Part 5: 16:20 - 16:35
Ordersquote:
Main Battle Fleet
9.V. and 13.VII Half-Flotilla turn immediately to 330 and increase speed to 25 for 10 minutes, then turn to 005 and slow to 18.
Battle line reforms on the stern of 5.III. Battle squadron (which appears to have made the turn).
Scouting Groups slow to 18
once reforming the battle line is complete, will come to new course 045, maintaining speed. This includes the destroyer screen and scouting groups.
12.VI Half Flotilla: Turn to bearing 175. Full Speed Ahead.
2nd Leader of Destroyers : Turn starboard to heading 240, maintain speed, Regensburg to fire on group of BCs, DDs to fire torpedoes across the path of the BCs.
II Scouting Grp : Launch torpedo attack at enemy battleships, targeting the lead two ships of their line, before turning to port to heading 330, maintain speed at 27 kts. Pursue enemy destroyers heading to the north, and engage with 15cm guns if range reaches 13km or less.
II Flottilla : Wiesbaden to change course to 125, speed 27 kts.
B112 to change course to 153, making all the speed it can while doing
damage control.
B98 to lead the rest of my DDs (all but B112, obv) in a
battle-turn-about (port wise) to 355, firewall the throttles (34kts?),
and make a torpedo attack on the closest and most broadside-on enemy
capital ships after completing the turn and closing the distance.
1st SG, Are Princess Royal, Tiger and Queen Mary actually in danger of ending up outside my range? If so, come about to 190, torpedo Lionif the opportunity arises, and switch Von der Tann to Princess Royal and Derfflinger to Lion. Should any of my current targets be disabled, switch to Barham as it comes into range If not, maintain course, speed 23kts, same targets as last time. We're winning the battle cruiser duel.
16:20
HARD A PORT!
The near collision of ships looked worse than it was, and is easily avoided.
16:28
Getting these battleships to reform is a nightmare, they seem to have a life of their own, and keep altering my orders.
16:35
Here is your map, with the best I can do in the time remaining.
For the scouting groups
The battle cruiser forces are in sight! And they seem to be engaging the Lion.
16:20
The battlecruisers begin their turn to keep all of their foes in range.
16:22
The G101 is struck by a torpedo and begins to sink.
We also hear the abandon ship call from the B112 , who succumbs to the damage received from the fleeing destroyers.
The Three battlecruisers continue to sail south while coming under fire.
The cruiser Regensburg now faces the fury of their fire, and is hit several times buy 10 inch guns.
We now have the Lion surrounded and heading south. Spotters have reported that she is on fire.
16:26
The Regensburg is hit sumultaniously by three six in shells, the Battlecruisers Queen Mary, Princess Royal and Tiger all having turned to lay their broadsides into the lone crusier.
16:28
The Lion has now turned westwards, but is still under the guns of our ships.
While after having turned south, the S50 launches torpedoes at the battleship Barnham
I doubt that this will cause much damage, but it should be enough to cause them to break formation - something that has been used to great effect against the battlecruisers.
The 2nd Leader of destroyer's own torpedo boats are trying to reform on him, but this is leading them right into the trio of battlecrusiers! I give quick orders to turn to 285 and try for a torpedo attack.
The B98 takes the brunt of the fire, and is rapidly and heavily damaged by the short range fire.
16:31
The II flottilla soon comes into a similer situation, and makes its own attack with torpedoes on the Queen Elizebeth class battlships.
16:35
Their torpedo spread does cause the enemy battleships to break formation though, which is going to cause them some trouble.
Here is your map.
As you can see, the scouting groups of the main force are now in sight!
For 12.VI Half-Flotilla
Messages
Scheer to Hipper
DO NOT GET STUCK IN WITH SUPERIOR FORCES MAINTAIN ENOUGH STRENGTH TO FIND ENEMY MAIN BODY
Scheer to Hipper:
AM RUNNING 045 SPEED 18 INTEND TO SLIP PAST ENEMY SCOUTING FORCE UNDETECTED IF POSSIBLE FIND ME THEIR MAIN BODY
4.II Sqaudron to 3.II Squadron
"Like my new uniform? It instill fear in the enemy!"
5.III to Scheer:
ORDERS ACKNOWLEDGED HAVE FREEDOM TO MANEUVER IF ENEMY SIGHTED BATTLELINE WILL FOLLOW FIVE DIVISION THREE SQUADRON LEAD WILL AIM TO CROSS ENEMY T
II Scouting Group to Hipper
AM HEADING NORTH TO PURSUE ENEMY DESTROYERS. WILL REPORT ANY FURTHER ENEMY CONTACTS. SUSPECT HMS WARSPITE IS VULNERABLE TO TARGETTED ILL-FEELING: GOOD HUNTING
II Flotilla to Hipper
II Flotilla apparently mutinous and unresponsive. Request immediate court-martial upon making port. Launching torpedo attack on enemy capital ships. Wiesbaden remains available other
duties.
Hipper 2nd SG, 12.IV half flotilla:
TURN NORTH AND SHADOW RETREATING ENEMY LIGHT FORCES. DO NOT ENGAGE UNLESS YOU'RE CERTAIN OF SURVIVAL. REPORT ON ENEMY DISPOSITIONS.
Hipper to SCHEER:
QE'sSAILING COURSE110, ENEMY BCs ORDERED 145 BUT ARE OUT OF FORMATION. ENEMY LIGHT FORCES WITHDRAWING NORTH, HAVE DISPATCHED 2nd SG TO SHADOW.
Lost Messages
2nd Leader of Destroyers:
12.IV: KEEP CONTACT WITH ENEMY AND REPORT ON POSITION OF ENEMY FLEET.
HIPPER: WILL ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE ENEMY BCs.
IX: PLEASE RESPOND.
Send message to bgreman
Agean90 here. I have no clue what I'm doing. Will continue to follow scouting 1. feel free to add suggestions..
Still going well, the battle line is a nightmare to reforms, but at least we're hammering those battle cruisers.
The enemy destroyers continue to flee north, leaving the enemy capital ships undefended. at this point, all it would take to break the lead elements of the British fleet is for Scheer to order a course change to 360 degrees or so.