336 replies to this topic

[simanton]

Zeppelin L 42, as seen on an overcast 12 December 1917 from Castle-class naval trawler William Beeton:

 

 

iPhone shot from the rolling deck of a trawler 

Gorgeous!

[healey36]

Thank you. A bit of fun during a lull in the action.

 

The third session is wrapping up today, and I think it might be the last in this series. Fighting convoy battles at long odds, combined with the allure of spring weather, has the game-group splintering as April approaches. I think we've accomplished much of what we set out to do, but some reworking of our "North Sea Operations" scheme will be required. Our scribe has provided me with copious notes to study/consider, and these, combined with inputs from the controller, will likely result in more than a few revamps.

 

  

[simanton]

Losing participants or venues are the constant threats!  But you seem to be evolving a great system for these scenarios!  Hope you can carry on!

[Grim]

A great endeavor non the less. I enjoyed it very much!

[healey36]

North Sea - December 1917 AAR

 

12 December 1917 (Day 3)

 

At 0040, 12 December, Heinrich’s destroyers sailed over the horizon and rendezvoused with Emden. The light cruiser had been lurking around the northern edge of Dogger Bank for the better part of two days, patiently awaiting the destroyers’ return. Within the hour, Heinrich was aboard briefing Heinecke on the destruction of the British convoy and what must have certainly been a near miss the evening before. Around 0300, a coded message was cobbled together and sent to the Bendlerblock, advising the Admiralty staff of developments. Now they would wait for 3rd Half-Flotilla’s return.

 

 

Kolbe’s remaining pair of destroyers, G 101 and V 100, were headed south at 20kts. Unbeknownst to either, Kolbe had passed less than 30 miles south of Woolcombe’s Force F just before midnight. Now, some two hours later, 3rd Half-Flotilla was just over 90 nautical miles north of Emden’s position. Barring any incident, they would rejoin the light cruiser by 0530.

 

The remaining five ships of Convoy 3 had resumed their trek to Bergen, a number of them within sight of each other. Both Partridge and Pellew had followed, while Tupper’s Force E, now rejoined by its four destroyers, maintained a screen just 20 miles to the south. The first ships of the now scattered convoy would reach Bergen at 0500, even as Convoy 4 was forming off Kleppholmen (set to depart at 1000, 12 December).

 

Convoy 2 would arrive at the mouth of the Tyne at 0500, fully intact and without incident. HMS Antrim, trailing the convoy by some 25 miles, had reported its encounter with Heinrich near sunset the day before, but this information had not been relayed to Woods in Convoy 2. This glitch was compounded by the RNAS H-12 having failed to provide a wireless report of its sighting of the German destroyers earlier in the afternoon. Convoy 2, it would seem, had escaped most fortuitously.

 

At 0100, LC Martin Dietrich, commander of Zeppelin L 42, ordered the airship to proceed 30 miles north of its current position (one which had yielded sightings of nothing but fishing boats in over 96 hours). The weather had been remarkably tranquil in their patrol zone, especially given the time of year. Meteorological reports for the 12th remained favorable, so Dietrich planned to maintain an altitude of 12000-14000 feet while expanding his patrol area by nearly 100 square miles.

 

By this point, intel reports for both sides had largely dried up. Convoy 4’s approximate departure time was known to the German Admiralty staff, but its content and escort strength was entirely unknown. It mattered little, in fact, as no German forces other than patrolling submarines were in position to challenge it. Convoy 5’s departure from Sheerness later on the 12th was also entirely unknown to the Germans.

 

The controller, upon returning for session 3 (Day 3), announced a number of house rule changes. Most were minor, having to do with randomization of any fleet assignments/operations, forces available, and their endurance; more significant was a revamp of the mine warfare rules for the operational map, primarily for units entering “friendly” minefields. Here the change would sharply reduce the risk to units moving into/through “friendly” minefields. The rationale was that minefields were being deemed impervious by players of both sides, both “friendly” and “unfriendly”, thereby blocking out broad swathes of the sea, greatly hindering movement unrealistically. Now, units moving into “friendly” minefield hexes would only see ships placed on the Mine Warfare Table if a “one” was rolled on a d12. Any other result and the unit could continue without having to engage in mine warfare. House rules for units moving into “unfriendly” minefields remained unchanged.

