Bryn Pinzgauer
Member
Paladin and I (High Seas Fleet) took on Honj, Yang and Redann (RN) yesterday. We played 3rd Battle Squadron. Fragile shells and sensitive cordite options were both off. This is my recollection. I may be wrong or hazy in places so feel free to add corrections and/or additions.
First contact found the German scouting groups steaming west. The RN were ahead of us and appeared to be steaming north east with armoured cruisers in the lead. We turned north west and increased speed and appeared to be in a good T-crossing situation, with the smoke also in our favour. The RN must have seen this and their battle line altered course to south east. I considered reversing onto 180 at this point, but decided that the RN ACs were isolated and thought that I could cause them some serious damage at little risk, so I stayed on a north-westerly course, gradually swinging around to west, behind the RN battle line.
My BCs opened fire on an AC at maximum range, 18,600m, and then split fire between the two nearest ACs as the second entered range. Both ACs had a death wish and steered straight for me. Both were sunk. I think one sinking may have been due to a torpedo fired by one of the BCs.
By this time, I was in range of the British battle line and my rear BCs were returing their fire. Just after one of the ACs sank, Derfflinger suffered a 12" hit from one of the British BBs and this triggered a magazine explosion, sinking the ship quickly.
The British tried, or at least threatened a DD attack around this time, but Paladin's German DDs and CLs dealt with them. Most were sunk I think.
After that, things went downhill. There was a long gunnery duel between the German BCs and Honj's BBs and the RN had the better of it. In the end, I turned away and ran for it, but one more BC would certainly have been sunk I think, and possibly a third. Three cheers for the Royal Navy!
I'm not sure why I came off so badly in the main gunnery duel. I think that maybe I got too close and allowed the RN to hit too frequently. Next time I would keep the engagament at much longer ranges.
I took a few screenshots early on so we have:
The German BCs and their escorting DDs at the start. A British armoured cruiser has been spotted by Paladin's German CL screen.
The German force turns onto its new course of 315 to cross the T:
Rather later in the engagement, the remaining four BCs are exchanging fire with what, I think, must be the British battle line. The single British ship is probably a damaged/sinking DD:
First contact found the German scouting groups steaming west. The RN were ahead of us and appeared to be steaming north east with armoured cruisers in the lead. We turned north west and increased speed and appeared to be in a good T-crossing situation, with the smoke also in our favour. The RN must have seen this and their battle line altered course to south east. I considered reversing onto 180 at this point, but decided that the RN ACs were isolated and thought that I could cause them some serious damage at little risk, so I stayed on a north-westerly course, gradually swinging around to west, behind the RN battle line.
My BCs opened fire on an AC at maximum range, 18,600m, and then split fire between the two nearest ACs as the second entered range. Both ACs had a death wish and steered straight for me. Both were sunk. I think one sinking may have been due to a torpedo fired by one of the BCs.
By this time, I was in range of the British battle line and my rear BCs were returing their fire. Just after one of the ACs sank, Derfflinger suffered a 12" hit from one of the British BBs and this triggered a magazine explosion, sinking the ship quickly.
The British tried, or at least threatened a DD attack around this time, but Paladin's German DDs and CLs dealt with them. Most were sunk I think.
After that, things went downhill. There was a long gunnery duel between the German BCs and Honj's BBs and the RN had the better of it. In the end, I turned away and ran for it, but one more BC would certainly have been sunk I think, and possibly a third. Three cheers for the Royal Navy!
I'm not sure why I came off so badly in the main gunnery duel. I think that maybe I got too close and allowed the RN to hit too frequently. Next time I would keep the engagament at much longer ranges.
I took a few screenshots early on so we have:
The German BCs and their escorting DDs at the start. A British armoured cruiser has been spotted by Paladin's German CL screen.
The German force turns onto its new course of 315 to cross the T:
Rather later in the engagement, the remaining four BCs are exchanging fire with what, I think, must be the British battle line. The single British ship is probably a damaged/sinking DD: