Victory At Sea: Order Of Battle 4b26n

2

Order of Battle Credits

Contents 2

New Rules

3

Motor Torpedo Boats

8

irals

11

Advanced Aircraft Operations

15

Editor

Scenarios

22

Hunting the Beast

27

Cover

Expanded Fleet List

34

Royal Navy

35

Kriegsmarine

58

United States Navy

64

Japan

74

Italian

88

French

95

Soviet Union

100

Civilian Ships

110

Counters

112

Erik Nicely

Developers

Richard L. Bax, Agis Neugebauer, Erik Nicely Wulf Corbett, David Manley

Nick Robinson

Chris Quilliams

Interior Illustrations

Sherard Jackson, Danilo Moretti, Mike Mumah

Miniatures Gaming Manager Ian Barstow

Print Manager Ed Russell

Special Thanks

Adam Gulwell, Peter Swarbrick of www.shipspictures.co.uk and David Page of www.navyphotos.co.uk

Contents

Introduction

Lead Developer

Order of Battle (C) 2007 Mongoose Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. All significant art and text herein are copyrighted by Mongoose Publishing. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. This material is copyrighted under the copyright laws of the UK. Printed in the UK.

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Introduction Victory at Sea had a humble beginning as a bare-bones set of free rules in Mongoose Publishing’s Signs and Portents online magazine. That initial free rules set proved to be popular and led to the development of the core rulebook, which was an immediate success. A loyal international fan base developed as Victory at Sea quickly earned itself a place as one of the ‘standards’ of World War II naval wargaming. The rulebook covered the basics of naval warfare in all theatres, but only so much would fit within its pages. This supplement is an expansion for Victory at Sea. Changes for some of the rules and stat blocks from the original rulebook have been made in an attempt to increase historical accuracy. Player concerns that have come up on Mongoose Publishing’s online forum have been addressed as well. New rules are introduced to cover many aspects of WWII naval combat that were not addressed in the core rulebook and air combat has been expanded and, of course, there are new ships. With the expanded fleet lists, players have the resources to play any historical battle as well as the option to build better fleets for ‘what if ’ games.

Introduction

This book was a collaborative effort that couldn’t have been done without the input of the original Salty Seadogs playtest group. Many thanks to David Manley and Rich Bax, whose fleet lists form a large portion of this book. I would be remiss not to thank Agis Neubauer as well for his excellent work on the German Z-Plan ships. The newer playtesters proved their worth; Dan Martz and Darell Phillips gave many suggestions and often acted as my ‘conscience’ when I wanted to blow through a rule in order to get to the next one, and I received good from the other new guys. My personal gaming group at Game Towne in San Diego deserves mention - thanks ‘dudes’. Thanks to Matthew Sprange for giving me the opportunity to work on this project, and to my wife Amber for putting up with my occasional loud rants while putting it all together.

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New Rules This chapter details some changes to the main Victory at Sea rulebook, and adds many new options for budding irals to try in their games. These additional rules are by no means necessary to enjoy a good battle, but you will find they add a degree of realism and will provide you with many new tactical choices within a game.

Official Rules Changes for Victory at Sea

These are official changes to the Victory at Sea rulebook, adding a little more realism to the game and streamlining play. Moving: A ship must move half of its current Speed (not maximum Speed) before it can execute a turn.

Flank Speed!: This Special Action increases a ship’s movement by 1”. There is no modifier to Attack Dice on ships that have executed a Flank Speed! Special Action. Attacking: There is a +1 bonus to all Attack Dice for all turret and secondary weapons to any target within 10” unless the target is obscured by smoke. Secondary Armaments ignore the -1 Attack Dice penalties when attacking vessels moving 7” or more. Torpedo Belts: Torpedo Belts only give protection to side hits - hits to fore and aft score damage normally. For every hit a Torpedo scores on the side of a ship with the Torpedo Belt trait, roll one dice. On a 4 or more, the Belt itself has been hit and the Attack Dice be re-rolled.

Torpedo Attacks, Tubes and Reloads: No torpedo attacks may be made by a ship in the same turn that it executes an Evasive! Special Action.

New Rules

Weak: Weak weapons incur a -1 modifier to all Damage Dice rolls, and only inflict Critical Hits on targets with an Armour score of 3 or less. Critical effects remain the same, but only one extra point of Crew and/or Damage may be lost due to a Critical Hit from a Weak weapon.

Torpedo reloads for submarines in all navies are limited to one extra salvo (two shots total). Cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy with Slow Loading torpedoes have reloads for two extra salvoes (three shots total) while Japanese destroyers with Slow Loading torpedoes are limited to one extra salvo (two shots). The Slow Loading Special trait as described in Victory at Sea remains unaffected. Torpedo tubes will be treated as turrets when applying damage results due to being Crippled. They may never be fired through smoke. In addition, all damage scored on civilian vessels by torpedoes is automatically doubled. Observation Aircraft: Observation Aircraft are no longer represented on the tabletop during games, unless being used in an ASW capacity, and do not affect combat or Initiative. The Aircraft Special Trait may not be eliminated when a ship becomes Crippled (it is assumed that the ship has its planes in the air at the start of the battle). Observation Aircraft do not affect the launching/owning ship’s Attack Dice and do not provide an Initiative bonus. They may be outfitted for Anti Submarine Warfare as detailed on page 16. For further uses of Observation Aircraft see the Hunting the Beast chapter, page 29. Smoke: Ships may fire through Smoke created by friendly vessels with the following restrictions: the ships firing must have the Radar trait, normal range penalties apply to the friendly firing ships, no AD bonus is given to ships within 10”, anti-aircraft fire from friendly ships is subject to a -1 penalty to AAA Attack Dice, and torpedoes may not be fired through smoke. The rules for the automatic Command Check, placing and removing Smoke Counters, and enemy targeting through Smoke as stated in Victory at Sea remain the same.

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New Advanced Rules

The Victory at Sea rulebook presents the basic rules for playing the naval battles of World War II. The following offer an added level of realism (and lethality) to games, and players should consider them to be Advanced Rules to be used after they are comfortable with the basics.

Shorelines, Islands and Shallow Water

Dry land on the Victory at Sea gaming table can be denoted by table edges, lines drawn on the table or artistically produced terrain pieces. Dry land, however represented, will take the form of shorelines and islands. Whether land obstructs line of sight or not should be determined before play begins via common agreement or a scenario-specific rule. No ship with a starting Damage score of 6 or more can come within 1” of Land without running aground. The exception to this are any areas designated as being a harbour, where all ships are permitted to move. Ships running aground may not fire any weapons or execute any Special Actions, launch or recover aircraft, and their Speed is reduced to 0 for the rest of the game. Attack Dice gain a +2 bonus against beached ships.

Shore Batteries

Shore batteries in Victory at Sea represent artillery pieces employed against naval vessels. The size and number of shore batteries used against ships varied greatly and the rules below will allow players to include them in scenarios.

New Rules

Shore batteries are considered immobile ships for game purposes. They can vary greatly in their capabilities but all can be expressed in game using the following guidelines: Main Guns: All shore batteries are equipped with these. All have a range and AD based on size and number of guns, DD, and some will have the Weak, AP, or Super AP traits. Guns Less than 6” guns 6”-8” guns 10” guns 12” guns 14” guns 15” guns 16” guns

Range 12” 26” 22” 26” 28” 30” 40”

AD 1 per 4 barrels 1 per 2 barrels 1 per barrel 1 per barrel 1 per barrel 1 per barrel 1 per barrel

DD 1 1 1 1 2 2 2

Traits Weak

— — — AP AP Super AP

Target Score: As Shore Batteries are hard to detect and hit, they all have a Target value of 5+. Armour: Open Gun: 4+, Shielded Gun: 5+, Hardened Gun (such as the “Atlantic Wall” batteries): 6+. The default armour for all shore batteries is 5+. Damage: 5 per Gun AD. -1 if the guns are weak, +1 if they are AP or Super AP. Priority Level: Guns 4 AD or Less 5-8 AD 9-12 AD 13+ AD Hardened Gun 10”-12” Guns 14”-15” Guns 16” Guns

Priority Level Patrol Skirmish Raid Battle Raise Priority Level by one Raise Priority Level by one Raise Priority Level by two Raise Priority Level by three

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Crew: Coastal batteries have no Crew score. Critical Hits: Critical Hits are determined normally but the results are determined on the following table; D6 1 2 3 4 5 6

Damage +1 +3 +3 +4 +4 -

Effect All guns suffer -1 penalty on Attack Dice One random Gun is destroyed Each Gun can only fire on a 4+ No weapons can fire for 1D3 turns Roll for each Gun, on a 4+ it is destroyed Damage score to zero, entire battery destroyed

Example Batteries Open 6” Coastal Defence Battery Armour: 4+

Target: 5+

Weapon 8x 6” Guns

Patrol

Damage: 20

Range 26

AD 4

DD 1

Special —

Hardened 15” Coastal Battery with 4 Guns Armour: 6+

Target: 5+

Range 30 30 30 30

AD 1 1 1 1

DD 2 2 2 2

Special AP AP AP AP

New Rules

Weapon Gun #1 (15”) Gun #2 (15”) Gun #3 (15”) Gun #4 (15”)

Battle

Damage: 24

Night Fighting

In the battles for supremacy of the oceans in World War II, conflicts happened night and day. Some of those battles, such as the Japanese attack on Savor Island, were an exercise in superior night fighting tactics. Whether a sneak attack or a brave defence of coastal assets, night-time battles were an aspect of war at sea that tested the worth of many naval commanders. In games of Victory at Sea target acquisition, whether by radar or other means, is the most important factor for engaging enemy ships.

Illuminated Targets: Ships that are Illuminated are automatically spotted by all ships within 20”. Any fire at an Illuminated ship ignores Attack Dice modifiers for night; the target is treated as if it were being engaged in daylight. However, the maximum range of 20” remains. Secondary Armament: Secondary Armament fired during night battles Illuminates the firing vessel. All ships within 10” of a ship firing Secondary Armament at night will automatically detect it. Searchlights: Any ship may Illuminate one enemy ship within 10”. Ships actively using searchlights are also considered to be Illuminated and become legal targets for enemy fire. Searchlights are used at the start of the Attack Phase, before any shooting takes place. The player who lost the Initiative declares all of his searchlights first, followed by his opponent. Starshells: Starshells are fired by guns from the ship’s Secondary Armament, using 1AD (so ships with only 1 AD of Secondary Armament must choose between starshell use and a normal attack). Starshells can be fired to any point within range of the ship’s secondary armament (place an Starshell marker at the desired location) with no Attack Dice rolls needed. All ships within 3” of a starshell marker are Illuminated. Starshell markers are removed in the End Phase.

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Radar (1943 or earlier): Ships with radar firing at night must shoot at the largest enemy ship within range (the ship with the greatest number of starting Damage) . If two vessels with the same starting Damage are present, the nearest will be attacked. Fire control systems had advanced after 1943 to allow more effective direction of fire, so there are no limitations on radar in night games set in that year or later.

Minefields

The use of mines against ocean going vessels was an effective means of hemming in enemy ships or denying them age. Besides being able to cripple or sink ships (both civilian and military), valuable naval assets could be tied up for long periods of time in minesweeping operations. Placement and Density Minefields are placed before play begins, paid for using the table below. Minefield Density 10 11 12 13 14

Fleet Allocation Point Cost 1 Patrol point 2 Patrol points 1 Skirmish point 2 Skirmish points 1 Raid point

New Rules

The player deploying the minefields must then divide the playing area into 12”x12” squares. The player using mines must then record which squares contain mines. Before play begins, the opposing player rolls 1 dice for each square. On a 4 or more, the minelaying player must declare whether he has placed mines in that square or not. Navigating a Minefield Any ship in a square designated as a Minefield must roll one dice at the beginning of its movement. On a 5 or 6 the ship encounters a mine. Roll another dice, this time adding the ship’s Crew Quality and Target score. If this equals or exceeds the Minefield Density, it avoids the mine and may move normally. If the roll is lower than the Minefield Density, a mine has struck, and the ship suffers a 3DD AP hit that is treated as a torpedo for damage purposes – however, Torpedo Belts are ineffective against mines. Minesweeping Mine squares may be cleared by minesweeping vessels. To do so, a minesweeper must begin its movement within the square. A Command Check with a target number of 8+ must be made and, if successful, the Minefield Density in that square is reduced by one (to a minimum Minefield Density of 10). This change to Minefield Density is immediate and any ships moving after the minesweeper in the same Movement Phase benefit from the reduction. If the Command Check is failed, the minesweeper immediately encounters a mine and must immediately try to avoid it as detailed above. Any friendly ship within 6” behind a minesweeper gains a +1 bonus when trying to avoid a mine. No Special Actions may be used by a minesweeper while it is engaged in minesweeping, and any ship following the minesweeper loses its +1 bonus to avoid mines if it does so.

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Generic Minesweeper Speed: 4” Turning: 3 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 4/2

Weapon AA Length: 150 ft.

Patrol Special Traits: Agile, Minesweeper In Service: 1939

Range 5 Displacement: 750 tons

AD 1

DD — Speed: 20 kts.

Special — Crew: 100

Suicide Attacks

The suicide attacks of Japanese Special Attack Units (called tokubetsu kõgeki tai) became known as kamikaze (‘divine wind’) due to inaccurate translation by the Allies. Japanese kamikaze attacks sunk 81 American ships and damaged another 195. Thousands of Japanese pilots died doing this. Suicide attacks may be attempted only by four specific aircraft and one submersible of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Additionally they are restricted to games set in 1944 and later. If a battle is not specified as being set in any particular year kamikaze use will follow scenario guidelines for submersibles and aircraft. The one-way missions of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s surface vessels (such as Yamato’s last engagement) made as Allied fleets came closer and closer to the Japanese home islands are outside the scope of these rules.

Aircraft listed as kamikaze on the Aircraft roster count as being suicide attackers as soon as the force using them is deployed. Aircraft performing suicide attacks may only defend in a dogfight and may never initiate one.

New Rules

The four aircraft useable with these rules are the Yokosuka D4Y ‘-Judy dive bombers, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurgi, and the Yokosuka MXY7 Okha. There was one kamikaze submersible used in the war, the Kaiten manned torpedo.

Zero and Judy flights used for kamikaze attacks must be designated and declared as such before the Initiative Phase of the first turn of the game. Kamikaze pilots gave up their lives by the thousands; no Command check is required for suicide attacks but the plane or submersible may not make the attack unless it is declared in the Movement Phase. Movement Flights designated as Kamikaze move as normal. The Kaiten submersible moves up to 7” in the turn it was launched but may make no Special Actions until the Movement Phase in the turn after it was launched. Attacking Craft making suicide attacks must move into base with their targets. The suicide attack is resolved before other attacks but after all AA fire, subjecting aircraft to intense defensive firing. The defending ship gains a +1 bonus to AA Attack Dice when firing at aircraft making suicide attacks. The Kaiten resolves its first attack in the End Phase in which it was launched or as normal for suicide attacks in consecutive turns. Craft listed as Kamikaze may use their AD and DD in suicide attacks only - the Ki-115, Okha, and Kaiten have no other means of attacking besides suicide attacks. A Zero or Judy flight making a suicide attack is treated as having a 3 AD, 2 DD, Weak attack. If any suicide attack by an aircraft successfully causes damage, roll one dice. On a 4 or more, a fire will be started. Once a suicide attack is made, the flight is destroyed whether it was successful in damaging the target or not. The Kaiten will not be automatically destroyed by a suicide attack if it misses its target.

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Motor Torpedo Boats One of the most romantic, dashing and potentially hazardous duties in the navies of the Second World War was to serve in within the Coastal Forces (abbreviated here to CF). Many navies showed a ing interest in motor torpedo boats during the 1930s, with designs offered by Britain and being exported to several European countries and further afield. The US developed a later interest, eventually settling on standard designs from indigenous design houses and from the UK.

Motor Torpedo Boats

When war broke out the utility of small craft to take the fight to the enemy in the ‘narrow seas’ was quickly realised; built up considerable numbers of their famous Lurrsen-designed ‘Schnellboote’, or S-Boats (although these were often known to the Allies as E-Boats, or ‘Enemy Boats’. After a few false starts, the Royal Navy built hundreds of Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) and Motor Gun Boats (MGBs), with the most prevalent designs coming from Vospers, Camper & Nicholson and Fairmile. The US standard PT Boats were to become a familiar sight in the Mediterranean and the Pacific, while the Italians built many fast, light and successful MAS craft. The main fighting units were ed by a myriad of gunboats, defence launches, motor minesweepers, minelayers and coastal transports. Coastal Forces actions tended to be fought at night so as to avoid enemy aircraft (to which they were horribly vulnerable), against enemy convoys. Flotillas or squadrons would lie silently in wait (‘lying doggo’ as the British would have it) or creep up quietly in the darkness before unleashing their torpedoes at the closest possible point, then opening up the throttles to tear through or away from the enemy. Duels would be fought between the coastal boats and convoy escorts, often consisting of converted trawlers and destroyer escorts. Coastal boats also fought several battles against enemy fleet units and other ‘heavies’. Notable successes (and failures) include British MTBs attacking the German raider ‘Stier’ (the raider escaped but two of her destroyer escorts were sunk), US PT Boats at the battle of Leyte Gulf, and Italian MAS boats operating against British convoys in the Mediterranean, during which MAS boats hit and crippled HMS Manchester (she was later scuttled). These boats were heavily armed with rapid firing guns, from light machine guns up to 40mm cannon. Some even carried automatic 6pdr and 4.5” guns. This array of weaponry could put out devastating weights of firepower which posed a real threat to other CF craft and to smaller escorts. Their armament was not much of a threat to larger vessels as they were more concerned by the heavy torpedo armament that was often embarked; torpedo boats packed two, sometimes four heavyweight ‘fish’. Later in the war, more unusual weapons began to be fitted, with German and US boats in particular sporting various rocket-based weaponry. The Royal Navy did not use these, favouring the development of high explosive shells fired from automatic guns. CF boats were also not lacking in technical development. Small radar sets were developed for use in boats of the US Navy and Royal Navy which proved to be extremely useful in visualising and controlling night-time battles. In the early days of the CF use of radar, it was common for a radar-equipped boat or escort to accompany a force of radar-blind vessels in order to vector them in for a successful attack, and then to guide them out to safety. German use of radar was limited to a few S-Boats; other navies did not deploy radar on their small craft until after the war.

CF Vessels in Victory at Sea

Coastal forces vessels are represented in Victory at Sea in a similar manner to aircraft. A CF counter represents a section of two boats. They manoeuvre like aircraft, so have no Turn score (unless indicated). A flotilla or squadron will comprise 2-4 stands of boats. The exceptions are larger coastal vessels such as armed trawlers (and the German equivalent, the VP Boat) and large landing craft. These are represented individually, and are identified in the data tables as having numerical Armour scores rather than the entry ‘Sp’. They also have a Target score of 6.

Coastal Forces craft can only be engaged by a ship’s Secondary Armament and AA weapons. Larger guns cannot train effectively on these small targets. Attacking CF vessels follows the same basic principles as firing at other targets, with the following exceptions.

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Armour and Target Scores

These are combined in the following special rule. A hit represents effective fire hitting within the formation rather than hits on the vessels themselves. The effect of this fire may be to damage the boats, force them to break off an engagement, or both. For each hit scored, roll a dice and consult the table below. 1-3 – The stand is driven off. It cannot fire torpedoes this turn and must make its next move at maximum speed directly away from the attacker. 4 – As above, plus the stand takes 1 point of Damage 5-6 – The stand takes 1 point of Damage, but it may still fire torpedoes (coolness under fire!) Stands are removed from play once their Damage is reduced to 0. For simplicity, stands do not have thresholds or Crew to worry about.

Depth Charge Attacks

British Coastal Forces developed a tactic whereby they dropped depth charges close to enemy vessels in the hope the underwater explosions would damage the ship.

Smoke Screens

All British MTBs and MGBs, US PT Boats, German S Boats and R Boats carried smoke dischargers or smoke floats. These allow a stand to deploy a smoke screen using the standard smoke rules. Each section can do this only once per game.

Coastal Forces Data Tables

The following table summarises the statistics for costal forces vessels and other ships that fought in the Narrow Seas. All use the special Armour and Target rules above unless there is a value in the Armour column, in which case they use the normal rules.

Motor Torpedo Boats

To conduct a Depth Charge attack, the stand must be moved into with the target vessel. It may then conduct an attack in the Attack Phase - roll a dice. On a 4 or more the attack is successful. Treat the target as if it has been hit by a 6DD, AP attack.

Torpedoes: AD/DD/X/Y : X = A if AP, otherwise -, Y = ‘R’ if 1 reload, ‘O’ if One-Shot Example: 2/4/A/R = 2 Attack Dice, 4 Damage Dice, AP trait, 1 Reload Sec X”: Secondary Armament, range X”. All Secondary Armament is 1 AD, 1 DD, Weak Roc X”: Rocket Armament instead of torpedoes may be carried. Range X”, 1 AD, 2 DD, One-Shot DC: Carried Depth Charges. Range 0”. All are One-Shot Priority Level: The Fleet Allocation Point cost shows how many stands are available for each Patrol point. For example Patrol/2 means one Patrol point will buy two stands.

MTB Table Type USA PT Boat Elco MGB L/LCVP LCM

Speed

Turn

Target

Armour

Damage Traits

Torps

AA

Other

FAP cost

8” 8” 3” 3”

AA AA AA AA

5+ 5+ 5+ 5+

Sp Sp Sp Sp

3 3 2 2

— — — —

4/4/A/O — — —

5/1 5/2 — —

Roc 6” — — —

Patrol/2 Patrol/3 Patrol/4 Patrol/4

SC-1 SC-497 (fast) SC-497 (slow)

4” 5” 3”

AA AA AA

5+ 5+ 5+

Sp Sp Sp

3 3 3

— — —

— — —

5/1 5/1 5/1

Sec 8” Roc 6” Roc 6”

Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/2

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Motor Torpedo Boats

Type UK Vosper 72’ MTB Vosper 61’ MTB Vosper 73’ MGB Vosper 73’ MTB Elco MTB Fairmile “A” ML Fairmile “B” ML Fairmile “C” MGB Fairmile “D” MTB Denny SGB 70’ MGB 70’ MA/SB BPB MTB C & N MTB Thorneycroft MTB White 72’ MTB Landing Craft Gun Armed Trawler S-Boat (S1-S25) S-Boat (S26+) R1 R17/R25/R41 VP Boat Italy MAS boat MAS 438 MAS 427 MS boat Japan PT1 PT10 PT101 T35 Hayabusa Daihatsu VTB 8 CH.1 CH.5 Soviet Union D3 G5 MO-4

Speed Turn Target

Armour

Damage Traits

Torps

AA

Other

FAP cost

8” 8” 8” 8” 8” 5” 4” 4” 8” 7” 8” 7” 8” 7” 8” 8” 3” 3”

AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA AA 2 2

5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 4+

Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp 4+ 4+

3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 2

-------------------

2/4/A/O 2/3/-/O -4/3/-/O 2/4/A/O ---2/4/A/O 2/4/A/O --2/3/-/O 4/3/-/O 2/3/-/O 2/3/-/O ---

5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/2 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/2 5/1

DC

Sec 4” Sec 4” Sec 6” Sec 4” DC DC DC DC DC Sec 10” Sec 6”

Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/3 Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/3 Patrol/3 Patrol/3 Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/3 Patrol/3 Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/3 Patrol/3

7” 8” 4” 4” 3”

AA AA AA AA 2

5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 4+

Sp Sp Sp Sp 4+

3 3 3 3 2

------

2/4/A/O 2/4/A/R ----

5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1

Roc 4”** DC DC Sec 6”, DC

Patrol/2 Patrol/1 Patrol/3 Patrol/3 Patrol/3

9” 7” 6” 8”

AA AA AA AA

5+ 5+ 5+ 5+

Sp Sp Sp Sp

3 2 2 3

-----

2/3/-/O 2/3/-/O 2/3/-/O 2/4/A/R

5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1

Sec 8” Sec 8” DC

Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/1

8” 6” 8” 7” 7” 3”

AA AA AA AA AA AA

5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+

Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp Sp

2 2 2 3 3 3

-----

2/3/-/O 2/3/-/O 2/3/-/O 2/3/-/O ---

5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1

8” 4” 3”

AA AA AA

5+ 5+ 5+

Sp Sp Sp

3 3 3

----

2/3/-/O ---

5/1 5/1 5/1

DC Sec 8” Sec 8”

8” 8” 5”

AA AA AA

5+ 5+ 5+

Sp Sp Sp

2 3 3

----

2/3/-/O 2/4/A/O --

4/1 5/1 5/2

Patrol/2 Roc 4”, DC ** Patrol/1 Sec 6” Patrol/3

Sec 6”

Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/2 Patrol/3 Patrol/4 Patrol/2 Patrol/3 Patrol/3

Notes ** S Boats may carry rockets in scenarios set in 1945 only. ** G5 can only carry Depth Charges if torpedoes are removed.

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irals Throughout the history of naval warfare, individuals given command have distinguished themselves in combat. Every fleet needs a commanding officer and many have risen above and beyond the call of duty to sail into victory. World War II was no exception, and battles at sea were driven by men that will go down in history as heroes of their respective nations. In Victory at Sea, irals are defined as officers commanding a group of vessels whether they held the rank of iral or not. Players may either use one of the profiles of the selected historic commanders below or create their own for campaigns and one-off battles. Only one iral per fleet is allowed, even in campaigns. irals may be purchased for any fleet of five or more Fleet Allocation Points, and will be assigned to one vessel. They raise the Priority Level of this flagship by one. A Raid level ship with an iral on board therefore becomes a Battle level ship, for example. All irals provide +2 bonus to all Initiative rolls for their fleet, until the flagship’s Crew score is reduced zero or it is destroyed. The flagships listed for the historic irals are guidelines only and players may place them on different ships if they wish, though they may only serve in their native fleets.

Three traits from the following list may be given to an iral and are chosen before play begins. The effects of the iral traits remain in play until the flagship is destroyed or reduced to zero Crew.

Night Fighter: This iral has drilled and fought extensively using specialised night fighting tactics. In night battles any ship in this iral’s fleet attempting to spot enemy vessels gains a +2 bonus.

irals

iral Traits

Fearless: There is a rare breed of men that seize the moment and effectively turn overwhelming odds into a fighting chance for victory. A Fearless iral grants a +1 bonus to the Attack Dice of all ships in his fleet if the opposing fleet is larger by 3 or more Fleet Allocation Points. The Fleet Allocation Point difference is calculated at the beginning of a battle and may not be gained due to losses in combat. Torpedo School Graduate: Well-trained in the use of torpedoes, this iral can use them with deadly efficiency. Any ship in a fleet with a Torpedo School graduate will never re-roll successful torpedo hits. Hunter of the Deep: This iral is a seasoned veteran of submarine warfare, venerated by his compatriots and feared by his enemies. Once a game, the iral may declare a combined attack at the start of a turn – throughout this turn, all submarines in his fleet may re-roll any Attack Dice that fail to cause damage. Tactical Genius: Endowed with superior training, combat experience, and an uncanny ability to guess an opponent’s next move, the Tactical Genius bestows a +3 to Initiative instead of the normal +2. Defensive Tactician: An iral that knows when to avoid a battle to win a war can be a blessing to the navy of any nation. Special missions may be given to skilled commanders as well. All ships in a Defensive Tactician’s fleet may use the Evasive! Special Action, not counting it towards the one Special Action per turn limit, once per battle.

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Carrier Commander: This iral knows the value of the aircraft under his command and realises that they will change the face of naval warfare. Friendly ships with the Carrier trait may launch or recover four flights per turn rather than the normal two. Strike Commander: A skilled fleet iral that can exploit stealth, surprise, and knowledge of ground defenses may go down in history as a butcher or a hero. Once a game, the iral may declare a combined attack at the start of a turn – throughout this turn, all aircraft in his fleet may re-roll any Attack Dice that fail to cause damage. Invulnerable: Having trained the men under his command to keep their ships afloat at all costs, the invulnerable iral can fight on when he should by all rights be at the bottom of the ocean. All ships in this iral’s fleet receive a +1 bonus to all Command checks for Damage Control and Firefighting. Master of the High Seas: Born to wind and water, this iral’s orders result in maneuvering that can leave enemy captains exposed and outmaneuvered. All ships in the fleet may use Come About or Flank Speed Special Actions, not counting them toward the one Special Action per turn limit, once per battle. Commerce Raider: Though viewed as a heartless killer by his targets, the Commerce Raider is an effective component in a nation’s war machine. Once a game, the iral may declare a combined attack at the start of a turn – throughout this turn, all ships of 5 points of Damage or less in his fleet may re-roll any Attack Dice that fail to cause damage.

irals

Historic irals Commander Ernest Evans United States Navy

Commander Evans was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian who entered service with the US Navy in 1931. He commanded both the Clemson-class destroyer Alden (earning the Bronze Star while commanding) and the Fletcher-class Johnston. At the Battle off Samar (Leyte Gulf ) as a part of the unit Taffy 3, Evans heroically charged an oncoming Japanese fleet in an attempted diversion so the valuable carriers in his group could escape. His tiny destroyer crippled the Japanese cruisers Kumano and Suzuya and then fought on after his ship took heavy fire, inspiring the other commanders in Taffy 3. His actions led in part to the successful withdrawal of the aircraft carriers in his force. Though not an iral, he inspired the ships in his group to fight against impossible odds. Commander Evans paid the ultimate price at Leyte, and his body was never recovered. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and shared in the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to Taffy 3. Traits: Fearless, Tactical Genius, Invulnerable Flagship: Fletcher-class destroyer Johnston

12

2

Rear iral Sir Henry Harwood Royal Navy

Entering the Royal Navy in 1903, Sir Henry had a long and distinguished career. The HMS Warwick was his first command. He served as captain of two other vessels before having a flag command on HMS Ajax. While commanding Force G, Harwood fought at the Battle of the River Plate. Brilliant tactics executed by iral Harwood and his fellow captains led to the pursuit and eventual scuttling of the pocket battleship iral Graf Spee. Harwood was knighted and appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station in 1942. His decorations included the Order of the British Empire and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. iral Harwood retired in 1945. Traits: Tactical Genius, Master of the High Seas, Defensive Tactician Flagship: Leander class cruiser HMS Ajax

Vice iral Otto Ciliax Kriegsmarine

Otto Ciliax was one of the more capable (and unsung) commanders in the Kriegsmarine who, like many other officers, began his career in the First World War. He rose through the ranks as a torpedo boat commandant and later was the commanding officer of both the iral Scheer and Scharnhorst. Ciliax’s most notable naval action was Operation Cerberus, in which he was the commanding officer. iral Ciliax‘s fleet successfully made the ‘Channel Dash’ across the English Channel (escaping detection for twelve hours) to repair and resupply in . Ciliax later became commander in Chief of the Supreme Naval Command Norway.

