Post by gornik on Aug 10, 2020 14:50:23 GMT -6
I love to read long brilliantly illustrated AARs of other participants, but unfortunately I'm too lazy to write the same 
So I create thread for shorter stories, which still worth telling.
To start with, the tale of Mediterranean convoy.
It was early September of 1903, the second year of Franco-Italian war. Old rivalry around Niece and Corsica was suddenly revived and ignited war, after French Grand Admiral humiliated Regina Marina in public speech. Italians were better prepared, and tried to invade Tunis, but their troop convoy was turned away, while their navy lost 4 battleships at once! After two another battles, Italian line consisted of only two battleships, while France lost only one. So Italian Libya became new battlefield, while in Alps both sides strengthen defensive lines. For some months Regina Marina was passive, and next supply convoy to Bizerta got only light cover - two Sfax-class small scouts, nearly unprotected, with casemated main battery. In previous battles they usually got orders to cover battleships from torpedo attacks and didn't achieve more than random DD hit. They lead torpilleur flotilla.
At early morning of 09.09, convoy of 13 transport in three columns, with 4 destroyers at close escort, was nearly 100 miles to the west from Sicily. Ships pass the most dangerous waters at the route... And smoke appear on the horizon! Unknown ships approach from Italian coast. Amiral Secille and Cosmao turn to East to clear situation. Soon it was cleared... And appeared to be grim.
- Three cruisers ahead, with two destroyers! First - Catania class! Second - La Spezia-class! Third - Catania-class!
- Spezia?! Oh, no!
It was semi-armored cruiser with 6in guns, partially in full turrets - dangerous opponent even alone, and deadly with support.
- Damn! I thought they all were sent at raiding overseas! We are doomed...
- What to do, Commodore? They approaching!
- Well, hear the plan! Our main goal is to protect the convoy - at all cost! Their gunners are bad, as we saw in previous battles. We should fight at long distance, trying to drive them off convoy and let them shot into the sea most of their broadsides. If...well, when our cruisers will be damaged enough, torpilleurs should try to engage with torpedoes, then we all disengage... try to disengage, at least. - Commodore smiled: - Ideally, they'll spend too much time and shells to sink some of us, and will afraid to risk of chasing the convoy itself! So - raise the steam! Prepare starboard battery! Aim better! Engage them! Vive la France!
Both squadrons opened fire at the same moment. French cruisers shoot better - Leading cruiser (Catania herself) got some hits from extreme distance without return, enemy cruisers turned to parallel course and both squadrons rushed away from convoy to N. Commodore watched at enemies, but despite blasts they looked undamaged, and Catanias had strange appearance...
- Oh, God! Just look at them! They installed 4 inch guns at armoured turrets? What the mad idea for protected cruiser!
Chief officer shrugged:
- Mad or not, our chances seem to be even lower, than expected. Their gunners are protected from explosives and splinters better, than our machinery.
After some minutes, enemy find the distance. First shells stroke Amiral Secille. Chief engineer reported: "Uptakes damaged, we can't keep the speed". Then Cosmao reported the same. But enemies seem to suffer too - they tried to run out of gun range, but failed.
- Keep distance, don't close them! We should avoid risk before convoy steam away!
Suddenly enemies slower again, leading cruiser seem fall out of the line. In battle rage Commodore cried:
- Hooray! Cut her off Sicily! Let's beat that coward macaronies!
But suddenly, Italians turned around at once, and run to South-West at full speed, restoring the line; completely surprised french officers look at this, then chief officer understood:
- The convoy! They run at it, and we are behind!
Yes, this elegant maneuver left French escort out of play, Italians could pass through transport columns at least once, before cruisers may intervene again. And of course, their guns wouldn't keep silence...
- Turn after them! Cease fire! Gunners - demonstrate you're repairing forward gun! May they take this bait...
Next minutes showed, that Italian commander was clever enough to concentrate at his main goal. Italians steamed to the black smoke cloud, showing position of convoy - closer than Commodore expected. Fire was opened again, but wit much lesser success - now the smoke played on enemy side. Chief gunner every minute checked the distance, and finally concluded:
- We are closing, slowly but steadily. After an hour we'll get the opportunity to shoot full broadsides.
