Mers-El-Kebir

Deployment : In this game we are refighting the Royal Navy's attack on Mers-El-Kebir using Nimitz. The French fleet are caught at anchor and must fight their way out of port and escape eastwards along the Algerian coast. The French cannot move or fire in the first turn, and they must negotiate the British laid minefield blocking the harbour exit. To account for the very close proximity of French ships in harbour, shot's against them are randomised and they are limited to slow speed until they cross the minefield. The forces are an approximation of those used in the actual battle, substituting in vessels of the same or comparable class where necessary*.



Turn 1: The order is given and the British fleet closes within range and fires its first salvo. Provence is hit by Ramillies, but the rest of the ordinance smashes harmlessly into the harbour and cliff face. 



Turn 2: The French fleet quickly reacts, upping anchor and building speed as the capital ships turn towards the harbour entrance. Whilst the lumbering main guns are slow to find their targets, the secondaries make mincemeat of the leading and over bold British destroyer. As shell splashes straddle the harbour, a lucky salvo hits Bretagne and her magazine explodes, leaving her a smouldering wreck. 



Turn 3: Racing through the minefield, Tigre and Volta swerve too late and are ripped apart. Hood comes under punishing close range fire from the coastal fort, whilst Ramillies is hampered by her slow speed and slips behind the rest of the taskforce. Two destroyers as well as the cruisers Ajax and Arethusa empty their torpedo bays, hoping to catch the French at slow speed before they reach open water. Provence is hit several times and limps her way out of the harbour listing badly



Turn 4: At last free of the harbour, the Marine nationale make all speed for Algiers. With damage to her engines Hood is forced to fallback leaving Warspite to charge ahead. A parting volley from Hood straddles Dunkerque, damaging her superstructure and knocking out her B turret. The remaining destroyers line up another salvo of torpedo's against the French fast battleships, but to no avail. 



Turn 5: Strasbourg boldly cuts to port intending to drive off the British destroyers and protect Dunkerque by absorbing the enemy's fire. Warspite unleashes her 15inch guns at close range, sailing clean through Strasbourg's armour and igniting her magazine. A blast wave, shrapnel, and then an enormous smoke cloud explode outwards from her last known location, cloaking her as she slips below the waterline. 



The well drilled fighting formation of British destroyers keep up a deadly drumbeat against their scattered opponents, and the last of the contre-torpilleurs are crippled and abandoned. The French capital ships return fire and make the British pay dearly for the loss of Strasbourg. First Dunkerque blasts Arethusa into a smouldering wreck with her primary's and secondaries at point blank range. But far worse, Admiral Sommerville is forced to abandon the flagship as Hood is reduced to a lifeless hulk by the wounded but still firing Provence.



Turn 6: With the last signal from the admiral to press the attack, Warspite cuts in to rake Provence's stern. The surrounding sea is soon full of lifeboats as the French captain knows his battered ship is hopelessly outclassed and elects to preserve the lives of his men.



The British destroyers are punished and one of their number is sunk, as they keep up the pursuit of Dunkerque.



Turn 7: At last Dunkerque works up to full speed and the British fleet break off. The British have successfully neutralised 3 battleships and 6 destroyers, but have been given a bloody nose in return losing 6 destroyers, a light cruiser, and their flagship! With 107 pts to 106pts, the French win a very narrow victory!

* For a first test game of Nimitz this scenario worked well. We awarded each side full victory points for crippled or sunk enemy ships and gave the French victory points for any of their own ships that escaped. The game ended on a knife edge, but only because of some very lucky British shooting with 2 magazine explosions!. Were we to play this again we would not allow the French to fire as they up anchor on the second turn, hopefully resulting in a more historical outcome and fewer British casualties.