Neutron
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I recently played a very interesting scenario that was submitted by a member here. It occurs in the Med Sea.
I had the choice of the US or German side. Initial Visibility was 80% (About 28 K Yards to sight a BB). Time of day was 1230, Year was early to mid 1942.
My ships were the USS Lexington (Flagship) and USS Saratoga. Both start with no initial damage, they are steaming in Line Abreast at 8 knots. With 500 yards between them at a course of 270 Degrees. The Saratoga is north of the Lex.
About 15 minutes into the scenario I sighted two ships in line ahead formation at about 27000 yards or so. At first I thought they might be German H Class BBs. Then as they got closer I identified them as Italian ships. It took me awhile to identify the class, I figured they were Vittorio Veneto Class BB (I like to look at the Ship Viewer to see if I can identify the class at the contact level.). They were steaming at 9 knots, course 90.
I split my ships. I placed the Sara on a 320 course, the Lex stayed on a 270 course. In this way I figured the Sara could cover the Lex. The Lex could rapidly close range then cover the Sara when I decided to let her rapidly close. I was still concerned these might be VV Class BBs. So I didn't want to get into a slugfest just yet. I increased speed to 33 knots.
Situation thus far:
Sara: Increasing speed to 33 knots. Steaming 320 degrees in case the Italians head north. Also allows her to Open her A Arcs while still closing range. Targeting the lead ship.
Lex: Increasing speed to 33 knots. Course 270. Forward guns available, Targeting the lead ship.
The Italians started increasing speed and heading on a Northerly heading, eventually steadying out at 0 degrees.
I maintained the Sara on her course. At 1250 she obtained the first hit. The BBs had been identified as the Andrea Doria, and Ciao Dulio. I now knew I was faster, but slightly outgunned 20/16. I had the bigger hammers, but was concerned a plunging hit might cause a mag explosion, I also knew I didn't want to close the range rapidly enough to allow the Italian shells the chance to score too many hits early. I elected to place the Lex on the Saras course, and I changed my targeting options to Sara- Andrea, Lex-Dulio (the trailing ship)
At 1250 I scored kmy first hit on the Andrea. It didn't appear to cause any significant damage. A minute later the Lex was hit.
The range closed to under 25K yards. When it did the Italians turned towards me, then turned south on a 180 course. I turned both my ships to a 216 course. The Lex was now in the lead, targeting the Andrea, the Sara targeting the Dulio, there was not about 1800 yards between my ships.
For the next 10 to 12 minutes I slowly closed range and pressed the Italian ships. Over this period they bent their course back to 190. First changing to 185, then 7 minutes later to 190. They held this course for 5 minutes. During this time the Andrea was hit 8 more times, one of which exploded her forward turret. The Dulio was hit 3 times, one of which limited her speed to 22 knots. (I know this because just as I hit her she was at 23 knots, then she immediately slowed down). The Lex was hit 9 times, the Sara 2 times. The Lex speed dropped to 32 knots, I intentionally slowed the Sara to 32 knots so I could operate my ships as a group. The Lex had lost a couple flotation boxes, and had a minor fire. Sara was relatively undamaged.
At 1305 the Dulio took her hit that limited her propulsion, and the Andrea caught fire. The range was 16,200 yards. The Italians turned away under a smoke screen. I figured they had turned to a 270 to 285 course so I placed both my ships on 235 to 250 courses. In this way they could close range and eventually see the Italians at a range far enough so they wouldn't be in severe damage danger from the RM ships. I didn't want to steam through the smokescreen because in the past I've found myself at very closes ranges when I sight the enemy, and I didn't want this situation. I figured at the course I was maintaining, and given my 10 knot speed advantage, I'd end up sighting the AD in about 15 minutes at about 13,000 Yards.