Vice iral Gunichi Mikawa

irals

Traits: Commerce Raider, Master of the High Seas, Defensive Tactician Flagship: Scharnhorst-class battlecruiser Scharnhorst

Imperial Japanese Navy

iral Mikama served on many different vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy and was an instructor at the Naval Torpedo School. He later commanded the cruisers Aoba and Chokai as well as the battlecruiser Kirishima. Mikawa was considered to be the victor of Savo Island where aboard his flagship (the Chokai) he led a makeshift fleet in a surprise attack on Allied forces. Several Allied cruisers were sunk and over a thousand Allied servicemen were killed. iral Mikawa fought with distinction in the battles at Guadalcanal and later served as flag commander for the 2nd Southern Expeditionary Fleet in the Philippines, the Southwestern Area Fleet, and 13th Air Fleet before being assigned to shore duties where he would remain until the end of the war. Traits: Night Fighter, Torpedo School Graduate, Strike Commander Flagship: Takao-class cruiser Chokai

13

2

Vice iral Alberto De Zara Regia Marina

Alberto De Zara was an Italian naval officer that led his squadron to victory by thwarting Operation Harpoon in the Mediterranean. An allied fleet charged with resupplying Malta was mauled in June 1942 with two ships surviving. De Zara commanded the Italian squadron from the Light Cruiser Eugenio Di Savoia. His victory is considered to be the only squadron-level victory of the Italian Navy in World War II. Traits: Master of the High Seas, Commerce Raider, Tactical Genius Flagship: Condottieri-class light cruiser Eugenio di Savoia

Rear iral Robert Jaujard Free French Navy

iral Jaujard was a distinguished French officer who aboard his flagship, La Galissonnière-class light cruiser Montcalm, participated in Operation Neptune during the Normandy Invasion. Jaujard’s ship along with the hundreds of other vessels involved with the operation were the naval side of Operation Overlord, providing for the landing forces that stormed the French shore. Traits: Defensive Tactician, Fearless, Master of the High Seas Flagship: La Galissonniere-class cruiser Montcalm

Captain 1st Grade N.I. Vinogradov irals

Soviet Navy

Commander of the Artic Submarine Brigade of the Northern Fleet, Vinogradov was a capable commander. The twenty submarines under his command were the main striking force of the northern sea routes and were responsible for sinking over twenty warships and nearly eighty transport vessels. The submarines under Captain Vinogradov’s command employed minelaying as well as traditional submarine weapons in their fight against Axis vessels. Vinogradov survived the war and was promoted to rear iral. Traits: Hunter of the Deep, Commerce Raider, Master of the High Seas Flagship: Any Russian submersible

14

2

Advanced Aircraft Operations Aircraft in World War II changed naval warfare forever. As the aircraft carrier evolved into an asset that rivaled battleships in importance, the tactics and deployment of combat aircraft changed significantly. Aircraft became much more than the eyes of a military force, and dogfights changed from honorable duels into ruthless airborne battles. Massed aircraft attacking enemy fleets or ground targets cost thousands of personnel their lives. Combat aircraft became an iral’s valued asset – or his worst fear. The main rulebook remains the basis of using aircraft in games of Victory at Sea. The rules presented here are intended to add a new level of realism and combat effectiveness to aircraft.

Dogfighting and Defence

Instead, to reflect the toughness of some aircraft a Defence score has been added to some flights. Any time an aircraft flight takes a hit from any source, it may use its Defence score, rolling the indicated number or higher on one dice to avoid all damage. This must be rolled separately for each hit or failed dogfight. Aircraft with no Defence score are destroyed immediately upon taking a hit.

Ammunition

As fighters fought for supremacy of the skies, millions of rounds of ammunition were expended. To reflect finite supplies of fighter ammunition, all aircraft carry enough ammunition to last for two turns of dogfighting. This can be easily recorded by flipping an aircraft counter or rotating a miniature’s base after the first turn of ammo is expended. After ammunition has been expended, a flight may still use its Dogfight score, but if it succeeds in beating its enemy, it will only survive – it will not destroy its enemy.

Advanced Aircraft Operations

To better reflect the capabilities of fighters and bombers, the following changes are used for dogfighting. Only fighters may initiate a dogfight, while other aircraft types may only defend, using their Dogfight score. The resolution of dogfights remains the same except for that aircraft Damage scores are no longer used.

AA Fire, Dual-Purpose Secondaries, and Attacking Bombers

AA fire now uses a new method for resolving attacks from ships targeting aircraft. Only AA guns (and Dual-purpose Secondary Armament, which is explained below) may fire at aircraft. In addition the +1 Attack Dice bonus for AA fire targeting torpedo-and dive-bombers no longer applies.

Halfway through the war, new aerial tactics were used against naval targets and new weapons were employed to deal with them. Dual-purpose secondary weapons and proximity fuses became an effective means of air defence. Whether a ship’s Secondary Armament will be used against aircraft or ships must be declared by the firing player when it fires during the Attack Phase - it may not split its Secondary Armament between aircraft and surface vessels, and the range for anti-aircraft attacks made by dualpurpose Secondary Armament is the same as the ship’s AA guns. The following ships are equipped with Dual-purpose guns: All British and US cruisers and aircraft carriers, all US battleships, Fletcher-class destroyers, and the Queen Elizabeth, Renown, and King George V-class ships.

15

2

Fighter Escorts

In addition to air superiority duties, fighters had another vital purpose - escorting bombers to their targets. To simulate this in Victory at Sea, any fighter flight may be designated as an Escort at the beginning of its movement. In order to Escort, the flight must move to within 1” of any type of bomber flight and must be kept within 1” on subsequent turns to maintain its Escorting status. Fighter counters or miniatures may never overlap or be stacked. Any time an enemy flight moves to within 2” of the Escorting fighter, the Escort may immediately move to intercept it, interrupting and ending the opposing aircraft’s movement. The Escort must initiate a dogfight in the Attack Phase. Treat the flight that has been intercepted by the Escort as being locked in a dogfight.

Carrier Operations

Carriers revolutionised warfare but required specific military doctrine and deployment. Aircraft carriers, while being a platform that extends a fleet’s striking range greatly, have strengths and weaknesses that are unique to them alone. These rules define the carrier’s roles of rearming and resupply as well as simulating the effects of damage on the effectiveness of carrier operations.

Reload and Refuel

Advanced Aircraft Operations

Bombers of all types expend their bomb loads and need resupply before their next mission. Fighters expend their ammunition and need to be rearmed, while all planes require fuel. The process of rearming and refueling requires a flight spends two full turns on a carrier (after the turn in which it lands), and replaces all bombs, fighter ammunition, and fuel used in combat.

Outfit for Anti-Ship Operations

A fighter flight may be equipped with bombs to drop on enemy surface ships. This is done either during Reload and Refuel or before play begins (in which case fighter flights carrying bombs are designated as such before the first turn). Fighters carrying bombs have their Dogfight scores reduced by -2 and their Speed reduced by 4”. These modifiers remain in effect throughout the mission, until it lands and reloads/refuels on board a carrier. The Attack Dice, Damage Dice, and traits of the bombs or torpedoes are listed in the entry for each individual aircraft type later in this chapter. Only bombs or torpedoes may be carried, never both.

Night Operations

No carrier may launch or recover aircraft at night, except for Royal Navy Albacore and Swordfish flights in games set in 1942 or later, or Hellcat flights off the Independence-class light carriers in games set in 1944 or later..

Carrier Operations in Bad Weather

Launching and recovering aircraft in bad weather was a risky proposition. In games with Bad Weather conditions, a dice must be rolled for every flight that is launched or recovered. On the roll of a 1, that flight is destroyed.

Fire

Shipboard fires are a carrier captain’s nightmare. No carrier may launch or recover any planes while fires are burning. In addition, if three or more fires are burning after attempts to extinguish them in the End Phase fail, an additional 1D6 points of Damage are inflicted upon the burning carrier. In addition, one flight of planes still onboard (determined randomly) will be destroyed automatically.

Anti-Submarine Warfare

Some aircraft could detect and attack submarines with aerial depth charges. Aircraft listed as ASW under Type (see page 19) are considered to be long-range maritime patrol craft. Their Bomb scores are treated as depth charges. An ASW aircraft can be moved into with a submerged enemy submersible and attempt detection in preparation to attack. If attempting to detect a submarine that has fired torpedoes this turn, the detection roll is 4+. If the submarine has not fired torpedoes yet the detection roll is 6+. Submarines that have surfaced will be automatically detected as normal. Attacking aircraft can make a single attack using the Attack Dice and Damage Dice listed below.

16

2

Aircraft Observation Non-ASW

AD 1 2

DD 3 3

Aerial depth charges are expendable munitions and One Shot. Airplanes from the aircraft rosters list (see page 19) may use their listed Depth Charge Attack Dice as an ‘ammunition’ score, with each Attack Dice used being subtracted from the total Depth Charge Attack Dice listed. Example: A flight of French Latecoere 298 aircraft detect a German U-boat threatening an allied task force. It dives to attack, using two of its four attack dice to target the submarine. Having scored a hit and sinking the vessel the flight continues its anot-submarine duties, now having just two attack dice left to target any new enemy submersibles. Ships with the Aircraft trait may assign their observation aircraft to ASW duties before the first turn, and will have one depth charge-equipped plane to use against submersibles. ‘Small’ aircraft include all US Navy and Royal Navy carrier-borne flights that are capable of carrying bombs and torpedoes (though not fighters that Outfit for Anti-Ship Operations). Small aircraft may be designated as having ASW loads only before play begins.

Variant Air Groups

To use the list, track down the columns for each type to see the aircraft available. Refer to the original air group for the carrier to determine the number of flights carried of each type, and then select a new aircraft of the same type for the year in question. The quantity of aircraft types as they are listed for each specific carrier must remain the same. For example, if a carrier is listed as having three fighter flights, three torpedo-bomber flights, and four dive bomber flights in its fleet list entry, a player may not change the complement to five torpedo-bomber flights and five fighter flights, though the class of aircraft may be changed (swapping three Seafire flights to three Corsair flights, for instance). As a general rule, Variant Air Groups should be used in any game set in a specific year when In Service Dates are being used.

Advanced Aircraft Operations

The fleet lists include recommended aircraft types for each carrier, generally using a typical 1942 air group or one deployed in the year the carrier was commissioned. However, aircraft that made up carrier air groups varied considerably, especially as the war progressed. The following is a list of common aircraft types in use on board carriers during World War II. This list can be used to amend carrier air groups in subsequent years and are intended to be used with the In Service dates and chosen year of each Victory at Sea battle.

Royal Navy Air Groups Year 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945

Fighter Skua, Sea Gladiator Fulmar Fulmar Martlet, Fulmar, Seafire, Sea Hurricane Martlet, Seafire, Sea Hurricane Corsair, Firefly, Seafire, Hellcat Corsair, Firefly, Seafire, Hellcat

Torpedo-Bomber Swordfish Swordfish Swordfish, Albacore Swordfish, Albacore Avenger, Barracuda Avenger, Barracuda Avenger, Barracuda

Dive-Bomber Skua Swordfish, Skua Swordfish, Albacore Swordfish, Albacore Avenger, Barracuda Avenger, Barracuda Avenger, Barracuda

17

2

United States Navy Air Groups Year 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945

Fighter Wildcat Wildcat Wildcat Wildcat, Hellcat Wildcat, Hellcat, Corsair Wildcat, Hellcat, Corsair

Torpedo-Bomber Devastator, Vindicator Devastator, Vindicator Devastator, Vindicator Avenger Avenger Avenger

Dive-Bomber Dauntless Dauntless Dauntless Dauntless, Helldiver Dauntless, Helldiver Helldiver

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Groups

Advanced Aircraft Operations

Year 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945

Fighter Claude Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero Zero

Torpedo-Bomber Kate Kate Kate Kate Kate Jill Jill

Dive-Bomber Val Val Val Val Val, Paul Val, Paul, Judy Val, Paul, Judy

Revised Aircraft

To accommodate these new rules, the following list of aircraft combines the aircraft found in the Victory at Sea main rulebook with new aircraft types found in Order of Battle. All changes to aircraft are official, replacing previously published material. •

Pl/Flights indicates how many flights are available for one Fleet Allocation Point of the indicated Priority Level.

•

Italicized Bomb or Torpedo scores denote optional loadouts. Full penalties listed for fighters on page 16 will apply to aircraft with optional loadouts, Attack aircraft craft may switch to optional loadouts with no penalty to their performance.

•

Italicized In Service dates denote a projected year for deployment.

•

Defence scores are explained on page 15.

•

Planes listed as ASW represent a single plane, not an entire flight, and are further explained on page 16.

•

Planes listed as Kamikaze are explained on page 7.

18

2

Royal Navy Master Aircraft Roster In PL/Flights Service Type Patrol/4 1938 Fighter Patrol/2

1938

Patrol/2

Bomb Bomb Bomb Speed Target Dodge Defence Dogfight AD DD Traits 15 4+ 4+ — +0 — — —

Torp. Torp. Torp. AD DD Traits — — —

4+

4+

6+

+1

3

3

AP

—

—

—

1940

Dive 15 Bomber Attack 21

5+

3+

5+

+2

3

3

AP

—

—

—

Patrol/2

1936

Attack

11

5+

2+

—

+0

9

2

—

—

—

—

Patrol/2

1942

Attack

17

4+

4+

6+

+1

4

3

AP

3

4

AP

Skirmish/3 1944

Fighter

26

5+

3+

6+

+4

3

4

AP

—

—

—

Patrol/4 Patrol/3

1940 1936

Fighter Attack

19 10

4+ 5+

4+ 2+

— —

+2 +0

3 6

2 2

— —

— 3

— 4

— AP

Patrol/3

1937

Fighter

17

6+

2+

—

+1

—

—

—

—

—

—

Patrol/2

1940

Fighter

21

5+

3+

—

+3

3

2

—

—

—

—

Patrol/2

1937

Fighter

21

5+

3+

—

+2

3

2

—

—

—

—

Skirmish/3 1941

Fighter

27

5+

3+

6+

+4

3

4

AP

—

—

—

Patrol/3

14

3+

5+

4+

+1

1

3

AP

—

—

—

Skirmish/3 1938

Patrol, ASW Fighter

25

5+

3+

—

+4

1

3

AP

—

—

—

Patrol/2

Fighter

26

5+

3+

6+

+3

3

4

AP

—

—

—

1937

1943

Kriegsmarine Master Aircraft Roster Aircraft Focke-Wulf Fw-190 FW-200 Condor He 177

In PL/Flights Service Type Patrol/2 1941 Fighter

Bomb Bomb Bomb Torp. Torp. Torp. Speed Target Dodge Defence Dogfight AD DD Traits AD DD Traits 27 5+ 3+ — +3 1 4 AP — — —

Patrol/3

15

3+

5+

4+

+1

2

3

AP

—

—

—

20

3+

5+

4+

+1

12

4

AP

—

—

—

17

3+

5+

5+

+0

6

3

AP

6

3

AP

12

4+

4+

6+

+1

3

4

SAP

—

—

—

23

5+

3+

—

+3

1

3

AP

—

—

—

23

4+

4+

6+

+2

1

3

AP

—

—

—

1941

HE-111 H2

Skirmish/4 1936

Junkers Ju-87

Patrol/2

1938

Messerschmitt Patrol/3 Me-109 G Messerschmitt Patrol/3 Me-110

1942

Patrol, ASW Level Bomber Level Bomber Dive Bomber Fighter

1937

Fighter

Skirmish/2 1936

Advanced Aircraft Operations

Aircraft Blackburn Roc Blackburn Sea Skua Bristol Beaufighter TFX Fairey Albacore Fairey Barracuda Fairey Firefly V Fairey Fulmar Fairey Swordfish Gloster Gladiator Grumman F4F Martlet Hawker Hurricane I Hawker Typhoon Short Sunderland V Supermarine Seafire LF MkIII Vought Corsair

19

2

US Navy Master Aircraft Roster In PL/Flights Service Type Skirmish/2 1938 Level Bomber Douglas Patrol/2 1937 Level Devastator Bomber F4-U1A Corsair Patrol/2 1943 Fighter Grumman F4F Patrol/2 1940 Fighter Wildcat Grumman F6F Skirmish/3 1943 Fighter Hellcat Grumman Skirmish/3 1942 Attack TBM3 Avenger Skirmish/4 1939 Level Lockheed Bomber Hudson P39 Aircobra Patrol/2 1942 Fighter P40N Warhawk Patrol/2 1941 Fighter P51D Mustang Patrol/2 1941 Fighter PBY5 Catalina Patrol/3 1936 Patrol, ASW SB2C Helldiver Skirmish/3 1942 Dive Bomber SBD5 Skirmish/3 1940 Dive Dauntless Bomber Vought Patrol/2 1937 Dive Vindicator Bomber

Advanced Aircraft Operations

Aircraft Boeing B-17

Bomb Bomb Bomb Torp. Torp. Torp. Speed Target Dodge Defence Dogfight AD DD Traits AD DD Traits 20 3+ 5+ 4+ +1 12 4 AP — — — 14

4+

4+

—

+0

2

4

AP

3

4

AP

26 21

5+ 5+

3+ 3+

6+ —

+3 +3

3 3

4 2

AP —

— —

— —

— —

25

6+

2+

6+

+4

1

4

AP

—

—

—

18

4+

4+

6+

+1

3

4

AP

3

4

AP

17

3+

5+

4+

+1

6

3

AP

6

3

AP

26 24 26 12

5+ 5+ 6+ 3+

3+ 3+ 2+ 5+

— — — 5+

+2 +3 +4 +1

3 2 3 1

3 3 4 3

AP AP AP AP

— — — 1

— — — 4

— — — AP

19

4+

4+

6+

+1

3

4

SAP

3

4

SAP

17

4+

4+

—

+1

3

4

SAP

—

—

—

17

4+

4+

—

+0

2

4

SAP

—

—

—

Imperial Japanese Navy Master Aircraft Roster Aircraft Aichi D3A ‘Val’ Aichi E16A ‘Paul’ Kawanishi H82K ‘Emily’ Kawanishi N1K1-J ‘George’ Ki-115 Tsurgi Mitsubishi A5M4 ‘Claude’ Mitsubishi A6M ‘Zero’ Mitsubishi G4M1 ‘Betty’ MXY ‘Ohka’ Nakajima B5N2 ‘Kate’ Nakajima B6N ‘Jill’ Yokosuka B4Y1 ‘Jean’ Yokosuka D4Y2 ‘Judy’

In PL/Flights Service Type Skirmish/3 1939 Attack

Bomb Bomb Bomb Torp. Torp. Torp. Speed Target Dodge Defence Dogfight AD DD Traits AD DD Traits 16 5+ 3+ — +1 3 4 SAP — — —

Patrol/2

1943

Attack

15

5+

3+

—

+1

3

2

—

—

—

—

Patrol/2

1941

19

3+

5+

4+

+1

1

3

AP

1

3

AP

Patrol/2

1945

Patrol, ASW Fighter

24

5+

3+

—

+5

3

3

AP

—

—

—

Patrol/ 2 Patrol/3

1945 1935

Kamikaze Fighter

21 18

3+ 6+

3+ 2+

— —

+0 +1

1 3

7 1

SAP —

— —

— —

— —

Patrol/2

1940

Fighter

23

6+

2+

—

+3

1

2

—

—

—

—

19

3+

5+

6+

+0

6

3

AP

3

3

AP

Skirmish/2 1945 Patrol/2 1935

Level Bomber Kamikaze Attack

43 16

4+ 5+

4+ 3+

— 6+

+0 +1

1 4

7 3

SAP AP

3

3

AP

Skirmish/3 1944

Attack

19

5+

3+

—

+1

3

2

—

3

3

AP

Patrol/2

Attack

11

5+

3+

—

+1

3

2

—

3

3

AP

Dive Bomber

23

5+

3+

—

+1

2

3

SAP

—

—

—

Skirmish/3 1941

1936

Skirmish/3 1944

20

2

Italian Navy Master Aircraft Roster Aircraft Breda Ba 201 Fiat G50 Freccia Junkers JU 87 Macchi MC 202 Folgore Reggiane Re 2001 Falco II Sparviero SM.79

In PL/Flights Service Type Patrol/2 1943 Attack

Bomb Bomb Bomb Torp. Torp. Torp. Speed Target Dodge Defence Dogfight AD DD Traits AD DD Traits 14 5+ 3+ — +1 3 3 AP — — —

Patrol/3

1939

Fighter 19

5+

3+

—

+2

—

—

—

—

—

—

Patrol/2

1941

4+

5+

6+

+1

3

4

SAP

—

—

—

Patrol/3

1941

Dive 12 Bomber Fighter 24

5+

3+

—

+2

3

3

—

—

—

—

Patrol/2

1941

Fighter 22

5+

3+

—

+3

3

3

AP

—

—

—

Skirmish/3

1936

Attack

3+

5+

5+

0

6

3

AP

3

3

AP

18

French Navy Master Aircraft Roster In PL/Flights Service Type Patrol/3 1939 Fighter

Bomb Bomb Bomb Torp. Torp. Speed Target Dodge Defence Dogfight AD DD Traits AD DD 22 5+ 3+ — +2 — — — — —

Torp. Traits —

Patrol/3

1938

11

5+

3+

—

+1

4

3

AP

3

3

AP

Patrol/2

1939

Attack, ASW Dive Bomber

16

5+

3+

—

+1

1

4

SAP

—

—

—

Patrol/3 Patrol/2

1938 1937

Fighter Attack

20 17

5+ 4+

3+ 4+

— —

+2 +0

— 3

— 2

— —

— —

— —

— —

Russian Navy Master Aircraft Roster Aircraft Ilyshuin Il-4 Ilyshuin Il-10 Polikaporov I-16 Sukhoi Su-2 ‘Ivanov’ Tupolev SB 2 Yak 9

In PL/Flights Service Type Skirmish/2 1942 Level Bomber Skirmish/3 1943 Attack Patrol/2 1937 Fighter

Bomb Bomb Bomb Torp. Torp. Torp. Speed Target Dodge Defence Dogfight AD DD Traits AD DD Traits 3 3 AP 17 3+ 5+ 6+ 0 10 3 — 22 19

5+ 6+

3+ 2+

5+ —

+2 +2

3 3

3 1

AP —

— —

— —

— —

Patrol/2

1937

Attack

17

5+

3+

—

+2

3

3

AP

3

3

AP

Skirmish/2

1936

17

3+

5+

6+

+0

9

4

—

—

—

—

Patrol/3

1937

Level Bomber Fighter

24

4+

4+

—

+3

—

—

—

—

—

—

Advanced Aircraft Operations

Aircraft Dewtoine D520 Latecoere 298 Loire Nieuport LN 401 MS 406 Potez 63.11

21

2

Scenarios The following pages introduce a range of new scenarios, both historical and otherwise, designed to challenge the tactical abilities of Victory at Sea players.

June, 1942.

Bait

As the combined fleets of iral Yamamoto prepared to attack the Midway Atoll another Japanese fleet was sent to the North Pacific, a force that was perceived to be little more than a feint. A diversion, meant to draw attention and American naval assets from Midway. The actual mission of the Northern Area Force was sent to the Aleutian Islands under the command of Vice iral Boshiro Hosogaya to establish an anchor for a Japanese defensive perimeter; the anchor was to be the Aleutian Islands.

It was perceived as bait by the United States Navy, the ships of the Northern Area Force was never engaged by American ships at the time of the Battle of Midway, more due to weather than anything else. Unknown to the Japanese iralty the United States was aware of enemy fleet movements in the North Pacific. Rear iral Robert Theobold sent elements from his under-strength fleet to look for the Japanese fleet on June 5, 1942. He took the Bait. Visual was made by U.S. aircraft but the warships on both sides did not engage each other, The Northern Area Force was lost in the fog.

Scenarios

But what if things had been different… Bait is a scenario for Victory at Sea that features a hypothetical battle between elements of Imperial Japan’s Northern Area Force and part of iral Theobold’s Task Force 8. Events in this scenario diverge from actual history on June 4, 1942. The American iral sends his fleet to look for the Japanese ships a day earlier. While steaming south at night the fog lifts and is made with the Northern Force 800 miles from Dutch Harbor. Both sides engage as blasts from shipboard guns light up the night… Fleets: The Japanese force consists of two cruisers (Kitikami-class cruisers Kitikami and Oi), Destroyer Division 24 (the Shiratsuyuclass destroyers Umikaze, Yamakaze, Kawakaze, Suzukaze), and the battleship Fuso. Problems with the unfamiliar radar systems and heavy fog have cut these ships off from their fleet. The United States player has the Portland-class Cruiser Indianapolis, the Northampton-class cruiser Louisville, the Brooklyn-class cruisers Honolulu, Nashville, and St. Louis. U.S destroyers are the Mahanclass ship Case (treat as a Fletcher-class) and the Clemson-class ships Sands, Kane, and Humphreys. Pre-Battle Preparation: The opposing fleets are positioned as shown on the diagram below. The 4’x6’ area is broken down into 2’x2’ squares, with both players placing the ships designated on the deployment chart anywhere within their assigned squares. Scenario Rules: Full Night Battles rules are in effect. Game Length: The battle lasts until one side is victorious. Victory and Defeat: Send all enemy ships to the bottom or force surrender. Neither side can claim victory until the opposing fleet is completely destroyed or concedes.

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Scenarios

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Bombardment During World War II the guns of naval vessels were sometimes called upon to bombard well-defended land targets, often in conjunction with landing operations. Mines and fortified positions could make this a formidable and deadly undertaking. Bombardment allows players to use the Minefield, Terrain, and Shore Batteries rules included in this supplement. The Fleets: The Attacker gets 5 Fleet Allocation Points for his fleet. The Defender also receives 5 FAP with at least 1 point being spent on Shore Batteries and 1 point on Minefields. Aircraft: The attacker is restricted to flights aboard his carriers (if any), the defender may purchase land-based aircraft. Pre-Battle Preparation: The Attacker begins play in the Attacker Deployment Area. The defender chooses an appropriate marker for his shore batteries. This is placed at the table edge inside the Defender Deployment Area with the entire edge representing the shoreline with it’s shallows extending 1” from the table edge. Minefields are placed as per the Minefield rules anywhere outside of the Attacker Deployment Area. Defending ships are placed within the Defender Deployment Area. Determine first turn initiative normally. Game Length: Twelve turns or when victory conditions are met.

Scenarios

Victory and Defeat: The attacker wins when all shore batteries are destroyed. The defender is victorious when 75% of the attackers ships (round down) are destroyed or the attacker is driven off.

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Flat Top As naval warfare changed from one of opposing battleships to one of carrier-based warfare tactics and objectives changed as a new way of waging war was born. Carrier groups traversed the oceans trying to avoid detection to get close enough to land targets or enemy fleets to unleash their aircraft. Flat top is a scenario that depicts the detection of a carrier group by an opposing fleet that is determined to take the enemy carriers out of the war permanently. Fleets: The attacking player (seeking out the enemy carriers) has 5 Fleet Allocation Points but must spend at least one full point on aircraft. These could be considered to land-based or carrier based but there are no restrictions on the type or quantity of aircraft taken. No aircraft carriers may be included in the attacking force. The defending player Gets 5 Fleet Allocation Points but must have at least two aircraft carriers included in his force, with no additional ground-based aircraft (just the planes from the carriers). Pre-Battle Preparation: The attacker divides his fleet into 2 groups; one consisting of all of his aircraft, one consisting of all surface ships. The defender divides his fleet as follows; one group of one half of his carrier’s aircraft (player’s choice as to which planes are aloft though carriers will have their standard compliment of planes), one group for all ships that are not carriers (the escort group), one group of all of that fleet’s carriers. The attacker begins with his aircraft in the Attacker Deployment Area. The defender has none of his force on the table at the beginning of turn one.

Game Length: 12 turns or when victory conditions are met. Victory and Defeat: The Attacking player wins when two carriers are destroyed. The defender achieves victory if two carriers remain in play at the end of turn twelve. If neither side meets its’ victory condition calculate Victory Points to determine the winner.

