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Battle Norway Redux


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#1 W. Clark

W. Clark

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Posted 04 October 2015 - 07:54 PM

Battle of Norway Redux

 

Situation

As before the Germans have landed the better part of a Gebirgs (Mountain) Division at Narvik. But, most of its heavy equipment and some supplies had not been landed when the Brits came in and sank the lot (of German destroyers, transports and cargo ships). The twin naval disasters of First and Second Narvik left the German infantry stranded, outnumbered and short of supplies. The Germans resolved to ease the situation by sending four liners (acting as fast transports) crammed with more troops and supplies to Narvik. The Germans sent Admiral Marschall von Preston with Scharnhorst (flag), Gneisenau, Admiral Hipper, Blucher, Koln and the destroyers Z-4, Z-5, Z-6 and Z-10 to escort the liners.

Force du Nord under Admiral le Bishop de Gensoul sailed to intercept. Gensoul had Strassbourg (flag), Dunkerque, Algerie, Duquesne, Jean de Vienne and the destroyers Mogador, Volta, Guepard and Lion.

 

A large squall lifted at 0800 hours revealing to each side (now that visibility had increased to 20,000 yards) the other’s presence. The Germans were on a heading of zero degrees at 15 knots. von Preston ordered a five knot increase in speed and a three point turn to port to close the range. Force du Nord was heading thirty degrees at 20 knots and le Bishop ordered five knot increase in speed also. Each sides sailing order was as listed above.

 

 Strassbourg and Scharnhorst opened on one another at 18,000 yards and each obtained a hit that bounced off their armor. Dunkerque and Gneisenau also opened on one another resulting in 1 hull hit to Dunkerque. Algerie, Duquesne and Jean de Vienne fired at Admiral Hipper, Blucher and Koln respectively; while the German ships returned the fire. Duquesne suffered 2 hull hits. Mogadore and Volta both missed their targets, Z-4 and Z-5. The remainder of the destroyers were out of range.

 

von Preston made a 3 point turn to starboard back into line while increasing his speed another 5 knots. le Bishop continued on a heading of 30 degrees but could not increase speed as Dunkerque at 25 knots was at her maximum speed with the hull damage she had. The French cruisers and destroyers continued to follow their battle cruisers as did the German cruisers and destroyers.

 

 

Again, each ship (French and German) fired at its opposite number. The range was closing with Strassbourg and Scharnhorst within 15,000 yards. Scharnhorst was hit in the hull as was Dunkerque. Hipper also took a hull hit and Duquesne lost her fore turret. Koln took a hull hit and everyone else missed.

 

le Bishop was thinking about turning his cruisers and destroyers to try and cross the German rear, but elected to remain on course for another 6 minutes or so. The range closed to 12,000 yards. It was this point that Gneisenau decided the issue by knocking out both of Dunkerque’s main turrets. Algerie pummeled Hipper with 4 hits and other damage was exchanged between Duquesne, Jean de Vienne, Blucher and Koln respectively but le Bishop decided that he should break off and that gave the win to the Germans.

 

We tried it again and it started pretty much as before. However, 6 minutes into it, le Bishop turned his entire fleet together 90 degrees to starboard, evading with Strassbourg and laying smoke with Algerie and Jean de Vienne. The Germans again pounded everything French in sight but had their trailing destroyers (now leading as they reversed course to counter the French move) pounded into flaming wrecks. It looked like the Mogadores and Lion might just slip by the Germans when Gneisenau hit Algerie 7 times, knocking out all her main armament. Algerie failed morale and although circling uncontrollably towards the Germans was required to withdraw. That failure force the French cruiser group to check and it failed also. le Bishop then checked to see if he would continue and he failed also. That forced the French to withdraw. The German destroyer Group also checked, but it passed and that won the second game for the Germans.

 

IMHO; the Germans won because they fought a gunnery fight which they rated to win. The French lost because the first go round because they also fought a gunnery fight, regardless of what they intended for later turns. The French lost the second fight because they left too many of their ships engaged in a gunnery duel they were not going to win and the resultant morale failure was destined to frustrate their attempt at maneuver.

 

The Germans simply shoot two range bands better and only extraordinary bad German dice are going to pull the French chestnuts out of the fire and you should not count on that.  The French should have turned Strassbourg to maintain range, having her make smoke to shelter Dunkerque’s BC armor and use evasion to half the German dice. The French battle cruisers are not going to win a gunnery duel with the Scharnhorsts; instead they should lure them on and away from the French cruisers and destroyers.

 

The French should then turn their cruisers (in succession) with Algerie leading, evading and making smoke to shelter Duquesne, Jean de Vienne and their destroyers. The French should use their cruisers and destroyers to cross the German rear so as to exit at least one undamaged ship to the east giving them the victory. Keep in mind that the German torpedoes are 50% duds at this time while the French torpedoes work (after a fashion). The French have to make this a battle of maneuver as they will not win a gun fight.

 






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