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Post by Airy W on Aug 17, 2017 9:38:19 GMT -6
signal to all destroyer commanders that failure to prevent their own ship's crew from torpedoing our own dreadnoughts will be tolerated. Well, you're the boss. |
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Post by garrisonchisholm on Aug 17, 2017 9:47:56 GMT -6
signal to all destroyer commanders that failure to prevent their own ship's crew from torpedoing our own dreadnoughts will be tolerated. Well, you're the boss. That's breakthrough thinking there. |
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Post by cv10 on Aug 17, 2017 10:44:08 GMT -6
That's breakthrough thinking there. This is one of two things: A confirmation that the Admiralty is going through with Operation Nose Amputation where it was preposed that evening the odds for the Germans by sinking or damaging our own dreadnoughts might help lure them out of port Or an example of how poor I am at proofreading my own posts. I'd correct it, but quite frankly, I think it's kinda funny as is. |
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Post by aeson on Aug 17, 2017 10:53:13 GMT -6
Maybe we should also start putting our destroyer captains in for Iron Crosses for exemplary service to the Imperial German Navy whenever they torpedo one of our ships. You know, to encourage them to get whole-heartedly behind Operation Nose Amputation.
Is Operation Spite Face, where we lose a significant portion of our reduced fleet to the depleted High Seas Fleet in order to even up the war score, to follow after Operation Nose Amputation?
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Post by cv10 on Aug 17, 2017 11:03:27 GMT -6
Maybe we should also start putting our destroyer captains in for Iron Crosses for exemplary service to the Imperial German Navy whenever they torpedo one of our ships. You know, to encourage them to get whole-heartedly behind Operation Nose Amputation. Is Operation Spite Face, where we lose a significant portion of our reduced fleet to the depleted High Seas Fleet in order to even up the war score, to follow after Operation Nose Amputation? I believe that Operation Spite Face is being handled by the Army |
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Post by babylon218 on Aug 17, 2017 11:29:11 GMT -6
General: Yes, Captain, Operation: Spite Face is a part of the military's grand strategy!
Captain E. Blackadder: I wasn't aware we had a grand strategy, sir.
General: Well of course we do! How do you think our choice of battle tactics are informed?
Blackkadder: Our battle tactics are informed, sir?
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Post by cv10 on Aug 17, 2017 12:14:03 GMT -6
General: Yes, Captain, Operation: Spite Face is a part of the military's grand strategy! Captain E. Blackadder: I wasn't aware we had a grand strategy, sir. General: Well of course we do! How do you think our choice of battle tactics are informed? Blackkadder: Our battle tactics are informed, sir? Captain E. Blackadder: I thought our strategy was for the war to go on until everyone is dead except Field Marshal Haig, Lady Haig, and their pet tortoise Allen |
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Post by Airy W on Aug 17, 2017 15:36:28 GMT -6
That's breakthrough thinking there. This is one of two things: A confirmation that the Admiralty is going through with Operation Nose Amputation where it was preposed that evening the odds for the Germans by sinking or damaging our own dreadnoughts might help lure them out of port Or an example of how poor I am at proofreading my own posts. I'd correct it, but quite frankly, I think it's kinda funny as is. It appears that rear admiral wilfred walter was in charge of drafting the statement. |
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Post by fredsanford on Aug 17, 2017 16:25:08 GMT -6
Real life sea story: I was a machinist's mate working in an aircraft carrier engine room. It gets pretty hot down there, and to pass the time on watch and stay cool we'd sometimes have water fights- splashing each other with buckets of water, etc. One time a buddy of mine was chasing someone in order to throw a bucket of water on him. He corners his prey, and slings the water at him. His intended victim quickly ducks, dodging the water, which hits the ventilation fan electrical control panel right behind him. Electricity and water don't mix well. The control panel starts 'arcing and sparking' and an electrical fire breaks out. My friend calls in the alert on the nearest sound powered phone, and then grabs a fire extinguisher and puts the fire out.
We filled out a request that he be awarded a Navy Achievement Medal "For his prompt and effective action in putting out the fire he started".
