Today’s game report covers a scenario we’ve played before. It was the final game in a short campaign prepared by Tim. He made a few changes to the scenario and decided to run it again, using the Cruel Seas rules.
UMPIRING: Tim Chant
1. Forces.
2. The Game.
The scenario’s premise remained unchanged: if the Germans managed to get their entire convoy into port, they would win the game. If only one ship reached port, the result would be a draw. Losses among the warships would not count toward the overall score.
The main differences lay in the order in which each side’s ships entered play. On the first turn, only one British squadron could enter the table. On the second turn, both the German squadron and another British squadron would enter, followed by the final British squadron on the next turn. This gave the German side a seemingly favourable, though ultimately illusory, advantage.
In addition, German ships already in port could begin the game at slow speed. That was the extent of the changes.
The German convoy was moving at full speed — 15 knots — toward the harbour when the Fairmile-class gunboats under Alasdair’s command were the first to appear. They quickly engaged my Flakship, severely damaging it. My ship managed to fire a single salvo, but it missed, and a second salvo from both gunboats soon sent it to the bottom. With its escort gone, the convoy was left unprotected and exposed to Jimmy’s approaching Vospers, which launched all of their torpedoes.
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Meanwhile, a squadron of German S-100 boats under Michael’s command raced into the battle at full speed and engaged Alasdair’s boats. However, the British possessed considerable firepower, and before long, the first of Michael’s vessels was sunk.
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Meanwhile, my convoy pressed forward, but one of Jimmy’s torpedoes struck its target: my merchant ship. The torpedo exploded, sending the ship to the bottom. Andy, who had stayed somewhat behind and out of the action, then launched her own torpedoes.
Meanwhile, David and his minesweepers, left undisturbed, calmly cleared the mines from the harbour entrance, opening the way for me to enter. I also managed to dodge all the torpedoes Andi fired — although one of them actually struck my tanker. Fortunately, it failed to explode. At that point, my tanker could no longer manoeuvre properly because its rudder had already been damaged by gunfire from either Jimmy or Alasdair — I can’t remember which.
For a brief moment, the dud torpedo gave me the illusion that we might still force a draw. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Jimmy and Alasdair first concentrated their fire on Michael’s boats, which were trying to cover my tanker. Once the British had sunk the German boats, they turned their guns on the fleeing tanker. That was enough. The tanker was badly damaged and ultimately sunk.
The game ended in a Royal Navy victory. It was part of a campaign, so the outcome was shaped by the previous games' results. In those earlier games, the British had gained such a significant advantage that even changes to the final scenario did not alter the result. The convoy ships sank in exactly the same spot as in the previous game. I wonder whether switching sides — with the British trying to escort the convoy back to their own port — would have led to the same outcome. Tim?
3. Links.
PREVIOUS GAME:
https://asienieboje.blogspot.com/2026/04/cruel-seas-take-convoy-to-port.html
SESWC:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352
FLICKR:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720334527220
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