AshFall
Posts: 244
Joined: 4/16/2019
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Turn 66: September 16th, 1916
Drats. KZ found the fleet near the channel. I’m pretty sure there is only one sub around, and that one isnt set to silent so that wasnt it. He perfectly scouted it with an airship from Germany, must have been an intelligence hit or just good intuition. A bit of an obvious move maybe to split the fleet off, perhaps he even baited me into it and I took the bait like a sucker.
The result is two sunk Dreadnaughts, really, really not the start I was hoping for.
Worse, we get stormy seas. That is… terribly bad. Basically, two turns of this in a hot engagement situation will decide the entirety of the battle and possibly the game. Being hit full force and any counter-attacks being neutered at best is awful. Inserts in the screenshots below will show exactly how bad.
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The First battle of the Frisian Islands is a tactical German loss, but a strategic victory. The Royal navy was caught by surprise arranging it’s order of battle at the mouth of the English Channel, in the ensuing chaos the well prepared Kregsmarine fired accurate salvos as they withdrew before superior numbers, scoring critical hits and sinking The Emperor of India and The Queen Elisabeth. Royal navy pursuit was complicated by the enormous persistence of U-73 submarine squadron, delaying and forcing the RN to evade it’s screening maneuvers.
As weather turned foul what should have been a decisive, killing stroke upon the smaller Kriegsmarine force turned into a grueling brawl. As the Royal navy is forced to disengage due to ever worsening sea conditions two enemy light cruisers, one destroyer and one Battle cruiser are sunk, with another critically damaged and listing but still afloat.
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Scouting north-northwest of the UK doesnt find any vessels heading back around.
Skirmishes around the North Channel sees one submarine sunk and one damaged. Assembled aircraft hit a german Drednaught thrice, no telling what sort of damage they did but would be surprised at more than 1pt a piece.
The Port of Glasgow and incoming trade is badly hit, and the convoys supplying vital materiel to the UK will soon be unable to pass.
Torpedo boats are deployed, and the Navy revises tactics to use light Cruisers as screens for the capital ships and destroyers.
9 out of possible 11+unknown submarines are accounted for, as well as 9 surface vessels.
That leaves 15 vessels at large, no telling where those are at for now.
Current tallies as far as is known;
Kriegsmarine
Destroyers: 6-1 (5)
Light Cruisers: 3-2 (1)
Battle Cruisers: 1 -1 (1), one at str 1.
Dreadnaughts: 4
Armored Cruisers: 2
Submarines: 11 -1 (10)
Unknown vessels: 9
In the Mediterranean: 1
Total: 33
Royal Navy East Fleet
Destroyers: 3
Light Cruisers: 8
Battle Cruisers: 3
Dreadnaughts: 7-2 (5)
Submarines: 3
Total: 22
Royal Navy channel defense fleet - Skirmish orders, port to port.
Destroyers: 3
Torpedo boats: 2
Light Cruiser 1
Attached French destroyers: 2
Submarines: 1
Total: 9
Combined Entente Western fleet - Evade orders, many ships en route or in port for refits.
Pre Dreadnaughts: 4(RN), 1 (Fr)
Armored Cruisers: 4 (Fr)
Sea-Plane Carriers: 2 (Fr)
Destroyers: 1 (RN), 1 (Fr)
Light Cruisers: 2 (Fr)
Still in the mediterranean: 3 Submarines.
Total: 15 (not counting Mediterranean subs)
Total Entente Atlantic fleet: 46
On the western front the French attack recklessly despite being blind. I’m going off how thinly KZ has been deployed here before, with planes and vulnerable units right behind the front line.
It pays off, three more German corps down along with another artillery piece. Von Hutiers command staff is once again embroiled in the fighting. I should have focused attacks north and made an attempt to take down both Artillery pieces, oh well.
The German economy is extremely strong, hard to tell now that the Graph has shot away, but I would guess somewhere between 650 and 700mpp/Turn. I’m trying to make sure KZ can replenish his land losses -or- his damaged naval vessels, not both. That way I can leverage both the French and British economies against him. Here is an example of a “hard to read due to high numbers” chart. XD
You might think that the West is looking so good the game is very much in my favour, I think that is an illusion.
If KZ manages a convincing victory at sea and occupies the raiding hexes enough to choke Britains’ economy and hinder its’ movement across the channel the French will stand alone once the Russians fall. Alone, currently at 38 units facing Germanys’ current 45, stronger economy, and everything the Austrians can spare. Likely 2-3 guns and 15 units or so. That will be bad.
Greece and Russia are quiet, except for the Russians destroying an Austrian corps and damaging another. The lines are not moving. Russia at 26% N before end of turn.
As the UK might soon be forced to rely solely on its’ land-based core income it invests in Industry to maximise that as much as possible. Another Chit in diplomacy, I need the US to get into gear and start researching at least.
The UK saves 419mpps, and gets another 391, down from 520 or so.
Speaking of the US, it protests but that particular ship has yet to be sunk. At 42% at end of turn… and the Lusitania sinks! A russian diplomatic hit for another 7% sees the US at 56%.
< Message edited by AshFall -- 9/10/2021 3:29:15 PM >
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