Naval Battles of WW2 Part II, Sep 40 to Aug 41

Operation Menace, 9- 25 September 1940

Part I, Force Y to Dakar
After Mers-el-Kebir tensions between Britain and Vichy France settled down. This all changed at the end of August when, apart from Gabon, French Equatorial Africa went over to the Free French cause. At this time the Free French leader, General De Gaulle, persuaded the British to help him capture Dakar (Operation Menace), the capital of French West Africa. Vichy France, with Axis consent, despatched a cruiser/destroyer force (Force Y) from Toulon on 9 September, under the command of Vice-Admiral Bourrague on the cruiser Georges Leygues, to support Gabon by landing 240 colonial soldiers at its capital Libreville.

Once the British realised a powerful force was heading towards Dakar on the eve of their operation, they sent Force H from Gibraltar, under the command of Vice-Admiral Somerville on the Battlecruiser Renown, in pursuit. Somerville had vague orders to prevent the French reaching Dakar by using “minimum force”? Force Y stopped at Casablanca on 11 September to refuel and take the troops on board, and then departed in the early hours of the 12th before the British could catch them. Bourrague, realising from air reconnaissance that he was being pursued, put on a burst of speed that he knew his destroyers could not maintain all the way to Dakar due to their limited fuel capacity. He therefore sent his destroyers back to Casablanca while his cruisers successfully reached Dakar on the 14th. The three French destroyers would briefly encounter the British during the night of their return, and would be fired on without effect by Vidette. A few days later they successfully reached Dakar without incident.

But what if the British had intercepted Force Y, and Bourrague had refused to turn back?

Note: The Vichy French deployed four submarines around Casablanca to cover Force Y’s departure. I have included one of them in the battle to make the sides equal. I chose Amphitrite as she actually sighted Force H on the night of the 12th.

Set up: Set up and play as per the Quick Start Scenario on page 8 of the 2nd edition rule book. Use the 1st Edition open sea map. A player must accumulate 5 Victory Points for victory.

Force Y – 74 points, 7 units
CL x 3: Georges Leygues, Gloire. Montcalm (use Gloire).
DD x 3: L’Audacieux, Le Fantasque, Le Malin (use Le Terrible model with Le Fantasque card).
SS: Amphitrite (use Proteus model with Antiope card).

Force H – 77 points, 7 units
BC: Renown (use Replulse model).
DD: Griffin (use ZG3 model with Gloworm card).
DD: Hotspur (use Vasilissa Olga model).
DD: Encounter (use St. Laurent model with Electra card).
DD x 3: Velox, Vidette, Wishart (use Witte de With model with Vampire card).

Special Rule: The Velox, Vidette and Wishart have may not use their Tobruk Ferry Service special ability.

Part II, Mission to Libreville, 18 September 1940
On 18 September the three cruisers of Force Y left Dakar for Libreville to rendezvous there with the light cruiser Primauguet. The troops would be landed and the ships would give whatever support could be rendered. However, the Primauguet had been apprehended by the British cruisers Cornwall and Delhi, and she was subsequently escorted back to Casablanca. Force Y was discovered and shadowed by the cruisers Australia and Cumberland. Bourrague, realising his mission had been compromised, sped back towards Dakar. Gloire suffered engine problems and was overhauled by her pursuers, and herself also sent to Casablanca, though Australia and Cumberland trusted Gloire to make that port on her own as they proceeded to Dakar to join the Operation Menace forces.

This scenario assumes that Force Y joined up with Primauguet before any interceptions. Once again the French refuse to abandon their mission.

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

Force Y – 54 points, 4 units
CL x 3: Georges Leygues, Gloire. Montcalm (use Gloire).
CL: Primauguet (use Lamotte-Picquet).

British - 45 points, 4 units
CA x 3: Australia, Cornwall, Cumberland (use Kent model with Suffolk card).
CL: Delhi (use Dragon model with Dunedin card).

Pt III Dakar, 23-25 September 1940
The British attack on Mers-el-Kebir had succeeded in sinking or disabling three of the four Vichy French battleships there. However, the most powerful Vichy French ship, the battleship Richelieu, was still in existence at the West African port of Dakar. As Dakar was astride the vital Atlantic shipping lanes, the British felt they could not risk her falling into German hands.They devised Operation Menace, led by Vice Admiral John Cunningham, to deal with her, and hopefully turn Dakar and French West Africa over to the Allied cause.

The plan was the idea of the Free French leader General De Gaulle. With most of French Equatorial Africa now loyal to De Gaulle, he was encouraged to believe Dakar would do the same; he was badly wrong. The plan went awry from the start. A powerful Vichy French squadron arrived at Dakar shortly before the operation began (see Parts I and II above). A lack of communication with the Royal Navy commander at Gibraltar allowed the squadron to pass unhindered and they duly arrived at Dakar.

