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Errmm, trek, may I ask where are the KGVs?

Perhaps I missed where they are, but you know that you should fear not if you have those Kings. ;)
 
Errmm, trek, may I ask where are the KGVs?

Perhaps I missed where they are, but you know that you should fear not if you have those Kings. ;)

Still in the yards, due to enter service soon.
 
OHHHHHH CRRRRAAAAAP! Ignore orders! Do a Nelson and attack with carriers! The RN cannot lose to the Germans!
 
OHHHHHH CRRRRAAAAAP! Ignore orders! Do a Nelson and attack with carriers! The RN cannot lose to the Germans!

No carriers available. The Lusties are still organizing and the rest are in the Med.
 
Still in the yards, due to enter service soon.

Ohhh, well, although only 95% complete at the present time of your AAR, the Richelieu can always be more of a match for the Bismarck. ;)

Further more look at this, Frenchies won with no carriers against Brits, mwahahaha. I'm sure you can pull something like that out of your mind, right trek?
 
Ohhh, well, although only 95% complete at the present time of your AAR, the Richelieu can always be more of a match for the Bismarck. ;)

Yeah. Well, I haven't shown it yet, but both Richileu and Jean Bart are currently on patrol in the Atlantic and the Med.
 
Ohhh, well, although only 95% complete at the present time of your AAR, the Richelieu can always be more of a match for the Bismarck. ;)
True indeed. While Bismark was a giant waste of German resources, Richelieu was an even bigger waste of precious French resources. Once again in a battle of stupidity France emerges triumphant; by spunking all that money and effort on a vanity project battleship rather than, say, new service rifles and a decent army, France did indeed beat Germany, but only in terms of bad ideas. :p

And Dakar, truly a monument to De Gaulle's lying incompetence and general lack of fitness for commanding anything more important than latrine duty. :D
 
Add to that that in TTL the French built TWO of these Battleships! :D
 
True indeed. While Bismark was a giant waste of German resources, Richelieu was an even bigger waste of precious French resources. Once again in a battle of stupidity France emerges triumphant; by spunking all that money and effort on a vanity project battleship rather than, say, new service rifles and a decent army, France did indeed beat Germany, but only in terms of bad ideas. :p

Yes, I have to agree with you building the Richelieu did not prove to be a good usage of French resources during the war. But she is awesome, and she turned out to be more powerful than any BB you Brits have. (Of course you'll think this is a bloody lie, but hey, we can always talk through PM)

Furthermore, I should let you know that new French rifles were already in service during the time, and the French army was superior to the British Army in every aspect.

And Dakar, truly a monument to De Gaulle's lying incompetence and general lack of fitness for commanding anything more important than latrine duty. :D

I don't like you talking about the General in this way, but I'll hold my grudge for now, because what I wanted to show is that Frenchies win, Brits lose, with Frenchies against all odds. ;) To add salt to injury, it's a naval victory for the Frenchies.

Add to that that in TTL the French built TWO of these Battleships! :D

Three to be precise. The Clemenceau was only 10% complete and thus scrapped.
 
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Everybody has a bad day. :D


Anyway, concerning these Battleships, in TTL both are already in service.
 
Richelieus? WOOOOT!!!

Yes indeed. They are doing vital convoy duty and conduct certain operations that are so secret I technically have to kill you already.
 
Yes indeed. They are doing vital convoy duty and conduct certain operations that are so secret I technically have to kill you already.

Providing targets for the Uboaten, so that the real battleships are not sunk?


:D
 
It's "U-Boote".

After this case of Grammar Nazism, I have to repeat that I can't tell you yet.
 
Got mixed, I'm afraid.

The emotion of teasing, you know... :D
 
Chapter 142


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7th November 1940, 09:45 GMT

KMS Graf Zeppelin, Course: turning into the wind, Speed: 20 knots

The Carrier launched. The entire Airgroup safe for a pair of fighters that stayed behind to give Air Cover streaked west, right into the path of the unsuspecting British Fleet. Eight Bf-109T Fighters, twenty Ju-87Ts and another twenty Fi-167 Torpedo-bombers formed up and prepared to attack the British Fleet. The enemy was nearby, and they would prove to the world that their ship was not a waste of money.

HMS Rodney, Course 271, Speed: 8 knots

“Sir, we just received a communication from London, Sir.” “Read it loud then.” the CinC Home Fleet said. “Have sighted enemy ships due north at 0822, two Battleships and a...a Carrier, Sir.” The raiting paused and read of the position. “Action Stations. Send word to all ships, prepare for immediate Air attack.” Under his feet he could already feel the ship accelerating even as he ran outside.

