This action was designed with the asssumption that Von Spee decided to gather all the ships at his disposal into one force. Knowing that his resources were certainly limited and it would only be a matter of time before ammo and fuel became scarce he decided the best way to help the war effort was to intercept a major convoy. If successful, he might be able to try and make a neutral port before his resources were depleted or his opponents hunted his low on ammo ships down. If unsuccessful, he hoped his ships and crews would give a good account of themselves in the coming battle. Using the SS Prinz Eitel Friedrich a passenger vessel converted to an AMC as a scouting vessel, she travelled the shipping lanes looking for a target worthy of Von Spees squadron. Detecting the transports at night she gets off a radio report to Von Spee, who bears down on the convoy.
Initial fleet positioning. The IJN to the right and Von Spee's squadron to the left.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1812.jpgInitial IJN fleet arrangement. Mogami and Yodo perform close escort for the transports.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1810.jpgInitial German fleet arrangement. The Scharnhorst leads Gneisenau in the center as the two CL groups flank the AC's.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1811.jpgPer request, a few close-ups of some of the ships involved in the action.
IJN Ikoma
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1814.jpgIJN Tone
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1815.jpgIJN Mogami
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1816.jpgKM Koningsberg
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1817.jpgKM Emden & Dresden
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1818.jpgSMS Kaiserin Elisabeth, an Austro-Hungarian protected cruiser. While she reportedly used a lot of coal, the old cruiser was stated to still make a good turn of speed. Not only that but, she was armed with 6" guns while all the other KM CLs had 4.1"s.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1819.jpgAs the Germans close, Scharnhorst comes under fire from the 12" guns of the Tsukuba. This alerts Von Spee that these are not normal IJN ACs armed with 8"guns. This could be a long day unless he can close the range quickly to give his crack gunners a chance.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1822.jpgEmden, leading the charge to the transports finds herself under 12" gunfire from the Ikoma.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1823.jpgPosition of the KM ships as the Emden and her group turn to port to attempt an attack on the vulnerable transports.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1825.jpgAt the bottom of the picture the Mogami and Yodo reposition themselves to the starboard side of the convoy as the Otowa, Niitaka and the Tsushima reversed course to SSW, to intercept the approaching German cruisers.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1827.jpgMogami and Yodo throw up a smoke screen to mask the transports. The IJN Otowa group moves to intercept the KM Emden group before they get within gun range of the transports.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1828.jpgIn the lower part of the picture the IJN Tone leads the AC's against the German AC's, seen crossing on either side of the SMS KE and the two other German CLs. The IJN Admiral appreciates the seamanship he is watching as their are no collisions.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1829.jpgClose-up of the German & AH ships during the maneuver.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1830.jpgAs the opposing ACs fire at each other in the distance the KM Emden group and the IJN Otowa group finally get close enough to exchange shellfire.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1831.jpgClose-up of the two opposing CL groups firing at each other.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1832.jpgThe KM CLs turn to starboard to attempt through the IJN CLs and fire on the transports. Mogami and Yodo continue to make smoke and hope the German CLs don't break through.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1840.jpgScharnhorst and Gneisenau are taking heavy fire from the 12" guns of the Tsukuba and Ikoma.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1843.jpgThe IJN Tsukuba is hit by the KM Gneisenau and catches fire.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1845.jpgThe KM ACs pass behind their CLs to close the range on the IJN ACs
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1846.jpgThe KM CL group lead by Emden continues closing on the IJN Otowa group in their attempt to get at the transports. Yodo and Mogami continue masking the Transports with smoke.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1848.jpgThe KM and IJN CLs battle at point blank range. The results are predictable as the KM Emden succumbs to massed gunfire as does the IJN Niitaka. Emden fires torpedos, but narrowly misses her targets.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1850.jpgMeanwhile, the German ACs (top of pic) are taking heavy damage from the 12" guns of the IJN ACs, while the IJN CL Tone leading the ACs continues firing on the Leipzig, starting a small fire.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1854.jpgWith Emden sunk the Dresden punches through the IJN CLs and sprays their decks with 4.1" gunfire.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1858.jpgRelative positions of the fleets at this point in the game. At the top of the picture the KM Scharnhorst has finally succumbed to pounding of the Ikoma with a little help from the Tone.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1857.jpgScharnhorst on fire and sinking.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1859.jpgWith the German flagship sunk the SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth fails her command check and flees from the battle after this turn.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1860.jpgThe IJN CLs turn to parallel their KM counterparts. At this range with all the ships having already suffered damage the results are catastrophic. With hulls easily penetrated at this range the remaining CLs (two IJN & two KM) slowly sink beneath the waves. As the KM CLs sink, the best hope for getting at the transports goes with them. The crews on the Mogami and Yodo breathe a big sigh of relief, as they would have been severely outgunned by the KM CLs.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1861.jpgAs the Dresden and Koningsberg sink the Gneisnau (top of pic) can be seen sinking through the combined firepower of the Ikoma and Tone.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1864.jpgMogami and Yodo continue their smoke screen until the last German CL sinks beneath the waves.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1865.jpgFire and smoke is all that is left of the deadly close range battle fought by the IJN and KM CLs.
The IJN will begin a rescue operation now that the danger has passed.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1866.jpgBadly outgunned by the IJN ACs the Leipzig and Nurnberg turn away from the convoy, grateful that the IJN ACs decide not to pursue. Having used a great deal of his ammo supply the IJN Admiral decides to provide close escort to the transports while the Mogami and Yodo pick up survivors from the vicious close range gun battle of the opposing CL groups.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VI/DSCF1869.jpgWe played the same scenario the next week, with the two players who opposed each other this week taking the KM ships, against two new players who would take the IJN ships. Let us know how you think it turned out before we post the results.