In two days of bombardment and air attacks, the allies (Force M) failed to convert the Vichy French, capture Dakar, or destroy the Richelieu. The coastal guns of Dakar exacted a heavy toll on the British ships, and several were damaged. But Cunningham had had enough when on the morning of the 3rd day of the attack the battleship Resolution was torpedoed and nearly sunk by a torpedo from the submarine Beveziers. All three Vichy French submarines bravely sortied to attack, but two (Ajax and Persee) were sunk.

Historically, apart from the submarines mentioned above, the only Vichy French ship that attempted to leave port and attack was the destroyer L’Audacieux, and she was crippled by a hail of gunfire after firing torpedoes at Australia that missed. The Force Y cruisers maneuvered and fired from the harbour, while Martin bombers escorted by Curtiss fighters attacked the allied ships, but without effect. The Allies had failed, and the Richelieu was still a potential threat, although she never did fall into German hands.

Set up: Play this as a 200 point battle. Use the 2nd Edition Battle Map 2.

Vichy French: 200 points, 16 units
BB: Richelieu.
CL x 2: Georges Leygues, Montcalm (use Gloire).
DD x 3: L’Audacieux, Le Fantasque, Le Malin (use Le Terrible model with Le Fantasque card).
DD: Le Hardi (use Yukikaze model).
GB x 2: D’Entrecasteaux, D’Iberville (use T1 Landing Ship model with Dumont D’Urville card).
Inst: Dakar coastal batteries (use Heavy Shore Battery).
SS x 3: Ajax, Beveziers, Persee (use Casabianca model with Beveziers card).
Ftr: Curtiss H75-C1 (use D.520 model with Bloch MB.151 card).
PB x 2: Martin 167A-3 (use B-25H Mitchell model with Sudden Strike card).

British (Force M): 200 points, 15 units
BB: Barham (use Warspite model).
BB: Resolution (use Royal Oak model with Ramillies card).
CA: Devonshire (use Kent model with Norfolk card).
CA x 2: Australia, Cumberland (use Australia model with Suffolk card).
CL: Dragon (use Dunedin card).
DD: Inglefield (use Bagley model with Faulknor card).
DD x 4: Foresight, Forester, Fortune, Fury, (use St. Laurent model with Hotspur card).
DD: Greyhound (use Vasilissa Olga model with Glowworm card).
Ftr: Skua (use Sea Hurricane model).
DB: Fairey Swordfish (use Swordfish MkII model with Sudden Strike card).
TB: Swordfish MkI.

Special Rule: The Richelieu has a speed of 0 and the special ability Coastal Facility. Allied ships may not make torpedo attacks against Richelieu. The shallow harbour meant that air launched torpedoes would tend to hit the bottom, as happened to many of the torpedoes launched by the Hermes’ Swordfish (see Design note below). Swordfish torpedo attacks against Richelieu, only, have the special ability Defective Torpedoes.

Special Abilities:
Coastal Facility: This unit deploys in a coast or island sector on your side of the map. If you have none, it deploys within three sectors of your side of the map. If you deploy it in a coast or island sector, line of sight to and from this unit isn’t blocked by that coast or island.
Defective Torpedoes: Whenever this unit would make a Torpedo attack, roll a die. On a 2 or less, the attack automatically misses instead.

Design notes: Richelieu had been damaged on 8 July by a torpedo form a Swordfish flown from the British carrier Hermes. This damage had only been partially repaired by the end of September and she was not in a condition to sail. I originally gave her the special ability Coastal Deployment, as this would allow her to set up forward next to the Heavy Shore Battery, but in reality they were in the same location. The British battleships should not be allowed to concentrate on one without also being in range of the other.

To get the forces balanced I have had to remove several British and Free French units. All their sloops are assumed to be away protecting the troop and supply transports. No landing could succeed unless the Vichy French defences had first been defeated, which historically never happened. Ark Royal is assumed to be safely away from the battlefield and is screened by three destroyers (Echo, Escapade and Faulknor). The only mention of Echo and Escapade is in rescue operations of downed airmen. I could find no mention of Faulknor in the action. All the others get some sort of active reference. Eclipse is often quoted as part of the attacking force, but it was back at Freetown undergoing repairs and its place had been taken by Dragon. The absence of Ark Royal will make the British aircraft much less effective, but in this battle they had virtually no impact. The Vichy French can sort of attack the Ark Royal with the Counter Raid special ability on their Martins.

Option: Ignore the Special Rule above.

Battle of Cape Spartivento, 27 November 1940
In the aftermath of the stunning British victory at Taranto, The Royal navy ran a double convoy operation from Egypt and Gibraltar to Malta (Operation Collar). They also used it as an opportunity to return to Britain the old battleship Ramillies and two cruisers in need of repairs (Berwick and Newcastle). The Regia Marina, contrary to popular belief, had not been driven from the Mediterranean. They responded with their two operational battleships supported by six heavy cruises and 14 destroyers. The convoy from Egypt safely reached Malta on 26 November and the ships for Britain (Force D) sailed on to Join to join Vice Admiral Somerville south of Sardinia. Vice Admiral Campioni and his Italian fleet made contact with the British shortly after.

