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Post by mycophobia on Oct 13, 2019 5:13:12 GMT -6
1923 - 1924 The Fourth Year
1923 September - 1924 January - On The Defensive
September 1923 marked the complete victory of Canadian forces in the Caribbean Theater with the fall of Grand Bahamas. While British loyalists engaged in a guerrilla warfare until January 1924, Canadian control of the Caribbean is all but secure. The fighting on the Newfoundland Front once again stalled by the harsh winter. As a result, this was deemed to be the ideal time to initiate the phase one refit of Canadian capital ships. The completion of the Huron also allowed spare funding to be diverted to the long stalled Carrier program, resulting in two Lynx class light carrier being designed and laid down in December. During this time period, British Battlecruisers and submarines took advantage of the situation(Huron was the only operational Canadian capital ship in home waters) and enforced a temporary blockade of Canadian East Coast. However, since the first three years of the war saw little hardship towards the Canadian mainland, the effect of this temporary blockade was limited. Politically, a US spy was again discovered in Canadian shipyard following the Canadian purchase of French improved fire control director technology. However, not wishing to instigate any possible hostility or sanction from the US, the matter was quietly put to rest. January 16th, 1924 - Skirmish off Halifax
At early January, both of the New Brunswick class Battleship returned to service, but the British blockade did somewhat delay the refit progress of the two Quebec Class, and they are not completed until next month. Eager to break the British blockade, which according to latest intel is only maintained by three battleships, the Canadian Navy Sortied with Huron and the two NB class, together with Calgary to provide aerial recon. Calgary's recon reported two battleships at 15:24 in the afternoon of January 16th, about 40 nautical mile South West of the Canadian Fleet. At 15:28, a separate scout also reported one battleship and one battlecruiser, with DD escorts, but 10 nautical mile north of the location of the first report. Despite the clear discrepancy, misreport of location and misidentification of naval targets with aerial recon is not uncommon. Confident that they located the Royal Navy fleet, the Canadian navy plotted their course to intercept the British ships. Unfortunately, worsening weather prevented Calgary from launching its 6 remaining swordfish for an airstrike. The "Two Battleships" spotted at 15:24. The two ship were infact two 34000 ton Tiger Class battlecruisers equipped with 15" guns. The two battlecruiser were only transferred to the Bermuda this month, and were not picked up by Canadian intelligence or scouts. The 15:28 report actually picked up the main British fleet, consisted of Battleship Anson, Howe, and Illustrious, all veteran of Battle of Cape Breton. The Canadian fleet came into contact with British battleships at 16:38(which is already late afternoon in January), poor weather since the afternoon had prevented Calgary from launching and recovering spotting aircrafts. So it was Huron that took up the scouting duty in the poor weather. Huron fired first, and engaged the with three enemy BBs for 4 minutes before making a turn to draw the enemy battle line towards the Canadian battleships. As Huron begin to withdraw out of sight around 16:46, 3 14/15" shells hit her in the aft section. Fortunately, two shot only hit her aft hull and caused minor flooding, while another knocked off a 6" casemate. Had these shots damaged her shafts or steering, things could've turned very ugly.
Prince Edward Island rushing to Huron's aid, very poor visibility due to the heavy rain, overcast, as well as the setting sun meant that Huron were able to escape contact before the battleships from both side engaged each other. Contact was lost around 16:50
By 17:01, the winter darkness had descended and the Canadian fleet cautiously searched for their enemy, beginning to disperse their destroyer and cruiser escort to cover greater area. It is then Huron, still ahead of the main battle line, spotted two Capital Ship appearing from the north, presumably the battleships she engaged earlier. She fired two volleys and reported two hits, before the enemy retreated into the darkness with surprising agility. As enemy destroyer escort begin to close in, the Canadian navy thought to play it safe and fell back. While the Canadian fleet then spent the night searching southward along the southern coastline of Nova Scotia, The Royal Navy fleet actually remained near the battle site until 10pm, likewise searching for the Canadian, before heading north towards Newfoundland. Canadian caution and their subsequent search route allowed them to avoid a potential disaster. It is not until after the battle did Canadian navy realize they were up against not 3, but 5 British capital ships. The two ship Huron fired upon at 17:01 were in fact the tiger class battlecruisers, one of which suffered a rather damaging engine hit. Nevertheless, a night battle could be bloody to both sides, and that is a risk the Canadian navy is not willing to take. January, 1924 - September, 1924
With April marking the 48th month of the war, still no end is in sight. The second phase refit of Canadian capital ship were mostly completed between April and May. With British Columbia left to garrison the Caribbean, the Canadian navy concentrated its force in Canadian home water to ward off another blockade. Meanwhile, British submarine have slowly begin to take a toll on Canadian mearchants, prompting the construction of 6 more Anmore Class Minesweeper/subchaser. British raider likely remain a problem, in May, a British destroyer were sunk during an attack on Canadian convoy, but destroyer and cruiser raid remains common enough to warrant concern. Thus, two Mississauga class Heavy Cruiser were approved in May to counter British cruiser threats. Larger Destroyer design are also being put on the table, resulting in four Sept-Iles class large DD being laid down. In July, an Royal Navy Submarine mistakenly torpedo a US liner off Nova Scotia, when the latter is heading towards Maine. While the British Government immediately offered apologies and investigated into the matter, US public opinion nevertheless shifted to support the Canadians. While US remained in its position of neutrality, support were being diverted towards the Canadians through unofficial channels.
