Corvette Command Campaign January 1942 (1)

January 1942

HMCS Windflower

Slow Convoy (SC/63) of fifty merchant ships from St John's, Newfoundland, to Liverpool.

3rd January

Departed St John's in good weather and calm seas.

On A/S drill ASDIC U/S due to serious electrical fault and lookout reported that bridge range finder damaged by water penetration. C/O not amused.

Immediate repairs made to ASDIC set and range finder to be dismantled and lenses replaced. ASDIC now fully operational.

US Radio broadcast reports heavy bombing of Liverpool overnight.

4th / 5th January

Weather deteriorates to fog and snow showers. Danger of collisions in reduced visibility but good convoy discipline prevents any problems.

6th January

Weather slowly improves although still poor with heavy swell but visibility much better.

Bridge range finder now fully repaired.

7th / 8th January

Weather now good with high air pressure and low temperatures but excellent visibility. Clear skies and long nights will bring U-Boats, so lookouts on full alert.

19.47 U-Boat detected by ASDIC at long range during the night but evades and contact is lost. Several torpedo tracks identified by convoy.

M/V Texas Star (11000t) with cargo of aviation fuel hit by torpedo and blows up. No survivors.

05.54 U Boat detected at close range just before dawn after torpedo hits and sinks tanker M/V Empire Bell (6000t) with cargo of petroleum. Survivors picked up by rescue ship.

ASDIC maintains contact and two depth charge attacks made, with E/S forced to surface. Identified as a Type VIIC (U82). Crew abandon E/S and picked up by launch but U-Boat sinks before boarding party can get aboard. Suspect scuttling charges detonated by crew before they abandoned E/S. 

TO BE CONTINUED....  

That was a really good start to the campaign with plenty of opportunities to try out the key elements of the rules. I've only moved four sector squares due to zig zagging and the U-Boat attacks, with the wolfpack following up the first attack, but it's been a lot of fun so far. I also made lots of notes which always slows things down a bit but the actual game play is quite quick, especially when there is a blank sector counter. 

So far, I've had one random event and one U-Boat attack, as well as a mechanical breakdown in the very first turn, so pretty busy on the bridge of HMCS Windflower. At least a Type VIIC has been sunk and the C/O will get a DSC, while the ASDIC operator will get his mention in dispatches, just like my grandfather in very much the same circumstances! 

Keep tuned for the next instalment.