Naval Battles of WW2 Part I, Sep 39 to Aug 40

Battle of the River Plate - 13 December 1939

The German Pocket Battleship Admiral Graf Spee, commanded by Captain Langsdorff, had been fairly successful as a commerce raider in the South Atlantic Ocean. Langsdorff decided on a raid into the merchant ship rich River Plate estuary before returning to Germany. Royal Navy Force G, thanks to a calculated guess by its commander Commodore Henry Harwood on board HMS Ajax, was in the right place at the right time, and the bright clear morning dawned with both forces approaching each other.

In the ensuing battle the British squadron came off worst with the Exeter crippled and the Ajax badly damaged, but the Graf Spee was sufficiently damaged for Langsdorff to put into the neutral Uruguayan port of Montevideo for repairs.

Convinced by British subterfuge that an overwhelmingly superior force awaited him out at sea, when in reality only the heavy cruiser Cumberland had replaced Exeter, Captain Langsdorff ordered his ship scuttled and then committed suicide. The British had snatched a great victory and a grateful nation promoted Harwood to Rear Admiral.

Set up: Use the Edition 1 open sea map. Set up and play as per the Quick Start Scenario on page 8 of the 2nd edition rule book.

Victory: victory in this battle is by the first player to accumulate 2 Victory Points (not 3).

Germans
CA: Admiral Graf Spee.

British
CA: Exeter.
CL x 2: Ajax, Achilles (use Ajax).

Assault on Oslofjord, 8-9 April 1940

German naval Group V, carrying almost 2,200 troops, was given the task of capturing the Norwegian capital of Oslo. As they approached the fjord on the 8th they were sighted by the British submarines Triton and Sunfish. Only Triton was able to get into position to launch an attack. She fired 10 torpedoes, but they passed harmlessly between Blucher and Lutzow. The passage up Oslofjord entailed sailing past several Norwegian forts. The most difficult part of the passage would be through the Drobak narrows just to the south of Oslo. Here the Norwegians had their most powerful fort, Oscarsborg. The forts should have been augmented by minefields, but none of these had been laid by the morning of the 9th. The outer fjord forts of Bolaerne and Rauoy were easily by-passed during the night, but not before the patrol boat Pol III had raised the alarm by firing rockets when it spotted the Germans heading north. Pol III was quickly left a blazing wreck by the Albatross, but the patrol boat Farm, further up the fjord, had seen the rockets and radioed in a warning to headquarters. Rauoy was captured later that morning by troops landed off German R-Boats. Bolaerne fort was able to fight off the approaching R-Boats, but on the 10th, with its old guns malfunctioning and under air attack, it surrendered. With the arrival of daylight, the commander of Group V, Rear Admiral Oskar Kummetz on board his flagship Blucher, attempted to rush the Drobak narrows, but the Norwegians were ready and waiting, and the guns of Oscarsborg fort took a heavy toll on Blucher, which was then hit by two torpedoes fired from the forts’ torpedo battery. The Blucher healed over and sank with a massive loss of life. The remaining German ships, shocked by the sudden loss of their flagship, retreated back down the fjord to safety. Oscarsborg was now subjected to a prolonged aerial bombing, and it finally surrendered during the morning of the 10th. Soon after, the Germans sailed into Oslo. The Germans enjoyed complete air superiority over Oslofjord, apart from seven Norwegian Gladiators that were scrambled from Fornebau airfield. These fighters intercepted a flight of German bombers, escorted by Me110’s, and they were able to shoot down two of each with the loss of just one of their own.

Horten harbour was attacked by Albatross, Kondor, R17 and R21. Gunfire from the Olav Tryggvason kept the German torpedo boats at bay. The R-Boats, loaded with troops, rushed the harbor. R17 was hit and sunk by Olav Tryggvason, but not before her troops had jumped ashore, whereupon they quickly secured the towns’ surrender. Rauma and R21 exchanged gunfire and both were lightly damaged. R21 retired and landed her troops away from the town. They would not arrive in Horten until after the town had fallen. Albatross subsequently ran aground in the fjord while maneuvering to avoid the still active guns of Bolaerne fort and was a total loss.