Scenarios

Scenario Rules: The game takes place during the daytime in perfect weather. The attacking planes may move normally in the first turn. At the beginning of turn two the attacker places his ships in the Attacker Deployment Area. At the beginning of turn two (before Initiative) the defender places his group of aircraft in the Defender Deployment Area, but only those that were designated as being aloft. At the beginning of each successive turn the defender rolls a die, on a 5+ he places his escort group in the Defender Deployment Area. The die roll is modified by +2 for each turn after the third. The turn after the escorts are deployed the defending carriers are placed in the Defender Deployment Area and only then may the remainder of their aircraft be launched.

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For the Motherland! In the later years of WWII portions of the navy of the Soviet Union were rendered useless as they sat in port, not able to push through the axis navies that controlled the seas in northwestern Russia. Wave after wave of air Luftwaffe attacks pounded Leningrad. Joseph Stalin did not commit his navy to what would have been a costly battle to break out into the Gulf of Finland. What if Stalin HAD committed his ships to battle? For the Motherland! is a scenario that simulates what could have happened if Stalin had ordered his ships that were trapped in the Gulf of Finland to break through the Axis line. The Russian leader comes to the conclusion that it would be better for his warships to be confined in a neutral port so that they may survive to protect the Motherland after the fascist invaders are defeated and driven from Mother Russia. The Germans learn of Stalin’s plans and have a task force waiting to intercept the Soviet vessels. The Fleets: The Soviet fleet consists of the Sovietski-Soyuz-class battleship Sovietski Ukrania, the Sevestapol (Gangut-class battleship), the cruiser Maxim Gorky (Maxim Gorky-class), the Novik-class destroyers Lenin, Desna, Zinoviev, and Korfu. The aircraft in the land-based Soviet air group are 8 flights of Yak-9 fighters, 8 flights of Su-2 “Ivanov” attack planes with full bomb loads, and 3 flights of Il 10 attack planes.

Scenarios

The Kriegsmarine fleet is comprised of the battleship Tirpitz (Bismarck-class), the heavy cruisers iral Hipper and Prinz Eugen (iral Hipper-class), the pocket battleship iral Scheer (Deutschland-class), the light cruiser Emden (Emden-class), the Kclass light cruisers Koln and Nurnberg, the destroyers Z 24, Z25, Z31, Z32 (Zerstorer 1936-class) and the Type 93 torpedo boats T 22, T 23, T 27, and T 28. The German air patrol consists of 4 flights of Me-109s and 6 flights of Ju-87 dive bombers. Pre-Battle Preparation: Deploy both forces as desired inside their deployment zones. The German aircraft are not placed on the board in the initial set up. Scenario Rules: To determine when the German air patrol enters the battle roll one die at the beginning of turn 3. The aircraft deploy 1” from the long table edge on the German side of the table on a roll of 6. Each following turn add 2 to the die roll until the aircraft become available. The goal of the Soviet navy is to break through the German line. Victory and Defeat: The scenario has duration of 12 turns or until all Soviet ships are destroyed or escape. The Kriegsmarine player gains full victory points for Soviet ships that are destroyed, crippled, or reduced to a skeleton crew. Each Soviet flight of aircraft destroyed earns the German player 1 victory point. The Soviet player only receives onehalf the normal victory points but will receive victory points equal to one-half the value of each of his ships (not aircraft) that are able to move off the Kriegsmarine end of the table. Full victory points value will be awarded to Sovietski Ukrania and Sevestapol if they are able to escape via the opposing table edge.

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Hunting the Beast Operations with the Tirpitz in the North Atlantic, November 1941

The campaign rules in Victory at Sea are necessarily simplified and allow several opposing fleets to engage in long term warfare. The aim of this campaign is to present a set of rules that give more detail in a specific operation. The setting for this campaign is the projected breakout of the German battleship Tirpitz and heavy cruiser Scheer into the North Atlantic in November 1941, although they could be easily adapted to other periods. At this stage of the war the United States was still officially neutral, although US battleships were actively patrolling in the Denmark Straits, and several American ships had already been sunk by German U-boats, most notably the destroyer Reuben James. The problem with most naval campaigns of this sort is reconciling hidden movement with the need to perform detection attempts. Without an umpire to help out this is problematical when there are only two players involved. The system suggested below works because some particular circumstances are in play. First, the weather in the North Atlantic in November is particularly bad. This could, easily mean that ships of opposing sides could be in close proximity yet not see each other. Radar was also in its infancy and could not be counted upon to make a detection. Both sides made extensive use of ELINT (electronic intelligence), which was quite effective at revealing the location (or at least the presence) of searching aircraft, or of communications between ships or with land based operation centres. This is the rationale behind the rules requiring disclosure of searching units.

Background

November 1941 – Tensions between the USA and are running high. In , Hitler publicly warns: ‘Let there be no mistake - whoever believes that he can help Britain must realize one thing above all: Every ship, with or without convoy, that comes within range of our torpedo tubes, will be torpedoed.’ Privately, the Fuehrer says to iral Raeder, ‘I will never call a submarine commander to if he torpedoes an American ship by mistake. After the Eastern campaign I reserve the right to take severe action against the USA...’ In September 1941 Roosevelt issues orders to shoot on sight any ship interfering with American shipping.

Hunting the Beast

Whilst these conditions are fairly specific to this campaign similar circumstances exist in other periods that would allow a similar method to be used (an easy example would be the Bismarck chase, but obvious parallels exist in modern naval campaigns where disclosure of searching units would imply the use of active sensors)

Having recovered from the Bismarck debacle earlier in the year, the German high command decided that, once more, its battleships should strike in the North Atlantic. This time the Tirpitz was to sortie, accompanied initially by the iral Scheer (which may be detached to sortie independently). At least two Allied convoys are believed to be at sea, and information on their progress should be available via shadowing U-boats. The British patrols in the Denmark Straits are being supplemented by so-called neutrality patrols conducted by the US Navy These are believed to be anything but neutral - the US Navy has been escorting merchant ships, including those of ‘any nationality which may ,’ between Iceland and America. The US Navy has also developed a base at Hvalfjord to these tasks. The British and American naval fleets can be split into smaller task forces, improving their chances of finding the German raiders but weakening their ability to destroy the raiders once they have been found. Note – this scenario is based on actual German plans for November 1941. In the event the operation was cancelled due to mechanical failure, but the possibility of a clash between German and US battleships in the wastes of the North Atlantic is too good an opportunity to up!

Scales Each campaign Turn is 6 hours long. Each hex on the campaign map is 100 miles across

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Axis Forces

Start at Trondheim (G35) Tirpitz, iral Scheer, Uckermark

Allied Naval Forces and Convoys US Task Group 1.3 (R Giffen) Starts at Reykjavik (F22) Idaho (BB) New Mexico-class Mississippi (BB) New Mexico-class Tuscaloosa (CA) New Orleans-class Wichita (CA) Portland-class Gwin (DD) Fletcher-class Meredith (DD) Fletcher-class Monssen (DD) Fletcher-class

RN Home Fleet (iral Tovey) Starts at Scapa Flow (K30) King George V (BB) King George V-class Victorious (CV) Illustrious-class Norfolk (CA) Norfolk-class Berwick (CA) Kent-class Nigeria (CL) Fiji-class Sheffield (CL) Southampton-class Cossack (DD) Tribal-class Zulu (DD) Tribal-class Sikh (DD) Tribal-class Piorun (DD) Tribal-class

Hunting the Beast

Allied Convoys Convoy HX 158 Starts at hex V2 40 transports Escort Group EG 4.14.4 (RCN) Ottawa (DD) JKN-class Dauphin (DE) Flower-class Arvida (DE) Flower-class Algoma (DE) Flower-class Group (RN) Burnham (DD) JKN-class Chambley (DE) Flower-class Matapedia (DD) JKN-class Napanee (DE) Flower-class

Convoy SC53 Starts at hex R8 35 transports Escort Group TU 4.1.8 (USN) Greer (DD) Fletcher-class Ludlow (DD) Clemson-class McCormick (DD) Clemson-class Buck (DD) Clemson-class Woolsey (DD) Clemson-class Wilkes (DD) Clemson-class

Objectives • •

The German player must attempt to sink as many transports as possible. The allied player must try to get the convoys to Liverpool (O30)

Turn sequence 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Determine formation. Roll for weather Move convoys Roll for convoy location – if successful declare locations to German player Initiate refuelling Roll for “at sea” refuelling location - if successful reveal location to Allied player Check shadowing vessels a. Check for evasion or engagement of shadowing vessels b. Shadowed and shadowing vessels move together c. Shadowing player informed of location of shadowed vessels Move other vessels Announce and resolve searches Announce vessels in enemy’s Land Based Air (LBA) areas Execute air strikes if in range or if in enemy LBA area, and if weather/daylight permits Surface actions – roll for encounter, surprise etc. Check vessel endurance.

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Formations

At the start of each turn players must decide what formation their ships are cruising in. If they are encountered by the enemy then this formation determines their starting positions (unless they have achieved surprise, in which case they may set up as desired).

Weather

Each turn the Allied player rolls to determine the weather conditions. On a roll of 1-4 the weather is Good, otherwise the weather is Bad. If on the previous turn the weather was Bad add 1 to the die roll.

Movement and Endurance

The table below gives movement rates per turn in hexes depending on the speed of the fastest ship in the group. Convoys are assumed to have a speed of 8 knots (VAS speed = 2). Ship Speed VaS Speed Movement Fuel Points Used

8 or less 1” 1 hex on odd turns 1

9-17 2”-3” 1 hex per turn 2

18-27 4”-5” 1 hex on odd turns, 2 hexes on even turns 3

28+ 6”+ 2 hexes per turn 4

Detection Convoys The convoys are being observed by U boats and Condor aircraft. Every turn roll a d6 for each convoy. The allied player must reveal the location of the convoy on a score of 4+. If the weather is bad subtract 1 from the die roll.

Hunting the Beast

All ships (except the convoy and the German auxiliary Uckermark, which ignore these Endurance rules) have a fuel capacity of 60 units. Each turn that a ship moves it uses the number of fuel points listed above. When a ship expends all of its fuel units it may only move at a maximum speed of 10 knots (but expends no fuel) – it may not conduct searches and it must head for the nearest friendly port to refuel. German ships may refuel from the Uckermark. Refuelling at a base takes 24 hours (4 turns). Refuelling at sea takes 1 turn to complete, during which the auxiliary and the fuelled ship(s) may not move. There is a chance that ULTRA intercepts may reveal the location of the refuelling. Roll a d6 on the turn that refuelling takes place, and each turn thereafter until a successful roll is made. On a roll of 1-2 the location of the refuelling point is revealed (note: the allied player may learn of this many hours after the event!)

Warship Searches Each player now declares whether they are searching. Surface ships can search the hex they are in. Ships with operable observation aircraft can search as many adjacent hexes as they have observation aircraft. Carrier aircraft can search 6 additional hexes per flight committed to the search and can search up to two hexes away. Players must declare which hexes they are searching in (but need not declare what is searching). Thus searching reveals some information on the likely locations of enemy forces. The ability to use aircraft depends on the time of day and weather: Type Daylight Twilight Night, Bad Weather

Carrier Aircraft Yes (out to 2 hexes) Yes (out to 1 hex) No

Seaplane Yes (out to 1 hex) No No

Finally, roll a single d6 for each observation aircraft used for searching. On a roll of a 1, the aircraft has been lost (either due to a crash, mechanical failure or simply disappearing) and is unavailable for the remainder of the operation. Search Results If a search is declared in a hex occupied by an enemy surface force roll a d6. The force is located on a roll of 3+ in daylight, 4+ in twilight or 5+ at night or in bad weather. Convoys are always detected, regardless of weather and daylight. The roll is made by the player who owns the surface force (this should be a hidden roll and should be made whether or not there are any ships there). If a successful roll is made those ships present are declared, as is the scouting unit that conducted the search.

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Land Based Air Searches and Attacks

Both sides are assumed to have regular air patrols in sea areas along their coast. If enemy shipping appears in these hexes they are automatically detected (whether during the day or night, or in bad weather) and their presence is immediately declared. If the ships are detected during either daylight or twilight and the weather is good they may be attacked by land based aircraft. This is the only condition in which land based air strikes take part in the game. Allied air attacks take place anywhere within the perimeter of hexes marked “B”, “I” or “U” on the map (flying from Britain, Iceland or the USA respectively). Luftwaffe attacks take place anywhere within the perimeter marked G. Both Allied and German aircraft can attack in hexes marked “BG”. To determine the number of flights in land based air strikes roll a d6: Die Roll 1 2 3 4 5 6*

Allied (“B” Hexes) Beaufighter x 3 Beaufighter x 2 Swordfish x 2 Swordfish x 3 Albacore x 3 Albacore x 3

Allied (“I” Hexes) Beaufighter x 2 Beaufighter x 2 Hudson x 2 Hudson x 3 Hudson x 3 Hudson x 3

Allied (“U” Hexes) B17 x 3 B17 x 3 Hudson x 3 Hudson x 3 B17 x 3 Hudson x 4

German He111x2, Ju87 x 2 Ju87 x 3 Ju87 x 3 Ju88 x 3 He111 x 3 He111 x 3

Carrier Air Strikes

Hunting the Beast

If a player has a carrier in range of an enemy ship (within 2 hexes) they may launch an air strike. This is resolved immediately. Note that the Victorious has enough ordnance to allow each Swordfish flight to make 2 torpedo attacks, and all aircraft to make 4 bombing attacks.

Surface Actions

If a surface force detects another in the same hex the two forces may fight a surface action (unless both opt to withdraw). Run through the following procedure to determine whether an action ensues, and whether one side achieves surprise over the other. Has one side achieved Surprise? Each player rolls a d6, adding 2 if they have active radar, +2 if they have radar, and+2 if they have observation or carrier borne aircraft in the hex. If one side’s score exceeds the enemy score by 6 or more then they have achieved surprise. If one side has achieved surprise they have the option of withdrawing (hiding in the gloom and avoiding detection by the enemy) or shadowing (remaining in to report the enemy’s position). If they take this option they remain in the hex, but they stay far enough away to stay out of (it is assumed that they make optimum use of poor visibility to remain undetected whilst keeping their opponents under observation). If they achieve surprise but decide not to withdraw or shadow they may attack the enemy. They set up in any desired formation at the extreme limit of visibility (or greater if using radar) - the opposition must be in fleet formation - and the surprising side gets one free round of gunnery before the opposition can return fire.

Desire for Action? Determine if either side wants an action. If neither does, both forces remain in the same hex but no combat occurs. If both sides wish to engage, set up in their respective formations at the limit of visibility at the longest maximum range of any ship in either force, or extreme radar range (whichever is longer). If the action is in bad weather or at night set up at the maximum spotting and engagement distances as in the rules (30” in bad weather, 20” at night). If one side wishes to disengage it may do so automatically if its speed exceeds that of the fastest enemy vessel. It may begin shadowing if desired. Fighting the Action The surface action is played out using whatever scenario is decided upon. Ships may be declared as disengaged if they remain out of with the enemy for more thanthree turns.

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Avoided If a force avoids because it managed to disengage (as described on the previous page) it must vacate the hex in the next turn. However that force may not do so across any hex sides through which enemy warships intend to exit. The enemy player announces which hex sides are deemed “closed”, it is not possible to split a force so that all hex sides are closed, at least one hex side must remain “open”.

Shadowing

Shadowing vessels move with the vessels they are shadowing and report their location. Shadowed vessels and their shadowers are moved before unshadowed ships so that the latter may take advantage of the information received However, before movement a shadowed vessel may attempt to shake off their shadower. Repeat the process for determining if the groups are aware of each other, but apply a +2 modifier to the search die roll. If the search result roll is failed the shadowed vessels are lost; the shadowing vessel is moved as normal; if the shadower remains in roll again for surprise; if the shadowing vessel is surprised the shadowed vessels can either slip away as above, or can engage their shadower. Example: Tirpitz and iral Scheer enter a hex containing the British heavy cruiser Norfolk. It is night and foggy (bad weather), but the British cruiser has radar. Each player rolls a d6 to determine surprise, the British adding 2 to their score as they have radar. Both sides roll a ‘3’, so no surprise is achieved. The Germans want to engage the cruiser, but it is faster than both the Tirpitz and the iral Scheer, so no action occurs. In subsequent turns the British cruiser shadows the Germans, whilst King George V and Victorious close the distance. However, in a subsequent turn, Tirpitz attempts to shake off her shadower. Again it is night. The detection roll is 2; even with the +2 modifier for shadowing the final score is only 4 – not enough to retain detection, so Tirpitz steels away from her shadower.

Every turn that a convoy location is declared roll a d10. On a score of 10 a ship has been torpedoed and sunk. If there are enemy heavy units (cruisers or larger) in the same hex roll a d6 - on a 5+ the ship torpedoed is a warship. Choose which heavy unit is hit randomly and resolve the attack normally. Assume that the heavy unit has been attacked by a Type VII U-boat with its forward torpedoes, attacking the target’s beam. However, if a 1 is rolled, a submarine has been attacked and sunk. Subtract 1 from the observation roll for that convoy the following turn, and do not make a d10 roll. Convoy detection and the d10 roll then return to normal on subsequent turns.

Ending the game

Hunting the Beast

U-Boat attacks

The game ends when any of the following occur: •

All German ships are sunk or return to Trondheim (G35) or Brest (S29).

•

All transport ships in both convoys are sunk.

•

The convoys reach Liverpool (O30) (although the Allied player may opt to continue the game in order to catch the Germans on their way back to port).

Victory Conditions

Real warfare often does not have the benefit of niceties such as victory conditions (it leaves little for the historians to argue about later!), so there are none for this campaign. Obviously, the Germans will lose if Tirpitz is sunk, the Allies if either convoy suffers heavy casualties. However, if the results fall between these extremes the players are advised to retire to the bar and to continue the ‘propaganda war’ there!

Uckermark and Allied Transports

For the Uckermark, use a Victory-class cargo ship. For Allied transports, use Liberty-class ships.

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Hunting the Beast

Turn Record Date 1st November 2nd November 3rd November 4th November 5th November 6th November 7th November 8th November 9th November 10th November 11th November 12th November 13th November 14th November 15th November 16th November 17th November 18th November 19th November 20th November

00:00-06:00 (Night)

06:00-12:00 (Twilight)

12:00 – 18:00

18:00 –24:00 (Night)

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Hunting the Beast Campaign Map

Hunting the Beast

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Expanded Fleet Lists The following chapters detail many new ships for use in Victory at Sea. All are considered to be official and with the expanded fleet lists players will be able to recreate many historical battles. Also included are lists of errata for ships presented in the Victory at Sea main rulebook. Again, threes changes should be considered official.

Mixing Ships from Different Fleets

When building fleets, players must choose one fleet list to choose their ships from. Adding ships from other fleet lists is not permissable unless outlined in a specific historical scenario. Having the Sharnhorst fight in a game alongside Hood or having Pensacola in the same squadron as Chokai, for example, simply will not do. Historically, Allied or Axis nations did fight alongside one another but mixing of ships, even from friendly nations, will be restricted to specific historical scenarios and not allowed for build-your-own fleets.

In Service Dates

Many players already adhere to In Service Dates in their games, but with the addition of Kamikaze units, Z-Plan ships, and Air Group Variants, the year in which a battle takes place becomes very important. In Service Dates must be observed in each battle, and players should agree in what year of the war each battle or campaign will take place, before beginning fleet selection.

Expanded Fleet Lists

Splitting Fleet Allocation Points

Thousands of ships sailed the world’s oceans in World War II. The combination of ships deployed together in a nation’s fleets were varied and many. From a squadron of escorts in the North Atlantic to the deadly carrier force that attacked Pearl Harbour, Victory at Sea uses Priority Levels and Fleet Allocation Points to simulate the composition of those forces. With the addition of new vessels to the game, players will now have greater flexibility in building their fleets. Players wishing to break down Fleet Allocation Points beyond the values and ship quantities in the Fleet Allocation table may do so. The following guidelines must be observed when splitting Fleet Allocation Points to maintain the balance of the game. This will allow players to use a single Fleet Allocation Point to buy ships of different levels rather than of one Priority Level only. A Fleet Allocation Point may be split to buy two ships of the next lowest Priority level just as stated in the main rules. However, one of those picks at the next lowest level (one-half of a Fleet Allocation Point) may be used to buy two ships of the lower level after that. A point may only be split ‘downwards’ two priority levels. Only one-half of the point may be split, so using one Battle point to buy four Skirmish level ships is not allowed. For example; One Battle Fleet Allocation Point = one Raid-level ship and two Skirmish-level ships Or One Raid Fleet Allocation Point = one Skirmish-level ship and two Patrol-level ships To summarise, a Fleet Allocation Point can be split in half, then split again. This system may be used on War, Battle, and Raidlevel points - the split on Skirmish and Patrol points is limited to that shown on the standard Fleet Allocation table. The number of aircraft flights in a wing will remain the same, as will number of boats in an MTB group.

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The Royal Navy The Royal Navy was one of the key developers of naval radar in World War II, transferring many advances and technologies to the US where they were developed and then fed back into Royal Navy designs. Practically every Royal Navy warship towards the end of the war was fitted with some form of radar. The entries here represent the state of ships as they were either in 1942 or at the time of their sinking if this took place in 1941 or earlier. For scenarios set in 1943 or later it can be assumed that all ships except aircraft carriers carry radar, including ships that were historically sunk by that time but which have been resurrected for ‘what if ’ games or tournaments.

Errata

The following official changes should be made to ships in the Victory at Sea main rulebook. Queen Elizabeth-class battleship: Target score should be 5+, add the Radar trait

Illustrious-class carrier: Priority Level should be Raid not Skirmish J/K/N-class destroyer: Secondary Armament AD should be 1, add the Radar trait Hood-class battlecruiser: Add the Radar trait, Priority Level should be Battle not War

Renown-class battlecruiser: Add the Radar trait Edinburgh-class cruiser: Priority Level should be Skirmish not Raid Fiji-class cruiser: Priority Level should be Skirmish not Raid

The Royal Navy

Nelson-class battleship: Priority Level should be Battle not War, Armour score should be 6+ not 5+, add the Radar trait

Gloucester-class cruiser: Add the Radar trait, Priority Level should be Skirmish not Raid Leander-class cruiser: Add the Radar trait Tribal-class destroyer: Add the Radar trait

The Royal Navy Expanded Fleet List

The following forms the expanded fleet list for the Royal Navy. Priority Level: Patrol Activity-class aircraft carrier Coventry-class cruiser Hunt-class destroyer escort Merchant aircraft carrier Tribal-class destroyer

Archer-class escort carrier Curacoa-class cruiser J, K and N-class destroyer S-class submersible Vindex-class aircraft carrier

Audacity-class aircraft carrier Delhi-class AA cruiser Loch-class frigate U class submersible

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The Royal Navy

Priority Level: Skirmish Ameer-class aircraft carrier Attacker-class aircraft carrier C class cruiser Dido-class cruiser (1st, 2nd, and 3rd group) Emerald-class cruiser Fiji/Ceylon (mod) class cruiser Hermes-class aircraft carrier London-class cruiser Roberts-class monitor Tiger-class cruiser

Arethusa-class cruiser Avenger-class aircraft carrier Campania-class aircraft carrier Edinburgh-class cruiser Erebus-class monitor Gloucester-class cruiser Kent-class cruiser (excluding HMS Kent) Perth-class cruiser Swiftsure-class cruiser York-class cruiser

Argus-class aircraft carrier Bellona-class cruiser Danae-class cruiser Effingham-class cruiser Fiji-class cruiser Hawkins-class cruiser Leander-class cruiser Pretoria castle-class aircraft carrier T-class submersible

Priority Level: Raid Ark Royal-class aircraft carrier Eagle-class aircraft carrier Illustrious-class aircraft carrier Southampton-class cruiser Unicorn-class aircraft carrier

Colossus-class aircraft carrier Furious-class aircraft carrier Indomitable-class aircraft carrier Surrey-class cruiser Yorkshire-class cruiser

Courageous-class aircraft carrier HMS Kent (not the Kent-class) Norfolk-class cruiser Swiftsure-class cruiser

Priority Level: Battle Audacious-class fleet aircraft carrier Hood-class battlecruiser (refit) Queen Elizabeth-class battleship Renown-class battlecruiser (refit) HMS Warspite battleship

G3 class battlecruiser Implacable-class aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth/Barham-class battleship Resolution-class battleship

Hood-class battlecruiser Nelson-class battleship Renown-class battlecruiser Vanguard-class battlecruiser

Priority Level: War King George V-class battleship N3 class Battleship

Lion-class battleship

Malta-class aircraft carrier

Special Rules

The additional special rule is applied to fleets of the Royal Navy.

Hedgehog/Double Squid: As the war continued the continual threat of U-boats led to the development of new weapons being deployed. The Hedgehog and Double Squid were both highly effective and use the same rules as depth charges, but are fired into a ship’s forward firing arc only.

Activity-class Escort Carrier

Patrol

Ships of this class: Activity

Whereas Audacity was essentially nothing more than a transport with a flat deck, Activity was in many ways the prototype for the later CVE carriers, with a hangar and lift added as well as a flight deck. Aircraft capacity was as high as 18 depending on type. She survived the war and reverted to mercantile status in 1946. Speed: 4” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 15/5 Crew: 28/9

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 512 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 2 flight of Fairey Swordfish, 1 flight of Martlets Range 14 5

AD 1 2

DD 1 —

Displacement: 14,250 tons

Speed: 18 kts.

Special Slow-Loading, Weak — Crew: 700

36

2

Ameer-class Escort Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Ameer, Emperor, Khedive, Nabob, Queen, Ranee, Ruler, Smiter, Thane

These ships were an improvement of the Attacker-class, and they proved to be tough little ships. Nabob was torpedoed by U-354, a hit which blew a 150 foot hole in the side of the ship. Despite this, she sailed over 1,000 miles to safety under her own power. Speed: 4” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 16/5 Crew: 26/8

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 496 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar In Service: 1943 Aircraft: 3 flights of Fairey Swordfish or 4 flights of Grumman Avengers, 1 flight of Martlets Range 12 5

AD 1 7

DD 1 —

Displacement: 15,646 tons

Special Slow-Loading, Weak —

Speed: 18 kts.

Crew: 646

Archer-class Escort Carrier

Patrol

Ships of this class: Archer

Archer was yet another mercantile conversion. She was plagued with mechanical problems and was taken into reserve and used only as an accommodation vessel in Scottish waters. Armour: 2+ Damage: 13/4 Crew: 23/7

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 492 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 2 flights of Swordfish, 1 flight of Martlets Range 12 5

AD 1 2

DD 1 —

Displacement: 12,860 tons

Speed: 16.5 kts.

The Royal Navy

Speed: 3” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Special Weak — Crew: 555

Arethusa-class Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Arethusa, Aurora, Galatea, Penelope Based upon the Perth-class, the Arethusa-class was designed to be the smallest possible ‘useful’ cruiser. Design flaws meant they were vulnerable to torpedo hits in the machinery spaces but otherwise they were a successful class.

Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 8/2 Crew: 20/6

Weapon A Turret (2 x 6 in) B Turret (2 x 6 in) X Turret (2 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 506 ft.

Special Traits: Agile, Aircraft 1, Radar In Service: 1935

Range 26 26 26 14 5 10 10 Displacement: 7,400 tons

AD 1 1 1 2 3 2 2

DD 1 1 1 1 — 4 4 Speed: 32.7 kts.

Special Weak Weak Weak Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 500

37

2

Argus-class Fleet Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Argus

Converted from the Italian liner Conte Rosso in 1917, she sported a famous zebra stripe camouflage scheme in the First World War. She went into reserve, but was recalled to front line service as British carrier as losses mounted during the first full year of World War II. Speed: 4” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 16/5 Crew: 17/5

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 576 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1918 (1942 as shown) Aircraft: 2 flight of Fairey Swordfish, 1 flight of Fairey Fulmars Range 14 5

AD 1 2

DD 1 —

Displacement: 15,750 tons

Special Slow-Loading, Weak —

Speed: 21 kts.

Crew: 401

Attacker-class Escort Carrier

Skirmish

The Royal Navy

Ships of this class: Attacker, Chaser, Fencer, Hunter, Pursuer, Stalker, Tracker These were US-built CVEs, supplied under the Lend Lease agreement. Their entry into service was delayed as a result of the explosion that sank HMS Dasher – their fuel systems were redesigned and refitted along British lines for improved fuel handling safety. These carriers served in three major roles: trade protection carrier (ASW-equipped ships), assault carrier (strike/CAP for invasion ), and transport.

Speed: 4” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 15/5 Crew: 26/8

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 496 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 3 flights of Fairey Swordfish or Avengers, 1 flight of Martlets Range 14 5

AD 1 2

DD 1 —

Displacement: 14,630 tons

Speed: 18.5 kts.

Special Slow-Loading, Weak — Crew: 646

Audacious-class Fleet Aircraft Carrier

Battle

Ships of this class: Ark Royal, Audacious, Eagle

The Audacious-class (more correctly referred to as the Eagle-class, but using the alternate term to avoid confusion with the earlier carrier of the same name) were the last armoured deck carriers designed for the Royal Navy. The end of the war saw Audacious being cancelled while Ark Royal and Eagle formed the core of the post war Royal Navy carrier fleet. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Carrier, Radar Damage: 44/14 In Service: 1947 Crew: 110/36 Aircraft: 4 flights of Fairey Barracuda, 4 Flights of Grumman Avenger, 6 flights of Supermarine Seafire Mk47

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 804 ft.

