The "Beef Run" Strategy

[crackaces]

I have started a long campaign as the Germans and I have sort of backed into the "Beef Run" Strategy. To clarify, the Beef Run is a scenrario where the German High Command sends a Destroyer flotilla to Zeebrugge to intercept British shipping from Holland to England. Sending a few more just might be the key to a German victory.

First, I tried right off the bat to sail a bombardment mission off the coast of England and ran into the boys from Harlich. Although we avoided each other during the day when night fell the British task force was 2700 meters behind me 30 red triangles When the smoke cleared I lost 3 DD's and 22 British DD's and 4 CL's were sunk. I caught the rest on the way home. The Van Der Tann and Moltke took Torp hits and thus I had to rest the scouting squaudron. What to do?

Reoranize the task force and send the CL's and DD's to Zeebrugge and begin a war of attrition with the Brit light ships! I have come to realize that there are 21 immovable "ships" around Zeebrugge that spurt shells out to 36K meters. With the right bait the Brits patrolling this area will send their flotillas in to meet their fate. So far, I have lost the entire TB squadron and 3DD's to an addiitional British/French loss of 40 DD's , 10 CL's, 6 TB. The other advantage to this position is that mining the "hexes" outside of Zeebrugge is an opportunity to intercept high traffic. The more ships that sail thorugh the area means more 5% chances to bag a British/French ship. I count 4DD's and a TB. taken this way. My patroling subs has taken one French DD.

This strategy will be frustrating at times because of game mechanics, but remember it is just a game. Everytime you get recentered away from Zeebrugge -- it provides a chance to bait more British ships into your trap.

It is these same game mechanics that makes a running battle with the big ships a folly. The thought of running home before the RN catches up is an extermely dangerious proposition -- just think of how the "boys of Harlich" met their fate in my game and think 70 red triangles at night in some bad position .. when the smoke clears the German fleet will not exist. However, the long campaign game of cat and mouse with the English Channel fleets is actually a great strategic and operational game within a game.

So I continue to scout with Subs and Zeps -- seek out advantageous match-ups and send out the boys from Zeebrugge for a little scrap.

Edited:
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I am appending a thought to this post rather than committ the sin of double posting.

It's mid March and the British Navy cannot field any significant resistance in the English Channel and I can sail DD's and CL's at will between Zeebrugge and Dover. However, The Van Der Tann is still layed up from the January clash with the boys from Harlich and the Koenig was damaged in a clash with the Monitor Prince Rupert. I believe the game rates these damaged capitial ships pretty high as the victory meter is still British +++. Though I have sunk over 80 ships at a loss of 20 -- the RN can capture my CS from Blue X at will. I suspect this is also a problem. I will have to sail a mission to clear out the AMC terrorizing my shipping from the North. More later.
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Edit #2: I feel One concept key to this strategy of intercepting British Cargo flowing from Holland (and I do not know what the worth of each ship is yet ) is having at least a CL with each destroyer task force. That is because the German DD's have a crew of 75 and will not cause a CS to surrender. One other problem I have observed at night is that I do not see supporting ships but the CS sees supporting ships. If you close within sighting distance less than 10K meters and the ship does not surrender a surprise might be in store. The Falcon ripped off a torp and sunk the Elberg at night in the rain ... So I have 3 Destroyer squadrons, each one supported with a CL. So far I am bagging all the known shipping from Holland to England and the shipping around Dover. Six ships today (March 6th 1916). No movement yet of the victory status.
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Edit #3: The Channel is narrow and lined with guns. I had been patrolling the English Channel by passing through the Straits of Dover at night. Remember, as long as you are not in tatitical mode the guns have no effect. So I am thinking most of the English Channel resources are pretty much depleted and my Pre-Drednoughts with support can wreak havoc on Channel shipping. I bagged 6 Cargo ships. But alas I was running low on ammo from all the encouters with strays -- when the French with a 12 ships one AC and the British Channel fleet show up! I also had 3 sqaudrons on the other side of the Dover Straits that would need to cross to safety. Although the range to the AC's was 31K meters the running battle took me through the straits duirng the day. No ships sunk but my Zeebrugge task forces will be resting and reparing from the 9" guns. Just a thought in executing this strategy. Though I have sunk over 80 TB, DD's, and CL's from Jan through March, and that is just about 1/2 of the light ships of the British and French fleets. The English Channel can suddenly reveal unexpected surprises. The thought is now to keep on my side of the Dover Straits until the High Seas Heavy Cruiser Task Force makes a sweep of the situaiton. The British are still winning +++ but the navy is doing its job bagging cargo ships and sinking light ships. Over time attrition will take its toll .... I hope.