Germany AAR

[mrchuck]

1918, March--
Cranking up the tension with Britain--and allied to USA. Even if they won't help me fight the British, it will stop them coming on on the other side, and who knows anyway? But this was a major diplomatic coup earlier in the year. Russia is quiet and while USA is allied to Italy, I'm not much interested in the Med and what happens there, stays there.

Cranking up intel on Britain to high, and when the next batch of DDs completes, I'm going to mobilise the fleet. And I will be looking for more ways to annoy and provoke them.

For instance:

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And:

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here goes nothing!

[mrchuck]

Well, I got what I wanted.

Let's hope this isn't a case of 'be careful what you wish for'...

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19/19 available KEs to TP duty--that worked out nicely, but I should build some more to replace the inevitable losses. Nothing in the fleet is obsolete. Crew quality fair to good already and can only improve. Night fighting and damage control training under way.

2 BCs (very nasty), a CA and 2 Cls due within a year, along with another 15 DDs.

Because you are seeing this game as it unfolds, and I have done no backtracking at any point (nor will I, come what may), might as well state the war aims now:

Norway (of course), because we will need airbases there in the near future to survive the next war.
Iceland if possible--oil!
Ireland is neutral, but if by some chance...

But first I have to win some battles.

[mrchuck]

1918, June. Cruiser action.

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This is a reasonably good force, but if they have sent out their BCs I could be in trouble.

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Yep, BCs. Ouch...however...

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Nightfall in 50 minutes, and a high sea state limiting speed. There are possibilities here.
Falling back the scouting group on the main body.
Dusk in 40 minutes. I am outranged and will have to suck this up for a while.

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Looks like retaining those old rebuilt CAs wasn't a great idea after all. But we'll see.
(continues)

[mrchuck]

They want to keep the range long, I want to close. Both sides now steaming at 25 kts.

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Dusk in 15 mins. I want to keep the sunset behind me to they shoot into the glare.

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Dusk. Flotilla attack now! This is what we are trained for.

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Thrown them into confusion. Good start!

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(continues)

[mrchuck]

I bet they thought this would be a walkover.

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Recalling flotilla attack. I think this action is going to be inconclusive and I don't want to lose too many DDs.

Urk! the game has crashed. Reloading last autosave (doing these every 15)

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Disenagaged under cover of darkness. A lucky escape? Perhaps not...
This is unpleasant. It's daybreak,they've come back, and are very likely to clean up my straggling DDs.

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No, they weren't interested and have made for home. As have I.
Result: enemy marginal, one DD lost each. In view of the odds, I'm delighted with this. They were the newest enemy BCs--no match for my newest, but well better than force that we sent out.

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[mrchuck]

1918, July. We're blockaded, unrest at 3.

There is an enemy coastal raid approaching. Sending out just about everything.

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Cheeky sods--in broad daylight too!
Now we have airships they may come to regret that. Air ops not limited.

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Sighting reports. Now we have a general idea where to go.

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Found them! Concentrating the fleet, increase to battle speed.

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(continues)

[mrchuck]

Spotted a BC div and screens so far. If that's all, the boot is on the other foot.

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And there's the rest of the force, so it isn't. A stand up fight after all.

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Now, this won't do. I am blockaded, so the clock is ticking. I reckon I can take some or most of that force, but I need to get through their DD screen to do it. So, time to trade pawns--flotilla attack, and we will lose plenty of DDs. But I deem the risk worth it to get at their heavy units.

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Better and better. The BCs are retiring.

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(continues)

[mrchuck]

Torpedoed the Bs--with modern torps they're most likely done for, but the main body is coming up and will finish them off.
Munchen has been torpedoed and is heading away from the battle.

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It's worked! Their battle div is in serious trouble now, and their screen is just about brushed aside. Whatever happens now, we press the attack.

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Hindenburg torpedoed and disengaging. Pressing on...

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Unlucky...

