltic.

The composition of the German force is extrapolated from the ships mentioned in von Hase’s description of the Kiel visit. British light cruisers are assumed to have also accompanied the 1st BCS.

After leaving Kiel, Warrender cruises in the Fehmarn Belt waiting for Beatty to arrive from the east. The 1st BCS leaves Kronstadt on the 29th in order to reach the Fehmarn Belt on July 1st. Beatty is still a Rear Admiral at this point and Warrender will be in overall command when the two forces join.

References:

George M. Nekrasov, “Expendable Glory: Russian Battleship in the Baltic, 1915-1917” [for the presence of the 1st BCS at Kronstadt on July 28th]

Commander Georg von Hase, “Kiel & Jutland” [for details of the Kiel visit and the ships present]

 

Scale: 1/6000 miniatures, 500 yards/in ground scale.

Rules: Computer code in development.

Visibility 16,000 yards. Wind northwesterly at 14 knots. Seastate 2.

Status at the end of the game: Final status belt3

Damage output file: Belt3 output

Plot: belt3-plot

 

WWI Naval Battle – North Sea December 1916

In this hypothetical engagement, the newest units of the Grand Fleet and High Seas Fleet duel in the North Sea.

Scale: 1/6000 miniatures, 500 yards/in ground scale.

Rules: Computer code in development.

Visibility 20,000 yards. Wind northeasterly at 14 knots. Seastate 3.

Status at the end of the game: NS16L final summary

Damage output file: NS16L output

Plot: NS16L plot

The game was ended at this point due to time. A few additional turns were played on the computer. The German dreadnoughts avoided the torpedo attack, although two light cruisers were hit.

Extended output file: NS16L extended

WWI Naval Battle – Gulf of Finland May 1915

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.

Scale: 1/6000 miniatures, 500 yards/in ground scale.

Rules: Computer code in development.

Visibility was 18,000 yards. Wind was southerly at 8 knots and the seastate was 2.

Status at the end of the game: Finland End Status

Damage output summary (special damage only – flotation hits not listed): Finland short output

Plots: Finland plot 1  Finland plot 2a

 

With one pre-dreadnought sunk and several large ships heavily damaged, the Russians give up the game.