Tales from Torturpitz: Germany 1900 Roleplay

[kotori87]

Ahoy folks, I am a huge fan of TortugaPower's lets play videos of RTW2, and I have been posting a series of roleplaying stories about events in his current game. In this thread I intend to collect all of my RP stories from TortugaPower's games, along with links to the relevant videos for each one. There are many more stories from other fans in the comments of each video. Please note that the Youtube videos, ships, and actual game events belong to TortugaPower. The stories posted here are my own creation and in no way represent Tortuga himself. Many thanks to Tortuga for being so open and interactive with his fans.


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Episode 1: Legacy Fleet


www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytbnX_jaR0c
Kapitan Von Kotori steps into the dockyard where SMS Schlesien, the Kaiser's newest battleship, was being built. He took a deep breath, savoring the sounds and smells of a battleship under construction. Hot iron, coal smoke, and the clanging of massive rivets being driven home saturates the air. He smiles. Soon, the most powerful battleship in the world would be his to command.
(I am thrilled to see my naming suggestion make it into the game so early. Schlesien was my request, and Schleswig-Holstein is for my brother Gascan. We're off to a great start!)

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Episode 3: To war!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=73evZyYkJdg
Kapitänsgeschichte, September 1904: We are being deployed. Due to the recent American conquest of Venezuela and other colonial adventurism, the Kaiser has ordered the formation of an East Asia Squadron. Four battleships of the most powerful battleships in the world, along with three protected cruiser escorts. Our mission will be to protect German colonies in the Far East, and remind other nations just who rules the waves. The squadron is being painted in a brilliant white and buff to show the majesty of the Hochseeflotte... and to reduce temperatures under the tropical sun.





Kapitänsgeschichte, March 1905: The Fatherland is officially at war. It seems the upstart Americans wish to extend their precious "Monroe Doctrine" to Africa as well as the new continent. As a result of our perfectly legitimate police action to protect German citizens in Mozambique, the American Congress voted to declare war. President Roosevelt claims to "speak softly and carry a big stick". Kaiser Wilhelm is certainly not soft-spoken, but when it comes time to measure up the Americans will find our stick is much bigger.
(one of the other writers, Sr. RussianDoge, becomes the gunnery officer aboard the Schlesien. His RP can be found in the youtube comments and is quite amazing)


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Episode 4: The Guam Saga
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQmk1_anyn4
Kapitänsgeschichte, May, 1905:

SMS Schlesien was tasked with a raid on the enemy territory of Guam. We arrived in the battle area at sunset. As expected, the American squadron sallied from Pago Bay at the sight of coal smoke, but declined to engage our big guns while it was still light. They turned back to await nightfall. Poor bastards, they had no idea we had been training extensively on Nachtkampftaktik (night fighting tactics). We began our bombardment of the army barracks as nautical twilight passed, and opened up with a volley to draw the attention of every American in the area. Like clockwork, the American warships came sailing into view. Our expert gunners were ready, and soon we were engaged in a sharp action against several cruisers and destroyers. Our mighty steel walls proved utterly immune to their guns, while their light hulls were rent asunder by our high explosive shells. After driving off the American counter-attack, we returned to the army base and finished our bombardment. The barracks facility was completely flattened, and one 15cm shell landed in the middle of the parade ground, knocking over a ridiculous large statue of George Washington. As we sailed away, I asked for a damage report. My Executive Officer stated that several portions of the hull would need a fresh coat of paint. The ship's Doctor reported only a single significant injury: one of the gunners bumped his head on a lighting fixture that was extinguished during the fight, and required several stitches. A few other sailors had minor burns from handling hot brass. All in all, a good night's work.





Kapitänsgeschichte, Oktober, 1905:

The invasion force is still not ready. Sending troops halfway around the world is a long, slow process. We did have some diversion to keep morale up though. Schlesien's raid on Guam scattered the defenders, wrecked the army barracks, and knocked over their big statue in the parade ground. Two months later, the Otto der GroBe and Wittelsbach returned to bombard the officer quarters, and found that ridiculous statue stood back up in the middle of the parade ground. So of course they sank an American cruiser and blasted the statue to smithereens. In early Oktober our spy on the island reported a new American cruiser arriving, bringing more soldiers and a whole new statue for their parade ground. I do not understand this absurd American obsession with statues, but we could not let it stand. So Schlesien set sail in company with the Schleswig-Holstein to flatten their base again. We met the American cruiser in late afternoon, but again it proved reluctant to engage in daylight. We pursued through twilight, and soon knocked down a funnel with a 30.5cm shell. That slowed the cruiser enough that we could close, and our combined firepower reduced it to a burning wreck. I ordered cease fire once crewmen began jumping overboard to escape the flames. We could have stopped earlier, but some fanatical gunners kept firing, lobbing horribly inaccurate shells our way even as water washed across the deck. Regrettably by the time we got back to our original objective, the tide had gone out and we could not approach close enough to spot that absurd statue.

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Episode 05: Expanding the Empire
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFhwji53TDA
The sun rose high on the Pacific Ocean, the clear blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. A cloud of black coal smoke rises from three columns of steam ships, their triple expansion engines driving large cast bronze propellers that push the vessels onward. They are a motley collection of whatever cargo vessels could be marshaled in California on short notice. The beleaguered American garrison on Guam has been completely cut off from supplies, and a previous attempt to reinforce them failed spectacularly. A division of Marines, as well as artillery support, ammunition, and foodstuffs to reinforce the garrison is being sent to end the German invasion. Despite the losses of the previous convoy, the Marines insisted on sailing together as a convoy. Not only will it keep them organized when they arrive, it is still the best chance. The sea is vast, and a convoy is as easy to spot as a single ship, while many individual ships will be found more easily. The convoy can also have a concentrated escort to ward off any attackers.



One of the steam ships in the convoy is equipped with a massive wireless set that allows it to communicate with the homeland and with the garrison on Guam via a wireless station on Mt Lamlam. Although the Germans have been unable to break the American naval code, it is still apparent that a second relief force has been dispatched. Since it is known that the Americans don't have any battleships in the Pacific, the Linienschiffe of the Ostasiengeschwader are sent one by one to patrol off the approaches to the war-torn island.



After two days on station to the east of the island, a lookout in the topmast of Linienshiffe Schleswig-Holstein notices a distant smudge on the western horizon: coal smoke. No neutral ships have entered the war zone in months. Either a battleship is out of its assigned patrol location, or the convoy nearly escaped notice. The engine-order telegraph bell rings All Ahead Flank and the alarm sounds for the crew to man battle stations. Coal smoke billows from the three funnels, forming a draft of air to bring fresh oxygen to the boilers. Stokers furiously shovel coal and and light off the last of the twelve naval boilers to raise more steam as the throttle valves are swung wide. Three massive pistons pump each engine around twice a second, driving the ship to its maximum speed of 19 knots with three screws churning the sea. The clanging of the engines and auxiliary machinery is accompanied by the singing of steam past the main steam stop valves and down the header, a din that will soon be joined by the thunder of guns.



The dark cloud on the horizon soon separates into three distinct columns of ships, with several small escorts running around. One larger vessel separates from the rest, and the silhouette becomes clear: two tall funnels far apart, matched with two main turrets mark her as an armored cruiser of the New Orleans-class. She is faster than the Schleswig-Holstein, but is compelled to fight to save the convoy. Surveying the scene through the armored slits on the conning tower, the captain makes a swift tactical decision: eliminate the cruiser first, then prey on the convoy at will. The heavy 305cm guns and special Schießübungen (artillery practice) will make short work of the cruiser, while the heavy armor will shrug off any return fire from the lesser vessels.