 

----------

 

Even as Torpedo Boat Flotilla II was making its way home, Scheer ordered his planned second phase (fictional) into operation. This involved a counter-clockwise sweep of the central North Sea and the British east coast by First and Second Scouting Groups, targeting their departure by no later than mid-day on the 12th. Scheer expected a British response to the destroyer attacks, possibly placing heavy units in the central North Sea by late this day or early the next. If no contact was made, the Scouting Groups would reach the English coast free to execute a quick raid while on a southern or southeastern heading.

 

Ordering the Scouting Groups to sea was one thing; actually getting them out to sea proved another. The plan involved Second Scouting Group leaving setting off first, with First Scouting Group following close behind in support. However, by late-1917 there was a host of operational issues, ranging from supply and fuel shortages, engineering difficulties, and an ever-increasing problem with morale amongst the enlisted ranks.

 

Konteradmiral Von Reuter, commander of Second Scouting Group, ordered steam up the evening of the 11th, but soon discovered only cruisers Frankfurt and Pillau would be available. Similarly, the 10th Half-Flotilla of 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla, assigned to join Second Scouting Group, had only two of its five destroyers (G 7 and G 8) in readiness. The anticipated strength of Flotilla 103 would be less than half that of its paper compliment.

 

Konteradmiral Boedicker, commander of First Scouting Group, ordered steam raised just after Midnight on the morning of the 12th. All five of the battlecruisers were available, but fuel and comestibles were short, so not all would sortie. As happened at Second Heligoland, only Moltke and Hindenburg would sail without escort as Flotilla 104, two hours after Flotilla 103’s departure.

 

 

Von Reuter slipped the Jade at 0218, safely passing through the narrow channel that traversed 24 miles of German minefields. Destroyers G 7 and G 8 were a few hundred yards ahead of his flag, light cruiser SMS Frankfurt, with Gaudecker’s Pillau following 500 yards behind. Frankfurt’s captain, Otto Seidensticker, stood by his side, peering out into the darkness through his Zeiss glasses. There wasn’t a man on the bridge that wasn’t painfully aware of Von Reuter’s disappointment that only two of his four light cruisers were making the run. “How far we have fallen”, the Prussian thought to himself.

 

Von Reuters Flot 103 (through fog, lol).

 

Three hours later, Boedicker’s Flotilla 104 exited the Jade and set his course north, loosely following the heading taken by Von Reuter (now passing Horn Reef on the Danish coast). Hindenburg, commanded by KzS Hans Eberius, would be his flag for the operation. Barring any incidents, Hindenburg and Moltke will exit the mine belt to reach open water within 30 minutes.

 

Around this time, the first cargo ships of Convoy 3 began trickling into Bergen. The 3800-ton Norwegian Kong Magnus was first, soon followed by the Danish collier Maracaibo. Over the next ninety minutes, three others reached the harbor, with only the British steamer Cordova missing. As they make their way up the inland channel, they pass the ships of Convoy 4, assembled near Kleppholmen. Steam up, Convoy 4 will sail at 1000.

 

Norwegian freighter SS Kong Magnus.

 

The intact Convoy 2 reaches the Tyne at 0506, turning inland for Newcastle. The area at the mouth of the river, a popular haunt for submarines, is thick with patrol craft. As destroyers Rother and Moy turn away, Woods can breathe easier, his charges all delivered to their destination.

 

Kolbe’s battered destroyers finally reach Emden’s position shortly after 0700. There, Kolbe transfers a number of his badly wounded to Emden. Even in the darkness, it’s not difficult to see the considerable damage to G 101 and V 100. Within the hour, the transfer of the wounded complete, Heinicke, Kolbe, and Heinrich set off to the southeast for Wilhelmshaven.

 

At 1000, Convoy 4 departs Bergen. Destroyers Acasta, Owl, and trawler George Bligh take positions on the convoy’s perimeter. Lieutenant-Commander Alfred Foote, CO of Acasta, has command of the escorts.

 

Other than a storm that forms west of Lerwick and quickly passes off the northern map-edge, the weather is remarkably calm. Bright sunshine and a light breeze. L 42, now about 70 miles north of its patrol position the day before, sees nothing. If it had remained in the same approximate position as the day before, it would surely have observed Woolcombe’s Force F motoring across the North Sea, headed back to Scapa as a brisk 25kts. Von Reuter’s Flot 103 briefly sails just 40 miles south of Woolcombe’s light cruisers.

