Torpedo that Tanker!

Today, we did a Coastal Forces game, each of the 4 players, Ian, Lawrence, Rod and myself had 2 S-38 class Schnellbooten ... E-Boats to the allies!
The convoy had a random number of escorts and merchantmen for us to prey upon.

The inverted markers representing possible convoy vessel positions. We started spread across the other table edge.

 Our ships crept forward, using their electric engines for stealth.

 I managed to spot a couple of counters, which turned out to be nothing!

 One marker was an escort....

An Isles class trawler. it had not seen my boats.

I was not hunting trawlers though, so continued to search. 

 The other boats were spotting their own targets. 

 Another trawler between Lawrence and Rod's boats.

 Not really to engage my trawler, my boats turned to port along the line of the convoy. On stealth mode, I was not going to outrun the convoy though!

Lawrence had already turned up the flank of the convoy. 

 As the range closed, the hidden markers became...

...a Convoy! 

 Lawrence found a tanker, unescorted, in the middle of the convoy line.

 Rod and Ian spotted several merchantmen...and a Flower class corvette! 

 Back on my end of the convoy, the trawler spotted me, and fired! 

 He immediately found my range with his 3"!

 Fortunately, he then turned, which meant his shooting would be more difficult.

His 20mm cannon also failed to hit me.

The rest of the convoy, now alerted to our presence, began to look in earnest for our little boats... 

Lawrence turned his boats to attack the tanker, still sailing unawares in splendid isolation.  

At the front of the convoy, Ian and Rod had found several targets. 

My boats, seeing the Trawler bearing down on them, shot a torpedo each (and a dummy marker to confuse the enemy spotters. 

Rod moved forward at speed. 

As did Ian. 

 Both Ian and Rod shot torpedoes off. 

 The Flower class corvette spotted, then turned to engage Ian's boats. 

 one of my torpedoes grazed past the trawler attacking me. 

 It would manage to go through the entire convoy and hit England!

Ian's boats also came under fire, but also escaped damage.

Both Ian and Rod's boats, having shot their torpedoes, turned for Cherbourg.  

 The convoy turned to try and 'comb' the torpedoes.

 In this, they were singularly unsuccessful! 

On either side of the corvette, hits were achieved. 

Both of the merchantmen were hit and began to sink. (Great dicing!!) 

 The Tanker was still sailing on unaware.

At the convoy rear, my boats first hit one,

..then another merchantmen. These did not sink, but were sufficiently damaged to probably count as constructive losses! 

 Oops! - too late, the tanker saw the torpedoes approaching!

Kaboom! 

Other torpedoes missed the tanker... 

...but hit and blew up a 3000t merchantman. 

Thus the battle ended. We escaped without damage and managed to sink or seriously damage about half the convoy!

Good dicing, and the lack of escorts were seriously in our favour, and did it show!

Fun game though!