As the range finder counts down, the huge guns take aim. Finally, at 10 km, the main battery erupts into fire and smoke. 1622 kg of metal and explosive scream downrange, towering columns of water rise just short of the American cruiser. A second broadside rings out and is met with a bright flash and puff of smoke as a shell strikes true. This goads the cruiser into action. Her bow swings around to head back to the convoy and her artillery, beyond the range normally used for practice, opens up a barrage of fire. The gunnery duel is far from even: experienced and drilled German gun crews systematically drop shell after shell on the outclassed cruiser. An American shell strikes the heavily armored hide of Schleswig-Holstein, but bounces harmlessly into the sea. Another 7" shell penetrates deep into the superstructure of the ship and detonates inside the officers quarters. The room is unoccupied for the battle, but a damage control party is sent to put out any small fires left inside. As the Linienschiffe chases the cruiser north, shells crash all around both ships. A hit glances off the roof of turret Anton, while another explodes inside a coal bunker. The 15cm guns join the barrage, and as the range closes, the damage begins to tell. The cruiser heels over sharply as she spirals into an uncontrolled turn: a shell has wrecked her steering gear and locked her rudder to port.



With the enemy cruiser disabled, Schleswig-Holstein now turns on the convoy like a hungry wolf. She stalks between the northern column and the central column, guns firing on all sides. On the decks of the troop transports, brave Marines line the rails, rifles in hand, firing in vain at an enemy they cannot beat. On some ships the scuppers run red with blood. On other ships, bright orange flames dance on the decks, consuming wooden decks, lifeboats, lines, and even flammable paint. The destroyer escorts dart to and fro among the flaming wrecks, to afraid to close with the fearsome avatar of death. Instead, they occupy themselves with rescuing the few survivors they can from the water. Soon their decks are crowded with merchant seamen and marines, telling stories of the maelstrom of destruction they survived.

The victorious German Linienschiffe retreats as twilight sets in. As the sun sets on the ruined convoy, the sun sets on the last, best hope the Americans had of winning the war. A destroyer attempts to close with Schleswig-Holstein out of the setting sun, but is instead silhouetted by the brilliant sky behind it. It backs off after a 15cm shell strikes home. The three destroyers will spend the night fishing survivors from shark-infested waters until every square foot of space is crammed with 91 soggy, demoralized men, barely clinging to life in some cases.



SMS Schleswig-Holstein received only a few hits during the battle, with none killed and only a handful wounded. The junior officers had to find a new place to bunk while repairs were made, and most of their uniforms were damaged beyond repair. For the role his ship played in defeating two enemy cruisers and a critical convoy, Kapitan zur See von Gascan was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. On his return to Germany after the war, all of the captains of the Ostasiengeschwader were granted an audience with the Kaiser himself, in company with Großadmiral Torturpitz.
(This was written by my brother Gascan and posted here with his permission. His ship, the Schleswig-Holstein, fought an epic battle against an American convoy and totally demolished it)

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Episode 6: A Royal Pain
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp7V9s4pKdo
Kapitänsgeschichte, July, 1908: Will these barbarians never cease? It seems Britannia has become jealous of our growing empire, and determined to strangle our proud nation in its infancy. We are off to war again. SMS Schelsien has been assigned to the 2nd Battle Squadron as part of the High Seas Fleet. Her days in the white-and-buff of the East Asia Squadron are over. While doing a training cruise near Helgoland, the linienschiff Wapen von Hamburg encountered a strong raiding force of British cruisers. Instead of firing at floating targets, our gunners had real live targets to aim at. It was a short, decisive fight. The British cruisers were scattered before our armored fist, and all who could not flee fast enough were sent to the bottom. Not a bad result for a routine training cruise.
(War with Britain this time. This is when the RP in the comments section really starts taking off. My own entry here is quite short, but others have much more to say)

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SMS Schleswig-Holstein, an RC combat model that is very similar to the Schleswig-Holstein in the game


SMS Schlesien, another RC combat model of the same class, takes aim at a French dreadnought during a fleet battle

[kotori87]

