Most devastating naval battles

[sebas379]

During my latest Germany game, I suddenly had the thought: perhaps it would be nice to post some screens of the most devastating naval battles you fought, win or lose. A bit like the empire threads in EU etc?

About a month after the beginning of hostilities, shortly after the surrender of the Polish army to Germany, German forces invaded Denmark. A strong contigent of British and French warships is dispatched to help the Danes fight back against the German invasion. In the waters of the Kattegat, outside Kopenhagen, the allied fleet is suddenly attacked by the primary Schlachtflotte of the Kriegsmarine under Admiral Raeder. After several hours of intense combat, the German fleet withdraws from the scene, leaving behind a scene of utter carnage.

Spoiler

(Yes, I did CGM develop that fleet, of course I did)

 

[Chesty Puller]

I would be cool if there was a HOI3 social media presence. Like a forum folder here or a better facebook presence. I'd like to brag about my victories but knowing this forum... someone will probably give you a hard time

 

[sebas379]

I would be cool if there was a HOI3 social media presence. Like a forum folder here or a better facebook presence. I'd like to brag about my victories but knowing this forum... someone will probably give you a hard time

What's the difference between this and Post your empires in the EU section? That one has hundreds of pages ffs

 

[Chesty Puller]

During my latest Germany game, I suddenly had the thought: perhaps it would be nice to post some screens of the most devastating naval battles you fought, win or lose. A bit like the empire threads in EU etc?

About a month after the beginning of hostilities, shortly after the surrender of the Polish army to Germany, German forces invaded Denmark. A strong contigent of British and French warships is dispatched to help the Danes fight back against the German invasion. In the waters of the Kattegat, outside Kopenhagen, the allied fleet is suddenly attacked by the primary Schlachtflotte of the Kriegsmarine under Admiral Raeder. After several hours of intense combat, the German fleet withdraws from the scene, leaving behind a scene of utter carnage.

Spoiler

(Yes, I did CGM develop that fleet, of course I did)

Damn... shredded the RN! A French and UK flat top? No greater feeling then sinking CVs. I destroyed 10 Japanese CVs in the battle of the Pacific as USA.

 

[sebas379]

Damn... shredded the RN! A French and UK flat top? No greater feeling then sinking CVs. I destroyed 10 Japanese CVs in the battle of the Pacific as USA.

Yea, and a few days later, after swapping the 2 most damaged BB for 2 fresh, I scrambled to intercept something I saw darting around off the coast again. One DD was lost, but we sunk a British DD, a Battlecruiser (Repulse) and a Battleship (Ramilies). I call that another victory

And the enemy still hadn't had enough, they came back once more a few days later.

 

[themousemaster]

INB4 the various screenshots of naval battles resulting in the loss of 100+ enemy ships ;p.

 

[sebas379]

INB4 the various screenshots of naval battles resulting in the loss of 100+ enemy ships ;p.

Let em come, I'd love to see some.

 

[Meglok]

INB4 the various screenshots of naval battles resulting in the loss of 100+ enemy ships ;p.

Not uncommon for there to be naval battles around Malaysia resulting in the RN and French navies being obliterated by a competent Japanese player against the AI. "They came on in the same old way and we defeated them in the same old way.", some one should remind the AI of this quote by Wellington.

 

[Chesty Puller]

Yea, and a few days later, after swapping the 2 most damaged BB for 2 fresh, I scrambled to intercept something I saw darting around off the coast again. One DD was lost, but we sunk a British DD, a Battlecruiser (Repulse) and a Battleship (Ramilies). I call that another victory

And the enemy still hadn't had enough, they came back once more a few days later.

So, the French AI built a CV? Meglok, you may know but, thats a-historical isn't it? I don't recall reading anything about the French building CVs in WWII but then again... its not like there is a lot to talk about when it comes to the French navy or army during WWII. What... they were in it for like a month:happy:. Free French didn't have a navy right :laugh:.

 

[sebas379]

So, the French AI built a CV? Meglok, you may know but, thats a-historical isn't it? I don't recall reading anything about the French building CVs in WWII but then again... its not like there is a lot to talk about when it comes to the French navy or army during WWII. What... they were in it for like a month:happy:. Free French didn't have a navy right :laugh:.