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(continues)

[mrchuck]

My supports are coming up at flank speed. The cruisers are going to deal with the two British CLs still shepherding their charges. My main battle division is too slow and probably won't be in time for this part of the battle. Sending them back to finish off the Venerables and keep their BCs away if they turn back.

[mrchuck]

Oops...screenshot for last narrative.

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Another BB cut out of the herd. The five faster BCs are chasing down the last one (3 kt speed advantage in my favour) and the slower/battered units are finishing off the straggler.

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We have already won a handsome victory even after accounting for a lot of damage, but if I can break the blockade I will. My damaged ships will come back; their sunk ones won't.
The Exmouth class to the north has taken 4 torps and I have slowed those two divs down to cruising speed to make certain of the kill.
The Anson to the SE has slowed to 20kts and I think I have that one in my grasp too.

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Night is falling. 2nd BC div misunderstood signals and raced off to the NE. The last enemy BB is probably going to get away, but we'll pursue for a while longer.

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(continues)

[mrchuck]

Full dark. The last BB is escaping and it's time to head back to base. Too many light forces still wandering around, something nasty could happen.

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Exactly what I was afraid of. I have blundered into the surviving CL and screens. Time for a quick exit!

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Evaded them in the gloom. Result: the victory we needed.

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We're still blockaded, but unrest has dropped to 2 and we fight on!

[mrchuck]

1918, August,
Intelligence has determined that the British fleet is seeking battle in the North Sea in considerable strength. If they can inflict significant losses on us, the blockade will tighten and their victory is assured in time.

On the other hand, we have the opportunity to break the blockade once and for all, and then proceed to an invasion of Norway, and perhaps even Iceland. The strategic importance of these two possessions can hardly be overstated--Norway's is obvious, and Iceland is an oil producing region. Our scientists assure us that this will be vital very soon.

Accordingly, we will risk all on a decisive outcome--one way or the other.
The Kaiser (on advice) has ordered an all out, maximum effort.

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We count 11 capital units to our 12. Moving in to engage!

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The fleets have been manoeuvring hard and blazing away at each other for an hour. Two German CAs have been heavily damaged, and are limping out of the battle. Suddenly...

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25 minutes later:

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Something is wrong with their bloody ships today...
(continues)

[mrchuck]

And 11 minutes after that:

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The engagement has gone another 50 minutes. BC Lutzow and two more light cruisers are heading back to base with varying but mostly severe damage.
The British BCs have steamed away from the battle at flank speed, leaving the BBs to fend for themselves. German shellfire has slowed down two more Hannibals (22kts, 12x 12") and this could round off the greatest day of the Kaiserliche Marine.

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It does. One down, one to go.

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A black day for the Royal Navy. Back in Wilhelshaven, the Kaiser is handing out Iron Crosses by the wheelbarrow-full.

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The British are now blockaded in turn. Time to initiate the invasion of Norway. They are still very strong in battlecruisers but at the very least the invasion should flush them out, and we can deal out more of the same treatment.

[mrchuck]

1918, September-November.

It is unlikely the invasion of Norway will proceed in 1918 due to deteriorating weather in the target area. The opponents are jockeying for position until radio intercepts in November indicate a strong chance of a convoy bearing resources from Norway to England.

The fleet is directed to attack it if possible.

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The battle develops into a comedy of errors on both sides. At 0757 hours, the advance elements of the attack force blunder into the extended escort.

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It is too late to turn away the heavy units so the fleet admiral orders all forces to stand on to the south east and then search for the convoy to the north.

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The main body blunders in to escorting BC division twenty minutes later, but the fleets are now on diverging courses. By 0834 contact has been lost and the attackers turn east to try and pick up the scent.

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(continues)

[mrchuck]

For an hour or so the two fleets grope around for each other in poor visibility. Then, at 0937, CAs Gazelle and Friedrich Karl which were detached to the SE to search for the tranports have located them and opened fire.
At almost the same moment, the light cruisers--unsupported--have blundered into the escorting BC division again and are starting to take heavy punishment.

