This was the first ever naval snapshot where aircraft played no direct role in the fighting. Instead, the heavies, the armored battlewagons, decided the day. This event pitted two cruiser squadrons against each other in a test of steal on steal. Loosely based on the battle of Dogger Bank (a prelude to the Battle of Jutland), each fleet consisted of four battle cruisers (the ubiquitous AH heavy cruisers), eight destroyers, a flotilla of motor torpedo boats (PT boats), and two unarmed scout planes. What made this event doubly unique was how these two squadrons were assembled. Each squadron was actually made up of four, independently controlled mini-task groups consisting of a single cruiser and two DE’s. Each cruiser was thus capable of independent action, unlike your normal Aces High TG (where sinking the flagship essentially kills the entire TG).
Commodore Eskimo assumed command of the British Grand Fleet battle cruiser squadron, while LdHaHa commanded the German High Seas battle cruiser squadron. Once all participants had joined the correct side, both squadrons were jumped to a position roughly 30 miles from each other (neither side knew where the other was jumped to). Each side also had a CV TG nearby, from which they were allowed to launch two TBM’s (with no air-to-ground ordnance); the CV TG was then jumped 100 miles away. The commodores were given a general direction to the enemy squadron (submarine spotting report). Each side was also allowed a one-time launch of as many PT boats as they wished, with the understanding that pilots and PT skippers were free to man guns after their planes or PT boats were sunk.
The German scout planes found the British first, and seven torpedo boats fanned out ahead of the German van to make torpedo attacks. The British fielded only a few PT boats of their own, none of which apparently made it to within torpedo range of the High Seas Fleet. Four of the German PT boats managed to launch a total of five torpedoes at the British cruisers before succumbing to a hail of eight-inch gunfire. From my eye-in-the-sky vantage, I watched two of the torpedoes cross the wakes of Royal Navy cruisers. One British man-o-war actually combed between two German torpedoes launched from a single PT boat!
As the last German torpedo boat was blown to matchwood, the two main bodies came within visual range of each other. Now the gunnery dual began in earnest. Towering columns of seawater sprouted all around the opposing ships as gunners sought the range. A German cruiser was the first to go down, as several of the British cruisers concentrated fire on her. The lead British cruiser went next, to even the odds for a few long minutes. One thousand-pound armor-piercing shells arced gracefully through the early morning skies, passing each other in flight. Oily clouds of acrid smoke soon dotted the seas amongst the German ships, as superior British gunnery began to turn the tides inexorably against their enemy. Suddenly there were only two German capital ships, then just one. The three remaining British cruisers swung their main batteries to train on the single remaining German threat, unleashing a terrible fusillade against it. The bright flash of exploding cordite heralded the end of German aspirations for victory.
The fight went on for a few minutes more, as the German destroyers tried in vain to close to point-blank range with the Royal Navy leviathans. All were quickly sunk without further loss to the British. Final score was one British cruiser sunk in exchange for four German cruisers, eight destroyers, and seven motor torpedo boats.
Special thanks to BNg, who popped in to help with CM duties. This was an incredibly complex snapshot to set up and put into motion; I couldn’t have done it without you, BNg. Thanks also to everyone for their participation, especially Eskimo and LdHaHa (command is lonely, isn’t it?). If you enjoyed this, and would like to see more snapshots like it, please post here to show your support. Thanks.