Episode 7: Jutland part 1
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TivPF_1gj5M
3 NOV 1908
The North Sea dawns gray and a light drizzle forms a misty haze. Dark shapes slice through the water, steam pistons propelling the iron beasts while black coal smoke belches from the funnels. Radio messages indicate a possible British fleet movement, and the Hochseeflotte can't let this opportunity slip by. Two divisions of Schlachtschiff (Dreadnought) and three divisions of Linienschiffe (Line Ships) form a battle line stretching more than 10 kilometers, with cruisers forming a scouting line in front. As the sun rises, the mist clears. A lookout spots smoke on the horizon: soon a ship rises above the edge of the world. The masts and bridge are those of a man of war, and no other German warships are at sea. The scouting cruisers close to confirm the sighting with a tiny splash of color from the White Ensign. Now the two fleets sail onward, mobile castles of steel and steam, the pinnacle of modern technology, ready to rain fire and death upon each other.
At 0932, the first shot of the battle booms out over the seas. SMS Sankt Kaiser sends a 30.5cm shell flying toward a British cruiser as a ranging shot, followed less than a a minute later by Hohenzollern and Kaiser des Deutchen Reiches. The Hochseeflotte battle line continues northwest until the British Home Fleet battle line enters the scene, whereupon Großadmiral Torturpitz orders a turn to the north. The armored cruiser SMS Balmung, scouting out the head of the British line, lands a 24cm shell on the lead British ship, HMS Anson, but it fails to penetrate the heavy British steel. Within minutes the battle is joined.
At the head of the line of battle, the proud new three-turret Schlachtschiffe boom out their anger at the British. 30.5cm shells tear through the sky, their distant scream merging into the constant din of naval war. Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein bring up the tail of the line, still waiting to let fly at the foe. Kapitan zur See von Kotori stands calmly: he has seen battle before. The helmsman is not so experienced, however. His muscles tense and his eye twitches as the distant mutter of guns grows louder. The line of battle curves to the north, showing the two trailing linienschiffe the majesty of the massive machines of war, but also revealing flashes of heavy British shells striking, penetrating, detonating, killing, destroying brave sailors. Without the experience of the bloody American war, the helmsman can only fall back on his long hours of training to stand by his post and maintain the ship in formation. He is far from perfect, however, and swings the wheel late. The last division is now slightly out of position, marring the intimidating perfection of the Hochseeflotte battle line. The Kapitan lets the mistake slide, since the nervous helmsman corrects his mistake in a quick and professional manner.
Opposite the Hochseeflotte, the Home Fleet battle formation is a mess: the line is confused and interspersed with other small craft. Dreadnoughts are separated from the battleships and battle cruisers dash around the end of the line with no clear tactical goal. It is a wonder the Tommies can get a clear shot with all the smoke and splashes surrounding them. The call comes up the voice tube from the rangefinder: 15km to the designated battleship. The Kapitan takes a moment to look around at the faces of his officers and men, then leans down to the voice tube. “Commence bombardment.” The massive 30.5cm naval cannons erupt with the orange flash of cordite and the heavy brown smoke blows back across the deck and through the bridge. One of the officers coughs, having not held his breath while the smoke passes. By the time the shells land 17 seconds later, the smoke has passed and the rangefinder has a clear view of the splashes: all short. Gun-layers immediately start corrections for the next volley.
The Home Fleet, despite the disorganized mess of a formation, sticks to the old adage “no captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy,” as uttered by the honorable Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. The battleship line charges gamely on into the teeth of the German Schlachtschiffe. The Hochseeflotte looks on in wonder as the British, the rulers of the sea for centuries, allow their T to be crossed so effectively. At 4.5km, with the very real threat of torpedoes at close range, Großadmiral Torturpitz hoists the signal for Maneuver 45. The two divisions of Schlachtschiffe at the head of the line performs a Gefechtskehrtwendung (battle-turn away) from the offending enemy, while the older Linienschiffe turn towards the enemy and close the range. The smart display of military precision is a testament to the drill and discipline of the Kaiserliche Marine. The Home Fleet, having never imagined a foe could match them, shies away as fear sets in.
A lone torpedo-boat destroyer, one of only two present in the German order of battle, charges in, making smoke. Towering columns of water erupt all around the brave “Kleiner BrotRöster” (Little Bread-Toaster) as it makes an approach on a modern British Dreadnought. The bridge, open on top, is covered with an almost constant deluge of water from the near misses falling all around. A break appears in the shell splashes and the dreadnought is clearly visible. “Torpedo los! Schnell!” A puff of white steam ejects the torpedo from the port tube and the small steam piston putters to life, leaving a trail of bubbles to mark its passage. The shot, however, was rushed, and the dreadnought swings clear. Cursing furiously, the Kapitänleutnant orders his ship about for another attack. In the smoke and confusion, HMS Benbow fails to notice the white streak in the water and is struck in the bow. The explosion rips a 15 foot hole below the waterline and water floods in. S-60 shakes as a 3” shell slices clean through the bow of the ship. One final torpedo is shot at the retreating dreadnought, and the destroyer turns to escape. Taking advantage of the confusion, a squadron of light cruisers makes a run on the stricken Benbow. Two more torpedoes smash holes below the protective armor while the torpedo-boat destroyer sails past, crewmen shaking their fists. Despite the efforts of the damage control crews, the ship is already beyond saving.
Despite long hours of training and practice maneuvers, there is some confusion in the Hochseeflotte battle line. As divisions become too far separated to see the signal flags from the Großadmiral, command falls to the Vizeadmirals and Konteradmirals leading individual divisions. Battle Division 16, consisting of the Bierhalle-class, turns back north to rejoin the Schlachtschiffe. Battle division 18, the Wapen von Hamburg-class, turns south west to engage the older Home Fleet battleships. Battle Division 20, however, is commanded by Konteradmiral Otto de Kepnig. He is not known for his restraint. Seeing several heavy hits on a British battleship, he points to the northwest and orders his ships to advance. “Linienschiffe auf der feind!” (Line Ships at the enemy!)
SMS Schlesien leads her sister SMS Schleswig-Holstein around to the north, away from Battle Division 18. The disorganized British line sees two clear targets, and soon the two ships are subjected to a massive bombardment. A 7.5” shell crashes into the upper bow of Schlesien and passes out the back side, exploding in the sea. The ship shakes again as another shell strikes the armored deck. It fails to penetrate the armor, but shell fragments perforate the uptakes of two of the Schlesien's three stacks, reducing efficiency of the air draft in the boilers. Although it is not a one-sided fight, the veterans from the American war score several heavy hits of their own, but the British have more heavy guns firing. The engineers on Schleswig-Holstein are thrown from their feet as an 11” shell strikes abreast the forward boiler room. As they come back to their feet, water sprays from the overflow vent of a feedwater tank: the impact has allowed seawater into the tank, which is now getting pumped into the boilers. Any sailor knows seawater is highly corrosive, and is far worse at the high temperatures inside a boiler. The engineer officer orders the forward boilers secured and their steam valves shut. The ship is slowed with half the boilers offline, but the boilers can be refilled with clean water in due time. As a final insult, a 13.5” shell from an 1880-era gun strikes Schlesien on the secondary battery deck. The heavy shell smashes through the armor and explodes, tearing men and machines apart. The hitherto rapid fire of the 15cm battery ceases, the boom of guns replaced with the scream of dying gunners. The Chief Gunnery Officer is sent down to assess the damage. Confronted with a bloody mess, he quickly sorts out the dead and wounded from those who can carry on. In just a few minutes, the battery is back in action, scoring a rapid series of punishing hits on their attackers.
Seeing the plight of Battle Division 20, the Bierhalles of Battle Division 16 turn back to assist their comrades. The lighter, cramped ships, lightly armed with 28cm cannons, pass into the fiery jaws of the Collingwood- and Camperdown-class battleships, raining shells down upon them. The gray sea is pierced time and again with exploding steel projectiles, yet enough find their mark that the Home Fleet's fire slackens. Both sides are battered and back out to lick their wounds. This battle has only yet begun.
(written by my brother Gascan and reposted here with permission)

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Episode 8: Jutland part 2
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DmHrL24PZo
3 NOV 1908, 1054
The German Hochseeflotte has by this time divided itself into individual battle divisions, each under the command of a Vizeadmiral, Konteradmiral, or Kommodore, and all steam back to the center where the battle rages. In the north, Schlachtschiffe of Battle Division 13 steam back down to rejoin their sisters in the battered Battle Division 9. To the south, Battle Division 18's Linienschiffe steam north to join their sisters in Battle Division 20. In the center, Battle Division 16 retreats having allowed Battle Division 18 to escape a brutal pounding. The British Home Fleet , on the other hand, has fallen into complete disarray. There is no sign of a coordinated line of battle, and individual battleships turn and mill about aimlessly, firing at German ships as the opportunity presents itself.
The exception to the British confusion is the division of large Dreadnought Armored Cruisers, which steam at a distance. They exchange some fire with Battle Division 16, but after receiving several 28cm and 15cm hits, the cruisers retreat. They are not, after all, armored to stand up to a proper capital ship in the line of battle. Behind them, the Anson-class dreadnoughts reform a line. Between the Inflexibles and the Ansons, Battle Division 16 takes several serious hits from large 14” shells.
The six contaminated boilers on Schleswig-Holstein have been partly vented overboard and refilled with clean feed water, in a process called a blow down. This has reduced the salt concentration, allowing the boilers to be returned to service. As the main steam valves are opened, the three giant triple-expansion steam piston engines turn faster and faster. Not much spare feed water remains, but the ship is back at battle speed.
In an amazing display of professional skill, the Hochseeflotte reforms into a line of battle, although it is not the same order they initially sortied in. The Schlachtschiffe and lighter Linienschiffe bombard the British dreadnoughts and cruisers. To the south, at the tail end of the reformed line, Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein assail the older British battleships with heavy and medium Krupp cannons, preventing them from establishing a coordinated force. An 11” shell from a Camperdown-class ship smashes into a thin portion of Schleswig-Holstein's belt armor, wrecking auxiliary ventilation machinery. The German ship has found the range, however, and is rewarded with a string of shell hits from both the main and secondary battery.
With the large cruisers having moved to the disengaged side of the dreadnoughts to take cover, the three Ansons face the full firepower of four Hohenzollerns and four Bierhalles. At this range, the shells are not likely to penetrate the belt armor, but the upperworks are wrecked and several gun turrets are disabled. Several hits on the thinner extended portion of the armor belt do, however, smash through into the hull of the ship.
To the south, a series of 11” and 7.5” projectiles strike home on the Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein. The acrid odor of burnt flesh corrupts the air, already overwhelmed with coal and cordite fumes. Konteradmiral Otto de Kepnig leans in to the voice tube to issue an order, but catches a welcome sight out of the corner of his eye: Linienschiffe of Battle Division 18 have joined his formation to offer a strong front to the enemy. The old British battleships turn and flee from the massive weight of fire.
Schleswig-Holstein fires another full broadside: four 30.5cm guns and 8 15cm guns spit fire and fury at the enemy. A spotter up in the spotting mast tracks the shells as they fly the 3.5km to the target, and notes the small flashes of hits on the hull, superstructure, and forward turret. Suddenly a huge column of flame shoots out of the hole in the face of the turret, then the entire front half of the ship is obscured by a flash of fire and smoke. The din of battle seems to quiet for a few moments. Ten seconds later, the deafening boom reaches the ship, rattling the bones of every crewman not sheltered deep inside. As the smoke clears, the stern of the ship is still visible, sliding beneath the waves, a painted nameplate marking the grave of HMS Revenge.
Despite the shocking loss of an entire battleship, the Home Fleet has no choice but to continue the action. A 7.5” shell slams into the after fire control room on the Schleswig-Holstein. Although it fails to detonate, the wind from its supersonic passage wrecks the rangefinder and the spall from the penetration reduces the crewmen manning the station to corpses. There is no time to mourn their deaths as the battle rages on. The Gunnery Officer on SMS Kaiser des Deutchen Reiches reports 50% of main battery ammunition has been expended, and he is far from alone in making that report.
Low ammunition or not, the tide of battle is strongly in favor of the Hochseeflotte. Großadmiral Torturpitz orders the fleet to turn west and cut off the battleships to the south. Several threatening British destroyers force the Linienschiffe SMS Heligoland to break off, but the destroyers are driven back by heavy fire from SMS Karsch allowing the Schlachtschiffe to continue unimpeded. SMS Otto der Groß leads Battle Division 18 in to close combat with the scattered battleships of the Home Fleet, targeting a second-class battleship of the Ariadne class. It soon circles out of control and burning heavily. Other battleships retreat in disorder, every ship hoping the stragglers will slow down the advancing German fleet.
SMS Heligoland, en echelon to the north of the Schlachtschiffe, quakes as a 14” shell drills through her armored hide. It explodes inside the #1 generator room. The steam-powered dynamo is torn from its mounting and shell fragments pepper the electrical switchboards, shorting the electrical circuits together. In a green flash of burning copper, the switchboard explodes, and the electrical transient blows the main fuse on the #2 dynamo in the other generator room. Deep inside the steel beast, there is no sunlight for when the incandescent lights go out with a slight pop. The boiler rooms are lit with the bright orange glow of the coal fires, but the engine rooms and magazines and gun houses are darker than a starless night with a new moon. The Kapitan orders a flag hoisted to signal that his ship is out of control. Turning back from her assault on a British destroyer, SMS Karsch sees the flag and rushes to cover the crippled ship.
The Hochseeflotte pursues the broken Home Fleet, half of the Hohenzollerns teaming up with half of the Wapen von Hamburgs to crush the older British battleships. The other Hohenzollerns coordinate their fire with the Bierhalles to drive off the Inflexibles and pummel the Ansons. A lucky 30.5cm shell penetrates the steering room of HMS Anson herself, the hydraulic mechanism jamming the rudder hard over and sending the ship into a crazed circle. Großadmiral Torturpitz clearly sees his moment of triumph. He cries out “Das ist der Höhepunkt, die dicke Frau singt!” (This is the climax, the fat lady sings!) As the order is sent for all ships to attack, reports start to arrive of ammunition running as low as 20% in some ships. SMS Balmung looses a torpedo into the second-class battleship HMS Drake, but expends the last of her 24cm ammunition. Her main gun crews request permission and abandon the turrets to carry ammunition for the secondary battery.
Battle Division Division 18 steams in close to HMS Anson. SMS Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein pass within a thousand meters of the stricken dreadnought, pounding it with a fusillade of 30.5cm and 15cm projectiles. Anson defiantly returns fire with 5” shells, but her main armament remains mute. Konteradmiral Otto de Kepnig orders his division around for a second pass, roaring that he wants to be close enough to shoot them with his hunting Mauser. SMS Balmung, main ammunition exhausted, passes within 500 meters to fire yet another torpedo at HMS Redoubtable. The deadly little fish erupts against the side of the Dreadnought, pushing hundreds of tons of unwelcome ocean into the ship. The German ships smell blood in the water and circle the trapped warship while the remains of the Home Fleet retreats in general disarray.
(written by my brother Gascan and reposted with his permission)

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Episode 9: Victory and Defeat
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5L28qzMG_g
3 NOV 1908 1320
Schleswig-Holstein is low on ammunition, less than 20% of the original stock of main battery shells remain. Her aft turret is jammed, the crew working furiously to free the hydraulic rotation motor. Up forward, every man is merely a cog in the precise clockwork machine that feeds the guns. It starts with taking an armor piercing 30.5cm shell from the stowage rack and hauling it across the deck, then the shell is passed through a scuttle to the handling room. An Obermaat (Petty Officer) installs and arms the fuze. The loading elevator hoist rises up from the propellant level below and the armed shell is quickly, carefully slid onto the hoist. The hydraulic system then carries the projectile and propellant up into the armored gun house above. The hoist levels off with the cannon, and a loading tray is extended. A large piston rams the shell into the breech of the rifle, then retracts. The hoist drops down to the next chamber, and the piston carefully rams two bags of cordite in behind the shell. The piston retracts once more and the hoist drops to the final chamber, and once more the piston extends. A brass cartridge with more cordite and a primer is added to the charge in the cannon. The loading tray retracts, the hoist drops down into the bowels of the ship, and the breech block slides back into position. Now armed, the cannon elevates to the designated angle and rotates to the designated bearing, then sends an electrical signal to the fire control system to indicate readiness. The after fire control room is out of commission, smashed by a 7.5” shell, but the forward fire control room is still functioning. It has been plotting the range and bearing of the target and feeding them into a simple mechanical range computer that is fed to the range clocks in each turret.
The Feldwebel in charge of the forward gun turret checks the guns one last time, then at the sound of a gong, he presses the electrical trigger. A simple circuit is closed, allowing current to flow through the brass casing and igniting the primer. The long ropes of cordite burn quickly, but evenly, hot gas driving the 30.5cm shell before it. Having passed through the 15.25 meters of barrel, the shell is now traveling at 855 m/s. This could carry it to a maximum of 20.4 km, but right now it is ranged for just over 6 km. After just 7 seconds of howling through the wind, the 405kg missile smashes into the top edge of the A turret barbette on HMS Anson. British steel attempts to shatter the shell, but the hardened, blunt nose of the armor piercing shell is well made. It pushes the British armor out of the way and tears into the gun house. The fuze waits a fraction of a second, then detonates the 13.6kg of high explosive filler. 14” guns are thrown up and out from the front of the turret, training and elevating gear is smashed, and every person inside is immolated. The blast travels down the barbette, knocking out decks and hatches with furious abandon. At the base of the armored steel cylinder, the fires find more propellant and eagerly lights it off in an orgy of destruction. The renewed conflagration produces massive pressures of white-hot gases that lift the forward turret from its bearing and carry it a hundred meters into the air. The hull splits apart under the stresses and belches a roiling incandescent ball of fire into the patchy blue of the afternoon sky.
The bridge crew of SMS Sieg are knocked from their feet by the massive concussion. SMS Karsh, less a thousand meters from the doomed ship, is nearly engulfed in the column of smoke and debris raining down around her. Portholes and glass covers for the binnacles shatter, and crewmen bleed from their ears and noses. The flagship of the Home Fleet has been utterly destroyed, along with their leader. Großadmiral Torturpitz signals for all ships to head south to finish off the broken and battered ships that are unable to escape. By this time, SMS Heligoland has routed emergency cables and restarted the #2 dynamo. With electrical power restored, she stretches her legs once more to 16 knots. The Home Fleet is in complete rout, and the Hochseeflotte is among them like wolves among sheep. German ships all report running low on ammunition, but keep up a heavy barrage, with a few torpedoes thrown in for good measure. The British fire hardly a shot in return, guns disabled, destroyed, or abandoned. SMS Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein detach from the main engagement to chase some smaller armored cruisers that have moved to block the path home. SMS Hohenzollern is the first of the capital ships to run dry on main ammunition, followed minutes later by Sankt Kaiser and Kaiser des Deutchen Reiches. but they continue on with 15cm shells as they withdraw to the southeast.
V-43 is the only German ship to be lost in the entire day of fighting. The torpedo-boat destroyer was struck by a single shell early in the battle, and the crew were unable to stop it slowly filling with water. Eventually the crew recognizes that their ship is lost, and they board the sole intact lifeboat and abandon ship. Meanwhile, a small force of armored cruisers has moved to block any retreating German ships. SMS Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein move to engage, but cease fire after only a few shots. They attempt to close while conserving what few 30.5cm shells they have left. After the British cruiser lands several 8” shells on the edges of the armor belt from 10km away, the Germans return fire. Soon the main magazines are empty, and the two sides exchange 15cm for 8” and 6” fire. The two veteran ships, exhausted from the battle and out off ammunition, finally disengage. At 1604 HMS Amphitrite fires the last shot of the battle, which splashes harmlessly into the North Sea.
As the damaged ships pull in to port two days after they first raised steam, the wounded are whisked away to hospitals and the shipyard workers start to cut away the wreckage and manufacture replacement parts. The assessment is clear, a great victory has been won. In six hours and thirty two minutes, the pride of the British Royal Navy, the towering battleships of the Home Fleet, have been smashed by the Hochseeflotte of the Kaiserliche Marine. Thousands of sailors have been killed and bodies will wash up on the shores of the North Sea for the next month. The veneer of invincibility has been washed away from the British, and Großadmiral Torturpitz has showered himself and his navy in glory. The war is all but won in a single day.
(written by my brother Gascan and reposted with permission)
(The RP in this episode is something special. It marked the beginning of the British Feud, wherein Tortuga swore revenge against the British and the skillful writers of the comments section found a way to BLAME THE BRITISH for every unfortunate event that happened. A rebellion breaks out? British spies! A random event happens? British skullduggery! War with Russia or France? Clearly British meddling! Tortuga makes a mistake? Must be the British again!)

