Round 3, Match 1 Status Report

Robert Mull (Axis) vs. Jonathan Lockwood (Allies; Bid 1)

British Flag

Allies win by 8 POC at the end of Turn 7.

BPA 1999 WAS PBeM Tournamemt - Round 3, Match 1 Status

======================================================================== Turn:             1      2      3      4      5      6      7      8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Axis POC:        +5     +3     +3     +3     +3     +2     +5      Allied POC:      -3     -4     -3     -3     -7     -6     -6      ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net POC:         +2     -1     +0     +0     -4     -4     -1      Cumulative POC:  +2     +1     +1     +1     -3     -7     -8      ========================================================================

Turn 1

Allied Turn 1 deployment is as follows:
Barents: Ark Royal, Hood, Repulse, Renown, 8 1-1-7s. (Both Repulse and Renown made speed rolls)
North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, 5 4-4-3s
NATL: Rodney, Nelson, Queen Elizabeth
SATL: Eagle, Warspite, Barham, Malaya, Valiant

Axis Response:
3 U-boats to NATL
LBA to Barents
Entire German fleet to NATL (Scheer fails speed roll; Graf Spee and Lutzow make it)
2 4-6-6s, Fiume, Gorizia, Doria, Cesare in Med
Remainder of Italian fleet in Italy

Results:
Allied LBA misses targets in Med
Axis LBA misses targets in Barents
Allied ASW sinks 1 U-boat; Axis breaks control of NATL with 2 U-boats
U-boat return fire inflicts 4 pts of damage on Rodney
In first round of surface combat, the Allied battleships sink Graf Spee and Lutzow, and disable the Blucher. The Axis return fire disables the Rodney, puts 3 pts of damage on the Queen Elizabeth, and puts 5 pts of damage on the Nelson while disabling it as well.

The Queen Elizabeth stays, determined to take as much of the Axis fleet with her as possible. Her second volley sinks the Admiral Hipper before the combined Axis return fire sends Queen Elizabeth to the bottom. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau both manage to oil at sea, remaining at large for Turn 2. Axis finishes Turn 1 with a 2 POC lead, but at a heavy price, losing three surface ships and 1 U boat for the Queen Elizabeth and heavy damage to the Rodney and Nelson.

Turn 2

Allied deployment for Turn 2:
Barents: Ark Royal, Hood, Repulse, Renown, 8 1-1-7s (speed rolls succeeded)
North Sea: Glorious, Formidable, 5 4-4-3s
NATL: Eagle, Rodney (-4), KGV, POW
SATL: Courageous, Malaya, Valiant, Warspite, Barham
Nelson repairs 5 pts damage and will be available for Turn 3.

Axis response:
U-boats to Baltic
German fleet to Baltic
Axis LBA to Barents (misses all targets)
Allied LBA to Med (misses all targets)
Italian and Med deployment same as Turn 1

Allies gain 1 POC for turn. Axis lead is now 1 POC (2 with handicap).

Turn 3

Allied Turn 3 Deployment:
Baltic: Okt Rev (activated this turn)
Barents: Ark Royal, Hood, Repulse, Renown, KGV, POW, DOY, 8 1-1-7s
North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, 5 4-4-3s, Nelson
NATL: Convoy 1A, Formidable, Eagle, Victorious
SATL: Malaya, Valiant, Warspite, Barham

Axis Response:
4 U-boats to SATL
German fleet to Baltic
LBA to Barents
Italian fleet dispositions in Med and Italy same as Turn 1

Results:
Allied ASW sinks 1 U-boat, but U-boats disable 1 battleship and sink the Barham in reply while breaking control of the SATL for the Axis. Both Allied and Axis LBA miss their respective targets in the Med and Barents. In the meantime, Okt Rev misses its Parthian shot at the Adm Scheer, and explodes with a deafening roar, vanishing without a trace as the combined shells of the Axis Baltic fleet strike it in response for 41 points (?!?) of damage! Turn 3 ends with the Axis holding on to a 1 POC lead (2 POC with handicap).

Turn 4

Allied Deployment for Turn 4:
Baltic: Marat (activated this turn)
Barents: Convoy 1A, Ark Royal, Hood, Renown, Repulse, KGV, POW, DOY, 6 1-1-7s (minus Norfolk and Suffolk)
North Sea: Glorious, Courageous, Victorious, 5 4-4-3s, Nelson, Rodney
NATL: Convoy 2B, Formidable, Eagle, Norfolk, Suffolk
SATL: Malaya, Valiant, Warspite, Anson
No US ships activated this turn.

Axis Response:
German fleet to Baltic
5 U-boats to SATL
LBA to Barents
Med: Same as previous turns
Italy: Same as previous turns

Results: Allied ASW sinks 1 U-boat, while the Axis U-boats sink the Warspite in response, breaking control of SATL. Allied LBA puts 1 pt of damage on Gorizia, but Axis LBA goes wild in the Barents, disabling the Hood, Ark Royal, and Convoy 1A, which returns to the US. Meanwhile, the Okt Revolutia puts one point of damage on the Admiral Scheer, and almost survives an 18-die return volley from the Axis fleet, finally being sunk on the final die roll. The Axis staves off the Allied convoy, but the blockade remains in place for Turn 5. The Axis lead remains at 1 POC (2 POC with handicap).

