24 February 2018

Round 4, Game 1: Lockwood vs. Tow

Allies: Jonathan Lockwood (Bid: 2.5 POC)

Axis: Tim Tow

 

Report by Jonathan Lockwood

TURN 1

 

Allied deployment:

  • Barents: Ark Royal, Hood, Renown (SR), Repulse (SR), 7 1-1-7s (minus Norfolk) (Renown fails)
  • 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: none
  • Barents: LBA and German fleet
  • NATL: 3 U-boats
  • Italy: Rest of Italian fleet
  • Med: Littorio, Vittorio Veneto, Caio Diulio, Andrea Doria, Fiume, Zara 

RESULTS: Allied LBA sinks the Zara.  Allied ASW sinks 1 U-boat.  Axis LBA and U-boats miss.  After 2 rounds of surface combat, Axis withdraws with no Allied pursuit after sinking Renown, Exeter, Kent, and Cumberland and putting 2 points damage on the Hood.  Allies sink the Scharnhorst and put 1 point of damage on the Blucher.

 

Allies gain 1 POC to take an initial 1 POC lead (1.5 POC Axis lead with handicap applied).

 

TURN 2

 

Allied deployment:

  • Barents:  Ark Royal, Formidable, KGV (SR), POW (SR), Repulse (SR), Queen Liz (SR), Barham (SR), Norfolk, Suffolk, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Sussex (Repulse, Queen Liz, and Barham fail)
  • North Sea:  Glorious, 5 4-4-3s, Rodney, Nelson
  • NATL:  Courageous, Eagle
  • SATL:  Warspite, Malaya, Valiant
  • England:  Hood (-2) repairs all damage

Axis response:

  • Barents: Bismarck, Gneisenau, Graf Spee, Lutzow, Adm Scheer, Adm Hipper, Prinz Eugen
  • Baltic: Blucher (-1)
  • SATL: 3 U-boats
  • Italy: Remainder of Italian fleet
  • Med: Gorizia, Pola, Littorio, Vittorio Veneto

RESULTS: Allied LBA sinks Pola in Med. Allied ASW misses in SATL. Allied airstrikes sink the Prinz Eugen, disable the Graf Spee, and hit the Gneisenau for 4 points damage before surface combat.  Axis U-boats disable the Malaya and hit the Valiant for 1 point damage, while Axis LBA disables the KGV, POW, and Norfolk before surface combat, leaving 4 cruisers to face 5 Axis ships.  Allies concentrate fire on Adm Hipper and sink it on Round 1, while the Axis sinks the Dorsetshire and Ark Royal with return fire also hitting Suffolk for 1 point damage, forcing Allies to retreat.  Rather than retreat separately and sacrifice the damaged Suffolk, Allies retreat as one group at speed 6.  Bismarck pursues, but is hit twice for 7 points damage and disabled while disabling the Devonshire in return.   


Axis gains 3 POC to take a 2 POC cumulative lead (4.5 POC Axis lead with handicap applied).

 

TURN 3

 

Allied deployment (Marat and Okt Rev activate):

  • Baltic: Marat, Okt Rev
  • Barents: Formidable, Victorious, Hood, KGV (SR), POW (SR), DOY (SR), Repulse (SR), Norfolk, Devonshire, Sussex, Suffolk (-1) (SR) (DOY and Suffolk (-1) fail to Russia)
  • North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, Revenge, Resolution, Ramillies, Rodney, Nelson
  • NATL: Convoy 1A, Eagle, Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign, Queen Liz
  • SATL: Barham, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant (-1)

Axis response:

  • Germany: Gneisenau and Blucher repair all damage, Bismarck to -4
  • Baltic: Graf Spee, Lutzow, Adm Scheer, Tirpitz
  • Barents: LBA
  • SATL: 4 U-boats
  • Italy: Fiume, Andrea Doria, Conti di Cavour
  • Med: Remaining Italian ships

RESULTS: Allied LBA whiffs on targets in Germany, while Axis LBA cripples the Hood with 4 points of damage while disabling the Formidable. Allied ASW disables 1 U-boat wolfpack in SATL, but U-boats miss on return fire. Marat cripples the Graf Spee with 2 points damage befor being sunk, and Okt Rev survives with 3 points damage for a second round. Okt Rev cripples the Adm Scheer with 2 points damage before being sunk. Convoy 1A continues into Barents for Turn 4.