A quick sarch reveals that indeed, France did have 1 CV in 1940, the Bearn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_aircraft_carrier_Béarn

At the French declaration of war against Germany on 3 September 1939, Béarn was assigned to the Force de Raid, under the command of Admiral Gensoul, along with the battleships Dunkerque and Strasbourg, three light cruisers, and eight destroyers.[11] A month later, the carrier was tasked with hunting down the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee, as part of an immense effort to destroy the commerce raider.[12]

During the German invasion of France in 1940, Béarn was ordered to Toulon, to load French gold bullion for transfer overseas. On 25 May, Béarn met up with the light cruisers Jeanne d'Arc and Émile Bertin at an Atlantic rendezvous, and the flotilla successfully carried Bank of France bullion reserves to Halifax, Canada.[13] Béarn then went to the U.S. East Coast to load new aircraft which had been ordered from American manufacturers, including twenty-seven Curtiss H-75s, forty-four SBC Helldivers, twenty-five Stinson 105s, and also six Brewster Buffaloes intended for the Belgian Air Component. Before these aircraft could reach their destination, the armistice with Germany was signed, and Béarn instead sought harbor in Martinique, her crew showing little inclination to join the British in their continued fight against the Nazis. [14]She was one of a number of French ships that were effectively interned at Martinique—at U.S. insistence—to prevent their use by Germany.

The aftermath of the Fall of France regarding the French fleet is quite sad actually, IMO the allies could and should've handled that differently

It was deemed essential that the French Navy be put out of action. Some vessels were in port in France, while others escaped to Britain or British-controlled Egypt. The British boarded all French ships in their hands, with many sailors re-joining the Allies as part of the Free French Navy (Forces navales françaises libres, FNFL) because of General de Gaulle’s growing influence. Although the boardings were conducted relatively peacefully, there was resistance on the Surcouf, then the largest submarine in the world, resulting in a skirmish in which one French and three British naval personnel were killed. However, the most powerful concentration of the French fleet remained in Mers-el-Kébir or Dakar. A Royal Navy squadron delivered an ultimatum to the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir. The ultimatum demanded that the ships and their crews either join the war effort or sail with reduced crews to a British port, promising that the ships would be repatriated at the end of the war or compensation paid for damages to them, and giving them the option of sailing to a French port in the West Indies where they could be demilitarized or temporarily given to the United States until the end of the war. If the French refused these offers, they had to scuttle their ships or be fired on. On 3 July 1940, the British opened fire after an agreement proved impossible (Operation Catapult). One French battleship was sunk, and two battleships and four destroyers were knocked out. A British submarine also sank an aviso. Six British naval aircraft were shot down. A total of 1,297 French sailors and 2 British airmen were killed.

 

[sebas379]

The slaughter is not over yet. After repairs have been conducted, the Kriegsmarine sails out once again during the battle of France. Several allied fleets are encountered during this sweep of the Channel. I'm almost starting to think I should make this into a "smash the Royal Navy" AAR

Spoiler

edit: Anyways, France fell in February 1940, I'm now drawing up Operation Seelöwe an der Weser, to be executed tomorrow. I bet you can guess what that means.

 

[Laurwin]

good thread! Although perhaps the best naval kills I've gotten have come through multiple smaller battles. Divide and conquer kinda. Not so much as it happened at Tsushima.
MP naval war usa vs japan might be more interesting though.

 

[Broken Lantern]

I've had some astounding victories against the RN as Japan, but never like that.

Fantastic thread, sorry I have nothing to contribute.

 

[FelixMajor]

Sadly I don't have any old screenshots to share. My most impressive victory and most demoralizing defeat were both with Japan in separate HPP campaigns. The victory was in relief of an American invasion of Truk. When the pop-up warning me that Truk was under attack popped up I had a hell of a time deciding just how I should deal with the situation. At first I thought I'd let the US take the island and just trade amphibious assaults on the island. In the end I chose to role-play the situation and felt that my healthy IJN wouldn't think to allow their main Pacific base to fall. I shredded my naval bombers in softening up the USN (which was present in it's majority) and then I started to send my fleets into the battle in waves. My ship losses were minimal, losing a mere BC to the USN's 8 BB and 3 CV and some twenty or so escorts of various types.

