HMAS Vendetta

[dwg]

I've been flipping through scenarios, but none seem to reflect the state of Vendetta on December 7th 1941. The problem is that Vendetta had started a major refit in Singapore dockyard on 12th of November and was completely immobile. Her contribution to the defence of Singapore was to dismount her 12 pdr onto dockside and set up a bunch of AA posts with Lewis guns. On 2nd February she was towed out of harbour and, with no power on the ship to operate her own systems, was taken in tow by first HMS Stronghold to Palembang and then HMAS Yarra to Batavia, where the tow was handed over to Ping Wo (another ship with an interesting history), which towed her to Australia. She finally arrived in Melbourne in mid-April.

See http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-vendetta-i for her official history, and this thread has a few more details of what was functional during the tow (next to nothing) http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/s ... 756&page=3

I'd guess the best way to handle her status is to give her a class of her own: no weapons but MGs and the re-mounted 12 pdr, max speed 5.5 knots (the tow was 5000 miles over 72 days, but only 40 days were actually at sea), which can refit to full V Class status in the 5 months it took historically once she'd reached Melbourne. Combined with that you'll need a house-rule that she has to have an escort to represent the towing vessel.

[jcjordan]

my $.02 - make available after refit in Melbourne

[dwg]

ORIGINAL: jcjordan

my $.02 - make available after refit in Melbourne

Ah, but that loses all of the fun of trying to get her there!

[traskott]

If u have to tow it HK to Palembang, it will be sunk 100% times.

[LargeSlowTarget]

ORIGINAL: dwg
I've been flipping through scenarios, but none seem to reflect the state of Vendetta on December 7th 1941.

Well, my mod does. I have her start in the Singapore repair shipyard with 99 sys dmg and 99 major engine damage. Still, she will repair in 57 days so most likely will get away on her own power before the fall of Singapore. Your solution to make her a seperate class is better and I am going to borrow it [;)].

[dr.hal]

I like the idea of the challenge of getting her out. I almost got the floating drydock out of Manila but it was sunk on its way to the DEI.... she ALMOST made it.... sad.

[dwg]

ORIGINAL: traskott

If u have to tow it HK to Palembang, it will be sunk 100% times.

Singapore to Palembang, so not quite as bad, and there's several alternate routes that could be used - around the west of Sumatra, not the east, then down to Oosthaven or Batavia; or port hop along the Tenasserim coast to Rangoon, then on to Calcutta, or head for the Andamans and across the Bay of Bengal to Ceylon. Enough options to keep the Japanese player guessing, while there are plenty of combat-ready units to distract his attention.