WWI Naval – Page 6

WW1 Naval – Oran 1914

This alternate history scenario was a confrontation between British and French ships in November 1914. The British were tasked with preventing the return of the French fleet from Oran to Toulon. The French were to get underway from the anchorage at Oran and get past the British.

Player briefings

Status at the end of the game

Narrative

Player reports:
British
French

Plots of ship movements:
0-30 minutes
30-45 minutes
40-60 minutes
All

Computer code (described here)

All ships except the rear French battleships have been sighted.

The British battleline of the four oldest dreadnoughts and eight pre-dreadnoughts.

The French have deployed into a line with the armoured cruisers leading and the new dreadnoughts in the rear.

French DDs attack unsupported and are shattered by the fire of British 4 and 6 inch guns.

The Devonshire should not be in a camouflage paint scheme in 1914.

The British dreadnought division passes through the French fleet. One collision occurs. The Bellerophon blows up and the Temeraire sinks.

We stopped play after 12 turns (60 minutes of game time) and about 4 hours of real time.

Heligoland Bight – 1916

This Friday we played a fictitious naval battle set in the North Sea in 1916. The British attempt to sweep the Heligoland Bight to eliminate German patrols. The Germans are supporting their light forces with heavy ships. The scenario includes ships not actually available in the North Sea at the time.

Player briefings

Winds WSW at 3 knots. Sea state 2. Visibility 5 NM toward the SW, 6 NM toward the NE.

Status at the end of the game

Narrative

Player reports:
British
German

Plots of ship movements:
0-30 minutes
30-50 minutes
All

Computer code (described here)

Initially only the 3rd British BCS and its CL screen enter the Bight.

When German BCs are engaged, the remaining British forces move in from the north.

Heligoland in 1/18000 scale (the game’s ground scale)

We played for about 4 hours without a decisive result. The British had suffered somewhat more damage. In spite of a lot of torpedo fire from the light cruisers and destroyers, the only two torpedo hits were achieved by the Von der Tann and the Blucher.

Risikoflotte Risked – 1914 Naval AAR

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a fictitious naval battle set in the North Sea in May 1914. The British attempt to destroy the German fleet in the North Sea bases. The German fleet sails to fight in the Heligoland Bight. The scenario is based on the British strategy of destroying fleets which may become a threat (Copenhagen) (also), and the German concept of the Risikoflotte (risk fleet).

Player briefings: Copenhagen 1914

Visibility 14,000 yards, improving gradually. Wind westerly at 8 knots. Sea state 3.

Status at the end of the game: Cope IO

Damage output file: Cope Short output

Player reports:
Cope British
Cope German

Plots of ship movements:
0-30 minutes Cope plot 0-30
30-50 minutes Cope plot 30-50
50-60 minutes Cope plot 50-60
All Cope plot all

Computer code (described here)

The German battle line is sighted by British CLs.

Most of both side’s dreadnoughts have been spotted.

Both fleets have deployed into lines and approach on courses giving reasonable range rates. The head of the German line takes early damage and the rear is disrupted by British flotilla torpedo attacks. Those flotillas take heavy damage.

After more than four hours of play and 60 minutes of game time we called it a day. 5 British dreadnoughts were sunk and 2 were in a sinking condition. 2 German dreadnoughts were sunk and 1 was heavily damaged. The Germans could claim a tactical victory at this point but not a strategic victory.

This battle was played some years ago with an earlier version of the code.

1/6000 Naval – Armored and Protected Cruisers

Some earlier British, French and German armored and protected cruisers completed between 1892 and 1905, using Figurehead 1/6000 scale models.

WW1 Naval – Brindisi 1915

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a fictitious naval battle set in the Adriatic in WW1. On June 15, 1915, a few weeks after the Italian declaration of war on Austria-Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian fleet sails to attack Brindisi and to lure out the Italian fleet. The Italians are alerted and hope to avenge Lissa.

Visibility 14,000 yards. Wind WSW at 10 knots. Seastate 2.

Status at the end of the game: Brin IO

Damage output file: Brin output report

Player reports:
Brin Italian reports
Brin A-H reports

Plots of ship movements:
0-20 minutes brin-plot 0-20
20-45 minutes brin-plot 20-45
All brin-plot

Computer code (described here)

The rear divisions of each fleet are not yet in sight and not on the table.

Both sides manage torpedo launches at the opposite battle lines.

Markers indicate visible torpedo launches.

After four hours of play we ended the game with the Austro-Hungarians having lost 2 battleships and all their destroyers and the Italians having lost most of their destroyers. Several cruisers on both sides were badly shot up.