Range 14 8

AD 4 12

DD 1 —

Displacement: 49,950tons

Speed: 32 kts.

Special Slow-Loading, Weak — Crew: 2,740

38

2

Audacity-class Escort Carrier

Patrol

Ships of this class: Audacity

Audacity was the prototype escort carrier. Formerly (and ironically) the ex-German transport Hannover, she was fitted with a flight deck on which her aircraft sat (there were no hangars of lifts). She was sunk on December 21st 1942 by three torpedoes fired from U-751. Speed: 3” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 11/3 Crew: 12/4

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 467 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1941 Aircraft: 1 flight of Grumman Martlets Range 14 5

AD 1 2

DD 1 —

Displacement: 11,000 tons

Special Slow-Loading, Weak —

Speed: 15 kts.

Crew: 300

Avenger-class Escort Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Avenger, Biter, Dasher

Speed: 3” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 16/5 Crew: 23/7

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 492 ft.

The Royal Navy

These three ships were converted from US transports. Avenger was torpedoed and sunk by U-155, while Dasher exploded and sank in controversial circumstances in 1943 (attributed to poor design of the aircraft fuelling systems). Biter was transferred to Free French command in April 1945 and served as the Dixmude. Special Traits: Carrier, Radar In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 2 flights of Fairey Swordfish, 1 flight of Hawker Sea Hurricanes Range 14 5

AD 1 2

DD 1 —

Displacement: 15,125 tons

Speed: 16.5 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 555

Bellona-class Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Bellona, Black Prince, Diadem, Royalist, Spartan

The Bellonas were a development of the Dido-class (and are often confused with them). They were designed from the outset with only four 5.25” turrets and, by the time of their construction, the delivery of guns was no longer an issue. Spartan was sunk by a German Hs-293 guided bomb in January 1944, sinking after an 11 hour effort to save her. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 8/2 Crew: 22/7

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 512 ft.

Special Traits: Agile, Radar In Service: 1943

Range 24 5 10 10 Displacement: 7,410 tons

AD 4 5 2 2

DD 1 — 4 4 Speed: 32 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 530

39

2

C class Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Calypso, Capetown, Caradoc, Cardiff, Ceres The entry here covers the ‘as designed’ C class cruisers that were not updated to anti-aircraft cruisers. There were several distinct groups, but all shared the same basic characteristics with only minor changes in dimensions.

Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 5/1 Crew: 14/4

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 450 ft.

Special Traits: Radar In Service: 1916

Range 22 5 10 10

AD 2 3 2 2

DD 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 4,950 tons

Speed: 29 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 334

Campania-class Escort Carrier

Skirmish

The Royal Navy

Ships of this class: Campania

Campania was similar to the Vindex-class escort carriers. Her Swordfish aircraft sank U-365 in December 1944, and after the war she served in an unusual role as a mobile exhibition in the Festival of Britain. She also served as the UK command ship for atomic bomb tests in the Pacific. Speed: 3” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 16/5 Crew: 28/9

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 524 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar In Service: 1944 Aircraft: 2 flight of Fairey Swordfish, 1 flight of Martlets Range 14 5

AD 1 3

DD 1 —

Displacement: 15,970 tons

Special Slow-Loading, Weak —

Speed: 16 kts.

Crew: 700

Colossus-class Light Aircraft Carrier

Ships of this class: Colossus, Glory, Ocean, Venerable, Vengeance, Theseus, Triumph, Warrior, Perseus, Pioneer

Raid

This class of light fleet carriers had an almost fragile appearance, and resembled smaller versions of the Illustrious-class. They were based on mercantile construction techniques, and thus were quick to build (the first of class went from concept to completion in about a year). Speed: 5” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Weapon AA Length: 695 ft.

Armour: 2+ Damage: 19/6 Crew: 52/17

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar In Service: 1944 Aircraft: 3 flights of Fairey Barracudas, 3 flights of Vought Corsairs Range 5

AD 4

DD —

Displacement: 18,300 tons

Speed: 25 kts.

Special — Crew: 1,300

40

2

Courageous-class Aircraft Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Courageous, Glorious

Courageous and Glorious were half sisters to Furious, and began their lives as 15” armed Large Light Cruisers. Courageous formed the centrepiece of a carrier anti submarine force but was herself torpedoed and sunk by U-29 in 1939. Glorious was sunk by gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, while ferrying RAF aircraft back from Norway in 1940 Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 28/9 Crew: 49/16

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 786 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1928 (1940 as shown) Aircraft: 5 flights of Fairey Swordfish, 3 flights of Sea Gladiators Range 12 5

AD 3 6

Displacement: 27,560 tons

DD 1 — Speed: 30.5 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 1,216

Coventry-class AA Cruiser

Patrol

Ships of this class: Coventry, Curlew

Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 5/1 Crew: 14/4

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 452 ft.

The Royal Navy

Coventry and Curlew were refitted as AA cruisers, changing their cruiser armament for ten 4” AA guns and numerous smaller weapons. Coventry and Curlew both fell victim to an air attacks. Special Traits: Radar In Service: 1916

Range 20 5

AD 3 6

Displacement: 4,950 tons

DD 1 — Speed: 29 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 330

Curacoa-class AA Cruiser

Patrol

Ships of this class: Cairo, Calcutta, Carlisle, Curacoa

Another anti-aircraft cruiser conversion of the C-class cruiser, only eight 4” AA guns were shipped instead of the ten for the others. Carlisle served in the Mediterranean and took part in the battle of Cape Matapan. Curacoa was engaged in convoy escort work in the North Atlantic. She was sunk in a night-time collision with the liner Queen Mary in 1942, being sliced in half. The crew of the liner were unaware of the incident until some time later. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 5/1 Crew: 14/4

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 452 ft.

Special Traits: Radar In Service: 1916

Range 20 5 Displacement: 4,950 tons

AD 2 5

DD 1 — Speed: 29 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 330

41

2

Danae-class Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Danae, Dauntless, Delhi, Despatch, Diomede, Dunedin, Durban

The ships of the Danae-class were based on the preceding C class design, but lengthened to include an additional 6” gun. They were generally given less glamorous, but nonetheless important, assignments, often freeing the bigger and more capable ships for more stressing duties. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 6/2 Crew: 19/6

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 472 ft.

Special Traits: Radar In Service: 1916

Range 20 5 10 10

AD 3 3 3 3

DD 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 5,925 tons

Speed: 29 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 469

Delhi-class AA Cruiser

Patrol

The Royal Navy

Ships of this class: Delhi

Delhi was a Danae-class vessel converted into an AA cruiser while in refit in the USA. It was planned to refit other ships in this manner but the conversion was quite expensive, so Delhi became a one off. She served mainly in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 6/2 Crew: 19/6

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 472 ft.

Special Traits: Radar In Service: 1916

Range 22 5

AD 12 3

DD 1 —

Displacement: 5,925 tons

Speed: 29 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 469

Dido-class Cruiser (1st Group)

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Argonaut, Cleopatra, Euralyus, Hermione, Naiad, Sirius

The Dido-class was intended to be the Royal Navy’s equivalent of the US Atlanta-class antiaircraft cruiser. They were designed around five 5.25” dual purpose turrets of the same type used on the KGV class battleships as secondary armament. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 8/2 Crew: 22/7

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 512 ft.

Special Traits: Agile, Radar In Service: 1940

Range 24 5 10 10

AD 5 5 2 2

DD 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 7,575 tons

Speed: 32.2 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 530

42

2

Dido-class Cruiser (2nd Group)

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Bonaventure, Dido, Phoebe These three ships of the Dido-class were affected by the shortages of available 5.25” guns. They only shipped four turrets instead of five and carried additional light armament as compensation. Dido received her 5th 5.25” turret in 1942.

Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 8/2 Crew: 22/7

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 512 ft.

Special Traits: Agile, Radar In Service: 1940

Range 24 5 10 10

AD 4 5 2 2

Displacement: 7,575 tons

DD 1 — 4 4 Speed: 32.2 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 530

Dido-class Cruiser (3rd Group)

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Charybdis, Scylla

Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 8/2 Crew: 22/7

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 512 ft.

The Royal Navy

This third batch of Dido-class cruisers were completed with 4.5” dual purpose guns instead of 5.25” guns. Nicknamed the ‘toothless terrors’ by their crews, they actually proved to be better anti-aircraft cruisers than their 5.25” equipped siblings. Special Traits: Agile, Radar In Service: 1940

Range 21 5 10 10

AD 2 6 2 2

Displacement: 7,575 tons

DD 1 — 4 4 Speed: 32.2 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 530

Eagle-class Aircraft Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Eagle

Eagle was a conversion of the ex-Chilean battleship Almirante Cochrane. She served in the hunt for the Graf Spee and then continued operating mainly in the South Atlantic and later in the Mediterranean. Damaged several times, her aircraft often cross-decked to other Royal Navy carriers for operations. She was finally sunk by U-73 off Cape Salinas on August 11th 1942. Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 28/9 Crew: 34/11

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 667 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar, Torpedo Belt In Service: 1924 (1942 as shown) Aircraft: 3 flight of Fairey Swordfish, 2 flights of Hawker Sea Hurricanes Range 15 5

AD 4 2

DD 1 —

Displacement: 27,229 tons

Speed: 24 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 1,087

43

2

Effingham-class Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Effingham

Effingham served in the North Atlantic at the outbreak of World War II, taking part in several hunts for German surface raiders. She took an active role in the Norwegian campaign, bombarding shore positions and escorting convoys. She ran aground near Bodo and she was abandoned and sunk. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 13/4 Crew: 29/9

Weapon Secondary Armament (6”) Secondary Armament (4”) AA Length: 605 ft.

Special Traits: In Service: 1919

Range 20 14 5

AD 4 2 3

DD 1 1 —

Displacement: 12,800 tons

Special Weak Weak —

Speed: 30 kts.

Crew: 712

Erebus-class Monitor

Skirmish

The Royal Navy

Ships of this class: Erebus, Terror

Erebus and Terror were earlier World War One era monitors. Apart from their age they were similar in design and operation to the later Roberts class. In February 1941,HMS Terror was damaged by Luftwaffe Stukas off Benghazi and sank while under tow to Alexandria. Speed: 3” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 5+ Damage: 9/3 Crew: 13/4

Weapon A Turret (2 x 15 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 405 ft.

Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Radar, Torpedo Belt In Service: 1916

Range 26 12 5

AD 2 2 3

DD 3 1 —

Displacement: 8,450 tons

Speed: 13 kts.

Special AP Weak — Crew: 315

Emerald-class Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Emerald, Enterprise

Emerald served in the Indian Ocean until commencing a long refit in 1942. On completion she reed the Eastern Fleet and ed the Normandy landings. Enterprise, along with the cruiser Glasgow, sank three German destroyers and damaged four more in the Bay of Biscay during December 1943. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 10/3 Crew: 23/7

Weapon Secondary Armament (6”) Secondary Armament (4”) AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 570 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Radar (1943) In Service: 1926

Range 22 14 5 10 10

AD 3 1 2 4 4

DD 1 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 9,435 tons

Speed: 33 kts.

Special Weak Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 572

44

2

Fiji-class Cruiser (Ceylon Group)

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Ceylon, Newfoundland, Uganda As the war progressed, the threat from enemy surface forces declined, while the air threat increased greatly. Three ships of the Fiji-class swapped one of their triple 6” gun turrets for more anti aircraft armament.

Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 11/3 Crew: 39/13

Weapon A Turret (3 x 6 in) B Turret (3 x 6 in) Y Turret (3 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 555 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 2, Radar In Service: 1940

Range 26 26 26 12 5 10 10

AD 1 1 1 2 4 2 2

DD 1 1 1 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 10,450 tons

Special Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot

Speed: 31.5 kts.

Crew: 980

Flower-class Corvette

Patrol

Speed: 4” Turning: 3 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 4/1

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Hedgehog Depth Charges Length: 205 ft.

Special Traits: Agile, Radar, Sub Hunter In Service: 1941+

Range 8 5 4 3

AD 1 1 4 3

Displacement: 950 tons

DD 1 — 4 3

Special Weak — Slow Loading, Super AP Slow-Loading

Speed: 16 kts.

The Royal Navy

The short, stubby Flower-class corvette served all over the world. The combination of asdic and radar, combined with depth charges and a good hull form made them excellent U boat hunters during the worst battles of the North Atlantic campaign.

Crew: 85

Furious-class Aircraft Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Furious

Furious began life as a large Light Cruiser armed but was converted into an aircraft carrier. Despite her age she saw extensive service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and the Norwegian Sea where she took part in air strikes against the Tirpitz. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 29/9 Crew: 49/16

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 786 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar, Torpedo Belt In Service: 1917 (1942 as shown) Aircraft: 3 flights of Fairey Swordfish, 3 flights of Fairey Fulmars Range 14 5

AD 3 7

DD 1 —

Displacement: 28,500 tons

Special Weak —

Speed: 29.35 kts.

Crew: 1,218

45

2

G3 class Battlecruiser

Battle

Ships of this class: Invincible, Indomitable, Inflexible, Indefatigable

The G3 battlecruisers were a victim of the Washington Treaty (earning them the nickname the ‘Cherrytrees’). Their arrangement was similar to the N3 design, substituting 16” guns for 18” and enjoying a significant increase in maximum speed. The turret designs eventually saw service in the Nelson-class. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 6+ Special Traits: Aircraft 2, Armoured Deck, Radar after 1941, Torpedo Belt Damage: 43/14 In Service: Not Completed Crew: 67/22

Weapon A Turret (3 x 16 in) B Turret (3 x 16 in) P Turret (3 x 16 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 862 ft.

Range 36 36 36 16 5

AD 3 3 3 6 12

DD 3 3 3 1 —

Displacement: 48,400 tons

Special AP AP AP Weak —

Speed: 32 kts.

Crew: 1,680

Hawkins-class Cruiser

Skirmish

The Royal Navy

Ships of this class: Frobisher, Hawkins,

The Hawkins-class was based on the earlier Birmingham-class cruiser. Hawkins served mainly in the Indian Ocean, and Frobisher worked in Home waters and ed the Normandy landings. They were relegated to the reserve fleet in 1945. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 13/4 Crew: 29/9

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 605 ft.

Special Traits: Radar In Service: 1919

Range 22 5 10 10

AD 4 6 2 2

DD 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 12,800 tons

Speed: 30 kts.

Special — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 712

Hermes-class Fleet Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Hermes

Hermes was the first ship designed from the outset as an aircraft carrier. She was obsolete by the start of World War II and mostly served in the South Atlantic. She was sunk north of Ceylon by over 70 Japanese carrier aircraft on April 9th, 1942 . Speed: 5 ” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 14/4 Crew: 28/8

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 600 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1923 (1942 as shown) Aircraft: 2 flights of Fairey Swordfish Range 14 5

AD 3 1

DD 1 —

Displacement: 13,208 tons

Speed: 25 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 700

46

2

Hood-class Battlecruiser (Refit)

Battle

Ships of this class: Hood

The shortcomings of Hood’s design were readily apparent by the end of the Great War. It was intended to reconstruct her during the inter war period, however her role as fleet flagship meant she saw almost continuous service during that period. As a result her rebuild was continually postponed until the eve of the Second World War, by which point it was too late. Had her refit gone through, the entire secondary battery would have been replaced with that similar to the KGV’s, the anti-aircraft capability would have been significantly improved, and additional deck armour provided. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Radar, Torpedo Belt Damage: 42/14 In Service: 1942 Crew: 76/25

Weapon A Turret (2 x 15 in) B Turret (2 x 15 in) X Turret (2 x 15 in) Y Turret (2 x 15 in) Secondary Armament AA

AD 2 2 2 2 5 11

DD 3 3 3 3 1 —

Displacement: 46,680 tons

Speed: 31 kts.

Special AP AP AP AP Weak — Crew: 1,900

Hunt-class Destroyer Escort

Patrol

Ships of this Class: Atherstone, Berkeley, Cattistock, Cleveland, Cotswold The Hunt-class was designed to fulfil the role of heavy convoy escort, optimised for AA and ASW defence. As such, they were smaller and slower than their fleet cousins and initially carried no torpedoes. The Type 1 vessels were the victims of a design error that saw a third of their main armament landed to compensate for errors in the calculation of stability. They were used extensively to cover convoys in Home waters and the Mediterranean, and were also called in to act in more traditional destroyer roles.

Speed: 5” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 7/2

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Depth Charges Length: 264 ft.

The Royal Navy

Length: 860 ft.

Range 33 33 33 33 16 5

Special Traits: Agile, Radar, Sub Hunter In Service: 1941+

Range 12 5 3 Displacement: 1,625 tons

AD 1 2 4

DD 1 — 2 Speed: 27 kts.

Special Weak — Slow-Loading Crew: 168

47

2

Implacable-class Aircraft Carrier

Battle

Ships of this class: Implacable, Indefatigable

The Implacables were a further extension of the Illustrious design which again attempted to increase aircraft capacity. Initial operating groups were less than 60 aircraft, though a year later would see air groups rising to over 80 aircraft. Limitations on hangar height meant that they were unable to operate Corsairs and would ultimately lead to short service lives. Indefatigable was one of the success stories of the armoured deck. On 1st April 1945 she was hit at the base of the superstructure by a bomb carrying kamikaze aircraft. The armoured deck withstood the damage and she was cleared for air operations a few hours later after the debris had been swept over the side. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 32/10 Crew: 92/30

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 766 ft.

Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Carrier, Radar In Service: 1944 Aircraft: 4 flights of Fairey Barracuda, 4 Flights of Supermarine Seafires, 2 flights of Fairey Firefly Range 14 5

AD 4 10

DD 1 —

Displacement: 32,110 tons

Special Weak —

Speed: 32 kts.

Crew: 2,250

Indomitable-class Aircraft Carrier

Raid

The Royal Navy

Ships of this class: Indomitable

Indomitable was planned as the 4th ship of the Illustrious-class, but her design was altered to increase aircraft storage space. Less armour was carried and her flight deck was raised by 14 feet to accommodate a second hangar deck. This allowed her to carry 45 aircraft initially, increased to over 60 once revised aircraft handling practices and more space efficient aircraft were put in place. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Carrier, Radar Damage: 30/10 In Service: 1941 (1942 as shown) Crew: 64/21 Aircraft: 4 flights of Fairey Albacore, 6 flights of Grumman Martlets

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 754 ft.

Range 14 5

AD 4 9

DD 1 —

Displacement: 29,730 tons

Speed: 31 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 1,600

Kent-class Cruiser

Ships of this class: Australia, Berwick, Canberra, Cornwall, Cumberland, Kent, Suffolk

Skirmish

The Kent-class was the Royal Navy’s first group of County class heavy cruisers. Five were built for the Royal Navy, and two for the Royal Australian Navy. They experienced mixed careers; Cornwall was sunk by Japanese dive bombers off Ceylon, and Suffolk suffered heavy bomb damage during the Norway campaign (she was repaired and took part in the hunt for the Bismarck). Australia was hit by six kamikazes but survived, while Canberra was scuttled after the battle of Savo Island in 1942. Kent was less extensively altered then the others of her class and her statistics, where different, are shown in parenthesis. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 15/5 Crew: 31/10

Special Traits: Aircraft 3 (1), Radar In Service: 1928 (1942 as shown)

48

2

Weapon A Turret (2 x 8 in) B Turret (2 x 8 in) X Turret (2 x 8 in) Y Turret (2 x 8 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes (Kent Only) Starboard Torpedoes (Kent Only) Length: 633 ft.

Range 31 31 31 31 14 5 10 10

AD 1 1 1 1 2 (1) 3 (2) 2 2

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 14,910 tons

Special — — — — Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot

Speed: 31.5 kts.

Crew: 784

Lion-class Battleship

War

Ships of this class: Lion, Temeraire, Conqueror, Thunderer

The Lions were essentially a repeat of the King George V-class design, substituting the twin/quad 14” gun arrangement for triple 16” turrets and incorporating some other improvements. Four vessels were planned and the first two were under construction at the start of the war. However, the priority for construction was for cruisers, carriers and smaller warships so all four were cancelled in October 1940. Some studies were conducted examining the possibility of using the incomplete hulls for aircraft carriers and even at hybrid battleship/carriers but these were abandoned when it was realised that new construction was a more efficient route to follow. Armour: 6+ Special Traits: Aircraft 2, Armoured Deck, Radar, Torpedo Belt Damage: 40/13 In Service: Not Completed Crew: 67/22

Weapon A Turret (3 x 16 in) B Turret (3 x 16 in) X Turret (3 x 16 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 785 ft.

Range 41 41 41 16 5

AD 3 3 3 5 12

DD 3 3 3 1 —

Displacement: 46,300 tons

The Royal Navy

Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Special Super AP Super AP Super AP Weak —

Speed: 30 kts.

Crew: 1,680

Loch-class Frigate

Patrol

The Loch Class was the Royal Navy’s ultimate sub hunter in World War II and was also used by the Canadian, South African and New Zealand navies. Armed with two Squid launchers, advanced sonar and a powerful short range radar the Loch was a formidable enemy for U boats. Speed: 4” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 5/1

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Double Squid Depth Charges Length: 307 ft.

Special Traits: Agile, Radar, Sub Hunter In Service: 1943+

Range 8 5 4 3 Displacement: 1,433 tons

AD 1 1 6 4

DD 1 — 4 2 Speed: 20 kts.

Special Weak — Super AP Slow-Loading Crew: 114

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London-class Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Devonshire, London, Shropshire, Sussex

The London-class was a repeat of the Kents but had no bulges. London was extensively refitted just prior to the war and resembled a Fiji-class cruiser on completion. Unfortunately the reconstruction was not a great success; despite being a handsome ship with a similar appearance to the Royal Navy’s later light cruisers, as the additional structure overstressed the hull and she leaked badly. All four ships survived the war. Speed: 6” Armour: 3+ Special Traits: Aircraft 3, Radar Turning: 2 Damage: 15/5 In Service: 1929 Target: 5+ Crew: 28/9 Weapon A Turret (2 x 8 in) B Turret (2 x 8 in) X Turret (2 x 8 in)* Y Turret (2 x 8 in) Secondary Armament AA*

Range 31 31 31 31 14 5

AD 1 1 1 1 2 4

DD 1 1 1 1 1 —

Special

Weak —

The Royal Navy

* In 1944 Devonshire has X Turret removed and AA AD increased to 5. Length: 633 ft.

Displacement: 14,580 tons

Speed: 32.5 kts.

Crew: 700

Malta-class Aircraft Carrier

War

Ships of this class: Africa, Gibraltar, Malta, New Zealand

The Malta-class would have been the Royal Navy’s equivalent of the US Navy’s Midway-class. They were a departure from previous Royal Navy design practice with open hangars, regular use of deck parks and reduced armour, reflecting a shift from operations in Atlantic and Mediterranean waters to a more world-wide approach, and recognition that AA and CAP would provide the main line of defence against the principal air threat. All four ships were cancelled after the end of World War 2. Speed: 7” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Carrier, Radar Damage: 48/16 In Service: 1951 (planned) Crew: 142/47 Aircraft: 5 flights of Fairey Barracuda, 5 Flights of Avenger, 6 flights of Seafire Mk47

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 804 ft.

Range 12 5

AD 4 15

DD 1 —

Displacement: 46,000 tons

Speed: 32 kts.

Merchant Aircraft Carrier

Special Weak — Crew: 2,740

Patrol

Ships of this class: Empire MacAlpine, Empire MacCallum, Empire MacCabe, Acavus, Alexia, Gadila, Macoma, Rapana The famous ‘MAC’ ships were even more basic conversions than the CVEs. Essentially nothing more than the minimum amount of flight deck required to carry their small embarked flight (generally four aircraft), they also carried supplies in their holds. Gadila and Macoma were operated by the Dutch merchant marine and embarked Dutch operated Swordfish aircraft.

Speed: 2 ” Turning: 1 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 12/4 Crew: 4/1

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1943 Aircraft: 1 flight of Fairey Swordfish

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Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 459 ft.

Range 14 5

AD 4 2

DD 1 —

Displacement: 12,000 tons

Special Weak, Slow-Loading —

Speed: 13 kts.

Crew: 107

N3 class Battleship

War

Ships of this class: St George, St David, St Andrew, St Patrick

The N3 battleships were Britain’s first post-war capital ship designs and incorporated the lessons learnt from the Great War. Horizontal protection (up to 9” thick) was testament to the increasing ranges that gunnery duels were fought, as well as an early acceptance of the risk posed by bombs from high flying aircraft. The N3s would also mount the biggest guns ever mounted on a British warship. Resource constraints led to an unusual arrangement where the third turret sat between the forward and aft superstructures. In the end the design was killed off by the Washington Naval Treaty, but elements of the design lived on in the Nelson-class battleships. Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 6+ Special Traits: Aircraft 2, Armoured Deck, Radar after 1941, Torpedo Belt Damage: 42/14 In Service: Not Completed Crew: 67/22

Length: 815 ft.

Range 42 42 42 16 10 10 5

AD 3 3 3 6 1 1 12

DD 4 4 4 1 4 4 —

Displacement: 48,000 tons

Special Super AP Super AP Super AP Weak AP, Slow-Loading AP, Slow-Loading —

Speed: 23.5 kts.

The Royal Navy

Weapon A Turret (3 x 18 in) B Turret (3 x 18 in) P Turret (3 x 18 in) Secondary Armament Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes AA

Crew: 1,680

Queen Elizabeth-class Battleship (Barham)

Battle

Ships of this class: Barham, Malaya

HMS Barham and HMS Malaya saw the least amount of refit activity of the five Queen Elizabethclass battleship. Both ships were active in the North Sea hunting and defending against German surface raiders and in the Mediterranean. It was during a mission near Crete, in 1941 that Barham was sunk by German submarine torpedoes Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Radar, Torpedo Belt Damage: 34/11 In Service: 1915 (1942 as shown) Crew: 38/12

Weapon A Turret (2 x 15 in) B Turret (2 x 15 in) X Turret (2 x 15 in) Y Turret (2 x 15 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 645 ft.

Range 42 42 42 42 15 5

AD 2 2 2 2 8 7

DD 3 3 3 3 1 —

Displacement: 35,710 tons

Speed: 24 kts.

Special AP AP AP AP Weak — Crew: 950

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Queen Elizabeth-class Battleship (Warspite)

Battle

Ships of this class: Warspite

HMS Warspite saw a less extensive refit than her sister ships HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Valiant and uses the statistics here. Nevertheless, Warspite was an active member of the war effort. The longest hit ever scored by a naval gun on an enemy ship was made by Warspite when she struck the Italian battleship Guilio Cesare at approximately 26,000 yards and she made a vital contribution to the Royal Navy’s victories at the Second Battle of Navik and Cape Matapan. Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Aircraft 2, Armoured Deck, Radar, Torpedo Belt Damage: 34/11 In Service: 1915 (1942 as shown) Crew: 42/14

Weapon A Turret (2 x 15 in) B Turret (2 x 15 in) X Turret (2 x 15 in) Y Turret (2 x 15 in) Secondary Armament AA

The Royal Navy

Length: 645 ft.

Range 42 42 42 42 15 5

AD 2 2 2 2 6 4

DD 3 3 3 3 1 —

Displacement: 36,450 tons

Special AP AP AP AP Weak —

Speed: 24 kts.

Crew: 1,050

Pretoria Castle-class Escort Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Pretoria Castle

Pretoria Castle started life as a Union Castle liner. She was requisitioned in 1939 and became an armed merchant cruiser (essentially a liner with 6” guns added) but was purchased outright in 1942 and converted to full escort carrier status, with a hangar, flight deck, lift and catapult. She never saw a combat deployment, but was employed as a training and trials carrier during World War II. Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 24/8 Crew: 23/7

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 592 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar In Service: 1943 Aircraft: 2 flights of Martlets, 1 flight of Fairey Swordfish Range 14 5

AD 1 2

DD 1 —

Displacement: 23,450 tons

Speed: 18 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 580

Renown-class Battlecruiser (Refit)

Battle

Ships of this class: Renown

Renown and Repulse were laid down during the First World War. Renown was lucky enough to be extensively refitted in a similar style to that of Queen Elizabeth and Valiant. Like many British battleships, the catapult and aircraft were removed in 1943 when the role of aerial reconnaissance was fulfilled by carrier aircraft. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 4+ Special Traits: Aircraft 2, Radar , Torpedo Belt Damage: 38/12 In Service: 1916 (1942 as shown) Crew: 50/16

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Weapon A Turret (2 x 15 in) B Turret (2 x 15 in) Y Turret (2 x 15 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 794 ft.

Range 34 34 34 14 5 10 10

AD 2 2 2 6 7 2 2

DD 3 3 3 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 36,750 tons

Special AP AP AP Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot

Speed: 30.75 kts.

Crew: 1,250

Resolution-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Resolution, Revenge, Royal Sovereign, Ramillies, Royal Oak The R class battleships were regarded as the finest ships of their type when they ed the fleet in 1916. However, their size (smaller than the Queen Elizabeth) worked against them post war as they proved harder to modernise effectively. They received some updates but not to the extent of the QEs and were regarded as second class. Royal Oak was an early war casualty, sunk by Gunter Prien’s U-47 in Scapa Flow in 1939.

Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Aircraft 1 (Resolution only), Radar, Torpedo Belt Damage: 34/11 In Service: 1915 (1942 as shown) Crew: 46/15

Length: 624 ft.

Range 26 26 26 26 18 5

AD 2 2 2 2 6 3

Displacement: 35,390 tons

DD 3 3 3 3 1 — Speed: 21 kts.

