Little Great War - The Naval Action continues

 

Azurian capital ships under close attack from torpedo boat destroyers

As Charlemagne bore off to the southeast, the victorious Hellenic destroyers continued to shadow closely the Azurian battleline: Heirax keeping pace with the wounded battleship, Aetos running the gauntlet reversing the course of Hoche and Carnot. Charlemagne's secondary gunnery improved enough to damage Hierax, but Aetos continued to bear a charmed life beneath the fire from Carnot.

Reserving their main guns for engaging the enemy capital ships, the Azurians did rather better. A parting shot from Charlemagne struck the superstructure of Lemnos, and Carnot's whole broadside went aboard Psara, though without hitting anything vital (the four 5s in a row).

The developing action - without Charlemagne!

Meanwhile, Panthir drove in under the guns of Amiral Duperre, still, though now bringing up the rear of the battle line, very much in the fight. A 13.5-inch shell striking Psara along the waterline, the secondaries did considerable damage to Panthir - but not enough to prevent the latter launching its torpedo. Tension mounting, the Azurian battleship's crew watched the missile pass under the stern. 

In the distance, TB1 and TB2 continued their waspish harassment of three Hellenic capital ships. TB1 seemed to bear a charmed life, the gunfire from Georgios Averof and the Leon destroyer ineffective. But Hydra scored a lucky hit from its starboard main gun, a critical hit that knocked out TB1's torpedo launcher.

An aside here about torpedoes. At the moment I'm fairly happy about their effect on the battle. Not a 'gimme' hit, but potentially very damaging when they strike. For torpedo boats and destroyers taking critical hits, what is considered damage to secondary weapons in the larger vessels is visited upon the torpedo launchers on the small. Whatever the number and arrangement of torpedo launchers, they are considered wholly knocked out. So TB1 was now without its main strike weapon, though it still had its bow mounted 37mm QF popgun.

A question cropped up about whether TBs and destroyers could continue firing torpedoes in immediately subsequent turns. In the above pic, Aetos might have fired off a second torpedo at Carnot, and maybe ought to have done. I was working on a move's delay, but there seems to be no reason for it.
The Aetos class of destroyer carried 6 torpedo launchers mounted three a side as far as I can make out. 

The Azurian fleet takes the battle to the enemy

 
The action so far, and the effective loss of Charlemagne might have induced Admiral Gastauve to order a withdrawal, but, his pugnacity undimmed, he resolved to bring the most powerful Hellenic warship, Lemnos, under close action from his two starboard wing torpedo boats, and from Hoche and Carnot. Amiral Duperre was ordered to continue its northeasterly course, instead of following the other two battleships, in order to hold off Psara and Hydra. Although Amiral Duperre had been in action all day so far, it had taken surprisingly little damage (just 4SP) - especially compared with Psara (5FP already). However, Hydra had hardly been under fire so far, let alone taken any damage.

No sooner hastily formed, the Azurian fleet went into action. Far to the west, TB1 finally succumbed to the gunfire from Georgios Averof, still crawling slowly northward. 

Amiral Duperre found itself engaged at point blank range against Hydra, and, out of range of Lemnos, Carnot engaged Psara instead. The forward facing arrangements of the Hydra and Psara placed them right then at a considerable disadvantage, as the Azurian broadsides doubled the firepower available to the Hellenic warships. This might have created a serious problem for the latter, were the Azurian gunnery a match for the disparity. Amiral struck Hydra twice for one hit in return; but Carnot could not find Psara's range. The distant Charlemagne, however, did manage, before passing out of range, to put a 12-inch shell aboard Psara that knocked out its starboard main gun.

Lemnos under heavy gunfire and torpedo attack!
Gunnery duel between pairs of capital ships.
Azurian TB1 runs out of luck.

For its part, accompanied only by the destroyer Hierax, Lemnos was finding the action a little too warm for comfort. Taking a hit from Hoche, Lemnos handed out two in reply. It's smaller guns fortunately knocked out the torpedoes aboard TB3, but TB4, unperturbed by enemy gun fire, slammed a torpedo into its starboard side. Now with a rear main gun out of action, and 5FP of damage from the torpedo, Lemnos was finding itself in a fight for survival. The strike was to remain unrequited. A torpedo from Hierax failed to hit Carnot.

The close fighting with Psara and Hydra rather induced the Azurian ships to drop Lemnos as the main target, and go after the sister ships instead. Perhaps, having dealt with them, they might yet finish off Georgios Averof. Torpedo Boats 3 and 4 struck northwestward to try to cut off Georgios Averof from safety. Although TB3 was without it torpedoes, it might yet aid TB4 to attack with its remaining missile.

Amiral Duperre was within range to engage the armoured cruiser with its forward main guns, but failed to find the range. In return, Amiral Duperre received a couple of damaging hits from Georgios Averof's main armament. Luck now deserted Amiral Duperre altogether. Struck by a third critical hit from Hydra, its secondary guns failed to stop or even to hit the Leon destroyer charging in and releasing its torpedo. Struck amidships on its port side, the seawater rushing in, there was no saving Amiral Duperre. The old battleship had taken 17FP of damage, 10 of them in just two turns.

Just as an aside, in this action the torpedoes were amazingly destructive - when they hit. This was another high 'effect' roll - a 5 this time. But it was not the last, at that.

The melee continues - with more effective 
torpedo attacks. Ten FP scratched off 
Amiral Duperre is too much...

Aetos, returning from the west, launched its torpedo at the stern of Carnot without effect. Carnot also get the better of a brief gunnery duel with Lemnos, scoring two hits to none. Although taking  close range hit from Psara, TB2 shoved a torpedo into Psara's side, for 6FP of damage. Badly wounded, Psara began to think about withdrawing from the action, but was now badly placed to effect this safely. The Hellenic fleet also lost one of its destroyers at this moment, not sunk, but no longer able to sustain an effective action.

TB1 and TB2 go after the near-sinking 
Georgios Averof, but the Azurian fleet is 
about to call it a day.

Both sides having taken considerable damage, with half the capital ships no longer able to keep station in a line of battle, a withdrawal seemed to be indicated by both sides. But there remained a difficulty. In effect, both sides found their adversaries effectively barring the way!

To be concluded...