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Action in the Golf de Lyon


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#1 W. Clark

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Posted 03 March 2023 - 12:18 AM

I've played this in daylight and the Italian advantage in protection ruled the day. This is at night with dawn approaching and that might just make a difference. I've rolled out everything for set up except each players' night acquisition rolls. I've also left your sailing formations to the players. The Italians are definitely expecting contact to the west and the French would not be surprised by contact to the east. You can of course reroll the set up as you like. This is a what if based on the historical French bombardment of Genoa and the surrounding area on 14 June 1940 in response to Italy's declaration of war on France. We (IMHO) just don't get enough scenarios with Marine Francaise that do not involve the RN following Churchill's wish to kill French. So, without further to do here is the Action in the Golf de Lyon.

 

Action in the Golf du Lyon

14 June 1940

Italy had declared war on France on 10 June 1940. The French navy (Marine National) decided to repay what they saw as Italian treachery with a bombardment of Genoa by the 3rd Squadron from Toulon on 14 June. It was originally intended that the bombardment would occur in mid-morning as the industrial area would be more fully occupied at that time. Loose lips sink ships, and the original plan became known to the Italians. What they did not know was that Vice Admiral Duplat commanding the 3rd Squadron thought the original plan exposed his ships to the Regia Aeronautical too much and moved the timetable up to dawn.

 

The Regia Marina planned to intercept the French sortie shortly after dawn to protect the industries at Genoa. The 2nd Squadra under Admiral Paladini got into position in the darkness of the early morning hours of June 14; having steamed north from the fleet concentration at Taranto. Paladini had refueled at Messina and had tried to economize his fuel after that. But the need to be in place trumped his efforts and none of his destroyers had more than two thirds of their fuel left. That meant that he would be restricted to fight in the immediate area as a pursuit to Toulon was now beyond the legs of his destroyers.

 

Meanwhile Vice Admiral Duplat was steaming east with all of the 3rd Squadron that was capable of sortieing. He had decided that he would bombard the Genoa area for an hour and no more. Besides the exposure to Italian air there was the trip back Toulon to consider. His destroyers at high speed were not known for their fuel conservation and he had to give consideration to an Italian naval response. He had left port well ahead of schedule after having it noised about that his force was escort a troop convoy from Algiers to Toulon. He had steamed due south at 20 knots until well out of sight of land and then turned east and reduced speed to 15 knots to conserve fuel.

Marine Francaise 3rd Squadron: VAdm Duplat

1st Cruiser Division: Vadm Duplat                 5th Contre-Torpilleur Division

CA Algerie SF (Algerie class)                           DD Chevalier Paul (Vauquelin class)

CA Foch (Suffern class)                                   DD Tartu (Vauquelin class)

CA Colbert (Suffren class)                              7th Contre-Torpilleur Division

CA Dupleix (Suffren class)                              DD Albatros (Aigle class)

3rd Legere Squadron: Radm Derrien             DD Gerfaut (Aigle class)

1st Contre-Torpilleur Division                        DD Vautour (Aigle class)

DD Aigle (Aigle class)                                     9th Contre-Torpilleur Division

DD Lion (Guepard class)                                 DD Cassard (Vauquelin class)

DD Vauban (Guepard class)                           1st Destroyer Division

3rd Contre-Toprilleur Division                        DD Le Mars (L’Adroit class)

DD Guepard (Guepard class)                         DD Le Palme (L’Adroit class)

DD Valmy (Guepard class)                             DD Tempete (Bourrasque class)

DD Verdun (Guepard class)

The French had a lot of destroyers under repair or refitting and were thus short 3 destroyers.

Regia Marina Squadra 2: Admiral Paladini

CA Pola FF                                                       DesRon 11

2nd Division: RAdm Casardi                            DD Artigliere

CL Giovanni delle Bande Nere                       DD Aviere

CL Bartolomeo Colleoni                                 DD Geniere

3rd Division: VAdm Cattaneo                          DD Camicia Nera

CA Trento                                                        DesRon 12

CA Bolzano                                                     DD Lanciere

CA Trieste                                                        DD Ascari

7th Division: RAdm Sansonetti                       DD Carabinere

CL Eugenio di Savoia                                      DD Corazziere

CL Emanuele Filiberto Duca d’ Aosta            DesRon 13

CL Muzio Attendolo                                       DD Granatiere

CL Raimondo Montecuccoli                          DD Alpino

DesRon 10                                                       DD Bersagliere

DD Maestrale                                                 DD Fuciliere

DD Grecale

DD Libeccio

DD Scirocco

 

The French were steaming east at 15 knots while the Italians were steaming north at 15 knots. Relative bearing has the Italians directly to the east of the French. It’s the morning watch at 0400 hours and there are 12 turns of night remaining. The wind is Force 3 from the west and smoke lasts 1 turn. There are no squalls or sea haze. Daylight visibility will be 30,000 yards. Max night visibility is 20,000 yards. Dawn visibility reduction to the west is 6,000 yards. There is quarter moon, but the sky is cloudy making it a new moon in effect.