August - The Tiger's Raid
While British battlecruisers remained on station in Newfoundland after the actions in January, they were held back while the Submarine forces and cruisers did most of the damage. However, with public opinion if both UK and US going against the war following the tragedy in July, and the stalemate against the French also inciting discontent within the empire, the Royal Navy were told to take more aggressive actions. Thus The Tiger were dispatched in august to conduct raids off Nova Scotia, and it was planned to sneak into either Halifax or Saint John harbor to conduct shelling in order to damage Canadian navy facilities. Unfortunately, while the British took care to avoid the Huron, they carelessly ignored the two refitted Yukon class, believing that the Tiger can easily out-run, and probably outfight the two Yukon Class. This would prove to be a costly mistake. At around 11pm of August 25th, Tiger was spotted and engaged by Canadian coastal guns near Point Lepreau, who promptly radioed the patrolling Yukon Class for aid. As with the battle at Point Lepreau a decade ago, the Canadian warship again surprised their enemy while the latter engaged land batteries. Before she could even react,Tiger took 7 point blank 12" hits and slowed down greatly. She was finished by an oliver class destroyer who put three torpedo in her, but not before Tiger's own escort destroyer managing to land a torpedo on Yukon, heavily damaging her.
The loss of the tiger is a significant victory to Canadian morale, but not one that truly had significant impact over the Royal Navy's immense battlecruiser fleet. Nevertheless, the two Yukon class have proven their worth yet again against much superior foes. With this, the British government faced even greater pressure to end the war, and a offer for white peace was offered, but rejected.
Now this update is getting a bit too long, so I will leave it here. I was gonna go over the constructions being started this year, but probably will do so in another short post. As Always, hope you enjoy.
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Post by janxol on Oct 13, 2019 9:01:53 GMT -6
Out of curiosity, are you also building enemy ships per-design or are you recycling your earlier creations in those roles? Very enjoyable, I like the pagoda shot of the Yukon taking up the entire photo height.
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Post by mycophobia on Oct 13, 2019 13:20:49 GMT -6
Out of curiosity, are you also building enemy ships per-design or are you recycling your earlier creations in those roles? Very enjoyable, I like the pagoda shot of the Yukon taking up the entire photo height. Enemy ship are recycled design of stuff I’ve made before starting this AAR, but sometime modified to better match the ship they are standing in for if I have time.
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Post by mycophobia on Oct 17, 2019 1:56:35 GMT -6
1924 - Taking the Fight to Them
By November, 1924, the War against the United Kingdom had gone on for 55 months. While morale at home is good, and many territories had been seized, the United Kingdom remain adamant that it will accept nothing less than a white peace, with the returning of its occupied territories. Under pressure by the parliament to push for a conclusion of the conflict, the Canadian navy made another attempt to bring the British North American Fleet to battle in September, but poor weather prevented Canadian carrier and land based aircraft from conducting follow up strikes on the British fleet, and the two fleet never met. Finally, the navy decides to finally take the fight to the British in Europe. Construction Program
Expecting potential losses from large scale engagement against the Royal Navy in Europe, Canadian ship yards are hard at work. Many ships that weren't expected to be completed until after the war are now likely to be pressed into service. Combined with the need from various parts of the fleet, the navy is operating over budget in an effort to complete its construction programs. Cree Class Battlecruiser- The 38,600 ton battlecruiser is an improved design of the Huron class, upgrading the 14" for 2x4 15" gun in an attempt to more closely match the RN battlecruisers. While 2 ships of the class were initially planned, the second was cancelled before it was even laid down since it was thought they would not been completed in time to be relevant for the war. In the end, it turns out they may have to enter service in the end anyways. Mississagua Class Heavy Cruiser - The pair of Heavy Cruiser laid down recently at mid 1924 as a attempt to boost Canadian cruiser force against more powerful cruisers being built by other nations. They are well equipped with 12 8" guns and can make 29 knots, which should offer the navy with a more affordable gap filler in its cruiser force. Lynx Class Carrier - A part of the long delayed Canadian Carrier program, the pair of purpose built light carrier can carry a moderate strike group (29 planes each) to provide Canadian navy with a true naval strike capabilities. Sept-Iles Class Destroyer- A large 1500 ton destroyer designed to serve as the next generation destroyers to surpass similar ships of other nations. The class is designed with novel design features such as 6 5" guns in dual turrets and two quadruple torpedo launchers. However, their high cost have given raise concern of using these design to replace the more affordable 1300 ton designs. Anmore Class - To combat British Submarine forces, 6 more Anmore class were ordered in 1924, they were mostly completed by November, and are deemed adequate for the time being for ASW purpose. Canadian Forces in Europe
Since the Canadian fleet to Europe is primarily concerned with forcing a peace by destroying the Royal Navy in a decisive fleet battle, with French Support. Since most patrol, mining, and ASW duty in Europe are being covered by the Marine Nationale, the Canadian fleet dispatched to Europe in October is primarily composed of ships suited for decisive fleet actions. The core of the fleet is composed of the entire Canadian battleship force, with the exception of the old British Columbia. The older Manitoba class are still able to keep up with the main force, and can add weight of fire against the older element of the Royal Navy. The two Yukon class Battlecruiser were left in Canada, as their slow speed make them easy prey for the numerous Royal Navy battlecruisers. Furthermore, some larger vessel will be required to maintain a naval presence around Newfoundland. Thus, the only fleet scout will be the Huron class serving as the heavy scout, and a pair of new Saint John class cruisers. They are backed up by Calgary's airgroup. Seeing destroyers may be vital in evening the play grounds against the numerically superior Royal Navy, as a result, most of Canada's modern destroyers are brought along, leaving the older models patrolling the Canadian coast. The Canadian fleet sailing to Europe in October, 1924.
This concludes a smallish update from me. I was sick the past few days so I haven't had much chance to work on this. I do hope in the next few months of the game I will see some fleet action, if not it might be a while, since I do have quite a few classes of ships coming up that needs to be built .