- But the time! Look, I may see masts of transports!
The convoy was in sight. Italians steam to it. French cruisers were still too far. And Commodore decided:
- We have the only chance! Flotilla - attack!
- But... It will be suicide!
- I know. But we need to stop them. Or our African army will starve. Attack, attack at all cost!
Five destroyers run forward. Their smoke covered Italians, sounds of gunfire... And all three enemies appeared again. Still undamaged. Three destroyers crawled to different directions, other two still try to engage - now from another side. French gunners shoot as fast as they could, and convoy was only mile away...
Suddenly biggest of enemy cruisers (Venezia) got hit at her back and turned to french squadron. New exchange of salvos... And everybody saw steam cloud under her funnels! She was hit in the boilers!!! But chasers had no time to celebrate this, both Catanias rush inside the convoy. Commodore closed his eyes. Wolves are in the pen. All in vain. He failed...
- Hooray! That's Fauconneau! Give them fish to pasta!
He looked. The last hope of merchants, old destroyer from escort, run to enemies, peppering their superstructures with 37mm shells. And... that was enough for Italians. They were in fight for two hours, evade cruisers, survive DD attack, damaged flagship stay backward, and now - new enemy ahead! This broke their spirit, cruisers turned, rushed between French ships and run away.
French cruisers chased them for some hours, but now commodore stayed directly between them and merchants, to avoid new surprises. Only in the evening, making sure that enemies withdraw to Sicily, cruisers with empty magazines returned to convoy. Here Commodore got worst news of this day - DD Pique tried to torpedo damaged Italian cruiser, but was sunk, and enemy crawled away. So he prepared to face displease of High Command and Nation - first lost battle in the victorious war! He didn't know, that this battle made him new national hero, as neutral war correspondents got information from the other side...
"Two Lilliputs won the day!" "Gallant action proofed French domination!" "Siracuza run aground in Cagliari to avoid sinking" "Bad damage of Venezia - war photos!" "Advance will NOT be postponed - convoy came intact!". Thing that amazed public most of all - both French cruisers together had smaller displacement, than any of their enemies. So Commodore and captain of Fauconneau soon became Chevaliers of Légion d'honneur!
So I create thread for shorter stories, which still worth telling.
To start with, the tale of Mediterranean convoy.
It was early September of 1903, the second year of Franco-Italian war. Old rivalry around Niece and Corsica was suddenly revived and ignited war, after French Grand Admiral humiliated Regina Marina in public speech. Italians were better prepared, and tried to invade Tunis, but their troop convoy was turned away, while their navy lost 4 battleships at once! After two another battles, Italian line consisted of only two battleships, while France lost only one. So Italian Libya became new battlefield, while in Alps both sides strengthen defensive lines. For some months Regina Marina was passive, and next supply convoy to Bizerta got only light cover - two Sfax-class small scouts, nearly unprotected, with casemated main battery. In previous battles they usually got orders to cover battleships from torpedo attacks and didn't achieve more than random DD hit. They lead torpilleur flotilla.
At early morning of 09.09, convoy of 13 transport in three columns, with 4 destroyers at close escort, was nearly 100 miles to the west from Sicily. Ships pass the most dangerous waters at the route... And smoke appear on the horizon! Unknown ships approach from Italian coast. Amiral Secille and Cosmao turn to East to clear situation. Soon it was cleared... And appeared to be grim.
- Three cruisers ahead, with two destroyers! First - Catania class! Second - La Spezia-class! Third - Catania-class!
- Spezia?! Oh, no!
It was semi-armored cruiser with 6in guns, partially in full turrets - dangerous opponent even alone, and deadly with support.
- Damn! I thought they all were sent at raiding overseas! We are doomed...
- What to do, Commodore? They approaching!
- Well, hear the plan! Our main goal is to protect the convoy - at all cost! Their gunners are bad, as we saw in previous battles. We should fight at long distance, trying to drive them off convoy and let them shot into the sea most of their broadsides. If...well, when our cruisers will be damaged enough, torpilleurs should try to engage with torpedoes, then we all disengage... try to disengage, at least. - Commodore smiled: - Ideally, they'll spend too much time and shells to sink some of us, and will afraid to risk of chasing the convoy itself! So - raise the steam! Prepare starboard battery! Aim better! Engage them! Vive la France!
