Well, with a fair bit of disappointment, we failed to get our GQIII Rösselsprung scenario on the table...just too many other commitments that jammed the holiday schedule. We've rescheduled the "official" play for March or April, but intend a bit of playtesting, possibly a play-through prior.
We have, however, played through the "base" game, ATO's "Arctic Disaster", a boardgame I'd helped play-test way back when it was in development. The idea was to play the operation out on the board, then shift to the table with any tactical clash of naval units using the GQIII ruleset.
Preliminary operational play tracked pretty close to the historical line, although the chronology was a bit off due to some orders given by First Sea Lord Pound. A number of poor decisions were made, primarily with PQ-17's course and speed. Suffice it to say that the convoy's speed was too slow and its course too close to the Norwegian coast, allowing the U-boats to assemble quickly in a favorable position. It also resulted in a longer exposure to air attacks which, similar to the play-test sessions years ago, proved devastating. Once word came that a German surface attack seemed imminent, the scatter order was given.
With the scatter order, the cover force was dispatched to deal with suspected German surface raiders. No sooner than the course to the southeast had been planned, the cover force came under air attack in the late afternoon. A number of Heinkel 115's broke through the screen and past the "cap", dropping torpedoes intended for HMS Victorious. Thankfully all missed. However, July days are long in this part of the Arctic, and a few hours later a second attack materialized, this by a few Heinkel 111 torpedo bombers. Once past the ineffective Fairey Fulmar interceptors, one Heinkel was shot down by AA, the others descending onto the deck concentrating on Victorious. Five torpedoes in the water, one bulkhead hit, quickly reducing her max speed by two-thirds and giving her a list sufficient to prevent launching/recovering aircraft. Tovey split his force, detaching a couple of heavy cruisers and a large number of destroyers to escort the wounded carrier south-westward, then directed Duke of York, Washington, along with six destroyers to continue on to find and engage the enemy.
Somewhere to the south-southwest, Tirpitz, Sheer, and six destroyers plowed ahead. According to their latest intel, continuing at their current speed and heading should put them on the tail of the convoy early the next day. A Luftwaffe report from a Heinkel 59 search aircraft had the cover force a considerable distance behind the convoy and slinking off to the west. The risk seemed low, so no order to breakoff was issued.
AAR to follow.