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Post by akosjaccik on Oct 21, 2019 12:12:44 GMT -6
It is a bold move to bring the fight to them, albeit not at all an unreasonable one. The lack of suitable british depos and bases (if I recall your summary post correctly - the railway company decided that images are too muchto download) near your old and new territories lift the majority of the pressure and lets the Canadian Navy to concentrate their force, while the Royal Navy still has it"s hands full elsewhere. Coupling this with you having access to the northern french harbors and infrastructure to operate from even for an extended period of time, this actually has a potential for Britain to turn really ugly and you being able to even blockade them perhaps. Escalation of the conflict sure pushed the staked up.
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Post by mycophobia on Oct 28, 2019 5:46:10 GMT -6
1924 - 1925 The Home Islands
Since their brief sortie into Europe against Russia in 1908, the Canadian navy had never again fought in European waters. But with the Canadian desire to end long war with decisive action, the Canadian fleet sortied into Europe and is currently based in French Naval Ports in Brest and St.Nazaire. The joint French/Canadian fleet hopes to thin the Royal Navy Home Fleet through smaller engagements before enforcing a naval blockade of the Home Isles. The Canadian forces wasted no time upon arrival to conduct joint patrols into the western approaches with French Battlecruiser fleets. Battle of The Celtic Sea - December 8th, 1924
As the Canadian battlecruiser force consisted of only the Huron against 5 modern RN battlecruisers in Northern Europe, most Canadian battlecruiser operation are carried out with the support of the French battlecruiser forces. On December 8th, Huron conducted her second sortie into the western approach with French battlecruiser Lyon and Rouen(two of the 34200 ton Marseille class Battlecruiser, equipped with 2x3 16" guns and capable of 28 knots. This class is the best ship in French service at the time). The patrol aggressively takes the fleet through the Celtic sea in hopes of provoking RN response. However, the day is marked by poor weather that only worsened further into the day. At 9:26, the Saint John class Cruiser Hamilton spotted unknown ships to the north east, poor weather made it difficult to make out the exact type of enemy ships, but as the incoming ship opened fire, Hamilton quickly begin to retreat towards the Canadian line, which had became some what separated from the French due to the weather and search formation. The initial spotting suggests the RN force is consisted of a single Collingwood class battleship (30000 ton ship with 12 14" guns) and a heavy cruiser. But it quickly became apprant the "Heavy Cruiser" is firing heavy main guns around 13-14", one of which scored a damaging hit on the Hamilton, knocking out a turret. Huron, upon confiriming the approaching RN battleships, immediately radioed Lyon and Rouen to order the combined destroyer forces of the two forces to launch a torpedo attack against foe due north east. However, the relatively unreliable radio message was not fully heard by the French commanders, who presumed the Canadian requested a general move east to carry out an attack against approaching foes. 9:39 Thus, instead of destroyers, Lyon and Rouen took the lead and turned directly into the British battleships, resulting their T being crossed. Huron had no choice but to speed up and catch up to the French ships to provide support. The leading French ships came under heavy fire, but the French 16" gun were able to inflict some damaging hit in return. Huron however was plagued by her inferior fire control system and the weather, and weren't able to achieve any hits during this stage.
9:50 The French fleet finally grasped the situation and made a turn west, engaging the RN ships on a parallel course. The storm have worsened by now, limiting most ships to about 22 knots, making destroyer attack almost impossible. Around 10:00, the worsening weather briefly resulted contact being lost with the RN ships, but visual contact resumed at 10:03, with the RN ship turning back to close the range once again. At this time, the two RN capital ships were correctly identified as a pair of battlecruisers, not Collingwood class battleships.
However, this is not all good news, the two RN battlecruisers are still almost as powerful as the Collingwood class. While their speed advantage was mostly nullified by the weather, their volume of fire still pose a problem at the extreme close range. (Visual range have reduced to less than 8000 yards by 10:00, and the ships are no more than 5-6000 yards apart. 10:10 - an 14" shell hit Lyon's conning tower, killing most command staff and severely impacted her gunnery for the rest of the battle. Seen from Lyon's aft mast, Huron had finally entered a better firing position and scored two hit on the Indomitable in 10:12-10:15.
10:14, a 6" HE shell hit the turret top of Indomitable's B turret. The spalling from the hit ignited the poorly stored cordite powder in the turret, causing a fire and explosion that knocked off both A and B turret. A subsequent 6" hit on the turret top likewise ignited the midship-aft superfiring turret. Quick Flooding of both the fore-and aft magazine saved the ship, but she was essentially out of the fight. With this, the Royal Navy decides to disengage.
10:21 - Contact was again lost as the weather further reduced visibility. While the French and Canadian ship had a slightly faster maximal speed, the weather made it practically impossible to catch up or spot their foe. In hopes of finding their prey should the weather clear, the Canadian/French Fleet headed North East, presuming the British squadron will return to naval facilities in Liverpool. 16:00 - As the weather remained stormy, the Canadian/French fleet finally gave up their search and turned back. Unknown to them, the Royal Navy fleet had disengaged towards Ireland, anticipating the Canadian/French movements. Conclusion : The battle of Celtic Sea was far from decisive, most ship taking part only suffered moderate-light damage. But the stormy weather prevented the allied fleet from potentially taking out two of the Royal Navy's more advanced Battlecruisers. The Royal navy also became more cautious as a result of this engagements, and limited their sortie to situations where they would be more confident in their advantage. This will have significant effect in the months to come. ShellsFrench 16" gun had no issue against the armor of the Royal Navy ships, but despite 10 16" hit on the Indomitable , it was the 6" hit that ended up being the most dangerous. Indomitable received 13 6" hit, 6 of which hit the turret roof protected by 2.5" of armor. Of these, 4 6" shells either ruptured the turret top armor or caused spalling that damaged the interior of the turret, leading to three turret being completely destroyed, a flash fire that almost sunk the ship, and another turret disabled. It was worth noting that 3 16" shells also hit and damaged some of Indomitable's turret earlier in the engagement, which may be the reason why the subsequent 6" HE were able to inflict the damage they did. While the almost miraculous performance of 6" guns helped the Allied fleet achieve the upper hand in this battle, it will be the royal navy that learned the more important lesson. Poor powder handling and safety procedure almost costed them a battlecruiser to 6" shells. Thus an inquiry board was immediately established to examine the Indomitable and came up with recommendations to avoid similar types of flash fires in the future. Gunnery
In the stormy weather, gunnery from all side were fairly poor. Huron were able to achieve a 2.9% hit rate, while the more closely engaged Indomitable and Rouen were able to achieve 7.09 and 8.5% respectively. Lyon, which were similarly further from the action and later damaged by a bridge hit, were also able to achieve a 4.17% hit rate. This did demonstrate that the older fire control equipment on the Canadian warships might become a problem in future engagements, but at least, the extraordinary circumstance of the weather may provide an excuse.