The ensuing action lasted about an hour, and as at Calabria, both commanders were wary to commit to action too heavily. Campioni, with his nation’s only capital ships, was under strict orders not to engage unless ensured of superiority, while Somerville was worried about straying too far from his vital convoy and into Italian air space. The only ships seriously damaged were Berwick, which received two 8" hits in the initial cruiser engagement, and Lanciere, which due to mechanical failures had lost speed and found itself under fire from various British units. The Ark Royal, which had been detached to a safe position in the rear, launched attacks during the action but no hits were scored and no planes shot down. The British convoy of three merchant ships and their escort was even further away. Campioni was promised his own air support from Sardinian airbases, but it would not arrive until the battle was over.

The precious convoy sailed on and arrived in Malta after an inconclusive skirmish with Italian torpedo boats in the Sicilian narrows.

Set up: Play as a 250 point battle. Use the 1st edition open sea map. 375 points are required for victory and each objective marker is worth 125 points.

Special Rule: The Vital Armor on the Ascari card is 7.

Regia Marina – 247 points, 22 units
BB: Vittorio Veneto.
BB: Giulio Cesare.
CA: Bolzano (use Cape Teulada card).
CA x 2: Trento, Trieste (use Trento).
CA x 3: Fiume, Gorizia, Pola (use Gorizia or Zara model with Pola card).
DD x 3: Dardo, Freccia, Saetta (use Pegaso model with Sudden Strike card).
DD x 4: Alfieri, Carducci, Gioberti, Oriani (use Camicia Nere model with Oriani card).
DD x 7: Alpino, Ascari, Bersagliere, Carabiniere, Fuciliere, Granatiere, Lanciere (use Ascari).

Royal Navy – 244 points, 21 units
BC: Renown (use Repulse model).
BB: Ramillies (use Royal Oak model with Ramillies card).
CA: Berwick (use Kent model with Suffolk card).
CL x 4: Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Southampton (use Sheffield).
DD: Faulknor (use Bagley model).
DD x 6: Defender, Diamond, Encounter, Firedrake, Forester, Fury (use St. Laurent model with Hotspur card).
DD x 3: Hereward, Gallant, Greyhound (use Vasilissa Olga model with Glowworm card).
Ftr: Fulmar Mk.II (use Barracuda Mk.II model).
Ftr: Skua Mk.II (use Sea Hurricane Mk.IB model)
TB x 2: Swordfish Mk.I.

Design Note: To help balance the scenario the Ark Royal, as in Dakar, is assumed to be to the rear of the battle along with two destroyers. This also helps as it enables all her four squadrons to be represented i.e., 1 Fulmar, 1 Skua and 2 Swordfish.

Attack on Convoy BN14, 3 February 1941
Following the unsuccessful attack on Convoy BN7, the Italian Red Sea Squadron made further attempts in December and January, but without finding any convoys. However, on the night of 2 February, three destroyers, this time operating together, contacted Convoy BN14 of 39 merchant ships and their escort.

The Pantera and Sullo both launched torpedoes at the convoy and claimed to have hit two freighters, but did not. Tigre never sighted the convoy. The Italians once again returned to base empty handed. In April, as the Italian East African Empire was collapsing, all operational Italian destroyers attempted a raid on Port Sudan. Discovered on their approach they were all either sunk by British aircraft or scuttled. Their brave stand was over.

Set up: Play as a standard convoy battle. Use the 2nd edition convoy map.

Regia Marina – 3 units, 18 points
DD x 2: Pantera, Tigre (use any Navigatori model).
DD: Sauro (use Pegaso model with Espero card).

Royal Navy – 4 units, 28 points
CL: Caledon (use Dragon model with Dunedin card).
DD: Kingston (use Javelin).
DS x 2: Indus, Shoreham (use Halcyon).
Aux x 5: Jeremiah O’Brien as per the convoy scenario.

Special Rules:
1) Replace the special ability Sweep Mines on Indus and Shoreham with Guard the Convoy.
2) The whole game is played with the rules for Darkness.

Special Ability:
Guard the Convoy: While this unit is in the same sector as a friendly Auxiliary unit, enemy units can't attack that Auxiliary unit until this unit has been attacked at least once in the same phase.

Action off Sfax, 16 April 1941
With Rommel rampaging in North Africa the British were desperate to cut his supply lines, and so Admiral Cunningham deployed the 14th Destroyer Flotilla to Malta under the command of Captain Mack. They arrived at Malta on 11 April, the same day that axis troops surrounded Tobruk.

