8 replies to this topic

[matt curtis]

Hi --I'm obnoxious about submitting AARs. Like to let folks know about games we've played. This one was just last night, and required some homegrown stats (used some of the files found here at ODGW to help) for the Svetlana class light cruiser -- which historically never saw the light of day during WWI. Anyway, here's the introduction...March, 1916Operations in the Black Sea provided the Russian navy with its only clear-cut victories during the First World War. The Turkish fleet simply didn’t have anything that could match the enemy’s latest series of destroyers – oil-burning, 1,200-ton boats capable of speeds exceeding 30 knots.Russian planners used these destroyers to target shipping along Turkey’s “coal belt” (the Zonguldak port and surrounding waters) and sank a large number of steamers and sailing craft with relative impunity. An embittered German officer stated the Russian boats ruled the Black Sea, possessing the legs and firepower to decimate merchant shipping. Before long, the Turkish supply fleet had been reduced to five operational colliers.The situation became even worse for Enver Pasha after the appearance of the first two Imperatrista Maria class battleships in late 1915. The Russians finally had dreadnoughts capable of outgunning the Goeben on a 1-on-1 basis, which meant the Turks had lost the one edge held during the first year of the war.Historically, Breslau was able to cripple a modern Russian destroyer (the two sides blundered into each other during a Russian sweep of the Anatolian coast). But the stricken boat was towed to safety within a few hours. Here, we have Breslau returning to the scene with Goeben moving to support her, while a “Covering Force” dispatched by the Black Sea fleet is arriving to pull Bespokoiny back to safety. The wrinkle is that the Russians have brought their latest class of light cruiser – the Svetlana – which in reality wasn’t completed until well after the war ended. And a dreadnought lurks over the horizon…Note: Russia's Small Shipbuilding Program of 1912 authorized light cruisers laid down in 1912, but delays and bureaucratic corruption derailed the projects, and both Lazarev and Kornilov were eventually deployed as modified transports. We’re tossing that aside and using the ships in the role for which they were originally intended. Stricken Russian Destroyer @ 0 knots, 300 degrees, center of table.Bespokoiny (Derzki class destroyer)The destroyer has suffered two engineering hits and so is dead in the water. The Russian player can attempt damage control rolls starting with the 2nd Game Turn. The destroyer is also assumed to have lost a single hull box, although its guns and torpedoes are still functional.Russian Light Cruiser Force @ 29 knots, 270 degrees, middle of eastern table edge.Admiral Lazarev (Svetlana class light cruiser)Admiral Kornilov (Svetlana class light cruiser)Russian Battleship Force @ 21 knots, any edge dependent on availability.Imperatrista Maria (same class battleship)Two Derzki class destroyers (Derzki; Fidonisi)German First Wave @27 knots, 135 degrees, western half of northern edge.Breslau (Magdeburg class light cruiser). Breslau has DCT.German Second Wave @23 knots, any edge dependent on availability.Goeben (Moltke class battlecruiser). Goeben has DCT for secondaries. Environmental ConditionsWinds: Light (4 knots)Waters: GlassySmoke: 2 Game TurnsVisibility: 29,000 yards (mid day)Squalls: NoneDeployment RulesLazarev and Breslau are assumed to be the flags of their respective “first waves,” and so may send wireless transmissions calling for help starting with the 1st Game Turn. Either side may attempt to jam OR transmit. And as both are assumed to be flagships for their first waves, there’s a chance of interference. Messages that get through are held on the board for the remainder of the Game Turn – and then a D6 is rolled to determine how many turns will pass before reinforcements arrive. The Game lasts for 12 + d6 turns.Here's how it went down....

[matt curtis]