16 minutes later the Lex sighted the AD at 12,900 yards. She opened fire, obtaining two hits with her first salvo. The Sara then opened fire on the AD, obtaining one hit. These hits destroyed the AD remaining forward turret, and her two gun aft turret. About two minutes later the Dulio cleared her smoke screen. Both ships were heading at 273 degrees, 22 knots. AD in the lead. I switched the Saras fire to the Dulio because she was firing with startling accuracy at the Lex, scoring hits which limited the Lex speed to 29 knots, destroying her Number 2 turret and starting fires. The Sara scored two hits which limited the Dulios speed to 14 knots, the Lex scored another hit on the AD. The Dulio detached and turned to a 16 degree course. The AD turned inside the CD to a course of 56. I then turned the Sara on a 2 degree course, speed of 32 knots, and the Lex on a course of 45, speed 29 knots.
The Lex kept hitting the AD, the Sara hit the Dulio 3 times with large shells. Eventually the Dulio turned to a course of 135 and closed range on the Lex to under 9500 Yards. I was forced to change my targeting so the Lex was firing at the Dulio, the Sara at the AD.
Three salvos later the Lex fired a shell that caused a magazine explosion on the Dulio. The Sara scored two more hits on the AD, the AD speed was now reduced to 13 knots. She turned to course 272 and tried laying a smoke screen. I changed the Sara course to 286. She managed to stay just clear of the screen and was able to hit the AD from a range of about 10K yards with about 2 shells per every 3 salvos. The Lex lost the AD in the screen and never reacquired her.
The AD managed to hit the Sara once in the following 10 minutes before the Sara finally sunk her.
Overall a very good and evenly matched scenario. There is no radar advantage, and one gets the feeling as to what it's truly like to command Battlecruisers vs Battleships, Or any ship with big guns. I'm not all that familiar with the performance of the Italian 12.6 inch naval gun, from a penetration aspect, but I figured any gun over 11 inch can destroy a BC given the right hit. While the US Ships have the bigger weapons, they don't have the advantage in armor of say an Iowa class BB, nor the rapid fire of the US 12 Inch MK 8 gun.
I won't say which scenario it is because I don't want to ruin it for those who like surprises in their scenarios. But I will congratulate the person who thought this gem up!! ( I believe I've played scenarios by this guy before, all have been enjoyable, it's so much funner playing with ships that have definable weaknesses that you must carefully avoid being exploited)
Admiral "Ching" Lee
I had the choice of the US or German side. Initial Visibility was 80% (About 28 K Yards to sight a BB). Time of day was 1230, Year was early to mid 1942.
My ships were the USS Lexington (Flagship) and USS Saratoga. Both start with no initial damage, they are steaming in Line Abreast at 8 knots. With 500 yards between them at a course of 270 Degrees. The Saratoga is north of the Lex.
About 15 minutes into the scenario I sighted two ships in line ahead formation at about 27000 yards or so. At first I thought they might be German H Class BBs. Then as they got closer I identified them as Italian ships. It took me awhile to identify the class, I figured they were Vittorio Veneto Class BB (I like to look at the Ship Viewer to see if I can identify the class at the contact level.). They were steaming at 9 knots, course 90.
I split my ships. I placed the Sara on a 320 course, the Lex stayed on a 270 course. In this way I figured the Sara could cover the Lex. The Lex could rapidly close range then cover the Sara when I decided to let her rapidly close. I was still concerned these might be VV Class BBs. So I didn't want to get into a slugfest just yet. I increased speed to 33 knots.
Situation thus far:
Sara: Increasing speed to 33 knots. Steaming 320 degrees in case the Italians head north. Also allows her to Open her A Arcs while still closing range. Targeting the lead ship.
Lex: Increasing speed to 33 knots. Course 270. Forward guns available, Targeting the lead ship.
The Italians started increasing speed and heading on a Northerly heading, eventually steadying out at 0 degrees.
I maintained the Sara on her course. At 1250 she obtained the first hit. The BBs had been identified as the Andrea Doria, and Ciao Dulio. I now knew I was faster, but slightly outgunned 20/16. I had the bigger hammers, but was concerned a plunging hit might cause a mag explosion, I also knew I didn't want to close the range rapidly enough to allow the Italian shells the chance to score too many hits early. I elected to place the Lex on the Saras course, and I changed my targeting options to Sara- Andrea, Lex-Dulio (the trailing ship)
At 1250 I scored kmy first hit on the Andrea. It didn't appear to cause any significant damage. A minute later the Lex was hit.
