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Author Topic: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]  (Read 136521 times)

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Offline Spoon

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
An ally being useful and sinking a BB?! Incredible.
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them

 

Offline Enioch

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
An ally being useful and sinking a BB?! Incredible.

Not any ally.



'Murica!

*also: THERE.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2018, 03:01:19 am by Enioch »
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

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Offline Enioch

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
Semi-breaking news

Quote
RTW2 will have a host of changes. As well as aircraft and carriers, it will also adapt the politics in the game the 1930s. There will also be a number of improvements in the mechanics of the game. All this takes time to implement and test. We are loath to commit to a release date before we can be certain, so as not to disappoint you. We can say it will be this year though.

Registered owners of RTW will be give a discount on RTW2.

RTW2 coming this year.



That is all.
« Last Edit: August 03, 2018, 08:53:37 am by Enioch »
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline Spoon

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
Neat.

Does that mean we can expect a RTW2 playthrough thread after the glorious kaiserreich one has ended?  ;7
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them

 

Offline Enioch

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
No promises. I'm definitely getting the game, but that doesn't mean I'll have the time to write AARs.

Edit: also: Schnip schnop svhnippedy schnop. BOP. Lol. That video.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2018, 02:49:31 am by Enioch »
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

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Offline Enioch

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The Second Battle of Lerwick


The July purges served as an effective deterrent to anyone who would seek to unseat Mosley or challenge his authority. What it also, inevitably, did was to essentially decapitate the Royal Navy's officer corps, including Staff officers of the highest ranks. The Atlantic Fleet was essentially left without any effective leadership.

However, with talks of peace now a distant dream, a response to the German submarine blockade of Great Britain had to be formed. Unfortunately, Brand's successor (Sir Francis Howe) was neither as daring as him nor as cognizant of the underlying truth of the power balance in the Atlantic.

To deal with the submarine danger, he pulled his first-rank capital ships back to Scapa Flow and other major naval bases, forming what he termed a 'response force' while simultaneously assigning destroyers and older capital ships as convoy escorts. The idea was to ward off German submarines and light raiders (like the
G9s that had gutted the Singapore convoys), while safeguarding the cream of the fleet to maintain the blockade of the Baltic.

However, on the one hand, the gap between the limited British ASW capabilities and the German submarine forces was widening with every passing day and, on the other, Howe failed to realise that the time when the German
Hochseeflotte would only sortie to engage British raiders was forever past. With Hipper, the Jagdhund, in command, the German Schlachtkreuzer and Schlachtschiffe were ready to seek out British forces as far north as the Faroes and as far south as the Channel itself.

With Brand's superfleet ready to receive them, Hipper had been cautious. But now, all Howe had achieved with his convoy escort plans was to place a large number of old, obsolescent capital ships and precious cargo transports in the same spot for the Germans to attack at their leisure.

A more inviting target, Hipper could not have asked for.


-Dr. Karl von Braunschweig, 1945, An analysis of Convoy systems as an ASW tactic, final dissertation for the Kriegsmarineakademie, Wilhelmshaven.



With peace negotiations completely out of the picture, the German U-Bootkommando strikes at the British convoys with gusto. In theory, the British are taking the best possible measures to prevent the sinking of their vessels; however, the superiority of the German submarine forces is simply crushing. Guided by Zeppelin patrols (the efforts of the British to curb those are fruitless) and state-of-the-art radios, the German submarines operate in 'wolfpacks' and strike in groups, drawing ASW vessels away and feasting on the unprotected merchantmen. This is the 'happy time' of the German Kaleuns.




There's good eating in them dogs...

It is mid-summer in Britain, and the population is well and truly starving.

More interestingly, Hipper is no longer idle. His spies are reporting the reorganisation that has taken place in the British Atlantic Fleet; he now has his chance to once again engage his enemy and destroy him in detail. On the 7th of July, with the Royal Navy still reeling from the purges, he sorties with the three Schlachtschiffe Wörth, Hannover and Schwaben, his three beloved Zähringen-class Schlachtkreuzer and the old Hindenburg on a long-range raid near the Faroes. For two days, sailing at cruising speed to preserve fuel, he encounters no enemy forces.



But on the night of the 8th, the U-165, operating in the area, signals that she has sighted a heavily escorted convoy, making its way towards Scotland.



Hipper has passed them without realising it. His cursing is enough to wake the dead; he immediately orders his force around and comes to flank, in pursuit.



18:52, and his advance elements report contacts. It's the merchantmen. The Graf signals to the flagship: ENEMY CONTACT. CONVOY SIGHTED. LIGHT FORCES IN REAR GUARD. ENGAGING.



