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[W. Clark]

Armada Espana vs 3^rd Squadron

Early June 1940 off Majorca

Franco got off the pot and realized that if he wanted France’s colonies in Morrocco and Algeria that he was going to have to put out for Herr Hitler and do it now. Franco declared war on France.

 

VAdm Duplat thought, “This is too much” when he heard the news. Is everyone going to declare on France? But his mind immediately shifted to revenge and he decided to sink the Armada Espana then and there.

 

VAdm Duplat commanded the Marine Francaise’s 3^rd Squadron based in Toulon. Duplat would strike at Majorca, believing that would draw the Espana Armada out.

3^rd Squadron (Fleet): VAdm Duplat

1^st Cru Div: VAdm Duplat

CAs Algerie FF, Foch, Colbert & Dupleix

3^rd Leger Squadron: RAdm Derrien

1^st Contre-Torpilleur Div: DDs Aigle, Lion & Vauban

3^rd Contre-Torpilleur Div: DDs Guepard, Valmy & Verdun

5^th Contre-Torpilleur Div: DDs Chevalier Paul SF & Tartu

7^th Contre-Torpilleur Div: DDs Albatros, Gerfaut & Vautor

9^th Contre-Torpilleur Div: DDs Cassard

1^st DesDiv: DDs Le Mars, Le Palme & Tempete

Espana Armada: Adm Juan Valdes

Cru Sqdn: Adm Juan Valdes

CA Canarias FF

CLs Almirante Cerveva, Miguel Cervantes & Libertad

DesFlot: RAdm Gravina

CL Mendez Nunez DF

1^st DesDiv: DDs Almirante Antequera, Churruca, Escano & Jorge Juan

2^nd DesDiv: DDs Almirante Ferrandiz, Lepanto, Gravina & Almirante Valdes

3^rd DesDiv: DDs Almirante Miranda, Jose Luis Diez, Ciscar & Alcala Galiano

 

The wind was Force 5 (I rolled an 8 but it’s the Med) Easterly at 20 knots. It was 0400 hours and dawn was 57 minutes away (it never arrived) . It was then expected that visibility would increase 6,000 yards every 6 minutes until the expected max visibility of 12,000 yards was reached. Apparently, the Spanish and French take a dim view of daylight in these waters (or I rolled a pair each of 3, 2 & 1 on six D6, go figure). Visibility to the west would be reduced 4,000 yards until max visibility was reached.

There was no sea haze (what, no further reduction in visibility) but there were squalls; 4 of them at 0400 hours with more to come. Visibility was reduced by 5,000 yards (I knew the reductions could not be over yet) when looking out of or into a squall. Apparently, the rain in Spain has left the plain.

The Moon State was a Quarter and the cloudy sky while not helping did not further hinder.

 

Armada Espana was heading North at 25 knots. They were arrayed with their DesFlot in the lead and the cruiser squadron behind. A long column indeed with 3,000 yards between each of its elements. The 3^rd Squadron was heading West at 25 knots. The 3^rd Leger Sqdn led but was split with C-T Divs 5, 1 & 3 arrayed in divisional columns from port to starboard. Then came the cruiser division in column. This was followed by C-T Divs 7 & 9 as well as 1^st DesDiv in a column. The van and the tail were each separated from the cruisers by 3,000 yards.

 

0406 hours Mendez Nunez and Chevalier Paul acquire one another at 8,000 yards. Chevalier Paul’s relative bearing to the Nunez was 45 degrees to starboard. Nunez missed. Chevalier Paul did not and hit Nunez once to no effect (I rolled even). But Paul had withheld enough guns (2 out of 5) to fire star shell at Nunez to no avail (it was dud). I don’t know your opinion but to me this seems just so French and Spanish.

 

0409 hours Armada Espana begins turning 90 degrees to port in succession to form line of battle. The French increased speed and their Van began shaking out into a line of battle with Paul making a two-point turn to port to close the range a bit. The Armada Espana also increased speed.

But the next divisions up could not see 8,000 yards, but they still acquired Nunez and Paul due to their having fired. Nunez now hit Paul twice (I can apparently roll odd for Spain). Paul used her entire battery against Nunez and her gunners confused by some many shell splashes missed entirely. The Espana 1^st DesDiv engaged Paul also and missed. Tartu engaged Almirante Antequera and hit her twice. But Aigle, Lion and Vauban fired at Nunez and missed. Paul had a bulkhead damaged and her FC knocked out. Paul slowed to 32 knots as did the rest of the 3^rd Leger Sqdn. Antequera lost both her TT mounts.