The Royal Navy

Weapon A Turret (2 x 15 in) B Turret (2 x 15 in) X Turret (2 x 15 in) Y Turret (2 x 15 in) Secondary Armament AA

Special AP AP AP AP Weak — Crew: 1,146

Roberts-class Monitor

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Abercrombie, Roberts

Monitors armed with battleship calibre guns were an almost exclusively British feature of World War 2 navies. The Royal Navy had experience of monitors in the First World War and found them ideal for shore bombardment along the coast of Europe. Abercrombie and Roberts were the most modern types in the Royal Navy during World War 2 and saw extensive service in the Channel, often ing or being ed by Coastal Forces craft in attacks on German coastal shipping and invasion transports in the early years of the war. They were small, tough vessels with excellent subdivision and proved quite resistant to damage. Speed: 3” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 5+ Damage: 10/3 Crew: 19/6

Weapon A Turret (2 x 15 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 373 ft.

Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Radar, Torpedo Belt In Service: 1941

Range 26 12 5 Displacement: 9,717 tons

AD 2 2 4

DD 3 1 — Speed: 13 kts.

Special AP Weak — Crew: 460

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Surrey-class Cruiser

Raid

Ships of this class: Northumberland, Surrey

The Surrey-class was an expanded York-class design with an additional 8” gun turret aft. They were built within the various treaty constraints of the time but were cancelled in favour of newer light cruiser designs which were seen as more useful. They drew on the experience of the preceding Norfolk-class and would have been fine heavy cruisers if completed. Speed: 6” Armour: 4+ Turning: 2 Damage: 13/4 Target: 5+ Crew: 27/9 Weapon A Turret (2 x 8 in) B Turret (2 x 8 in) X Turret (2 x 8 in) Y Turret (2 x 8 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 600 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 2, Radar In Service: 1930 (cancelled) Range 31 31 31 31 14 5

AD 1 1 1 1 2 4

DD 1 1 1 1 1 —

Displacement: 12,664 tons

Speed: 30 kts.

Special — — — — Weak — Crew: 653

Swiftsure-class Cruiser

Skirmish

The Royal Navy

Ships of this class: Swiftsure, Ontario

The Swiftsures were a development of the Fiji-class, designed from the outset with only three 6” turrets, heavier AA armament and increased beam for improved stability. Swiftsure was the only ship of the class to see active service in World War II. Ontario was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 12/4 Crew: 39/13

Weapon A Turret (3 x 6 in) B Turret (3 x 6 in) X Turret (3 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 557 ft.

Special Traits: Radar In Service: 1944

Range 26 26 26 14 5 10 10

AD 1 1 1 3 6 2 2

DD 1 1 1 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 11,480 tons

Speed: 31.5 kts.

Tiger-class Cruiser

Ships of this class: Bellerophon, Blake, Defence, Hawke, Superb, Tiger

Special Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 960

Skirmish

As originally designed, the Tigers would have resembled the earlier Swiftsures (indeed Tiger herself began construction as a ship of that class, and was converted whilst in build). Only three were completed; Lion, Tiger and Blake, and they replaced the original triple 6” turrets with new twin automatic DP 6” turrets, with rates of fire three times that of the originals. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 12/4 Crew: 35/11

Special Traits: Radar In Service: 1945

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Weapon A Turret (3 x 6 in) B Turret (3 x 6 in) X Turret (3 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 557 ft.

Range 24 24 24 12 5 10 10

AD 1 1 1 3 5 2 2

DD 1 1 1 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 11,560 tons

Special Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot

Speed: 31.5 kts.

Crew: 867

U Class Submersible

Patrol

The U class submarine was in many ways the Royal Navy equivalent of the German Type VII. Small and manoeuvrable, they earned a fearsome reputation in the Mediterranean where U Class boats operating from Malta took a heavy toll on Axis convoys heading to North Africa. Speed: 2”/2” Turning: 3 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 3/1

Length: 196 ft.

Range 4 4 10

AD 1 1 2

Displacement: 732 tons

DD 1 — 5 Speed: 12/10 kts.

Special Slow-Loading, Weak — AP, One-Shot Crew: 33

Unicorn-class Light Aircraft Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Unicorn

The Royal Navy

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Forward Torpedoes

Special Traits: Agile, Silent, Submersible In Service: 1940

Unicorn was a singleton design, built as a maintenance carrier rather than a front line warship, and intended to service the aircraft of other carriers. She had extensive hangars for a ship of her size, although much of this space was devoted to workshops. Despite her less warlike origins she also served as a light fleet carrier and served for some time off Korea. Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 21/7 Crew: 48/16

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 646 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar In Service: 1943 Aircraft: 1 flight of Fairey Swordfish, 2 flights of Supermarine Seafires Range 14 5

Displacement: 20,300 tons

AD 2 4

DD 1 — Speed: 24 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 1,200

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Vanguard-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Vanguard

Having built the world’s first modern battleship in HMS Dreadnought, it was perhaps fitting that the Royal Navy should complete the last of their kind, HMS Vanguard. The ship appeared as a slightly enlarged King George V with improved bows and far better sea keeping performance (she was probably the best sea boat of all the battleship designs). Her main armament utilised turrets from the World War I large light cruisers Courageous and Glorious, but the 15” guns were fully modernised and probably better than the 14” weapons in the King George Vs. Vanguard was completed in 1946, too late to see action. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Radar, Torpedo Belt Damage: 44/14 In Service: 1946 Crew: 76/25

The Royal Navy

Weapon A Turret (2 x 15 in) B Turret (2 x 15 in) X Turret (2 x 15 in) Y Turret (2 x 15 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 760 ft.

Range 33 33 33 33 16 8

AD 2 2 2 2 5 14

DD 3 3 3 3 1 —

Displacement: 51,420 tons

Speed: 30 kts.

Special AP AP AP AP Weak — Crew: 1,893

Vindex-class Escort Carrier

Patrol

Ships of this class: Nairana, Vindex

These ships were originally built as fast cargo ships. Like their near sisters, they were converted with hangars, lifts and flight decks added. Both survived the war. Nairana was lent to the Royal Netherlands navy and served as the Karel Doorman from 1946 to 1948. Speed: 3” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 17/5 Crew: 22/7

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 524 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier, Radar In Service: 1943 Aircraft: 3 flights of Fairey Swordfish, 1 flight of Martlets Range 14 5

AD 1 3

DD 1 —

Displacement: 17,210 tons

Speed: 17 kts.

Special Slow-Loading, Weak — Crew: 558

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Aircraft

The following describes new air for the Royal Navy. The full details of each flight can be found on page 19. Bristol Beaufighter: Based on the Beaufort, this aircraft was used as a long-ranged heavy fighter. However, it was also to see service as a night fighter, torpedo bomber, anti-shipping and ground attack aircraft by both the Fleet Air Arm and the RAF. The Beaufighter may carry a torpedo or bombs, not both. Blackburn Roc: The Roc was a pure fighter version of the Skua, but carried its armament of four machine guns in a powered dorsal turret. This made it heavier and slower than the Skua. Generally regarded as unsuccessful the Roc was withdrawn early in the war as better fighters became available. Blackburn Skua: The Skua was a radical development for the RN when it was introduced in 1938. A Skua was the first British aircraft to shoot down an enemy aircraft in the Second World War, when a Dornier Do 18 flying boat was downed over the North Sea on September 26. On April 10, 1940 16 Skuas sank the German cruiser Königsberg in Bergen harbour during the German invasion of Norway. This was the first large warship to be sunk by Allied forces in the war. Skuas served both in the fighter and dive bomber role, but were withdrawn in 1941 after heavy losses, and replaced with more effective fighters such as the Fulmar and Seafire. Fairey Albacore: The Albacore was the successor to the Swordfish. Its most notable improvement was the addition of a fully enclosed cockpit.

Fairey Firefly: The Fairey Firefly was a heavy fighter and reconnaissance aircraft derived form the earlier Fulmar. It was both fast and powerful, quite manoeuvrable and heavily armed. Fireflys later served as dedicated anti submarine aircraft (carrying sonobuoys and depth charges), and performed very well as ground attack aircraft during the Korean War.

The Royal Navy

Fairey Barracuda II: An all metal construction monoplane, the Barracuda was the replacement for the Swordfish and Albacore. Initial models were underpowered but this changed with the introduction of Merlin and Griffon engines. Barracudas served in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. Their most famous action was against the battleship Tirpitz.

Gloster Gladiator: The Gloster Gladiator represented the final generation of biplane fighters before made obsolete by the appearance of the Hurricane, Spitfire and Bf 109. In 1937, the Fleet Air Arm decided there was a need for single seat fighters and the Gladiator was chosen to fill the gap. The resulting Sea Gladiator variant was used to protect Scapa Flow, in the Norwegian campaign, in the defence of Malta, and on carrier operations against Greek forces in the eastern Mediterranean. It was largely phased out by the end of 1940 and was outclassed in air battles. Hawker Typhoon: Designed as a successor to the Hurricane, the Typhoon first flew in 1939. Production was suspended at the outbreak of war to allow more Hurricanes to be constructed, and resumed in 1940. Armed with twelve .303 machineguns or four 20mm cannon, the Typhoon’s thick wing reduced performance at altitude, but closer to the ground it was a formidable aircraft. Not the world’s best fighter, the Typhoon was normally used in a strike role with bombs or rockets. Its usual arena was on land, but Typhoons were sometimes used for anti-shipping strikes. Short Sunderland V: The Sunderland was a flying boat, developed for general reconnaissance from the S.23 Empire or C-class flying boat, the flagship of Imperial Airways. When British shipping came under constant attack by German U-boats, the aircraft patrolled the approaches, or flew convoy protection missions. When a U-boat was sighted, the Sunderlands tried to attack it before it submerged. Supermarine Seafire Mk47: The Mk47 was the ultimate carrier-borne version of the Spitfire. It featured a more powerful Griffon engine, better protection and a heavier armament. Mk47s continued in Royal Navy service well into the 1950’s.

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The Kriegsmarine This fleet list contains new ships for Kriegsmarine players, including ship designs that were part of the Z-Plan program; ships that were part of a planned powerful new German surface fleet that was proposed in the early 1930’s. All construction ceased when invaded Poland in 1939 and the allotted resources were instead used in the construction of new submarines.

Errata

The following official changes should be made to ships in the Victory at Sea main rulebook. Deutschland-class Pocket Battleship: AA Attack Dice should be 3.

K-class Cruiser: Add the Radar trait.

The Kriegsmarine Expanded Fleet List

The following forms the expanded fleet list for the Kriegsmarine. The fleet special rules found in the Victory at Sea main rulebook apply as normal.

The Kreigsmarine

Priority Level: Patrol Type 39 torpedo boat Zerstörer 1936-class destroyer

Type-IX U-boat ZH-1 class destroyer

Type-VII U-boat

K-class cruiser Schleswig Holstein Pre-Dreadnought

M-class cruiser (Z-Plan) Spähkreuzer scout cruiser (Z-Plan)

Priority Level: Raid Deutschland-class pocket battleship

P-class cruiser (Z-Plan)

Prinz Eugen-class heavy cruiser

Priority Level: Battle Graf Zeppelin-class aircraft carrier

O-class battlecruiser (Z-Plan)

Scharnhorst-class battlecruiser

Priority Level: War H-39-class battleship (Z-Plan)

Bismarck-class battleship

Priority Level: Skirmish Emden-class light cruiser Project Jade aircraft carrier (Z-Plan) Type-XXI U-boat

Emden-class Light Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Emden

Emden was the first new warship built in after World War I. She was the first German warship to be damaged in World War II, hit by a Bristol Blenheim that crashed into her (ironically the pilot’s name was Flying Officer Emden!). Emden took part in the invasion of Norway (she was the only major warship in her group not to be sunk or seriously damaged) and thereafter spent her war in the Baltic. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 8/2 Crew: 27/9

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 511 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 2 In Service: 1925

Range 18 5 10 10

AD 4 3 1 1

DD 1 — 3 3

Displacement: 7,100 tons

Speed: 29.5 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 685

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H-39-class Battleship

War

Possible ship names of this class: Hindenburg

In keeping with the decision to have heavy German warships resemble one another, the H Class design was to appear as an enlarged Bismarck at first glance. However, the design of the H Class varied in many important points from the earlier battleship. The most noticeable difference was the two-stack arrangement of the H Class - the large volume required for intakes and uptakes for twelve propulsion diesels, providing a top speed of 30-knots, necessitated two stacks. Long range was desired for these battleships and the diesel powered design had significantly greater range than those based on steam plants. The H-39 design gave the ship a range of 16,000 nm at 19-knots, compared to the range of Bismarck of 9,500 nm at 19 knots. At first glance, the turrets of the H Class ships appeared the same as those on Bismarck but they were larger in order to mount a new class of 16-inch guns. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 6+ Special Traits: Aircraft 4, Armoured Deck, Radar, Torpedo Belt Damage: 51/17 In Service: 1944 (planned) Crew: 92/30

Length: 872 ft.

Range 41 41 41 41 17 8 10 10

AD 2 2 2 2 5 6 2 2

Displacement: 62.496 tons

DD 3 3 3 3 1 — 3 3 Speed: 30 kts.

Special AP AP AP AP Weak — AP, Slow-Loading AP, Slow-Loading Crew: 2.300

M-class Cruiser

Skirmish

The planned M-class light cruisers (leichte kreuzer) were long range escorts intended for detached open-ocean battle groups. They were to accompany O and P-class battlecruisers and then proceed on missions independently. At least two of each would screen the main hunting groups. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 11/3 Crew: 37/12

Weapon A Turret (2 x 5.9 in) B Turret (2 x 5.9 in) X Turret (2 x 5.9 in) Y Turret (2 x 5.9 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 584 ft.

The Kreigsmarine

Weapon A Turret (2 x 16 in) B Turret (2 x 16 in) X Turret (2 x 16 in) Y Turret (2 x 16 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes

Special Traits: Aircraft 2, Radar In Service: 1943 (planned)

Range 26 26 26 26 13 8 10 10 Displacement: 10.400 tons

AD 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — 3 3 Speed: 35.5 kts.

Special Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 920

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O-class Battlecruiser (Schlachtkreuzer)

Battle

In addition to the battleships of the H-Class, a group of 12 new armoured ships, successors to the famous iral Graf Spee, iral Scheer and Lützow, were part of the Z-Plan. The design studies for the three battlecruisers of the O-class (Schlachtkreuzer O, Schlachtkreuzer P, Schlachtkreuzer Q) were simultaneously started to those of the new Panzerschiff design in 1937. In 1939, an option was explored to replace the three existing Panzerschiffe with the same number of new battlecruisers. Construction orders were given in the same year, but none of the ships were started. These ships were planned with the idea of commerce war in mind. Therefore, they would get a mixed propulsion system, diesel engines for long range medium speed cruising, and additional turbines for high speed combat action. The main role of these battlecruisers was to engage enemy convoys, and destroy transports and cargo ships. Unlike the heavily protected H-class battleships, these battlecruisers had armour protection only slightly better than that of a cruiser. Speed: 7” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 4+ Special Traits: Aircraft 4, Radar Damage: 33/11 In Service: 1944 (planned) Crew: 78/26

The Kreigsmarine

Weapon A Turret (2 x 15 in) B Turret (2 x 15 in) X Turret (2 x 15 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 814 ft.

Range 40 40 40 17 8 10 10

AD 2 2 2 2 3 2 2

Displacement: 35.720 t

DD 3 3 3 1 — 3 3

Special AP AP AP Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot

Speed: 33.4 kts.

Crew: 1.950

P-class Cruiser (Panzerschiff)

Raid

In 1938, the first design studies for a Panzerschiff successor were made. The new Panzerschiff was called Kreuzer P, its specifications showed a bigger, faster and better protected version of the original design. In many respects it was a modification of the design of the Panzerschiff D and Panzerschiff E, the planned successors of the Deutschland-class which was later modified to Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. As these ships were intended to be used for commerce war, they were designed to be superior to a heavy cruiser, in of artillery, and faster than existing battleships. The original plan was to lay down four of these ships per year, starting in 1939 so that the complete Z-Plan battle fleet would be operational by 1947. The first three of these ships would receive the 28cm (11”) turrets removed from the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau during their conversion to 38 cm (15”) guns but, by 1939, it was obvious that the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau conversion could not be completed by in time. Therefore, three of the planed Kreuzer P would be modified to receive 38 cm turrets which were already in production, resulting in the battlecruiser O-class. Although the ships were already assigned to shipyards, none of the Kreuzer P were ordered because of the start of World War II. Speed: 7” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 26/8 Crew: 48/16

Weapon A Turret (3 x 11 in) X Turret (3 x 11 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 732 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 2, Radar In Service: 1942 (planned)

Range 45 45 17 8 10 10

AD 3 3 2 2 2 2

DD 1 1 1 — 3 3

Displacement: 25.689 t

Speed: 33 kts.

Special

Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 1.200

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Project Jade Aircraft Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Jade

The enger ship Gneisenau (not to be confused with the battlecruiser Gneisenau ) of the North German Lloyd line was one of three enger ships selected to be converted to auxiliary carriers. She was originally used for enger cruises to the Far East, but following start of World War II was used as a troop transport. Like the Europa, her poor stability and high fuel consumption forced the project to be halted prior to any modifications being done. Interestingly, her sister, the enger ship Scharnhorst, was converted into a aircraft carrier - by the Japanese. At the outbreak of the war, the Scharnhorst was in Japan where, in July 1942, she was sold to Japan and modified into an aircraft carrier. Now named Jinyo, the ship entered service in December 1943 and wassunk by the US submarine Spadefish northeast of Shanghai in 1944. Speed: 4” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 19/6 Crew: 35/11

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 627 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1943 (Planned) Aircraft: 2 flights of Me-109 and 2 flights of Ju-87 Range 13 8

AD 2 3

Displacement: 18.160 t

DD 1 —

Special Weak —

Speed: 21 kts.

Crew: 880

Schleswig Holstein-class Pre-Dreadnought

Skirmish The Kreigsmarine

Schelswig Holstein enjoyed the dubious privilege of firing the opening shots of World War II. Her barrage of the Westerplatte in Gdansk heralded the start of the German attack on the city. She was scuttled in March 1945, and some of her armour was taken to the Westerplatte to be used in sculptures commemorating the defence of the city of Gdansk in 1939. Speed: 4” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 15/5 Crew: 30/10

Weapon A Turret (2 x 11 in) X Turret (2 x 11 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 418 ft.

Special Traits: None In Service: 1908 (refitted 1936)

Range 21 21 12 5 10 10

Displacement: 14,218 tons

AD 2 2 4 1 1 1

DD 1 1 1 — 3 3

Speed: 22 kts.

Special — — Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 743

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Spähkreuzer Scout Cruiser

Skirmish

During the design process for the M-class light cruiser, the construction office proposed a scheme for a super destroyer suitable for Atlantic deployment. This became the Spähkreuzer, (literally ‘scout cruiser’) designed to have superior armament to a fleet destroyer, and able to outrun any enemy cruiser. They would probably have scouted for the heavy units in North Atlantic. In action the Spähkreuzer would likely have screened the heavy units of the hunting group against the destroyers escorting the convoy. Speed: 7” Armour: 2+ Turning: 2 Damage: 6/2 Target: 6+ Crew: 23/7 Weapon A Turret (2 x 5.9 in) X Turret (2 x 5.9 in) Y Turret (2 x 5.9 in) AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 476 ft.

Special Traits: Radar In Service: 1943 (planned) Range 26 26 26 8 10 10

AD 1 1 1 1 3 3

DD 1 1 1 — 3 3

Displacement: 5.713 t

Speed: 35.5 kts.

Special Weak Weak Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 583

The Kreigsmarine

Type 39 Torpedo Boat

Patrol

Ships of this class: T22 to T36

The Type 39 ‘Flottentorpedoboot’ was a marked improvement over the earlier Type 37 and Type 39 classes. The ship was more akin to a pre-war British destroyer, with a heavier gun armament, and better sea-keeping and structural performance. Type 39s served in the Baltic, North Sea and the English Channel, and fought a number of actions with Royal Navy surface ships. T25 and T26 were sunk in action by the cruisers Glasgow and Enterprise in December 1943, while ships of the 4th Flotilla (T22, T23, T25 and T26) sank the cruiser Charybdis earlier in the same year. Speed: 7” Turning: 3 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 8/3

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 336 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1930+

Range 8 4 10 10 3

AD 1 1 3 3 4

DD 1 — 3 3 2

Displacement: 1,775 tons

Speed: 32.5 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Slow-Loading Crew: 205

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ZH1-class Destroyer

Patrol

Ships of this class: ZH1, ZH2

ZH1 and ZH2 were the ex-Dutch Callenbergh and Tjerk Hiddes which were scuttled but salvaged by the Germans. ZH1 was restored to service in the Kriegsmarine, but ZH2 was not completed. Like her sisters, ZH1 was an excellent sea boat. She was sunk just after D Day in action with British, Canadian and Polish destroyers near Ile de Bas. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 7/3

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 307 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1939

Range 12 5 10 10 3 Displacement: 2,228 tons

AD 1 2 3 3 4

DD 1 — 4 4 2 Speed: 37.5 kts.

Crew: 158

The following describes new air for the Kriegsmarine. The full details of each flight can be found on page 19.

Fw-200 Condor : The Focke-Wulf Condor began its operational life as an airliner, and was the first aircraft to fly non-stop between Berlin and New York. Though used in a variety of roles, the version presented in Victory at Sea is a maritime patrol aircraft that saw use as a long-range and anti-shipping bomber. These planes searched for Allied convoys, and could perform anti-submarine warfare duties. Heinkel He-111: Built as a bomber, the He-111 was first announced to the world as an airliner. However, the design was rooted in the 1930’s and by the time the He111 was used in the Battle of Britain, its poor armament and relatively slow speed, both of which were assumed to make it almost inviolate, proved sadly wanting. It proved a versatile aircraft, however, with a great many variants produced.

The Kreigsmarine

Aircraft

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Slow-Loading

Heinkel He-177: The He-177 was an unusual 4-enginned aircraft with two engines in each nacelle. Despite its size the requirements stipulated the ability to act as a dive bomber, a role for which it was unsuited, but the one which drove the twin-nacelle design. The engine design was also unreliable at best, dangerous at worst with a marked tendency to burst into flames. Messerschmitt Me-110: The Me-110 was the twin engine counterpart of the smaller Me-109. It was designed as a long range fighter but was also used as a reconnaissance and light strike aircraft, and a highly successful night fighter. Its size put it at a disadvantage against smaller, more manoeuvrable single engine fighters.

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The United States Navy Emerging from the Second World War ahead of the other navies of the world, the US fleets had instigated developments learned from both enemies and allies, resulting in some remarkable ships. The changing emphasis from big battleships to capacious carriers was well-learned in the US Navy, and its air power became dominant.

Errata

The following official changes should be made to ships in the Victory at Sea main rulebook.

Atlanta-class Light Cruiser: Anti-Aircraft AD should be 6, Anti-Aircraft range should be 7, range of the Secondary Armament should be 17.

The United States Navy

Brooklyn-class Light Cruiser: Priority Level should be Skirmish, Anti-Aircraft AD should be 4, Anti-Aircraft range should be 7. Colorado-class Battleship: Priority Level should be Battle, Target score should be 5+, Anti-Aircraft AD should be 4, AntiAircraft range should be 7. Fletcher-class Destroyer: Should have Radar Special Trait. New Orleans-class Heavy Cruiser: Anti-Aircraft AD should be 4. New York-class Battleship: Target score should be 5+. North Carolina-class Battleship: Anti-Aircraft AD should be 11. Pensacola-class Heavy Cruiser: Secondary Weapons AD should be 2, Anti-Aircraft AD should be 3. South Dakota-class Battleship: Target score should be 5+, Anti-Aircraft AD should be 12. Yorktown-class Carrier: Anti-Aircraft AD should be 6, Anti-Aircraft Range should be 8.

The US Navy Expanded Fleet List

The following forms the expanded fleet list for the US Navy.

Priority Level: Patrol Clemson-class destroyer Porter-class destroyer leader Priority Level: Skirmish Atlanta-class cruiser Casablanca-class carrier Long Island-class carrier Omaha-class cruiser Priority Level: Raid Baltimore-class cruiser Wasp-class carrier

Fletcher-class destroyer

Gridley-class destroyer

Bogue/Attacker-class carrier Cleveland-class cruiser New Orleans-class cruiser Portland-class cruiser

Brooklyn-class cruiser Gato-class submarine Northampton-class heavy cruiser Sangamon-class carrier

Independence-class carrier

Ranger-class carrier

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Priority Level: Battle Alaska-class large cruiser Nevada-class battleship Pennsylvania-class battleship Yorktown-class aircraft carrier

Colorado-class battleship New Mexico-class battleship Tennessee-class battleship

Lexington-class carrier New York-class battleship Wyoming-class battleship

Priority Level: War Essex-class aircraft carrier South Dakota-class battleship

Iowa-class battleship

North Carolina-class battleship

Alaska Class Large Cruiser

Battle

Ships of this class: Alaska, Guam, Hawaii The Alaska-class fell midway between a heavy cruiser and a battleship, and the United States Navy considered these vessels large cruisers rather than battlecruisers. They were designed as cruiser-killers, tasked with destroying post-Treaty heavy cruisers. As a result, they were given 12-inch guns, significant armour protection, and speeds up to 33 knots. They resembled current generation battleships in appearance, with the familiar two forward, one aft main battery turrets, massive columnar mast and a multitude of 5”/38 DP guns along the sides of the superstructure. However, they were built to cruiser standards, lacking the armoured belt and torpedo defence of capital ships. Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Aircraft 4, Radar Damage: 33/11 In Service: 1944 Crew: 61/20

Weapon A Turret (2 x 12 in) B Turret (2 x 12 in) Y Turret (2 x 12 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 791 ft.

Range 39 39 39 12 8

AD 3 3 3 4 12

Displacement: 34,253 tons

DD 2 2 2 1 — Speed: 33 kts.

The United States Navy

Speed: 7” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Special — — — Weak — Crew: 1,517

Baltimore-class Heavy Cruiser

Raid

Ships of this class: Baltimore, Boston, Canberra, Quincy, Pittsburgh, St Paul The Baltimore-class cruisers were the last US heavy cruisers to be built during World War II. The ships were essentially enlarged Cleveland-class with 8-inch guns. Used primarily as escorts for the aircraft carrier fleets, several were kept in service into the 1980’s as refitted classes of guided missile cruisers. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 17/5 Crew: 82/27

Weapon A Turret (3 x 8 in) B Turret (3 x 8 in) Y Turret (3 x 8 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 664 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 4, Radar In Service: 1943

Range 32 32 32 12 8 Displacement: 17,031 tons

AD 1 1 1 4 11

DD 1 1 1 1 — Speed: 33 kts.

Special Twin-Linked Twin-Linked Twin-Linked Weak — Crew: 2,039

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Bogue\Attacker-class Escort Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Bogue, Card, Copahee, Core, Nassau

Another early Liberty merchant ship conversion ordered by the British, this design included a steam-turbine power plant, rather than the typical diesel system. The design was an irable success, though there were several design flaws. The crude installation of the aft elevator made aircraft handling difficult, the ships had only one screw (a distinct disadvantage in handling damage), and they were not optimally suited for aircraft handling, even with their larger hangars. A slightly improved second group of ships were subsequently built and sent in its entirety to the Royal Navy, and was known as the Ameer-class in British service. Speed: 4” Turning: 2 Target: 5

Armour: 2+ Damage: 17/5 Crew: 36/12

Weapon Secondary Armament AA

The United States Navy

Length: 495 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 2 flights of Grumman Wildcats and 2 flights of Grumman Avengers Range 12 7

AD 1 2

DD 1 —

Displacement: 16,620 tons

Speed: 18.5 kts.

Special Slow Loading, Weak — Crew: 908

Casablanca-class Escort Carrier

Ships of this class: Casablanca, Liscombe Bay, Mission Bay, Natoma Bay, Wake Island, White Plains

Skirmish

The Casablanca-class of escort aircraft carriers was the most numerous class of this type ever built. Fifty were laid down, launched and commissioned in less than a year. Surprisingly, these ships were equipped with reciprocating engines instead of more common turbine engines, in order to reduce bottlenecks in turbine construction. The shining moment of the class came in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, when a task force composed of these ships and a group of destroyer escorts gave battle against the Japanese main force and succeeded in turning them back. The USS St. Lo is the only aircraft carrier to ever record a hit on an enemy warship by its own guns, when she hit a Japanese destroyer with a single round from her aft-mounted 5-inch gun. Speed: 4” Turning: 2 Target: 5

Armour: 2+ Damage: 11/3 Crew: 31/10

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 498 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1943 Aircraft: 3 flights of Grumman Hellcats and 2 flights of Grumman Avengers Range 12 8

AD 1 1

DD 1 —

Displacement: 10,902 tons

Speed: 19 kts.

Special Slow-Loading, Weak — Crew: 764

Cleveland-class Light Cruiser

Ships of this class: Cleveland, Columbia, Denver, Mobile, Vincennes

Skirmish

The Clevelands were essentially updated pre-war Brooklyns. They sacrificed one turret of main armament, with its three 6-inch guns, for an enhanced anti-aircraft armament. Twenty-seven were eventually completed, the largest number of any cruiser class in history. The powerful anti-aircraft armament, an attribute whose importance grew throughout the Pacific war, was well laid out, while the main armament was adequate.

