The Cold Sea!

 Today, we couldn't decide what to do so opted for a Coastal Forces game!

For ease, we just did the usual attack by Scnellbooten against a East Coast convoy. As it was Philip's first game of this, it was a good idea.

The Convoy was run by my rules' solo system, and the number and type of escorts and merchantmen were randomised.

The convoy, escorts on the French side and 2 lines of merchantmen on the English side!

We, (Phil, Phillip, \lawrence and myself) had 2 E-Boats each, shown is the ship chart, torpedo markers, and the red spotting markers.

All our boats headed for the convoy at 4cms, IE on electric motors, which made it hard for the gunners on the British ships to see us.

I started at the back of the convoy, which could be good or bad!

Phil, in the centre, got lucky and spotted an Armed Trawler covering our prized target, a Tanker!

We were all having trouble spotting, thanks to rubbish die rolls!

Phillip found a Tug towing some lighters, a hard and unrewarding target!

However, he soon found a 2,000 tonner, a better target!

Lawrence was keeping in reserve, allowing Phillip and Phil to attack first.

We soon had spotted a line of merchant ships, but only the one escort.

Phillip and Lawrence soon had target locks on them. I thought it would have been better to check the unspotted ships beyond as most of the nearest line were Light Freighters and Colliers.

The convoy was getting past me! I had spotted lot of counters at the rear of it and they were all dummies! - apart from 1 Collier!!!

I turned to parallel the convoy, still at slow speed so as not to warn the convoy of our presence.

Phil had his boats shoot a torpedo each at the Tanker, and increased speed by starting his diesel engines.

Lawrence stayed slow, but Phillip at the front also increased speed, with torpedoes shot the convoy would be alerted very soon anyway!

I, too sped up to attack, but had a long way to go.

Amazingly, the Tanker lookouts must have been asleep, as they didn't spot the incoming 'fish'. But the Trawler did, and alerted the convoy!

Phillip shot a torpedo at the lead 3,000 tonner.

The torpedo hit, but only caused heavy damage, it was still navigable.

Phil's torpedoes hit the Tanker...the one on the bow didn't explode!, the one amidships did!

My boats fired a single torpedo at the Collier at the convoy rear.

The Tanker didn't explode! - but it started sinking - and the crew began to abandon ship into the oily sea.

My Torpedo got a clean hit on the Collier's stern, but again I got a torpedo malfunction!

Phil shot another torpedo at the damaged 3,000 tonner...

...an easy hit, but again only causing damage by exploding in the ship's wake, but this was enough to bring the Freighter to a shuddering halt.

Phil started his favourite pursuit, using the Schnellboots heavy gun armament to harry the Trawler crew.

My boats moved behind the collier, too close to hit it with torpedoes.

Phillip used his last torpedoes trying to get the 2,000 tonner and a light freighter - which was all there was in the second line!!!

The Torpedo hit the big freighter, but only damaged it. Something wrong with our torpedoes today!

The last torpedo hit the light freighter, but again it was a dud!

Lawrence and I still had 3 torpedoes left each, but these were worth 2 points, so with no targets better than 2000 tonners also worth 2 points, we went home!

FYI we pointed the ships as 1 pt per 1,000 tons, and the Tanker or an Ammo ship twice that. We had to choose targets carefully as - as has been mentioned, our torpedoes cost 2 points each, as they were expensive, and often in short supply to the Schnellbootwaffe!