CSS Resolute - 1 post AAR
Sept 20, 2020 23:12:31 GMT -6
plattfuss, garrisonchisholm, and 2 more like this
Post by distortedhumor on Sept 20, 2020 23:12:31 GMT -6
I have just finished my first game of Rule the Waves 2, and decided to make a post about this lovely warrior of a ship. The CSS Resolute.
October 1953
Sailing out of Charleston harbor is the Flagship of the Cruiser squadron of the Confederate States Northern (Eastern Seaboard) Command. The CSS Resolute.
She 41 years old, and with the drawdowns after the great war (Feb 1947-Sep 1953) her importance has become more important as many lesser ships are being hauled to the scrapyards.
She served in 4 wars,
the 2nd war of independence (1912-1914)
The War of the Carrib (1917-1918) - One Combat Star
The Falkland war (1924) - One Combat Star
and The Great war (1947-1953) - 4 Combat Stars
Design
The CSS Resolute is part of the Isodiga class, The design goal was to make a powerful surface combatant on a armored cruiser hull using then new three turret design. Keeping with fact that it was unsure of what the design would lead to, a well armored hull with three levels of guns to engage various targets, this is a 1909 design, built in two programs, one that finished production in 1911, the other in 1912, a total of 8 were built, and 7 remain in service. These have undergone a number of upgrades over the year, including fitting new machinery and upgrading the quality of the main and secondary guns, and adding new technology such as anti-aircraft guns. Still the general layout has remained the same, and it has turned out to be a very capable design, as the Resolute has shown.
Service History.
the 2nd war of independence (1912-1914)
In 1912, the United States and the CSA fell into a general war, as the North felt that the CSA was easy pickings. The CSA took a defensive posture, sending out raiders and AMCs to try to starve the US while using the fleet in a more defensive formation, The Northern fleet being out the Eastern Seaboard, the the Southern fleet serving in the Caribbean. The Resolute, then a new ship, working up as the first shots were fired, served well in the Southern fleet. It avoiding the two major battles of the war (Battle of Force H, a compete disaster for the Confederate Navy losing two BBs, two Bs, a CA and a CL in less then two minutes as two large forces ran into each other in a major storm) and the battle off long Island, which was a key victory.) In both cases sister ships of the Resolute were lost, and she was transferred to the Northern command, where she served for most of her service.
Between CSA and Allied British and Japanese forces, the US was blockaded to surrender.
War of the Carrib (1917-1918)
Started when the CL "Eastport" blew up in port and was blamed on french agents, many will point out it was a naked land grab by the CSA.
Battle of Morehead City
11/18/1917
The CSS Resolute along with two CLs and a squadron of 600 ton destroyers were patrolling off the outer banks when the steaming at full speed came a french squadron, the Tourville, the pride of the french fleet, a 30,000 ton Battle Cruiser, two CLs, and two DDs. Due to the layout of the outer banks, the Confederate squadron was pinned. Captain John A.P. Forsyth signaled "I rather die a free man then speak French" and then ordered his force to charge the french force, hoping to close the range fast enough to limit the number of broadsides they face (the french BC had 8x14 guns) The years of gunnery training paid off, and as the CSS Resolute changed course to both open it broadside and to point to a dash to some of the heavy coastal batteries protecting the Cape Fear River, 3x 10 in shells hit the French Battlecruiser, causing a flash fire and explosion, and suddenly, the Tourville was no longer there. The French CLs turned to flee, and soon were burning wrecks that the escorts torpedoed. The massive victory (1x BC, 2x CLs for the cost of 2 DDs) shattered the french resolve, there was a few inconclusive battles for the remaining time, but soon the french surrendered its Caribbean and West African colonies to the CSA.
Needless to say, the men of the CSS Resolute didn't have to buy drinks for many years.
The Falkland war (1924)
This was a weird, odd, and short (6 month war), also known as the spy war. A CSA spy was caught, war broke out, and there was only one, inconclusive battle, were a British CL was intercepted by the Resolute, turn tail, and ran. Still using Coal engines it was not able to catch up, and a few months later calmer heads ended what would have been a long bloody war. Instead the UK gave the CSA the Falklands to end the war and the long peace began.
The Long Peace.
In 1928, there was rumors of war, and someone foolishly decided to seek a peace treaty. The Terms were brutal. No new ships over 13,000 tons, no new ships with larger then 6 inch guns, no submarines - For 20 years.
