Today, we did 2 Coastal forces games at the club.
The first was a standard game with the players using 2 S-100 class Schnellbooten each, attacking a coastal convoy heading from Newcastle to the Thames.
The first was a standard game with the players using 2 S-100 class Schnellbooten each, attacking a coastal convoy heading from Newcastle to the Thames.
Andy and Malcolm, playing this for the first time, being tutored by Ian!
The German force.
As the game began, all the players began searching for targets in the dark..Andy found an escort, an Isles class trawler.
The convoy was represented by a mix of live and dummy markers moving down the table.
Ian found a tug towing some lighters at the front of the convoy.
Andy decided he needed to eliminate the trawler to open a route into the convoy.
As yet, no good targets had been revealed.
A view from the German side!
Ian advanced slowly, on electric engines like his companions - to make it harder for the escorts to spot them.
Malcolm, also at slow speed, was on Ian's right flank.
Ian found a difficult target, screened as he was by the tug and lighters.
A 3000 tonner!
Andy and Malcolm were scanning the centre of the convoy...
...and spotted more freighters.
A tanker amongst them, a prime target!
All the best targets were at the front of the convoy, it seemed.
Lawrence was at the rear of the convoy, and found nothing of real value there.
A small collier!
In front of them, a freighter guarded by a large minesweeper .
At the front of the convoy, it looked like the first big freighter would escpe off table!
Lawrence had found another small collier...
Andy in the centre shot off his torpedoes (including a dummy marker to confuse the British!)
The dummy was spotted..
...the freighters were still blissfully unaware of their peril!
One of the big freighters in the centre became the target of choice for Andy and Mal.
The freighters crew spotted the incoming torpedoes though!
The freighter turned to comb the torpedo tracks.
The torpedo had been shot from too far away, and was easily avoided.
The trawler crew were asleep! another torpedo looked set to hit their ship!
It was a dud!
Andy's boats turned for home after loosing their torpedoes.
Most of these torpedoes were spotted and avoided.
Ian, in a desperate attempt to get at the tanker tried to pass the tug...
The tug came under fire from the E-Boat's guns, but took no damage.
Having spent their torpedoes, most of the German boats were speeding back to France. The alerted escorts were now shooting at them!
Only one freighter seemed to be at risk of a torpedo hit, from one of Ian's boats.
The torpedo fired at the front freighter missed.
The tug tried to ram the E-Boat!
The E-Boat evaded easily, and fired its second torpedo at the tanker, albeit hastily!
Ian's first torpedo struck the freighter in the centre...
A good hit!
The freighter broke in two, and quickly sank.
At the rear, Lawrence fired 2 torpedoes at the rear collier, it could not evade...
...Both torpedoes hit!
...lots of Newcastle coal went to the bottom!
The other collier was also hit, though the torpedo exploded before contact, and the collier survived with only light damage.
Amazingly, the tanker avoided the torpedo Ian had shot at it!
The rest of the convoy was now safe, and continued on south.
Ian and Lawrence's boats now turned for home.
One of Ian's boats still had a torpedo left! - the situation had made it too hazardous for him to get close enough to use it.
So ended the first game, a tough battle, but fun. Andy and Mal had learnt a lot about coastal warfare!- and when and where to shoot torpedoes!. This would show in the second game!