The Germans can't believe their luck. The British have only assigned light forces (a few destroyers, two light cruisers and a single relic battlecruiser) as rearguard escorts. The heavy Schlachtkreuzer go to action stations and charge down the merchantmen.



The ensuing panic among the British is worstened by the almost-immediate sinking of one of the two Curacoa-class light cruisers that attempted to intercept the raiders. The Conquest sinks slowly; her older sister, the Curacoa herself, will join her soon.





As for the old HMS Venerable, whose name makes her justice, her fate is sealed the minute she enters the range of the German ships...



45 minutes since the U-165's message was received, the convoy is burning, the British battlecruiser is sinking and the Germans are preparing to welcome any would-be rescuers.



They need not wait for long. From within the smoke of the burning convoy, the HMS Empress of India emerges, closing the range. The Germans are utterly flummoxed by her desperate charge into the collective fire of the entire Schlachtkreuzergeschwader, but they do not look a gift horse in the mouth. The British battlecruisers leaves her cover in the smoke, only to be greeted by the distant flashes of sixty-four 12-inch rifles. The shells reach her seconds later, and the ship heaves and buckles under the physical blow.



Things go from bad to worse for the British. From the west, Hipper's Schlachtschiffe make their appearance, adding their 15'' and 14'' rifles to the fray. Zähringen however is the one to give the coup de grace, pumping seven 12-inch shells into the Brit's belt from a range of 5k yards. No battlecruiser armour can withstand that fire at that distance.

Unfortunately, the Germans suffer as well. The Mackensen has overextended and runs into a pack of screening British destroyers; she pays for her boldness with a torpedo in her belt.



The damage is considerable. She loses three of her eight boilers; her machinery spaces are flooded and keep flooding, and her speed drops dramatically. Her captain immediately pulls her out, giving his damcon crews the time they need to address her critical condition.



The Hindenburg screens her as she retreats, and takes the wreck of the Empress under fire for good measure.



And then, finally, the Graf Spee reports contacts in the east. The British vanguard is rushing back. It is the worst possible thing they could do. Too late to save the transports, they are only bringing themselves into the range of Hipper; and the Jagdhund is itching to go for the throat.



It is worth noting that the Graf has suffered considerably during the engagement with the Empress. The British ship, during her mad charge, focused her fire on the old veteran, scoring several critical hits. The Graf's machinery is in a worse state than that of the Mackensen, and she has her coal bunkers to thank for being mobile at all. She can barely do 11 knots, and is currently staring down the incoming enemy fleet.

Those among her crew who are veterans of the French wars remember her desperate stand and clench their teeth in determination...



She pulls out, slowly, while Zähringen slots in to draw fire away from her. The Schlachtkreuzer are making ready to receive what seems to be a squadron of Australias, when another opportunistic British torpedo strikes the Hannover.



Hah.

HAHAHAHAHAHA.

The German giant takes the blow in stride, her torpedo belt absorbing the torpedo warhead with ease. The belt itself floods, robbing the ship of some of her reserve buoyancy and a knot of speed, but her internal compartments suffer no damage whatsoever.



She still pulls out of the battle-line, to check her damage; this leaves the Zähringen, the Schwaben and the Wörth to face the enemy forces on their own.



Not much of a challenge, really.

The Wörth takes an overpenetrating hit on her superstructure, from the leading Camperdown's 15-inchers. In return, the Zähringen blaps the 14-inch Indefatigable with three 12-inch shells, knocking out her aft turret.



Wörth almost makes it to Yuro's new torpedobeats montage, by dodging six torpedoes before getting hit by one on her belt. Like her big sister, the Hannover, no flooding. Germany OP, pls nerf.



At this point, with the German behemoths charging them down, the British turn and attempt to flee. But it's far too late. The Hannover and Wörth pummel the Camperdown, jamming three of its turrets on their bearings.



Meanwhile, the Hindenburg, with a brilliant manoeuver, overtakes the British battle-line and sandwiches them between her guns, the torpedoes of her destroyer escort, and the batteries of Hannover and the Graf. None of the above are good places to be. And the Germans are closing.





As the Brits are quick to discover. The old curse of the British capitals, their weak turrets, now comes back to bite them. Under the massive volume of fire from the Zähringens and the heavy shells of the Schlachtschiffe, the British turrets explode, jam and burn, effectively mission-killing their ships. And the Germans are closing.



No, they are here.

The German ships, with their ponderous mass, have reached the British battle-line and punch through it like a brick through glass, belching fire in both directions. The Australias are effectively scrapped, within the space of two broadsides. The British battleships are peppered with secondary fire, their superstructures an inferno. And, to add insult to injury, Mackensen appears from the west, her machinery restored and her guns on double-time, to make up for lost ground.



Finally, the German Zerstörer make their move. Led by the S-49, they close with the British battlecruisers and launch their fish from near suicidal ranges, braving the hellfire of the British secondaries all the way.



The ensuing mayhem is undescribable. What few British ships are still operational react like decapitated chickens. HMS Inflexible barely avoids ramming HMS Goliath (not that it would make any difference in the end), as she desperately manoeuvers to avoid German fire.

It is in vain. The German rangefinders are locked on her. She will not escape.



****.

In her dash to rejoin the battle, Mackensen once more sails into a torpedo. Six forward bulkheads collapse, and her damcon Chief floods the magazine of her third turret, to avoid a disastrous explosion. But no ongoing flooding is reported, and her wounded machinery withstands this blow as well. She can't make flank, not without crumpling her bow like a concertina, but she can make her cruise speed of 16 knots. It is enough.



Less than a minute later, buttholes all over the S-49 unclench as the torpedo that hits her amidships proves to be a dud. The little ship has been duking it out with British destroyers at point-blank range, attempting to keep them away from the fleet, and she is held together by spit and prayers.





The Hindy is not so lucky. Her flanking manoeuver has placed her in harm's way, and a torpedo hits her in the aft, cracking a propeller shaft and taking her aft turret out of action. Worse, she has no torp bulge, and she floods, a lot.



And just as the sun sets, marking the end of the Battle of Lerwick, the Graf is the last German ship to suffer damage, as a long-range, Hail-Mary torpedo hits her amidships on her bulge. Damage is, thankfully, minimal.



The damcon crews on the Hindy have not been so lucky, but they have laboured like heroes to save their old darling. Flooding has almost been brought under control. Her aft barbette is a write-off, but she will be able to reach Germany on two shafts.





But, if the damcon crews of a ship deserve their iron crosses, it's the men of the S-49. The little ship has suffered a magazine explosion on her 'A' turret; her second swivel mount has been hit, detonating her torpedoes and razing almost half of her superstructure to the waterline; her engines are out (not slowed, out), leaving her to the mercy of the winds and currents; and she has lost all but 56 of her original crew of 360.



She still makes her to Helgoland. Her surviving crew refuse to abandon her. Under the command of Leutnant Erich Wildemann, they jury-rig one of her busted boilers to give them minimal steam, and they sail her back to German waters under her own power.

She is received jubilantly in Helgoland; and immediately awarded the Iron Cross by the Kaiser himself for the gallantry and valour of her crew.



Thus ends the Battle of Lerwick. The German fleet is mangled, no doubt; the Schlachtkreuzer, in particular, suffered greatly.

But the entirety of the capital force that the Brits had deployed was sunk; not to mention the two light cruisers and three destroyers that were sent to the bottom to join them. And, of course, most of the merchantmen were sunk in the early stages of the battle.



HMS Anson, Glorious, Empressof India, Australia, Lion, Venerable, Inflexible and even HMS Goliath, the ship that had served as Brand's flagship, were sunk, with massive casualties. The Brits only managed to recover 200 or so sailors from the northern waters, freezing even during the summer months.





The German victory is total.





More so, because, for the first time in modern history, the German Dreadnought battle-line outmasses the British Grand Fleet. It is a milestone; and, for Hipper, a taste of things to come.
« Last Edit: April 30, 2018, 04:12:18 am by Enioch »
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline Enioch

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
Lerwick likes the Germans.

PERHAPS YOU SHOULD LET US HAVE IT, BRITS.
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline StarSlayer

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]



Holy crap that USN BB tonnage... 

Is that a competitive modern battle line or are they still operating everything since the South Carolina-class?
“Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world”

 

Offline Spoon

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
That amazes is me is just how many torpedoes your ships eat, yet somehow, that glorious german steel of yours, refuses to sink.
Because boy, those botes nom'd a lot of fish that last battle.

Also I noticed quite a few of the ships have the 'Old' label. Just resaving the design of your ship without any changes and refitting your ships will get rid of it. It'll only take some 4 months that way.
Unless you are aware of that and deliberately choose not to refit them?

Also, what StarSlayer said. Thats a lot of battleboats murrica has.
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them

 

Offline Enioch

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]



Holy crap that USN BB tonnage... 

Is that a competitive modern battle line or are they still operating everything since the South Carolina-class?


Let's see what a simple calculation can give us, shall we?

It's obvious that the ships currently under construction are relatively modern, so let's see what they're already operating.

For BBs: 632.300 tons / 18 ships = 35ktons/ship average.

A 1930s US 35kton ship looks like this:



For the BCs:

409.600 tons / 13 ships = 31.5ktons / ship average.

So, something like this:



I have no idea if you would consider any of the above as 'competitive' designs, but that's pretty much the average quality of what the US is operating right now.

You know, less like 'MURICA!



And more like Merica:



They have some exceptional 16-inch-armed ships, but their battlecruisers in particular are utter trash. Let me remind you that the Wittelsbachs weigh 31k tons (the average for US BCs) and they are utterly obsolete now. The only reason I keep operating them is because they're still better than anything the Brits have in their colonies.

What amazes is me is just how many torpedoes your ships eat, yet somehow, that glorious german steel of yours, refuses to sink.
Because boy, those botes nom'd a lot of fish that last battle.

1. Massive displacement, which grants lots of reserve buoyancy. They can take it.
2. Bonus to damacon as Germany - at this point we've pretty much maxed out the tech tree. 'Ship X Reduces flooding' fires pretty much every round.
3. Massive investments in TDS. Zähringens have level 2, my BBs have level 4. Which is why they refuse to flood.
4. Willingness to detach my ships from the battleline and send them home at 5 knots if they get torpedoed.
5. Deutscher Stahl.

Quote
Also I noticed quite a few of the ships have the 'Old' label. Just resaving the design of your ship without any changes and refitting your ships will get rid of it. It'll only take some 4 months that way.
Unless you are aware of that and deliberately choose not to refit them?

I am aware.  :yes:  That's the main problem with being the main Schlachtkreuzer workhorses for nearly a decade now. The poor Zähringens will be refitted after this war, when I can afford to take them out of the battleline for the necessary months.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2020, 08:14:16 am by Enioch »
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline The E

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]


Can I just say how much I love the Bismarck class, just in terms of its looks? They, to me, are the quintessential ideal of what a Battleship looks like: Sleek, bristling with weaponry, and looking like they do 30 knots even while standing still.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

  

Offline Spoon

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
Can I just say how much I love the Bismarck class, just in terms of its looks? They, to me, are the quintessential ideal of what a Battleship looks like: Sleek, bristling with weaponry, and looking like they do 30 knots even while standing still.
+1
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them

 

Offline Enioch

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04:35 08SEP1929
FROM: SMS ELSASS, FLAGSHIP NRDSFLTTE.
TO: ADMR01, WLSHVN; HELGCMD.

-URGENT URGENT. EMERGENCY DISPATCH, LEVEL ALBRECHT. URGENT URGENT-

CODE FREYA RPT CODE FREYA. CONTACT WITH ENEMY FORCES AT 5633N 00439E. SCHLACHTKREUZER UNDER FIRE. VIP VALKYRIE 3 UNDER THREAT. SCHLACHTSCHIFFE ENGAGING. ADVISE ADVISE ADVISE.


-Wireless message sent to German HQ upon first contact on the Skaggerak

"The very incarnation of our victorious legacy on the High Seas is here to watch us, today. Her eyes are upon you, men of Germany. Make her proud. As for myself, may the Almighty God stand as my witness, I shall give my life before disgracing myself before our Valkyrie. Leutnant von Trier, nail our ensign to the mast."

-Konteradmiral Michaelis, during the opening stages of the Skaggerakschlacht.





15 August 1929. The Japanese liner Haguro Maru is misidentified as the English troopship HMS Godalming off New Zealand by the German submarine U-211. The civilian death toll is catastrophic and the Japanese, rightfully, scream bloody murder. The German Admiralität immediately enters into negotiations for reparations. There is no escaping the reality of this war crime; the morale and prestige of the Kaleuns nosedives.



For a short while, that is. A week later, the U-139 surfaces to attack what she believes is an unarmed British freighter. It turns out that it is, in fact, an armed merchant cruiser operating as a Q-ship: the Bleamoor. Kaleun Herbert Ritter is taken utterly by surprise, but he rallies and leads his submarine crew in a brilliantly fought gunnery duel, followed by the boarding and scuttling of the British ship. This gallant naval action considerably helps in boosting German morale.





Their late-summer haul is not as massive as those of earlier months, but it still puts a considerable dent in British supplies.



This, followed by the Italians tightening their blockade of Malta and Cyprus...



...leads to the first peace overtures from Mosley's regime.



If these had come three, or even two months ago, Stresemann and the Kaiser would have agreed to reasonable terms. However, the current fragile state of the Mosley regime after the early-summer purges, and the Kaiser's own rancor towards what he perceived to be a polity utterly hostile to the German royalist principles led to Stresemann pushing for much more than Mosley was willing to consider offering. The peace talks, facilitated by France, quickly ground to a halt and hostilities resumed.



Eager to atone for the Haguro Maru disaster, the German Kaleuns leave their pens with renewed vigour and a daredevil attitude. In a move that stuns the Brits, the U-220 finds her way into Scapa Flow and torpedoes HMS Queen Elizabeth before making good her escape. The British manage to save the ship, but extensive repairs are necessary before she can sail again.



In addition, U-199 engages the minesweeper HMS Herst and sinks her in a surface duel...





...while the rest of the U-bootflotte carves a massive chunk out of the British merchant marine.



Yes, we know.



Wait, two triggers of the event this month? Holy crap. There's only one possible response to that.







Italy and the US continue to be good allies, sinking British merchant traffic and blockading the Far Eastern ports, respectively. It must be said that the US invasion of Hong Kong has stalled. The local British forces are displaying commendable heroism in the defense of their territories; the Heeresleitung are currently deliberating on how to best break the stalemate.

It is at this point that the repairs of the mined Moltke are completed. At this point, the British fleet has been mauled to such an extent that Emden is judged to be relatively safe for the old darling. She is cleared to return to her old dock space, and she is given an honorary escort in what is, essentially, the entirety of the German battleline during her trip.



But, now that she is on the open sea once again, the spirit of the old Valkyrie calls out to battle one last time; and Odin, from the halls of Valhalla, answers her call. As she crests Denmark, a storm forces the fleet to redirect to the north-west, near Skaggerak. The ships suffer only minimal damage but, as the storm clears, on the early morning of 8 September, the scouting elements spot smoke on the horizon.

Lots of smoke.

What's left of the British Grand Fleet has sortied in force to intercept what they perceive to be a German blockade run. A battle is inevitable.



The Moltke is following Hindenburg, her old packmate. She bears only a skeleton crew and is in no condition to fight. For one thing, she carries no ammunition. It falls to the three Zähringen-class ships to delay the enemy until she can escape.



The old German behemoths will only need to buy a little time, for Michaelis is right on their tail, with a terrifying Schlachtschiff squadron. He is flying his flag on the Elsass and is closely followed by Hannover, Schwaben, Brandenburg and Wettin. He will be in firing range soon.



These are good news for the crews of the Zähringen-class Schlachtkreuzer. Their Zerstörer screen quickly identifies the incoming British ships. There are at least two modern battlecruisers out there, and one of them is a Tiger-class. Tigers are terrifying ships, with a ten-gun 16'' broadside, and a deck that can easily defeat the German 12-inchers at range. The German ships immediately perform a Gefechtskehrtwendung, as the first 16'' shells land around them, from far outside their own effective range. One strikes the Graf Spee, causing light flooding on her portside compartments.



But then, the commander of the Schlachtkreuzer force, Konteradmiral Görtz, realises that his maneuver exposes the Moltke to enemy fire and turns, once again, to interpose his ships between the fleeing Valkyrie and their pursuers. The old German Leviathans lock onto the silhouettes of the pursuing British and open fire, at the extreme range of their old 12-inchers.





This happens. It is insane It should not be possible. But somehow the triplets score repeated hits on the Tiger, and the Mackensen utterly mauls one of her escorts with her secondaries.



The German Schlachtkreuzer continue their retreat in good order towards the east. Michaelis is getting closer. He can barely see their smoke on the horizon.





And then, from his perspective, the western horizon erupts in a white flash and a mushroom cloud ascends into the heavens. He frantically tries to raise the Schlachtkreuzer, demanding a sitrep. Several long minutes pass until a reply is received from the Mackensen: TARGET CAPITAL SHIP MAGAZINE EXPLOSION. MINIMAL DAMAGE RECEIVED IN RETURN. VALKYRIE SAFE. CONTINUING ENGAGEMENT.



And suddenly, the balance of power is much more even. Instead of three modern battlecruisers against three obsolescent Schlachtkreuzer, the odds are now three against two (the Hindenburg is retreating at flank, with Moltke following closely). Görtz vaccilates for an instant; and then turns his aging leviathans around, seeking a close-range brawl. The Graf Spee takes a penetrating hit from the retreating Tiger, but the honorary Valkyrie pushes forward undeterred, to protect her older sister.



Her lookouts tentatively identify more smoke on the western horizon; and Görtz assumes a northbound course. Just in time, too. As she turns, a 16'' shell from the Tiger strikes her armoured belt and ricochets off.



Her crew rejoice. The Old Lady fears nothing! With Michaelis steaming closer by the minute, this battle seems to be-





BAM

The Tiger straddles her. One shell strikes her belt, and this time the AP cap does its job all too well. The shell buries itself deep into the Graf's engineering spaces and detonates.

Hydraulics are shot to Kingdom Come. Electricity flickers throughout the ship. Internal bulkheads buckle like tissue paper. And saltwater floods the feed tanks, killing almost half of her effective boilers. In an instant, Görtz's flagship loses seven knots of speed...



..and her 'C' turret. Her crew grit their teeth and hunker down for the fight, many of them nervously fingering the silvered Valkyrie pins they bear on their caps. She has suffered worse. She'll survive this, as she has survived in the past.



Where is the enemy? In the smoke and the morning haze, the Graf's lookouts have lost their targets. They nervously scan the horizon, and finally manage to locate two distant silhouettes towards the west.



That's more than enough for Zähringen, who charges in all guns blazing, in defense of her wounded sister. Her entire broadside thunders; a spark of light blossoms on her target.



A few minutes later, she does it again.



Yes. Targets confirmed. At least two British battlecruisers are still out there, shadowing the Schlachtkreuzer. The haze clears for a few minutes, just enough for the Zähringen's rangefinders to get a good lock on one of them...



And the Old Sister's next salvo scores five hits on the British ship, at a range of over 10k yards. It's a massive blow.



And the sharp crack-booms of the Old Sister's guns is punctuated (oh sweet, sweet sound!) by the distant throaty roar of 14'' and 15'' batteries. Finally, finally the Schlachtschiffe have gotten close enough to join the fight.



Not against the ships that are engaging the Schlachtkreuzer, however. The lookouts on the Brandenburg have spotted an Australia-class battlecruiser closing in from the south.

Oh, dear me, Australia. You do not want to be there.



Oh. Oh God. No, you definitely don't want to be there.



Meanwhile, the Schlachtkreuzer have moved towards the north, using the morning haze to dance in and out of the British spotting range. This leads to considerable confusion amongst the lookouts of both sides. Both British and German lookouts only see dark shapes and muzzle flashes; and both commanders think that they are still engaging the enemy's batlecruisers. But, in fact, the Dreadnoughts of both fleets have now sailed into gunnery range; and they are both charging in to destroy what they think will be easy targets.



06:42: the lookouts on Elsass  report to Michaelis that he is, in fact, facing a trio of Europa-class Superdreadnoughts. At a range of less than 10k yards. The blood drains from Michaelis' face. That's thirty six 16-inchers staring down the German ships.

And, just to punctuate the seriousness of the situation, a 16'' shell strikes the Schwaben's belt and penetrates like a hot knife through butter.



Amidst the chaos of her damacon crews rushing to quench the flames and provide help to the casualties, it takes the gunners on board the German Schlachtschiffe scant seconds to train their batteries against the Europas. A broadside thunders out; the 'A' Turret of the leading Europa cracks like an egg.



From the north, the Zähringen rushes back, to shield the wounded Graf. Her gunners take the chance to pump two 12-inch shells into a Prince of Wales-class ship, that had attempted to close the range to the crippled German giant. However, the Brits receive reinforcements as well. From the south, a two-ship squadron consisting of a Royal Sovereign and a Revenge-class dreadnought join the fray, knocking out a turret on the Schwaben and the Hannover respectively.





And then, the battle-lines are fully formed, for a gruelling engagement that will last for half an hour. On the British side, from north to south: a Camperdown-class dreadnought; a two-ship squadron consisting of the Prince of Wales and an Albion; the Empress of India; the three Europas; the Revenge, the Royal Sovereign. On the German side, the proud silhouette of the Elsass leads the battle-line. Behind her, the Hannover, the Schwaben, the Brandenburg and the Wettin. The Graf has detached, and is making its way back to Germany at five knots; her sisters have slipped behind the battle-line and are moving from north to south, peppering the distant British ships (especially that overambitious Camperdown with long-range 12'' fire.







The leading British ships are pummeled. The Camperdown loses turrets to the shells of the Schlachtkreuzer like firecrackers; the Europas (by far the most dangerous British capitals) are focused down by the Schlachtschiffe. In return, the Schwaben suffers an upper belt penetration that punches into a secondary battery magazine. But her deck and secondary turrets have specific weakpoints, designed to fail during a flash fire. One of her portside secondary turrets erupts like a roman candle, killing the gunnery crew in a bright instant, but the ship is safe.



At this point, the British have suffered considerably. Michaelis' grip on the railings of the Elsass' bridge has turned his knuckles white; it is imperative that his nerves outlast those of his enemy. The British must break before he does. The German battle-line must not turn away from this no-holds-barred brawl.

And then, finally, the lookouts cry out that the enemy fleet is maneuvering - in a rather strange fashion. It takes Michaelis a few minutes to piece together the different reports and realise that the Brits are attempting their own version of the Gefechtskehrtwendung!



Unfortunately for the British, it is clear that their training in this maneuver (which requires pinpoint precision and nerves of steel) has been insufficient. They cock it up royally. The leading ships 'break' under fire, and turn before the following ones, a mark of shame that leaves the crews of the German Schlachtkreuzer scoffing. The end result is a chaotic blob, in which ships maneuver frantically to avoid collisions, while the Germans pick their targets with impunity.



It is the British destroyers that save their larger wards in this instance. They lay a large smokescreen, into which the silhouettes of the British capitals fade away from the German directors. In response, Michaelis performs his own Gefechtskehrtwendung, slotting the entirety of his fleet behind the Zähringens that are moving towards the south. He is seeking alternative firing angles and a clear shot.



And he succeeds shortly after, spotting the British ships as they leave the cover of their smokescreen.



He manages to reacquire the Camperdown (which has been effectively mission-killed by the Zähringens), the Royal Sovereign and the Prince of Wales. The British are still desperately trying to reorganise their fleet.



Now the battle is at close-range. No battle-line niceties; only the brutal, knife-fighting slugfests in which the German ships excel. The Zähringens lock onto the Camperdown...



...and finish her off with two 'shotgun' salvos.



Then, as the British destroyers charge in to intercept them, they pull away, trying to reform a battle-line moving WNW - ESE.



It works. As the British ships still try to form up, the Schlachtschiffe reacquire the Empress of India and what seems to be two previously unspotted targets: a Rodney-class Dreadnought and an Argonaut-class battlecruiser. The Germans lock onto the two southernmost targets and open fire.



One of the Europas is here as well, her two sisters still lost somewhere in the smoke. The old Zähringen is on her immediately, pumping three 12''hots into her belt before she even realises she's under fire.



Wham















At this point, Michaelis demands a sitrep from his capital assets. He wants to know if he can still pursue a battle, or if he needs to be satisfied with the damage he has inflicted already. It's worth reminding that the Germans were not anticipating this battle.

The impression he is left with is that of a still very capable fleet. Zähringen is leading the charge and is running low on ammunition, but she has scored almost 40 confirmed hits on the enemy, suffering only ten in return. Her engines are pristine; her crew are the best of the best and eager to continue. She has, however, lost her aft fire controller. Mackensen is suffering more, having lost almost the entirety of her starboard secondaries, with horrendous crew losses. Her two midships turrets are jammed, but her remaining guns are firing accurately, having scored more than 50 hits. Critically, she has suffered no underwater damage.

Among the Schlachtschiffe, the Hannover is by far the most damaged, having taken more than 35 hits on her belt and superstructure. Her secondary batteries have suffered more than 50% casualties; however, her crew are baying for blood. Elites, one and all, and working with the best fire control systems Germany can bring to the table, she has paid back the Brits blow for blow and can still fight at peak efficiency. Schwaben is relatively untouched, with an equally skilled crew; 50 confirmed hits on her logs, for only 8 taken in return. The only thing she's lost is a secondary turret; she's currently halfway kicking the ass of the Prince of Wales back to Wales itself. Brandenburg has not suffered a single hit so far; despite working with an older fire control suite, inferior guns, and a less-experienced crew, she has still managed to score 33 hits and is currently acquiring new targets as they exit the smokescreen. Wettin has done even better, with 40 hits scored; proud Elsass brings up the end of the battle-line with 40 hits scored and minimal damage.

Michaelis is satisfied, and is about to order a continuation of the fight, when the Elsass acquires a British heavy cruiser leaving the smoke. She's one of their most modern beasts: an Andromeda, made to counter the German supercruisers, with a 10-gun 10'' broadside and a 30-knot top speed. Unfortunately for her, she has trespassed within the firing range of the German flagship.



And, despite her fearsome broadside, the Andromeda's armour is paper against the German 15-inchers.



Again the British destroyers rush to defend the capitals. Again a smokescreen obscures the British ships from the German optics.