Much of this era (1928-1947) focused on developing air flight. Unable to build a from the ground up CV (the CSA designs were broken up in the docks due to the treaty) much of the focus was rebuilding various old Battleships and CLs into Carriers, and building a fleet of CVLs. New CLs were built in large numbers, and the Heavy Cruisers were added to by the Macon design (which war experience showed were complete garbage and death traps). The focus on CAs was to provide AA coverage. Though it turned out in the long war the era of the gun still had a place among the carriers.
The Long war
Starting off as a war between the CSA and the US, France, and Russia, it lasted for years as all but my faithful ally Japan went to war with me (the united states twice) By the end of the war, the CSA fleet was falling apart as overhauls were delayed and new designs did not get built, instead the fleet was trying to stay at home and AMC'ed and mined the nations to submission.
Battle off Hatteras.
11/18/1948
If the CSS Resolute wasn't famous for its duel with the French BC, it became the Hero of the South with the Battle off Hatteras, as it saved the south from what was looking like a Midway style defeat into a victory by the sheer determination to sacrifice itself to get revenge.
The Battle off Hatteras was a Carrier battle, the Confederate fleet had two major taskforces. The Carrier group, consisting of three Gettyburg class CVs (Converted BBs of 22,500 tons) and one Trinity Bay CVL and a group of escorts, and the strike group, headed by the CSS Resolute, consisting of 5 CAs and its escorts.
The planned tactic was to locate the american fleet, send a strike, and use the strike group to give final tuning to the location and lead in the strike. the US fleet (one BC, 2 CVs, 1 CVL and it escorts) were detected, and a large strike was sent on it way, approx 52 torpedo bombers. they were half way to the fleet when disaster hit the Confederate fleet. Most of the CAP had landed to refuel, when suddenly the sky was filled with american planes. Both Torpedo strikes and these new dive bombers (which was a new concept to the Confederates) In addition, as the fleet had changed direction to get ready to launch the CAP, the anti-aircraft fire was out of place. It was a disaster. Carriers with fueled planes on deck, built on old battleship hulls that were 30 years old. I do not need to go into much detail, but the carriers did not do well, and all three CVs and the CVL (and a hapless DD) were soon having out of control fires that were only being stopped as the old hulls flooded and quickly sank. The airstrike did hit their fleet, and a torpedo strike did hit a unknown ship, but those airplanes had no place to go home, (They might have tried landing at a air station, didn't check).
The strike force seeing what happened decided that that would go full steam and try to engage the US fleet in a gunnery battle. while the escorts of the Carrier fleet picked up survivors and steamed full speed to darkness.
The CSS Resolute headed the other CAs, and the Charge of the CAs began.
the DD screen moved back, and then the fleet saw the prize, two Lexington class CVs (Purpose built 22,000 ton CVs) and the "CVL" which was 38,000 ton conversion with foot think armor belt. and blocking the way was 1 BC, 3 CAs, and a whole lot of DDs. The Carriers turn tail and ran (as they should), and then came the chase.
Charge of the CAs
The US fleet turned to broadside and began firing at the CAs, while they charged full speed into the T to try to get to the flattops. The BC was wounded, (guessing it was taking the strike of torpedoes) but the shells rain down. The Second ship in line (The CSS Wilmington, a thin skinned CA of a "Modern" design was torpedoed and left sinking, but fell out of line, and the US ships began to pour it on the unfortunate ship. Soon torpedoes were flying, and the CSS Richmond (a sister ship) gunnery sank two american CAs, while the Resolute torpedoes slammed into the BC, stopping it in the tracks. The CSS Albuquerque (Of the Macon design that turned out not suitable for combat) was soon a burning wreck, while the CSS Morgan, a fast CA with 8 inch guns finished off the BC and the last US CA, but was mortally wounded.
Three CAs lay dead, on fire, sinking, and the Richmond had suffered 3 torpedo strikes but was still powering on. the CSS Resolute however was mostly unharmed (its small 3 inch guns being used heavily to keep the DDs away.) And its 10 inch guns proved devestating to the American CAs. One american BC and 3 CA were sinking.
