Mid July Battle Report [Now with Photos!]

Discussion in 'Washington Cascade Column' started by NickMyers, Jul 22, 2011.

  1. NickMyers

    NickMyers Admin RCWC Staff

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    This last weekend we had our mid-July battle at Swan Creek. The weather wasn't the best, a fairly constant drizzle with periodic breaks, but it never got real unpleasant. We were supposed to start this one at 10am, but that didn't happen. I htink most everyone was late with the possible exception of Hovey, and then almsot all of us had some tinkering to do.
    It was decided that we should proceed immediately to attempts to sink the merchants, we had the Maru and Joe's Liberty ship on the water.

    For Sortie #1, Red team was attempting to defend and consisted of the Derfflinger, Invincible and the Graf Spee. The opposing force was the Bismarck and Scharnhorst, reprising their historical aims to raid convoys. For reasons I don't remember I think Graf Spee sat out sortie #1.
    Early on in the sortie the Liberty ship lost control and was effectively out of the match. She lacks a pump and nobody really wanted to swim in the deep end if she sank. The Maru had a new-to-warships rookie captain for the day who did quite well for himself, having heeded the advice of his protecting powers and moved quickly from buoy to buoy, not wasting time in reverse. Meanwhile the Invincible and Derfflinger did their best to occupy and harass the OpFor's attention and keep themselves between the big Germans and their prey. Only having to shepard one ship made this task easier.
    At some point the Derf and I-boat were both attempting to engage the Bismarck along shore where he is more vulnerable due to his deep draft and poor turning, in the process of breaking out the Bismarck pushed the I-boats stern under, from which it recovered, pumping heavily, only to have the scenario repeat itself shortly after. Following the second time the I-boat succumbed to her newfound cargo and slid under the ripples, leaving only her marker float (a fishing bobber) behind. Sometime around this point the Maru slipped under the ripples as well.
    Feeling brave I continued to engage the Bismarck with the Derf, enjoying my maneuvering advantage and doing my best to shred some balsa. Unfortunately in the process I drove over the I-boat's float and pulled it into both props and rapidly found myself tethered to the I-boat. Fortunately for me, this occured near the end of the battle and both the big german's were pretty much out of ammunition, and so I survived the unfortunate incident without too much damage.

    ..

    For some reason I can't remember if we had only 2 or 3 more sorties and its all very jumbled in my head at the moment. Maybe someone else can fill in the later sorties? I remember that the Maru sunk again, on I think sortie #2, and that the Bismarck hung up on the Maru's float. I remember that in the same sortie the Westfalen sank, I believe by its own accord, on the 'deep' end of the pond.
     
  2. tgalx3

    tgalx3 Well-Known Member

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    RE: Mid July Battle Report I lost my prop when it got snagged on the invincible.
     
  3. NickMyers

    NickMyers Admin RCWC Staff

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    RE: Mid July Battle Report
    In the second sortie I recall that Shylo drove Hovey's invincible, and our rookie Maru captain reprised his role. This time Red team is the raiding team while the big Germans, with the aid of the little german, the Westfalen, attemt to defend the cargo ships. Near the end of the sortie the Maru was listing badly and the Derf was doing its best to keep opening new holes in her, an attempt hamped by low co2 and sidemount magazines that didn't want to feed consistently (teething problems are so much fun). Soon after though the work was rewarded as the Maru slipped under. Not long after the Maru's going under, the Bismarck had the unlucky fate of tangling up in the Maru's float line. Somewhere in this mess the Westfalen sunk, I believe by its own merit.
    The final sortie (I've decided there were only 3) consisted of Joe's Liberty ship, the Scharnhorst, Westfalen and Graf Spee and Derfflinger. This was a largely uneventful sortie as the liberty ship mostly sailed unmolested as the various warships attempted to deal damage to eachother.
     
  4. NickMyers

    NickMyers Admin RCWC Staff

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    RE: Mid July Battle Report
    And now, pictures from the course of the day. They should be in chronological order. These may load a little slow...

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    End of Sortie #1, start of Sortie #2
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  5. Kotori87

    Kotori87 Well-Known Member

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    Whoo, look at that brave little transport go. Go, little transport, go! Go, go, go, go, aww....
     
  6. marsman1993

    marsman1993 Member

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    That's really cool!!! I can't wait until I get my ship battle ready:).
     
  7. joe thomer

    joe thomer Active Member

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    nice pics nick, thx for posting for all to see