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Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 14/4 Crew: 51/17

Weapon A Turret (3 x 6 in) B Turret (3 x 6 in) X Turret (3 x 6 in) Y Turret (3 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 600 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 4, Radar In Service: 1943

Range 27 27 27 27 12 8

AD 1 1 1 1 4 6

Displacement: 14,131 tons

DD 1 1 1 1 —

Special Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Weak —

Speed: 32.5 kts.

Crew: 1,285

Gridley-class Destroyer

Patrol

Ships of this class: Craven, McCall, Maury

The Gridley-class mounted 16 torpedo tubes, the heaviest battery ever among American destroyers, reflecting an increased emphasis on torpedo tactics in vogue at the time they were designed. What set the Gridley apart from preceding classes was their advanced power-plant, with enlarged turbines operating at greater pressure. This gave them some of the highest speeds ever recorded for an American destroyer. Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 6/2

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 334 ft.

The United States Navy

Speed: 8” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1937

Range 12 5 10 10 3

AD 1 1 4 4 3

Displacement: 2,245 tons

DD 1 — 4 4 2

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Slow-Loading

Speed: 38.5 kts.

Crew: 158

Independence-class Light Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Belleau Wood, Cowpens, Independence, Monterey, Princeton The Independence-class carriers were conversions of Cleveland-class light cruisers. Their design featured a relatively short and narrow flight deck and hangar, with a small island. The added top weight required that the cruiser hulls be widened. Despite the widening, the Independence remained limited-capability ships, with sea keeping problems and a relatively high aircraft accident rates. Protection was modest and some of the munitions were stowed at the hangar level, contributing to the loss of Princeton in 1944. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+ Weapon AA

Length: 622 ft.

Armour: 3+ Damage: 15/5 Crew: 58/19

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1943 Aircraft: 4 flights of Grumman Hellcats, and 2 flights of Grumman Avengers Range 8

Displacement: 14,751 tons

AD 4

DD — Speed: 31.6 kts.

Special — Crew: 1,461

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Lexington-class Carrier

Battle

Ships of this class: Lexington, Saratoga The Lexington-class aircraft carriers were the first operational aircraft carriers in the United States Navy. Originally laid down as battlecruisers, they were converted to carriers under the rules of the Washington Conference. The success of these ships set the pattern for future American carrier design: Very large, long ships, with a topside flight deck, starboard-side island combining command and control spaces and the ship’s funnels, and a spacious hangar deck. Speed: 7” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Special Traits: Carrier Damage: 39/13 In Service: 1927 (1942, as show) Crew: 132/44 Aircraft: 5 flights of Grumman Wildcats, 5 flights of Douglas Dauntless, and 2 flights of Douglas Devastators

Weapon Secondary Armament AA

Range 10 7

AD 2 7

DD 1 —

Special Weak —

The United States Navy

Saratoga Aircraft: 5 flights of Grumman Hellcats, 4 flights of Douglas Dauntless, and 3 flights of Grumman Avengers Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 888 ft.

Range 12 8

AD 4 8

DD 1 —

Displacement: 43,054 tons

Speed: 34 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 3,300

Long Island-class Escort Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Long Island

In October 1940, President Roosevelt asked that the Navy design a merchant-ship conversion aircraft carrier to escort Atlantic convoys across the northern Atlantic, where no land-based patrol plane could reach. The obvious source for a merchant-ship conversion was the Liberty Ship. In early January, the US Navy acquired two ships to convert, one for itself and one for the Royal Navy, for conversion into escort carriers. The result was the USS Long Island and the HMS Archer. Speed: 3” Turning: 2 Target: 5

Armour: 2+ Damage: 17/5 Crew: 16/5

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 492 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1941 Aircraft: 1 flight of Grumman Wildcats, and 1 flight of Grumman Avengers Range 14 4

AD 1 1

DD 1 —

Displacement: 16,620 tons

Speed: 17.5 kts.

Special Slow-Loading, Weak — Crew: 408

Nevada-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Nevada, Oklahoma

The Nevada-class battleships carried the US Navy’s first triple gun turrets but, more significantly, introduced the so-called ‘all or nothing’ armour scheme, in which protection of vital areas was maximized, leaving the rest of the ship essentially unprotected. These ships also marked the end of the mid-ships turret, which had traditionally proven to be problematic. Finally, they were also the Navy’s first to have oil as their primary fuel and the last to use twin-screw propulsion.

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Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Aircraft: 3, Armoured Deck, Radar, Torpedo Belt Damage: 33/11 In Service: 1943 Crew: 67/22

Weapon A Turret (3 x 14 in) B Turret (2 x 14 in) X Turret (2 x 14 in) Y Turret (3 x 14 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 575 ft.

Range 35 35 35 35 12 8

AD 3 2 2 3 5 11

Displacement: 33,901 tons

DD 2 2 2 2 1 — Speed: 20.2 kts.

Special AP AP AP AP Weak — Crew: 1,680

New Mexico-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Idaho, Mississippi, New Mexico The New Mexico-class were improvements on the Nevada-class design. In order to counter the German threat, these ships were transferred to the Atlantic and were not present during the Pearl Harbour attack. They were active in the war with Japan until final victory was achieved in 1945. Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Aircraft: 3, Armoured Deck, Radar, Torpedo Belt Damage: 37/12 In Service: 1942 Crew: 77/25

Weapon A Turret (3 x 14 in) B Turret (3 x 14 in) X Turret (3 x 14 in) Y Turret (3 x 14 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 600 ft.

Range 37 37 37 37 14 (10) 8

AD 3 3 3 3 3 (2) 5(9)

Displacement: 40,181 tons

DD 2 2 2 2 1 — Speed: 22 kts.

The United States Navy

Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Special AP AP AP AP Weak (Idaho) (Idaho) Crew: 1,930

Northampton-class Heavy Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Augusta, Chester, Chicago, Houston, Louisville, Northampton

Following the construction of the Pensacola-class of heavy cruisers, the US Navy attempted to improve the design. Armour and sea-keeping had been sacrificed for the Pensacola’s ten-gun 8-inch battery. Accordingly, a nine-gun ship mounting three triple turrets was designed, along with other changes. Speed: 7 in. Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 11/3 Crew: 25/8

Weapon A Turret (2 x 8 in) B Turret (3 x 8 in) X Turret (3 x 8 in) Y Turret (2 x 8 in) Secondary Armament AA

Length: 582 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 4, Radar In Service: 1930

Range 32 32 32 32 10 7

Displacement: 11,420 tons

AD 1 1 1 1 1 2

DD 1 1 1 1 1 —

Speed: 32.5 kts.

Special Twin-Linked Twin-Linked Weak —

Crew: 617

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Omaha-class Light Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Omaha, Milwaukee, Raleigh, Richmond, Trenton

The Omaha-class cruiser was the oldest class of cruiser still in service with the US Navy at the outbreak of World War II. Designed as a scout for battleships, they had sufficient speed to operate with destroyers. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 9/3 Crew: 19/6

Weapon A Turret (2 x 6 in) Y Turret (2 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes

The United States Navy

Length: 550 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 2, Radar In Service: 1942

Range 29 29 19 7 10 10

AD 1 1 2 2 2 2

DD 1 1 1 — 4 4

Displacement: 9,150 tons

Speed: 34 kts.

Special Weak Weak Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 468

Pennsylvania-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Arizona, Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania-class battleships, of the United States Navy, were an enlargement of the Nevadaclass. Reconstructed in 1929-31, they received greater main battery gun elevation, improved gun directors and modern aircraft catapults. The ships’ secondary gun batteries were updated, as was protection against gunfire, aircraft bombs and torpedoes. Speed: 4” Belt Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 5+

Damage: 36/12 In Service: 1942 Crew: 69/23

Weapon A Turret (3 x 14 in) B Turret (3 x 14 in) X Turret (3 x 14 in) Y Turret (3 x 14 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 600 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 3, Armoured Deck, Radar, Torpedo

Range 35 35 35 35 12 8

AD 3 3 3 3 3 10

DD 2 2 2 2 1 —

Displacement: 39,224 tons

Speed: 21 kts.

Porter-class Destroyer Leader

Special AP AP AP AP Weak — Crew: 1,720

Patrol

Ships of this class: Porter, Selfridge, Winslow The eight ships of the Porter-class were built in response to the large destroyers that the Japanese Navy was building at the time. Enlarged versions of the Farraguts, they had a better machinery arrangement and an increased main battery, consisting of super-firing 5-inch twin mounts. The resulting layout gave them a balanced, cruiser-like look. In addition to a heavy gun battery, the Porters also mounted eight 21-inch torpedo tubes in two centreline mounts. However, they proved to be top heavy so during the war, the number of 5 inch guns was reduced, and more, smaller anti-aircraft guns were installed.

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Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 8/2

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 372 ft.

Special Traits: Agile, Radar In Service: 1942

Range 12 5 10 10 3

AD 2 1 4 4 3

Displacement: 2,597 tons

DD 1 — 4 4 2

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Slow-Loading

Speed: 37 kts.

Crew: 194

Ranger-class Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Ranger

Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 4+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 18/6 Crew: 72/24

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 769 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 9 flights of Grumman Wildcats, and 3 flights of Douglas Dauntless Range 10 8

AD 2 6

Displacement: 17,577 tons

DD 1 —

Special Weak —

Speed: 29.25 kts.

Crew: 2,184

Sangamon-class Escort Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Chenango, Sangamon, Suwannee The Sangamon-class were a group of four escort carriers that served with the United States Navy during World War II. All four were originally constructed as Cimarron-class oilers, launched in 1939 for civilian use. They were acquired by the US Navy, decommissioned as oilers and converted to escort carriers. The conversion had added a flight deck, elevators, a hangar deck, a catapult, sonar gear, aircraft ordnance magazines, workshops, and stowage space for aviation spares. Their accommodations had been enlarged to house an increased complement and embarked aviation personnel, and armament had been changed to increase anti-aircraft defence. Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 24/8 Crew: 33/11

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 553 ft.

The United States Navy

The Ranger was the first ship of the United States Navy to be designed and built from the keel up as an aircraft carrier. Following America’s entrance into the war, serious consideration was made to transfer Ranger to the Pacific. However, she was smaller and slower than the rest of the US carrier fleet and could not carry as many aircraft. In addition her ammunition storage capability was far smaller than the other carriers (thus excluding torpedo aircraft), and she was not as well armoured as the others - all of which would have been a serious problem in the Pacific. Instead she would spend the war in the Atlantic alternating between US and Royal Navy fleets. By war’s end, she became a training carrier, when not otherwise employed as an aircraft transport.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 4 flights of Grumman Hellcats, and2 flights of Grumman Avengers Range 14 8

Displacement: 23,875 tons

AD 1 1

DD 1 — Speed: 18 kts.

Special Slow-Loading, Weak — Crew: 830

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Tennessee-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: California, Tennessee

Tennessee and California were the first American battleships built to a ‘post-Jutland’ hull design. As a result, their underwater hull protection was much greater than that of previous battleships. The Tennesseeclass, and the Colorado-class which followed, were identified by two heavy cage masts ing large fire-control tops. This feature was to distinguish the ‘Big Five’ from the rest of the battleship force until World War II. Since Tennessee’s 14 inch turret guns could be elevated to 30 degrees, the Tennessee had the ability to shoot ‘over the horizon.’ Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Aircraft: 3, Radar, Armoured Deck, Torpedo Belt Damage: 37/12 In Service: 1920 (1943, as show) Crew: 95/31

The United States Navy

Weapon A Turret (3 x 14 in) B Turret (3 x 14 in) X Turret (3 x 14 in) Y Turret (3 x 14 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 600 ft.

Range 37 37 37 37 12 8

AD 3 3 3 3 5 11

DD 2 2 2 2 1 —

Displacement: 40,950 tons

Special AP AP AP AP Weak —

Speed: 20.5 kts.

Crew: 2,375

Wasp-class Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Wasp

The Wasp was a scaled down version of the Hornet-class with acceptable speed and aircraft capacity. Following the attack on Pearl Harbour, she served escort and transport duties in the Atlantic. Following a short refit, she was transferred to the Pacific, where she took part in the Guadalcanal landing. She was subsequently used to shuttle valuable aircraft to the Cactus Air Force, during which she was sunk by Japanese submarine I-19. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 19/6 Crew: 72/24

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 741 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 4 flights of Grumman Wildcats, 2 flights of Grumman Avengers, and 4 flights of Douglas Dauntless Range 12 8

AD 2 5

DD 1 —

Displacement: 19,116 tons

Speed: 29.5 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 2,184

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Wyoming-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Arkansas, Wyoming This class marked a significant growth in size over its predecessor, the Florida-class. The added size allowed for the installation of a sixth main turret as well as increased armour. The result was a main battery of twelve 12-inch guns in six twin mounts. Despite the class name, Arkansas preceded Wyoming, although both were commissioned within the same month. Both ships served in World War I but, prior to World War II, Wyoming was demilitarised and converted to a training ship. Arkansas would receive several upgrades throughout the war, primarily in the area of anti-aircraft and electronics. Her primary role throughout most of the war was that of convoy escort in the Atlantic. She participated in the Normandy invasion prior to being transferred to the Pacific in 1945. She was later expended as a target ship during atomic bomb testing at Bikini. Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Aircraft: 3, Armoured Deck, Torpedo Belt Damage: 30/10 In Service: 1942 Crew: 50/16

Length: 554 ft.

Range 24 24 24 24 24 24 14 7 Displacement: 30,610 tons

AD 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 4

DD 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 — Speed: 21.0 kts.

Special — — — — — — Weak — Crew: 1,242

Aircraft

The following describes new air for the US Navy. The full details of each flight can be found on page 20.

The United States Navy

Weapon A Turret (2 x 12 in) B Turret (2 x 12 in) Q Turret (2 x 12 in) R Turret (2 x 12 in) X Turret (2 x 12 in) Y Turret (2 x 12 in) Secondary Armament AA

Boeing B-17: The Flying Fortress is the iconic American bomber of the European theatre in World War II, dropping more bombs on than any other bomber model. A durable aircraft it was also by Coastal Command and sank eleven U-boats. Lockheed Hudson: When the RAF placed a sizeable order for this versatile light bomber and reconaissance aircraft it was the first significant construction contract for Lockheed. Over two and a half thousand aircraft were eventually built seeing widespread service amongst the Allies during the war. PBY 5 Catalina: The most widely produced flying boat, the Catalina was used for ASW duties, convoy escort, patrol bombers and transports. Armed with five machine guns for defence, it was capable of carrying either a bomb or torpedo load, and was responsible for sinking many submarine sin both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. Vought Vindicator: An early dive bomber, the Vindicator was withdrawn from active service in 1943, proving too vulnerable to Japanese fighters. It was nicknamed the Vibrator, due to the noise and shaking endured by its crew.

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The Imperial Japanese Navy During their devastating strike on Pearl Harbour and the empires of Europe, the Japanese forces expanded their territory throughout the Pacific theatre. Though lacking in natural resources, their fighting men were highly dedicated and proved to be terrible enemies for the forces that clashed against them. In the end, the industrial power of the US became an insurmountable obstacle, and the final defeat of Japan marked the end of the Second World War.

Errata

The following official changes should be made to ships in the Victory at Sea main rulebook. Aoba-class Heavy Cruiser: Port and Starboard Torpedoes should have AD of 2 rather than 3.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Kagero-class Destroyer: In Service Date should be 1939. Torpedo AD should be 4, Depth Charges should have AD of 1. Kongo-class Battleship: Anti-Aircraft AD should be 3 and not 5. Nagara-class Cruiser: Secondary Armament should have the Weak trait.

The Imperial Japanese Navy Expanded Fleet List

The following forms the expanded fleet list for the Imperial Japanese Navy. The fleet special rules found in the Victory at Sea main rulebook apply as normal. Priority Level: Patrol Akitsuki-class destroyer Kagero-class destroyer Shiratsuyu-class destroyer

Fubuki-class destroyer Kaiten-class manned torpedo Tenryu-class light cruiser

Kadai-7-class submarine Matsu-class destroyer escort Yubari-class light cruiser

Priority Level: Skirmish Agano-class light cruiser Furutaka-class cruiser Kuma class light cruiser Sendai-class cruiser

Aoba-class cruiser Hei-Gata-class submarine Nagara-class cruiser Shimikaze-class destroyer

Chitose-class light carrier Hosho-class light carrier Oyodo-class light cruiser Zuiho-class light carrier

Priority Level: Raid Junyo-class carrier Myoko-class heavy cruiser Soryu/Hiryu-class carrier Tone-class heavy cruiser

Kitakami-class torpedo cruiser Ryuho-class carrier Taiho-class carrier Unry-class aircraft carrier

Mogami-class heavy cruiser Ryujo-class light carrier Takao-class cruiser

Priority Level: Battle Akagi-class carrier Ise-class carrier Nagato-class battleship

Fuso-class battleship Kaga-class carrier Shinano-class carrier

Ise-class battleship Kongo-class battlecruiser Shokaku-class aircraft carrier

Priority Level: War Yamato-class battleship

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Agano-class Light Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Agano, Noshiro, Sakawa, Yahagi

The Agano-class was designed as a swift and lightly armoured vessel, a replacement for the now aging Tenryu, Kuma and Nagara. Four ships were laid down in the class - in practice they were used as destroyer and cruiser leaders. Only the Sakawa survived the war, to be expended as a target in the Bikini Atoll atomic tests. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 9/3 Crew: 29/9

Weapon A Turret (2 x 6 in) B Turret (2 x 6 in) X Turret (2 x 6 in) AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges

Range 23 23 23 7 20 20 3

AD 1 1 1 3 4 4 2

Displacement: 8,534 tons

DD 1 1 1 — 5 5 2 Speed: 35 kts.

Special Weak Weak Weak — AP, Slow-Loading AP, Slow-Loading Slow-Loading Crew: 730

Akagi-class Carrier

Battle

Ships of this class: Akagi

Originally laid down a battlecruiser, the Washington Naval Treaty led to her conversion to an aircraft carrier. Her and her near sister Kaga straddled the line between carrier and dreadnought reliance. To keep both options open, the ships were designed to be quickly converted to capital ships. However, by the mid 1930’s, the irals believed the aircraft carrier to be the equal of the capital ship. Akagi was extensively rebuilt to improve aircraft handling capacity, ending any possibility of later conversion. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Special Traits: Carrier Damage: 38/12 In Service: 1942 Crew: 80/26 Aircraft: 4 flights of Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, 3 flights of Nakajima B5N Kates, and 3 flights of Aichi D3A Vals

Weapon Port Turret A (2 x 8 inch) Port Turret B (2 x 8 inch) Starboard Turret C (2 x 8 inch) Starboard Turret D (2 x 8 inch) Secondary Armament AA Length: 855 ft.

Range 27 27 27 27 12 7

Displacement: 41,300 tons

AD 1 1 1 1 2 4

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — Speed: 31.2 kts.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Length: 571 ft.

Special Traits: Agile, Aircraft 2 In Service: 1942

Special Port Firing Arc Only Port Firing Arc Only Starboard Firing Arc Only Starboard Firing Arc Only Weak — Crew: 2,000

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Akitsuki-class Destroyer

Patrol

Ships of this class: Akitsuki, Hatsusuki, Niitsuki, Wakatsuki

The basic premise of the Akitsuki-class destroyers was that of task force defence. As such, they were armed eight of the new 3.9 inch dual purpose guns, considered by many to be the best Japanese anti-aircraft gun of World War II, whose characteristics can only be described as ‘superb.’ They were also heavily armed for anti-submarine warfare with no less than six depth charge throwers. Unfortunately to meet these demands, the torpedo load was reduced to a single quad mount. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 4/1 Crew: 12/4

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 440 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1942

Range 15 7 20 20 3

AD 2 4 2 2 4

DD 1 — 5 5 2

Displacement: 3,700 tons

Speed: 33 kts.

Special Weak — AP, Slow-Loading AP, Slow-Loading Slow-Loading Crew: 300

Chitose-class Light Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Chitose, Chiyoda

Both carriers were originally laid down as a seaplane tenders, however care was given during to construction for the rapid conversion to outright carriers. Both were active as seaplane carriers at the start of the war and both took part in the Battle of Midway though neither saw combat. As the Japanese became aware of the importance of carrier aviation, both Chitose and Chiyoda were converted into light carriers, re-entering service in early 1944. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 15/5 Crew: 32/10

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 631 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1943 Aircraft: 3 flights of Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, and 2 flights of Aichi D4Y Judys Range 14 7

AD 2 4

DD 1 —

Displacement: 15,300 tons

Speed: 29.0 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 800

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Fuso-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Fuso, Yamashiro

The Fuso-class was a more powerful version of the Kongo-class battlecruisers. Outfitted with six twin 14-inch turrets, these ships were designed with offensive capability in mind and as a result suffered from weak armour. The arrangement of all centreline turrets was not entirely successful, as the middle Q and R turrets had poor arcs of fire. Between the wars, both ships were modernised with oil-fired boilers, which reduced their two funnels to one. Armour protection was increased in both quantity and quality and a torpedo bulge added. Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Aircraft 3, Torpedo Belt Damage: 36/12 In Service: 1942 Crew: 56/18

Length: 698 ft.

Range 39 39 39 39 39 39 16 7

AD 2 2 2 2 2 2 6 3

DD 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 —

Displacement: 39,154 tons

Special AP AP AP AP AP AP Weak —

Speed: 24.75 kts.

Crew: 1,400

Hosho-class Light Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Hosho

From the date of her commission in 1922 to the completion of the Akagi in 1927, the Hosho served as the most advanced aircraft carrier in the Imperial Navy, and is often considered the first ship built from the keel up as a carrier, though she was initially laid down as a tanker and redesigned during construction. In 1933, she was withdrawn from the regular fleet and assigned as a training vessel. She remained in this capacity until the outbreak of the Pacific War and assisted with a compliment of older aircraft in operations along the Chinese coasts in 1940. During much of the war, the Hosho was used primarily for training purposes, but did serve in an air defence capacity at the Battle of Midway in 1942. Three years later, she sustained damage during an American air attack. After the war, the Hosho was used as a repatriation vessel to return Japanese citizens and soldiers home. Speed: 5” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 11/3 Crew: 22/7

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 541 ft.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Weapon A Turret (2 x 14 in) B Turret (2 x 14 in) Q Turret (2 x 14 inch) R Turret (2 x 14 inch) X Turret (2 x 14 in) Y Turret (2 x 14 in) Secondary Armament AA

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 2 flights of Mitsubishi A5M Claude, and 1 flight of Yokosuka B4Y Jean Range 15 7

Displacement: 10,500 tons

AD 1 1

DD 1 — Speed: 25.0 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 550

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Ise-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Ise, Hyùga

Originally intended as sister ships of the preceding Fuso-class, the Ise-class battleships were considered sufficiently different to warrant separate classification. Among the differences was a shorter foredeck, a more closely-grouped secondary armament, a different arrangement of the primary turrets (though the cumbersome six-twin arrangement was retained). Like most battleships of their era, they retained casemated secondary armament, and like all Japanese warships of the period, these vessels still relied on mixed (i.e. coal and oil) firing for their boilers. The values in parenthesis are for Ise-carrier conversion.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Aircraft 3, Torpedo Belt Damage: 37/12 In Service: 1942 (1943 for carrier version) Crew: 54/18 Aircraft: 2 flights of Aichi E16A Paul’s (carrier version only)

Weapon A Turret (2 x 14 in) B Turret (2 x 14 in) Q Turret (2 x 14 inch) R Turret (2 x 14 inch) X Turret (2 x 14 in) Y Turret (2 x 14 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 708 ft.

Range 39 39 39 39 39 39 15 (11) 7

AD 2 2 2 2 2 2 7 (5) 3 (9)

DD 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 —

Displacement: 40,169 tons

Special AP AP AP AP AP AP Weak —

Speed: 25.3 kts.

Crew: 1,360

Junyo-class Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Hiyo, Junyo

Junyo and Hiyo began life as civilian enger liners, but were taken over by the Japanese Navy in 1940 while still on the shipways, and subsequently converted to carriers. They were equipped with two aircraft hangars, two lifts, and were the first class of Japanese carriers to have the funnel incorporated into the structure of the island. Completed in 1942, Junyo participated in the attacks on US Alaskan bases that accompanied the Battle of Midway. After the disaster of Midway, she and Hiyo were two of four large aircraft carriers remaining, and were important units of the Japanese fleet during the next two years, even though both had a lower speed and smaller air group than built-for-the-purpose fleet carriers. Speed: 5” Armour: 2+ Turning: 1 Damage: 28/9 Target: 4+ Crew: 49/16 of Aichi D3A Vals Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 719 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 4 flights of Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, 1 flights of Nakajima B5N Kates, and 3 flights

Range 11 7

AD 4 6

DD 1 —

Displacement: 28,300 tons

Speed: 25.5 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 1,224

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Kaga-class Carrier

Battle

Ships of this class: Kaga

Kaga was originally laid down as a Tosa-class battleship, but the constraints of newly signed Washington Naval Treaty meant that neither Kaga nor her sister ship Tosa could be completed. When the aircraft carrier Amagi was destroyed by an earthquake, while still under construction, it was decided to replace her with a carrier built on the hull of the incomplete Kaga. However, the original turret barbettes, magazines and other equipment to big gun turrets were retained and the wooden flight deck designed to be quickly stripped off, thus allowing the rapid conversion of the carrier back to a battleship. However, by the mid 1930’s, the aircraft carrier concept had taken hold and Kaga was extensively rebuilt, ending any possibility of later converting her to a capital ship. Speed: 6” Armour: 3+ Special Traits: Carrier Turning: 1 Damage: 38/12 In Service: 1942 Target: 4+ Crew: 81/27 Aircraft: 4 flights of Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, 5 flights of Nakajima B5N Kates, and 3 flights of Aichi D3A Vals

Length: 812 ft.

Range 27 27 27 27 11 7

AD 1 1 1 1 5 7

Displacement: 42,541 tons

DD 1 1 1 1 1 —

Special Twin-Linked, Port Firing Arc Only Port Firing Arc Only Twin-Linked, Starboard Firing Arc Only Starboard Firing Arc Only Weak —

Speed: 28.3 kts.

Crew: 2,016

Kaiten-class Manned Torpedo

Patrol

The Kaiten was a Type 93 torpedo refitted to carry a pilot on a one-way mission. The suicide attacks made by these submersibles were even more hazardous than those carried out by kamikaze aircraft due to poor guidance and control systems - there were many instances of Kaitens sinking shortly after launch. They were especially vulnerable to ASW attacks made by aircraft, as they had a very hard time staying at depth. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 1 Crew: 1

Weapon 3,000 lb. Warhead Length: 48 ft.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Weapon Port Turret A (3 x 8 inch) Port Turret B (2 x 8 inch) Starboard Turret C (3 x 8 inch) Starboard Turret D (2 x 8 inch) Secondary Armament AA

Special Traits: Submersible In Service: 1944

Range — Displacement: 9 tons

AD 1

DD 8 Speed: 30 kts.

Special Super AP Crew: 1

* The Kaiten uses the Suicide Attack rules found on page 7. They are not automatically destroyed if they miss on their initial attack roll and may manoeuvre to make further attacks. Before moving a Kaiten, roll one dice; on a 1 the torpedo develops a fault and is removed from play. The Kaiten may never crash dive and counts as being destroyed if it surfaces. The Kaiten receives a +1 bonus to its Attack Dice if impacting on a target’s beam. ASW aircraft will detect the Kaiten on a 4+ using standard ASW aircraft rules. Kaitens may be launched from any submarine or surface ship equipped with torpedo tubes. Ships or submarines that carry a Kaiten lose 2 Attack Dice of torpedoes for the duration of the battle.

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Kuma-class Light Cruiser/Kitakami-class Torpedo Cruiser

Skirmish/Raid

Ships of this class: Kuma, , Kitakami, Tama

The Kuma-class of light cruisers was a compromise between ocean going scout ships and improved versions of the Tenryu-class. The goal was the production of an intermediate class cruiser which could act as fleet scout and as a destroyer flotilla command ship. As a result these 5,500-ton cruisers sacrificed protection for speed and firepower. The Japanese had high hopes for the Long Lance in the face of the larger American battle line. To that end, the cruisers Oi and the Kitakami were both converted into torpedo cruisers. They traded half of the main 5.5-inch guns and the aircraft catapult for no less than 40 torpedo tubes. By the time they reed the fleet, Allied forces would no longer accept night battles except when ed by radar. Even the great range of the Long Lance could not compete with radar directed gunfire.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 6/2 Crew: 18/6

Special Traits: Aircraft 1 (0 for Kitakami-class) In Service: 1942 (1941 for Kitakami-class)

Weapon (Kuma-class) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes

Range 15 7 20 20

AD 3 1 2 2

DD 1 — 5 5

Special Weak — One-Shot, Super AP One-Shot, Super AP

Weapon( Kitakami-class) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes

Range 15 7 20 20

AD 1 1 10 10

DD 1 — 5 5

Special Weak — One-Shot, Super AP One-Shot, Super AP

* Due to insufficient fire control capabilities, the Kitakami-class may not fire its secondary armament and torpedoes in the same turn. Further, no more than two targets may be selected for torpedo attacks. Length: 532 ft.

Displacement: 5,832 tons

Speed: 36 kts.

