Jutland Scenario: Or how to lose your capital ships!

[KofK]

Playing the Jutland scenario against FDRLincoln.

I'm British and he's Japanese.

So far, played three turns. I have attempted to form picket lines with my subs so as to yield intelligence upon his moves.

I have also attempted to make an aggressive minelaying mission a la Heligo Bight with light forces supported by Hood, Renown and Repulse.

This has backfired badly: I have lost the three battlecruisers!

Shades of Beatty here, perhaps? [:D]

I'm slightly confused as of present: never having played by PBEM before, I don't seem to get any info on the combats that have taken place other than examining my intell screen and looking at the sunk ship list. Help! [&:]


I have decided to adopt a more defensive posture in the light of my recent cock-up, and rely on subs to detect the enemy.

I also have light forces about to probe around Borneo, with some more heavy forces (the QE class BBs) on the way to Hong Kong.

[String]

ORIGINAL: KofK

Playing the Jutland scenario against FDRLincoln.

I'm British and he's Japanese.

So far, played three turns. I have attempted to form picket lines with my subs so as to yield intelligence upon his moves.

I have also attempted to make an aggressive minelaying mission a la Heligo Bight with light forces supported by Hood, Renown and Repulse.

This has backfired badly: I have lost the three battlecruisers!

Shades of Beatty here, perhaps? [:D]

I'm slightly confused as of present: never having played by PBEM before, I don't seem to get any info on the combats that have taken place other than examining my intell screen and looking at the sunk ship list. Help! [&:]


I have decided to adopt a more defensive posture in the light of my recent cock-up, and rely on subs to detect the enemy.

I also have light forces about to probe around Borneo, with some more heavy forces (the QE class BBs) on the way to Hong Kong.

You need to have your opponent mail you the 001 savegame file. That is the replay generated each turn when the japanese player runs his turn. Every turn he should mail you the savegame and the replay (001 file) You run the replay before the savegame to see the combats etc.

[KofK]

Yes, he's mailed me the 001 savegame file. How do I then run the replay before my turn?

[String]

ORIGINAL: KofK

Yes, he's mailed me the 001 savegame file. How do I then run the replay before my turn?

you load it like any other savegame

[KofK]

Ah, OK. Didn't realise that. Thanks.

[KofK]

Right, having now seen the action, I have a better idea of what happened.

It seems that there are large Japanese forces at Pescadores, including the Kongo-class BCs - these were the buggers that accounted for my BCs.

However, my BC squadron behaved in the finest traditions of the RN, inflicting heavy damage to the enemy's pre-dreadnought battleships, CAs and CLs, before being overwhelmed by superior numbers.

The sub K2 also attacked a destroyer and one of the Kongo class ships; no hits on either but it did receive damage from depth charges in return.

So, the first encounter has been a muddled bloody affair, but it does reveal at least where some of the Japanese vessels are. I have strong forces in the Hong Kong region, although I am now much more cautious about committing these. My current policy is to sit back slightly and await developments. I'm not sure whether my opponent will attempt to follow up his success, or will be defensive.

[KofK]

4 June turn

There has been some more action: K2 has managed to torpedo the dreadnought Ise off Pescadores, and has left it damaged and on fire. K2 has, however, again been attacked by escorts and damaged.

Off Tatay, K1 has hit the CL Tama, and reports more than one enemy task force in the area. Sub flotillas have been ordered to interdict possible lines of advance of these task forces, whilst a BB squadron consisting of the R-class vessels has been ordered, along with a light cruiser squadron (including Glorious and Courageous) from Brunei. If my subs can damage, or at least report the whereabouts of these task forces, perhaps I can at least force an action.

HMS Emperor of India suffered a torpedo attack near Hong Kong; this appears to have caused no damage.

The enemy has been located at Hong Kong. Strength is uncertain. Fighter-bomber squadrons have been placed on notification to attack, whilst the two BB squadrons in HK itself are preparing to sortie in response. The BB squadron (TF1003) which includes Emperor of India has been ordered to attempt to cut-off the possible retreat of these enemy forces.

Meanwhile, radio transmissions have been detected in the South China Sea in the vicinity of Cam Ranh Bay; a French cruiser squadron has been dispatched to investigate these.

Lastly, but by no means least, my ML forcs returning from Pesadores encountered a Japanese destroyer squadron. A fierce action has seen Vimiera hit, Vimy on fire, and Violent torpedoed and left on fire. In return, four Japanese have been hit hard and left on fire.

So, an eventful turn, and the combat returns seem a little more in my favour. My subs ae locating his forces, and if I have damaged one of his BBs already, then I'm pleased. Hopefully, I can pull off a couple of more interceptions.

[KofK]

This latest turn (4th March, not June as I said earlier!) has been eventful.

The submarine K6 successfully torpedoed the destroyer Namikaze off Takao and left it on fire with heavy damage. K6 successfully evaded attack.