He didn't get it.
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Post by bcoopactual on Aug 17, 2017 16:46:11 GMT -6
LOL, Betcha he wasn't E-Div's favorite person for a few days.
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Post by cv10 on Aug 18, 2017 22:57:07 GMT -6
We filled out a request that he be awarded a Navy Achievement Medal "For his prompt and effective action in putting out the fire he started". He didn't get it. I'll bet the person who handled the paperwork either got a good laugh out of it, or was already miserable from trying to explain how government property got set on fire.My Grandfather did a single hitch in the navy: 5 years aboard a Carrier from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. He passed before I could ask he if he had any good stories from his time in, but my great-uncle told me a pretty good one. So this was back when Marine detachments were still on Aircraft Carriers, and the Marines on his ship provided the ship's shore patrol when they were in port. Well when marines were brought back by the shore patrol, they tended to be fine, but the sailors were always black-and-blue (from getting the tar beat out of them by the shore patrol). Well this grated on the Exec, so he picked 20 of the biggest sailors (my Granddad included) and paired them each with a marine: he told them if sailors were being brought back beat up, that by god he wanted marines coming back the same way. So my Granddad, when he and the marine he's paired up with meet up, grabs the marine by his shirt and tells him that he better not try to beat up any sailors, because if he does my Granddad's gonna toss him in the harbor. Strangely enough, the sailors stopped coming back all black-and-blue... At least that's the story my great-uncle told me (it's also been several years). |
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Post by cv10 on Aug 18, 2017 23:20:19 GMT -6
Turn 32: 12 October, 1915:Plan/Op So I always post the plan of my operation before I run it. However I forgot to do so before I ran the turn. While I don't think it really mattered in this case, I'll try to avoid doing that in the future. So for this period, the Admiralty ordered a sweep of the southern North Sea by the Grand Fleet. I was actually planning on doing this anyway, as I have several new ships in the Grand Fleet that could use the practice. My plan was for them to proceed along their sweep, and if they did not find anything, they were to shell the German fortifications on the Belgian Coast (they're the only shore target I can hit). The Grand Fleet was activated and directed to prepare for sea. In the meantime, the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron was ordered to make ready for sea as well, along with the 1/10th and the 2/10 Destroyer Flotillas. Since the Harwich Force has seen so much action, I gave them a a bit of a break.
So this operation started out perfectly normal. The Grand Fleet and the battlecruisers headed south, and they closed on their objective. However reports of German light cruisers in the Channel began to filter in, and I decided to activated the light cruisers of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla out of Harwich to investigate. They sortied and at dawn, they were able to spot 6 German destroyers (more of the A-Class TBs) and they moved to engage. In a short sharp action, all of the German destroyers were sunk. However one of them was able to put a torpedo into HMS Phaeton, which was lost (they were really close when they were finally spotted, and as soon as I saw the German ships, I knew one of my ships was probably going to take a torpedo).
Feeling a bit frustrated from this, I had the Grand Fleet, which had reached it's objective point, attack the German coastal batteries. The Germans inflicted minor damage to my dreadnoughts, and soon enough, the German coastal batteries had been smashed to pieces and the ruins were on fire. The Grand Fleet then returned to Scapa Flow. The 1st Battlecruisers played no part in this bombardment, as their armor is too thin to risk in such a cavalier manner. None of my dreadnoughts damaged (3 of them) will require more than a few weeks of yard time.
While I did lose a cruiser, the destruction of 6 German destroyers and the coastal batteries (eight 11-inch guns and eight 6-inch guns) made the Admiralty happy. I'm relatively pleased, as I think that the A-Class are a finite resource, unlike the T-Class and their trawler minesweepers. However I intend to shift the 1/11 and 2/11 Destroyer Flotillas to Harwich, as they would be nice to have for these hugger-mugger light force actions in the Channel. I'm getting to the point where I have more than enough M-Class destroyers for my battlecruiser screens.