On 15 April a Maryland scout plane from Malta sighted an Italian convoy of 5 merchant ships, carrying troops and munitions, escorted by the 8th Destroyer Squadron. Mack's force departed Malta to intercept. As the convoy sailed alongside the Kerkenah Banks off Tunisia the British approached undetected from astern. The British opened fire, taking the Starboard Italian escort, Baleno, by complete surprise and she was a blazing wreck in minutes. The Tarigo and Lampo turned to face the British destroyers while the convoy scattered.

In the confused night fighting that followed all the Italian ships were either sunk or driven onto the Banks, but not before torpedoes from Tarigo had sunk the Mohawk. The convoy had lost 1,700 men, 300 vehicles and 3,500 tons of supplies.

Set up: Play as a convoy scenario. Use the 2nd edition convoy map. Victory conditions are amended as follows:
British victory = Sink all 5 convoy ships with no more than 1 destroyer lost.
Draw = Sink all 5 convoy ships with no more than 2 destroyers lost.
Italian victory = Any other outcome.

Regia Marina – 20 points, 3 units
DD: Luca Tarigo.
DD x 2: Baleno, Lampo (use Pegaso model with Espero card).
Aux x 5: Jeremiah O’Brien as per the convoy scenario. For historical interest they were: Adana, Arta, Aegina, Iserlohn and Sabaudia.

Royal Navy – 32 points, 4 units
DD x 2: Janus, Jervis (use Javelin).
DD x 2: Mohawk, Nubian (use Haida).

Special Rule: The whole game is played with the Darkness rules.

Sink the Bismarck, 27 May 1941
The destruction of Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy, was a tremendous shock, and a bitter defeat that could not go unanswered. The British immediately committed every resource they had available to hunt down Bismarck.

Bismarck was initially able to evade her shadowers and it seemed she might reach the safety of France, until she was finally spotted again on the morning of the 26th. Swordfish bombers from the carrier Ark Royal attacked in the afternoon and scored a lucky hit on Bismarck’s rudder. Bismarck was now forced to steam on a constant course away from France and towards her pursuers. During the night Bismarck was attacked by a flotilla of destroyers, but she sustained no further damage.

By the early morning Bismarck had finally been run to ground. She was facing two battleships and two cruisers and still was forced to sail on a constant bearing. In the ensuing battle Bismarck was reduced to a smoldering wreck. She finally slipped beneath the waves mid-morning, either by torpedoes, or scuttling charges, or a combination of both.

Set up: Play on the 1st edition open sea map. There are no objective markers, but Bismarck sets up in the central objective marker sector (F4). King George V, Rodney and Norfolk set up in the Player 1 Ship deployment area. Dorsetshire sets up in the Player 2 Ship deployment area.

Victory: The German player wins instantly if the Bismarck exits the map, sinks a battleship, or sinks both cruisers. The British player wins if the Bismarck is sunk before the German player wins.

Kriegsmarine – 53 points, 1 unit
BB: Bismarck.

Royal Navy – 139 points, 4 units
BB: King George V.
BB: Rodney.
CA x 2: Dorsetshire, Norfolk (use Norfolk).

Special Rules:
1) The British player has the initiative for the whole game.
2) Bismarck must move 1 sector per turn towards the top left of the map and then exit from sector A6.

Encounter off Beirut - 16 June 1941
Vichy French stocks of 5.5" ammunition for their Levant destroyers was running dangerously low, and so on 11 June the destroyer Chevalier Paul sailed for Beirut with 800 vital rounds. She was sighted by a reconnaissance aircraft late on the 15th as she sailed along the Turkish coast. Swordfish from Cyprus found her at 0300 the next day, and under a bright moon hit her with a torpedo.

Chevalier Paul radioed for assistance, and the destroyers Guepard and Valmy rushed to the rescue. The two destroyers had barely left Beirut however, when they encountered the light cruiser Leander accompanied by the destroyers Jervis and Kimberley. A brief firefight ensued as the French made smoke and hurried back to port. The British were then forced to retire by French aircraft attacks, allowing Guepard and Valmy to leave port once more, but they were only in time to rescue survivors of the sunken Chevalier Paul.

Set up: Play as per the Quick Start Scenario on page 8 of the 2nd edition rule book. Use the 2nd edition Battle Map 2. The British player sets up as Player 1.

Vichy French – 30 points, 4 units
DD: Guepard* (use Le Terrible model with Guepard card).
DD x 2: Chevalier Paul, Valmy (use Milan).
PB: LeO 451 (use Ju88A-4 model).

Royal Navy – 40 points, 4 units
CL: Leander.
DD x 2: Jervis, Kimberley (use Javelin).
TB: Swordfish MkI.

Special Rule: The Chevalier Paul must set up alone, and may not end turn 1 in a sector with another unit.