 

0412 hours Paul failed to fix her bulkhead, took more hull damage and slowed to 29 knots taking the 3^rd Leger Sqdn with her. RAdm Derrien ordered C-T Divs 1 & 3 to pass C-T Div 1 up to port. Both sides cruisers continued to increase speed to flank. C-T 1 & 3 were approaching on a heading of 225 degrees when aigle turned two points to starboard to decrease the angle and the rest of her division and 3 followed her. C-T 5 fell in behind 1 & 3 as best it could at 29 knots. The next Espana DesDivs up didn’t see any better or even as well as Nunez had. But the cruiser sqdn could see 6,000 yards. Unfortunately, the French 1^st Cruiser
Division could see 8,000 yards.

Nunez now fired at Aigle and hit her once. Aigle fired back and missed. Antequera fired at Lion and missed. Lion fired back and missed so badly she almost hit Africa. Churruca fired at Vauban and missed. Vauban fired back and missed. Escano fired at Guepard and missed. Guepard fired back and missed. Jorge Juan fired at Valmy and hit her (promote that gunner) once. Valmy fired back and hit the Juan twice (distinctly a case of French one upmanship). DesDiv 2 fired collectively at Verdun and hit her twice. Verdun fired back at Ferrandiz and missed. The French cruisers were unengaged and fired at their opposite numbers. Algerie fired at Canarias and missed. Foch fired at Almirante Cerveva and hit her twice. Colbert fired at Miguel Cervantes and missed. Dupleix fired at Libertad and missed.

Aigle lost her fore TT mount. Valmy had her DC damaged and was set afire. Juan lost bother fore guns. Verdun lost her fore TT and suffered hull damage that slowed her to 32 knots. Cerveva took two hull hits that slowed her and the rest of the cruiser sqdn to 21 knots.

The French cruiser’s secondaries fired star shell at the Spanish cruisers. Algerie lit Canarias up as did Colbert and Dupleix to Cervantes and Libertad.

 

0415 hours Paul fixed her bulkhead. Valmy did not put her fire out and suffered minor hull damage. Aigle and her accompanying destroyers were beginning to edge ahead of Nunez at 36 knots to 29. The range had already closed inside 6,000 yards and the French destroyers fired off their torpedoes at Nunez and DesDiv 1. Nunez and DesDiv 1 returned the favor without realizing just yet that it was reciprocal. The French continued to close and Nunez turned two-points to port to keep her broadside in arc and the Spanish line followed.

Nunez and DesDivs 1, 2 & 3 engaged C-T Divs 3, 5 & 1, firing at their opposite number except for DesDiv 3 that all engaged Verdun. The cruisers having now acquired each other followed suit. C-T Divs 7 & 9 and DesDiv 1 continued to hold their fire and were not acquired.

Nunez with the range down to 4,000 yards hit Aigle thrice. Aigle missed. DesDiv 1 at that same range fired rapidly at C-T 1 hitting Aigle once, Lion twice and Vauban twice also. Only Vauban hit back but she hit Churruca thrice. DesDiv 2 fired at C-T 3 hitting Guepard, Valmy & Verdun once each. Guepard firing back hit Escano thrice while Valmy hit Juan once. Verdun missed. Ferrandiz hit Paul once, while the rest of DesDiv 2 missed. Paul’s return fire missed but Tartu hit Lepanto thrice. Algerie hit Canarias twice. Colbert hit Cerveva thrice. Foch hit Cervantes thrice. Dupleix hit Libertad once. Canarias hit Algerie once. Cerveva hit Foch once. Cervantes missed and Libertad hit Dupleix once.

Aigle lost her remaining TT mount and suffered hull damage and a hit to her engines that slowed her to 23 knots. Lion took two hits to her DC and was set afire twice. Vauban suffered hull and engine damage that slowed her to 23 knots. Guepard lost her fore TT mount. Valmy had her rudder jammed to center. Verdun lost her FC. Churruca had her DC damaged, was set afire, lost her fore gun and had a bulkhead damaged slowing her to 31 knots. Escano had her DC damaged, was set afire, lost her fore TT mount and her fore gun. Juan took an engine hit that slowed her to 23 knots. Paul lost a gun mount. Lepanto lost 2 gun mounts and suffered an engine hit that slowed her to 23 knots. Canarais had her FP facilities damaged and a major fire set as well as hull damage that slowed her to 30 knots. Cerveva lost her fore gun and suffered hull and bulkhead damage that slowed her to 10 knots allowing her to fall out of line. Libertad lost a TT mount. Algerie suffered a critical hit to her engines that slowed her and her div to 20 knots. Foch suffered hull damage that slowed her to 28 knots. Dupleix took a bridge hit.

