15 August 2017

Round 2, Game 6: Watkins vs. Lockwood

Allies: Jonathan Lockwood (Bid: 1.5 POC)

Axis: Phil Watkins

 

Report by Jonathan Lockwood

TURN 1

 

Allied deployment:

  • Barents: Ark Royal, Hood, Renown (SR), Repulse (SR), 7 1-1-7s (minus Norfolk) (Allies made both speed rolls)
  • North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, Revenge, Resolution, Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign, Norfolk
  • NATL: Rodney, Nelson, Queen Liz, Ramillies
  • SATL: Eagle, Barham, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant

Axis response:

  • Barents: German fleet and LBA
  • NATL: 3 U-boats
  • Med: Zara, Pola, Andrea Doria, Giulio Cesare, Vittorio Veneto
  • Italy: Remainder of Italian fleet

RESULTS: Allied LBA hits Zara for 1 point damage, Allied airstrike sinks Graf Spee in Barents, and Allied ASW sinks 1 U-boat wolfpack. U-boats hit Revenge for 2 points damage, and Axis LBA disables the Renown. In surface combat, Allies disable Adm Scheer, hit Scharnhorst and Gneisenau for 2 points each, Blucher and Lutzow for 1 point each. Axis return fire sinks Hood, Repulse, Exeter, and Suffolk. Allies retreat as one group with no Axis pursuit.

 

Axis gain 2 POC to take initial lead (3.5 POC with handicap applied)

 

TURN 2

 

Allied Turn deployment:

  • Barents: Ark Royal, Formidable, KGV (SR), POW (SR), Renown (SR), 6 1-1-7s (POW fails)
  • North Sea: Glorious, Eagle, Rodney, Nelson, Ramillies (-2), Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign
  • NATL: Courageous, Revenge, Resolution, Queen Liz, Barham
  • SATL: Warspite, Malaya, Valiant

Axis response:

  • Germany: Gneisenau, Scharnhorst, Blucher, Lutzow repair all damage
  • Barents: LBA
  • Baltic: Bismarck, Prinz Eugen, Adm Hipper, Adm Scheer, 3 U-boats
  • Med: Gorizia, Pola, Giulio Cesare, Conti di Cavour, Vittorio Veneto
  • Italy: All remaining Italian ships, Zara repairs damage

RESULTS: Allied LBA makes perfect bombing run in Germany, sinking Blucher, Lutzow, and Gneisenau. Axis LBA disables Formidable.

 

Allies gain 1 POC to trim Axis lead to 1 POC (2.5 POC Axis lead with handicap applied)

 

TURN 3

 

Allied deployment (No Russians activate):

  • Barents: Ark Royal, Formidable, KGV (SR), POW (SR), DOY (SR), Renown (SR), 6 1-1-7s (Allies made all speed rolls)
  • North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, Rodney, Nelson, Ramillies (-2), Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign, Revenge, Resolution, Queen Liz
  • NATL: Eagle, Victorious, Convoy 1A
  • SATL: Barham, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant

Axis response:

  • Barents: LBA
  • NATL: 4 U-boats
  • Med: Gorizia, Pola, Giulio Cesare, Conti di Cavour, Vittorio Veneto
  • Italy: Remaining Italian ships

RESULTS: Allied LBA sinks Fiume in port. 9 Allied ASW sink 3 U-boat wolfpacks and disable the fourth to maintain control. Axis LBA in Barents disables the Ark Royal.

 

Allies gain 1 POC to trim the Axis lead to 0 POC (1.5 Axis lead with handicap applied).

 

TURN 4

 

Allied deployment (Marat and Wichita activate):

  • Baltic: Marat
  • Barents: Convoy 1A, Ark Royal, Formidable, KGV, POW, DOY, Anson (SR), Renown, 6 1-1-7s (Allies made speed roll)
  • North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, Rodney, Nelson, Ramillies (-2), Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign, Revenge, Resolution, Queen Liz
  • NATL: Eagle, Victorious, Convoy 2B, Wichita
  • SATL: Barham, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant

Axis response:

  • Barents: LBA
  • Baltic: German fleet (7 ships) and 3 U-boats
  • Med: Gorizia, Pola, Giulio Cesare, Conti di Cavour, Vittorio Veneto
  • Italy: Remaining Italian ships

RESULTS: Allied LBA disables Gorizia. Axis LBA disables the Formidable again, but misses Convoy 1A. U-boats hit Marat for 3 damage before German fleet finishes it off with no losses.

 

Convoy 1A puts in at Murmansk as Allies gain 4 POC to take a 4 POC cumulative lead (2.5 POC with handicap applied). Convoy 2B moves into Barents for Turn 5.