 

I am leaving sailing formations to the players. The Italians are expecting contact to the west while the French expect if contact is made it will probably be to the east. I've attached the ship logs as MS word docs

 

 


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#2 W. Clark

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Posted 03 March 2023 - 12:25 AM

OK, I didn't see the attachments, so I'll try again. Just for info I'm using the deluxe ship logs because the French and Italians have culture (just ask them) and deserve the best. OK it appears that I have to start a new post to attach.



#3 simanton

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Posted 03 March 2023 - 11:30 PM

Sounds like fun!  Looking forward to seeing how this develops!



#4 W. Clark

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Posted 04 March 2023 - 07:14 AM

I'm hoping that the French torpedoes and better performance by the Contre-Torpilleurs (given the lessor visibility) will level out the scenario. I simp0ly did not realize how poorly protected the French cruisers are and these are head and shoulders above the Force X cruisers.



#5 Grim

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Posted 27 March 2023 - 01:37 PM

Im looking forward to what will unfold.

#6 W. Clark

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Posted 27 March 2023 - 05:31 PM

So am I, but I don't have enough players at the moment. IMHO it needs at least 4 and 4 with a Ref would be better. So. I'm three short at the moment still 2 short when the weather improves. I'm hoping some else will put it on in the interim.



#7 W. Clark

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Posted 11 February 2024 - 03:37 AM

Action in the Gulf of Lyon

The night of 14-15 June 1940

VAdm Dupat (3rd Squadron) had bombarded Genoa during the morning in response to the treacherous declaration of war by Italy. It was beginning to appear that he had gotten away clean. But he had lingering doubts as Regia Marina float planes had dogged his force until nightfall. Float planes meant cruisers in Duplat’s experience, and he could only hope they were astern.

 

The 3rd Squadron was steaming 270 degrees in a column cruiser (1st Division) with a destroyer division (1st) in line abreast leading as a submarine screen. 3rd Leger Squadron (RAdm Derrien) was in a parallel column (1st, 3rd & 5th Contre-Torpilleur Divisions) 3,000 yards to the South as a screen, while the 7th and 9th (Contre-Torpilleur Divisions) trailed the cruiser column by 3,000 yards to screen aft. The whole shebang was steaming along at 15 knots.

 

The moon was new and the night was dark. The wind was a Force 5 Westerly. There was no haze. Midnight came and went with no change. The trailing French destroyers could barely make out the cruiser ahead of them and their lookouts estimated visibility at 4,000 yards if that.

 

At 0300 the lookouts of Albatros, Gerfaut and Vautour (7th CT Div) as well as Cassard (9th CT Div) acquired unknown destroyersw coming up dead astern. The destroyers alerted both 3rd Squadron and 3rd Leger Squadron to the presence of enemy destroyers astern. 7th & 9th CT turned 90 degrees to port to form line ahead and accelerated to 25 knots. 3 minutes later they fired off all their torpedoes (23 bearing in 7 triple and 1 twin mounts). The 7th and 9th CT Divs intended to fired off star shell to illuminate their targets (this was the plan). The enemy destroyers had turned 90 degrees to starboard (apparently to form line ahead) and would also fire off star shell.

 

Albatros saw several flashes and claimed 2 hits on the trailing destroyer (Scirocco). Gerfaut missed completely as did Vautor. Cassard claimed 1 hit on the leading RM destroyer (Maestrale) and immediately reversed course to bring her last twin tubes to bear.

 

Albatros’s joy was short lived as she took 4 torpedoes herself. Gerfaut took 5. Vautor took one, as did Cassard in the middle of her turn. Albatros suffered a bulkhead, a fire and damage to her bridge but sunk so fast her captain probably never knew.

 

Gerfaut not to be out done suffered 3 bulkheads and 3 fires and sank almost before any notice could be taken. Vautor sank and Cassard had her engines damaged, but her hull damage slowed her to 23 knots immediately.

 

This sudden cessation of any reporting confused RAdm Derrien but not VAdm Duplat (he made his morale). Duplat knew that those perfidious Italians were to blame and ordered the 1st Cruiser Division 90 degrees to starboard (north) and the 3rd Leger Squadron to follow him round and to keep station to his south as that where he expected any other nasty Italian surprises to come from. In the meanwhile, RAdm Derrien determined that the 7th CT Div was gone and broke the 3rd Leger Squadron off (he failed his morale with a 12). VAdm Duplat followed suit (he now failed his morale); the French made smoke and ran for Toulon. The engagement thus ended in an Italian victory after a mere 6 minutes.

 

Oh yeah, what happened to the RM destroyers. I was kind of busy there for a few minutes (6 to be exact). Scirocco and Maestrale both sank. Cassard would follow as she could not outrun the Italians.

 

This AAR was written solely from the French POV to avoid any appearance of a Fascist outlook.

 

WMC


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