Turn 5

Allied Turn 5 deployment:
Barents: Convoy 2B, Ark Royal, Illustrious, Hood, Renown, Repulse, KGV, POW, DOY, 6 1-1-7s (minus Norfolk and Suffolk)
North Sea: Glorious, Victorious, Courageous, 5 4-4-3s, Malaya, Valiant, Norfolk, Suffolk
NATL: Convoy 1A, New York, Wichita, Tuscaloosa, Formidable, Eagle
SATL: Nelson, Rodney, Anson, Howe

Axis response:
German fleet to Baltic (minus Adm Scheer)
LBA to Barents
6 U-boats to North Sea
Adm Scheer repairs in Germany

Results: Allied LBA disables Andrea Doria in Med, while Axis LBA puts 2 pts of damage on Ark Royal (necessitating repairs in Russia before becoming operational again), but missing Convoy 2B, which puts into Russia for a 3 POC Allied gain. Meanwhile, the 18 Allied ASW performance in the North Sea is exactly average; 3 U-boats killed and 3 U-boats disabled, which is all that is needed to retain Allied control of the North Sea and maintain the stranglehold on the Axis for the fifth straight turn. Allies gain 4 POC this turn to take a 3 POC lead at the end of Turn 5 (2 POC with handicap).

Turn 6

Allied deployment for Turn 6:
Barents: Convoy 1A, Illustrious, Formidable, Hood, Renown, Repulse, POW, KGV, DOY, 6 1-1-7s (minus Norfolk and Suffolk)
North Sea: Glorious, Victorious, Courageous, Eagle, 5 4-4-3s, Malaya, Valiant, Norfolk, Suffolk
NATL: Convoy 3C, New York, Texas, Wichita, Tuscaloosa
SATL: Nelson, Rodney, Anson, Howe
Ark Royal repairs in Russia (available Turn 7)

Axis Response:
German fleet to Barents
LBA to Barents
6 U-boats to NATL
Italian fleet split between Italy and Med as before

Results: Allied ASW disables only 1 U-boat, while 5 U-boats firing at Convoy 3C miss their mark. Allied LBA misses in Med once more, and Allied airstrikes in the Barents fare no better. Axis LBA and airstrikes manage to disable the Duke of York before surface combat, narrowing the Allied advantage in surface firepower.

Round 1 in the Barents has the Allies disabling Gneisenau, Adm Scheer, and Bismarck (also hitting the latter for 3 pts damage), hitting the Scharnhorst for 3 pts damage, and sinking the Graf Zeppelin. Axis return fire sinks the Repulse and Dorsetshire, disables the Renown and POW (damaging the latter for 3 pts as well), and puts 5 pts of damage on the KGV, reducing it to a 1-0-1. Both sides stay.

Round 2 sees the Allied fleet disabling the Tirpitz and putting 6 pts of damage on it as well, but missing the other three remaining ships. Axis return fire sinks the Exeter and disables the Hood, putting 4 pts of damage on it also.

Round 3 continues the slugfest at point blank range, as the Allied salvo disables the Blucher. Axis return fire sinks the Cumberland.

Round 4 sees the Allied screen reduced to only 2 cruisers and the badly damaged KGV protecting 2 carriers and Convoy 1A. The Allied salvo disables the Prinz Eugen, leaving only the Scharnhorst (-3). The Axis return salvo misses its targets.

Round 5 ends with the Allies sinking the Scharnhorst and losing the KGV with the Scharnhorst's final shots.

Turn 6 ends with Convoy 1A sailing into Murmansk and increasing the Allied lead by another 4 POC overall (6 to 2 total for the turn), as the cumulative Allied lead is now at 7 POC (6 POC with handicap). Convoy 3C will sail into the Barents as well.

Turn 7

Allied deployment for Turn 7:
Barents: Convoy 3C, Victorious, Illustrious, Formidable, DOY, Howe (makes speed roll), POW (-3), Renown, 5 1-1-7s (minus Dorsetshire, Exeter, and Cumberland)
North Sea: Glorious, Ark Royal, Courageous, Eagle, 5 4-4-3s, Malaya
NATL: Washington, New York, Texas, Augusta, Wichita, Tuscaloosa
SATL: Rodney, Nelson, Anson, Valiant
Hood repairs 2 pts damage in Russia and will be available for Turn 8 with 2 pts damage.

Axis Response:
German fleet to Barents
LBA to Barents
Italian 4-3-5s and 4-6-6s split between Italy and Med
4 Italian 1-1-7s and 7 U-boats to SATL

Results: Allied LBA finally finds their targets in the Med, sinking the Andrea Doria and the Conte di Cavour, while Axis LBA misses their targets in the Barents. Allied aircraft carriers in the Barents strike the entire German fleet with devastating effect, putting 2 pts of damage on Prinz Eugen, and disabling the Tirpitz (-6), Gneisenau, and Admiral Scheer before surface combat! Allied ASW in the SATL, however, only disables 1 U-boat, and the return fire from the U-boats disables the Nelson, Valiant, and Rodney (putting 5 pts damage on the latter), leaving only the Anson to face the four Italian cruisers.

The subsequent surface combat is quick and decisive in both areas, as the Allies disable the Bismarck in the Barents and sink Prinz Eugen and Blucher to ensure the safety of Convoy 3C. The Axis return fire managed only to disable the Kent and POW (-3), putting 1 more point of damage on the latter. Meanwhile, Anson manages to sink the Zara before being hit for 5 pts of damage and disabled to the neutral port, giving the Italians control of the South Atlantic. The Allies gained 1 more POC this turn (6 to 5), increasing their cumulative lead to 8 POC overall (7 with handicap).

Turn 8

The Axis player conceded as of the end of Turn 7, with the Allies holding an 8 POC lead (7 POC with handicap), and the Axis fleet reduced to three German ships. (We don't mind the three Italian cruisers holding the S Atlantic; they need the self esteem).

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