 

POC count remains unchanged with Axis lead of 2 POC (4.5 Axis lead with handicap applied).

 

TURN 4

 

Allied deployment (No US reinforcements):

  • Barents: Convoy 1A, Victorious, KGV, POW, DOY, Anson (SR), Repulse, Norfolk, Devonshire, Suffolk (-1) (Anson makes speed roll)
  • North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, 5 4-4-3s, Barham, Warspite, Queen Liz, Valiant (-1), Sussex
  • NATL: Convoy 2B, Eagle, Formidable
  • SATL: Rodney, Nelson, Malaya
  • Russia: Hood repairs 2 points of damage (now a 4-2-5)

Axis response:

  • Germany: Bismarck, Graf Spee, Adm Scheer repair all damage
  • Barents: LBA
  • Baltic: Tirpitz, Lutzow, Gneisenau, Blucher, Graf Zeppelin
  • NATL: 6 U-boats
  • Italy: Fiume, Andrea Doria, Conti di Cavour
  • Med: Remaining Italian ships

RESULTS: Allied LBA whiffs again in Germany. Axis LBA misses Convoy 1A, which puts in at Murmansk for 3 POC. Allied ASW sinks 2 U-boats, leaving 4 U-boats to break control and return fire on Convoy 2B, but miss. Convoy 2B continues into the Barents for Turn 5.


Allies gain 3 POC to retake a cumulative lead of 1 POC (1.5 POC Axis lead with handicap applied).

 

TURN 5

 

Allied deployment (New York activates):

  • Barents: Convoy 2B, Victorious, Illustrious, Hood (-2), KGV, POW, DOY, Anson, Howe (SR), Repulse, Norfolk, Devonshire, Suffolk (-1), Sussex (Howe makes speed roll)
  • North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, Formidable, 5 4-4-3s, Queen Liz, Rodney, Nelson
  • NATL: New York, Eagle
  • SATL: Barham, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant (-1)

Axis response:

  • Baltic: German fleet (8 ships)
  • Barents: LBA
  • NATL: 3 U-boats
  • SATL: 3 U-boats
  • Italy: Fiume, Andrea Doria, Conti di Cavour
  • Med: Remaining Italian ships

RESULTS: Allied LBA whiffs in Med. Allied ASW disables 1 U-boat wolf pack in SATL and NATL, resulting in Axis decontrolling both areas. Axis LBA disables the Illustrious, but misses Convoy 2B, which puts in at Murmansk for 3 POC.
 
Allies gain 2 POC to increase the Allied cumulative lead to 3 POC (.5 POC Allied lead with handicap applied).

 

TURN 6

 

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

  • Barents: Victorious, Illustrious, Hood (-2), KGV, POW, DOY, Anson, Howe, Repulse, Devonshire, Suffolk (-1)
  • North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, Formidable, Eagle, 5 4-4-3s, Queen Liz, Valiant (-1), Malaya
  • NATL: Convoy 3C, Washington, New York, Texas, Augusta, Wichita, Norfolk, Sussex
  • SATL: Barham, Warspite, Rodney, Nelson

Axis response:

  • Baltic: German fleet (8 ships)
  • Barents: LBA
  • NATL: 7 U-boats
  • Italy: Fiume, Andrea Doria, Conti di Cavour
  • Med: Remainder of Italian fleet

RESULTS: Allied LBA sinks the Fiume and Andrea Doria in port. Allied ASW sinks 3 U-boat wolf packs, leaving 4 to break control and return fire, disabling Convoy 3C back to the US.