Crew: 439

Matsu-class Destroyer Escort

Patrol

Ships of this class: Matsu, Momo, Take, Ume,

The Matsu-class escort destroyers were designed as a replacement of naval losses with a shortage of raw materials in mind. They had a simplified design and were made for swift construction. Despite having a displacement half of previous destroyers, the Matsu were still heavily armed with anti-aircraft weaponry and quadruple torpedo tubes. Originally ordered in the 1942 Program, a total of eighteen were built by wars end. The Tachibana-class was a simple Matsu-class designed to cut construction time from six months to three. A total of thirty-three destroyers were planned but only thirteen were fully completed by war’s end. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 8/2

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 328 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1944

Range 11 5 20 20 3

AD 1 3 2 2 3

DD 1 — 5 5 2

Displacement: 1,580 tons

Speed: 27.8 kts.

Special Weak — One-Shot, Super AP One-Shot, Super AP Slow-Loading Crew: 211

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Myoko-class Heavy Cruiser

Raid

Ships of this class: Ashigara, Haguro, Myoko, Nachi

The Myoko-class heavy cruisers were the first designed after the g of the Washington Naval Treaty. As a result, they were the first built under the limitations imposed by the treaty - design specifications were such that these cruisers would be more heavily armed, better armoured, and with significantly better underwater protection than their predecessors, the Aoba-class. All while retaining a 35+ knot top speed. The resulting cruiser was equipped with five twin 8-inch turrets backed up with sixteen torpedo tubes. The armour belt was an integral part of the hull strength, and used an undulating flush deck arrangement and, in an unusual addition for cruisers of the time, an anti-torpedo bulge was incorporated. Unsurprisingly, the new cruisers exceeded the 10,000 ton treaty limit by nearly 1,000 tons. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 13/4 Crew: 31/10

Length: 668 ft.

Range 33 33 33 33 33 11 7 20 20

AD 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 4 4

Displacement: 13,300 tons

DD 1 1 1 1 1 1 — 5 5 Speed: 35.5 kts.

Special — — — — — Weak — Slow-Loading, Super AP Slow-Loading, Super AP Crew: 773

Oyodo-class Light Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Oyodo

The Oyodo-class was originally designed to act as a flagship for scouting submarine fleets. To that end, they were to be equipped with two triple 6-inch guns (previously removed from one of the Mogami-class cruisers) forward, and an oversized catapult to handle six E15k reconnaissance seaplanes aft. Two cruisers were initially authorised, but immediately after Oyodo’s completion, all available shipbuilding resources at that yard were reassigned to aircraft carriers. Also, the E15K planes were not ready. Finally, her original role as submarine command ship was already deemed untenable. Instead, for a short time she was the flagship of Third Fleet. Later she became a Combined Fleet flagship when her oversized catapult was replaced with a smaller, more conventional one and her large hangar converted to accommodate Fleet Headquarters staff. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 11/3 Crew: 24/8

Weapon A Turret (3 x 6 in) B Turret (3 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 630 ft.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Weapon A Turret (2 x 8 in) B Turret (2 x 8 in) Q Turret (2 x 8 inch) X Turret (2 x 8 in) Y Turret (2 x 8 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes

Special Traits: Aircraft 3, Torpedo Belt In Service: 1942

Special Traits: Aircraft 2 In Service: 1943

Range 30 30 15 7 Displacement: 11,433 tons

AD 1 1 1 2

DD 1 1 1 — Speed: 35 kts.

Special Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Weak — Crew: 600

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Ryuho-class Light Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Ryuho

The Ryuho entered service as the submarine depot ship Taigei. She was subsequently removed from service and converted into a light aircraft carrier. During conversion, Ryuho gained the distinction of being the only major warship damaged in the Doolittle Raid, receiving one direct hit. Here wartime career was mostly that of aircraft ferrying and pilot training. However, in 1944 she sailed with the Combined Fleet to participate in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea, where her flight group was decimated for no hits against the American fleet. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 14/4 Crew: 31/10

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 707 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 5 flights of Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, and 1 flight of Nakajima B5N Kates Range 11 7

AD 2 5

DD 1 —

Displacement: 16,700 tons

Speed: 26.5 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 989

Ryujo-class Light Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Ryujo

Ryujo was a one-off design intended to fill out the remaining tonnage allowed by the Washington Naval treaty. Soon after completion it was discovered that she, along with nearly an entire generation of warships, were incapable of safe operation in the open ocean, having attempted to squeeze too much fighting power into too small hulls. As a result, Ryujo was returned to the shipyards for three years of extensive reconstruction. Despite these changes, she would see further reconstruction in 1940. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 14/4 Crew: 37/12

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 590 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 3 flights of Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, and 3 flights of Nakajima B5N Kates Range 11 7

AD 2 4

DD 1 —

Displacement: 13,650 tons

Speed: 29.0 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 924

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Shinano-class Carrier

Battle

Ships of this class: Shinano

Shinano was laid down as the third of five projected Yamato-class battleships, but construction was suspended prior to the war. Following the disastrous losses at the Battle of Midway, Shinano was selected for conversion to an aircraft carrier. She was the largest aircraft carrier, by tonnage, until the commissioning of the supercarrier USS Forrestal, eleven years later. Shinano was designed as a carrier, using its extensive machine shops and large fuel capacity to service aircraft operating on other carriers. She would have a very small operational air group of her own but a large number of unassigned aircraft to replace losses on other carriers. Nearly complete, Shinano, escorted by four destroyers, sailed for Kure for further outfitting. At the time, none of her internal protection was complete and her crew had little training in damage control procedures. Within a few hours of sailing, she was torpedo by the submarine USS Archer-Fish. Despite four torpedo hits she managed to remain under way. However, the inexperienced crew was unable to contain the flooding and Shinano sank several hours later. Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 872 ft.

Range 12 7

AD 7 17

Displacement: 71,890 tons

DD 1 — Speed: 27.0 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 2400

Shimakaze-class Destroyer

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Shimakaze

Shimakaze was experimental one-off design which resulted in an extraordinarily large and fast heavy destroyer equipped with no less than fifteen torpedoes in three quintuple mounts. Ordered in the 1939 Program, she was the fastest destroyer built by Japan throughout the war, with an advanced power plant that would prove to be too expensive to mass-produce. As a result, the original plan for sixteen ships of her class came to no avail. Shimakaze was sunk by US Navy carrier-based aircraft in the Philippines area, on 11th November 1944. Speed: 8” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 11/3

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 413 ft.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Armour: 4+ Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Carrier, Torpedo Belt Damage: 54/18 In Service: 1944 Crew: 96/32 Aircraft: 4 flights of Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, 1 flights of Nakajima B6N Jills, and 3 flights of Aichi D4Y Judys

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1943

Range 12 5 20 20 3 Displacement: 3,048 tons

AD 1 2 8 8 1

DD 1 — 5 5 2 Speed: 39 kts.

Special Weak — Super AP, One-Shot Super AP, One-Shot Slow-Loading Crew: 267

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2

Shiratsuyu-class Destroyer

Patrol

Ships of this class: Harusame, Samidare, Shiratsuyu, Yudachi

The Shiratsuyu-class destroyers were modified versions of the Hatsuharu-class, and emerged after Japanese designers corrected the problem of ‘top heavy’ ships, a problem that had plagued earlier designs. These ships were the first to equip the quadruple torpedo launcher, carried in two centreline mounts. A total of ten destroyers of this class were produced, the most famous the Shigure. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 7/2

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedo Starboard Torpedo Depth Charges

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Length: 353 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1936

Range 12 5 20 20 3

AD 1 1 4 4 2

DD 1 — 5 5 2

Displacement: 1,980 tons

Speed: 34 kts.

Special Weak — Slow-Loading, Super AP Slow-Loading, Super AP Slow-Loading Crew: 180

Soryu/Hiryu-class Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Soryu, Hiryu

Soryu and Hiryu were typically considered separate classes, but were really semi-sisters. Soryu was slightly smaller and featured a starboard island, while Hiryu featured a port side island. As opposed to some earlier Japanese carriers these carriers were designed from the start as aircraft carriers. The values in parenthesis are for the Hiryu. Speed: 7” Armour: 2+ (3+) Turning: 2 (1) Damage: 20/6 (22/7) Target: 4+ Crew: 50/16 (44/14)

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 746 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1942 Aircraft: 4 flights of Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, 3 flights of Nakajima B5N Kates, and 2 flights of Aichi D3A Vals

Range 11 7

AD 4 6

DD 1 —

Displacement: 19,800 (21,900) tons

Special Weak —

Speed: 34.5 (34.3) kts.

Crew: 1,250 (1,101)

Taiho-class Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Taiho

Taiho had an armoured flight deck, and an enclosed hurricane bow, unfortunately reducing the size of the hanger bay. She was sunk during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, when a torpedo attack from the USS Albacore resulted in damage that lead to the ignition of fuel vapours that had spread throughout the ship as a result of poor damage control. Speed: 7” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Carrier Damage: 35/11 In Service: 1944 Crew: 70/23 Aircraft: 4 flights of Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, 3 flights of Nakajima B6N Jills, and 4 flights of Aichi D4Y Judys

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 855 ft.

Range 15 7

AD 2 6

DD 1 —

Displacement: 37,720 tons

Speed: 33.3 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 1,751

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2

Tenryu-class Light Cruiser

Patrol

Ships of this class: Tatsuta, Tenryu

The Tenryu-class consisted of a pair of 3,230-ton light cruisers which were intended to act as destroyer leaders. Their design was essentially that of an enlarged version of a destroyer, with speed emphasized along with the brand new 5.5in gun. Anti-aircraft weapons were essentially non-existent, amounting to little more than an elderly 3-inch cannon and a pair of light machine guns. Despite refits in the 1930’s, neither cruiser was equipped with the new 24-inch long lance and were thus forced to continue relying on their older 21-inch type. In the opening stages of World War II, both cruisers were typically assigned as escorts to the various assault troop convoys and then later as fast transports to Guadalcanal. Tenryu was lost early in the war to a submarine torpedo attack. Tatsuta was lost approximately two years later to another submarine torpedo attack. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 4/1 Crew: 13/4

Length: 468 ft.

Range 15 7 20 20 3

AD 1 1 3 3 2

Displacement: 3,948 tons

DD 1 — 4 4 2 Speed: 33 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Slow-Loading Crew: 332

Tone-class Heavy Cruiser

Raid

Ships of this class: Chikuma , Tone

Like the Mogami-class, the Tone-class was originally designed as a series of light cruisers. Their mission was to act as the eyes of the cruiser fleet. To that end, the Tone-class placed their main armament of four turrets forward of the bridge. This left the aft decks free for reconnaissance aircraft usage, of which five were carried. Armour was consistent with heavy cruisers of the period but, like the Myoko-class, the Tone-class included a sizable torpedo bulge. Originally designed with triple 6-inch turrets, delays in their construction meant that the of the Washington Naval Treaty ended before their completion. It was therefore decided to complete both ships as heavy cruisers, replacing the 6-inch turrets with twin 8-inch turrets. Neither ship survived the Pacific War, though both were only sunk late in the war. Chikuma was sunk by American aircraft at Leyte Gulf, while Tone was also sunk by American aircraft less than a year later. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 15/5 Crew: 26/8

Weapon A Turret (2 x 8 in) B Turret (2 x 8 in) Q Turret (2 x 8 inch) R Turret (2 x 8 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 661 ft.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedo Starboard Torpedo Depth Charges

Special Traits: None In Service: 1942

Special Traits: Aircraft 5 In Service: 1938

Range 33 33 33 33 11 7 20 20 Displacement: 15,200 tons

AD 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — 5 5 Speed: 35 kts.

Special — — — — Weak — Slow-Loading, Super AP Slow-Loading, Super AP Crew: 650

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Yubari-class Light Cruiser

Patrol

Ships of this class: Yubari

The Yubari was an experimental design, intended to demonstrate the feasibility of mounting a heavy armament in a small hull. Construction was originally planned to begin 1917, but was delayed 1920. Design plans were along the lines of the Furutaka-class cruisers also proposed that year, with the armoured belt forming part of the ship’s integral strength. Armament centred around six 5.5-inch guns, in two single and two twin mountings. One 3-inch anti-aircraft gun and two machine guns rounded the gunnery outfit, while a pair of twin torpedo tubes amidships in destroyer fashion provided her heavy hitting power. By 1943, the single 5.5-inch guns had been replaced with additional, much-needed anti-aircraft guns. Fairly active throughout the war, Yubari, like so many other Japanese vessels, would be torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine in 1944.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 4/1 Crew: 13/4

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 456 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1942

Range 15 7 20 20 3

AD 2 1 2 2 2

DD 1 — 5 5 2

Displacement: 4,448 tons

Speed: 34.8 kts.

Special Weak — Slow-Loading, Super AP Slow-Loading, Super AP Slow-Loading Crew: 328

Zuiho-class Light Carrier

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Shoho, Zuiho

In 1936, the decision was made to complete the submarine depot ship Takasaki, then still under construction, into a carrier. Work on this project was delayed till 1940, but was completed by December that year. The carrier was renamed Zuiho. A sister ship, the Shoho, entered service in two years later. Both ships were equipped with one hangar and their original diesel motors were replaced with destroyer level turbines and boilers. Shoho would be sunk early in the war to American dive bombing and torpedo attacks during the Battle of the Coral Sea. She was the first carrier loss to the Japanese navy in the Pacific War. The Zuiho lasted until the end of 1944, when she was destroyed via a combination of torpedoes and bombs at the Battle of Cape Engano. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 14/4 Crew: 31/10

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 672 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1940 Aircraft: 2 flights of Mitsubishi A6M Zeros and 2 flights of Aichi D3A Vals Range 11 7

AD 2 3

DD 1 —

Displacement: 14,200 tons

Speed: 28 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 785

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Aircraft

The following describes new air for the Imperial Japanese Navy. The full details of each flight can be found on page 20. Yokosuka D4Y2 Judy: Built as a replacement for the D3A Val, the D4Y2 entered service in large numbers in 1943. Powered by a liquid cooled V-12 engine (based on German Daimler-Benz DB 600G), the Allied designated Judy was extremely nimble and was the fastest dive bomber of World War II. Aichi E16A Paul: This late model twin-float reconnaissance seaplane, designated by the Allies as Paul, was given hydraulically-actuated dive brakes to allow the E16A to operate as a dive-bomber. Unfortunately for the Navy, by the time the E16A1 entered service the Allies had gained air superiority and in consequence these aircraft suffered very heavy losses during 1944. The majority which survived were later used for Kamikaze operations in the Okinawa area. Nakajima B6N Jill: The Nakajima B6N Tenzan, designated by the Allies as Jill, was the Imperial Japanese Navy’s standard torpedo bomber for the final years of World War II. Although a highly-effective torpedo bomber, by the time it reached service, the US Navy had already achieved air superiority over the Pacific, and the type never really had the opportunity to display its full potential.

Yokosuka B4Y1 Jean: The B4Y1 was regarded only as an interim type by the Japanese Imperial Navy. The design was a bi-plane with fixed landing gear and an all-metal structure covered with either metal or fabric. Although primarily used as a carrier-based aircraft, the B4Y1 was also used as a land-based bomber on occasion. Despite being removed from frontline naval service by the start of World War II, B4Y1 were operated from the aircraft carrier Hosho during the Battle of Midway. The B4Y1 aircraft more typically used as advanced trainers, flying from the carriers Hosho and Unyo until 1943.

The Imperial Japanese Navy

Mitsubishi A5M4 Claude: The Mitsubishi A5M was the world’s first monoplane shipboard fighter and the direct ancestor of the famous Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Some A5Ms were still in service at the beginning of World War II and United States intelligence sources believed the A5M was still the primary Navy fighter, and not the Zero. Some second line aircraft carriers and air groups continued to use the A5M until production of the Zero caught up with demand. Most remaining airframes were used for kamikaze attacks in the closing months of the war.

MXY Okha: The Okha rocket bomb was a suicide aircraft deployed near the end of the war. The rocket bomb wass released from its carrying plane and would glide until its rocket engine was engaged to take the aircraft on a high-speed attack run. 850 of these suicide aircraft were built, most of which were the Type 11. There were variants, but none were actually used in the war. Ki-115 Tsurgi: The Ki-115 was a purpose-built suicide aircraft deployed by the Japanese at the end of World War II. Built of canvas and wood, it was cheap to produce, and had very crude controls. The Ki-115 was intended to be used in waves of hundreds, with a projected 8,000 a month to be built. The war ended before the Tsurgi could be deployed in the numbers intended by the Japanese iralty.

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The Italian Navy It is interesting to speculate what the Italian navy could have achieved had it been better led or handled. Italian enthusiasm for the war was noticeably lacking, and this led to lacklustre performances in the air, on the ground and at sea. The resulting reputation for lack of nerve is not really deserved; Italian troops and ships at times fought bravely, especially for a commander or a cause they believed in, and in other wars of recent history there was nothing wrong with Italian courage or fighting ability. It seems likely that, had the personnel of the Italian Navy really believed in their cause, their excellent battleships and cruisers might have covered themselves with glory.

Errata

The following official changes should be made to ships in the Victory at Sea main rulebook. Littorio-class battleship: Add Torpedo Belt trait.

The Italian Navy Expanded Fleet List

The following forms the expanded fleet list for the Italian Navy. The fleet special rules noted below also apply.

The Italian Navy

Priority Level: Patrol Adua-class submarine Navigatori-class destroyer Priority Level: Skirmish Abruzzi-class light cruiser Etna-class light anti-aircraft cruiser cruiser Zara-class cruiser

Capitani Romani-class light cruiser

Marcello-class submarine

Da Barbiano-class light cruiser Luigi Cadorna-class light cruiser

Duca D’Aosta-class light cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli-class light

Priority Level: Raid Aquila-class defence carrier

Trento-class cruiser

Priority Level: Battle Caio Duilio-class battleship

Conte di Cavour-class Battleship

Priority Level: War Littorio-class battleship

Special Rules

The following special rules are applied to fleets of the Italian Navy.

German Radar: Towards the end of the war, a number of Italian ships received Radar sets provided by . Those Italian ships which have Radar will have a Special Trait which says Radar(German). These systems have the same limitations as those used by the Germans (see the Victory at Sea main rulebook). Lack of coordination: One of the things that characterised the performance of the Italian fleet was the lack of co-ordination between the Aviation and the Fleet. In fact, Aviation needed orders from the supreme command, rather than directly from the fleet’s iral. If an Italian fleet possesses any flights of aircraft, it will suffer a –1 penalty to its Initiative. The penalty does not apply for carrier launched aircraft, observation aircraft or a ‘fleet’ that consists entirely of aircraft.

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Abruzzi-class Light Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Abruzzi, Luigi Di Savoia

The Abruzzi-class was the final version of the Condottieri concept to see service, and represented a considerable advance on the previous classes. Although their outward appearance was not too dissimilar, they had many important changes, particularly regarding the protective scheme, for with this class the Italian navy finally decided to compromise speed for better protection. Not only was the weight of armour increased, it was also distributed in a better manner, which included a thin strake designed to trigger the fuses of incoming shells before they reached the main protection, splinter protection for the upper deck, extension of the main armoured deck to full beam, and considerably thickened barbette and turret armour. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 12/4 Crew: 26/8

Length: 563 ft.

Range 29 29 29 29 12 6 10 10

AD 1 1 1 1 4 3 2 2

Displacement: 11,760 tons

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — 3 3 Speed: 34 kts.

Special Twin-Linked, Weak Weak Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Weak AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 640

Aquila-class Defence Carrier

Raid

Ships of this class: Aquila

The Italian Navy

Weapon A Turret (3 x 6 in) B Turret (2 x 6 in) X Turret (2 x 6 in) Y Turret (3 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes

Special Traits: Aircraft 4 In Service: 1937

The role of aircraft carriers was undervalued by the Regia Marina, as the navy was expected to operate in the Mediterranean, close to Italian air bases. This attitude was best expressed by Mussolini who said ‘Italy itself is an aircraft carrier laid over the Mediterranean.’ Accordingly, the fleet air coverage was the responsibility of the Regia Aeronautica. The Regia Marina would request, on a case by case basis, air coverage to Regia Aeronautica, which would fulfil these requests if aircraft were available. Unsurprisingly, this arrangement often left the fleet without air cover, or with the aircraft arriving to late, or, worse, the aircraft mistakenly attacking Italian ships (as during the battle of Calabria). When the necessity for an air component travelling with the fleet was clear, it was decided to convert the ocean liner Roma into an aircraft carrier. As there was already a battleship under construction named Roma, the new carrier was renamed Aquila. She was nearly complete at the time of the armistice in September 1943, after which she was seized by . Before anything could be done with her, the Aquila was damaged by a series of Allied air attacks and soon after she was partially scuttled by Italian frogmen. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 28/9 Crew: 57/19

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 680 ft.

Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Carrier In Service: 1943 (planned) Aircraft: 11 flights of Re.2001 Range 15 6

Displacement: 28,350 tons

AD 2 10

DD 1 — Speed: 30 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 1420

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Capitani Romani-class Light Cruiser

Patrol

Ships of this class: Attilio Regolo, Ciao Marlo, Claudio Druso, Claudio Tiberio, Comello Silla, Giulio Germanico, Ottaviano Augusto, Paolo Emilio, Pompeo Magno

The construction of the large Le Fantasque and Mogador classes of contretorpilleur by from the beginning of the 1930s led to some concern as Italian large destroyers, like the Navigatori-class, would be inferior to the new French ships. Design work was thus started in 1937 on the ‘esploratori oceanici’ (Ocean Scouts). Protection was minimal, limited to some vital parts, and the maximum speed would be about 41 kts. However, by the late 1930s the capabilities of reconnaissance aircraft had improved considerably, rendering the need for pure scouting vessels somewhat superfluous. In consequence, the smaller scouts were reclassified as destroyers and the larger as light cruisers. Only three of the twelve units ordered entered service with the Italian Navy before the surrender in September 1943. Speed: 8” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 5/1 Crew: 17/5

The Italian Navy

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 455 ft.

Special Traits: Radar(German) In Service: 1942

Range 15 6 10 10

AD 2 2 2 2

DD 1 — 3 3

Displacement: 5,420 tons

Speed: 40 kts.

Special Weak AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 418

Conte di Cavour-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Conte di Cavour, Giulio Cesare, Leonardo da Vinci Originally commissioned in 1915, Conte di Cavour and Giulio Cesare (Leonardo da Vinci was destroyed by sabotage during World War 1) were rebuilt as first generation fast battleships in a process that left only 40% of the original structure in place. The central tower was removed, as was one main battery turret. The remaining guns of the same were upgraded from 305 mm to 320 mm. The new boilers and turbines improved speed from 21.5 knots to 28 knots. Overall, they were good units, even if with weak anti-aircraft and submarine protections. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 5+ Damage: 29/9 Crew: 50/16

Weapon A Turret (3 x 12.6 in) B Turret (2 x 12.6 in) X Turret (2 x 12.6 in) Y Turret (3 x 12.6 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 611 ft.

Special Traits: None In Service: 1939

Range 33 33 33 33 17 6

AD 3 2 2 3 2 5

DD 2 2 2 2 1 —

Displacement: 29,100 tons

Speed: 28 kts.

Special

Weak

Crew: 1,261

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Da Barbiano-class Light Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Alberto Di Giussano, Alberico Da Barbiano, Bartolomeo Colleoni, Giovanni Delle Bande Nere The construction of the French contre-torpilleurs forced the Italian Navy to consider countermeasures which included a class of large scout cruisers. These ships sacrificed almost all protection for speed and superior gunpower, like the contre-torpilleurs. The machinery applied to these cruisers resulted in some very fast and misleading speeds of 42 kts. Part of the reason was the policy of the Italian Government, which paid a to builders for every knot above the ship’s contract speed. Unsurprisingly, the builders took every advantage of this and often forced machinery beyond safe limits. Eventually the practice was stopped as these artificial speeds bore no resemblance to service speeds.

Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 7/2 Crew: 20/6

Length: 525 ft.

Range 29 29 29 29 12 6 10 10

AD 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Displacement: 6,954 tons

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — 3 3 Speed: 36.5 kts.

Special Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 507

Duca D’Aosta-class Light Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Emanuele Filiberto Duca D’Aosta, Eugenio Di Savoia,

The Italian Navy

Weapon A Turret (2 x 6 in) B Turret (2 x 6 in) X Turret (2 x 6 in) Y Turret (2 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes

Special Traits: Aircraft 2 In Service: 1931

This class was yet another extension of the Condottieri concept, and represented another step on the way to producing a good, all-round cruiser design. It was desired to improve the stability and protection once more, while keeping the armament similar to that of the previous class. In this new design the weight of armour was increased still more over that of the Montecuccoli. On trials, following the normal Italian practice of light displacement and forced machinery, the impressive speeds of 37.35Kts (d’Aosta) and 37.33kts (Savoia) were achieved. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 11/3 Crew: 23/7

Weapon A Turret (2 x 6 in) B Turret (2 x 6 in) X Turret (2 x 6 in) Y Turret (2 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 563 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 2 In Service: 1935

Range 29 29 29 29 12 6 10 10 Displacement: 10,843 tons

AD 1 1 1 1 4 3 2 2

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — 3 3 Speed: 36.5 kts.

Special Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 578

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Etna-class Light Anti-Aircraft Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Etna, Vesuvio

In 1939, Siam (now Thailand) placed on order for a pair of general purpose light cruisers which were to be built in Italian yards. These hulls were subsequently taken over by Italy in 1942, with plans to complete them as anti-aircraft cruisers which also could also serve as flagships. Designated the Etna-class, the two ships were to be equipped with with six 152mm guns in three newly designed dual purpose twin mounts. In addition, ten of the the equally new 65mm heavy anti-aircraft guns currently being designed for the Capitani Romani-class of light cruisers would also be carried, backed by a large number of lighter anti-aricraft guns. Both ships were still under construction when they were captured by German troops after the surrender of Italy in 1943. To prevent their use by the Germans, the ships were sunk by the retreating Italians. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 6/2 Crew: 23/7

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 505 ft.

Special Traits: Radar(German) In Service: 1944 (planned)

Range 15 6

AD 2 7

DD 1 —

Displacement: 6,096 tons

Special Weak —

Speed: 28 kts.

Crew: 580

The Italian Navy

Luigi Cadorna-class Light Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Armando Diaz, Luigi Cadorna Ordered by the Italian Navy as a follow on to the Da Barbiano-class, these two ships had similar characteristics but were intended to have improved protection and stability. However, protection ended up being virtually the same, but stability and hull strength were improved. Otherwise these ships showed no improvement in fighting power over the earlier Da Barbiano. A late war refit removed would see the removal of the catapult and two aircraft originally carried for additional light anti-aircraft weapons.

Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 7/2 Crew: 20/6

Weapon A Turret (2 x 6 in) B Turret (2 x 6 in) X Turret (2 x 6 in) Y Turret (2 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 525 ft.

Special Traits: None In Service: 1933

Range 29 29 29 29 12 3 10 10

AD 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — 3 3

Displacement: 7,113 tons

Speed: 36.5 kts.

Special Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 507

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Marcello-class Submarine

Patrol

Ships of this class: Barbarigo, Comandante Cappellini, Comandante Faà di Bruno, Dandolo, Emo, Marcello, Monfalcone, Mocenigo, Morosini, Nani, Provana, Veniero Compared to a German Class VII C submarine, the Marcellos were much larger, displacing 1,060 tons versus 769. Speed and range between the two classes were almost similar, but the Marcello had more torpedo tubes than the famous U-Boat. The Marcello-class should be considered one of the most successful produced by the Italian shipyards and showed very good qualities; they were fast, structurally robust and relatively manoeuvrable. Speed: 4/2” Turning: 3 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 3/1

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Forward Torpedoes Aft Torpedoes Length: 239 ft.

Special Traits: Agile, Submersible In Service: 1938

Range 12 1 10 10

AD 1 1 2 2

Displacement: 1,313 tons

DD 1 — 3 3 Speed: 18/8.5 kts.

Special Slow-Loading, Weak AP, Slow-Loading AP, Slow-Loading Crew: 57

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Muzio Attendolo, Raimondo Montecuccoli These two ships continued the improvement of the Condottieri type begun with the Da Barbiano-class. In comparison to the preceding Luigi Cadorna-class, the new ships were some 2,000 tons larger, with increased beam and length but without any noticeable increase in fighting power. However, one of the main benefits of this increase in displacement was better protection, with increases provided in all areas.

Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 9/3 Crew: 20/6

Weapon A Turret (2 x 6 in) B Turret (2 x 6 in) X Turret (2 x 6 in) Y Turret (2 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 545 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 2 In Service: 1935

Range 29 29 29 29 12 6 10 10 3 Displacement: 8,995 tons

AD 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — 3 3 1 Speed: 37 kts.

The Italian Navy

Raimondo Montecuccoli-class Light Cruiser

Special Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Slow-Loading Crew: 578

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Aircraft

The following describes new air for the Italian Navy. The full details of each flight can be found on page 21. Breda Ba.201: The first purpose built dive bomber developed for the Regia Aeronautica, the Ba.201 was a clean low-wing monoplane with an inverted gull wing. Highly praised by test pilots, except for a disappointing maximum speed, development work was expanded to include a carrier based derivative to be deployed on the carrier Aquila. Unfortunately, all available Daimler-Benz DB 601 engines were to be used for fighters, and without a suitable replacement, development of the Ba.201 was abandoned. Fiat G.50 Freccia: The Fiat G.50 Freccia was the first Italian low-wing monoplane fighter with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear to go into production, though Italian pilots felt uncomfortable with the enclosed cockpit itself. Extremely manoeuvrable thanks to its license built German Daimler-Benz engine, the Freccia was one of the best fighters during the Spanish Civil War, yet by the time the World War II started, it was considered underpowered and under armed.