HMS Vanquisher attacked the Japanese sub No. 20 near Borneo after an unsuccessful attack on HMS Glorious. The ASW attacks were inconclusive.

The ML Empire Lynx was lost to torpedo attack, whilst of Camranh Bay the destroyer Wivern was hit twice and left heavily damaged. It is now limping back to Saigon.

The Japanese sub No. 59 was hit in ASW attacks.

The main development was the carrier battle off Borneo. The Argus group successfully torpedoed the Japanese carrier Hosho, and avoided damage itself thanks to the fighter CAP. Clearly, this is the future of naval warfare! [8D]

The Hosho then attacked the R-class BBs, but failed to obtain any hits. The Jap CV force is now damaged, and close to three surface warfare groups of my own: the R-class; the Splendid Cat BCs acting as a surface group accompanying the Argus task force, and the light cruiser squadron that includes Courageous and Glorious. In light of this engagement, I am striving to intercept and destroy the enemy CV force with my surface vessels, and will attempt further strikes on them from Argus. Subs are also being placed to cover avenues of retreat.

Near Hong Kong, I have adopted a defensive posture. Enemy subs have been spotted and ASW task forces assigned to deal with them.

[KofK]

Last turn saw a number of indecisive submarine and ASW attacks by both sides.

My cordon of subs outside of Hong Kong has, along with aerial recon, identified what appears to be a major enemy fleet movement toward Hong Kong: no doubt to try to destroy my forces there. So, it looks like things are about to get interesting and bloody soon! [:D]

[Alikchi2]

Sounds like you're catching on fast! Good luck to you [:D]

[KofK]

Thanks! I'm rather hoping for a better performance than my first disastrous encounter. [:)]

[KofK]

I am however rather disappointed that I lost contact with his CV task force. I was realy hoping to put that on the seabead. [:@]

[Alikchi2]

Ah well, carriers are useless toys anyways. [;)]

What forces do you have at Hong Kong?

[KofK]

Reasonably strong forces: three BB squadrons, and some light forces (MLs and a multitude of destroyers). There are also the reasonably strong coastal defences, which, although probably not sufficient to seriously damage his BBs, could probably cause a CA, CL or a DD to have a very bad day. [;)]

The British player suffers at the beginning of this scenario from having his capital ships widely spread between HK, Singapore, and Saigon, whilst it seems like the Japanese player is more concentrated around Formosa (that's my impression from this game and having played the AI in this scenario; however I haven't played as the Japanese to verify this belief).

[KofK]

What a bloody diastrous turn. Major action off Hong Kong, shed loads of destroyers on both sides lost.

Along with about 8 bloody BBs and 2 of my BCs.

And the rest are absolutely knackered, i.e. barely afloat. I have no real fleet at all at Hong Kong now.

And he only lost 1 BB!!!

What I don't undestand is that I ordered my BBs to rendezvous with reinforcements west of Hong Kong - yet they all bailed merrily into action at Hong Kong itself and got walloped! I'm still learning, I suppose..... [:@]

Well, I can only hope that many of the Jaanese vessels won't last long. Maybe my subs can pick off some stragglers. I do not really have enough forces to actually attempt to interdict him with my surface forces.

This game will be hard to win now: I'm almost 1000 points behind, and have only about 10 non-damaged BBs - 2 of which are at HK.

[KofK]

There has been more sub action: this has cost the Japanese one battleship, whilst I have lost Orion and Malaya.

Hong Kong now has only a small BB force remaining. However, I still have the Splendid Cats and the R-class BBs in service, and in conjunction with the remaining HK forces, I can perhaps still win: expecially as his fleet must also be badly damaged from the Hong Kong battles. I am hoping to weaken his forces with submarines in order to allow me to force an action on my terms. To this end, I am aggressively placing subs by his fleet anchorages in the hopes of hitting some of the stragglers as they return to port.

[KofK]

A quiet turn: mainly sub action, with the monitor Terror being torpedoed off Brunei. British light cruisers bombarded Tatay, whilst the badly damaged BBs Iron Duke and Benbow sank at Hong Kong.

My objective is to maintain a strong fleet in being: my opponent cannot risk amphibious assaults with my fleet still at large, given the damage he must have sustained.

[KofK]

My subs seriously damaged a Japanese cargo ship near Tatay, and sruiser task forces are reported there. Meanwile, off the south west of Formosa, my subs damaged a Jap cruiser.

Sub reports indicate Jap forces moving SW from Formosa. So it looks like there's something afoot: perhaps an attempt at a landing at Borneo? I have adjusted my dispostions accordingly.

The Japanese BB Tosa sank; a good result, but the cause of sinking is, as yet, unclear. That is now three Japanese BBs lost.

[Hanal]

I have a few things keeping me busy at the moment but I think this will be a game for me....looking forward the tacklng WPO in the future......[:)]

[KofK]

It's great fun, even if I am getting hammered! Unfortunately real life gets in the way![:(][:D]