 

Commodore (RNVR) Arthur Midmer’s Convoy 5 assembles as they set sail from Sheerness at 1118. Ten nautical miles north of the mouth of the Thames they meet the escorts, HMS Dee and HMS Cherwell, two River-class destroyers, along with HMS Ceanothus, an Anchusa-class sloop, and HMT Hugh Black. The merchant ships (seven British and one Swedish) are arranged in two columns of four ships. HMS Cherwell is positioned 600 yards off the port bow, HMS Dee some 700 yards off the starboard bow. Sloop HMS Ceanothus is positioned amongst the merchants, behind SS Corsham and just ahead of SS Intent. Midmer has established his command aboard SS Carmelite, a 5800 ton freighter heading the port column. Turning north, Midmer's watch reads high-Noon.

For the next four hours, no one sees or encounters anyone. By 1354, Emden and the destroyers have rounded Lutje Horn and slipped into the Wadden Sea. At 1500, with less than an hour of sunlight remaining, they reach the mouth of the Jade.

 

Two hours later, Convoy 5 passes HMS Antrim in the darkness. The sky is clear, but there is little moonlight. At 1818, a message is relayed to Scottish Coast Command from RN submarine E39, reporting a number of warships on a south-southwestern heading some 40 miles east of the Long Forties. There’s confusion about this report, ultimately dismissed as a sighting of Woolcombe’s Force F returning to Scapa, which actually passes 65 miles north of the reported position. It is, in fact, Von Reuter’s light cruisers, having turned for a run down Britain’s east coast.

 

At 1854, Midmer’s Convoy 5 rounds the Norfolk coast, the passage of the dimmed Cromer Light noted in the log. The weather remains clear, the wireless quiet, the seas relatively calm. Lieutenant Frank Craven, commander of HMS Cherwell peers ahead into the darkness. The old destroyer knifes through the North Sea at just 12kts, the lines of freighters belching black coal smoke behind them. In eight hours they should be on the Humber.

[healey36]

And here's the last bit:

 

North Sea - December 1917 AAR

 

13 December 1917 (Day 4)

 

By Midnight, Convoy 5 is less than 50 miles from Hull. The sliver that is the moon has moved across the sky, shedding little light on the sea. Twenty miles to the east is the extensive mine-belt that extends some 90 miles along the coast, but no sense of protection is derived from it. The near constant presence of enemy submarines within “The War Channel” puts paid to that.

 

Controller's map, 0200 13 December 1917

 

Von Reuter has taken a huge gamble choosing to venture down that channel; should he encounter a superior force, his option will be to stand and fight, turn and retreat back up the channel, or turn east and venture across the mine-belt. His hope is he can sink a handful of merchant ships, exit the southern end before all hell breaks loose, than turn east and run for home. Boedicker maintains a course some 40 miles east of Von Reuter, well outside the mine-belt.

 

At 0242, a report from the masthead has smoke sighted off the starboard bow. Von Reuter turns to look in that direction, but can see nothing. Twelve minutes later, a second report confirms the sighting, estimated range at 12000 yards. Von Reuter orders a course change to starboard, intent on having a look at whatever apparently lies ahead. Turning to Seidensticker, he orders Frankfurt’s jamming equipment activated.

 

Midmer, in his cabin when the alert goes up, dashes to the wheelhouse. The first indication of trouble is the blanket of interference detected in Carmelite’s radio-shack. Midmer has experienced this before and recognizes it for what it is. Within minutes, Dee signals it has a sighting of ships ahead off the starboard bow, closing rapidly.  Pesumed as unfriendly, Midmer wastes no time. A scant fifteen miles from the mouth of the Humber, he orders the convoy to disperse and make their way in individually.

 

Being this close to Hull, every captain on every freighter made an identical calculation of his new course – basically a straight line to the mouth of the Humber, around Spurn Bight, then into Hull. Speed was imperative; every ship’s telegraph was shoved to flank, sending the stokers to shoveling like madmen. Funnels belch clouds of smoke, ash, and fluttering sparks as the ships’ masters push for refuge, now just twelve miles away.

