Von der Tann
Schlachtkreuzer
We were four this time, one American and three Germans, and chose to do "A Midsummer Night's Nightmare" again. Anav and bolitho led the Entente convoy and the approaching relief force, while Admiral Hipper and myself steered the German raiders. Hipper was in charge of the two small cruisers Graudenz and Straßburg, and I had the battlecruisers Derfflinger and Seydlitz.
After sighting the convoy to the southwest, we closed in on a WSW course while the light began to fade. To prevent the convoy from spreading out too much, the battlecruisers separated for a while: Derfflinger went to SSW, while Seydlitz steered WNW. The shrinking visibility called for a close battle with the approaching French armoured cruisers and the AMC. At first, only a few hits were scored on Victorian and CA Gloire, and Seydlitz changed to a southerly course to reunite with Derfflinger. When the tip of the British relief force appeared, Derfflinger swung to a northerly course and fell in line behind Seydlitz, and both zigzagged through the escorts on a westerly course. As they ran past the escorting vessels, all AMC and CA were heavily damaged and eventually sunk.
This was the time when the cavalry finally arrived. Running right through the merchants, Renown and Repulse pounded the battlecruisers heavily, especially Seydlitz took a lot of dangerous hits. The return fire was equally lethal, however, and both British capital ships were damaged heavily. Repulse went down very fast, while Renown held a little longer. It turned out that Seydlitz could not be saved - the heavy shells had taken a murderous toll and started many fires, while the flooding through the holes on the port side was out of control. Nevertheless, she dragged northwards to attack the destroyers and cruisers which came in from SE, and managed to take quite a lot of them with her before she capsized and sank.
With the capital ships and AMC eliminated, the merchants could no longer be protected, most of them were captured or sunk. Derfflinger had also taken quite a few hits, but only one of them had caused serious damage in destroying her C turret. However, she would scarcely have had stood through another major engagement, as she had only few heavy shells left.
Despite the loss of Seydlitz, almost the whole of the convoy was destroyed, including the escorts and the relief force. The French armoured cruisers should receive a special mention here for their gallant resistance in the face of an overwhelming enemy, and steering the British BC through the merchants was a good trick - gave them more time to hurt us. Hipper did a good job in keeping his cruisers alive, they were instrumental for the pursuit of the merchants.
Well done, gentlemen!
After sighting the convoy to the southwest, we closed in on a WSW course while the light began to fade. To prevent the convoy from spreading out too much, the battlecruisers separated for a while: Derfflinger went to SSW, while Seydlitz steered WNW. The shrinking visibility called for a close battle with the approaching French armoured cruisers and the AMC. At first, only a few hits were scored on Victorian and CA Gloire, and Seydlitz changed to a southerly course to reunite with Derfflinger. When the tip of the British relief force appeared, Derfflinger swung to a northerly course and fell in line behind Seydlitz, and both zigzagged through the escorts on a westerly course. As they ran past the escorting vessels, all AMC and CA were heavily damaged and eventually sunk.
This was the time when the cavalry finally arrived. Running right through the merchants, Renown and Repulse pounded the battlecruisers heavily, especially Seydlitz took a lot of dangerous hits. The return fire was equally lethal, however, and both British capital ships were damaged heavily. Repulse went down very fast, while Renown held a little longer. It turned out that Seydlitz could not be saved - the heavy shells had taken a murderous toll and started many fires, while the flooding through the holes on the port side was out of control. Nevertheless, she dragged northwards to attack the destroyers and cruisers which came in from SE, and managed to take quite a lot of them with her before she capsized and sank.
With the capital ships and AMC eliminated, the merchants could no longer be protected, most of them were captured or sunk. Derfflinger had also taken quite a few hits, but only one of them had caused serious damage in destroying her C turret. However, she would scarcely have had stood through another major engagement, as she had only few heavy shells left.
Despite the loss of Seydlitz, almost the whole of the convoy was destroyed, including the escorts and the relief force. The French armoured cruisers should receive a special mention here for their gallant resistance in the face of an overwhelming enemy, and steering the British BC through the merchants was a good trick - gave them more time to hurt us. Hipper did a good job in keeping his cruisers alive, they were instrumental for the pursuit of the merchants.
Well done, gentlemen!