And before the Resolute was three scared Carriers. One long distance shot hit the Saratoga, but it appeared it escaped, while the Resolute poured it on to the remaining CV, which was soon burning and sinking, then the long hard path to sink the CVL (not realizing it had 12 inch armor!) The Richmond slowly gained speed and helped make sure the two ships were dead, while the Resolute, with only 4 shells left hunted for the remaining CV, then found out what happened, the 10 inch shell had caused a progressive fire that had burned out the ship, and it sank.
The Resolute then Escorted the Richmond home, keeping the DDs around for the long, slow trip back to port.
Somehow in the calculations, it was deemed a Major CSA victory. A victory that the CSS Resolute did.
Raid on Long Island
7/6/1950
A large Carrier task force was tasked with carrying out a ground strike on long island. The CSS Resolute was part of the screening for the Carriers, and helped the fleet shoot down 10 US planes. It was a mostly uneventful battle except for the loss of the very old carrier the CSS Robert E. Lee, the first CV built by the Confederate states out of a 1909 built battleship. While the damage control teams were able to stop the flooding and fires and get her underway, she became the target for more and more airstrikes. She eventually succumbed, however it was viewed as a acceptable loss for the damage to the target.
Sinking of the BB Evstafi
1951
The only major Russian attempt at combat in the long war was sending the Evstafi to raid convoys in the Caribbean. the CSS Resolute was in a role it excelled at, the surface screen/strike force for a Carrier group, and the old battleship showed up on the radar and the Resolute with two other CAs quickly went to work, disabling the battleship. Then sat back to allow a large 20 plane squadron from the biggest Confederate flattop to carry out the strike on the dead in the water battleship that didn't even have AA guns.
of the 20 planes, 17 hit with Torpedoes. the rest of the battle was hunting down a few DDs that tried to hang around, but then the fleet went home to prevent a lucky torpedo hit ruining a great victory.
Post war
After a long war, the confederate fleet was worn out, Keeping three modern battleships and its large CVL fleet, all the old battleships and CVs (many who hulls date from the teens or earlier) were sent to to the scrappers, along with many old DDs and CLs. Not many CA survived the war, but the Isodiga class is the exception, outside of the disaster of the Battle of Force H back in 1912, no Isodiga class ships have been lost in 40+ years of service, and this "baby battleship" has been able to take out many surface ships with its powerful battery. The game ends here, but it not unreasonable that this class might get another overhaul when do to get another 10 years of service.
Note: I might edit it in the morning when I am sure my late night comments will need grammar/typo fixes.
October 1953
Sailing out of Charleston harbor is the Flagship of the Cruiser squadron of the Confederate States Northern (Eastern Seaboard) Command. The CSS Resolute.
She 41 years old, and with the drawdowns after the great war (Feb 1947-Sep 1953) her importance has become more important as many lesser ships are being hauled to the scrapyards.
She served in 4 wars,
the 2nd war of independence (1912-1914)
The War of the Carrib (1917-1918) - One Combat Star
The Falkland war (1924) - One Combat Star
and The Great war (1947-1953) - 4 Combat Stars
Design
The CSS Resolute is part of the Isodiga class, The design goal was to make a powerful surface combatant on a armored cruiser hull using then new three turret design. Keeping with fact that it was unsure of what the design would lead to, a well armored hull with three levels of guns to engage various targets, this is a 1909 design, built in two programs, one that finished production in 1911, the other in 1912, a total of 8 were built, and 7 remain in service. These have undergone a number of upgrades over the year, including fitting new machinery and upgrading the quality of the main and secondary guns, and adding new technology such as anti-aircraft guns. Still the general layout has remained the same, and it has turned out to be a very capable design, as the Resolute has shown.
Service History.
the 2nd war of independence (1912-1914)
In 1912, the United States and the CSA fell into a general war, as the North felt that the CSA was easy pickings. The CSA took a defensive posture, sending out raiders and AMCs to try to starve the US while using the fleet in a more defensive formation, The Northern fleet being out the Eastern Seaboard, the the Southern fleet serving in the Caribbean. The Resolute, then a new ship, working up as the first shots were fired, served well in the Southern fleet. It avoiding the two major battles of the war (Battle of Force H, a compete disaster for the Confederate Navy losing two BBs, two Bs, a CA and a CL in less then two minutes as two large forces ran into each other in a major storm) and the battle off long Island, which was a key victory.) In both cases sister ships of the Resolute were lost, and she was transferred to the Northern command, where she served for most of her service.
