Invincible
Member
I thought I would post the after action reports we circulated to the wider Gamesquad audience. I also posted the scenario in the Downloads section if you want to take a look at it. Here is the link to the scenario: http://forums.gamesquad.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=2239 You can also get there by clicking the "Downloads" page next to "Forum" above, then Click sub-category: "Jutland" in the Storm Eagle Studios area.
The view from the German side:
Yesterday as the German commander, my plan was to first turn West, then North. This is a familiar scenario to everyone, so I wanted to do something different to shake things up. I fully agree that the German "mission" here is to head back to Germany.Otherwise no battle takes place and we all waste our day sailing around the ocean.
However I did not think our initial turn to the West violated the spirit of the scenario. We did appear to confuse the RN as we were not where they usually find us
I also did not use the micro view map, and had to depend on the screening forces to keep me informed what was going on. This they did to a considerable degree, but its hard to get a feel for the big picture when your not looking down at everything as we do in most war games. I'm not complaining about this, or the efforts of the screening players. In fact I enjoy the feeling that I don't know everything and often have only a vague idea of where the enemy is. In the end I did have an idea because Von der Tann (VDT) and Adm Hipper did a splendid job in every way. Fighting, screening, and in the end firing torpedos.
I find that it works better if the fleet commander (when not using the micro view map) just asks for a bearing. Do this often enough then you can do you own plot in your head,which is what I did. It has to be a true or relative bearing in relation to the fleet flagship though, or to a friendly unit within visual sight of the flagship. In the end the enemy appeared exactly where VDT said it would be, but the process of getting to contact was great fun for me.I enjoyed this battle very much.
I only have a vague idea of the actions of my fellow KM players in combat, so if they are willing, they will have to give us some detail on that. The main body turned West, steamed for perhaps 45 minutes during which I was able to re-arrange my line so the Konig's took the lead. All this time the BC's skirmished with enemy contacts and eventually the BCF. The RN main body and 5th BS was not in sight during this time.
We did get West of the main enemy force, and after we turned North once again our BB's first engaged the BCF, at about 060 true from the Konig which was in the lead. (060 relative also since our course was North). At first the range closed very rapidly. I thought the BCF was already engaged with our BC's which were ahead of me at the edge of visibility at that time (about 28k). So it appeared they did not see me at first, or at least did not respond to a very rapid closing range rate with the entire German battle line. Perhaps the RN BCF players was not using the micro view map either? In the end though we were spotted before the BCF closed the range and we exchanged fire for several minutes at about 17K. No damage was done to the BB's at this time, and I doubt very much to the BCF.
Beyond the BCF however the 5th BS sailed into view and happy time for the KM BB's quickly came to an end as Konig started to take a pounding. The RN seemed content to stay at very long range though, and since I could not stay were I was. Stefan, who had most of the DD's was order to attack and I turned to 045 toward the enemy by divisions in order engage them. Only to find a few minutes later that I was steering into the entire RN battle line that appeared like the approach of doom from beyond the 5th BS. The BCF and 5th BS had very capably drawn me into the arms of the British Battle line. One of the benefits of no micro view map is that its always a thrill when the enemy comes into sight on the horizon. Even if you know to expect them. In this battle I got that thrill 3 times, each more impressive, (and frightening) then the last.
With the British fleet on your Starboard bow and blocking the way back to Germany, it was very apparent that we could not simply steer into them, and have our T capped. Nor could we steam on parallel courses and shoot it out. They outranged us and could control the range at which the battle was fought. So I determined to come right to 090 and try to cut across their rear. (( The patented Pat Covich maneuver ))
First though I had to get the BC's to come back toward me and then hopefully steam across my bow and take the lead.
Von der Tann was hotly engaged by this time (as was I) and could not easily do what I'd asked him to do, but he did come about and try it.
However the plan would have brought him to near the enemy and so he ended up in the rear of our line instead of the van.
I turned to 090 by divisions when Chris was within 10k Of my Van. I wanted to get the Kaisers who had been bringing up the rear to be in the Van for this maneuver as the Konigs were looking a little frayed by this time. The maneuver worked as I wished and the new van quickly got into a heavy fight with the British at about 15 to 16K. The RN line fell apart about this time and I could make no sense of where it was going or what they were trying to do. I don't know why, but it seemed to soon to be reacting to what we were trying to do so hopefully we will hear from them about what happened.
Alas about this time with us trying to steam across the rear of the enemy, it was getting very late for those in Europe. We had already lost Rich to something and as he never came back it must been on the order of a power outage perhaps? I hope not a computer crash or anything really bad. Now almost everyone else needed to stop also. We called it a day. A very well fought battle, and for me at least a lot of fun.
