The last time we played this scenario, there were just two players. This time we had four players and the one who played the IJN (me) switched to the KM side with the player who had the Germans last time. The two new players took the IJN as it had been victorious last time. The idea being to see if the two experienced players could penetrate the IJN screening vessels and get at the transports.
Position of the ships after turn 2. The Kaiserin Elisabeth has already been claimed by IJN long-range gunnery. Ikoma's 12" shells penetrate the old A-H cruisers vitals starting fires that are quickly extinguished as the cruiser quickly slides beneath the waves.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1904.jpgA more close-up view of the starboard German column with the Kaiserin Elisabeth already listing and on fire. In moments she will be claimed by the sea. The German gunnery experts on board the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau know it will take their best effort this day if they are to prevail.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1905.jpgi910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1907.jpgA view from the IJN side of the table, with the Kaiserin Elisabeth seen on fire in the distance. The port column German CLs peel away to try and get at the transports from behind.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1906.jpgWith the loss of the KE the Germans have to slow their advance to allow the smoke screen to cover their advance. The German AC's turn to port to take as much advantage of the smoke screen as possible.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1908.jpgNurnberg and Koningsberg increase speed to try and circle around the escort and get at the transports.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1910.jpgThe IJN responds aggressively and strips the convoy of its close escort to try and head off the German port CL column.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1911.jpgThe gunners from the Ikoma get a glimpse of the Scharnhorst out of the smokescreen and get more long-range hits, starting a fire on the Scharnhorst. The IJN admiral congratulates the Ikoma's gunnery officer on his foresightedness to have been on the gunnery range last week.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1917.jpgi910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1917.jpgThe Germans drop their smoke screen to give the expert gunners on the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau a crack at the IJN AC's. Both sides obtain hits, but those 12" guns easily penetrate the German Krupp armour.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1919.jpgThe IJN Ikoma suffers the first of many bridge hits, as the German AC gunners respond with equal accuracy. The IJN admiral, bloodied, staggers to his feet as half of his bridge crew is wiped out by the German reply.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1921.jpgRelative position of the opposing forces at this time from the IJN side.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1922.jpgThe German starboard column continues aggressively towards the IJN escorts. Fires are seen several ships as the ranges close and all guns are brought to bear. The Leipzig is sinking from the combined firepower of Ikoma and Tsukuba's secondary armament.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1923.jpgi910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1924.jpgThe IJN AC Ikoma's bridge is shattered by several hits (see markers stacked up) taking out the survivors of the first bridge hit. Auxiliary control takes over the ship and she moves away from the battle at this point.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1925.jpgWith the Ikoma steaming out of control some confusion is seen in the IJN lines as the Tsukuba, hard hit and on-fire herself, steers between two IJN CLs narrowly missing what could have been a disastrous collison.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1926.jpgWith the ranges down to almost point-blank, hulls are penetrated and ships suffer major damage. Scharnhorst once again feels the power of 12" shells against armour only designed to defeat 8" shells. The damage control team is overwhelmed by the flooding and the AC rolls over on her beam ends and disappears beneath the waves. The KM CLs Emden and Dresden follow her quickly to the bottom. The Gneisnau, on fire herself, now stands alone against the IJN from a group of six ships.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1927.jpgi910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1928.jpgThe Gneisenau's guns pound the Tsukuba hard starting fires that prove hard to extinguish.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1931.jpgThe port side column of German CLs turns and begins their run towards the convoy.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1933.jpgThe Gneisenau does not go quietly as she finishes off both the Tsukuba and Mogami, before their combined firepower finally sink the proud German AC. The lone surviving IJN cruiser from this melee, Tone, takes a bridge hit before the Gneisenau finally sinks. If she could have survived one more turn the transports would have been easy pickings at this point. The numerous smoke and fire markers document the carnage of this no quarters battle.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1934.jpgThe remaining IJN cruisers position themselves to cut off the attack of the two KM CLs.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1935.jpgi910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1936.jpgThe Nurnberg is hit by the IJN Niiataka and catches fire.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1937.jpgi910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1938.jpgThe Nurnberg and Koningsberg continue their determined march to get at the transports. The IJN cruisers turn to block their advance. Nurnberg takes several hits that cause internal explosions and sinks in a very noisy manner with hissing from ruptured steam lines. The Koningsberg continues doggedly to get at the transports.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1940.jpgi910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1941.jpgThe Koningsberg is finally sunk through the combined firepower of three IJN cruisers.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1942.jpgThe Koningsberg exacts revenge on her tormentors as she takes two more IJN CLs to the bottom with her.
i910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1943.jpgi910.photobucket.com/albums/ac306/Shimakaze/Naval%20Thunder%20VII/DSCF1944.jpgSo once again the IJN is able to defend the convoy, but only by the slimmest of margins. As before the IJN ACs scored early with long-range 12" gunfire. This may have been the margin that gave them the victory. Everyone enjoyed the battle, as it became a cliffhanger to see if the Germans could get at the troop convoy.
I would only recommend this scenario for experienced players as the IJN 12" guns, while not many, do give a decided edge to them.
This time the IJN admiral received his decorations posthumously.
If anyone else tries this scenario, please let us know how it turns out.