 

Destroyers Dee and Cherwell turn away in the direction of the contact, intent on keeping themselves between the presumed enemy and the scattering freighters. Detaching from the column of freighters, Cochrane has Ceanothus reduce speed to drop behind, hoping to lure some or all of the threat to him.

 

HMS Ceanothus.

 

Von Reuter maintains his speed at 20kts and presses ahead. At 0306, a British destroyer looms out of the darkness on Frankfurt’s starboard side, not more than 2300 yards off. The German’s 5.9-inch battery fires, hitting Dee once below deck, just ahead of her conning tower on her starboard side. The round penetrates to her magazine, starting a fire that is quickly and fortuitously extinguished. Pillau also fires on the largely obscured Dee as she passes, scoring no hits. Dee manages a glancing 3-inch hit on Pillau’s hull which fails to penetrate.

 

Minutes later, G 7 spots a trawler just a few hundred yards ahead and both vessels are forced to take evasive action. G 7 heels sharply to port, managing to narrowly miss colliding with the boat’s stern, even as HMT Hugh Black fires its 3-inch as the DD skews past. The round misses, sailing over the German’s aft gun-mount.

 

HMS Dee under fire.

 

G 7’s near miss of the trawler, however, has Von Reuter order the column into a 20-degree course change to port. For the convoy, this is nearly miraculous, as the German’s course change and speed, combined with the heading and speed of the so-far unseen freighters, sees the range rapidly begin to increase. Now at more than 5000 yards, high die-roll results on the Dark Acquisition table obliterated any hope of the German cruisers laying waste to Midmer’s merchant ships.

 

Cherwell manages an intelligible wireless message which is heard by the station at Tunstall, then quickly relayed to Rosyth Command. Within an hour, Leveson was advised at Scapa Flow. Despite the earlier preparations, it would be three hours before battlecruisers Inflexible, Indomitable, and destroyers Mansfield, Menace, and Mischief are at sea. By then, Von Reuter has rounded the southern end of the mine-belt and is nearly 80 miles out on his way home. Boedicker and his battlecruisers are even further ahead.

 

Another glancing blow by the Kaiser’s Navy, Scheer’s December operation draws to a close.   

 

[healey36]

Losing participants or venues are the constant threats!  But you seem to be evolving a great system for these scenarios!  Hope you can carry on!

My expectation that folks might dedicate four or five weekends to this slog was greatly misplaced, almost certainly unfair. Still, I think folks generally had fun and we learned a lot, even if it ended rather anticlimactically. Budget-wise, the beer expense was brutal!

 

I want to say that the controller and the umpire were fantastic. There were times when things bogged down in confusion, but those guys managed to quickly clear that away and get things moving again. I can't understate the pleasure of having good admin for these sorts of things.

[healey36]

A great endeavor non the less. I enjoyed it very much!

Thanks. This was our first operational campaign using some house rules, and I'm exhausted. I unintentionally put the group through the wringer...might be a year before ships hit the table again 

[W. Clark]

Hey, things change, and life moves on. I used to have access to 20 plus people and now it's the three of us. So, I changed my campaigning from huge Napoleonic efforts to Colonial and now to Naval as I needed much less in the ways bodies to keep at it. 

[healey36]

When I put together the OOB for this campaign, I tried to incorporate a few things that would be unanticipated/weird (you know me...I'm a slave to the esoteric). The employment of Q-ships has always fascinated me, so I endeavored to add one...somewhere.

 

It's a bit weird here, as the campaign was expected to be primarily a struggle between surface units. Q-ships, as I understand their employment, were developed as a counter-measure to the submarine threat. They were intended as a decoy, an innocent-looking tramp that lured the sub in on the surface, only to drop its props and sink the enemy with some substantial tucked-away ordnance. My first encounter with the concept was reading Thomas' Raiders of the Deep, and there have been a number of other books offering accounts since.

 

I suspect much of the story is laced with a lot of mythology, stuff cooked down and/or exaggerated over the many decades since the end of the war. But with almost any fiction, there are traces of truth throughout. There were two key characteristics of the early Q-ships: 1) they were typically and deceptively armed to the teeth, and 2) they were modified to enhance the ability to remain afloat while absorbing a terrific beating. With this in mind, I set off to cobble together a Q for our North Sea campaign.