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Post by cv10 on Aug 20, 2017 15:50:01 GMT -6
Turn 33: 26th October, 1915:Planning As usual, fleet organization will be dealt with first. So since the Germans have been sending light forces into the Broad Fourteens and Eastern Channel Approaches, I've decided to stop using the Harwich Force as a dumping ground for unwanted units. The Seaplane tenders, pre-dreadnoughts, and the armored cruisers have all been placed under the nominal command of the Grand Fleet, and have been posted up to Cromarty to keep them out from underfoot. In their place, I've transferred the two flotillas of the 11th Destroyer Flotilla to give it some extra light forces to play around with. In addition,I might also give them some of the older Town-Class light cruisers, as their 6 inch guns would be most welcome against the Harwich Force's intended targets.
So HMS Canada has joined the Grand Fleet, and has almost immediately required a refit due to problems not sorted out by the builders. She has been posted to the 2/2 Battle Squadron, which now has 4 dreadnoughts. While her 14-inch guns and 22 knots make her much faster than her squadron-mates, she only has a 9-inch belt, which is equal to my battlecruisers. As such, I'd like her well back in the line of battle. Speaking of refits, the Grand Fleet currently has 8 Dreadnoughts in the yard: 3 for repair, 5 for refits, and 2 battlecruisers are being refitted as well. However fear not, as we still outnumber the Germans: No repeat of the great fiasco of 1914!
Heavyweight boxer with a glass jaw
So for this operation, my over-riding need to do something kinda crazy has taken charge. So I've lost a bunch of ships to German mines, and almost none of their losses have been from mines. To try and remedy this, I have two options: let the Germans sink my ships in other ways (not really desirable), or try to place my minefields in better places. So I'm going to have HMS Princess Irene and HMS Abdiel (a fast minelayer with the Grand Fleet) lay mines right near the mouth of the Ems Estuary. In the meantime, two battlecruisers will screen the operation. In addition to mines, I'm sending 3 submarines into the German defensive area in the hopes that they can find something worth a torpedo.
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Post by cv10 on Aug 21, 2017 14:23:46 GMT -6
Turn 33: 26th October, 1915:Op Not much to write about. A storm came in during the operation and nearly forced the mission to be abandoned, but it passed before any decision was made, and it was decided to continue with the operation. HMS Princess Irene reached the target during the night, and while it was raining. She laid her minefield in a sort of a curve right along the edge of the German defensive area. HMS Laverock, which was a part of her screen, struck a mine and sank. HMS Abdiel's minelaying had to be scrubbed, as the weather cleared and it turned out that the target area for the minefield was within range of the 11-Inch batteries at the Fort on Borkum. A few of those splashed near her and her captain wisely decided to jettison his mines and run for home. While on the way out, he sank a group of minesweepers.
Above: the minefield has effectively blocked off the western channel of the Ems Estuary
Our 3 submarines that were sent into the defensive area were lost. One was destroyed by an explosive sweep, another was mined, and the last one was forced to the surface by coastal forces. I should have realized that this was not going to turn out well. In future, submarines will not be mishandled the way these were.
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Post by cv10 on Aug 21, 2017 14:37:41 GMT -6
Turn 34: 9th November, 1915:Planning
Not much will be going on this turn. Grand Fleet and Battlecruiser Force will be training: this is actually paying off a lot, as with the exception of HMS Barham, which just arrived a month ago, all of my active dreadnought crews are at level 2. The battlecruisers are not quite there yet, but the crews are decent enough. I've had a devil of a time keeping the battlecruiser crews well-trained. They don't tend to stay at elite status for long, and I've had them regress even when they were training.
So the Admiralty have suggested a seaplane scout of the German coast, but I'm going to pass, as they want me to send a force too close to the Germans for me to feel safe without the Grand Fleet either nearby, or on ready-alert to come to the rescue should the Germans come out. I'm instead going to send the 5th, 1st, and 2nd Light Cruiser Squadrons on a sweep for German light forces. They'll have some destroyers along in case they run into anything really nasty.
I've also sent out three submarines near areas where the Germans tend to sail across, so here's hoping we find something. Since it's November, the days are becoming shorter and the weather more poor, so it's getting to the point where I'll be keeping my dreadnoughts in.
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