Turn 1
Control:
Axis -- S. Atlantic, Med, Baltic
Allied -- N. Atlantic, N. Sea, Barents
Points: Axis +3
Ships sunk:
Allied -- Rodney
Axis -- Hipper and Blucher go down to very strong gunfire. Andrea D.
and Lutzow also sunk.
Turn 2
Control:
Allied -- N. & S. Atlantic and N. Sea -- Allied 3
Axis -- Barents, Baltic, Med -- Axis 5
Net gain +2 for Axis -- total now Axis +5
German ships hit: Scheer sunk, Gneisenau 3d
Allied ships hit: Repulse, Cumberland, & Devonshire all sunk
Turn 3
Turn 3 sees the Allied navy attempting to enforce the blockade....
The convoy does not sail for Russia in retaliation for no Russian support in the Baltic. (Better luck next time Stalin).
The following are the ship placements:
Allied Placement:
Convoy does NOT sail / Russians failed entry rolls
Repair: Renown, Warspite
Barents: Ark Royal, Victorious, Hood, Suffolk, Kent, Norfolk, POW,
KGV, DOY
North Atlantic: Eagle (d1), Glorious, Queen Elizabeth (d2), Malaya,
Barham, Valient
South Atlantic: Dorsetshire, Sussex, Royal Oak, Exeter
N. Sea: Balance of force
Axis Placement:
Baltic: Gneisenau (damaged but still on patrol)
Barents: All 5 German ships and the Air
S.Atlantic: All 4 1-1-7's and all 5 U-Boats
Med.: All 5 of Italy's finest....
Combat:
South Atlantic -- No control
Allied Anti-sub warfare was only able to disable one U-boat. 3 German
U-boats then swarmed the Royal Oak causing 3 damage. Meanwhile a lone
U-boat sent torps in the thin skinned Exeter blowing it out of the
water. The scene is now set for a battle of 1 damaged BB and 2 CA's
verses 4 of Italy's finest CA's.
During surface combat the Zara was sunk and the Dorsetshire was sent to Neutral port in the first round of combat. The Italian navy was considering retreat but decided to stay for another round of combat -- the result was two more disabled Italian ships sent back Brazil and the sinking of Royal Oak. Now the scene was set for a Cruiser duel. After a few rounds the cruisers mutually destroyed each other.
Barents -- British Control
Allied Swordfish flying from carriers scored a few good hits on the
Tirpitz (6) the Scharnhorst (1) and the Spee (disabled). The Axis
Condors from Norway's fiords flew out to engage the BB's. The
resulting bombing only damaged the POW (thick fog was the reported
cause of the failure to damage more ships).
The surface combat proved that British gunners had trained well. Gunfire sunk the Scharnhorst, Bismarck and Disabled the Tirpitz and Eugen. Seeing the Bismarck burst into a flaming hulk, German return fire was awful. Only the KGV was sunk. All German ships are now removed from the area....or at least the SURFACE of the Barents....
Final Score: Even 3 to 3....No point change
Turn 4
British Placement:
Barents: Ark Royal, Victorious, Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hood, POW
(d3), DOY, Anson (SR- fail)
North Sea: Formidable, Courageous, 4 4-4-3's, Nelson, Valiant,
Warspite
North Atlantic: Texas, Barham, Eagle (d1), Glorious, Convoy 1A
South Atlantic: Dorsetshire, QE (d2), Malaya, Renown
Baltic: Okt Rev
Axis Placement:
Baltic: Eugen, Spee, Zeppelin
N. Atlantic: 7 U-boats
Barents: Air unit
Med.: All Italian units including the 2 117's
Repair: Tirpitz - 6, "Big G" 2 points out of 3
Axis Air in Baltic fails to find it's target but in the Barents. Both the Ark Royal and POW fall victim to massive bombs. Allied Air is driven away from the shipyards.
ASW in N. Atlantic sinks 2 and disables 3 U-boats. U-boats fail to sink convoy.
In the Baltic suface action, German gunners put 3 holes in Russian while Russian misses. Second round puts the Russina under.
