by Michael Reese
I played this scenario in about 3 hours using General Quarters rules though any naval rules can be used. The technique of this scenario can be applied to any land and naval action, some may note the resemblance to Matrix Games. It is best played as a Role-Playing game with one player being the British Admiralty and one each to play the different British task forces. One German player runs the Tirpitz and another plays the remaining German forces GERMANS |
Roll | Result |
---|---|
1-2 | No Contact |
3 | Contact Group B: PQ12. If more than one TF, roll to see which contacts. |
4 | Contact Group C: PQ8. If more than one TF, roll to see which contacts. |
5-6 | Contact Group D: British "Hunter" (Convoy Escort). If more than one TF, roll to see which contacts. Roll to see which escort: 1-5: PQ12, 6-0: PQ8. |
7-8 | Go to Convoy Atack Table |
9-0 | No Contact: After turn 10, this is a British Air Contact. Roll: 1-6: Tirpitz Detected; 7-0 DD Detected. If DD with Tirpitz, all detected. |
1. If the German has split his force into two, then each separate task force may be in contact, but not necessarily with the same enemy group. Roll for each. If German force not split then TIRPITZ & DD's make only one roll to make contact.
2. Always roll first on the RADAR and VISIBILITY tables below to determine who has greater radar range and how far you can see when contact is made. Roll for every ship with radar and use best result. Start with whomever has greater radar range. Roll only once for visibility. If Germans and it is a Convoy by itself roll visibility and radar ranges below and tell Germans he has a radar contact and does he wish to close or if in sight, he sights Convoy. Go to CONVOY ATTACK TABLE. You roll on RADAR and VISIBILITY tables every time there is a contact in an operational turn. The visibility and radar ranges are then used for that "hours" operational turn, and are rerolled at the end of the operational turn and the beginning of the next operational turn (even if ships are still in a tactical combat action).
3. If the Germans are in contact with an escorted convoy or with British warships and the British radar has greater range ask the British if they want to close. If German radar range is greater than visibility notify the Germans of the contact and ask if he wants to close. If yes, do battle. If no inform British radar target has turned away, increased speed, and broke contact. (note: If DD their maximum speed is 12" and they have no radar). If the British are closing on the Germans, inform the German when the British come within German radar range of closing ships.
This is pretty fluid. The British, if in radar contact, and state they will shadow the contacts (remain within British radar range but hopefully out of German). They can then move other task forces on the same mission around the German radar contact. Roll a D10x2 to determine how long this takes. If the operational turn ends, but no battle takes place (the British aren't in position), then roll for RADAR and VISIBILITY RANGES again, and replot. For example, if the British range drops below the range they are shadowing or the radar stops working, contact is lost. If the German radar range increases to where the German's can detect the British shadowing ships, inform the German. The key is to tell each player ONLY what that player can know from his contacts - either radar or visible.
(D10) Double distances after Turn 10 (daylight)
DIE ROLL | 0 | 1-2 | 3-4 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9 |
RESULTS | 8" | 12" | 16" | 18" | 20" | 22" |
Roll for each Capital Ship and CA in contact
British: | Radar works if D6 result is 1-4. | Roll per ship. |
Germans: | Radar works if D6 result is 1-3. | Roll for TIRPITZ. |
Range of radar is:
British: | 1=15", | 2-3=30", | 4-5=60", | 6=90" | Cannot fire blind. |
German: | 1=10", | 2-3=20", | 4-5=40", | 6=60" | Cannot fire blind. |
Neither the German nor the British destroyers have radar, so all contacts will be located at the visible ranges. Models are put out ONLY when they are visible, otherwise use counters. If two groups of ships are going to be in contact, then each side will have to sketch their formation showing where the ships are in relation to each other, and provide the speed they will close (in inches is OK). Remember, only the CA and BC/BB have radar, so when closing the first ships to sight each other may likely be the destroyers.
German rolls a D6. Add 1 if both TIRPITZ and DD are together. Subtract 1 if the Germans had to defeat an escort first. The result is the number of merchants sunk. If a "6" is rolled, you have sunk that number of merchants, and you can roll again. German uses up one salvo of gun ammunition (5.9", Mxd, or 15" - German choice) or one torpedo per ship sunk.
Ammunition: German and British ammunition is 18 turns of fire for main and secondaries. Have both sides keep track. The Narvik DD have one reload of torpedoes.
Player Communication: When making contact it may be necessary to communicate with a player. It is recommended that the players either be outside of hearing range of each other, or use notes passed back and forth so neither side knows exactly what is happening. It is also necessary for the judge to not let either side know what the tables are you are using in determining the random searches. Also note that any ships the British puts on break-out are wasted. He isn't to know that. You might throw a "false" sighting or a U-boat attack in once in a while to hinder him from realizing all of his contacts are either the hunter killer groups or the convoys.
It may also be necessary for the players to sketch the positions of their ships in formations so that you can determine which ships see each other. Place out ONLY the models that are seen. This game can be run on a 4 x 4 foot table because of the limited night sighting distance and the fact that neither side has radar which allows firing blind at a radar target.
Turns: Turns 1-9 are Night turns. Turns 10-12 are Day turns. Mark them off after every operational turn.
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