This is another game using the Cruel Seas rules. In this scenario, the Germans are defending their convoy and have a new vessel at their disposal: a freshly painted R-23 minesweeper. They aim to safely escort their convoy to a port protected by minefields.
UMPIRING: Tim Chant
1. Forces.
2. The Game.
The German fleet's mission was to escort the small convoy safely to port. Their journey involved first crossing open water and then navigating through the skerries, which were further protected by minefields—two of which were laid by the Germans and one that was laid at night by the RAF. The German strategy was to engage British boats with the R-23 and S-38, even if it meant sacrificing those vessels, while the other German boats would provide direct protection for the convoy. That was the plan...
The British launched a fierce attack, with their boats arriving one after another on the battlefield, immediately bombarding the convoy and its escort with a hail of bullets. A swarm of torpedoes also emerged in the water. The British initially focused their fire on the minesweeper, inflicting significant damage on its two six-pounder guns. In a short time, the boat I was commanding was destroyed. I was unable to get close to the enemy to deploy the numerous depth charges available. Perhaps next time...
The attack by Michael and his S-38 boats was ultimately unsuccessful. He attempted to ram the British vessels, but their agility allowed them to evade the assault and respond with gunfire. One of the German boats was out of range, while the other was sunk. As a result, the situation for the Germans grew increasingly dire.
The ineffectiveness of the German attack forced the convoy's close escort into action. Alasdair and Gordon took the lead with their boats. While Alasdair advanced, Gordon stayed close to the convoy. Alasdair opened fire, focusing his shots on Jimmy's two Vospers. He successfully sank both, but could not prevent the torpedo attack. The torpedoes were already in the water and were quickly approaching the ships in the convoy.
Torpedoes presented the most significant threat now. Although most of them were inaccurate, two directly targeted the first freighter. I managed to narrowly avoid the first torpedo, fired by Jimmy, but the second one, launched by Andy, struck the ship's bow and exploded, causing considerable damage. The ship was swiftly finished off by the guns and cannons from Andy's, David's, and Tim's vessels.
There was still a second ship in the convoy, and all the torpedoes had already been fired, giving it a chance to reach its destination. However, there was one major problem: it faced an entire British squadron, and the only protection left, apart from one of Gordon's boats, was either too far ahead or sunk. Therefore, the chances of success for the second ship were quite poor.
Despite Gordon's desperate attempts (he managed to sink one of the Vospers), the British boats were given a free hand to fire on the German tanker. The six-pounder cannons struck the German ship repeatedly, ultimately causing it to sink. At that point, we were finished. The Royal Navy had once again emerged victorious.
Once again, we used a table that was too large. We played our game on a 4'x8' table, but only utilised half of it. Consequently, we did not test traversing minefields, navigating skerries, or similar challenges.
3. Links.
SESWC:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352FLICKR:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720326367506
Super to wygląda!
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