No change.... both sides with 3 points and N. Atlantic having no control
Turn 5
Allied Placement:
North Atlantic: Eagle (d1), Convoy 2B, Formidable, New York,
Augusta
North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, Nelson, 4 4-4-3's, Barham
South Atlantic: QE (d2), Malaya, Valiant, Dorsetshire
Barents: Illustrious, Victorious, Convoy 1A, Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk,
Hood, DOY, Anson, Renown, Howe, Warspite
Air in Med.
Axis Placement:
Baltic: All German
Med: All Italy but Pola
Italy: Pola
S. Atl.: 7 U-boats
Barent: Air unit
Axis Air sunk the Illustrious but the convoy lands.
Allied Air damaged the Fiume (1)
ASW failed to hit any subs, the subs failed to score either.
Score is still even 3 to 3 but total score is now AXIS +2
Turn 6
Germany is faced with increased shortages due to British Blockade. Hitler has demanded that the Navy do something to not only stop the supplies reaching Russia but also to allow shipping to get through.
The German Navy has asked for a few more months to repair the Gneisenau. Surprisingly, Hitler has agreed, probably due to increasing dire situation in the East.
A convoy sailing in both N. Atlantic and Barents. U-boat patrols massing to punch a hole in the North Sea Blockade as well as the thinly patroled S. Atlantic. Air units are on hightened alert for British shipping in the Barents, the stage is set for Turn 6....
Results: Axis Air fails to find the fast convoy and only disables the two carrier escorts but the convoy lands in Russia (Allied +3 more points). Hitler is furious and demands the Navy sails on the next tide.
The U-boat threat is destroyed....2 kills and 3 disabled in N.Sea and 1 kill and 1 disabled in S. Atlantic.
Allied point score is + 4 for a total score now of Allied +2
This game may be lost due to two errors on my part. One of greed and one of second guessing.
Looking over my last turn move again, I got too greedy with my U-boats. I should have put all in N. Sea. That would have broken control, but I wanted to try to get points back too. I failed in both areas -- spread too thin.
In the Barents, both times I started to put the convoy shot in the middle of the group, but changed my sort order last minute. Looking back 1 convoy would have been sunk, the other disabled for the last two turns.
Sigh......I should have stuck to my first choice.
Now, I have to sink this last convoy and attempt to break control for a turn 8 BB romp....If not, the game is over.....
Turn 7
Turn 7 is the last gasp for the German forces. British forces massed in both the Barents and N. Sea. Axis forces sent all German ships to Baltic in hopes of a U-boat miracle in the N. Sea this turn so they could romp next turn.
The Axis air, demoralized by bombing and ship loses failed to find the last Russian convoy. As the Eastern front gets closer to Germany, British destroyer groups hunt for these U-Boats to clear the way for the Western Wall invasion.
German's ally Italy sits helplessly by as Allied forces pound their ships by air....(and then miss)
In a surprising development, British ships fail to find all U-boats, control is broken in the North sea but it's too little and too late. U-boats fail to sink any carriers.
British score is now +5
Turn 8
Mark agreed to play the last turn out even though I think it's a lost cause......
With all 3 convoy landings, and loss of control-breaker subs on turn 6, the game is all but over.....
German goes all out to attempt to take both N. and S. Atlantic. With the help of two surviving Italian CA's and 5 U-boats, German faces combat on two fronts (the other Russian finally comes out).
The Spee and Air unit are sent to hold off the Russian. Meanwhile the Tirptiz attempts to refuel and make it to the N. Atlantic with the Eugen and Gneisenau. The G. Zep is sent with the 5 U-boats to help the Itatian CA's in the south
The Marat manages to sink the Spee in the Baltic and two U-boat are sunk as the final action of the war. With the point spread now further out of reach, moderate German officers offer surrender. Fanatical members of the Nazis party are quickly rounded up and a peace treaty is drawn up.
Great game and a good player.....(a little better than average luck on British dice), but overall a good contest. Thanks Mark....hope to meet again.....
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