[kotori87]

Episodes 10-19 have little action from Kapitans zur See Kotori and Gascan, mainly due to a busy period at work IRL. There is plenty of action from other roleplayers. Huge shout-out to Jon Wisbey for his consistent, engaging stories even when nothing is happening. By this point in the series there are so many roleplayers it can be difficult to keep track of them all. During this time there is a special operation to liberate a territory claimed by the British, an assassination attempt against Admiral Torturpitz, and several wars incited by the British.

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Episode 20: A Mobile Airbase
www.youtube.com/watch?v=utKL9h5Zw_8
Kapitänsgeschichte Oktober, 1919: Rumors have been circulating about a new Ostasiengeschwader (East Asia Squadron) being organized to protect Imperial interests in the Pacific. I am not one to live with mere rumor, so Kapitan zur See Gascan and I took leave of the Fleet in the Jade and rode a train to the Kaiserliches Oberkommando in Hamburg to visit Großadmiral Torturpitz in person. His office was right next to the shipyards, with all the noises and smells of heavy industry hard at work. Along the way I spotted a very strange-looking duck in one of the drydocks. Upon inquiry, I discovered that it was the SMS Königseiche, although she was stripped of her guns and funnels. Apparently she is being rebuilt as a Flugzeugträger, a carrier of aircraft. What a sorry state she is in. Shipyard workers all over, her proud lines marred by the framework of a hideous flat platform. Several men in pilots uniforms spotted me, and came over to talk. After less than a minute, I was even more in shock by the state of our new sailors than by the ship herself. These new pilots - they insist on calling themselves "aviators" to distinguish them from their land-bound brethren, are an embarrassment to our proud navy. Their speech is crude, their hats are all at jaunty angles, and they cannot even tell the difference between a bollard and a bitt! I called them to attention and marched directly to the captain's quarters to report on their slovenly behavior. It was there that I was informed that these new "aviators" are not part of the ship's crew, but rather a separate unit that just happens to be assigned to the SMS Königseiche. I left them in the care of Fregattenkapitän Kurt Over with the promise of a good dressing-down, and proceeded on my way to Großadmiral Torturpitz's office.
Once Kapitan zur See Gascan and I arrived, the Großadmiral confirmed the rumors. There was indeed a a new Ostasiengeschwader being formed from the older Linienschiffe. We spent perhaps an hour discussing our experiences in the American War, about the difficulty of maintaining battleships so far from home, planning for long voyages, and the discipline issues that arise with young sailors in such alien places. He was particularly tickled by Herr Gascan's tale of an incident where almost half of his ship's Gendarmerie were required to pull troublemaking sailors from an establishment called the "Four Floors of Whores". We left the Kaiserliches Oberkommando with a promise of another voyage to the Far East.
-Kapitan zur See von Kotori

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Episode 23: Rebellions and Invasions
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMcBAFGK2Ac
Kapitänsgeschichte, February, 1922:
Kapitan zur See Kotori watched the flotilla depart. Two linienschiffe, two kreuzer, a gaggle of torpedobooten, and the invasion transports. It had taken quite a while to free up enough troops from the Western Front to invade here, but they had finally managed it. An entire regiment of infantry with artillery and tank support. Not that it would be needed. The French defenses were a shambles, their base bombarded into oblivion by several raids. They had even given up on fixing their bronze statue. Emperor Napoleon and his horse lay on their side after a 6" shell from a cruiser had knocked it askew.
Things were even going well back in the Fatherland. The new schlachtschiffe had won several crushing victories over the French, and the Flugzeugtragers had proven toothless. Even under excellent conditions against a damaged foe, they had failed to land a single torpedo on the target. They did not sortie again after that, probably frightened off by machine guns and the explosions of tiny 3" guns. Not that their torpedoes would do much against a modern French battleship, they only had the payload to carry 17" diameter torpedoes. There would be far too little explosives to cause any noteworthy damage. Soon the war would be over, and he could head home and see those poor disfigured ships and their ugly flat tops sent to the dustbin of history.
(In case you can't tell, Kapitan zur see Kotori does NOT approve of the baffling new developments in naval technology. We may know better today, but Kotori will continue to "Harrumph" and "Bah Humbug" dismissively every time Flugzeugtragers are mentioned)

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Episode 24: Victory and Peace
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9c_5mk7IMQ&
(This one is short and simple. Tortuga thinks about scrapping his last predreadnoughts, including Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein, then has a different idea involving flight decks)
Tortuga: "Aha, I know what I need to do" clicks on Schlesien and Schleswig-Holstein
me: "Do it! Do it! Do it!"
Kapitan zur see von Kotori: "Nein! not mein precious Linienschiffe!"
Tortuga: "well this is a bummer..."
me: "Awwwwwww..."
Kapitan zur see von Kotori: "Ha! Better a graceful retirement and scrapping than a hack-job like the poor old Konigseiche"
(Alas the design did not work out. Almost all the predreads are scrapped, the last one becoming a museum. Kapitan Kotori accepts a post as commandant of the Naval Gunnery School)

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Episode 25: A Drive-By War
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wvTClpBStY
Kapitänsgeschichte, May, 1924: As Commandant of the Naval Gunnery School, I see and interact with many young sailors. Some have potential as future leaders, others are utterly incapable and get washed out. Every week I have a Captain's Mast to hand out punishments for poor grades, poor discipline, or other issues. I have heard many excuses from the midshipmen and enlisted men who stand before the green table. But of all the excuses I have heard, this is by far the most unique. Usually when a group of midshipmen's grades start falling, it is something simple like too much wine or women. A few weeks confined to base and extra duty straightens those out. Occasionally an individual will have family issues they didn't want to admit, and a week or two of ordered leave followed by rolling them into the next class can get them through the school successfully. But the three young men who stood before me today claimed none of these. The Feldwebel who had arrested them wrote them up on charges of gambling and conduct unbecoming of an officer, citing a loud argument during his midnight check of the barracks and the numerous dice, tokens, and cards in their possession at the time. He had immediately sent them to the brig and confiscated all of the offending material.

