[BnW- Ita vs Byz] 5- High Seas Hunting

[StuccoFresco]

The fall of Tirana has collapsed the Albanian southern front: the enemy is frantically retreating as our troops enter the capital and start moving west and south. This has been a huge victory, but the enemy is still forming up units and replacing its losses; this is in part thanks to the constant stream of resources coming from the rich island of Smyrne, in the Middle Sea.

Supermarina, the naval high command, has decided to do something about it.

Until now, we haven’t been able to leverage our naval superiority because the Byzantine Navy has refused to meet us in an open battle. Their submarines are a nuisance, and they keep their precious main fleets behind minefields and under the cover of their air force and coastal batteries. But they are also using a lot of cruisers and destroyers to escort the massive convoys that sail from Smyrne to the Miletus port in the continent…

The plan is simple: the Volterran Fleet will sail toward Pergamon to feint a direct attack, while the Pavona Fleet will try a decisive strike against one of those convoys. Our submarines have mapped the probable routes, all it takes is to time our attack precisely enough.

With one of such convoys apparently near enough for an interception, the Pavona fleet is ready to strike.
[Imgur](https://imgur.com/C37gZ2W)


4/8/1941 morning
The Pavona fleet is led by three Mediterraneo-class Battlecruisers: reasonably fast, heavily armed; they are more powerful than anything the Byzantine Navy can field. They are supported by 8 Adriatico-class Light Cruisers and 11 Ionio-class Destroyers. It’s a powerful fleet, but I have to be fast to be able to sink all the Support Ships and the Transport Flotillas. The Byzantine Navy is renowned for its skilled crews and there is no doubt the Smyrnian convoy will be heavily escorted. I will have to balance the need to sink the targets with the need of confronting their escorts themselves, and it won’t be easy. I start by steaming full speed northwest toward the area I expect the convoy will pass through.

The SS Predone is in the area: the Sicilia-class submarine isn’t particularly powerful, but has a long range and has hunted in this area for a while. I order it to proceed at full steam north, on the surface.



4/8/1941 afternoon, evening
The fleet moves northwest, but four enemy Makedon-class Destroyers are spotted on our northern flank in the evening. To engage them would mean diverting forces from the main objective, but I can’t let them get close to the Battlecruisers, so I have to send a couple Destroyers to stall them. It’s probably a suicide mission, but I have to take it nonetheless: two Ionio-class Destroyers flank the enemy squadron hoping to provoke a chase.

The SS Predone is still heading north, sailing on the surface. Neither it nor my leading Destroyers have spotted the convoy yet.



5/8/1941 morning
We finally spotted the convoy! There are two Hellas-class Cruisers and three Destroyers escorting it as far as we can see, but there is more for sure. The CL Acitrezza is the first ship to get into range, firing on the leading enemy Destroyer. Our leading Destroyer joins the battle, and the enemy ship takes heavy hits. The Pavona fleet turns hard north to engage the enemy head-on.

The SS Predone turns east to flank the convoy.

A single Ionio-class Destroyer is left providing a target to the four enemy Destroyers in the southeast. Glory to those heroes.


5/8/1941 afternoon
The enemy escorts come out en masse to intercept the Pavona fleet, but they are met by our Battlecruisers joining the fray. The Porsenna and the Ocno unleash their main batteries on the CL Aspropyrgos and sink it in a swift show of brutal firepower.

Four of our own Light Cruisers sail in the breach and engage the Byzantine transport flotillas, wreaking havoc. Seventeen transports are quickly sunk by the Cagliari and the Pesaro, while the Pisa and the Mazara dispatch another 10. The Pavona Fleet envelops the convoy and the escorts, trying to compress the enemy ships’ formation and deny them maneuvering space.

The enemy retaliates against our Destroyers, sinking one and crippling another three, but its fire is ineffective against our Cruisers. The valiant lone Destroyer left to stall four enemy ships survives the unrelenting chase, albeit now reduced to a barely floating flaming husk.



5/8/1941 evening
The BC Porsenna cripples the Kavonisi II with its guns, allowing the CL Pisa to finish it off with a salvo. The BC Tolumnio focuses its main batteries on the Aspropyrgos II, scoring a direct hit with the Turret n°2 heavy guns and starting a fire aboard the target.

The older Thrace-class Byzantine light cruisers are suffering in the close-ranged clashes against the heavier Adriatico-class cruisers of the Pavona Fleet. The Naupilia is sunk after a brief battle with the Mazara and the Pesaro, while the Gythion is hit amidship by a torpedo fired from the SS Predone. The Gaeta and the Imperia focus fire on the Aiya, damaging its bow. I am focusing mainly on the enemy Cruisers for now: the helpless transports can be sunk later.

The Byzantines sink another destroyer, but their efforts are quite underwhelming. It seems the battle is going to be rather easy. Meanwhile, the lone Destroyer surrenders to the enemy squadron; the crew is taken prisoner as the enemy sailors give them a salute to honor their valiant struggle.