POC count remains unchanged with the Allies holding a 3 POC lead (.5 POC with handicap applied).

 

TURN 7

 

Allied deployment (Tuscaloosa activates):

  • Barents: Victorious, Illustrious, Formidable, Hood (-2), KGV, POW, DOY, Anson, Howe, Repulse, Devonshire, Suffolk (-1)
  • North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, Eagle, 5 4-4-3s, Queen Liz, Valiant (-1), Malaya, Sussex
  • NATL: Convoy 3C, 6 US ships, Norfolk
  • SATL: Barham, Warspite, Rodney, Nelson

Axis response:

  • Baltic: German fleet (8 ships)
  • Barents: LBA
  • NATL: 5 U-boats
  • Med: Gorizia, Littorio, Vittorio Veneto, Roma, Impero
  • Italy: Caio Duilio, Conti di Cavour, Giulio Cesare

RESULTS: Allied LBA disables the Roma and Impero back to Italy. Allied ASW sinks 1 U-boat and disables a second, leaving 3 U-boats to break control and return fire, which miss Convoy 3C. Convoy 3C continues on to Barents for Turn 8. Axis LBA sinks the Victorious and disable the Illustrious.

 

TURN 8

 

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

  • Barents: Convoy 3C, Formidable, Illustrious, Hood (-2), KGV, POW, DOY, Anson, Howe, Repulse, Devonshire, Suffolk (-1)
  • North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, 5 4-4-3s, Rodney, Nelson, Queen Liz
  • NATL: US fleet (6 ships), Norfolk, Sussex
  • SATL: Eagle, Barham, Warspite, Malaya, Valiant

Axis response:

  • Baltic: Blucher
  • Barents: LBA, Bismarck, Tirpitz, Graf Spee, Lutzow, Adm Scheer, Gneisenau, Graf Zeppelin
  • NATL: 2 U-boats
  • SATL: 3 U-boats, Gorizia
  • Med: Remainder of Italian fleet (4 4-6-6s, 3 4-3-5s)

RESULTS: Allied ASW sinks both U-boat wolf packs in NATL to maintain control, while Allied ASW in SATL sinks 1 U-boat and disables a second, leaving 1 to break control and return fire, disabling the Valiant (-1). Gorizia is sunk in the ensuing surface combat by 3 battleships. In the Barents, Allied airstrikes sink the Adm Scheer before surface combat, while Axis LBA and airstrikes miss. In surface combat, Graf Spee, Lutzow, and Graf Zeppelin are sunk by the initial volley, while Bismarck and Tirpitz are each disabled back to Germany with 4 points damage each, leaving Gneisenau to face the remainder of the British fleet in Round 2. Axis return fire sank the DOY and disabled the Anson, inflicting 4 points damage on the Howe and 3 points on the Hood, sinking it as well. Gneisenau is sunk in the second round with a massive Allied volley.

 

Axis resigned without returning fire as Convoy 3C put in at Murmansk for 3 POC.

 

FINAL ALLIED COMMENTS: This was a tightly played match from start to finish, with the Allies only pulling away on Turn 8 for a clear win. Both sides had bursts of good and bad die rolls, leaving the issue to turn on tactical decisions and deployment. The Allies managed to recover from the excellent Axis LBA results on Turn 2 that gave the Axis the lead and took out the Ark Royal in the bargain, while the Axis had a chance to win the game outright on Turn 8 (regardless of the result of surface combat!) if they had managed to decontrol both the SATL and NATL AND either disable or sink Convoy 3C with LBA (25% chance). The combined probability of these 3 events occurring was less than 1 in 16, but it was a possibility that the Allies had to guard against. All told, it was a well-played and exciting match.

FINAL GAME RESULT: Allied victory - end of Turn 8 (Allied lead of 3.5 POC after the bid).

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