Both cruiser groups fired star shell at each other. All, the Spanish were illuminated as were the French (Spanish star shell worked 4 out of 5).

 

0418 hours Damage control parties in both fleets were working hard. Aigle broke her engine beyond repair. Lion failed to put a fire out and took hull damage that slowed her to 32 knots, Vauban failed to fix her engine. Valmy failed to unjam her rudder. Verdun failed to fix her FC. Churruca failed to fix her bulkhead and suffered hull damage that slowed her to 31 knots as well further minor hull damage. Escano failed to fix her fire and took minor hull damage. Juan failed to fix her engine. Lepanto broke her engine beyond repair. Canarais failed to fix her fire and suffered hull damage that slowed her to 26 knots. Cerveva failed to fix her bulkhead and the resultant damage slowed her to 5 knots. Algerie broke her engine beyond repair. OK, OK I said they were working hard, in my defense I did not say they were working smart.

With the range between them under 6,000 yards both side’s cruisers fired their surviving TT at each other’s opposite. Derrien now ordered the French Van to break off under smoke and the French Rear to torpedo attack the Spanish cruiser group. The Armada Espana continued to follow Nunez.

Aigle tried to evade but hit once by Nunez, took 4 hull and another engine hit knocking her DIW. Lion tried to evade but was hit twice by Antequera and was sunk. Vauban failed to evade and was hit once by Churruca and was sunk. Guepard hit Escano once and she took 4 hull and an engine hit that slowed her to 11 knots. The rest of the French missed except for Verdun who hit Juan once, sinking her.

The Spanish DesFlot had no targets due to smoke. But the cruisers were all illuminated and fired at their opposites. Algerie finally got on target and hit Canarais twice. Foch managed to miss completely. Colbert on the other hand hit Cerveva 6 times. Dupleix hit Liberta thrice. Canarais missed as did Cerveva. Cervantes hit Foch once. Libertad hit Dupleix thrice.

Canarais had her FP facilities damaged and suffered a major fire and lost her fore turret. Cerveva had her FP facilities damaged, a major fire set, lost a TT, had 3 gun mounts knocked out and suffered a hit to her engines that slowed her to 21 knots. Foch lost a TT. Dupleix lost a TT and took two critical hits that knocked out her FC and damaged her bridge.

Both groups of cruisers continued to fire star shell and illuminated each other except for Colbert.

 

0421 hours. Aigle broke her other engine beyond repair (requires a tow to the dockyard). Valmy broke her rudder beyond repair. Verdun failed to fix her FC. Churruca failed to fix her bulkhead and other minor hull damage that slowed her to 11 knots. Escano put her fire out. Cerveva failed to fix her bulkhead and sank. Canarais failed to put her major fire out and the resultant hull damage slowed her to 21 knots. Dupleix broke her FC beyond repair.

The French Rear fired off all their bearing TT at the Spanish cruisers.

Cervantes torpedoed Foch once. Foch took 3 hull and lost her aft turret reducing her to 20 knots. Foch and Colbert missed. Algerie and Dupleix each hit Canarais and Libertad once each. Canarais took 5 hull and an engine hit. Canarais sank taking Adm Valdes with her. Libertad took 2 hull and a critical hit that damaged her engine that reduced her to 21 knots.

The French continued to star shell the Spanish.

 

But the loss of Adm Valdes broke the Espana Armada’s morale and the they broke off the action. VAdm Duplat had his cruisers shell Port Mahon to put a period on his statement to Franco.

 

I thought I’d try the Med for change.

 

WMC

 

[Kenny Noe]

Entertaining as always!   Thanks

[W. Clark]

It sometimes seems to me that when I devise a scenario for the French and certainly for the Spanish that the dice develop a sense of humor that is quite cruel.

 

WMC

[W. Clark]

The Spanish torpedoes are pretty good. Not surprising when you realize they are really just early marks of British torpedoes. Nevertheless, it always surprises me when they outperform the Dutch and now the French.

 

WMC

[Kenny Noe]

It sometimes seems to me that when I devise a scenario for the French and certainly for the Spanish that the dice develop a sense of humor that is quite cruel.

 

WMC

Hahahaha....   damn dice!!

[W. Clark]

Apparently, someone convinced the French that they did not need quad TT mounts, let alone quintuplet mounts. Nope, triples are just the best and who needs a somewhat better chance of hitting than triples provide. My answer, the French do.

 

WMC