WW2 Baltic Naval Campaign Game 2 : Shore Bombardment

Team Germany.

This is a continuation of our WW2 Baltic Naval Campaign, you can find the first game by following this link - http://yarkshiregamer.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/ww2-baltic-naval-campaign-game-1-daily.html

Umpire Notes

If you are following the Campaign I use the following system to determine the condition of any ship damaged in the previous game. Half any damage or speed loss and use that as the starting point for that ship for that game. Any turret / Torpedo Tube losses, I roll a d6 with a 50% chance that the equipment is now working again. A relatively short game I gave one evening gaming session to it.

Game 2 Background

The German advance on land continues a pace and the supply route into Riga is relatively secure. It's late July 1941, just a few days after our first game and we are back at Sea again with a German Task Force supplying some support to the Land Forces with a Shore Bombardment whilst the Russians are on a sortie to stop them.

Game 2 Map

The eagle eyed will notice we are on the same map as game 1, the numbered sections are for mines and submarines as described in the first post.

Game 2 Soviet Briefing

Team Soviet

Following the action against the Jackbooted Fascist Naval Forces a few days ago and following the arrival of Kriegsmarine units the Supreme Command has authorised a Sortie in strength into the Gulf of Riga.

The remnants of the Old Destroyers from the first game are available to you however any surviving Minelaying Destroyers have returned to port for refitting.

You have one submarine on patrol, inform the Umpire of their location before the game begins.

The areas of pre laid mines remain in location.

Air support is as per Game 1.

Soviet Fleet
Heavy Cruiser - Maxim Gorky
Destroyer Leader - Lenningrad 
Destroyers  -  Gnevnyi, Grozyashchi, Surovyi and Skorkyi. 

Plus any remaining Novik Class Destroyers from the first game.

First shot of the game.

Game 2 German Briefing 

Having stamped our Glorious mark on the Soviet Navy it is our duty to help our land based volk against the Bolshevik hordes.

You have been joined by the 2 Light Cruisers and supporting Torpedo Boats.

Your specific objective is to shell the front line positions (on the table edge between D2 and D3) from a distance of less than 60cms for three turns with at least one Light Cruiser.

You have one submarine on patrol, inform the Umpire of their location before the game begins.

Air support is as per Game 1, mines remain in place.

German Fleet
Light Cruisers - Leipzig and Eden
Torpedo Boats - T4, T5, T7 and T8

Plus all surviving ships from game 1, we had Destroyer Z20 and T2

How Did We Get On

The first game of the Campaign saw honours even, yes the Russians had lost three Destroyers but they were old obsolete models and there are plenty more newer and better ships back in port, however both sides completed their mission objectives. Game 2 was going to be a bit different.

Strike one to the Russians

We started off with a bit of a long range duel between Maxim Gorky and the German Light Cruisers, the Germans were getting hits but bouncing off the Russian Cruisers armour. The slow firing Russian guns were getting the odd hit and causing minor damage to Leipzig.

The clue for the Russians was that the German guns weren't penetrating their armour but the "Close with the enemy so I can hit them with my sword" virus took hold and the fleets converged.

With no aircraft turning up in the first 8 turns is was all down to the ships. The first turn that the Leipzig was in effective range she hit paydirt on the Maxim, two hits taking out a turret and the ships Rudder in one turn.

And that single round of fire led to a fairly spectacular sequence of events which would turn Game 2 into a disaster for the Soviet Navy. To make matters worse the Destroyer Leader Lenningrad suffered a Bridge hit causing it to disengage.

Turn 10 was a Demolition Derby for the Russians, the Soviet Destroyer Surovyi rammed into the rudderless Maxim Gorky causing both ships damage but even worse they slowed to a stop in front of a Torpedo Track, there was nothing to do but brace for impact.

On top of that two of the remaining Russian Destroyers Grozyashchi and Skorkyi managed to collide with each other, to conclude one of the worse turns for one side I think I have ever seen.

The next turn wasn't any better, the Torpedo attack on Maxim Gorky hit it's mark, the stationary Cruiser suffered a series of internal explosions causing her to rapidly sink taking the Surovyi with her.

The Russian Airforce finally turned up but unfortunately for them so did the Luftwaffe and the Bf109s made swift work of the old Ar2 Bombers.

The remnants of the Soviet Fleet made best speed for port leaving the German ships to complete their mission without opposition.

The next game (which is on the table) covers the Tallinn Convoys, a big win for the Germans in this game, the loss of the Maxim Gorky could be quite crucial in the later games.