Anyways, apologies for the long delay in the update, there will be another chapter coming in a bit, but I decided to divide today's update into two parts given their relative length.
I've attempted to put a bit more effort to explain the French blunder in charging into the RN line, but alas I don't think my French skill lives up to the task of drafting some radio misunderstanding. (Perhaps for the first time I wish I paid attention to French Class xD)
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Post by mycophobia on Oct 28, 2019 6:52:59 GMT -6
1924 - 1925 The Home Islands
Following the battle of the Celtic Sea, the Royal Navy adopted a more defensive stance. With mines and submarines, the RN were able to damage both the Quebec and New Brunswick in a large Canadian sortie in January. Both capital ships were due for 4 months of repair. Thus, in the meantime, the Canadian navy had no choice but to wait for the light force to thin the defensive minefields and submarines. The RN took the opportunity to launch an invasion against Canadian colonial troop in Bougainville, whose occupation sparked the war. As the pacific island is of limited value, the Canadian navy only dispatched the old armored cruiser Montreal to provide support. Constructions at HomeBack at home, the old dreadnought British Columbia was moved back to Halifax to further pressure the British force holding out in Newfoundland. In anticipation of the two Lynx class carrier to enter service in the fall, a new model fighter design was ordered. Further, 4 more Sept-Illes class large destroyer were laid down for a total of 10 such ships in production. Lastly, 2 more submarine were laid down to complement Canada's limited submarine force (3 ship in service total) to provide Canadian coast with additional protection in absence of the main fleet. Raids Against UK
In the meantime, Canadian destroyer forces used Brest as a base to launch raids into British Convoy in the Western Approach. Two Canadian AMC conducted a raiding campaign in conjunction with the French forces, and were able to cause some damage and shortage in Britain. In may, a flotilla of 9 Canadian destroyers attacked a British Convoy protected by 4 British Destroyers. The newer Chateauguay class out gunned most British destroyers, and their superior number easily overwhelmed the entire convoy for the loss of one destroyer to torpedo and one to mines on the way back. The Canadian force were even able to rescue most survivor after the battle given the speed at which they carried out the attack.
However, following the May attack, the Royal Navy begin to assign heavier units to protect its convoy, and increased aerial recon to detect Canadian destroyer forces, making future attack much more difficult. Raids on Plymouth - June 16th, 1925
With increased convoy protection, the Canadian navy turned towards a more direct and potentially risky method to attack British shipping. In June 16th, 1925, the battlecruiser Huron is to use its speed to carry out an attack on Plymouth harbor, sinking as many merchant and lesser military vessel as possible. This will be a direct blow to British morale, and may hopefully force them on to the negotiation table. While the Canadian battle fleet was to follow closely behind to provide cover and support, the battleship Prince Edward Island struck a mine a week before the operation. As a result, two old Manitoba class were used instead. The Huron left Brest under the cover of night, and closed in near Plymouth by 8:00 AM. She is accompanied by both Saint George class cruiser and a destroyer squadron. The light cruisers launched their two seaplane to spot merchant shipping entering and leavying the port. One small convoy of 3-4 ships was chosen as the target, and Huron closed in on its prey. 8:39 - What presumed to be a convoy turned out to be the Battlecruiser Indomitable and her destroyer escort, in her carelessness, the Huron was caught completely off guard, and did not correctly identify the ship until she is less than 10000 yards away. While turning away, to bring her guns to bear, Huron struck a mine at 8:40. While her torpedo bulkhead absorbed most of the damage, the shock of the explosion jammed Huron's B turret shut. Between 8:40 and 10:00, Huron engaged the Indomitable in a mid range gun battle. While more powerful on paper, the mine damage and the element of surprise meant that Indomitable were able to quickly put shell after shell into the Huron. By 9:33, Huron was hit 17 times with 13" guns, have three turrets out of action and slowed to 25 knots. In exchange, Indomitable was only hit about 4-5 times during this time.
Seen from Saint John, Huron received about 10 more hits until she was able to disengage around 10:15. An initial destroyer attack were ordered on 9:00, but the 6 attacking destroyers were drawn by Indomitable's 2 escorts, and spend over an hour fighting them instead. Finally, at 10:00~, the destroyer squadron returned and carried out a second attack that forced the Indomitable to disengage, but lost three vessel in the process.
While pummeled by 27 hits in this battle, Huron were able to return to the French port of Cherbourgy by 12:40 with moderate damage. While her turret were knocked out of action several times, most of the 13" shell failed to penetrate Huron's main belt, so she were not at real risk of sinking, and can make 22 knots as she entered port. 11:00 However, as Huron retreated, her escorting cruiser spotted a large fleet of three battlecruisers to the west. These ships were too late to catch up to the Huron, but would bump into the two unfortunate Manitoba class dreadnoughts coming to Huron's aid. The squadron consisted of two more Indomitable class battlecruiser and one Australia class. The modern British battlecruiser simply out class the old 12" armed Canadian dreadnought in every possible way, and even with their refit the Manitoba class did not stood much of a chance. While the Manitoba class attempted to disengage as soon as they spotted the RN battlecruisers, their slow speed meant that they never had a chance.