Both squadrons opened fire at the same moment. French cruisers shoot better - Leading cruiser (Catania herself) got some hits from extreme distance without return, enemy cruisers turned to parallel course and both squadrons rushed away from convoy to N. Commodore watched at enemies, but despite blasts they looked undamaged, and Catanias had strange appearance...
- Oh, God! Just look at them! They installed 4 inch guns at armoured turrets? What the mad idea for protected cruiser!
Chief officer shrugged:
- Mad or not, our chances seem to be even lower, than expected. Their gunners are protected from explosives and splinters better, than our machinery.
After some minutes, enemy find the distance. First shells stroke Amiral Secille. Chief engineer reported: "Uptakes damaged, we can't keep the speed". Then Cosmao reported the same. But enemies seem to suffer too - they tried to run out of gun range, but failed.
- Keep distance, don't close them! We should avoid risk before convoy steam away!
Suddenly enemies slower again, leading cruiser seem fall out of the line. In battle rage Commodore cried:
- Hooray! Cut her off Sicily! Let's beat that coward macaronies!
But suddenly, Italians turned around at once, and run to South-West at full speed, restoring the line; completely surprised french officers look at this, then chief officer understood:
- The convoy! They run at it, and we are behind!
Yes, this elegant maneuver left French escort out of play, Italians could pass through transport columns at least once, before cruisers may intervene again. And of course, their guns wouldn't keep silence...
- Turn after them! Cease fire! Gunners - demonstrate you're repairing forward gun! May they take this bait...
Next minutes showed, that Italian commander was clever enough to concentrate at his main goal. Italians steamed to the black smoke cloud, showing position of convoy - closer than Commodore expected. Fire was opened again, but wit much lesser success - now the smoke played on enemy side. Chief gunner every minute checked the distance, and finally concluded:
- We are closing, slowly but steadily. After an hour we'll get the opportunity to shoot full broadsides.
- But the time! Look, I may see masts of transports!
The convoy was in sight. Italians steam to it. French cruisers were still too far. And Commodore decided:
- We have the only chance! Flotilla - attack!
- But... It will be suicide!
- I know. But we need to stop them. Or our African army will starve. Attack, attack at all cost!
Five destroyers run forward. Their smoke covered Italians, sounds of gunfire... And all three enemies appeared again. Still undamaged. Three destroyers crawled to different directions, other two still try to engage - now from another side. French gunners shoot as fast as they could, and convoy was only mile away...
Suddenly biggest of enemy cruisers (Venezia) got hit at her back and turned to french squadron. New exchange of salvos... And everybody saw steam cloud under her funnels! She was hit in the boilers!!! But chasers had no time to celebrate this, both Catanias rush inside the convoy. Commodore closed his eyes. Wolves are in the pen. All in vain. He failed...
- Hooray! That's Fauconneau! Give them fish to pasta!
He looked. The last hope of merchants, old destroyer from escort, run to enemies, peppering their superstructures with 37mm shells. And... that was enough for Italians. They were in fight for two hours, evade cruisers, survive DD attack, damaged flagship stay backward, and now - new enemy ahead! This broke their spirit, cruisers turned, rushed between French ships and run away.
French cruisers chased them for some hours, but now commodore stayed directly between them and merchants, to avoid new surprises. Only in the evening, making sure that enemies withdraw to Sicily, cruisers with empty magazines returned to convoy. Here Commodore got worst news of this day - DD Pique tried to torpedo damaged Italian cruiser, but was sunk, and enemy crawled away. So he prepared to face displease of High Command and Nation - first lost battle in the victorious war! He didn't know, that this battle made him new national hero, as neutral war correspondents got information from the other side...
"Two Lilliputs won the day!" "Gallant action proofed French domination!" "Siracuza run aground in Cagliari to avoid sinking" "Bad damage of Venezia - war photos!" "Advance will NOT be postponed - convoy came intact!". Thing that amazed public most of all - both French cruisers together had smaller displacement, than any of their enemies. So Commodore and captain of Fauconneau soon became Chevaliers of Légion d'honneur!
