6x6 Challenge - Games 3 and 4

This week I decided I had better get back to playing a few more WW2 naval games as part of my 6x6 challenge. The games are being played in the context a simple campaign which has Grey forces menacing Blue's convoy lanes.

In the last game Grey's pocket battleship suffered severe damage and it was unclear whether Grey would continue to move forward to the top of the map or reverse course and head for port. All Grey's moves are dice generated as described in an earlier post here.

Blue's forces moved to protect the final convey lane and Grey's objective. Grey's pocket battleship moved away to avoid further conflict as it attempted further repairs. Its other force, a remaining cruiser, ran into Blue's force of destroyers and corvette.

Blue defends the convoy lanes 

The next battle determined as Grey's cruiser runs into a Blue force

Game 3 saw Blue's Force 4 (consisting of two destroyers and a corvette) make contact with Grey's cruiser at 15:15 in fine weather.

Both sides closed on each other. The first salvo from the cruiser straddled one of the destroyers and the resulting hits saw it quickly sunk. The remaining destroyer and corvette continued to close to launch a torpedo attack.

In pressing home the attack Blue's remaining destroyer took a number of hits as the cruiser's bigger guns were proving very accurate. All torpedoes missed their mark and Blue's remaining ships turned to break off the attack. As they retreated a last salvo from the cruiser sunk the damaged destroyer.

Blue's destroyers and corvette close to be within torpedo range

Blue force takes damage as it presses home the torpedo attack

Following game 3, Blue's depleted forces were able to converge into two larger forces as they prepared to engage Grey's cruiser and pocket battleship (who had successfully made repairs). Both headed for their objective to reach the top of the map and crossing three rows of the convoy lanes. However, in doing so the pocket battleship ran into the combined Blue force for game 4.

Blue's forces combine

Grey's forces make their objectives, but the pocket battleship meets some opposition

Game 4 has the pocket battleship up against a light cruiser, two destroyers and a corvette. The forces meet at 16:00 in poor weather.

The game was very similar to the previous game. Blue's forces closing in to launch a torpedo attack with Grey's pocket battleship trying to sink them. This time Grey's shooting was not so accurate. Blue's light cruiser took some, but importantly no critical damage, as Blue managed to get three torpedoes on target and almost sinking the pocket battleship.

With all torpedoes launched, Blue quickly broke off the attack and retired under cover of smoke without loss.

Both sides close to engage 

With no torpedoes left Blue's forces make a hasty retirement under cover of smoke