Kriegsmarine - The Battle Off Cromer - Torpedoes in Anger, and Desperation

The game: Kriegsmarine by WDS

The scenario: December 7, 1939: The Night of December 6/7, the Germans ran a minelaying mission off the Hainsborough lightship with three Z-Class destroyers. One was turned back with mechanical difficulty, but the other two continued the mission.. After their mines were dropped, they were headed eastward when they spotted two British destroyers on a parallel course. After a short action, the Germans disengaged and headed home, but not before torpedoing and seriously damaging HMS Jersey.

A very small engagement, totally worth it. Played as the Germans.

Two Royal Navy destroyers, likely J-, K- or N- class turned onto us as soon as they spotted us. We responded in kind trying to cross the T. Our quick maneuver somehow worked because we spooked them enough to make them deploy smoke.

The British destroyers pressed on, scored a hit on the Erich Giese, a 1934A class destroyer. Our reciprocal maneuver left us at a very close range, but the skill of the Royal Navy crews left us blinded by the smoke curtain.

But the wind is out of the enemy's sails when the lead British destroyer stops stops his smoke screen and gets engaged by both my destroyers. This is the a few seconds before that the British destroyer gets sunk.

The remainder British destroyer continues its maneuvering under the cover of smoke. All of the sudden I notice a torpedo (white marker) heading our way ...

... It is only the extreme maneuverability of my own ships that allows me to evade the first and subsequent enemy torpedoes.

I could not avoid the temptation to fire all my torpedoes at the helpless enemy destroyer. A beautiful spread of my own eels (white dots), which of course all missed.

And when I sank the enemy destroyer with the main guns, the battle was over.

I think that this scenario is intended to be played as the British, but it was a great and sweet naval engagement as the Germans.

Cheers,