Needle in a haystack

As the country went into lockdown what would I do with my time, wargaming is my number one activity and the local club my main outlet, so I would now be self isolating 100% instead of just 80% and in to the bargain having to talk to the missus more, sorry, listen to the missus more.

I found odds and ends of terrain and figures to do, then bought more terrain and more figures, I am now running out of time as the days fly past. That was not enough and I remembered a small campaign which I wrote back in 1987 for Miniature Wargames, an historical naval campaign based during the opening days of WWI in the Mediterranean, it would only last a week in campaign time, involved small forces and only needed three commanders and would give me something to fill up what spare time I did have.

The campaign involves the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and her escorting light cruiser SMS Breslau who found themselves stuck in the Mediterranean as war broke out between France and Germany, Great Britain would also join within twenty-four hours. The Germans have to eventually make their way to Constantinople and deliver both ships to Turkey, however if they can they are to interrupt the convoying of the French Army of Africa from Algeria to France. The British CinC has limited forces, a group of modern battlecruisers and a squadron of older armoured cruisers, several light cruisers and destroyers, as war breaks out on the 4th August his job is to find the Goeben and sink her, a tall order.

SMS Goeben

SMS Breslau

HMS Defence

 Admiral Souchon (Matt Smith) turned the Goeben towards Algeria and bombarded the ports of Bone and Phillipeville after which he sailed for Messina, coal had been organised here so his ships could refuel before heading to the Dardanelles and Constantinople, ironically the coal was first rate Welsh coal, he arrived at Messina at 1430 4th August. Meanwhile Rear Admiral Milne (Rob Martin) had despatched HMS Dublin to patrol from Sardinia to Tunis but Goeben slipped past, his flagship with escorts patrolled the Tunis-Sicily gap. The powerful battlecruiser's Indomitable and Indefatigable patrolled the southern end of the Straits of Messina, sadly they were ordered away before the Goeben left Messina. Meanwhile Rear Admiral Troubridge (Simon Newby) had decided to block the eastern end of the Mediterranean and made for the Crete-Greece gap. Milne eventually also decided to head East and set his forces enroute. News of the whereabouts of the Goeben was eventually received (thanks to spies in Messina) and Milne attempted to turn his ships in order to intercept but the Goeben had completed coaling and was several hours in front.

Goeben shells Bone.

Phillipeville suffers from bombardment

At 0300 6th August Troubridge's patrol line noticed two shapes approaching in the darkness, within five minutes gunfire exploded. Due to a lengthy patrol line only HMS Black Prince, HMS Defence and two destroyers, Lapwing and Liberty would manage to engage the Germans as both sides went to full speed ahead. Troubridge was outgunned but perhaps a lucky shot or torpedo would manage to slow the Goeben in order that the British battlecruisers could catch her.

The first shells from both sides were wide of the mark but soon the German ships had the range and the British began to suffer, especially the small destroyers, basically torpedo boats at this time. Despite being hit several times and her decks in flame Lapwing managed to launch a salvo of four torpedoes at Breslau, the lead ship, two hit but failed to explode. Once again the Germans fired accurate salvos, Defence now had the range as she raced to cut off the Germans but once again British gunnery let the side down.

Goeben turned on Defence and one of the first shells hit a magazine and the British ship disappeared in a tremendous explosion, the British destroyers were now targeted by Breslau and Goeben's secondary armaments and both sink. Being no match for the Goeben the Black Prince fired a last salvo which also misses and withdraws. Goeben and Breslau once again melt into the darkness and make for the Dardanelles and safety.

Goeben spotted in the darkness.

Defence blows up.

 So there you have it, the first campaign is over, one more to report, this kept us all occupied for about a week in real time and almost the same in campaign time which is what I had hoped for. The Goeben story had real time consequences, Troubridge found the Goeben but decided that as his orders had told him not to engage superior forces he let her go without a fight. He was later court-martialed for this and made an example of. Some time later when Admiral Craddock and his squadron ran into the elite German East Asia Squadron he felt he had to engage, almost all his ships were sunk at the Battle of Coronel.

PS Matt has put his own version on Wargames Table.

This is a good read as are his other naval books.