But the way naval combat is modeled here is almost as bewildering as the way diplomacy is modeled.
Sometimes the initial naval engagement between 2 coalitions can be decisive depending on who wins and by HOW MUCH. In this game I think that the initial meeting engagement between the opposing navies was very decisive and unbalanced when looking at the opposing combatants.
Ours happened during the January 1915 turn. The TE had 5 DNs, 2 PDs, 3 CAs, 4 DDs and 10 transports opposed by the CP's 4 DNs, 1 BC, 2 CAs and 4 transports. The TE had 5 DNs deployed as a blocking force in the North Sea with the rest of the ships in the North Atlantic.
Initially, the 4 CP DNs were intercepted by the 5 TE DNs in the North Sea and TE DN King George was sunk while DN Colossus was damaged:
German Nassau (DN) firing on Br King George (DN) : 2 hits
German Helgoland (DN) firing on Br King George (DN) : 2 hits
German Kaiser (DN) firing on Br King George (DN) : 2 hits
German Konig (DN) firing on Br King George (DN) : 2 hits
German Helgoland (DN) firing on Br King George (DN) : 4 hits
German Kaiser (DN) firing on Br King George (DN) : 1 hits
German Konig (DN) firing on Br King George (DN) : 5 hits
German Nassau (DN) firing on Br Colossus (DN) : 5 hits
In return, all TE DN fire was directed against CP DN Nassau and DN Helgoland:
British King George (DN) firing on Ger Nassau (DN) : 4 hits
British Bellerophon (DN) firing on Ger Nassau (DN) : 4 hits
British St.Vincent (DN) firing on Ger Nassau (DN) : 3 hits
British Colossus (DN) firing on Ger Nassau (DN) : 2 hits
British Orion (DN) firing on Ger Nassau (DN) : 2 hits
British King George (DN) firing on Ger Helgoland (DN) : 5 hits
British King George (DN) firing on Ger Helgoland (DN) : 1 hits
The remaining 4 TE DNs stood by idly and allowed 3 DNs, 1 BC, 2 CA and 4 transports to sail by unmolested into the North Atlantic and what happened next wasnt pretty.
First, the CP's DNs sunk one French PD while damaging the 2nd:
German Helgoland (DN) firing on Fre Martel (PD) : 5 hits
German Kaiser (DN) firing on Fre Martel (PD) : 3 hits
German Konig (DN) firing on Fre Charlemagne (PD) : 4 hits
The French PDs returned no fire.
Then the CP'S 3 DNs sunk 3 French DDs:
German Helgoland (DN) firing on Fre 2nd (DD) : 5 hits
German Kaiser (DN) firing on Fre 3rd (DD) : 4 hits
German Konig (DN) firing on Fre 1st (DD) : 4 hits
Then the CP's 3 DNs worked over 2 TE CAs sinking one and damaging another:
German Helgoland (DN) firing on Br Argyll (CA) : 1 hits
German Kaiser (DN) firing on Br Minotaur (CA) : 5 hits
German Konig (DN) firing on Br Minotaur (CA) : 3 hits
Then the CP BC and 2 CAs worked over the TE transports:
German Blucher (BC) firing on Br 7th (Tr) : 1 hits
German Roon (CA) firing on Br 1st (Tr) : 1 hits
German Yorck (CA) firing on Br 1st (Tr) : 1 hits
German Blucher (BC) firing on Br 3rd (Tr) : 2 hits
German Yorck (CA) firing on Br 2nd (Tr) : 1 hits
German Blucher (BC) firing on Br 6th (Tr) : 1 hits
In response, the TE 3 CAs,2 PDs and 3 DDs got one hit on a CP transport:
British Achilles (CA) firing on Ger 5th (Tr) : 1 hits
TE loses 1 DN, 1 PD, 1 CA, 3 DDs and 2 transports vs 1 CP DN. By Ulver's count, the CP scores 66 hits on the TE while suffering only 22 hits in return while being outgunned.
Probably losing half of the French DDs in one turn was the worst aspect of this given the CP sub building program but the degree to which this battle was lopsided while the CP was outgunned is unbelieveable and will have repercussions for the rest of the game.
Even more interesting, for the TE to get food or supplies to Russia they need an absolute chain of CONTROL over the North Atlantic, Western Med, Eastern Med, Black Sea AND have a British ground unit in Constantinople. Evidently, Germany can get food and resources back home from the western hemisphere or Africa even when the TE controls the North Sea with 4 DNs:
