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boldairade -> RE: Nirosi vs Boldairade(NO Nirosi for now...) (1/22/2022 2:22:05 PM)
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July 2, 1943
BOA-Uboats return, sinking 6 MM, mostly in the Arctic lanes. There's a reason they are massed there. We hit back, though, inflicting 5 step hits on the untersea boats.
Norway-We are absolutely shocked here. Germany is NOT on the defensive on this front, as we thought. A full scale invasion of the port of Stravanger, vital to our supply, is launched, complete with two paradrops, air support, and the full weight of the surface power of the Kriegsmarine. They easily destroy the division holding the city, with minimal losses, and overrun our tac bomber there.
This leaves the entire UK presence in Norway severely compromised. We already were experiencing supply issues, and this halves our supply. The first move we make is to move I Corps adjacent to Trondheim to the north. Capturing this city could help alleviate the supply shortfall. We find a full corps entrenched in garrison mode here. It would take at least another corps to displace them-but to do so would leave us dangerously exposed to being cut off-the Germans can simply support way more troops in Norway than we can.
Without obvious responses on land, we attempt to counter the German fleet. We move our surface fleet at Scapa Flow within range of the German ships and launch a carrier strike. Results are disappointing-one step hit on a DD group. Our carrier strike was intercepted by ground based air and chopped up.
This leaves us in a dangerous position. The US Ranger has minimal support, with one BB and and one DD for protection. To try and add protection, we sail two DD groups and the BB Texas from southern England to rendezvous(they had been in Gibralter for the Sardina op, but were headed home). This results in a shocking combat I did not expect-the German intercept us, they hit Texas and sink BOTH DD groups, causing our fleet to retreat-leaving Texas alone, and the Ranger still with only light support. The German fleet takes some damage as well, with Scharnhorst group taking 4 hits, and a DD group taking two hits.
This leaves me absolutely stunned. I just do not understand naval combat enough to avoid these intermittent disasters. The ramifications here are huge. We are already losing the BOA, and losing two DD groups is a disaster. And who knows what could happen next turn? Will the Kriegsmarine sink Texas? Or the CV Ranger? Where will that leave us? If there is no surface fleet in the Atlantic to counter the German surface ships, things will be disastrous in the BOA. Which means we will need to withdraw surface ships from the Med-which we cannot do. We need ALL the naval power in the Med to support Athens and maintain naval superiority vs the Regia Marina. Not to mention the now potentially disastrous situation in Norway will be immeasurably more difficulty without naval support.
Losing the tac bomber in Stravanger hurt. We could have used it to hit back at the German ships. Our best anti ship weapon-the carrier strike, did very little due to land based air. We have only one asset remaining-the US strategic bombers. They are woeful vs naval targets-an attack value of 1. And using them will wear them out, giving German industry a chance to recover, not to mention German interceptors. It is a bad gamble to attack with them, but the truth is, the Allies find themselves in a disastrous situation. We use what few supply trucks are left to patch up the heavy bombers and send them north.
The first strike is picked up by the jagdkorps, chopped up and sent back without finding the German fleet. The next seven strikes either fail to find the fleet or do find it and do no damage while taking heavy damage themselves. I seriously consider cancelling the remaining strikes. We just need ONE hit to sink Scharnhorst, however, and perhaps salvage something. The eight strike finds Deutschland CA group and does 4 step hits, taking one hit in return. This is good and encourages us. Strike nine finds the 1st CL/DD group, does one hit and sinks it. Again, encouraging. Strike 10 takes two hits, but finds and sinks Scharnhorst! A final strike also takes a hit, but sinks Deutshland CA group.
Again, this seems semi miraculous after the failure of the first 7 strikes. Even with this 'miracle' our situation is dire in Norway, and of course Bismark is untouched. US heavy bombers take a staggering 15 step hits. Still, we have to be thankful something went right. English infantry are withdrawn to protect Bergen(German forces are already moving north).
[image]local://upfiles/15177/79B75937E4524BF78A089621DC5AAEB2.jpg[/image]
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