Against all Odds: The British Empire in World War Two

[El Pip]

As you say this could get confusing, probably not helped by the Sunderland mis-identifying one of the Soviet BBs.

Later on when someone spots the Marat and the October Revolution the question will be 'Where is the Commune of Paris the Sunderland spotted', I fear this could lead to even more confusion for the Royal Navy as a search is launched for a non-existent BB.

However anything that increases the chances of a massive naval clash is to be applauded, thus this is a marvellous update.

[trekaddict]

Firstly: Yay, 100 pages!


BritishImperial Yes, it's not exactly a challenge for the RN. The only question now is, can the Fleet intercept them before they either intercept the BEF or unit with the Germans.

gaiasabre11 Morale was never the problem in the Soviet Union, just everything else.

darthkommandant Who knows?

El Pip Yes, it will get confusing for the RN. As they do not know where the Soviets are going and that their course change is a feint, they must assume the worst, and the worst would be a raider getting loose and an organized Fleet intercepting the BEF. For their Lordships this situation has the potential for both, or at least will have it. If they fall for it then the Ivans just might make it to Germany.

Glad you liked it.

[Sir Humphrey]

Smash 'em. Jack Tar will throw a few punches!

[trekaddict]

Smash 'em. Jack Tar will throw a few punches!

I intend to. I already have the scene in mind....

[Kurt_Steiner]

I hope that the Hood would end this battle in a new role: as a submarine.

I'm a bit of a teaser, you know.

[Lord Strange]

Hmmmmm, you know, I have a sneaking suspicion that everyones favourite Hood might be meeting her RL nemesis in a few updates time.

[trekaddict]

Kurt_Steiner Naaa. You are a teaser, yes, but damn....

Lord Strange They will met, but as to when... stick with this AAR and find out.... eventually.

[gaiasabre11]

Hmmmmm, you know, I have a sneaking suspicion that everyones favourite Hood might be meeting her RL nemesis in a few updates time.

Hood's not my favourite (a magnificent ship anyways ), but what I have to say is that Bismarck is actually not as formidable as everyone think she is. According to my understandings of BBs, the KGV class BB is superior to the Bismarck class BB, and hence the Prince of Wales is enough for a match for the Bismarck.

[trekaddict]

Hood's not my favourite (a magnificent ship anyways ), but what I have to say is that Bismarck is actually not as formidable as everyone think she is. According to my understandings of BBs, the KGV class BB is superior to the Bismarck class BB, and hence the Prince of Wales is enough for a match for the Bismarck.

Indeed, but what makes the Bismarck so special is the fact that she sank the flagship of the British Home Fleet.

[gaiasabre11]

Indeed, but what makes the Bismarck so special is the fact that she sank the flagship of the British Home Fleet.

Furthermore, the fact that she sunk Hood showed that Lady Luck can sometimes be the great deciding factor in naval combat.

[El Pip]

Furthermore, the fact that she sunk Hood showed that Lady Luck can sometimes be the great deciding factor in naval combat.

True.

Mind you it also showed that a brand new modern BB is better than a 25 year old BC and an incomplete BB that still has the builders on board doing very last minute fixes.

[trekaddict]

Chapter 98

May 12th 1940 12:45 PM

Admiralty, London

The First Sea Lord was in a bad mood, ever since he had been woken this morning with the news that the Soviet squadron had evaded the shadowing Sunderlands, and now he had to find them again before they damaged anything vital. Here he was standing in the operations room getting on everyones nerves. “Captain Sheppard?” he yelled for the head of the Operations Division. “Yes, Sir?” the demanded one asked. “Any news?” “Not yet sir. As per your orders we have the Home Fleet, minus the Battlecruiser Squadron, moves west, and holds position at Dogger Bank, ready to intercept the Soviets when our Sunderlands spot them.” Sheppard knew better than to remind the First Sea Lord that this left the Royal Navy with practically no reserves in the theatre, and he therefore just continued his briefing. “As requested, Coastal Command is intensifying the patrols in the area north and south of Dogger Bank, so far they came up blank. Our picket submarines report no unusual activity in Wilhelmshafen or in any of their minor bases in the area, aside from occasional MTB actions in support of their operations in the Netherlands. Our chaps have orders not to engage until directly attacked, so most likely Jerry doesn't know they are there and we can expect further intelligence from them.” Backhouse just grunted and moved to the great plotting table in the centre of the room. He saw as well as Sheppard that he had comitted pretty much all of his assets, and transferring some from the Mediterranean Fleet was out of the question, as the Eyties were looking more belligerent every day, so Chatfield needed all he had there. “Captain, are Erebus and Terror back on station?” “Yes, Sir, they reported in about an hour ago.” Backhouse nodded and stepped back from the plotting table. He looked at the mapped out situation carefully and said then, after a few moments: “Detach 3rd Battlesquadron from the Channel Fleet. Tell them they are to proceed with their escorts to about...” he stepped back to the table and pointed a finger at a location near the Danish Coast. “...about here. That way they should be able to intercept the Germans, while the Heavy Cruiser Squadrons can handle anything the Kriegsmarine still has in port.” Sheppard was not convinced that this was a prudent course of action given the limited resources the fleet had at the moment but just said: “Yes, Sir.” “And Sheppard, check on the position of the Battlecruiser Squadron.” “Yes Sir.” Sheppard nodded and proceeded to walk up to the wireless centre.

