|
Post by cleveland on Jan 21, 2014 16:28:29 GMT -6
Hmm, I started up the game and ran the scenario to the end. I thought I was at the end when I closed out last night. Now I was awarded a major victory for sinking two CL's but I only sank one. It counted the Magdeburg twice I think. Attachment Deleted
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 21, 2014 16:38:23 GMT -6
Ok, the campaign detail screen is odd. It shows the Magdeburg as sunk once but my transports as sunk twice - (Hilda & Raumo). Help! Attachment Deleted
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 21, 2014 16:41:56 GMT -6
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 22, 2014 13:26:16 GMT -6
Well, I forgot to save turns 2 and 3 so I had to delete the previous posts. Argh! Such a waste. Anyway, on to turn 2. Turn 2 After sinking the modern light cruiser Magdeburg and losing a destroyer and minesweeper plus two transports we have mixed feelings about the start of the war. German gunnery is superior to ours and thus training is the order of the day. Every ship will have been trained up by the end of the week. It was decided to send out two CL's and the new modern destroyer, Novik, with their newly trained crews, to raid shipping off Bornholm Island. Alas, nothing came of it. We heard the minesweeper Bobr dished out a hit on a raiding German destroyer. Good for them. Attachment Deleted
|
|
|
Post by fredsanford on Jan 22, 2014 14:01:04 GMT -6
You'll find the Novik your fleet's MVP, and wish you had more of them. Feature request: Offer the Russian player a VP deal to expedite the reinforcement DD's.
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 22, 2014 14:27:16 GMT -6
Turn 3 The Admiralty has decided to strengthen our minefields in the western Baltic. New destroyer Novik along with three other DD's (including the one that sunk the Magdeburg) are picked for this mission. Training continues and three old CA's have been placed on alert in case the Novik encounters trouble.. On the outbound journey we pick up disturbing news. Attachment DeletedUndeterred we arrive at our destination unmolested and proceed to drop our mines. On the homeward journey we sight a German transport, which we eagerly pounce on and sink. All in all the Novik has earned it's keep this day and our men are awarded an extra ration of beef and macaroni after coaling in Helsingfors. Attachment Deleted
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 22, 2014 14:28:57 GMT -6
I fear the Novik will be worn out by 1915
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 23, 2014 16:41:07 GMT -6
Turn 4 - Battle of Irben Sound With a new batch of reinforcements comes more training. No new objectives from the Admiralty so to keep the Gulf of Riga squadron on their toes I assigned them a minelaying mission myself between Bornholm Island and the Swedish mainland. The transport Kemi sights a CL in the Gulf of Bothnia so the CA Rurik along with a DD escort has been emergency activated. Hopefully I can trap them there, or least find them on their return trip. While laying mines the DD Division sights a transport. It is decided to break contact and head for home. No risks are to be taken with just two destroyers. Attachment DeletedAfter breaking contact with the transport, unidentified ships pop up and the destroyers go to max speed and make smoke. May the Tsar be with them. Ships identifield as CA and CL. One of our destroyers takes a superstructure hit. CA Rurik is now ordered south to cover their retreat, but it is still a long ways off.
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 23, 2014 16:50:35 GMT -6
The two destroyers escape and make speed to the Gulf of Riga. There are reports of a German task force in that area performing a bombardment mission. After approaching Irben Sound, destroyer Kondratenko looks toward the horizon and sees two German ships and after shadowing them for a bit it's determined that they are CL's. The way to the Gulf of Riga is blocked! The destroyers turn. Where is the Rurik? Attachment DeletedRurik appears and the two CLs' are forced to turn away.
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 23, 2014 17:02:04 GMT -6
The game is on. The mouth of the Sound is blocked as the Rurik gets into gunnery range. Sporting 10 inch guns the Rurik can hit and hit hard. After the Rurik missed from long range, the German CL's attempt to escape along the coast but the Rurik has the advantage and moves to cross the "T". Suddenly the Kondratenko, now patrolling, radios that they've spotted a German Battleship! It's decision time for the Rurik and she decides to order a flotilla attack on the German CL's and turn away with a German Battleship looming. Attachment Deleted
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 23, 2014 17:06:35 GMT -6
The destroyers launch their torpedoes in a perfect position with the German CL's pinned against the coast. There is no way they can miss. Attachment Deleted
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 23, 2014 17:12:06 GMT -6
But miss they do! Rurik finally lands a hit with her guns. As the Rurik moves to get away from the German battleship the Kondratenko radios a confirmed sighting. It's not a battleship after all, but a light cruiser! Oh no. Attachment Deleted
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 23, 2014 17:16:50 GMT -6
There is no hope of turning back and catching the two light cruisers, they have made their escape. Rurik gunnery was so terrible that giving chase would probably end in futility. Plus there were still two unidentified ships lurking. Radio reports indicate, however, that a Gazelle-class light cruiser was sunk by our shore batteries earlier in the day. Their marksmanship was certainly better than the Rurik's. End of turn. Attachment Deleted
|
|
|
Post by cleveland on Jan 23, 2014 18:04:10 GMT -6
Some thoughts on the last turn:
1) The original mis-identification of a "Battleship" really changed this turn around. Even after the positive sighting of a CL, there were at least two other ships I could not identify and I could not risk the Rurik (the best ship currently active in the Russian navy) under those circumstances. I basically got skittish.
2) Terrible gunnery on the Rurik's part. Missing with the torpedoes was bad enough but at least understandable. Less than a one percent hit ratio with heavy guns is unacceptable. Heads will roll.
3) I appreciate an aggressive German commander, but allowing a Gazelle-class light cruiser to get sunk by shore batteries was not a good show. After some hits (she took 34 total) the Frauenlob should have cut it's losses and headed for home, not that I'm complaining victory point wise, but the AI should not behave that way. In all other aspects the AI was very good this turn I thought.
|
|
|
Post by phoenix on Jan 24, 2014 2:35:08 GMT -6
Exciting stuff. I think the gunnery in the Russian navy is generally terrible. I'm also playing through this Baltic campaign and have noticed this. Every now and then you get a high average (I mean 4% or some such - that counts as 'high') but mostly it's under 1%!I wonder how much extra training would address this? And - can anyone tell me how many weeks training it takes to take a B, say, from a 0 rating to a +1? I notice it's quite a bit more than 1 week, for example. But so far haven't ever had the luxury of keeping them out of action for long enough to get above a 0 rating (when they start, usually, with a -1).
|
|