Recognizing they cannot outrun their pursuers, Manitoba decides to stay behind to engage the three battlecruiser all by herself, while Saskatchewan retreated at full speed towards Brest. Her heroic sacrifice worked, as the British battlecruisers focused their fire upon the Manitoba rather than chasing Saskatchewan deep into French waters.
The British warship quickly disabled the outdated Manitoba, and closed to point blank range to finish her off with a storm of shells. The venerable warship finally went under at around 12:00~, after receiving 81 13/14" hits. British camera crew caught the "Totem Pole Mast" of the ship collapsing as she went under, which quickly became a powerful propaganda symbol for the British.
Conclusion
The raid to Plymouth is a clear disaster. The only British loss was a single escort destroyer (sunk while being attacked by the Canadian destroyer sent after the Indomitable), and another destroyer heavily damaged. The Canadian navy, on the other hand, lost one of its battleships and the Huron will require two months in port, giving the Royal Navy time to reassert their initiative in the war. The lesson of this battle is the importance of adequate scouting. Huron should be able to take on Indomitable had she been better prepared during the engagement. Had the main British battlecruiser been spotted early, the operation could be called off and the loss avoided. Thus, following this battle, the Canadian admiralty prohibited further sortieing of capital ship to reinforce anything short of a fleet operation to prevent the disaster at Plymouth from recurring. (AKA turning off supporting force) While this battle would seem to suggest the older capital ships of the Canadian navy had little chance against modern warships even with an refit, even the most ardent detractor of the value these old vessel would think twice before pressing his point after August 2nd, 1925....
And so the first pagoda collapse at last, while certainly a shame, it really came as no surprise given the odd stacked against her. However, as mentioned above, my doubt about the usefulness of these first generation dreadnoughts will be overturned a mere 2 months later in another battle where outdated ship went against all odds. However, that will be an update for another time, I do look forward to writing about that battle. After that, I will have to model the Cree class battlecruiser and the Lynx class carrier entering service. As always, hope you enjoyed the update, sorry if this turned out a bit longer and drawn out than ideal.
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Post by akosjaccik on Oct 31, 2019 18:57:15 GMT -6
Blasting turrets with 6" HE is still as fascinating as the first time I've read your report. I was also lamenting on that given that mine warfare, both laying and sweeping is area-based, perhaps it isn't massively idiotic to bring a couple of mine warfare KEs to the operational area set on TP, if basing is provided. Funnily enough, I don't think I ever really thought about this beforehand, nor did I read a discussion about it - then again, mines tend to be a nuisance rather than presenting such a threat level as subs can do. Regarding the loss of Manitoba, while painful, I got the impression during the years that you tend to take fairly calculated risks with your capital ships, or at least I don't remember any "casualty spike" occuring. Emphasis on capital ships.
Even this time this loss wasn't in your control. For the time being I keep support force on, but if the AI will screw me over by this magnitude, I'd have second thoughts myself really, really fast.
I do look forward to the new designs, the Cree originally looked like not arriving before concluding the war, but the Lynx-class was I believe mentioned even less, perhaps once.
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Post by mycophobia on Oct 31, 2019 21:04:31 GMT -6
Blasting turrets with 6" HE is still as fascinating as the first time I've read your report. I was also lamenting on that given that mine warfare, both laying and sweeping is area-based, perhaps it isn't massively idiotic to bring a couple of mine warfare KEs to the operational area set on TP, if basing is provided. Funnily enough, I don't think I ever really thought about this beforehand, nor did I read a discussion about it - then again, mines tend to be a nuisance rather than presenting such a threat level as subs can do. Regarding the loss of Manitoba, while painful, I got the impression during the years that you tend to take fairly calculated risks with your capital ships, or at least I don't remember any "casualty spike" occuring. Emphasis on capital ships.
Even this time this loss wasn't in your control. For the time being I keep support force on, but if the AI will screw me over by this magnitude, I'd have second thoughts myself really, really fast.
I do look forward to the new designs, the Cree originally looked like not arriving before concluding the war, but the Lynx-class was I believe mentioned even less, perhaps once.
Yeah if I lose this war I have a lot of destroyer crew's family to answer to.... I might turn support force back on if I can remember to actually check whether they are present every battle, I've had help from them in the past by luring enemies towards them. But their presence does force you to kinda play around them. This "Not gonna arrive before the end of war" is seriously messing me up because I've been avoiding building capitals in favor of light ships I can see in a year and half...to think I can probably have a BC squadron by now if committed back then Even now I am building some CA and large destroyer because I don't believe a full, new BC can be finished in time....I will be very mad if this turned out to be the 20th century version of the thirty-years war. Lynx class was a budget light carrier(limited by my carrier tech) that only took under 2 years to build, which is why I didn't give them much mention, again because I thought...they wouldn't be finished before the war
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Post by mycophobia on Nov 5, 2019 7:40:23 GMT -6
The Battle for Convoy BH - 92
August 2nd, 1925.