 

One of the things I learned while doing some reading is that there were really two "prototypes" of the Q-ship. Early in the war, vessels were requisitioned and converted for the purpose. No two were the same, and commanders had great leeway in adding protection and armament. There are some great stories of Q-ships whose holds were packed with things such as basswood and/or balsa lumber, large numbers of empty sealed oil drums, or bales of various water-impervious materials, all intended to aid with flotation. Some of the most successful were sailing ships, vessels that were beginning to disappear from the shipping company rosters even before the war. Part of the lure was to look pathetic, and what looked more pathetic than an old, well-worn square-rigged brig in the age of steam. 

 

Once there was some success, i.e. proof-of-concept, the Royal Navy commissioned purpose-built Q-ships in the form of the Aubrietia-class and Anchusa-class sloops, among others. These were built to look like typical tramp steamers and were added to a convoy's register, or sent out as lone wolves in sheep's clothing. Their record was one of considerable success, but they suffered terrible casualties as well. The U-boat crews grew leery, and a hair-trigger developed on both sides. It seems a deadly game.

 

An Anchusa-class sloop.

 

Initially I planned to just use a generic steamer from the fleet cabinets and designate it a Q-ship, but later I found that Viking Forge carried a model of a "Flower-class" sloop that approximated the Anchusa-class. From the list, I chose HMS Ceanothus, one of the class that has a number of photos out there. The proportions and dimensions aren't precise, apparently there being some variation within the class that sprung from which yard built them. Ceanothus was one of eight built by Armstrong Whitworth in two tranches. My interpretation of the Viking Forge model:

 

HMS Ceanothus, 1/2400-scale, Viking Forge.

 

There were no masts on the model, and I chose not to include one on the fore-deck as some photos I've seen show that to have been removed or shortened (or they were simply built without). I like the balance seen in the photo, however, so if I build another, I'll likely include both.

 

Regardless, the real issue is making an FAI log for her. Tonnage is easy enough to come by, but is it meaningful when deriving hull-boxes if the ship had below-deck compartments packed with airtight drums and/or lumber. There's at least one account of an Aubrietia-class Q taking a torpedo hit and a large number of shell hits at the waterline, only to remain afloat for hours.

 

The other question is what was her armament. Being an "Admiralty-class" Q-ship, one would expect some consistency across sources, but of course there isn't. The best guess is a couple of 4-inch QF on pedestal mounts, along with one or two 3-inch AA, similarly mounted. Depth charges capabilities is unclear. No torpedoes. I've even seen mention of a 7.5-inch mortar in the original design.

 

Anyway, here's the log we came up with:

 

 

Any thoughts/suggestions/corrections appreciated. And yes, we went a bit crazy with the hull-boxes.

 

 

 

 

[healey36]

Saw this while researching other stuff - a nice photo of U. S. S. Chicago at Brooklyn Navy Yard following her 1899 refit:



Spars and sails removed, she was re-boilered and received new triple-expansion engines, had her main armament replaced with four 8-inch, and all of her secondary replaced with new 5-inch Mk3. Her wartime experience was limited.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

[simanton]

"War color" paint scheme was definitely left over from the War with Spain.  Main armament original 8" Mark 2 were replaced by (probably) Mark 3 or 4.  I believe there is still a lovely "as built" model of her at The Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Nauticus, Norfolk, VA.

[healey36]

Hey, things change, and life moves on. I used to have access to 20 plus people and now it's the three of us. So, I changed my campaigning from huge Napoleonic efforts to Colonial and now to Naval as I needed much less in the ways bodies to keep at it. 

I fear the demographics are running against us, lol. A fridge full of beer and soda, some homemade cookies, and promises of Italian grinders from the local shop doesn't even draw them in. I can't complain, as two of these guys made the trek from Valley Forge, Pa., so effort was made. The local game group has largely disbanded, so I'm left to call around.

 

There's a place in town called Tables & Towers that caters to the Warhammer/D&D crowd with vast game-space and accoutrements. I'm wondering if I went over there with a couple guys and set up Plate or an MP tank battle, if (1) the place would accommodate us and (2) could we attract a few orc-lovers over to the Kriegsmarine or 8th Army. Maybe I'll flip them a note.