The unfortunate Prince of Wales drifts out of the smoke, uncontrollable, and is punished severely; but the rest of the British fleet is now safely withdrawing from the field. Michaelis considers pursuing, but decides against it. He could, theoretically, cause more damage to the enemy; but he would also brave the gauntlet of the (worryingly competent) British destroyer commander and his torpedoes all the way. For once, no German ships have been torpedoed in a fleet engagement; there is no need to tempt Fortuna any further.



By 18:00, both fleets have disengaged and are returning to their home waters. But the Germans have one last surprise in store for the Brits.





U-1, the first German submarine to have ever been built, now a rebuilt training ship for submarine crews, happens to be in the area and receives the radio chatter from the battle. Instead of retreating to safe waters, her veteran commander (and Academy Instructor) Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière took the old beer can on an intercept course. In a night-time torpedo assault, he scored a hit on HMS Ceasar, a hit that caused massive panic amongst the retreating enemy ships. The Ceasar was barely saved, but missed the rest of the war. What an achievement by the old darling!



9 September 1929, 10:00am. The Moltke enters Wilhelmshaven, fully illuminated and sirens blaring, to dock next to the old Goeben. The Valkyrie brings news of a victory unlike any seen before since the days of Bornholm!

The Brits have lost three dreadnoughts, two battlecruisers and the Andromeda.



Their biggest loss is, undoubtedly, the Tiger-class Diadem, lost in the opening stages of the fight with all hands.



The old Redoutable died slower and messier, as the charnelhouse Camperdowns were wont to do. Every single one of her turrets was penetrated: her crew was decimated before she sank.



The Empress of India-class HMS Benbow was a reservist ship, her crew green from the docks of Scarborough. Her death was an ignoble thing, due to bad damcon.



And the poor Australia-class HMS Queen Mary was just thrown away. A ship like this had no business being anywhere near a modern battlefield.



Nor did HMS Prince of Wales. This is a ship that even Moltke could have tackled.



MVP on the German side? SMS Schwaben, hands down: just under 1000 shots fired, with 70 confirmed main battery hits, for an accuracy ratio of 7.5%. Mad props to old Mackensen as well: she came in second at hits scored, with 63 shots on target.





What a victory is Jutland!

« Last Edit: June 11, 2018, 12:20:13 am by Enioch »
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline Enioch

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
ATEN'T DEAD.

HAVE SOME PICS OF AN UNINTERESTING BATTLE.
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline Enioch

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  • Alternative History Word Writer
Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
An update:

  • Postimage's servers are borked. Thankfully, their databases are fine and they are promising to fix it, but most of the images on this thread will be unavailable for a short while, until I can get back to my PC and switch image urls over to their backup servers. Apologies. For now, I'll fix the links on the last post and beg for comments, I'm not proud.
  • I am currently in Madrid for a short vacation, where I visited, among other things, the Museum of Naval History. It is a magnificent little gem among the larger Madrid museums, which hosts, among other things, the earliest known map that shows the Americas.

    I also had the chance to see an exhibit regarding the destruction of USS Maine, which was used by the press (not unlike a certain game event we have seen in RTW) to precipitate the US-Spanish war of 1898.

    I thought you guys might like to see what a ship that is obsolete before its own launch looks like:



    Yes, the US thought it a good idea to build an armored cruiser with only two echeloned turrets (G and Y, not A and X), with no cross-deck fire capability, and with a nigh-nonexistant secondary battery. Fun.
  • After several monhs of waiting for official permits, my project website is finally up. If interested, drop by and say hi

Cheerio
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline StarSlayer

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    • Steam
Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
At last the archeological blog cometh!

“Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world”

 

Offline Enioch

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]


This is funny.
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline crizza

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
For some strange reasons the video only works while replying :D
Edit: Nevermind, you fixed the link, watching now^^

 

Offline Enioch

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Re: Enioch's naval shenanigans - RTW as Germany - [Image Heavy!]
I think I might have to replace Mata Hari's picture with that of Virginia Woolf in a beard and blackface...  :P
'Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent'  -Salvor Hardin, "Foundation"

So don't take a hammer to your computer. ;-)

 

Offline Spoon

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Man, that cane beating was brutal.

I think I might have to replace Mata Hari's picture with that of Virginia Woolf in a beard and blackface...  :P
Do it.
Urutorahappī!!

[02:42] <@Axem> spoon somethings wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> critically wrong
[02:42] <@Axem> im happy with these missions now
[02:44] <@Axem> well
[02:44] <@Axem> with 2 of them