Cruel Seas: The Agent OOSplash.

27 października 2024

Cruel Seas: The Agent OOSplash.

Last Thursday evening at our club (SESWC Edinburgh), we played Cruel Seas. Tim prepared an intriguing scenario in which one side aimed to take over an agent from a neutral freighter while the other sought to prevent it. Before the game, we rolled a die, which determined that the British would attempt to capture the agent while the Germans would work to stop them.

SCENARIO: Tim Chant
UMPIRING: Tim Chant

SCENERY: SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Tim Chant

1. Forces.

ROYAL NAVY

(Alasdair, Mike, Peter, Tim)

2 x FAIRMILE D.

2 x VOSPER MTB I

2 x VOSPER MTB II

KRIEGSMARINE

(Andy, Bartek, David, Michael)

3 x S-38 class

3 x S-100 class

2. The Game.

We planned to stay relatively close to the freighter and follow its course, concentrating most of our forces on its starboard side. Our mission was to engage the heavier British boats, while Michael would act as a distraction, drawing the fire from the lighter boats toward himself. The British chose to split their forces, sending part of them around the island to tackle the Germans with the remainder.

Finally, a fight broke out. Peter's and Mike's boats opened fire on Michael, who returned the favour. Soon, the rest of the German boats joined in. Both sides were taking damage. However, our biggest concern was the two Fairmile boats—one led by Peter and the other by Tim. We decided to concentrate our fire primarily on these boats, and it began to prove effective. There was a collision between Tim's and Michael's boats, resulting in severe damage to both. Michael managed to survive, but Tim came under fire from Andy and David's boats. Eventually, one fewer British boat was left in the battle.

Soon, Peter's Fairmile was also destroyed, but the Germans paid for it by sinking one of the S-38 class boats. Alasdair then joined the action with his plywood boats and began carrying out the mission. To take over the agent from the freighter, it was necessary to sail alongside it at the same speed for a turn. Alasdair managed to do this, and just when the British were certain of victory, the Germans emerged from behind the freighter. Most of the salvos were inaccurate, but the last salvo from my 37mm gun sank the boat with the agent. In this way, the Germans proved to be the winners of this encounter.