The captain's mast was held two days later. I was intrigued by the evidence presented, because none of it looked like the colorful playing cards or monetary tokens I knew. One of the cards had a drawing of my own ship, the Schlesien, with various technical data on its armor, armament, and engines, and counters for Structure, Flotation, and Ammunition. I threw the card at one of the midshipmen and ordered him to explain. Apparently this group of sailors was unsatisfied with inconclusive nature of verbal debates about warship design and naval strategy, and had spent their last few weeks developing a simulation. The pieces were based on real warships, and dice were used to represent the vagaries of chance and fortune in combat. Soon my green cloth table was covered with notes, maps, probability tables, and records from the scenarios they had simulated. Apparently the incident the Feldwebel had interrupted was an argument about hit probabilities for different target aspects, and within a few minutes of my first question the three midshipmen were once again enthusiastically bellowing at each other.


I slammed my fist onto the table and shouted "Cease this shameful display at once! Heinrich, you have failed to account for the arcing trajectory of the shell in your probability table. The steeper drop of a shell at long range makes it harder to hit the broadside profile, and easier to hit when end-on. Klaus, your approach during that scenario was embarrassing. No consideration for the weather gauge or the immunity zone for your ships against 30.5cm gunfire, just a headlong charge to get as close as possible. You are a German officer, not some British dandy playing at war. And Franz, your simulation of the weather gauge is completely incorrect. You three are restricted to base and assigned extra duties. You shall spend your time in the historical archives and working with your instructors to improve this... what did you call it? A war game? In one month's time I expect a demonstration of a full fleet battle using the order of battle from Jutland. I'll have a critical eye, too, because I was there. If you truly are fit to rule the waves then I shall consider lifting your ban."

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Episode 28: Design Roulette
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oe-mQ-0i8s&
Kapitänsgeschichte, November, 1928: The American Navy has come on a grand tour of Europe with their latest airship. The Kaiser himself came out to the Wilhelmshaven airship base to see the arrival of the USS Los Angeles in person. The weather was overcast with a light wind from the north, so we heard the drone of many engines before the airship itself hove into sight. This new American design is significantly larger than our own, and soon the reason became clear. Strung beneath the airship was a mess of masts and rigging and, quite surprisingly, several fighter planes. As we watched, the giant dirigible pointed into the wind and began to hover directly overhead, then the fighters launched one-by-one. They arranged themselves into two tight V formations demonstrated a dizzying array of loops, turns, and other maneuvers. They then did a low pass in front of our welcoming party, close enough that we could clearly see each flight leader's salute. The greatest surprise came next; they flew back up to the Akron and Macon and, one-by-one, were caught by that mess of rigging strung below. An hour later, the giant dirigible was moored and Konteradmiral Moffett came down the gangplank. "Your Majesty, would you like a tour of America's newest airship?"

It seems everyone is obsessed nowadays with putting airplanes aboard anything that moves. What is next, airplane-carrying trains? airplane-carrying airplanes? The greatest tragedy to me is that my son seems more fascinated by these pesky airplanes than the warships he will someday command.

[kotori87]

Episode 30: Double Entente
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQdSL0WtK3A&

Kapitänsgeschichte, January, 1931: I thought my time at sea had come and gone, and I would be commanding a desk until my retirement. It seems Großadmiral Torturpitz has other plans. I have been promoted to Konteradmiral and given command of the Second Battle Squadron. I shall command the entire Gneisenau-class as part of the Hochseeflotte line of battle. This is excellent news! My son will be graduating from the Naval Academy soon, and I shall try to arrange a posting for him aboard the Schlachtkreuzer SMS Erina von Hohenzollern. I know her captain well, and he will be an excellent mentor for the younger von Kotori.

Kapitänsgeschichte, April, 1931: My son has just completed his officer training at the Naval Academy. I had hoped to surprise him at the graduation with a posting to the Erina von Hohenzollern only to find he had already volunteered for flight training. We had such an argument that night, such terrible things were said I shall not record them here. In the end he renounced the family name to pursue his goal. The next day as I returned to the fleet at Wilhemshaven, I heard the radio announcement from the Kaiser that Italy and Russia had declared war on Germany. There would be time to deal with my foolish son later.

Kapitänsgeschichte, May, 1931: Operation Albion is underway. Großadmiral Torturpitz sent the entire fleet through the Kiel Canal and into the Baltic to destroy the Red Menace. Once the Russian fleet is neutralized, we will transit back around to the North Atlantic to meet the Italian fleet. Together the Double Entente might outnumber us, but they started the war divided which gives us the advantage.

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Episode 31: Torpedo-Oh-Noes
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rHEC2u-S8w
Kapitänsgeschichte, May 7, 1931: We have intercepted radio traffic that the Commies are planning a major excusion into the Baltic. The fleet is making steam right now, and we will set sail to meet them soon. As always, our mighty navy will crush the enemy beneath our mailed fist with guns and torpedoes.

five hours later The first phase of the battle, the artillery barrage, was over. In the mist and rain, our heavy artillery had battered the Soviet fleet, destroying guns, damaging engines, and wrecking their morale. Now it was time for the second phase, the torpedo engagement. A battered enemy battleship appeared through the rain. All they needed was the order to close and engage, and the foolish Soviets would be destroyed like so many foes before. Through the howling wind and blinding rain, communication via signal flags was impossible. Fortunately these newer ships had other options. Admiral Torturpitz's voice crackled over the radio. "All ships, close and engage. Torpedoes free. It's time to finish this." A great cheer went up. Now was the time when heroes were made, medals won, and glory claimed. Capital ships and light ships alike charged recklessly towards the enemy.
twenty minutes later Konteradmiral von Kotori cursed again. what were those foolish bastards doing? His flagship had a seven-degree list from a Soviet torpedo, and numerous other capital ships were in bad shape. It seemed the entire fleet had lost their heads when the order for phase two was issued. Individual ships and squadrons raced around looking for anything moving to attack, without regard for the rest of the fleet, or the enemy's capabilities. The capital ships had actually turned to close before the destroyers, leaving them vulnerable to Russian torpedoes, and now they were paying the price for their overconfidence.