3rd Battlesquadron Flagship, HMS Resolution

on station with the Channel Fleet

His Majesties ship Resolution was amongst the oldest ships in the service of the King, surpassed only by the two Iron Dukes off to port and HMS Victory in the Drydock of Portsmouth. When the Revenge-Class had been stopped, a mere three three units had been built, and HMS Revenge, the namesake of the entire class had still been unfinished. It had therefore been decided to scrap her on the slipway and instead build an additional Queen Elizabeth, never mind that it would have much cheaper to simply complete the Revenge-Class HMS Revenge. In the long run however it had been smarter, as the Revenges had all been scrapped in the inter-war period while all the Queens had been thoroughly rebuilt. But that was not the matter on the mind of the Commander of 3rd Battlesquadron. As a matter of fact Admiral Callaghan was more thinking about the orders he was holding in his hand. He didn't like the idea of leaving the Heavy Cruisers behind without Battleship support, but the orders from the Admiralty left him no choice, and even if they had not he still would have taken the entire squadron plus the escorts. The chance of sinking the only operational Battleship the Jerries had had to be taken, no matter the cost. He turned back around to Admiral Cunningham ( not related to “Carrier Cunningham”) and said: “Well Sir, do you intend to come with us?” “No, Callaghan. I'll transfer my flag to the Devonshire, she is more than apt while you go on this chase, it's not as if there are any invisible boats in the area. Permission to disembark?” “Granted Sir, and good luck while we are away.” Soon he watched the old Heavy Cruiser leave the side of the Revenge. He turned on his heels wand looked out the front windows of the Bridge. “Navigator, set a course for this position.” He rattled of a series of co-ordinates, and added. “Make revolutions for 15 knots.... Execute.” The four Battleships and the escorts started to move, in perfect marching formation. Callaghan wanted to go faster, but 15 knots were the only speed the old Iron Dukes could sustain, as their boilers were guzzling coal like mad. The prospect of a good, old-fashioned Fleet engagement was enough to make him silently hum in anticipation for this was what he had signed up for.


KMS Bismarck, course 340, Speed: 8 knots

Lindemann was cursing fate and difficult orders. They were supposed to be at the meeting point by now, but given the reduced speed thanks to a faulty bearing in one of Bismarcks drives hafts and the orders to stay together at all costs, they would be at least six to eight hours late. According to the Fleet Commander, they had tried to communicate with the Soviet Baltic Fleet, but no contact had been made. The Soviet liaison had attributed this to faulty equipment on the two Battleships, but Lindemann suspected that he simply wasn't willing to expose top secret Soviet Naval codes to the Germans. He snorted, walking over to the intercom-telephone and raising the engine room. “How does it look, Kapitänleutnant?” “Not good, Sir. We have the bearing out, but it turns out that at least one or two others are also damaged, and it will take us at least three more hours to replace them too, and that's if we are lucky and nothing else goes wrong.” “Do your best. We need this drive shaft in operational condition as soon as possible.” “Yes, Sir.” He placed the receiver back on the hook and walked out onto the starboard bridge wing. There a Petty Officer was standing on duty who then sent the message over to the Scharnhorst. “Drive shaft still out of order and speed limited to eight knots. Repair estimate at least four more hours. Request instructions.” Surprisingly the orders he received were: “Have decided to proceed without you. Take Destroyers Z31 and Z12 and return to base. Better luck next time.” That was it then. Lindemann rushed back inside, both to get out of the wind and to give the necessary orders. “Course 180, and relay that to our escorts.” “Yes, Sir.” “Execute.” Lindemann smiled to himself. He was sure that this operation, just like the last one around Denmark, would run into trouble, and he was now officially out of it. He would have loved to test the Bismarck against the best the British had to offer, but he preferred getting back home.

While he and his group slowly made their way south towards Germany, the rest of the squadron continued onwards, increasing their speed to 20 knots, hoping to make up the time lost when Bismarck had slowed them down.

Soviet Battleship Marat, three miles to the north of the meeting point, course 273, Speed: 14 knots

14:34 PM

“Comrades, be on your guard.” Kuznetzov said, never taking his binoculars off the horizon. The Soviet ships were closing in on the area where they were to meet the Germans, but so far nothing had been sighted. He wished he had been given a few Light Cruisers to do some scouting, but alas, it seemed as if he would have to trust his lookouts. The day had been pleasant, and he had almost forgotten that there was a war on. He was however about to be reminded. “Ships dead ahead! Two capitals!” “Identity?” The sailor skimmed through the recognition books and then yelled: “Comrade Admiral, these are....”





[Game notes: Note: Do you hate me now? ]

[humancalculator]

What.....What....are they?

[Jape]

It seems the art of cliffhanging has become all to familiar to AARthuors in general.

DAMN YOU!!!

[El Pip]

Based on hints and previously revealed facts I think I can guess what's coming, I'll drop trekaddict a PM just to check though.

[4th Dimension]

They . . . are . . . ALLIENS!!!!!!

Run for your lifes!!!

Capitalist Aliens at top of that.

[BritishImperial]

yes, i do hate you, oh master of suspense.

[humancalculator]

In fact, i do think that I know what happens.

I will keep my mouth shut.

[trekaddict]

humancalculator You will find out in due time.

Jape As much as I hate cliffhangers when I am on your end of things, I have foudn them to be a good plot device.


El Pip Recieved and answered.

4th Dimension Naa, not Aliens. Capitals is in this case referring to the size of the ship, i.e. Heavy Cruiser or upwards.

BritishImperial

humancalculator Keep guessing, folks!

all Both because this part of the plotline didn't pan out as I wanted, and because I have something else on the cooker I wanted to do for some time now, the next chapter will not contain the solution to the cliffhanger, but will rather be set in America.

[gaiasabre11]

Haha, suspense, suspense, suspense.

Well, at least we know that a grand naval battle is to be expected in the future.

2 capitals... I still do hope it's the Dunkerque and Strasbourg, though not likely. Anyways, I believe that the puny Soviet Fleet does not need the RN to finish them off, right?

Wait, I think I got the 2000th post, Huzzah!