The German inability to clear a safe path to Oslo for shipping on the 9th resulted in a days’ delay before German troops could be landed at Oslo. The capture of Oslo was achieved by paratroopers who landed at and took Fornebau airfield and who were then reinforced by some infantry from Group V that were landed south of Oscarsborg and ferried to Oslo by bus. This delay however allowed the Norwegian government, Royal family, and gold reserves to escape north and then on to Great Britain.

Set up: This scenario is played as a 100 point battle. Use Edition 2 Battle Map 1 with the Norwegian player setting up as Player 1.

Germans 100 points, 15 units
CA: Blucher.
CA: Lutzow (use Admiral Graf Spee model).
CL: Emden (use Krasni Krym model).
DD x 3: Albatross, Kondor, Mowe (use Goteborg model with Jaguar card).
Aux x 4: R17 to R24 (use S-Boat model with R-Boat Forumini custom card).
DB: Ju87B.
PB x 2: He111H (use Ju88 models with Sudden Strike card).
PB: Ju52 (use Sm79 model).
Ftr: Bf110C-4 (use Bf109 model).

Allies (Norwegian unless otherwise stated): 100 points, 15 units
Inst: Oscarsborg fortress (use Heavy Shore battery model).
Inst x 2: Bolaerne and Rauoy forts (use any marker with the Light Norwegian Battery Sudden Strike card).
Inst: Fornebau airfield (use any marker with the Forward Airstrip card).
PtB x 2: Farm, Pol III (use Sackville model with Norwegian Patrol Boat Sudden Strike card).
Aux: Olav Tryggvason (use John C. Butler model with Forumini custom card).
Aux x 2: Otra, Rauma (use Type 13 Subchaser).
SS: Triton; British (use Truculent model).
SS: Sunfish; British (use S13 model with Salmon card).
SS x 3: A2, A3, A4. (use Ambra model with A-Class Submarine Sudden Strike card).
Ftr: Gladiator (use B239 Buffalo model with Sea Gladiator card).

Special Rules:
1) The Emden may not lay mines. She was carrying soldiers instead of mines and these were subsequently transferred onto the R-Boats.
2) The Sunfish has the special ability Infiltrator instead of Sub Killer.
3) The Olav Tryggvason has the special ability Coastal Deployment instead of Expert Minelayer 3. She carried no mines during this battle, but was deployed down the fjord at the Horten Naval Base along with the Otra and Rauma.
4) Fornebau airfield has the special ability Expert Dogfighter instead of Extra Ordnance.
5) The first 2 turns are played under the conditions of darkness. No air missions or landings are allowed during these two turns.
6) Visibility and observation were severely limited, first by the darkness, and then by fog and the restrictive nature of the fjord. For this reason, gunnery attacks at range 4 or greater can’t be made.
7) Sunfish and Triton must deploy on the German side of the map using their Infiltrator special ability.


Special Abilities:
Coastal Deployment: This unit may deploy adjacent to a coast or island sector on your side of the map. If you do, this unit can't claim an objective on turn 1 or 2.
Expert Dogfighter: Once per turn, you may choose a friendly Fighter. That Fighter rolls one extra attack die when making Antiair attacks this turn.
Infiltrator: This unit may deploy anywhere on the map. If this unit deploys on the opponent's side of the map, it can't attack on turn 1.

Options:
1) Use the Weserubung Historical Installation Optional Rules.
2) Allow the Olav Tryggvason to lay mines.

Assault on Bergen, 8-10 April 1940

Rear Admiral Hubert Schmundt commanded Group III on board the light cruiser Koln. He considered Bergen to be the most dangerous invasion objective as it was the nearest to the British air and naval forces that he was sure would intervene. The first casualty of the operation was the transport Rio de Janiero which was sunk by the Polish submarine Orzel on morning of the 8th. The Norwegians rescued almost 200 men, mostly dressed in German uniforms, but no one seems to have taken the hint! Main was scheduled to sail to Trondheim, but due to delays had been redirected to Bergen. She was captured by the old Norwegian destroyer Draug early in the morning of the 9th, and when the captain of the Draug later learnt of the fall of Bergen he decided to take his ship and prize to Britain in order to continue the war from there. Under orders to avoid capture at all costs the Main was scuttled by her own crew.

