22 November 2017

Round 3, Game 4: Lockwood vs. Choptiany

Allies: Jonathan Lockwood (Bid: 2.5 POC)

Axis: Andy Choptiany

 

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:

  • Baltic: German fleet
  • Barents: LBA
  • NATL: 3 U-boats
  • Italy: Zara, Pola
  • Med: Remainder of Italian fleet

RESULTS: Allied LBA sinks Andrea Doria, Allied ASW sinks 1 U-boat wolfpack in NATL. Axis LBA hits the Hood for 1 point damage.


POC count remains even at end of Turn 1 (2.5 POC Axis lead with handicap applied)

 

TURN 2

 

Allied deployment:

  • Barents: Ark Royal, Formidable, Hood (-1) (SR), KGV (SR), POW (SR), Renown (SR), Repulse (SR), 8 1-1-7s (Repulse fails)
  • North Sea: Courageous, 5 4-4-3s, Rodney, Nelson, Queen Liz
  • NATL: Glorious, Eagle
  • SATL: Barham, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant

Axis response:

  • Barents: LBA
  • Baltic: German fleet and 3 U-boats
  • Italy: Zara, Pola
  • Med: Remainder of Italian fleet

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, Victorious, Hood (-1) (SR), KGV (SR), POW (SR), DOY (SR), Renown (SR), Repulse (SR), 8 1-1-7s (DOY fails to Russia)
  • North Sea: Courageous, 5 4-4-3s, Rodney, Nelson, Queen Liz, Barham
  • NATL: Glorious, Convoy 1A
  • SATL: Eagle, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant

Axis response:

  • Barents: LBA
  • NATL: 4 U-boats
  • Italy: Zara, Pola
  • Med: Remaining Italian ships

Allied LBA sinks Zara in port and puts 1 point of damage on Pola. 4 Allied ASW sink 2 U-boat wolfpacks in NATL, leaving 2 U-boats to return fire. U-boats hit Convoy 1A for 3 points damage (reducing it to a 1-0-1). Axis LBA misses in Barents. Convoy 1A (-3) continues into Barents for Turn 4.
 
POC count remains unchanged with Allied lead of 1 POC (1.5 Axis lead with handicap applied).

 

TURN 4

 

Allied deployment (Marat and New York 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, 5 4-4-3s, Rodney, Nelson, Queen Liz, Barham
  • NATL: New York, Convoy 2B
  • SATL: Eagle, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant

Axis response:

  • Barents: LBA
  • Baltic: German fleet (11 ships)
  • NATL: 4 U-boats
  • Italy: Pola and Giulio Cesare repair all damage
  • Med: Remaining Italian ships

RESULTS: Allied LBA finally whiffs in Med. Axis LBA misses Convoy 1A (-3) which puts in at Murmansk for 3 POC. Allied ASW sinks 1 U-boat and disables a second, leaving 2 U-boats to break control and return fire on Convoy 2B, but miss. Convoy 2B continues into the Barents for Turn 5. Marat disables Graf Spee before German fleet finishes it off with no losses, inflicting 29 (!) points of damage.
 
Allies gain 3 POC to increase their cumulative lead to 4.0 POC (1.5 POC Allied lead with handicap applied).

 

TURN 5

 

Allied deployment (Washington, Texas, and Augusta activate):

  • Baltic: None
  • Barents: Convoy 2B, Ark Royal, Formidable, Victorious, Illustrious, Hood (-1), KGV, POW, DOY, Anson, Renown, Repulse, 8 1-1-7s
  • North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, 5 4-4-3s, Rodney, Nelson, Queen Liz, Barham, Howe
  • NATL: New York, Washington, Texas, Augusta
  • SATL: Eagle, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant

Axis response:

  • Baltic: German fleet (11 ships)
  • Barents: LBA
  • NATL: 2 U-boats
  • SATL: 3 U-boats
  • Italy: Pola, Giulio Cesare
  • Med: Remaining Italian ships

RESULTS: Allied LBA sinks Conti di Cavour in Med. 4 Allied ASW disabled 2 U-boat wolfpacks in NATL to maintain control, while 6 Allied ASW sink 3 U-boat wolfpacks in SATL to maintain control there as well. Axis LBA disables the Ark Royal, but misses Convoy 2B, which puts in at Murmansk for 3 POC.
 
Allies gained 4 POC count to increase the Allied cumulative lead to 8 POC (5.5 POC Allied lead with handicap applied). Axis player resigned at end of Turn 5.

 

FINAL ALLIED COMMENTS: There were several unusual aspects to this game, starting with the fact that there was no real discernible “turning point”, since the Allied blockade was established on Turn 1 and was never broken or even challenged from that point on. Above average Allied ASW deterred the Axis from challenging the blockade in the North Sea, while Allied LBA significantly reduced the Italian cruiser threat while sinking two Italian battleships as well. The truly remarkable thing was that the Axis conceded at the end of Turn 5 with an entirely intact 11 ship German fleet in the Baltic, although this fleet would have been facing superior Allied fleets in the Barents and North Sea had they decided to come out. The Axis would have had a minor surface superiority in the Barents on either Turn 2 or Turn 3 thanks to failed Allied speed rolls on those turns, but were apparently deterred from challenging there due to the presence of Allied carriers giving the Allies air superiority on both turns. Finally, other than minor damage to the Hood and barely survivable damage to Convoy 1A, the Allies suffered no ship losses in this game. Only the Italians suffered from accurate Allied LBA, losing 2 cruisers and 2 battleships. All told, an unusually “quiet” game of WAS.

FINAL GAME RESULT: Allied victory - end of Turn 5 (Allied lead of 5.5 POC after the bid)

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