1:4800 Naval Warfare: Jutland 2? part 2 - Naval Thunder

Hi all,

Well, I gathered our merry band of wargamers together to play out the campaign section of our scenario!

The Germans began by sortieing with Scharnhorst and Gneisenau from Brest and making a high speed dash in to the southern Atlantic - which caused a bit of consternation for the RN players who were not expecting this! A few convoys were rearranged but since the RN could not really spare many ships to chase them around, the German's distraction did not pull any home fleet units away.

When the Tirpitz and Bismark did sail (with Prinz Eugen tagging along), they were tracked all the way up the Norwegian coast through a variety of means. The Home Fleet set sail with King George V and Prince of Wales heading towards Iceland and Hood and Repulse going further in to the North Atlantic, the Royal Navy players deciding to try to take the initial engagement on the battleship's chins.

The Germans headed through the Iceland-UK gap at speed, hoping this break with historical deployments would through off the RN. Sadly for the Germans, as per history, they were spotted and shadowed by cruisers and were unable to shake them off.

The Germans decided to use Prinz Eugen as a sacrificial lamb, and ordered her to turn back to chase off the shadowing cruisers whilst the battleships changed course and speed.

Such a move would never have been approved in real life by the Germans but we decided that it would make for a reasonably interesting game so we played it. HMS Manchester and Birmingham are in line astern heading WSW with orders to shadow the battleships (which will be just off the table with Prinz Eugen heading the other way).

Thanks for reading!

1:4800 Naval Warfare: Jutland 2? - Naval Thunder

Hi all,

Well we have an epic clash coming up soon in the wargames room!

The scenario - it is 1941 and the Royal Navy is worried about the massing Kriegsmarine heavy units in the Baltic. Rumours abound that Bismark and Tirpitz are going to sail together into the North Atlantic. Prinz Eugen is going to look very small next to these two...

To oppose them, we have Hood, King George V and Prince of Wales at Scapa Flow. Queen Elizabeth is at Rosyth and Repulse, Ramilles and Rodney are convoy escorting.

The plan is to run some map based campaign moves to see where an interception will take place...

Thanks for reading!

Peter

1:4800 Naval Warfare: WW2 Action of Alesund - Naval Thunder with KM Gneisenau

Hi all,

Set up a game on the office carpet today after moving the furniture around- well you might as well make use of all the room!

The situation is that Gneisenau has come upon some RN units assisting in the withdrawl of army units from the coast of Norway. Scouts in the foretop have identified 2 Light Cruisers and 2 Destroyers, nothing too troubling for a pocket battleship right?

One of these cruisers has troops crammed onboard - she needs to be protected!

KM Gneisenau in 1940 - still need to add it's label!

Unknown to the Germans, the Royal Navy has some heavy support over the horizon about 40 minutes sailing away.

My absolute favourite capital ship!

Can the small ships hang on for long enough? We shall see...

Thanks for looking!

1:4800 Naval Warfare: Battle of the Denmark Straight - Naval Thunder

Hi guys,

Had my first full game of Naval Thunder yesterday. Was a blast!

This is not going to be a full report but here are some bad pics and a brief outline of the action.

HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales

Prinz Eugen and Bismarck

Hood taking the first shots of the game as she closes the range

Eugen engages Hood whilst Bismarck shifts her fire to PoW

Meanwhile both British ships pummell Bismarck

Hood and PoW have now closed the range where plunging shouldn't be a problem. Turning their broadsides to the enemy...

...and Hood splatters Prinz Eugen

Hood is suffering from fire from Bismarch and Eugen

But the Germans aren't having it all their own way

First critical hit on Bismarck but she still is dishing out the pain

Hood is suffering but she has not exploded!

An untouched PoW

And that's where we left it. Prinz Eugen was sunk, Bismarck was at around half of her hull points and Hood and Prince of Wales could concentrate all their guns on her without distraction. Hood was a bit battered but still had all of her guns.

1:4800 Naval Warfare: WW2 Naval Scenario off the coast of Norway - Battlecruisers off Lofoten Islands

Hi guys,

Got a game at the club this afternoon and here are the briefings for the players.

Kreigsmarine Briefing

03:37 9^th April 1940, off Lofoten.

A flotilla of ten German destroyers are heading for Narvik to land troops. The battleships Gneisenau (flagship of Fleet Commander Admiral Günther Lütjens) and Scharnhorst with the heavy cruiser Hipper are providing heavy cover.

On the 6^th Hipper was attacked and rammed by a British destroyer. This has caused her to be ordered to pull back to the south whilst you remain to cover the troop carrying destroyers from the expected British attack.

Your orders are to prevent any British Units from heading eastwards to interfere with the invasion whilst simultaneously preventing either of your ships from becoming crippled. Sinking any British units is of secondary importance.

You are steering a north westerly course at 9 knots. Weather conditions are rough, with a force 10 gale from the north west, intermittent snow squalls and heavy seas. Visibility is down to 40 inches.

Royal Navy Briefing

03:37 9^th April 1940, off Lofoten

Your fleet was moving to lay a minefield off Vestfiord between the Lofoten Islands and the mainland. Cover was being provided by the battlecruiser Renown flying the flag of Vice-Admiral William J. Whitworth with her escort of destroyers.

After receiving a fleeting message from HMS Glowworm that was dispatched to look for a man lost overboard on the 6^th that she was engaging a Pocket Battleship you have called up reinforcements to find and destroy the German ship whilst dispatching your minelaying destroyers south to continue with the original mission.

Your orders are to find and destroy the German ships, sinking more capital ships then you yourself lose. You must not allow the Germans to head too far south as they will receive friendly air cover at dawn, draw them north or west if you cannot sink them.

Your course is south east , speed 12 knots.  Weather conditions are rough, with a force 10 gale from the north west, intermittent snow squalls and heavy seas. Visibility is down to 40 inches.

Should be interesting, Renown and Repulse doing what they were designed to do and hunting German battlecruisers!