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All of them will end up making away to the SW within 10 minutes to get out from under the hail of 14" shells from the pair of Indefatigables. However, by this time the heavy units have come back from the fruitless search to the NW. The two groups duke it out.
Then, at 1046...another refrain of the same old song.

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Mackensen, Moltke and two CLs have been torpedoed but not fatally. The remaining British BC, however, has been disabled and eventually succumbs to six torps.

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The convoy and most of the escort have been destroyed. The most heavily damaged CL (Nurnberg) founders on the way home; the others survive the ordeal.

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[mrchuck]

1919, January-February. Vile weather in the North Sea has forced the abandonment of the projected invasion for the time being--in addition to which, by stripping their overseas deployments, the British have re-established the blockade by the skin of their teeth.

Krupp have developed a prototype for a monster 18" gun, which the Naval Ministry is seeking to adopt for the next class of capital ships. Our dockyards will need to be enlarged to build a ship large enough to carry them into battle with the required standard of speed and protection. Wartime priorities mean that this won't happen any time soon. Not to mention the cautionary example set by the British when protection is neglected...

Since the cruiser arm has taken a beating, the focus is on these at the moment. Deutsche Werke has proposed an innovative superimposed scheme for the 10" armament of a new heavy cruiser class, and it should be ready to lay down in three months.

Intelligence reports an enemy force is approaching with the apparent objective of disrupting our coastal shipping. The fleet is ordered to intercept the raiders, but no contact is made. DD G15 is, however, torpedoed and sunk, probably by a submarine.

1919, March.
The British, it seems, have dispatched a very large force to raid our coast again. By dint of extraordinary efforts in the repair yards, every unit of the fleet is available. BC Mackensen, has repaired torpedo damage.
The whole fleet makes ready to sail, including brand-new BC Von der Tann, just finished working up.

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Sighting report! Battlecruisers and destroyers!

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The enemy are here in strength. Engaging.

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The Anson class BB has suffered some critical hits and is down to 10kts. British main force appears to be retiring, covered by the BCs.

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[mrchuck]

1100: Mackensen is getting a reputation as a torpedo magnet. Hit again and ordered to retire SE.

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1101: Anson class hit by a torp, three more at 1102. Sinking.
The fleet is in hot pursuit of the enemy BC division to the SW. The British must be desperate to send the B Illustrious into this maelstrom!

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1204: CAs Roon and Blucher are badly knocked around. Retiring.

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1251-1252: Princess Royal BC struck by three torpedoes.
1300-1308: Inflexible class hit by two torpedoes. German BC Ariadne hit by torpedo, retiring.

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(continues)

[mrchuck]

Heavy-calibre ammunition is running low. Time to break off--but not before finishing off another Hannibal-class.

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1344: done...more quickly than was expected...

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Final result: coastal raid well and truly defeated!

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[mrchuck]

1919, March--later that month.
Intel get wind of a convoy near Iceland. Ordered: intercept, destroy!

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1416: unknown ships sighted, probably the escorts.
1421: escorts AND the convoy...

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The British BC commander is very aggressive. They are closing to point blank range--but this is a move of questionable wisdom.

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1600: Inflexible-class hit by a torpedo. Derfflinger hit by two: retiring.

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(continues)

[mrchuck]

The raiders converge on the stricken British battlecruisers. The end is near.

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1647: The British BCs have now taken 4 torps each. But CA Friedrich Carl is hit as well--possible friendly fire. There will be an inquiry about this...

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1652: Indomitable class turns turtle and sinks. Returning to base.
1707: Princess Royal class goes down by the stern.
Superb damage control work on Friedrich Carl has stopped the flooding. Worryingly, Derfflnger's crew have not been so successful--and it's a long way home.
1910: Defflinger has finally controlled the last of the flooding. Barring eventualities, should make it home.
More damage control training needed!
Graf Spee is torpedoed by a submarine during the return voyage--damaged, but lives to fight another day.
More than can said for the enemy BCs--all sunk.

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