Cries of 'Alarm!' resound and U-132 is frantic with activity as the crew assess damage wreaked by a Royal Navy Martlet aircraft rocket strike. Or was it a torpedo?
Just miles from Lorient's Keroman Kriegsmarine base on the west coast of France, the haggard and malodorous sailors of the elite U-boat force have one final test of mettle to endure before returning from another successful hunting expedition in the Atlantic...
Doug and Rob hosted a WWII naval scenario on Wednesday 12 March at the War Room. Doug had recently visited the impressive former German U-boat base at Lorient, and was inspired to put on a game.
On a suitably decked table we used Rob's 1:3,000 scale ships from Navwar, and aircraft in 1:600 from Tumbling Dice, as well as Doug's 1:300 AA guns from Heroics and Ros.
A U-boat escorted by a Sperrbrecher minesweeper/anti-aircraft ship sailing for Lorient base, was facing British Beaufighter and Martlet aircraft in pursuit armed with torpedoes and rockets respectively.
The channel approaching the harbour was too shallow for the sub to sail in submerged. Could the boat survive and return to port intact?
Alex and I were on the British side while Doug was the Germans. We launched several sorties each of four aircraft.
First Run
Alex's first run with four Beaufighters was stymied when two of the four planes were lost to AA fire from the island facing the harbour. One of his aircraft fired its torpedo but missed, so flew home. The final plane strafed an AA battery but was damaged and also headed home.
Second Run
I began my first sortie, and split my squadron in two. Two of my Beaufighters attacked the U-boat, one from the stern and one from the port side. Both torpedoes missed as Doug turned out of the way; both aircraft headed home: the pilots snug, but a little crestfallen...
Third Run
Alex now launched four Martlets each armed with rockets. One was soon destroyed by Doug, but the others attacked... hitting the Sperrbrecher and damaging its engineering! The escort ship was dead in the water! The other plane's rocket knocked out the U-boat's conning tower! Alex's Martlet crews duly headed home exultant...
My two remaining Beaufighters approached the stalled Sperrbrecher and the damaged U-boat. AA fire was ineffective so I launched both torpedoes. One of my torpedoes missed entirely, as did another which had been on course - until Doug swerved out of the way!
Fourth Run
On a roll, Alex launched more Beaufighters, as I tried the Martlets out. The Sperrbrecher had been repaired but couldn't yet move. It was a sitting duck. Doug's Flak guns obliterated one of Alex's planes. But the three remaining aircraft fired three torpedoes. Two missed, but the third shattered and sank the Sperrbrecher! Howzat!
Fifth Run
The U-boat sailed on in haste, but my Martlets pursued. Again I luckily evaded Flak fire now coming from both sides of the channel, until one plane was damaged and headed home. The others fired rockets at the U-boat. One damaged its bulkhead, but this was soon fixed, to my chagrin... but the submariners' relief!
Alas, the British had run out of available aircraft, and time. Lucky U-132 had survived and sailed into Lorient triumphant, met by crowds waving and cheering. While the sunk Sperrbrecher was lamented, the submariners would be enjoying a night on the tiles...
Thanks to Doug for devising a fun scenario and Rob for assistance with the rules (General Quarters), which seemed technical, although the game proved to be most enjoyable...
The fantastic German TV series Das Boot (1981) - revived in 2018 - and the history of the U-boats and Lorient base are compelling. The U-boat force suffered 70% losses (and 785 boats destroyed) in WWII but managed to sink about 3,000 Allied ships.
This was our first submarine game at the club using these rules, and hopefully not the last!
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