Group III was spotted approaching Bergen just after 01.00 on the 9th, and all available Norwegian units were ordered to contest the invasion. The minelayer Tyr attempted to lay mines, but only managed to lay seven before the Germans raced past her. Her mines would later sink the German transport Sao Paulo in the early hours of the following morning as it approached Bergen. The minelayer Uller did not leave in time to lay any mines. The old torpedo boat Storm fired a torpedo at the Carl Peters, but it missed. This would turn out to be the only torpedo fired by the Norwegians in the defence of Bergen. The torpedo boats Brand and Sael, when they encountered the Germans later, would both consider discretion as the better part of valor, and seek shelter rather than attack. The submarine B6 was sent to defend the Flatoy naval air base and did not encounter any enemy ships. The naval aircraft at Flatoy, consisting of three MF11’s and two He115’s, attempted to attack the German ships, but only a single He115 managed to drop any bombs, and it seems that in all probability it attacked the friendly destroyer Garm, which believing itself to be under fire from the German cruisers withdrew before making any attack.

The main naval defence of Bergen was based on the forts of Hellen and Kvarven. Hellen Fort, with a limited view of the attackers and chronically undermanned, fired few rounds, scoring no hits, and was silenced by bombs and strafing from six He111’s. Kvarven Fort achieved several near misses on Bremse and a minor hit on the Carl Peters. Its greatest success was two hits on Konigsberg, which seriously damaged her engines and prevented her from returning to Germany. On sailing into Bergen, the Germans discharged their 1,900 troops. These men promptly secured the town and its defences. Later that morning the seaplane tenders Hans Rolshoven and Bernhard von Tschirschky arrived with supplies to set up a seaplane base.

In the early evening of the 9th 12 Wellingtons attacked the two German cruisers, but caused no damage. In the growing dark 12 Hampdens bombed the German ships in the harbour, but again failed to inflict any damage. The torpedo boat Stegg was about to ambush Leopard and Wolf, but they sailed back to Germany with Koln before she got the chance. In the morning of the 10th 16 Fleet Air Arm Skua dive bombers attacked and sank the Konigsberg in an historic, yet fairly unknown event.

Set up: This scenario is played as a 100 point battle. Use 2nd Edition Battle Map 1. The Germans set up as Player 1.

Germans: 84 points, 14 units
CL: Koln.
CL: Konigsberg.
DD x 2: Leopard, Wolf (use Goteborg model with Jaguar card).
Aux: Bremse (use T27 model with Sudden Strike card).
Aux: Carl Peters (use Allen M Sumner model).
Aux x 2: Hans Rolshoven, Bernhard von Tschirschky. (use Halcyon model with Bernhard von Tschirschky Forumini custom card).
Aux x 3: Main, Rio de Janiero, Sao Paulo (use Kinai Maru).
MTB x 2: representing S19, S21, S22, and S24 (use S-Boats).
PB: He111H (use Ju88 model with Sudden Strike card).

Allies (Norwegian unless otherwise noted): 84 points, 14 units
Inst: Kvarven Fort (use Heavy Shore Battery model with Sudden Strike card).
Inst: Hellen Fort (use any marker with Sudden Strike card).
DD x 2: Draug, Garm (use Edsall model with Draug Sudden Strike card).
DD: Stegg (use Antilope model with Sudden Strike card).
MTB: Representing Brand, Sael, Storm (use PT Boat model with Torpedo Boat Division Sudden Strike card).
Aux x 2: Tyr, Uller (use T13 model with Tyr Sudden Strike card).
SS: B6 (use S37 model with B Class Forumini custom card).
SS: Orzel; Polish.
PB: He115 A-2 (use Z506 model with Forumini custom card).
PB: Wellington, British (use B25 Mitchell model with Sudden Strike card) This unit also represents the Hampden bombers mentioned above.
DB x 2: Skua, British (use Sea Hurricane model).

Special Rules:
1) Add the special ability Landing 3 to Koln.
2) Hans Rolshoven and Bernhard von Tschirschky have the special ability Vital Cargo 3 instead of Airborne Scout.
3) Leopard and Wolf have the special ability Landing 1 instead of Torpedo Run.
4) Carl Peters has the special abilities S-Boat Leader and Landing 1 instead of R-Boat Operations.
5) The Konigsberg may not lay mines. She was carrying troops instead of mines.
6) Kvarven Fort may not make Torpedo attacks. Its torpedo battery was not operational.