Between CSA and Allied British and Japanese forces, the US was blockaded to surrender.
War of the Carrib (1917-1918)
Started when the CL "Eastport" blew up in port and was blamed on french agents, many will point out it was a naked land grab by the CSA.
Battle of Morehead City
11/18/1917
The CSS Resolute along with two CLs and a squadron of 600 ton destroyers were patrolling off the outer banks when the steaming at full speed came a french squadron, the Tourville, the pride of the french fleet, a 30,000 ton Battle Cruiser, two CLs, and two DDs. Due to the layout of the outer banks, the Confederate squadron was pinned. Captain John A.P. Forsyth signaled "I rather die a free man then speak French" and then ordered his force to charge the french force, hoping to close the range fast enough to limit the number of broadsides they face (the french BC had 8x14 guns) The years of gunnery training paid off, and as the CSS Resolute changed course to both open it broadside and to point to a dash to some of the heavy coastal batteries protecting the Cape Fear River, 3x 10 in shells hit the French Battlecruiser, causing a flash fire and explosion, and suddenly, the Tourville was no longer there. The French CLs turned to flee, and soon were burning wrecks that the escorts torpedoed. The massive victory (1x BC, 2x CLs for the cost of 2 DDs) shattered the french resolve, there was a few inconclusive battles for the remaining time, but soon the french surrendered its Caribbean and West African colonies to the CSA.
Needless to say, the men of the CSS Resolute didn't have to buy drinks for many years.
The Falkland war (1924)
This was a weird, odd, and short (6 month war), also known as the spy war. A CSA spy was caught, war broke out, and there was only one, inconclusive battle, were a British CL was intercepted by the Resolute, turn tail, and ran. Still using Coal engines it was not able to catch up, and a few months later calmer heads ended what would have been a long bloody war. Instead the UK gave the CSA the Falklands to end the war and the long peace began.
The Long Peace.
In 1928, there was rumors of war, and someone foolishly decided to seek a peace treaty. The Terms were brutal. No new ships over 13,000 tons, no new ships with larger then 6 inch guns, no submarines - For 20 years.
Much of this era (1928-1947) focused on developing air flight. Unable to build a from the ground up CV (the CSA designs were broken up in the docks due to the treaty) much of the focus was rebuilding various old Battleships and CLs into Carriers, and building a fleet of CVLs. New CLs were built in large numbers, and the Heavy Cruisers were added to by the Macon design (which war experience showed were complete garbage and death traps). The focus on CAs was to provide AA coverage. Though it turned out in the long war the era of the gun still had a place among the carriers.
The Long war
Starting off as a war between the CSA and the US, France, and Russia, it lasted for years as all but my faithful ally Japan went to war with me (the united states twice) By the end of the war, the CSA fleet was falling apart as overhauls were delayed and new designs did not get built, instead the fleet was trying to stay at home and AMC'ed and mined the nations to submission.
Battle off Hatteras.
11/18/1948
If the CSS Resolute wasn't famous for its duel with the French BC, it became the Hero of the South with the Battle off Hatteras, as it saved the south from what was looking like a Midway style defeat into a victory by the sheer determination to sacrifice itself to get revenge.
The Battle off Hatteras was a Carrier battle, the Confederate fleet had two major taskforces. The Carrier group, consisting of three Gettyburg class CVs (Converted BBs of 22,500 tons) and one Trinity Bay CVL and a group of escorts, and the strike group, headed by the CSS Resolute, consisting of 5 CAs and its escorts.
The planned tactic was to locate the american fleet, send a strike, and use the strike group to give final tuning to the location and lead in the strike. the US fleet (one BC, 2 CVs, 1 CVL and it escorts) were detected, and a large strike was sent on it way, approx 52 torpedo bombers. they were half way to the fleet when disaster hit the Confederate fleet. Most of the CAP had landed to refuel, when suddenly the sky was filled with american planes. Both Torpedo strikes and these new dive bombers (which was a new concept to the Confederates) In addition, as the fleet had changed direction to get ready to launch the CAP, the anti-aircraft fire was out of place. It was a disaster. Carriers with fueled planes on deck, built on old battleship hulls that were 30 years old. I do not need to go into much detail, but the carriers did not do well, and all three CVs and the CVL (and a hapless DD) were soon having out of control fires that were only being stopped as the old hulls flooded and quickly sank. The airstrike did hit their fleet, and a torpedo strike did hit a unknown ship, but those airplanes had no place to go home, (They might have tried landing at a air station, didn't check).