I was trying my variable ACH again based on a roll of the dice every
15 minutes. The British lost LIon and Warspite to explosions, while the Germans did not lose a capitol ship. VDT almost certainly got the Lion. I don't know who got the Warspite? I also don't know how Adm Hipper made out trying to close with the RN, or wether he (or VDT) were able to shoot any torpedos.
The view from the German side:
Yesterday as the German commander, my plan was to first turn West, then North. This is a familiar scenario to everyone, so I wanted to do something different to shake things up. I fully agree that the German "mission" here is to head back to Germany.Otherwise no battle takes place and we all waste our day sailing around the ocean.
However I did not think our initial turn to the West violated the spirit of the scenario. We did appear to confuse the RN as we were not where they usually find us
I also did not use the micro view map, and had to depend on the screening forces to keep me informed what was going on. This they did to a considerable degree, but its hard to get a feel for the big picture when your not looking down at everything as we do in most war games. I'm not complaining about this, or the efforts of the screening players. In fact I enjoy the feeling that I don't know everything and often have only a vague idea of where the enemy is. In the end I did have an idea because Von der Tann (VDT) and Adm Hipper did a splendid job in every way. Fighting, screening, and in the end firing torpedos.
I find that it works better if the fleet commander (when not using the micro view map) just asks for a bearing. Do this often enough then you can do you own plot in your head,which is what I did. It has to be a true or relative bearing in relation to the fleet flagship though, or to a friendly unit within visual sight of the flagship. In the end the enemy appeared exactly where VDT said it would be, but the process of getting to contact was great fun for me.I enjoyed this battle very much.
I only have a vague idea of the actions of my fellow KM players in combat, so if they are willing, they will have to give us some detail on that. The main body turned West, steamed for perhaps 45 minutes during which I was able to re-arrange my line so the Konig's took the lead. All this time the BC's skirmished with enemy contacts and eventually the BCF. The RN main body and 5th BS was not in sight during this time.
We did get West of the main enemy force, and after we turned North once again our BB's first engaged the BCF, at about 060 true from the Konig which was in the lead. (060 relative also since our course was North). At first the range closed very rapidly. I thought the BCF was already engaged with our BC's which were ahead of me at the edge of visibility at that time (about 28k). So it appeared they did not see me at first, or at least did not respond to a very rapid closing range rate with the entire German battle line. Perhaps the RN BCF players was not using the micro view map either? In the end though we were spotted before the BCF closed the range and we exchanged fire for several minutes at about 17K. No damage was done to the BB's at this time, and I doubt very much to the BCF.
Beyond the BCF however the 5th BS sailed into view and happy time for the KM BB's quickly came to an end as Konig started to take a pounding. The RN seemed content to stay at very long range though, and since I could not stay were I was. Stefan, who had most of the DD's was order to attack and I turned to 045 toward the enemy by divisions in order engage them. Only to find a few minutes later that I was steering into the entire RN battle line that appeared like the approach of doom from beyond the 5th BS. The BCF and 5th BS had very capably drawn me into the arms of the British Battle line. One of the benefits of no micro view map is that its always a thrill when the enemy comes into sight on the horizon. Even if you know to expect them. In this battle I got that thrill 3 times, each more impressive, (and frightening) then the last.
With the British fleet on your Starboard bow and blocking the way back to Germany, it was very apparent that we could not simply steer into them, and have our T capped. Nor could we steam on parallel courses and shoot it out. They outranged us and could control the range at which the battle was fought. So I determined to come right to 090 and try to cut across their rear. (( The patented Pat Covich maneuver ))
First though I had to get the BC's to come back toward me and then hopefully steam across my bow and take the lead. Von der Tann was hotly engaged by this time (as was I) and could not easily do what I'd asked him to do, but he did come about and try it.
However the plan would have brought him to near the enemy and so he ended up in the rear of our line instead of the van.
I turned to 090 by divisions when Chris was within 10k Of my Van. I wanted to get the Kaisers who had been bringing up the rear to be in the Van for this maneuver as the Konigs were looking a little frayed by this time. The maneuver worked as I wished and the new van quickly got into a heavy fight with the British at about 15 to 16K. The RN line fell apart about this time and I could make no sense of where it was going or what they were trying to do. I don't know why, but it seemed to soon to be reacting to what we were trying to do so hopefully we will hear from them about what happened.
Alas about this time with us trying to steam across the rear of the enemy, it was getting very late for those in Europe. We had already lost Rich to something and as he never came back it must been on the order of a power outage perhaps? I hope not a computer crash or anything really bad. Now almost everyone else needed to stop also. We called it a day. A very well fought battle, and for me at least a lot of fun.
I was trying my variable ACH again based on a roll of the dice every
15 minutes. The British lost LIon and Warspite to explosions, while the Germans did not lose a capitol ship. VDT almost certainly got the Lion. I don't know who got the Warspite? I also don't know how Adm Hipper made out trying to close with the RN, or wether he (or VDT) were able to shoot any torpedos.