Almost 8 months had passed since the Canadian fleet sailed to Europe. Rather than bring the war to a close, Canadian navy encountered fierce resistance as the Royal Navy fought back with everything they’ve got to keep Home Island free from blockade. Faced with the best warship of the Royal Navy, in foreign water littered with mines and prowling submarines, losses begin to mount. The most significant of which was the sinking of the Manitoba in June. While other Canadian capital ship had been lost during the war, the sinking of Manitoba was captured by British camera crew, and became a symbol of continued British resistance. A post card depicting the sinking of the Manitoba circa 1925.At home, not much has changed. The front at Newfoundland remained static despite 5 years of trench warfare. Convoys continue to bring resources and weapons from Canada’s French ally. Yet this stagnation of progress lead to resentment at home. The war against the British Empire had stretched Canadian resources and industry to its limit. Rationing and losses had been drowned with resounding Canadian victories in the Caribbean. As the war became a stand still and Canadian losses steadily grew, the ugly side of war became all too apparent. Nevertheless, the home front had been quiet for the past 8 months but for the occasional submarine attack. However, with the Royal Navy facing the risk of blockade in Europe, that is all about to change. Convoy BH-92, sailing from Brest with latest French naval equipment, fuel, and French expeditionary force for the Newfoundland front had been shadowed by Royal Navy submarine for days. As the convoy is well protected by destroyer forces, the Royal Navy Squadron at Newfoundland are ordered to sortie and intercept this important convoy. Major troop convoy like BH-92 would receive escorts from the remaining Canadian capital ships in the Atlantic region : Yukon, Nunavut and British Columbia. All of which vintage warships with around 15 years of service. The escort force is further supplemented by 2 squadron of mostly composed of old Mirabel and Pointe-Claire class destroyers, and the light cruiser Camrose and Burlington. The Royal Navy Squadron is consisted of the veterans from the Battle of Cape Breton: Anson, Howe, and the Implacable class battleship London, escorted by one modern destroyer. All of which are substantially more modern and powerful than their expected adversaries. It seems Canada’s decision to transfer most of its modern warship to Europe will be their undoing.
While the British sortie were unknown to the Canadian navy, British naval presence in Newfoundland warranted routine aerial search. Canadian recon plane took off from Halifax airfield at first dawn to provide aerial recon for the incoming convoy, which is passing near Sable Island as of 8:00 am. Ordinary Seaman Ethan Brown, Foremast Machine Gunner of Battlecruiser Yukon:The order to man battle station came in around 8:00 in the morning. We’ve been escorting convoys for the past couple months and no one really expected this run to be any different. As I moved up the totem pole to get to my station, I see the range finder turning towards aft side, all the guns trained towards our aft, and the ship speeding past the convoy. That’s when it occurred to me that we are running away.
At around 8:00, a scouting seaplane from Halifax base encountered the British Battleship fleet and radioed the convoy escort command on the Yukon. Three battleship and one destroyer escort is closing behind the Canadian convoy at speed over 20 knots. Realizing that almost any Royal Navy battleship easily outclass the Canadian warships present, the convoy tried its best to shake off its pursuers for the next hour, but the slow troopships simply cannot match Royal Navy warships.
At around 9:00, the pursuing Royal Navy fleet is now visible from the tall totem pole mast of the Yukon. Equipped with latest French-built fire control director, Yukon opened up at 18000 yards, an extremely long range for her 12” guns. As a testament to the effectiveness of these advanced equipment, despite the fairly cloudy weather and long range, Yukon were able to score a hit on the Howe at over 17500 yards range, possibly one of the longest ranged naval gunnery hit to date. Impressive as it may be, Canadian gunnery cannot compensate for the ineffectiveness of Canadian 12” gun. British quickly returned the favor with 6 14” hit on the Canadian warships as they closed range. The old dreadnought British Columbia was hit particularly hard due to her slow speed, and damage to her already venerable engine only slowed her further.
Realizing that continued long range exchange with the royal navy will only spell their doom, the Canadian warships sought refuge by retreating behind the convoy, using the funnel exhaust of those merchant ships as cover for the time being. As the convoy begin to obscure firing from both sides, the British Fleet closed in to within 5000 yards of the convoy by 9:30, and being to shift their fire towards the troop transports. With the Canadian capital ships busily reforming themselves on the other side, it seems the convoy was all but doomed. Then, around 9:40, 4 Canadian convoy escorts, three 900 ton destroyer and one 1300 ton Chambly class charged through the convoy towards the approaching battleships. The large row of transports obscured the destroyer squadron until the last moment. All four ships were immediately showered with a hail of secondary fire as the British ships desperately tried to stop them. The old 900 ton destroyers stood little chance against such an onslaught, and all four ships were sunk in their daring attack. But their sacrifice brought about the turning point of this battle. The panicked British ships quickly scattered in all directions to avoid torpedo, and the lead ship Howe was hit once midship under her mast at 10:04, and begin to slow.
Seizing this moment of confusion, Yukon and Nunavut turned about and closed in on the Howe. At no more than 3-4000 yards, Howe were pummeled with 12” guns that can finally pierce her armor. Ordinary Seaman Ethan Brown:I’ve had to stay near the machine guns since we knew that the enemy’s got carriers in the region, and despite the risk the captain want people ready to man the machine guns as soon as needed. I can see the Howe burning to our starboard side, but she aint done fighting. Her guns are still firing and I can see Nunavut behind us, her mast burning. If I had been on the Nunavuts that’s where I’d be at, and that’s a sight I couldn’t forget.While the scattered British fleet can provide Howe with little support, she was able to land several 14” hits on the Nunavut. The worst of which penetrated Nunavut’s engine room, causing salt water to enter her feeds and causing severe damage to her machinery. Other hits knocked out or otherwise jammed half of Nunavut’s turret as well. Despite this, the Howe was overwhelmed in the end by 60 12” hits. Combination of 12” hits and the torpedo meant she quickly listed to the point where she can no longer effectively fire back by 10:25. The ship was mostly abandoned by her crew by 10:40, and the Canadian ships begin to turn away from the sinking ship to face the remaining two battleships. Ordinary Seaman Ethan Brown: As we saw Howe start to dip under the sea, all the lads started cheering until we see gun flashes in the distant and that horrible sound as shell fly overhead before exploding in huge plumes of water near us. Everyone was quickly silent again, and I can see Nunavut turning away from the line with burning and with a heavy list. Even though they get to leave this hell early, cant say I’d want to be on that ship right now.