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Episode 32: Damage Control
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsol03g89Ns
The crew of the Graf von Gneisenau had put up a heroic effort. Deep in the bowels of the ship, they waded through waist-deep or chest-deep freezing water to brace leaking hatches and bulkheads against the oncoming floods. However the second torpedo spelled doom for her. The shock of the impact broke many of the wooden braces holding back the sea, and the flooding rapidly spread throughout the ship. Soon the waters reached the boiler rooms, and extinguished the fires one-by-one. Kapitan zur see Spartan issued the order to abandon ship at approximately 5:20 in the evening. The evacuation was a confused affair; although most of the ship's boats were undamaged, the severe starboard list limited their ability to launch them. The starboard boats were all launched, but not much could be done with the port side boats. Eventually the aging battleship rolled over and turned turtle. Many of the survivors were thrown into the water, but others were able to scramble onto the sides and underside of the sinking ship. Konteradmiral von Kotori was among the many sailors thrown into the icy sea that day. The lifeboats returned as soon as it was safe. Several of the port-side boats had floated free during the capsizing, and just needed righting and bailing, so the intrepid crew of the Graf von Gneisenau set about their work with a dogged energy. Fully one third of the crew were eventually pulled from the icy waters of the Baltic, including Admiral himself. The Old Man did not come away from his swim in the Baltic unmarred. Konteradmiral Karl von Kotori caught pneumonia and died three days later in a hospital at Libau.

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Episode 34: Dawn of Air Power
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JBMYW8sNIs
Leutnant zur See Karl von Kotori glanced down at the photo stuck on his instrument panel. The elder von Kotori looked proudly back, resplendent in his Konteradmiral's uniform and big, bushy moustache. It had been taken on the day of his final promotion, and appointment to division command.
"damn foolish old man. Survived the Battle of Gotland and the loss of the Gneisenau only to die from pneumonia. Where was your stubbornness then? Well your son has finally made it. I'm off to fight Ivan. And I'll do it my way, not yours."
Despite the bravado in his claim, Leutnant Kotori was nervous. This would be his first combat mission, and up to this point the Naval Air Command had seen little success and no shortage of failures and losses. He was fresh from training, less than four days aboard the Graf Zeppelin before they headed out into the North Sea. He put the photo away and pulled out his map. The target was 80km to the west, two heavy units with support. Even for a rookie navigator like him it would be a simple flight. He double-checked his clock against the ship's clock on the big island on the starboard side of the Graf Zeppelin. Precise to the second, just as it should be. He turned back to inspect the Spandau machine gun on the tail of the bomber. His review was interrupted by the roar of engines revving. Up in the pilot's seat, Oberleutnant Erwin Hentschel pushed the throttle to the firewall, and their Dornier Do 166 torpedo-bomber accelerated down the Graf Zeppelin's flight deck. The younger von Kotori had a moment to see several ground crew waving as the strike force took off. He reached out to wave back, then there was a sickening lurch as the heavily-laden warplane dropped off the carrier's bow. He shrieked in fright and grabbed onto his seat, then relaxed as gravity returned and the plane began to climb. They turned west and joined the formation.

one hour later
Karl leaned out over the side of the aircraft. The battle was clearly visible below. Two Feuerdraches were steaming straight towards the Soviet fleet, and the scout cruisers were falling back to screen the battlecruisers from destroyer attack. He could picture how the battle should play out. The German capital ships would bombard the enemy until their defenses were weak, then the cruisers and destroyers would close in to finish the fight with torpedoes. It was the German way, as had been proven over three decades of dominance on the high seas. The elder von Kotori had been a master of the tactic. Karl grinned as the flight of Dorniers rolled over and began their approach. There was a new power at sea today, and they would be the ones to draw first blood.....

[kotori87]

Episode 37: CV Loadout and CL Design
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap45PWymoH4
Leutnant zur See Karl von Kotori watched the flight of Henschel 196 Dive Bombers circle around the SMS Zugspitze. The Big Zee was out in the North Sea on her sea trials, and that included testing launching and recovery of aircraft. Their current mission was a practice strike against the Big Zee's sister ship Rhineland, some 50km north on her own trials. The strike had gone well, they easily found the target and peppered its flight deck with the flour bags they used in place of 800lb bombs. All that was left was to land and debrief the mission. The first dive bomber landed, then the second. Ground crews expeditiously moved the landed planes below decks even as Oberleutnant Erwin Hentschel lined up their own landing approach.
Landing on a carrier at sea was always a tricky business. Hentschel lined up straight at the Big Zee, then throttled down, lowered flaps, and lowered the nose to begin the descent. It was a careful balancing act between power, airspeed, and descent rate to drop the plane, just above stall speed, onto a flight deck half the length and less than a quarter the width of any land-based aerodrome. When done correctly, it is an awesome experience. In this case, though, Hentschel didn't quite have enough speed. They were just a hair short of the flight deck, and when the Landing Signal Officer directed them to pull the nose up to extend, the left wing tip-stalled. The bomber tilted slightly to the left, Hentschel rammed the throttle full forward and tried to roll their plane back to level. The big Daimler-Benz engine roared to life, but it couldn't accelerate fast enough and the lowered left aileron turned the tip-stall into a full stall. The plane flopped over on its side and slammed into the sea just 50 meters behind the Big Zee. Karl hit his head on the flight seat and passed out.
............
two months later
Leutnant zur see Karl von Kotori knocked on the squadron leader's door.
"Sir, I am here to submit my request for pilot training."
"You've only just been released for full duty, Karl. Why should I let you leave the squadron again?"
"Because, sir, if I'm going to die in a landing accident then I want it to be my own damn fault."

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Episode 38: Unexpected Encounters
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee0_D9Xfz-g
5 August 1933:
Leutnant zur See Karl von Kotori stopped at the top of the gangplank and set his over-full seabag on the deck. He snapped a salute to the quarterdeck watch, and presented his orders.
"Leutnant zur See Kotori, reporting aboard the Zugspitze!"
The Stabsgefreiter saluted back, then inspected the formal written order.
"Looks like everything is in order. Fighter Gruppe, eh? I hope you do a good job protecting us. Oy Hans, come show this gentleman to the air wing berthing!" He waved another sailor over.
"I hope so too, I would hate to have nowhere to land. Thanks for the offer but I can find my way. I was on the Big Zee for her sea trials. Third deck, port side, aft of frame one-thirty-eight, right?"
"Yes, sir. You'd best be on your way. There's still a hundred men waiting to check in. Welcome aboard the Zugspitze."
The Stabsgefreiter saluted again. Karl returned the salute, then grunted as he shouldered his seabag again. His father had made his reputation fighting the Americans in the Ostasiengeschwader during the Guam Campaign. Now he was off to fight the Americans in the Caribbean, and this time, they'd be on the Yankee's doorstep.
(The Big Zee is off to fight in the Carribbean! Hurray!)


USS Holothurian, Lt.Cdr. Manley Chesthairson

2200: Lookouts reported sounds of gunfire in the distance, along with flashes to the south. Perhaps the cruiser Chicago had found an enemy patrol. I ordered us in closer to the port in hopes of catching a ship returning home.

2250: Unknown ship sighted to the west, possible cruiser. Moving at moderate pace and zigzagging. Captain Chesthairson decided to make a surfaced attack, using the darkened shoreline to mask his already-small silhouette. The call to Man Battlestations Torpedo went out along with the order to make ready all forward tubes, but no gongs were sounded. The men quickly took their posts with a minimum of noise. Only a few minutes were needed to get an estimate of range, speed, and angle on the bow. It was moving quickly enough that there wasn't time to really refine the solution, so the captain relied on a full spread to make up for any errors in the firing solution.

2254: Open the outer door, tubes 1 2 3 4 5 6. From the Target Bearing Transmitter, range: Mark! Bearing: Mark! Shoot tubes 1 through 6!