Marinesturzkampfgeschwader 22, Course 271, Speed: 150 Miles per hour

The Stukas led the way in. Their low top speed meant that they could aim the best, and German Carrier doctrine called for the Dive-Bombers to soften up the ships for the Torpedo planes to finish off. They were over the target area, and when they started to fly circles, one of the planes noticed the British ships.

HMS Erebus, Course: changing, Speed: increasing

“Anything yet, Barnes?” “No Sir!” came the voice back. The Captain went to the intercom. “All stations...” he never finished the sentence, because suddenly the anti-aircraft battery, weak as it was on the refitted Iron Dukes, started hammering away. The Captain replaced the receiver and ran out. Up in the air a group of five aircraft was diving on his ship.

Ju-87, Course: At the ground, 89° Angle. Speed: 200 miles

The bombsight was aimed straight at the rear area of the British Battleship. The flak was less thick than expected, and later evaluation would show that this was due to the fact that the ship was a rebuilt Revenge Class. The German aircrafts all released at about the same time, and the bombs fell. The ship started to zig-zag at that moment, and the minuscule course change it was able to carry out in the short amount of time was enough to make sure that two bombs missed outright. One hit the main belt and exploded, but the angle made sure that it did not penetrate despite being an armour-piercing bomb. The second one hit the rear super firing turret on the barrel of the left gun close to the aperture in the turret armour, exploding the ready round. Unlike their brethren that had served in the last war the new Revenges had been fitted with new anti-flash equipment and so only a massive cordite fire broke out, with the magazines safely flooded.

HMS Rodney Course 290, Speed increasing to 20 knots

“Send the following to the Admiralty. 'Are under attack by German Carrier Aircraft, Erebus on fire, attempt to evade.” On a second thought he added: “Send a message in the clear, warn all ships.” “Yes, Sir.”

Admiralty Operations Room, Course due East, Speed: Continental Drift. Time: 10:01 AM

“Sir, message from Rodney. They are under attack by...” Sheppard was not allowed to finish the sentence as Backhouse came running towards him and grabbed the message from his hand. The Grand Admiral read, and promptly collapsed to the floor.

Over the Battle area

By now the rest of the German attack groups was arriving. As per doctrine, the Torpedo bombers circled just out of range of the frantic British fire while the Dive-Bombers were at work. The remaining Stukas were lining up for a more or less coordinated attack on the scattering British ships. Rodney and Terror were heading south-east on roughly parallel courses, and the Fi-167s began to line up their own attacks on HMS Resolution and HMS Revenge, ignoring the nearby oilers, Cruisers and Destroyers.

Twenty miles east of the Battle area

The Scouting flotilla consisted of only a Destroyer Flotilla. Normally they would be led by a Light Cruiser, but the ship allocated was currently re-fuelling, so the Destroyers were out on their own. This breach of doctrine and protocol was about to cost lives and more than one career, because they ran straight into Bismarck and Tirpitz and their flotillas. The plan had been scrubbed, but they would still get their piece of the hunt. The ranking Officer of the Destroyer group knew what was going on and ordered his ships to the attack. The five British ships charged valiantly into the gunfire from the two Battleships to fire their Torpedoes, and died just as valiantly. Two were sunk before they could get in range, one by Bismarck and one by Tirpitz. Then the remaining three concentrated on the slightly older German Battleship and began to launch all their tubes. Bismarck fired more shells even as she began to evade, turning into the torpedoes in an effort to have them go past her, sinking another Destroyer outright. The steel fish missed her, but Tirpitz, half hidden behind Bismarck had no chance to evade and one fish hit her square amidships. The explosion caused some minor flooding, but no serious damage. The British turned away in an effort to flee out of range, but even as Bismarck was settling on her old course again, another Destroyer was sunk by her main armament, with the last one receiving a magazine hit by a secondary from the 'Iron Chancellor'. The Bismarck and the Tirpitz falsely assumed that there were more British Destroyers lurking nearby and turned around. If they could not have surprise, their mission was useless anyway.


HMS Resolution, Course changing rapidly, speed increasing

“Sir, they are attacking us!” someone screamed and the Captain of HMS Resolution looked out the left bridge window past the cracks that had materialized there. Two bi-planes were coming from port. His head whipped around. Three more from starboard. No chance to evade. “BRACE FOR IMPACT!” he yelled just as the Germans released.

Five torpedoes were launched. Two failed, one just sank to the bottom of the ocean, while the other veered off-course, and would eventually be caught in a floating fisher net and float ashore in Denmark. The remaining three streaked towards the Resolution. All hit, all exploded. The first one ripped a hole into her No.1 Driveshaft, flooding it and breaking the screw loose. The second one hit her amidships, ripping apart the poor torpedo protection and exposing a coal bunker to the water, with several adjacent compartments flooded. Revenge immediately began to list even before the third torpedo struck home. This one was the fatal blow. It exploded and flooded the sole functioning boiler room, depriving the ship of automotive and electrical power. HMS Resolution was doomed and the Captain, wounded and well aware of the situation ordered the ship to be abandoned. She would sink an hour later, sliding gracefully under the waves.