Special abilities:
Landing 1/3: Once per game, at the end of a turn, if this unit is adjacent to a coast or island on your opponent's side of the map, score 1/3 victory points. You can only score victory points from a Landing ability once per turn.
Vital Cargo 3: At the end of a turn, if this unit is adjacent to an island on your opponent's side of the map, you may remove it from the game and score 3 victory points. You can only remove one unit with Vital Cargo from the game per turn.
S-Boat Leader: While you have an S-Boat in your fleet, you get +1 initiative.

Options:
1) Use the Weserubung Historical Installation Optional Rules.
2) Allow Kvarven Fort to fire torpedoes.

Battle for Narvik, 8-10 April 1940

The northern Norwegian port of Narvik was a vital outlet for the export of Swedish iron ore to Germany. Hitler was worried that the allies might seize Narvik and use it as a base to capture the Swedish iron ore mines. For this reason, the German capture of Narvik was a major element of Operation Weserubung. The Germans planned to land a regiment of Mountain troops at Narvik. They would be transported there by the 10 destroyers of Group I, commanded by Captain Bonte in Z21 Wilhelm Heidkamp. Group I would be escorted just south of Narvik by the two battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, with Fleet Admiral Erich Raeder on board the former ship. The battlecruisers would then head out into the Norwegian Sea to act as overall cover for the entire operation.

Hitler’s fears were not unfounded as the British did indeed intend to try and stop the iron ore trade. On the 6th they put into motion their Operation Wilfred. This envisaged the laying of two real and one dummy minefield in Norwegian territorial waters. This would force German ore ships out of the safe neutral coastal zone so they could be sunk or captured by the Royal Navy. One of the real minefields was to be laid in Vestfjorden, south of Narvik, by four minelaying destroyers of the 20th Destroyer flotilla, escorted by the 2nd Destroyer flotilla. This force would be covered by Vice Admiral Whitworth in the Battlecruiser Renown. The minefield was laid in the morning of the 8th. Once the British received news that German naval units were at sea, Whitworth was meant to maintain a patrol in Vestfjorden to prevent any German landing at Narvik. The weather on the night of the 8th was appalling, and Whitworth considered the restricted waters of Vestfjorden as too dangerous for his little destroyers. He therefore rode the storm out at sea, assuming that any German ships would be forced to do the same. The Germans however were on a tight schedule and Bonte had no time for such niceties. After parting company with Raeder at the mouth of Vestfjorded, the German destroyers had to plough on through the teeth of the storm, losing formation, along with equipment and men overboard. A very battered group of destroyers, containing severely sea sick mountain troops, reached Narvik on schedule in the early hours of the 9th.

The Norwegians, due to the recent Russo-Finnish war, had their most powerful ships present at Narvik on the morning of the 9th. They were the two pre-dreadnought coast defence battleships Norge and Eidsvold, supported by two B class submarines. The Germans raced passed the submarines before they could deploy into Ofotfjorden. Three of the German destroyers, with their commander Captain Bonte on board the Wilhelm Heidkamp, pushed into Narvik harbor. The Norwegians had been warned of the German approach by flares fired by their patrol vessels and they were ready and waiting, but a switch from neutrality to war is a difficult transition. The Norwegians accepted German negotiators on board the Eidsvold, but the Germans simply asked them to surrender or else. The Norwegians refused, and while they chivalrously waited for the Germans to return to their ship, the Germans did not reciprocate. Bonte ordered his ship to fire torpedoes and before the Eidsvold had even fired a shot she was hit by two torpedoes. She immediately exploded and sank, taking most of her crew with her. The Norge, now warned, opened fire on the Germans, but before she could register any hits, she too was hit by torpedoes and sunk. The Germans landed their troops and the town of Narvik was soon captured.

The Germans had scheduled two tankers (Jan Wellem and Kattegat) to arrive in Narvik prior to their destroyers in order to immediately refuel them for their journey home. They also expected three supply ships (Barenfels, Rauenfels and Alster) to arrive during the 9th with equipment and supplies for the soldiers and destroyers. In the event, only Jan Wellem arrived as planned. Rauenfels was delayed and then sunk on her approach to Narvik. The other ships were all either captured or diverted to other ports.

