The Battle of Norway AAR
The Germans had landed about 1,900 Gebirgs (mountain) infantry at Narvik but the Royal Navy in the two naval battles of Narvik had sunk the transports and their escorting destroyers leaving the troops landed, stranded and without some of their supplies and heavy weapons. The Germans through fifth column activity and other extraordinary measures had brought their troop total up to about 2,500. Those measures still left them greatly outnumbered and short of supplies.
The Germans resolved to relieve the situation by running another convoy filled with troops and supplies into the Fjord. To this end they filled four liners with another 2,500 troops, weapons and supplies and sent them to Narvik. Admiral Wilhelm Marschall commanded the cover force. He had the battle cruisers Scharnhorst (FF) and Gneisenau, the heavy cruisers Admiral Hipper (SF) and Blucher, the light cruiser Coln and the destroyers Z-4 Richard Beitzen, Z-5 Paul Jacobi, Z-6 Theodor Riedel and Z-10 Hans Lody. The cover force was divided into three groups (battle cruisers, cruisers and destroyers).
Marschall’s force had just passed through a large squall and then a smaller one as they steamed towards Narvik just after dawn. The visibility was increasing rapidly and the masthead lookouts reported contact to their port. Marschall could just make out what looked like two large ships followed by several smaller ships at 21,000 yards and he ordered Scharnhorst and Gneisenau to engage their opposite number while Gneisenau made smoke to cover the trailing Kriegsmarine ships.
Marschall could tell that his opposite number was trying some maneuver with his trailing cruisers and destroyers (the smaller ships) but it took about 12 minutes before he realized they were trying to cut across his rear to get at the transports directly. Marschall sent his cruisers and destroyers to counter the move while he continued to engage what he now recognized as the Strasbourg and Dunkerque with Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
Admiral Gensoul had been informed that the Kriegsmarine was mounting some kind of renewed effort against Narvik and he was determined to stop it. The French army may have been humbugged by the Germans but he would show the world that the Marine Francaise was made of sterner stuff. Shortly after dawn while on a heading to close the coast of Norway his mastheads reported ships to starboard at 21,000 yards heading north. Admiral Gensoul deduced this to be the covering force and immediately ordered Strasbourg (FF) and Dunkerque to fire on their opposites which he took to be Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Meanwhile he ordered Contre Admiral Clarke with the cruisers Algerie (SF), Duquesne and Jean de Vienne as well the destroyers Guepard, Valmy, Verdun and Lion to turn 90 degrees to starboard and try to cut behind the Germans to get at the ships he believed the Germans were protecting.
Strasbourg immediately hit Scharnhorst twice causing slight hull damage and knocking out a 4.1” gun. Dunkerque missed Gneisenau as did Scharnhorst’s return fire at Strasbourg. Gneisenau hit Dunkerque but it bounced off Dunkerque’s fore turret. Gensoul hearing of this said to his staff that the French National dockyards might be a slow build but they built them good. A lull now ensued as both side’s heavies chased shell splashes and the Kriegsmarine cruisers and destroyers remained behind smoke.
The lull ended with a bang as Gneisenau hit Dunkerque in the hull and set her float plane on fire. The other battle cruiser fire was ineffective but now the German heavy cruisers emerged from their smoke (the Coln and destroyers had also reversed course but remained shielded behind smoke except for Z-4). Algerie hit Blucher, knocking out a seconday, damaging her hull and jamming her rudder to port. Duquesne caused slight damage to Admiral Hipper’s hull and the German cruisers’ return fire missed.
Blucher’s crew in attempting fix her rudder broke it beyond repair at sea. Dunkerque’s crew on the other hand showed what poor damage control training could do as she took 30 some odd minutes to put her float plane’s fire out. At this point Admiral Marschall seemed a little disappointed in his ships gunnery (really bad dice) and Admiral Gensoul pointed out that while it seemed to be going his way that could change in an instant.
Gneisenau now proved Gensoul to be a prophet hitting Dunkerque, knocking out her fore turret, searchlights and damaging her hull. Duquesne then took damage to her hull and starboard secondary from Admiral Hipper. Jean de Vienne hit Z-4 in the hull, engine and smashed her bridge. All other fire was ineffective.
Z-4 repaired her engineering hit while Dunkerque continued to burn. Gensoul ordered Dunkerque to turn away under smoke while he continued the fight with Strasbourg to keep the German BCs from turning back on his cruisers. Dunkerque made as great a turn as she could while making smoke but Scharnhorst was still able to target her and hit her in the hull. Gneisenau and Strasbourg missed, but Admiral Hipper hit Duquesne in the hull and Blucher did the same for Jean de Vienne. Z-4 hit Guepard and damaged a bulkhead. All other fire was ineffective.
Dunkerque continued to burn and her speed continued to drop. She fired at Admiral Hipper with her remaining turret and missed. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau hit Strasbourg damaging her hull and setting her afire. Scharnhorst took minor hull damage in return. Rapid fire from Z-4, Z-5 and Z-6 knocked Lion DIW, damaged Valmy and Guepard. Z-4 took some hull damage in return.
Dunkerque continued to burn as did Strasbourg. Guepard failed to repair her bulkhead and Lion’s crew broke her engines beyond repair at sea (tug needed). At this point all French hopes rested on the undamaged Algerie and Verdun to have at least one of them exit undamaged. Contre Admiral Clarke in a desperate attempt to keep the German destroyers at bay fired torpedoes from Guepard, Valmy, Algerie and Duquesne at max gyro angle to inhibit them closing while the French cruisers turned away. The tactic worked but failed to save the French as Admiral Hipper at 18,000 yards hit Algerie while Z-4 pounded Verdun with rapid fire.
I called the game at this point; all of the French ships were damaged and could not cause the transports to abort by exiting undamaged. In retrospect I should have started the ships farther on down the table to leave the room needed for the French reversal; but, you sink, burn and learn as they glub. I find the scenario to be nicely balanced. The French don’t have to win the gunnery duel to win as they can maneuver to victory also.