The strike force seeing what happened decided that that would go full steam and try to engage the US fleet in a gunnery battle. while the escorts of the Carrier fleet picked up survivors and steamed full speed to darkness.
The CSS Resolute headed the other CAs, and the Charge of the CAs began.
the DD screen moved back, and then the fleet saw the prize, two Lexington class CVs (Purpose built 22,000 ton CVs) and the "CVL" which was 38,000 ton conversion with foot think armor belt. and blocking the way was 1 BC, 3 CAs, and a whole lot of DDs. The Carriers turn tail and ran (as they should), and then came the chase.
Charge of the CAs
The US fleet turned to broadside and began firing at the CAs, while they charged full speed into the T to try to get to the flattops. The BC was wounded, (guessing it was taking the strike of torpedoes) but the shells rain down. The Second ship in line (The CSS Wilmington, a thin skinned CA of a "Modern" design was torpedoed and left sinking, but fell out of line, and the US ships began to pour it on the unfortunate ship. Soon torpedoes were flying, and the CSS Richmond (a sister ship) gunnery sank two american CAs, while the Resolute torpedoes slammed into the BC, stopping it in the tracks. The CSS Albuquerque (Of the Macon design that turned out not suitable for combat) was soon a burning wreck, while the CSS Morgan, a fast CA with 8 inch guns finished off the BC and the last US CA, but was mortally wounded.
Three CAs lay dead, on fire, sinking, and the Richmond had suffered 3 torpedo strikes but was still powering on. the CSS Resolute however was mostly unharmed (its small 3 inch guns being used heavily to keep the DDs away.) And its 10 inch guns proved devestating to the American CAs. One american BC and 3 CA were sinking.
And before the Resolute was three scared Carriers. One long distance shot hit the Saratoga, but it appeared it escaped, while the Resolute poured it on to the remaining CV, which was soon burning and sinking, then the long hard path to sink the CVL (not realizing it had 12 inch armor!) The Richmond slowly gained speed and helped make sure the two ships were dead, while the Resolute, with only 4 shells left hunted for the remaining CV, then found out what happened, the 10 inch shell had caused a progressive fire that had burned out the ship, and it sank.
The Resolute then Escorted the Richmond home, keeping the DDs around for the long, slow trip back to port.
Somehow in the calculations, it was deemed a Major CSA victory. A victory that the CSS Resolute did.
Raid on Long Island
7/6/1950
A large Carrier task force was tasked with carrying out a ground strike on long island. The CSS Resolute was part of the screening for the Carriers, and helped the fleet shoot down 10 US planes. It was a mostly uneventful battle except for the loss of the very old carrier the CSS Robert E. Lee, the first CV built by the Confederate states out of a 1909 built battleship. While the damage control teams were able to stop the flooding and fires and get her underway, she became the target for more and more airstrikes. She eventually succumbed, however it was viewed as a acceptable loss for the damage to the target.
Sinking of the BB Evstafi
1951
The only major Russian attempt at combat in the long war was sending the Evstafi to raid convoys in the Caribbean. the CSS Resolute was in a role it excelled at, the surface screen/strike force for a Carrier group, and the old battleship showed up on the radar and the Resolute with two other CAs quickly went to work, disabling the battleship. Then sat back to allow a large 20 plane squadron from the biggest Confederate flattop to carry out the strike on the dead in the water battleship that didn't even have AA guns.
of the 20 planes, 17 hit with Torpedoes. the rest of the battle was hunting down a few DDs that tried to hang around, but then the fleet went home to prevent a lucky torpedo hit ruining a great victory.
Post war
After a long war, the confederate fleet was worn out, Keeping three modern battleships and its large CVL fleet, all the old battleships and CVs (many who hulls date from the teens or earlier) were sent to to the scrappers, along with many old DDs and CLs. Not many CA survived the war, but the Isodiga class is the exception, outside of the disaster of the Battle of Force H back in 1912, no Isodiga class ships have been lost in 40+ years of service, and this "baby battleship" has been able to take out many surface ships with its powerful battery. The game ends here, but it not unreasonable that this class might get another overhaul when do to get another 10 years of service.
Note: I might edit it in the morning when I am sure my late night comments will need grammar/typo fixes.
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