The British had been outmaneuvered, and as the storm abated Admiral Whitworth headed back towards Vestfjorden in the early hours of the 9th, unaware that the Germans were already past him and bearing down on Narvik. At 03:37 the Renown sighted the two German battlecruisers. Despite a clear superiority, Lutjens had no intention of risking 15” shells from Renown crippling one of his ships and leaving it easy prey for the British Home Fleet, which must, and was, surely be barreling north towards him. In a long range engagement in atrocious weather, Renown was hit by two 11” shells. In return, Gneisenau was hit by one 15” and two 4.5” shells. None of these hits caused any serious damage, and eventually the superior German speed pulled them out of range. The British destroyers, unable to keep speed in the heavy sea, never got into a position to join the fighting.

With the news of the German entrance into Ofotfjorden, but unaware as to the number, composition, or mission of the German force, the British Admiralty issued a direct order to Captain Warburton-lee on his flagship Hardy, to take his 2nd Destroyer Flotilla into Ofotfjorden for what was in effect a reconnaissance in force. Warburton lee, with five destroyers, was in fact outnumbered by two to one. The Germans however were as lax in their defence of Narvik as the British had been in their blocking action on the 8th. They posted only one ship on picket duty and even that returned to Narvik without having been relieved. In the misty early hours of the 10th, the 2nd Flotilla entered Narvik harbor totally unobserved. Torpedoes and gunfire ripped into the five German destroyers therein. Two of them were sunk (Wilhelm Heidkamp and Anton Schmidt) and one crippled (Diether Von Roeder). With their job seemingly done, the British headed back west down Ofotfjorden. Two German destroyers surprised the withdrawing British, and in a reversal of the harbor battle, the British had two of their number sunk (Hardy and Havock) and one crippled (Hostile). The battle had been a tactical draw, but considering the numbers involved it was a moral British one. Both forces had lost their flagships and their commanders.

During the 10th the Battlecruiser Renown arrived off Narvik with the cruiser Penelope and four destroyers. The Germans toyed with the idea of breaking out with all fuelled destroyers, assisted by their battlecruisers, but this was never attempted, and they were still there on the 13th to meet their destiny.

Set up: This scenario is played as a 200 point battle.

Germans – 205 points, 17 units
BC: Gneisenau.
BC: Scharnhorst (use Gneiseau card).
DD x 5: Z2 Georg Thiele, Z9 Wolgang Zenker, Z11 Bernd von Arnim, Z12 Erich Geise, Z13 Erich Koellner (use Z20 Karl Galster model with either Z2 Georg Thiele card or Z11 Bernd von Arnim card).
DD x 5: Z17 Diether von Roeder, Z18 Hans Ludemann, Z19 Herman Kunne, Z21 Wilhelm Heidkamp, Z22 Anton Schmidt (use Z18 Hans Ludemann model with either Z18 Hans Ludemann or Z19 Herman Kunne card).
Aux: Jan Wellem (use Nordmark model with Iro card).
Aux: Rauenfels (use Kinai Maru).
SS: U25 (use Proteus model).
SS x 2: U46 and U51 (Use U47 model with U48 card)

Allies (British unless otherwise noted) 206 points, 21 units
BC: Renown (use Repulse model).
BC: Repulse.
CD x 2: Norge, Eidsvold; Norwegian (use Vainamoinen model).
CL: Penelope (use Sydney Model).
DD: Kimberley (use Javelin).
DD: Greyhound (use ZG3 model with Gloworm card).
DD: Hardy (use Bagley model with Faulknor card).
DD x 3: Bedouin, Eskimo, Punjabi (use Cossack).
DD x 4: Havock, Hostile, Hotspur, Hunter (use Vasilissa Olga model with Hotspur card).
DD x 4: Esk, Icarus, Impulsive, Ivanhoe (use T1 landing Ship model with Icarus Sudden Strike card).
SS x 2: B1, B3; Norwegian (use S37 models with B-Class Forumini custom card).

Special Rule:
1) Replace the special ability Long Shot 6 on Gneisenau with Flag 2.

Mers-el-Kebir, 3 July 1940.

