A short while ago - a week or two, maybe - the subject came up in someone's blog, or comments therein, of an incident early in World War One involving a German battlecruiser, SMS Goeben, accompanied by a light cruiser SMS Breslau, encountering a British force of four armoured cruisers. The German ships had been sent to the Mediterranean, destined to enter the service of the Ottoman Empire.
Without going into the adventures of this miniscule, 2-vessel, German Mediterranean Battle 'Division' against the French Navy and the British Mediterranean Fleet, there was a point at which Rear-Admiral Troubridge's armoured cruiser squadron, HMSS Black Prince, Defence, Duke of Edinburgh and Warrior, might have brought the two German ships into action. Following orders that were never quite up to date with real events, Troubridge let pass the opportunity.
This, of course, has become one of those fascinating 'what if?' scenarios. What might have been the result of the four armoured cruisers taking on a battlecruiser accompanied by a light? Was Troubridge correct in his assessment that the German ship constituted a 'superior force', and therefore, following orders, to avoid an engagement?
One of the reasons for my particular interest being piqued, was that, some 40 years ago, this scenario was the basis of one of several scenarios used for a competition in a Wellington war games club (not the Warlords, the other one at the time). After several rounds, SMS Moltke (standing in for its sister ship Goeben) and Breslau had been universally victorious. So then I drew the Germans for my battle.
It was the type of 'rotten show' that described the Coronel disaster for the Royal Navy. I simply could not buy a straddle, let alone a hit. Under the rule set, the main guns were operated under a central control system, which gave better odds of a straddle, and therefore of hits, and consequently damage, upon the enemy. I was getting nothing (except accumulated damage to my own ships) - a whole string of sh.. cr.. horrible dice rolls. In sheer desperation, I split my 2-ship force, and shut down the central control to give the guns independent fire. At least I improved the odds of scoring a hit, even though reducing the odds of scoring multiple hits, and hence less damage.
If memory serves, I didn't actually lose the battle, but I didn't win it either, which was, in view of the other results, tantamount to an ignominious drubbing. I seem to recall amused murmurs of 'Courts Marshal' being uttered...
At any rate, the recent blog comments sparked my interest in trying the thing out. Now, my Chubby Marine just doesn't have the mix of ships to make the thing a goer. But my Mini-Chubbies might be adapted. My entire inventory includes just one 'armoured cruiser', and a formidable unit it is, but it seemed to me that 4 standard cruisers would suitably make up the 'British' force. What would the battlecruiser's consort be?
For much of this exercise, I assumed (forgetting my own rule set) that the Battlecruiser stood at 21 Flotation Points (FP). It should have been 18FP (we'll come to that!). It carried 9 heavy guns (primary weapons), and 6 mediums (secondary). All five cruisers carried 6 mediums and 6 lights, and stood at 12FP apiece. Now, look at the 'math', per broadside:
B/C Squadron: 33FP total, 9 heavy guns, 12 mediums and 6 lights.
A/C Squadron: 48FP total, 24 medium guns and 24 lights
All vessels carried torpedoes.
Although the 9 heavy guns outranged the enemy, and were more effective than the rest at all ranges, I did wonder whether under my rule set, that would outweigh the disparities in protection and numbers of guns.
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| The range closes to medium for the battlecruiser's main guns. On the Cruisers' side, Rear-Admiral Trewford's flagship has already taken two long range hits (the green die). The Cruisers' gunnery is woeful!! |
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| As Trewford's ship staggers badly wounded out of the battle. the rest of his squadron bravely (rashly) closes the range in the hope that the increased firepower will redress the balance. |
It was. In spades. The cruiser squadron was quickly and easily crushed.
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| Terrific exchange of gunfire at short range. But the damage so far accumulated (12FP vs 3FP) places the cruiser squadron at a disadvantage. |
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| A terrible mauling on both sides. Another cruiser exits the battle critically injured, and then a third is sunk under a decisive salvo. But the battlecruiser has taken a lot of damage itself. |
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| The surviving cruisers turn to flee, but the pursuing battlecruiser sends another to the bottom. Not without receiving bites in return. With 18FP damage (out of 21), KNS Pteranodon abandons the pursuit. |
So I redid the scenario. The Saabian Navy took over from the Kiivar, whilst the Ra'esharn continued its role as the 4-cruiser squadron. The battlecruiser's consort was to be a standard 6-gun cruiser instead of the 9-gun heavy.
I'll leave the other AARs until next time. I will also add a little 'math', for whoever might find that sort of thing as interesting as I do.
To be concluded...
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