The Russians successfully jammed Breslau on the 1st Turn, being confident their weight of fire gave them an immediate edge they wanted to maintain.Breslau started the scenario by making a 4-point turn to starboard and then steaming south, so as to present its port proadside to the stricken DD. The Russian ships, in line astern, angled SW. At first, they were unable to bring their 5.1” guns to bear as the range was roughly 10,000 yards and they had no DCT to support them. They wouldn’t have penetrated, anyway.Breslau, for its part, wouldn’t have managed to hit with a 4.1” shell, due to its 4 point turn and the fact that it would have been firing more than 1 battery at 7,000 yards. The German CL did have DCT. It just wasn’t enough.The Russians were able to continue jamming Breslau through the 2nd Turn. Breslau continued to pour fire at the destroyer at 6,000 yards….and got two hits as a result of “rapid fire” (1+ 2 CL as a starting point got bumped to 1+ CS because of more than one battery, with the player getting a “1” and “11”). A “6” and an “8” on the damage roll came up with a hull and a bulkhead hit, and the Bespokoiny was in sad shape. The two Svetlana class CLs were able to fire over the destroyer, and managed a single non-penetrating hull hit.3rd Turn saw Breslau get its transmission through, and one more round of firing in on the destroyer before the Svetlanas’ higher speed and superior firepower/numbers was going to force it to turn away. The destroyer failed its damage control roll, and the German crew, continuing to display excellent gunnery, got one more “rapid fire” hit, knocking out a 4” gun mount. The Bespokoiny won’t be referenced any further here, as its failure to contain its flooding would eventually kill it.The Russian CLs continued to miss. And it was determined (handed to the German player on a hand-written note), that Goeben would arrive in three Turns.4th Turn saw the German player conduct a mild turn to starboard. Breslau didn’t want the two enemy CLs to close the gap, but it would lose too much forward momentum with a sharp turn – those Svetlanas were faster.The Russians were now calling for their dreadnought to appear, and the lead ship had closed to within 6,000 yards of Breslau. But even with 1+ odds their gun crews were performing miserably. Breslau landed a single hit -- “rapid fire” for the 3rd time – but failed to get through the Lazarev’s belt.

[matt curtis]

Kids in the office, will post more later...

[Wayne Pocock]

Sounds an intresting action, how did it end ?:unsure:

[matt curtis]

Lost sight of this, sorry.To keep it relatively concise (I think the last couple of posts were maybe a bit wordy)....The Svetlanas look fierce on paper, but historically the design would have been flawed in that the 5.1"/130mm gun planned for incorporation was way inferior to the 6" Canet piece already in service with the Russian Navy. And it showed in this scenario. With the constant firing >1 battery modifier, and their lack of DCT, the Russians had to close within 2000 yards to penetrate Breslau’s armor. They did close the gap, but by then Admiral Lazarev had suffered a critical hit to its conning tower that left it steering on a westerly course during the SAME Game Turn that Goeben appeared through the northern third of the western table edge. Admiral Kornilov turned hard to port (read south), laying smoke. But Lazarev wasn’t able to alter her course. Goeben couldn’t land a hit with her locally controlled 5.9” casements – not at 8,000 yards. But she did land two 11” hits that came up with four damage rolls. Lazarev suffered a hull, bulkhead, gun and TT mount hit. While she came back under control during the following turn, and laid smoke in an attempt to disengage, she couldn’t contain the flooding during the next turn – reducing her all the way to 16 knots. She was overhauled by the two German ships and put out of her misery…Imperatrista Maria eventually entered the board through the western half of the northern table edge, and took Goeben under fire, and over the next few Game Turns she scored a a damaging hit on the German dreadnought at ranges hovering between 10-11,000 yards – knocking out an after turret. But by then the game reached its turn limit and it ended with a German win.Russian lossesBespokoiny...but that ship starts out stranded and its odds of survival aren't high.Admiral Lazarev German lossesA turret crew aboard Goeben.Still, a fun game.I had one question from the group here in town, though. The > 1 battery modifier applies even if just a single ship is shooting its main guns, right? If Goeben fires from her 11" turrets -- that one band modifier applies if more than one "to hit" roll is being made.

[Cpt M]

I had one question from the group here in town, though. The > 1 battery modifier applies even if just a single ship is shooting its main guns, right? If Goeben fires from her 11" turrets -- that one band modifier applies if more than one "to hit" roll is being made.

The 'Multiple batteries firing on same target' modifier applies when more than one 'battery' are firing on the same target. When batteries from different ships (2 ships or more firing on the same target) or different batteries from the same ship (the main guns and secondary guns of 1 ship firing on the same target), the modifier applies. So, if the Goeben fires only her 11" main guns (or only her 5.9" secondary guns) at a target, then the modifier would not apply (assuming no other ships are firing at the target), but if her 11" main guns and her 5.9" secondary guns fire at that target, then the modifier would apply. And, of course, if Goeben and Breslau fire at the same target, regardless of which battery is used, the modifier would apply.Hope this helps.

[matt curtis]

That does help. Also makes me think the results may have been a little bit different than what we came up with. But we applied our mistake, when we thought it applied, consistently.

[Jim O'Neil]

It certainly has been an interesting read ... I hope you share your continued games with us. This was certainly a novel game.

[W. Clark]

I'll try it when I get my Russians painted and commisioned.