Following the French Armistice with Germany, the new Vichy French Navy was still virtually intact. The British were worried that this fleet could fall into German hands. This in turn would endanger their empire including Britain herself. The consequences of that could have been catastrophic for the whole world. The French possessed a powerful force at Mers-el-Kebir on the Algerian coast. A large British force sailed there and pleaded with the French to join them or sail off to internment. When the French refused the British opened fire and a slaughter ensued. We can look back at that horrific act, for such it was, that the British inflicted on their former allies and condemn them, but at that desperate time, despite French assurances, it was simply not a risk they felt they could take.

This Hypothetical battle assumes the French were fully aware of British intentions, and they have decided to sail their main units to the safety of Toulon. Having sent their submarines out first as a screen, the French fleet departs for France. The two fleets meet not long after.

The British fit a 300 point force quite easily. The French were more difficult. By removing some small and/or slow units that would most likely have been left behind anyway, and replacing them with submarines that were present but not operational, a correct force was achieved.

Set up: Play as a 300 point battle on the Edition 1 open sea map.

French: 299 points, 25 units
BC: Dunkerque.
BC: Strasbourg.
BB x 2: Bretagne, Provence (use Provence model with Bretagne card).
CVS: Commandant Teste (use Chitose model with Commandant Teste card).
DD x 2: Volta, Mogador (use Akitsuki models with Mogador card).
DD: Le Terrible.
DD: Kersaint (use Milan).
DD x 2: Tigre, Lynx (use Hans Ludemann model with Leopard card).
DD x 7: Tramontane, Tornade, Typhon, Trombe, Bordelais, Brestois, Boulonnais (use T27 model with Brestois card).
SS x 6: Ariane, Danae, Diane, Eurydice, La Psyche, Oreade (use Ambra model with Antiope card).
Ftr: Curtiss H75-C1 (use D.520 model with Bloch MB.151 card).

British: 300 points, 22 units
BC: Hood (use Operation Catapult Hood card).
BB: Valiant (use Warspite model).
BB: Resolution* (use Royal Oak).
CV: Ark Royal.
CL: Arethusa (use Sydney model with Penelope card).
CL: Enterprise (use Richmond model).
DD: Keppel (use Javelin).
DD: Faulknor (use Bagley model).
DD x 5: Escort, Fearless, Foresight, Forester, Foxhound (use St. Laurent model with Hotspur card).
DD: Active (use Vasilissa Olga model with Acasta card).
DD x 3: Wrestler, Vidette, Vortigern (use Witte de With model with Vampire card).
SS x 2: Pandora, Proteus (use Truculent model with K-3 card).
Ftr: Skua (use Sea Hurricane model).
TB x 2: Swordfish MkI.

* My Grandad Bob served as a Petty officer on board HMS Resolution in WW1.

Special Rule:
1) Replace the special ability Tobruk Ferry Service on Wrestler, Vidette and Vortigern with Sub Hunter.

Special Ability:
Sub Hunter: At the end of the second player’s Sea Movement step, you may place this unit in an adjacent sector that contains an enemy Submarine.

Battle of Cape Spada, 19 July 1940

The Italians decided to reinforce their naval base at Leros in the Dodecanese islands with two light cruisers under the command of Admiral Casardi. The cruisers left Tripoli on the evening of 17th July and on the morning of the 19th, as they were approaching the North West corner of Crete, they encountered four destroyers of the British 2nd Destroyer Flotilla. The British immediately turned north and headed for the support of the Australian light cruiser Sydney and her escorting destroyer Havock. Unaware of the presence of Sydney, Casardi gave chase. Surprised by 6” gunfire, the Italian cruisers turned south and a long range duel began between the cruisers as they passed north of Cape Spada. Just as it appeared the Italians would escape the Colleoni took hits that brought her to a virtual stop so that she could be finished off by the destroyers’ torpedoes. The Bande Nere was able to escape with the Sydney giving up the chase due to running short of ammunition.

Set up: Set up and play as per the Quick Start Scenario on page 8 of the 2nd edition rule book. In this battle the Italian player only requires 2 Victory Points. Use the 1st Edition open sea map.

Royal Navy – 49 points, 6 units
CL: Sydney.
DD x 5: Hasty, Havock, Hero, Hyperion, Ilex (use Vasilissa Olga model with Hotspur card).

Regia Marina – 18 points, 2 units
CL x 2: Bartolomeo Colleoni, Giovani Delle Bande Nere (use Giovani Delle Bande Nere).