ORIGINAL: warspite1
2nd - 9th August 1942
6. Well that was unexpected.... Admiral Forbes takes control of the two task forces. He orders his four carriers; Ark Royal, Furious, Eagle and Hermes to get into a position to launch all out air attacks on the enemy ships - ideally targeting the battleships. Four strikes are launched and all four are successful. At least two ships - possibly heavy cruisers are sunk by the men of the Fleet Air Arm.
7. Forbes sends his battleships and battlecruisers into action, but it soon becomes apparent that the Germans have at least four capital ships at sea. Worse still, King George V and Queen Elizabeth cannot get into the battle as the Nelson, Rodney, Hood and Repulse begin exchanging fire with the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The exchange is brutal, Gneisenau comes off worst against the two battlecruisers, while Scharnhorst suffers considerable damage against the 16-inch guns of Rodney and Nelson. Both German ships withdraw under a hail of shells.
8. At this point Forbes orders his cruisers to give chase and to try and get a torpedo attack going. The 18th Cruiser Squadron (Newcastle, Neptune, Birmingham and Glasgow) ignore the fact that there are two German battleships on their flanks and head straight for the burning Scharnhorst. The cruiser Birmingham takes hits from the 11-inch guns of Caesar and Anton turrets (the only two still operational) but behind her, Neptune appears out of the mist and smoke and launches two torpedoes at the German ship. One misses but the second hits and Scharnhorst is now a sitting duck.
9. Forbes now orders the 2nd Cruiser Squadron (Southampton, Arethusa, Belfast and Edinburgh) to adopt the same tactic. Unfortunately for them the Gneisenau is in better shape and all guns are working. However, for some reason the guns are not as accurate and only Arethusa suffers any significant damage as the cruisers make their high speed approach to close the range. Once again one torpedo (from Belfast) finds its home at Gneisenau reels under the blow and continues withdrawing to the northwest.
10. Forbes now commits the 2nd Escort Flotilla. Desperate to see the Scharnhorst sunk, he orders the 6 destroyers to follow the 18th Cruiser Squadron and effectively sneak in while the battleships gunfire is turned elsewhere. The tactic works like a dream. Three torpedoes find their target and the Scharnhorst sinks beneath the icy sea.
Oh Warspite -
I have a terrible confession to make.
In my game, getting on now for late 1941, HMS Warspite was lured into an ill-advised attack to help to finish off a damaged (but baiting) German destroyer, and together with 3 other British ships was sunk off the French coast.
I felt guilt when this happened.
My apologies.
Such a good game.
Your AAR is brilliant. (Creep smiley...)