6/8/1941 morning
The Gythion is sunk, along with a couple Destroyers, a Support Ship and more transports. Losses are acceptable. Only three enemy Cruisers remain, one of which already damaged, aided by three Destroyers in fighting shape and a heavily damaged one. Two enemy Support Ships are on fire and about to sink.

[StuccoFresco]

6/8/1941 afternoon
The Agia Marina is sunk after a direct hit from BC Ocno’s main battery and a well-placed torpedo from the SS Predone. The Kavonisi and Aspropyrgos II are the only remaining Cruisers and their Destroyer support is being torn down by the Mazara, Pesaro and Pisa.

More transports are sunk. The entire convoy is falling apart, with individual ships steaming full ahead to try and escape the onslaught. The Byzantine guns are still firing, but the few hits scored aren’t enough to tip the scales, while they don’t bounce off the armor outright.


6/8/1941 evening
The Destroyer squadron that I stalled for a full day is back, and flanks my entire formation, almost sinking two of my Destroyers and seriously damaging the CL Cagliari. The confusion helps several Transport Flotillas slip away through a gap in my line, so I have to send several ships to hunt them down. The Kavonisi cruiser is finished off by the CL Barletta.




7/8/1941 morning, afternoon
The Tolumnio and the Porsenna finish off the last enemy Cruiser, but Supermarina’s intelligence brings bad news: a British naval squadron is heading toward the battlefield. The Byzantines have likely asked for assistance and despite their supposed neutrality it seems the British have decided to fight.

I have to finish off the Byzantine fleet fast. My Cruisers encircle the last remaining enemy Destroyers as my own Destroyers sink the last transport ships.



7/8/1941 evening
The British squadron sails right in the middle of the Pavona fleet in a wedge formation, firing off its guns. The Light Cruisers Kitts and Saint Helen leading, the Light Cruiser Wight on the left flank, and five Destroyers on the tail. The Wight catches my SS Predone on the surface and hits it with its guns, almost sinking it.

I decide to take them on immediately: I trap the Kitts and Saint Helen with my own Cruisers and Battlecruisers to negate any maneuvering space, and I engage the enemy’s right flank with five more Cruisers, engaging the enemy’s Destroyers. One of them eats a couple full salvos from the Pisa and Gaeta, resulting in a burning husk at the end of the day.

The enemy response is worthy of the British crews: the Kitts and Saint Helen concentrate their fire on one of my Destroyers and sink it, opening a gap in the encirclement. The fast Hunter-class Destroyers engage the BC Porsenna at close range, scoring several hits before the big ship can train its guns on them.



8/8/1941 morning
Before the enemy could escape from the gap, the BC Ocno unleashes its 350mm guns on the Saint Helen, turning its entire bow section into a smoking wreck. The massive battlecruiser shells hit the front turret square on, crushing the armor and rocking the entire ship. A merciful attack by a Ionio-class Destroyer sends the doomed ship to the bottom of the sea.

The Tolumnio quickly charges the Kitts, guns blazing. The massive guns of the front turret hit the enemy ship on the stern section, sending the rear turret flying away after a direct hit.

Deeming the enemy Destroyers much more dangerous than previously thought, I concentrate my Cruisers’ fire on them, sinking three with the help of the BC Porsenna.

The Kitts has miracolously escaped any damage to the engines or rudder, so it can charge right at the Cagliari together with the last combat-worthy Destroyer of the British Squadron. The two ships manage to score several hits on the already damaged Italian cruiser, and the captain decides to evacuate it before it sinks with all hands on deck.

The Wight tries to avenge the Saint Helen by attacking the BC Ocno. The British guns fail to penetrate the frontal turret’s armor, but still cause some damage at long range.


8/8/1941 afternoon
The Kitts is surrounded and sunk by my Cruisers, as well as his Destroyer partner, avenging the Cagliari. The Wight escapes retaliation with a series of fast evasive maneuvers that elicit the respect of the pursuing crews.

The SS Predone sinks a barely floating Destroyer, the last remaining from the Byzantine Convoy, and the Pesaro sinks the last British Destroyer.




8/8/1941 evening
The Wight is finally caught up and encircled. My Cruisers rain long range fire on it, supported by my Battlecruisers, and as the sun falls several hits are scored. The enemy is still floating and fighting back, but it’s now doomed. The Kitts is still afloat, but it’s burning stern to bow.


9/8/1941 - 11/8/1941
As the sun rises, the Italian fleet ask the surrender of the surviving British ships. Both the captains refuse, and the Wight even tries to fire at the pursuing fleet. The BC Tolumnio and Porsenna put an end to the battle with their main batteries, finally sinking them.

The battle is over. It’s been a bit too easy, so I’ll probably add at least a Cruiser to the Byzantine fleet.