My greatest defeat came in waters around Indonesia in support of land operations. I had a modestly sized SAG in the area for shore bombardment to aid in dislodging British ground forces. The SAG was jumped by an Anglo-American SAG with superior numbers. I had a CTF of 3CV/3CVL/2CA/4CL/2DD near enough to respond. It was my hope that my SAG would damage this Anglo-American fleet before it was sent to the bottom and my CTF could mop up the British resulting in something of a pyrrhic victory ... but still a victory in which the IJN sank more than it had sunk. Unfortunately the weather changed just before my CTF arrived and my CVs strayed into range of the big-guns of the Anglo-American fleet. This saved the BBs of the IJN ... but the carriers were gone. The pyrrhic victory I sought turned into an unmitigated disaster. The IJN lost six capital ships and the Anglo-Americans were bruised but afloat. The good news in that game was that I managed to hold on to what I had already taken, but there was a lot of seat-of-the pants fighting with badly damaged ships seeing much less time in dry-dock than was necessary. I'm certain that if I were playing with an extended time-line that I wouldn't have been able to hold out for much longer than a year before the weight of the USN dragged me under.

 

[Xyrael]

I see you're using a SAG to fight off the British... are SAG's better in the early war with CTF's performing better later? I ask because I always try to focus solely on CTF's and find that the CAG's restore org absurdly slow and are almost useless after multiple engagements, I am considering relying on SAG's to take down the American fleet... Is there a key to making the CAG's and CTF's work better, some tech I need to focus on that I'm probably missing?

 

[sebas379]

I see you're using a SAG to fight off the British... are SAG's better in the early war with CTF's performing better later? I ask because I always try to focus solely on CTF's and find that the CAG's restore org absurdly slow and are almost useless after multiple engagements, I am considering relying on SAG's to take down the American fleet... Is there a key to making the CAG's and CTF's work better, some tech I need to focus on that I'm probably missing?

It's generally said (if I recall all the naval questions I asked before correctly) that early in the war, SAG beat the crap out of the then present CTF's. However, as the war progresses and more advanced carriers are developed, the advantage goes clearly to the carriers. In order to succesfully take on a CTF using a SAG, land based air support is a must. I had a squadron of interceptors on standby and another in reserve during the operation.

Another thing you might want to consider is this: Use a CTF to fight the initial battle with the enemy fleet, shredding each other's CAG's. After that fight is over, immediatly jump them with a SAG.

 

[gjflanker]

It's generally said (if I recall all the naval questions I asked before correctly) that early in the war, SAG beat the crap out of the then present CTF's. However, as the war progresses and more advanced carriers are developed, the advantage goes clearly to the carriers. In order to succesfully take on a CTF using a SAG, land based air support is a must. I had a squadron of interceptors on standby and another in reserve during the operation.

Another thing you might want to consider is this: Use a CTF to fight the initial battle with the enemy fleet, shredding each other's CAG's. After that fight is over, immediatly jump them with a SAG.

I actually found recently that my tech-rushed GER BCs escorted with DDs were quite able to sink US CVs in mid '43. Don't know what level the CVs were, but they didn't sink any of my BCs during the fight. Then again, I had them completely outnumbered also.

 

[wesleytj]

The carrier fleets are much better at disrupting ORG and winning battles. The battleship fleets are much better at actually sinking ships. So the best possible combo in my experience is to have a carrier fleet winning battles, with a battleship fleet following them around killing stuff. But obviously, there are really only 3 or 4 countries that can pull off that sort of thing.

 

[sebas379]

As I launched the first phase of operation Seelöwe an der Weser, the Royal Navy scrambled once again to intervene. HMS Resolution and supporting vessels were dispatched to support the overwhelmed Norwegians. Once again, British and German fleets clashed in open battle.

I think I'll move this over to the AAR section soon, just about the naval part of this game cuz it's so much fun seeing these huge lists of sunken ships

Spoiler

 

[themousemaster]

Let em come, I'd love to see some.

It's hard to find them, since one cannot really search jpgs for "screenshot showing 200 vessels sunk", but in the interim, I'll give you this link from days of yore...

Bunch 'O Sunk Ships