Bridge, Sonar, the last one failed to start, but 1 through 5 are are hot, straight, and normal

The torpedoes' small engines left a track of bubbles behind to mark their passage in the dark waters. One of the lookouts on the enemy ship must have spotted them, since the ship started to veer hard over, but it was too late. A single torpedo struck the stern, blowing it clean off, but the others missed. There was no way to be sure the cruiser was down, but this close to harbor, a swift response was sure to come. Captain Chesthairson had no choice but to escape without taking another shot. There would always be another day and another ship for the Holothurian to fight.
(written by my brother Gascan and reposted with permission)
(The loss of the Udo Dirkschneider to a random end-of-battle event was a major blow for us roleplayers. It was the ship of Jon Wisbey, with a colorful cast of characters that had been active throughout the series. The Udo had been in several wars, but never seemed to get into any fights, and spent most of her time between wars either on foreign station or acting as a target ship for aircraft strike training. She only ever fired a single shot in anger, and had almost made it back to port when the battle ended and the random event triggered. Jon Wisbey wrote an excellent story about the sinking from the Udo's perspective, I highly recommend you click the video link and check it out in the comments section)

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Episode 40: Carribbean Carriers
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjwe_VYP0QI

11 February 1934, off the coast of Puerto Rico
The Big Zee is on the hunt. SigInt has been tracking a large convoy headed to Puerto Rico to reinforce the garrison. Großadmiral Torturpitz ordered an intercept with a portion of the fleet. Two Feuerdraches, a squadron of destroyers, and the Big Zee are detached to intercept. Thanks to intercepted radio messages, the Zugspitze knows almost the exact course and position of the convoy. Shortly after 8am, the general alert sounds. All pilots, man your planes and prepare for takeoff. Leutnant zur See Karl von Kotori steps up to the Jagdgeschwaderkommodore as assignments are called out. The briefing room is being used by bomber craft, so the fighter pilots gather in a mess room.
"Gelb Gruppe, protect the strike planes. Get in first, break up the American air cover, and keep them tied up while the strike planes do their job. Blau Gruppe, cover the schlachtkreuzers. They are 35 kilometers north-east. You should have approximately 50 minutes of time over the fleet before you must return and refuel. Maintain radio silence until contact is made with the enemy. Remember your training and stick to the Dicta Boelcke. Good hunting."
The pilots cheer "For the Ostwind!" then head for their planes.
Up in the hangar deck, it is organized chaos. Ground crews rush around trolleys laden with bombs and torpedoes. Fuel teams haul their hoses from plane to plane, filling up the tanks to the brim. Armorers load belts of 13mm and 7.92mm ammunition into the fighters. As each plane completes its loadout, it is wheeled over to one of the elevators to be raised up on the deck. Leutnant Karl supervises loading the ammunition and closing up the bays, then walks around his Arado 190 B fighter for a preflight inspection. He pauses admiringly at the nose art. A rotund lady wearing medieval furs, an impressive breastplate, and a horned viking helm. Beneath is the script, "die Dicke Frau", the Fat Lady. climbs into the cockpit as the elevator begins lifting it up onto the flight deck. He starts running through the preflight and ignition sequence. Battery/Start switch ON, Magneto switches OFF. Flaps UP. Fuel Tank 300 Liters, Fuel Cocks OPEN. Radiator Flaps FULLY OPEN.
The elevator thuds to a stop at the flight deck. Karl's flight captain steps into view, and signals for an engine start. Karl steps hard on the brakes, flips the magnetos, then pumps the hand pump several times to pressurize the fuel tank. An aircraft handler steps up to the front of the Arado's enormous 9-foot propeller, and gives it a hard yank down. The powerful Daimler-Benz 700 kW radial engine roars to life. Several handlers and a tractor grab the fighter plane and roll it into the group of already-prepared fighters, waiting to take off. The Gruppenkommandeur is the last one up the elevator, and thus the first to take off. The Big Zee has by now turned into the wind and accelerated to flank speed, so a strong wind blows across the deck. The Deck Captain gives a thumbs up followed by a salute, indicating takeoff permission. One by one, the AR190's accelerate down the flight deck and leap into the air. Soon it is Leutnant Kotori's turn. He drops the flaps to take-off position, then shoves the throttle towards the firewall. The 700kW engine spools up to 3200RPM and the Dicke Frau races down the Big Zee's flight deck and leaps into the air. Blau Gruppe circles overhead, and he climbs to join the formation.


11am, above the schlachtkreuzers
CAP is both boring and tense. Every pilot must maintain his position within the formation, while keeping alert for enemy attack, all while managing a roaring, shaking monster of a machine. The supercharger requires constant attention to maintain maximum efficiency, and engine oil temperatures must be closely monitored. At least the Dicke Frau came equipped with trim tabs, so Karl isn't fighting his plane just to maintain a straight line. They listened over the radio as the strike squadrons attacked, heard the cheers and triumphs as heavy anti-shipping munitions were unleashed on the American convoy. Suddenly Blau Ein rocks his wings then rolls to the right. Karl follows too, and quickly spots the blue wings of American planes below. The German formation holds the altitude advantage, and they are heading east. In just two minutes they are in the perfect position: above the enemy, with the sun at their backs. Kotori charges his guns as the entire squadron rolls into a steep dive. He picks his target and lines up the cross-hairs. Closer... closer... The distinctive profile of a Boeing Harpoon bomber becomes clear, with a ship-killing torpedo slung below. Other fighters begin opening up on their targets with bursts of 13mm and 7.92mm fire. The tail gunner looks up and spots Kotori, points and shouts and starts preparing his machine-gun as the bomber begins to break into an evasion. The Dicke Frau dashes below the bomber and out of sight, then Kotori grunts with the G-forces as he pulls up sharply to bring guns on target. He squeezes the trigger and the thunder of gunfire fills the cockpit. His aim is true, and a number of 13mm bullets strike the Harpoon's wing. Debris rains down from the damaged wing, and the aileron is knocked free. Kotori whoops in delight as the bomber tumbles out of sight. He circles back to the dogfight, looking for another target. Up ahead, another bomber races for the sea, trailing a massive ball of fire. Blau Drei circles tight on the tail of a third Harpoon, with tracers flying back and forth between the two planes. Blau Drei rolls away, but continues the roll into an uncontrolled tumble before breaking up on impact with the sea. Mueller will be missed at the mess tonight. For now, though, the fight is still on.
"Blau Zwolfe, break, break, break!"
Kotori rolls right and pulls hard. Tracers rush through the space he filled a moment ago. One of the Harpoons was sneaking up behind him. It has ditched its torpedo, and without a heavy bomb load to weigh it down, the plane is very agile. It follows Kotori into the turn. Fortunately Kotori learned a few tricks at Fighter Gunnery School, including the defensive scissors. The Harpoon may have a faster, tighter turn, but its large wings make for a very sluggish roll rate. Several sharp turns and reverses later, the Harpoon has overshot its mark and the Dicke Frau's guns sing again. This time the tracers lead straight to the engine, and moments later a lick of flame appears. The two American airmen bail out, parachuting safely into the sea rather than share the fate of their now furiously burning bomber. And with that, the fight is over. The remaining torpedo-bombers have ditched their payloads and retreated. Kotori checks his instruments and notes the location of the fight. He'll request a seaplane visit at the earliest opportunity to pick up any surviving airmen. Blau Gruppe forms up and heads back to the battlecruisers to resume their cover. Several Arados are low on ammunition, including the Dicke Frau. Blau Ein orders them back to the carrier to reload and refuel. "But make sure you empty those guns at the American ships first! The Kaiser isn't paying you to bring bullets home!"

[tortugapower]

kotori87 Sorry to break the AAR, but should I recommend others to post here as well? I want to at least mention this for others.