With one battleship sunk, the odd did not shift much in the favor of Canadians. Both London and Anson remain far more powerful than any Canadian ships with their 14/15” gun and thick armor. Nunavut had been detached and is barely holding on. British Columbia fared slightly better, but her aging structure made it far more difficult for her crew to contain the flooding from several 14” hit she received. Canadian destroyers are now either sunk, or is with the convoy as they tried their best to withdraw from the fighting. Thus, the task of stopping the two remaining battleship rests upon the Yukon and two Camrose class light cruiser. Around 10:40, as the Yukon once again begin a long range engagement with London and Anson that she is doomed to lose, the Canadian cruiser decided to make their move. Anson remained fairly separate from the London, due to retreating the further than the other two ships during the torpedo attack at 9:40. At the bridge of Camrose: “But captain! If we attack the London head-on, she will hammer us with her 14inchers!”
“Then we will sink her with our 6inchers!”
And with that, it the tide of the battle will once again be turned by a seemingly suicidal charge from the most insignificant combatant present….
And this concludes part one of this update, I am a little worried this particular update is a bit too long, but I am trying to experiment with a bit more story telling to see how things works out. I'd love some feed back on what you think about this particular update and it will help me plan my future updates as well.
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Post by nemonole on Nov 5, 2019 8:37:28 GMT -6
This was a great update; I'm *very eager* to find out what happened next! (Sorry for the little workable feedback... I don't really have critique experience in this area...)
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Post by ewaldvonkleist on Nov 5, 2019 15:49:50 GMT -6
What you do there is Verdun on the Sea, major losses for both sides but no decision and thus no end in sight. I am sure the other powers welcome the attrition to Canadian, French and British fleets.
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Post by janxol on Nov 6, 2019 5:50:33 GMT -6
I must say that I like those personal inserts from crewmen. (As well as crew perspective screenshots). It adds some depth to the battle report, and gives that sort of "documentary" feeling.
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Post by mycophobia on Nov 8, 2019 5:26:24 GMT -6
This was a great update; I'm *very eager* to find out what happened next! (Sorry for the little workable feedback... I don't really have critique experience in this area...) Thanks for the encouraging words, I've been trying to get part 2 out sooner but at the current rate It'd probably take another day or two. What you do there is Verdun on the Sea, major losses for both sides but no decision and thus no end in sight. I am sure the other powers welcome the attrition to Canadian, French and British fleets. Yup, the AI is extremely tenacious around, and to be fair it does easily have the force to remain in the war. I just hope this war can be won without a true fleet "meatgrinder". On the other hand, the wartime budget is a welcoming source of additional production. Despite wartime losses our cruiser and destroyer forces are quite competitive compared to other nations. I must say that I like those personal inserts from crewmen. (As well as crew perspective screenshots). It adds some depth to the battle report, and gives that sort of "documentary" feeling. That's something I will definitely be using in part 2 and some future battle as well. The documentary feeling is kind of what I was aiming for, writing full on stories with characters are probably a bit too tough, but some "life" into the story is definitely what was lacking for me. Lastly, a small teaser (I really need crew perspective other than machine gunner xD)
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Post by mycophobia on Nov 9, 2019 23:52:28 GMT -6
The Battle for Convoy BH - 92
With the British battleship’s attention on the Yukon, the two Canadian cruiser took this opportunity to close in against the London, which was only equipped with 8 4” DP guns following a refit, and no other defense against light crafts. Thinking the cruisers could not be a threat, London did not turn to avoid the charging cruisers, nor did it chose to regroup with the Anson, which is still some distance away. ~11:20 The two cruisers cut in front of the London, constantly firing as they closed the distance. London’s small array of 4” guns inflicted very little damage on the cruisers until they got within the knife fighting range of 2000-3000 yards. Able Seaman Weston Yong – Gunner of midship “W” Turret, Light Cruiser CamroseWith our 28 knots of speed, it took us less than 20 minutes to close the distance with London. What was once a grey dot in the distance quickly became a steel Juggernaut as we closed range. However, while the boys in the turret all braced for a storm of shells heading our way, we only saw odd flashes of light deck guns falling short in front of the Camrose.
Even as we opened up with everything we have, London’s guns are still trained on the Yukon. We put shell and shell into that ship to make sure she couldn’t turn her guns against us. Everyone’s hearts were in their throats when one of her wing turretsturned against us, but they shot way too early and the shot went wide. At that point they must be as desperate as we are. Less than an hour after the cruisers began their charge, London was left as a smoking, burning wreck. She had suffered over 70-80 6” hits, which almost completely destroyed her superstructure, damaged funnels and jammed turrets. While she was still able to maneuver to avoid torpedo and the closing Yukon, there is little she could do to retaliate.
Able Seaman Weston Yong – Gunner of midship “W” Turret, Light Cruiser CamroseWe kept firing and firing as we circled the battleship. London was so close that we did not even have to worry about aiming anymore. Nor is there any thing left to target, really. The whole ship was a burning mess and none of her turret were firing anymore. ~11:30, Anson finally came around to London’s aid. The Canadian cruisers, then running circles around London suddenly found themselves being fired upon by Anson’s much more formidable secondary battery. However, Anson remained convinced that the Yukon were the main threat, and focused her 15” gun against her instead. This was proven to be a costly mistake, Anson’s 4” gun scored several hits and damaged several turrets on the Canadian cruisers, but did not inflict lethal damage. In return, Anson was hit by a torpedo from one of the cruiser’s underwater tubes at 11:50. This damage, while not fatal, convinced the Anson to turn away. Anson's retreat left London to its fate, she was able to put some distance between herself and the Canadian cruiser due to Anson’s intervention. However, by 12:20 she was once again circled by the Canadian cruisers and bombarded with even more 6” fire. Seeing Anson’s retreat and the extent of London’s damage, Yukon and British Columbia finally decided to close in the range to finish off the damaged London.
