gascan
Member
I started a German full 1916 campaign without Room 40. Despite playing DG before, this is the first time I have done a campaign, so I'm still learning as I go. I heard someone suggest that the German BCs would be good raiders in the Atlantic, so I gave it a shot. In mid-January I sent Seydlitz alone on a run north between Scapa Flow and Lerwick, then around to the south west. I met an AMC a bit north of Lough Swilly and sank it (the victory report jumped from + to ++, probably related to the apparent inability of the RN to defend their home island), the continued west around Ireland and back into the channel.
I sent the HSF to meet Seydlitz and escort her back on her triumphant return home. Northeast of Amsterdam the 5th Cruiser Squadron caught up to me from behind. The destroyers broke and ran, the cruisers closed to make a torpedo attack from the rear of the force. I broke off my PDNs to engage and sank all four without a hit on my own forces (the victory report jumped to +++). I later nabbed a transport, then polished off the six destroyers that had escaped after rendezvousing with Seydlitz and returned home on January 13 to the crowds cheering the first blow of many against the mighty British.
After this first victory I'm feeling confident enough to bring up the HSF Minelayers to a base in the Channel and start laying mines off ports that support British submarines. Dunkerque, Calais, Dover, Chatham, Southend, Harwich, Lowestoft, and Great Yarmouth are on the target list. What forces might I expect to find at those bases? What escort should I provide for my minelayers? How can I best prevent British minelayers like Abdiel from blocking up my passages? Any thoughts on the tactic of using BCs as raiders? Did I just get lucky? Should I send them around north like before, or sneak them through the channel to the hunting grounds near Plymouth, Queenstown, and Liverpool?
I sent the HSF to meet Seydlitz and escort her back on her triumphant return home. Northeast of Amsterdam the 5th Cruiser Squadron caught up to me from behind. The destroyers broke and ran, the cruisers closed to make a torpedo attack from the rear of the force. I broke off my PDNs to engage and sank all four without a hit on my own forces (the victory report jumped to +++). I later nabbed a transport, then polished off the six destroyers that had escaped after rendezvousing with Seydlitz and returned home on January 13 to the crowds cheering the first blow of many against the mighty British.
After this first victory I'm feeling confident enough to bring up the HSF Minelayers to a base in the Channel and start laying mines off ports that support British submarines. Dunkerque, Calais, Dover, Chatham, Southend, Harwich, Lowestoft, and Great Yarmouth are on the target list. What forces might I expect to find at those bases? What escort should I provide for my minelayers? How can I best prevent British minelayers like Abdiel from blocking up my passages? Any thoughts on the tactic of using BCs as raiders? Did I just get lucky? Should I send them around north like before, or sneak them through the channel to the hunting grounds near Plymouth, Queenstown, and Liverpool?