HMS Terror, course 191, speed 11 knots

The remaining dive bombers concentrated on HMS Terror. She tried her best to evade, but was bracketed by several bombs. She exploded violently, but at that time it was unclear what had happened. Only in 1992 an expedition to the wreck would show that she probably received two hits into the forward Magazine at the same time.

Chequers. Course: To a big outbreak of Churchillian temper, speed: light

“Prime Minister, we have received a signal from the Admiralty!” The Prime Minister turned away from the painting he was working on and read the message. His face went beat red. “Get my car ready.”

HMS Erebus, course 358, speed 8 knots 10:45

The ship was slowed down. Shock damage from the bomb hits had knocked out a boiler room, and had damaged the rudder, so now the ship was stuck on this course. The Captain was glad that it was this one, because at least he was heading away from occupied Europe and might save his ship just yet. He was escorted by HMS Rodney and HMS Revenge, as the British Battleships continued their shameful retreat. It had been the worst day in the history of the Royal Navy in the collective memory of the mean aboard, and more than one was paraphrasing Beatty: “There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today." At least at Jutland there had been some sunk enemy ships in return, but here, two fine ships lost, with nothing to show for it except two downed Stukas and a Fi-167. But their day was not yet over.

KMS Graf Zeppelin, course 300, speed 17 knots, fifty miles south-east of the British Battlegroup

The celebratory mood on the Carrier had also infected the Admiral in command, although he refused to show it. “Sir, we have won an overwhelming victory. What are your orders?” the Captain in command of the Carrier asked. “Have the British ships been located yet?” “Yes, Sir, one of our reconnaissance Fieselers spotted them heading about north.” He indicated the position on the map. “The last report placed them about here.” Albrecht nodded. “How long until our planes are re-fuelled and rearmed? And how many can you put up?” “All 109s, fifteen Stukas and as many Fieselers. They will be ready to launch in a few moments.” “Good. As soon as you are ready, turn us into the wind and launch. Launch everything and tell them to attack simultaneously.” “Yes, Sir.”


The British Battlegroup, course 355, speed 8 knots, half an hour later.


The Germans attacked without warning. No RDF set aboard any of the ships was working, and all were damaged, Rodney only from a shot-down Stuka that had crashed into her. Suddenly the Bombs started falling among the British ships. Luckily they were spaced out, but Erebus still caught another one. This one penetrated the forward armour belt and exploded in the innards of the ship. Steam pipes ruptured, and an almost empty magazine for secondary ammunition exploded. Instant flooding took hold and the crew proved to be unable to cure the malady their ship had suffered. HMS Erebus went dead in the water and listed heavily. She was evacuated, but foundered and sunk, taking most of her crew with her. The torpedo Aircraft homed in on HMS Rodney. The big Battleship was damaged, but could fight, and fight she did. The Germans would run into a heavy barrage of anti-aircraft fire.

What happened next was to become a folk legend in the British Empire and would spawn numerous films and feature in more than one Computer game. When Rodney slowed down to throw off the aim of the torpedo aircraft and started to turn away, HMS Revenge, having a temporary speed advantage changed course and interposed herself between the German Aircraft and when they did launch, Revenge took no less than six hits that opened her side like a canopener. Allegedly the force from the explosions was enough to almost turn the ship over, but whether this is true or not, Revenge still sank fast, taking her crew with her. The Germans withdrew, and Rodney, making smoke, was believed to be 'damaged, afire and in sinking condition' so no third attack materialized.

So ended the worst day in the modern history of the Royal Navy. Four ships sunk and thousands dead and nothing but a few downed Aircraft to show for it. The fleet would suffer further losses in the near and distant future, but this was the low point of the war so far.


TurningTurtle.jpg

[Notes: You can mock and ridicule me now. I shouldn't have put all my starting Carriers into the Med. The whole thing was over in literally in less than two hours. I seriously considered a reaload at this point but decided against it.]
 
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So you got yourself whooped XD Makes for great narrative though .
 
one carrier did all that? i'm shocked. in the game, early on in the war, i would expect one carrier to 'fire' for about 12 hours and only cause very light damage.

still, at least certain naval officers will be unable to deny the usefulness of the carrier. might save lives in the future.
 
HOLY CRAP! Thats a bad bad day. At leastr Rodney survived. So slightly lost, what where the classes of the ships sunk 2 battleships, 2 crusiers????
Right, I think its time to take revenge, RN style.