Able Seaman Wesley Fraser – Gunner of 4” secondary gun, Light Cruiser Camrose – 12:51PM
We just fired another round at the London as we see several large plume of water splashes around her. Then at the next moment, there was a huge plume of fire that shot up from her fore before the whole ship is covered in a massive could of smoke and fire. The explosion was so strong it almost knocked me off my feet, and I can see windows cracking at our bridge, and shards of glasses falling off.
We've firing at that ship for the past 2 hours, and to suddenly see it just go off like that is truly frightening. Burlington tossed a couple life raft as we steamed past whats left of the ship, but I don't think there is many people left to use them...
London was hit at her “A” turret by a 12” shell fired from the Yukon at about 8000-10000 yard. While royal navy improved safety procedures after flash fire almost costed them a battlecruiser earlier in the year, the North American squadron did not have a chance to implement these changes to their detriment. Only 48 survivors were picked up from the London, mostly from her aft sections, which remained briefly afloat.
13:00 – Steaming past the sinking hull of the London, the Canadian cruiser steamed straight for the Anson. Unfortunately, this time the Anson focused its 15” fire on the approaching cruisers. Before Anson is able to turn away, she was again hit near aft with another torpedo from the Camrose. Ordinary Seaman Chris Davis – Machine Gunner of Light Cruiser Burlington As we followed Camrose past the Anson, which is now turning away, her main guns thundered. Almost immediately huge plumes of water rose near our ship. Our ships were so close together that they are shooting us with their machine guns and we are doing the same. Thankfully the captain decided we cant stay near that monster any longer, and we find ourselves making smokes and retreating without being hit by the guns for now. If only our luck would last.The Anson did not attempt to pursue the light cruisers, but begin firing at Yukon and British Columbia as she continued to retreat North East. The Canadian capital ships were forced to back off after both British Columbia and Yukon suffered a 15” hit to their machinery, and Yukon lost a turret as well. Post battle photo of three Canadian Capital Ships as they returned in port. Yukon(top) took 11 heavy hits, Nunavut(mid) took 19, and British Columbia(bottom) took 8. British Columbia's aging structure and a particularly deadly midship hit from Anson meant she was in most danger of sinking, and would've likely sunk if Anson did not retreat. All three ships are heavily damaged and require multiple months in the yard.13:40 Seeing the Anson once again shifted fire towards the Canadian capital ships, the two Canadian cruiser attempted one more charge as they did against the London. But with both Yukon and British Columbia retreating nearly out of range of Anson’s 15” gun, the Canadian cruisers again faced 15” fire. Burlington was hit at 13:53 by a 15” shell that caused salt water to enter her machinery. Realizing that further damage could doom the ship if she lost the speed to disengage, the Canadian vessel turned to retreat, and the Anson did not give chase due to her torpedo damage. With this, the Canadian fleet, though heavily bloodied, manage to not only fend off the attack of Royal Navy battleship, but sunk two of the three attackers. Conclusion (Result Screen)The almost miraculous victory in defense of Convoy BH-92 shocked both sides of the war. Three relic warships of the great war triumphed over three fairly modern dreadnought that went toe to toe with the modern Canadian battleships. With the loss of two battleships, Anson became the only capital ship left in the North American Squadron, and any signficant reinforcements will only risk putting the home isle under blockade. However, while the valor of Canadian crews certainly proved significant, the royal navy’s over confidence in their superiority is what likely caused their defeat. Destroyer AttackIn their eagerness to strike at the troop convoy, British battleships carelessly approached the convoy with only a single destroyer escort. This cost them dearly as the nearly suicidal charge of Canadian destroyers were able to damage and isolate Howe. The confusion of the attack also caused the British fleet to become hopelessly scattered, with Anson taking over an hour before attempting to regroup. By which time Howe was already sinking and London a target with the charging cruisers. Canadian GunneryWhile the Yukon class are very old ships, they are recently outfitted with the most up to date fire control director. Thus, the Yukon is able to surpass the British battleships in accuracy. (6.8% vs 5-6%, Nunavut fared far worse due to the damage she received early on). Old Canadian 12” guns are no threat to the newer British dreadnoughts, but firing at a disabled opponent at close range, they can still be deadly and overwhelming. The Cruiser AttacksWhile the Cruisers couldn’t “Sink her with our 6”, it is without question that the battle was won with their heroic attack on the London and subsequently Anson. Left mostly undisturbed, the Canadian cruisers essentially single handedly disabled the London, and caused enough damage to the Anson to prevent her from making full use of her deadly 15” gun. It seems the earlier tradition of cruiser crew going against battleships had not been lost definite the increasing discrepancy in power between cruisers and modern dreadnoughts. That being said, the cruiser attack could’ve easily failed if the British ships either turned their big guns upon them earlier, or had better secondary suite. Indeed, the second charge against Anson at 13:40 could’ve easily proven fatal.
Regardless of technicalities, the courage and sacrifice displayed by Canadian crews from the smallest destroyer escorts to those upon the outdated battleships in defense of the troop convoys will be not be forgotten as the fleet in Europe fight on to bring the war to an end.
This concludes the part two of this update, sorry that it took a bit longer than expected. I hope you enjoyed this battle as I did Since I have several upcoming ship class entering service this month(Lynx class light carrier, Cree class BC, and Sept-Iles class DD), the next few updates will be introducing these class before I proceed further with the campaign. It might also be another opportunity for a Situation Recap. However given some of these are fairly large builds and next week being relatively busy by the looks of it, it may take me awhile before the next update. But it will be a good learning opportunity for me as well since carriers are not something I'm very experienced with
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