[W. Clark]

If you are going to use 1:1250 scale, then River Plate or Denmark Strait are excellent introductory scenarios IMHO. Not only are they easy to play; the ships involved are just gorgeous (also IMHO). The Graf Spee and Bismarck/Prinz Eugen paint schemes has always drawn onlookers in my experience (and the Hood is my favorite ship for looks). And some of those onlookers decided to play when offered the chance. So, for what's worth IMHO it's a good idea to generate interest where interest might not have even know it was interested. For some reason, the Pacific just does not generate as much interest from onlookers which befuddles me as I much prefer the Pacific to the Atlantic. 

 

WMC

[simanton]

Yes, nice camo schemes do draw interest.  If you are looking to you are looking to draw fantasy players into Napoleonics, see if you can find old Flintloque sets.  Basically it has a time warp mashing to two genre's together, so that the British are orcs, the French elves, the germanic types dwarves and the Russians are the undead!  Kinda fun!

[healey36]

If you are going to use 1:1250 scale, then River Plate or Denmark Strait are excellent introductory scenarios IMHO. Not only are they easy to play; the ships involved are just gorgeous (also IMHO). The Graf Spee and Bismarck/Prinz Eugen paint schemes has always drawn onlookers in my experience (and the Hood is my favorite ship for looks). And some of those onlookers decided to play when offered the chance. So, for what's worth IMHO it's a good idea to generate interest where interest might not have even know it was interested. For some reason, the Pacific just does not generate as much interest from onlookers which befuddles me as I much prefer the Pacific to the Atlantic. 

 

WMC

Tables & Towers flipped me an email yesterday saying they welcome all table-top games, and one is free to bring their own gear. No reservations are required if there's no tournament-play happening (the tournament schedule is apparently published on their website). I think their standard table is ~ 4x8; don't know how amenable they'd be to pushing a few together.

 

The fleet cabinets contain very few 1:1250-scale so, if we do this, 1:2400 will likely be tasked. I agree that good introductory scenarios would involve just a few ships. I think the first time I'd get 1-2 guys to go with me and we'd play something that involves a few more ships, letting people see what we're up to, ask questions, maybe line them up for a future session (if there's interest). I'd even be willing to buy some miniatures and hand them out as an inducement. First run-through with a newbie would definitely be a half-dozen ships or less on the table.

 

One of the guys from our "group" has some nicely painted IJN he's been wanting to mash up; maybe we'll come up with something using those and the few WWII USN ships I have.

[healey36]

Yes, nice camo schemes do draw interest.  If you are looking to you are looking to draw fantasy players into Napoleonics, see if you can find old Flintloque sets.  Basically it has a time warp mashing to two genre's together, so that the British are orcs, the French elves, the germanic types dwarves and the Russians are the undead!  Kinda fun!

That sounds interesting, sorta. I have a copy of ODGW's Historical Battlelines that I've never cracked the spine on; maybe I should break that out.

 

Agreed, camo always raises the bar for visual interest. The USN had some zany measures in the Pacific (possibly in the Atlantic as well), but they are really complicated/fiddly at 1:2400 and smaller.

[W. Clark]

That is why I suggest 1:1250 scale. Kind of like using honey to catch flies. You can turn them onto other scales once you have drawn them in. I have a 25mm Castle and Baron's Wars era figures that I occasionally set up at a local game store that has a large room with open gaming. The common users are mostly fantasy players and medieval is a natural draw for them. I just go there and set up and the next thing I knew I had 3 or 4 people interested in playing with more watching. I used really simple rules, but the draw was a castle with wood brattice on the battlements and a lot of well paint coats of arms. They had a good time and they talked it up so the next I time would have some of the same and a few newcomers. I would never try that using 1:6000 as it simply is too small to give the visual appeal I'm looking for. I never tried the naval there, I did that at cons to draw in players from other areas of interest. I'd draw them in with River Plate or better yet Denmark Strait. Then later in the Con I would run Denmark Strait the way Rader envisioned with Tirpitz, the Scharnhorsts and every available heavy cruiser matched by the Royal Navy with the collection of ships it used to hunt the Bismarck.

 

WMC

[healey36]

What’s a good source of 1250-scale stuff anymore? I think I have six ships, three of which are modern.

That dang D&D movie opens tomorrow; probably won’t be able to get a table after Saturday anyway , lol.

[simanton]

Alnavco http://alnavco.com/ has been a great source for decades!