Interactive History V: Notification

**Kraxis** · 01-07-2006, 02:22

As some of You know, I have been planning another installment even before Manstein crushed the Russians. Almost equally long have I thought of having two teams duke it out, instead of me leading one side against the 'AI', which could perhaps be predictable at times, and also lending the astute historian a meassure of hindsight bonus.

So I have to find a proper situation, and interestingly the idea for IHV even before the two teams idea popped up was good. The naval situation between Germany and Britain in early 1918.

I have found another forum who are willing to do battle, and should be fairly good. Given how they might be more unorthodox and less historically inclined (though still TW fans) I have chosen to give them the stronger British side, while you will have to make do with the weaker German side.

I want to inform you that the German Imperial Navy has better armoured ships, smaller guns (but range is not an issue since all engagements were well within range), slower engines and better trained crews. For instance the British managed to cross the T of the German line several times at Jutland, yet they came off worse due to better German accuracy and armour, in fact the German battlecruisers took on the entire British Grand Fleet to guard the fleet's retreat, and they sank a British battlecruiser while losing no ship themselves.

So it is not as if the situation is hopeless, but numbers are not on Your side. Running battles are not for You. Deception, superior intelligence and tactics is a supreme must here. That is why I think You will do better with the German fleet.

This is only a notification, and I do not think the 'battle' will start soon (exams and ski-vacation).

**Mr White** · 01-07-2006, 11:33

I'm no naval tactics expert but I'll enjoy reading how some devilish sneeky manouvers will cripple and destroy Her Mayesty's Royal Navy.

Good luck to our forum.

**Kagemusha** · 01-07-2006, 15:41

Im also like a fish on a dry land,when it comes to naval warfare.But im ready to take em on.

**AggonyDuck** · 01-07-2006, 19:59

Hmmmmm, this will surely be great fun and will also be a rather tough challenge for both parties.

**Kraxis** · 01-09-2006, 02:46

Do not feel afraid of voicing your opinions when it comes to decide the battle.

I'm no naval buff in particular, but that is not major problem since the time was one of interesting combinations. The battleships still sailed in formal slow lines with cruisers (light ones, the armoured version was supposed to sail in the line but was too often blown to bits to be effective) forming the screen and destroyers acting as recon and escorts of both cruisers and BBs.

So we have the simplest of all setups (line of battle) with the freedom of destroyers and light cruisers.

Must point out that battlecruisers are meant to sail in the line, and can be described as light battleships in armour only. Light cruisers are quite weakly armed, normally only a handful of 5 inch guns, just barely enough to beat a destroyer, which rely on torpedoes and perhaps 2-3 4-5 inch guns.
German destroyers are called topedoboats (but are big enough to be destroyers) and are generally weaker and smaller, but faster than their British counterparts, though their weapons are comparable.
DD fights are vicious and bloody and often not over until one side is wiped out (heavily damaged ships would be ignored as long as more active targets sailed about).

A lot of contact will be done with lights, so info can be intercepted (as it happened at Jutland for the British). But the big ships have wireless installments and can even contact the homeland, but the DDs don't have that, and only some light cruisers have it.

**King Kurt** · 01-09-2006, 10:50

As an ex wargamer one of my many interests was naval warfare and I did do a lot of WW1 stuff, so count me in. When I get time I will add to Kraxis's analysis - the difference between the 2 navies and their equipment is interesting and should be a good basis for an interactive history. The naval side of WW1, especially after Jutland was 1 of inertia as the Germans just relied on their U-Boats and the fleet just stayed in harbour. In fact this had a damaging effect on the fleet's morale and they were one of the hot beds of revolution at the end of the war.

**AggonyDuck** · 01-09-2006, 16:47

Originally Posted by Kraxis

Must point out that battlecruisers are meant to sail in the line, and can be described as light battleships in armour only.

Well actually the concept of the battlecruiser was that it could outgun anything that it couldn't outrun and and outrun everything it couldn't outgun.
They were meant to hunt cruisers, not to engage enemy battleships.
But they were used in the role of a lightly armoured battleship, although this might not be the role they were meant for. Anyways I could guess that the German battlecruisers with their overall better armour were more suited for this kind of task than what the British battlecruisers were.