The range closed to under 25K yards. When it did the Italians turned towards me, then turned south on a 180 course. I turned both my ships to a 216 course. The Lex was now in the lead, targeting the Andrea, the Sara targeting the Dulio, there was not about 1800 yards between my ships.
For the next 10 to 12 minutes I slowly closed range and pressed the Italian ships. Over this period they bent their course back to 190. First changing to 185, then 7 minutes later to 190. They held this course for 5 minutes. During this time the Andrea was hit 8 more times, one of which exploded her forward turret. The Dulio was hit 3 times, one of which limited her speed to 22 knots. (I know this because just as I hit her she was at 23 knots, then she immediately slowed down). The Lex was hit 9 times, the Sara 2 times. The Lex speed dropped to 32 knots, I intentionally slowed the Sara to 32 knots so I could operate my ships as a group. The Lex had lost a couple flotation boxes, and had a minor fire. Sara was relatively undamaged.
At 1305 the Dulio took her hit that limited her propulsion, and the Andrea caught fire. The range was 16,200 yards. The Italians turned away under a smoke screen. I figured they had turned to a 270 to 285 course so I placed both my ships on 235 to 250 courses. In this way they could close range and eventually see the Italians at a range far enough so they wouldn't be in severe damage danger from the RM ships. I didn't want to steam through the smokescreen because in the past I've found myself at very closes ranges when I sight the enemy, and I didn't want this situation. I figured at the course I was maintaining, and given my 10 knot speed advantage, I'd end up sighting the AD in about 15 minutes at about 13,000 Yards.
16 minutes later the Lex sighted the AD at 12,900 yards. She opened fire, obtaining two hits with her first salvo. The Sara then opened fire on the AD, obtaining one hit. These hits destroyed the AD remaining forward turret, and her two gun aft turret. About two minutes later the Dulio cleared her smoke screen. Both ships were heading at 273 degrees, 22 knots. AD in the lead. I switched the Saras fire to the Dulio because she was firing with startling accuracy at the Lex, scoring hits which limited the Lex speed to 29 knots, destroying her Number 2 turret and starting fires. The Sara scored two hits which limited the Dulios speed to 14 knots, the Lex scored another hit on the AD. The Dulio detached and turned to a 16 degree course. The AD turned inside the CD to a course of 56. I then turned the Sara on a 2 degree course, speed of 32 knots, and the Lex on a course of 45, speed 29 knots.
The Lex kept hitting the AD, the Sara hit the Dulio 3 times with large shells. Eventually the Dulio turned to a course of 135 and closed range on the Lex to under 9500 Yards. I was forced to change my targeting so the Lex was firing at the Dulio, the Sara at the AD.
Three salvos later the Lex fired a shell that caused a magazine explosion on the Dulio. The Sara scored two more hits on the AD, the AD speed was now reduced to 13 knots. She turned to course 272 and tried laying a smoke screen. I changed the Sara course to 286. She managed to stay just clear of the screen and was able to hit the AD from a range of about 10K yards with about 2 shells per every 3 salvos. The Lex lost the AD in the screen and never reacquired her.
The AD managed to hit the Sara once in the following 10 minutes before the Sara finally sunk her.
Overall a very good and evenly matched scenario. There is no radar advantage, and one gets the feeling as to what it's truly like to command Battlecruisers vs Battleships, Or any ship with big guns. I'm not all that familiar with the performance of the Italian 12.6 inch naval gun, from a penetration aspect, but I figured any gun over 11 inch can destroy a BC given the right hit. While the US Ships have the bigger weapons, they don't have the advantage in armor of say an Iowa class BB, nor the rapid fire of the US 12 Inch MK 8 gun.
I won't say which scenario it is because I don't want to ruin it for those who like surprises in their scenarios. But I will congratulate the person who thought this gem up!! ( I believe I've played scenarios by this guy before, all have been enjoyable, it's so much funner playing with ships that have definable weaknesses that you must carefully avoid being exploited)
Admiral "Ching" Lee