 

TURN 5

 

Allied deployment (Okt Rev, New York, and Tuscaloosa activate):

  • Baltic: Okt Rev
  • Barents: Convoy 2B, Ark Royal, Formidable, KGV, POW, DOY, Anson, Howe (SR), Renown, 6 1-1-7s (Allies made speed roll)
  • North Sea: Illustrious, Glorious, Courageous, Rodney, Nelson, Ramillies (-2), Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign, Revenge, Resolution, Queen Liz
  • NATL: Eagle, Victorious, New York, Tuscaloosa, Wichita
  • SATL: Barham, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant

Axis response:

  • Baltic: German fleet (7 ships)
  • Barents: LBA
  • SATL: 5 U-boats
  • Med: Gorizia, Pola, Giulio Cesare, Conti di Cavour, Vittorio Veneto
  • Italy: Remaining Italian ships

RESULTS: Allied LBA sinks Gorizia in Med. 4 Allied ASW sink 2 U-boat wolfpacks in SATL. Axis LBA disables Convoy 2B back to US while Axis U-boats disable Valiant to neutral port. Okt Rev hits Adm Scheer for 1 point damage before being sunk by German fleet.

 

POC count remains at 4 POC Allied lead (2.5 POC with handicap applied)

 

TURN 6

 

Allied deployment (no US reinforcements):

  • Barents: Ark Royal, Formidable, KGV, POW, DOY, Anson, Howe, Renown, 6 1-1-7s
  • North Sea: Eagle, Illustrious, Glorious, Courageous, Rodney, Nelson, Ramillies (-2), Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign, Revenge, Resolution, Queen Liz
  • NATL: Convoy 2B, Victorious, New York, Tuscaloosa, Wichita
  • SATL: Barham, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant
  • US: Convoy 3C

Axis response:

  • Germany: Adm Scheer repairs all damage
  • Baltic: Rest of German fleet (6 ships)
  • Barents: LBA
  • NATL: 6 U-boats
  • Med: Pola, Impero, Giulio Cesare, Conti di Cavour, Vittorio Veneto
  • Italy: Remaining 4 Italian ships

RESULTS: Allied LBA disables Adm Scheer in port (no effect). 9 Allied ASW sinks 3 U-boat wolfpacks and disables a fourth, leaving 2 to return fire. U-boats disable Convoy 2B back to US.

 

POC count remains at 4 POC Allied lead (2.5 POC with handicap applied)

 

TURN 7

  • Allied deployment (Washington and Texas activate):
  • Barents: Ark Royal, Formidable, KGV, POW, DOY, Anson, Howe, Renown, 6 1-1-7s
  • North Sea: Illustrious, Glorious, Courageous, Rodney, Nelson, Ramillies (-2), Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign, Revenge, Resolution, Queen Liz
  • NATL: Convoy 3C, Victorious, Washington, New York, Texas, Tuscaloosa, Wichita
  • SATL: Eagle, Barham, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant
  • US: Convoy 2B

Axis response:

  • Barents: Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, Adm Scheer, Prinz Eugen, Adm Hipper, Graf Zeppelin, LBA
  • SATL: 4 U-boats
  • Med: Pola, Impero, Giulio Cesare, Conti di Cavour, Vittorio Veneto
  • Italy: Remaining 5 Italian ships

RESULTS: Allied LBA sinks the Pola. 7 Allied ASW disables 1 U-boat in the SATL. Allied carrier strikes in the Barents have devastating effect, sinking the Graf Zeppelin and crippling the Scharnhorst for 5 points damage, reducing it to a 1-0-2 before surface combat. Axis U-boats miss the Eagle. Axis LBA hits DOY for 5 points damage (reducing it to a 1-0-1) and disables the Howe.

 

Axis player resigned before surface combat began, leaving the Allies to finish with a 4 POC cumulative lead (2.5 POC with handicap applied)

 

FINAL ALLIED COMMENTS: Turn 2 was the decisive turning point in this game when the Axis decided to repair all 4 of its damaged ships in Germany rather than go after a relatively weakened Allied Barents force. Had the Axis gone into the Barents, the freakishly accurate Allied LBA strikes would instead have been visited upon the hapless Italians. Although there is no way to know how effective the 5 Allied airstrikes in the Barents would have been against a damaged 8 ship German fleet, it is an interesting “what if”. Allied airpower overall was devastating, accounting for ALL Axis ships sunk in this game. 3 Italian cruisers and 3 German ships were sunk by LBA, while carrier strikes sank the Graf Spee and Graf Zeppelin while also crippling the Scharnhorst. Allied ASW was similarly effective, sinking enough U-boat wolfpacks to prevent the Axis U-boat fleet from ever achieving maximum strength. A most unusual game.

FINAL GAME RESULT: Allied victory - middle of Turn 7 (Allied lead of 2.5 POC after the bid)

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