The Italian Navy

Junkers JU-87: Made famous by in the early stages of the war, the Stuka was a welcome addition to the Italian air force. Italian Stukas took part in the first direct attack on Malta where they enjoyed initial success, but their vulnerability to enemy fighters remained. Macchi MC.202 Folgore: The Macchi MC.202 Folgore was a development of its earlier MC.200 Saetta fighter, with a more powerful German Daimler-Benz engine. It proved superior to the Curtiss P-40 and the Hawker Hurricane and was considered to be a match for the Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V and the North American P-51 Mustang. Unsurprisingly, Italian pilots loved the plane, and by late 1942 the Folgore’s outnumbered all other fighter aircraft in the Regia Aeronautica. Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II: The Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II served in the Regia Aeronautica throughout World War II. The new Re.2001 Hawk was an improvement of the originalRe.2000 which was originally rejected by the Regia Aeronautica because of its poor engine. Despite being considered on par with the Macchi MC.202, the Re.2001 was never produced to the same levels. Instead, the Re.2001 was primarily used as a night fighter, though plans and prototypes were developed converting the plane into a carrier-based fighter for the unfinished Aquila. Savoia Marchetti SM.79: A successful design, the Savoia Marchetti SM.79 served as the primary torpedo bomber in the Regia Aeronautica throughout the war. Originally seeing action in the Spanish Civil War, where the plane served with distinction, she was a fast bomber that was well suited for torpedo attacks. Designed in the mid-1930’s as a enger transport, the aircraft was soon converted to military use and proved to be a reliable bomber, although as the war progressed was found to be vulnerable to newer, faster, fighter aircraft. Italo Balbo, the heir apparent to Mussolini, was killed in a friendly fire incident at Tobruk whilst a enger in his personal SM.79.

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The French Navy It is interesting to speculate how the French fleet might have affected the course of the war, consisting as it did of eight battleships (with another under construction), an aircraft carrier, seven heavy and 11 light cruisers, 59 destroyers and 81 submarines. This powerful force was built up to ’s traditional position as a maritime and colonial power, and was sufficient to influence events in any theatre. French vessels fought on both sides during the war. The battleship Richelieu served with the allies, mainly in south-east Asia and with the British East Indies Fleet. Her sister Jean Bart, partially completed and with only one turret operational, was deployed to Casablanca where she saw action against US forces and was heavily damaged. A number of other French vessels were lost in the same action, attempting to prevent Allied landings in Algeria and Morocco. French vessel losses to combat and related causes included 9 cruisers, 39 destroyers and 61 submarines during the course of the war.

Errata

The following official changes should be made to ships in the Victory at Sea main rulebook. Algerie Class Heavy Cruiser: Anti-Aircraft AD should be 3 and not 2.

Dunkerque-class battleship: A and B turrets should have the AP trait. Le-Fantasque Class Destroyer: Anti-Aircraft Secondary Weapons AD should be 2 and not 1, Depth Charge AD should be 1 and not 4.

The following forms the expanded fleet list for the French Navy. Priority Level: Patrol Argonaute/Diane/Orion-class submarine Le Fantasque-class destroyer

Bourrasque-class destroyer Mogador-class destroyer

Chacal-class destroyer

Priority Level: Skirmish Algerie-class cruiser Emile Bertain-class cruiser Suffren-class cruiser

Duguay Trouin-class cruiser Jeanne d’Arc-class cruiser Surcouf-class submarine

Duquesne-class cruiser La Galissonniere-class cruiser

Courbet-class battleship

Dunkerque-class battleship

The French Navy

The French Navy Expanded Fleet List

Priority Level: Raid Bearn- class aircraft carrier Priority Level: Battle Bretagne Class Battleship Priority Level: War Richelieu-class battleship

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Argonaute/Diane/Orion-class Submarine

Patrol

Ships of this class: Argonaute, Arethuse, Atalante, La Vestale, La Sultane

The Argonaute, Diane and Orion series of 630-tonne submarines were the results of three private ship yards building to a single naval specification. Intended for coastal patrols, these small submarines all lacked significant range and endurance. In addition, they were provided with essentially no torpedo reloads, instead relying on three forward tubes, a dual trainable mount forward and a triple trainable mount aft. All of the tubes were essentially single shot, with the aft mount equipped with 1 heavy and two light weight torpedoes. Like their 1,500-tonne type siblings, these trainable mounts could only be fired from the surface. There were sixteen of these submarines available at the start of the war. Most were retained by the Vichy government, though a few escaped to be part of the Free French Navy. Speed: 3/2” Turning: 3 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 3/1

The French Navy

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Forward Torpedoes Port/Starboard Torpedoes Port/Starboard Torpedoes Length: 211 ft.

Special Traits: Agile, Submersible In Service: 1930

Range 11 4 10 10 5

AD 1 1 2 2 2

DD 1 — 3 3 2

Displacement: 809 tons

Speed: 14/9 kts.

Special Weak , Slow-Loading — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot, (when surfaced only) AP, One-Shot, (when surfaced only) Crew: 41

Bretagne-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Bretagne, Provence, Lorraine

The Bretagne-class carried a main armament of ten 13.4 inch main guns mounted five twin turrets. These ships saw no action during the First World War and were converted to oil-fired boilers and modernised during refits throughout the 1920’s and early 30’s. Stationed in the Mediterranean on the outbreak of the Second World War, Bretagne and Provence sailed to Mers el Kebir after the French surrender. The British were worried that the powerful French Navy might fall into German hands, attacking the French port following an ultimatum to stand down. Bretagne capsized after blowing up and Provence was heavily damaged and forced to beach. Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 5+ Weapon A Turret (2 x 13.4 in) B Turret (2 x 13.4 in) Q Turret (2 x 13.4 in) X Turret (2 x 13.4 in) Y Turret (2 x 13.4 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 541 ft.

Armour: 5+ Damage: 27/9 Crew: 45/15 Range 30 30 30 30 30 12 6

Special Traits: None, Aircraft 3 (Lorraine Only) In Service: 1916 (1940 shown)

AD 2 2 2 2 2 4 1

DD 2 2 2 2 2 1 —

Displacement: 26,600 tons

Speed: 21 kts.

Special AP AP AP (Bretagne & Provence only) AP AP Weak (AD 2 for Lorraine) Crew: 1133

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Chacal-class Destroyer

Patrol

Ships of this class: Chacal, Jaguar, Leopard, Lynx, Panthère, Tigre

The Chacal-class, or as it was more commonly known, the Jaguar-class, was a group of six large destroyers (contre-torpilleur) commissioned in the mid 1920’s. Designed as larger, more capable counterparts to the Bourassque-class, they set a standard for French destroyer design until the mid-1930s. Designed for operations in the Mediterranean, they were expected to race out from French ports and attack enemy shipping. As a result they possessed relatively poor endurance and mounted no anti-submarine weapons, but their greatest concern was woefully inadequate anti-aircraft fire, especially in the face of the German Luftwaffe. All six were lost during the war. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 8/2

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes

Range 12 4 10 10

AD 1 1 3 3

Displacement: 3,050 tons

DD 1 — 3 3 Speed: 35 kts.

Special Weak AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 195

Courbet-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Courbet, , Ocean, Paris

The Courbet-class mixed the relatively new concept of super-firing main battery turrets with dated concept of main battery wing turrets, and backed them with a large number of casement mounted secondary guns. Following the First World War, the surviving ships ( was lost in a collision with an uncharted rock) were upgraded to oil-fired boilers and given some measure of anti-aircraft armament. Paris and Courbet took part in the fights at Cherbourg, before evacuating to England. In the wake of the Armistice, they were both forcibly boarded by British forces. Ocean was scuttled in Toulon to prevent her from falling into the hands of the Germans. Speed: 4” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Weapon A Turret (2 x 12 in) B Turret (2 x 12 in) Q Turret (2 x 12 in) R Turret (2 x 12 in) X Turret (2 x 12 in) Y Turret (2 x 12 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 541 ft.

Armour: 4+ Damage: 26/8 Crew: 43/14

Range 29 29 29 29 29 29 12 6

The French Navy

Length: 392 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1926

Special Traits: None In Service: 1913 (1940 as shown)

AD 2 2 2 2 2 2 6 1

Displacement: 25,850 tons

DD 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 — Speed: 21 kts.

Special — — Port Firing Arc Only Starboard Firing Arc Only — — Weak — Crew: 1,069

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Mogador-class Destroyer

Patrol

Ships of this class: Desaix, Hoche, Marceau, Mogador, Volta

The Mogador-class large destroyers represented the peak of French destroyer development. The design evolved from the extremely fast Le Fantasque-class, but was further enlarged to carry eight guns in enclosed twin turrets rather than Le Fantasque’s five guns in single open mounts. Backed up by no less than ten torpedo tubes, their firepower approached that of a light cruiser. Only in of anti-aircraft firepower did they remain unimproved. A total of six were authorised for construction but only two were completed by wartime. Mogador was heavily damaged by the British at Mels-el-Kebir and later, both were scuttled at Toulon. Speed: 8” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 4/1 Crew: 11/3

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 429 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1939

Range 12 4 10 10

AD 3 1 3 3

DD 1 — 3 3

Displacement: 3,954 tons

Speed: 39 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 264

Surcouf-class Submarine

Skirmish

The French Navy

Ships of this class: Surcouf

When launched, the Surcouf was the largest submarine in the world, sured in World War II by the Japanese I-400. Her intended role was that of a commerce raider and her design was intended to maximize this mission. She had a range of 10,000 miles and could sail for a 90 days. She was equipped with a Besson MN-411 floatplane in a hanger aft of the tower to scout for victims and spot for her main battery. Her torpedo outfit included four forward internal tubes, a quad trainable mount aft and as second quad trainable mount aft equipped with lightweight torpedoes. She even had a prison hold for up to 40 captives. But the most striking aspect of her design was the inclusion of a special, watertight turret forward of the tower which carried two eight-inch naval guns. Surcouf was a very complex design, plagued with mechanical troubles. She was difficult and slow to dive, and rolled badly on the surface in rough seas. She was also so low to the horizon that the effective range of her 8-inch guns was greatly reduced. When war broke out she was in the French Antilles and by the time she returned to Brest was in need of repairs. When fell, Surcouf escaped to England, where she was seized by British sailors. She was subsequently turned over to the Free French who regarded her with pride while the British iralty considered her a joke. Speed: 4/2” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 5/1 Crew: 5/1

Weapon A Turret (2 x 8 in) AA Forward Torpedoes Port/Starboard Torpedoes Port/Starboard Torpedoes Length: 360 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 1, Submersible In Service: 1935

Range 12 4 10 10 5

AD 1 1 2 2 2

DD 1 — 3 3 2

Displacement: 4,304 tons

Speed: 18.5/10 kts.

Special — — AP, Slow-Loading AP, One-Shot, (when surfaced only) AP, One-Shot, (when surfaced only) Crew: 118

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* The observation aircraft can be launched at the start of the next turn on which the submarine surfaced. If the spotter plane is in the air it can direct gunfire out to 33”. The Surcouf ’s 8-inch guns can be fired on the same turn it surfaces. The submarine cannot submerge if it takes any damage.

Aircraft

The following describes new air for the French Navy. The full details of each flight can be found on page 21. Latécoère 298: Based on a French Navy requirement for a torpedo bomber, the Laté 298, as it came to be known, entered in service in 1938. While capable of carrying a diverse payload of a torpedo, bombs, or depth charges, its anti-air fit consited of only 3 small machine guns. The Laté 298 intially some some action in its original role of maritime patrol and anti-submarine duties, but as the Wehrmacht drove through , they were instead used to harass and interdict armoured columns. Despite not having been designed for this role, they performed reasonably well, suffering less losses than units equipped with other types.

Potez 63.11A.3: The original Potez 630 was built to meet the requirements of a heavy fighter. However, more than 700 Potez 63.11 were delivered as two-seat, light level bombers by wars start. They were an attractive aircraft, capable of absorbing considerable battle damage. Unfortunately the Potez 63 family, like many French aircraft of the time, simply did not have sufficiently powerful engines to endow them with an adequate performance. In the stern test of war more than 220 were destroyed or abandoned, the heaviest losses of any French bomber type. The Potez 63.11 continued in service with Vichy and Free French forces in North Africa. Production was resumed under German control and significant numbers used mostly in liaison and training roles.

The French Navy

Morane-Saulnier M.S.406: By virtue of its numbers, the M.S.406 was ’s most important fighter during the opening stages of World War II. Generally free of problems, the M.S. 406 was under-powered, weakly armed and lacked full armour protection when compared to its contemporaries. Unsurpirsely, it was out-performed by the Messerschmitt Bf 109E during the Battle of , resulting in high casualties amongst French pilots, despite their valiant efforts. The design held its own in the early stages of the war (the so-called Phony War), but when the war restarted in earnest in 1940, 400 were lost in combat and on the ground for only 175 kills in return.

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The Soviet Navy The Soviet Navy was a fleet that could have been a significant factor in the sea battles of World War II. Internal instability, communist politics, and an overly cautious policy of deployment kept the Soviet Navy from becoming a major player. Though having a considerable number of vessels many larger Soviet ships were destroyed and damaged by air attacks while in port. If fleet deployment and tactics had been better the Russian navy could have been a much more significant force in the War. The Soviet Navy was divided into four fleets; the Black Sea, Northern, Baltic, and Pacific fleets. Heavy action was seen in the Baltic and Black Sea while the Pacific fleet had a considerably smaller number of engagements. The Northern fleet distinguished itself protecting Allied convoys. The Arctic Submarine Brigade distinguished itself as an effective instrument of war, sinking scores of Axis vessels. The following list represents the Soviet Navy as it should be played in games of Victory at Sea. There are several ‘what if ’ designs, allowing players to use the Soviet Navy more effectively than Stalin himself did! Actual deployment of the conjectural ships would have most likely been in the Baltic and Black Sea fleets though players are free to use them as they wish.

The Soviet Navy Fleet List

The following forms the entire fleet list for the Soviet Navy.

The Soviet Navy

Priority Level: Patrol Gnevnyi-class destroyer Tashkent-class destroyer leader

Novik-class destroyer

Series X-class submersible

Priority Level: Skirmish Chapaev-class light cruiser Maxim-Gorky class heavy cruiser

Kirov-class heavy cruiser Murmansk-class light cruiser

Krasnyi Kafkaz-class heavy cruiser Profintern-class light cruiser

Priority Level: Raid Project 71-class aircraft carrier

Tallinn-class heavy cruiser

Priority Level: Battle Archangelsk-class battleship Project 72-class aircraft carrier Priority Level: War Kostromitinova-class aircraft carrier

Gangut-class battleship

Kronstadt-class battlecruiser

Sovietski Soyuz-class battleship

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Arkangelsk-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Arkangelsk

Arkangelsk was the Royal Navy’s Royal Sovereign, transferred to the Soviet Navy in 1944 in order to fulfil the Russian claim to Italian ships surrendered in 1943. Due to the severe threat from German U Boats she remained in or around her Northern Fleet base at Kola until the end of the war, and was finally returned to the UK in 1949 following the delivery of the Italian battleship Giulio Cesare. Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 5+ Special Traits: Torpedo Belt Damage: 34/11 In Service: 1915 Crew: 39/13

Weapon A Turret (2 x 15 in) B Turret (2 x 15 in) X Turret (2 x 15 in) Y Turret (2 x 15 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 624 ft.

Range 29 29 29 29 12 5

AD 2 2 2 2 4 8

Displacement: 35,390 tons

DD 3 3 3 3 1 — Speed: 23 kts.

Special AP AP AP AP Weak — Crew: 997

Ships of this class: Chapaev, Chkalov, Frunze, Kuibyshev, Ordzhonikidze, Zhelezniakov

Skirmish

These ships were a development of the Kirov-class, but developed more along the lines of British and American light cruisers with a heavy 6” armament. The first five ships were completed, although too late to see action in World War II. The final two were captured incomplete and broken up by the Germans. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 15/5 Crew: 33/11

Weapon A Turret (3 x 6 in) B Turret (3 x 6 in) X Turret (3 x 6 in) Y Turret (3 x 6 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 659 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 2 In Service: 1946

Range 27 27 27 27 12 6 10 10 Displacement: 15,000 tons

AD 1 1 1 1 1 5 2 2

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — 4 4 Speed: 34 kts.

The Soviet Navy

Chapaev-class Light Cruiser

Special Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Twin-Linked, Weak Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 840

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Gangut-class Battleship

Battle

Ships of this class: Gangut, Marat, Sevastopol Commissioned in 1911, these unusual battleships were the first Russian dreadnoughts. They saw little action in the Great War or the Russian Civil War.

Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 4+ Damage: 23/7 Crew: 45/15

Weapon A Turret (3 x 12 in) P Turret (3 x 12 in) Q Turret (3x 12 in) X Turret (3 x 12 in) Secondary Armament AA

Range 26 26 26 26 12 6

Port/Starboard Torpedoes 10”

The Soviet Navy

Length: 590 ft.

Special Traits: Radar (1944+) In Service: 1911

2

AD 3 3 3 3 4 6 3

DD 2 2 2 2 1 —

Special — — — — Weak —

AP, Slow Loading

Displacement: 23,000 tons

Speed: 23 kts.

Gnevnyi-class Destroyer

Patrol

Ships of this class: Gnevnyi, Rezkiy Another Italian-inspired design, the Gnevnyi-class formed the backbone of the Russian destroyer force. Their relatively lightweight construction made them susceptible to heavy seas; one ship was seriously damaged in storms and another broke up and sank. As with many pre-war destroyer designs, they were vulnerable to aircraft, with seven ships sunk in air attacks.

Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 9/3

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 370 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1936

Range 12 4 10 10 3 Displacement: 2,380 tons

AD 1 1 3 3 4

DD 1 — 4 4 1 Speed: 37 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Slow-Loading Crew: 246

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Kirov-class Heavy Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Kirov, Voroshilov

As with the uncompleted battleships, these ships were designed with Italian assistance, and displayed a clear relationship to their Mediterranean cousins. Kirov served in the Baltic where she served in the defence of Leningrad before going on the offensive in 1944. Voroshilov served in the Baltic, where she was heavily damaged by mines in 1942, returning to service two years later. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 10/3 Crew: 29/9

Weapon A Turret (3 x 180mm) B Turret (3 x 180mm) X Turret (3 x 180mm) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes

Range 28 28 28 8 6 10 10

AD 1 1 1 2 5 2 2

Displacement: 9,950 tons

DD 1 1 1 1 — 4 4 Speed: 34 kts.

Special Twin-Linked Twin-Linked Twin-Linked Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 734

Kostromitinova-class Aircraft Carrier

War

Ships of this class: Kostromitinova

Kostromitinova was the last serious wartime carrier design, again based partly on the Royal Navy’s Illustrious design; she was a step up from the previous Project 72 and featuring an enlarged air group, heavier surface and AA armament and additional lift capacity. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 3+ Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Carrier Damage: 38/12 In Service: 1945 Crew: 72/24 Aircraft: 7 flights of IL-10 or SB-2, and 11 flights of Yak-9

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 918 ft.

The Soviet Navy

Length: 626 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 2 In Service: 1938

Range 12 6 Displacement: 51,200 tons

AD 4 10

DD 1 — Speed: 30 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 1,800

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Krasnyi Kavkaz-class Heavy Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Krazni Kavkaz

Krasnyi Kavkaz was originally a light cruiser of the Svetlana-class, started in 1916. She was finally completed in 1932 as a heavy cruiser with an improved propulsion system, although woefully under gunned in comparison to heavy cruisers of other navies. Krazni Kafkaz was stationed in the Black Sea during World War II, and was heavily damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft in 1942. Speed: 6” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 9/3 Crew: 34/11

Weapon A Turret (1 x 180mm) B Turret (1 x 180mm) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes

The Soviet Navy

Length: 556ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 1 In Service: 1932

Range 37 37 8 5 10 10

AD 1 1 2 3 3 3

Displacement: 9,030 tons

DD 1 1 1 — 4 4 Speed: 29 kts.

Special — — Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 850

Kronshtadt-class Battlecruiser

Battle

Ships of this class: Kronshtadt, Sevastopol

These ships were authorised for construction in 1938 and laid down the following year. The start of the war halted their construction and both were broken up incomplete. The original design saw these ships carrying 10” guns but the final approved design was to have used 12” guns (as shown here). Pre-war goodwill from even saw a proposal to replace the 12” guns with German made 15” guns. Speed: 7” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 4+ Special Traits: Aircraft 4 Damage: 36/12 In Service: 1942 Crew: 72/24

Weapon A Turret (3 x 12 in) B Turret (3 x 12 in) Y Turret (3 x 12 in) Secondary Armament AA Length: 816ft.

Range 44 44 44 16 8 Displacement: 38,360 tons

AD 3 3 3 2 2

DD 2 2 2 1 — Speed: 33 kts.

Special — — — Weak — Crew: 1,800

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Maxim Gorky-class Heavy Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Kaganovich, Kalinin, Maxim Gorky, Molotov Similar to the Kirov-class, these ships differed in detail. The first two ships served valiantly in the Baltic and Black Seas respectively. The second pair was built on the Pacific coast. Despite being completed in 1944, they did not take part in hostilities against Japan when Russia declared war in 1945. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 10/3 Crew: 38/12

Weapon A Turret (3 x 180mm) B Turret (3 x 180mm) X Turret (3 x 180mm) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 626 ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 2 In Service: 1938

Range 28 28 28 8 6 10 10

AD 1 1 1 2 5 2 2

Displacement: 9,792 tons

DD 1 1 1 1 — 4 4 Speed: 34 kts.

Special Twin-Linked Twin-Linked Twin-Linked Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 963

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Murmansk

Murmansk was originally the US light cruiser Milwaukee, transferred to the Soviets as compensation for not receiving surrendered Italian ships in 1943. She spent her Russian wartime career with the Northern Fleet operating out of Murmansk until 1949, when she was returned to the US. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 18/6 Crew: 64/21

Weapon A Turret (3 x 180mm) X Turret (3 x 180mm) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 555 ft.

The Soviet Navy

Murmansk-class Light Cruiser

Special Traits: Aircraft 3 In Service: 1944

Range 25 25 21 5 10 10 Displacement: 9,508 tons

AD 1 1 2 3 3 3

DD 1 1 1 — 4 4 Speed: 34 kts.

Special Weak Weak Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 458

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Novik-class Destroyer

Ships of this class: Bystri, Iziaslav, Lenin, Kapitan Kern, Desna, Stalin, Zabiyaka, Zinoviev

Patrol

The Novik-class was laid down and launched between 1911 and 1915. At the outbreak of World War I, they were the fastest and most powerful destroyers afloat. Stout, well built ships, they had a good reputation and were well regarded by their crews and senior officers. During World War II they were generally better regarded than ships of later design. They served in all the Russian fleets and were extensively altered. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 2/1 Crew: 10/3

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges

The Soviet Navy

Length: 336 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1936

Range 12 4 10 10 3

AD 1 1 5 5 4

Displacement: 1,280 tons

DD 1 — 3 3 1 Speed: 36 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Slow-Loading Crew: 160

Profintern-class Light Cruiser

Skirmish

Ships of this class: Chervona Ukraina, Profintern

Like Krasnyi Kavkaz, these ships were originally part of the World War I Svetlanaclass. They were completed essentially to the original design, with their main armament in individual mounts rather than turrets and with inadequate propulsion (they were designed for 29 knots but never exceeded 22). Both ships served in the Black Sea during World War II. Chervona Ukraina was sunk by the Luftwaffe in November 1941. Speed: 4” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 8/2 Crew: 34/11

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 506ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 1 In Service: 1927

Range 20 5 10 10 Displacement: 8,000 tons

AD 4 3 3 3

DD 1 — 4 4 Speed: 22 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Crew: 852

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Project 71-class Aircraft Carrier

Raid

Project 71 was to have seen two 13,000 ton light aircraft carriers completed by 1942. Although the design was progressed no actual construction work started. They were to have carried 45 aircraft with two catapults, and would have had distinctive ‘turned down’ funnels, similar to the Japanese Akagi. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 14/4 Crew: 48/16

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 640 ft.

Special Traits: Carrier In Service: 1942 (Projected) Aircraft: 5 flights of Su-2, and 3 flights of I-16 or Yak-9 Range 12 6

AD 2 6

DD 1 —

Displacement: 13,150 tons

Speed: 30 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 1,200

Project 72-class Aircraft Carrier

Battle

Project 72 was a more ambitious carrier design, influenced both by the German Graf Zeppelin (which was visited by a Russian delegation in 1941) and the British Illustrious. A heavy AA armament was embarked following lessons learnt from Allied navies in the early stages of the war. Armour: 3+ Damage: 29/9 Crew: 48/16

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 820 ft.

Special Traits: Armoured Deck, Carrier In Service: 1944 (Projected) Aircraft: 6 flights of IL-10 or SB-2, and 4 flights of Yak-9

Range 8 6

AD 2 8

DD 1 —

Displacement: 28,800 tons

Speed: 30 kts.

The Soviet Navy

Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Special Weak — Crew: 1,200

Series X-class Submarine

Patrol

This was a class of 53 boats in two sub-classes (Series X and Xbis). These boats were typical of the Russian submarine fleet and in common with other classes, they were numerous but accomplished little. Eighteen were sunk in action and one in an accident. Most of the losses were due to mines. Speed: 3”/2” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 3/1 Crew: 2/1

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Forward Torpedoes Aft Torpedoes Length: 192 ft.

Special Traits: Submersible In Service: 1936

Range 4 4 10 10 Displacement: 708 tons

AD 1 1 2 1

DD 1 — 4 4 Speed: 13/9 kts.

Special Slow-Loading, Weak — AP, Slow-Loading AP, Slow-Loading Crew: 40

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Sovietski Soyuz-class Battleship

Ships of this class: Sovietski Byelorussiya, Sovietski Rossiya, Sovietski Soyuz, Sovietski Ukrania

War

Four ships were authorised in 1938, later reduced to three, with a planned in service date of 1941. The design was developed by iral Isakov, and was a development of a design submitted by Italian designers two years previously. The first three units were laid down in 1938-39 but construction was halted in 1941 when the hulls were 75% complete. The ships were dismantled during the late 1940s, although there were plans drawn up to complete them as designed, or to convert them into missile-armed battleships for the post-war Soviet Navy. Speed: 6” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 6+ Special Traits: Aircraft 4, Armoured Deck, Torpedo Belt Damage: 52/17 In Service: 1940 Crew: 80/26

Weapon A Turret (3x 16 in) B Turret (3x 16 in) X Turret (3x 16 in) Secondary Armament AA

The Soviet Navy

Length: 889 ft.

Range 45 45 45 16 6

AD 3 3 3 4 7

Displacement: 65,150 tons

DD 3 3 3 1 — Speed: 28 kts.

Special Super AP Super AP Super AP Weak — Crew: 2,000

Tallin-class Heavy Cruiser

Raid

Ships of this class: Tallin

Tallin began life as the German Lutzow of the Hipper-class, and was to have been named Petropavlovsk. The German invasion of Russia put paid to plans for her completion and instead she was used as a static battery in the defence of Leningrad. Speed: 7” Turning: 2 Target: 5+

Armour: 3+ Damage: 19/6 Crew: 64/21

Weapon A Turret (2 x 8 in) B Turret (2 x 8 in) X Turret (2 x 8 in) Y Turret (2 x 8 in) Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Length: 681ft.

Special Traits: Aircraft 3 In Service: 1942

Range 37 37 37 37 13 8 10 10 Displacement: 18,750 tons

AD 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3

DD 1 1 1 1 1 — 3 3

Special — — — — Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot

Speed: 32.5 kts.

Crew: 1,600

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Tashkent-class Destroyer Leader

Patrol

Ships of this class: Tashkent

Tashkent was built in Italy and was regarded as the most handsome ship in the Soviet Navy. Unusually for a ship in a fleet that used grey as its standard colour scheme, she was painted a distinctive sky blue, earning her the nicknames Blue Beauty or The Blue Cruiser. AA defence was her Achilles heel, and she was lost in 1942 to a Luftwaffe attack, although many of her guns were salvaged and transferred to other ships. Tashkent served with the Black Sea Fleet Speed: 8” Turning: 2 Target: 6+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 4/1 Crew: 10/3

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes Depth Charges Length: 458 ft.

Special Traits: Agile In Service: 1937

Range 12 4 10 10 3 Displacement: 3,200 tons

AD 2 1 5 5 4

DD 1 — 4 4 1 Speed: 39 kts.

Special Weak — AP, One-Shot AP, One-Shot Slow-Loading Crew: 250

The following describes new air for the Soviet Navy. The full details of each flight can be found on page 21. Ilyushin Il-4: A medium bomber used extensively in the Baltic region as a torpedo bomber. The Il-4 could also be used for extended range bombing missions and several made highly publicized raids on Berlin. Over 5000 were built. Yak-9: A typically Russian rugged and dependable fighter, the Yak-9 was one of the standard Soviet land based fighters of WW2. The Yak-9K variant was one of the models proposed for service on the Project 72 Class carriers.

The Soviet Navy

Aircraft

Ilyushin IL-10: A tough, no-nonsense attack aircraft, the IL-10 was a development of the legendary Il-2 Sturmovik. A marinised version was considered for use as a strike aircraft on board the Project 72 class carriers. Polikarpov I-16: The I-16 was short, stubby and almost comical in appearance. However, appearances can be deceptive. When it entered service in 1934 the I-16 was one of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft. Its performance was less spectacular by the 1940s but its manoeuvrability was still sufficient to give it a fighting chance against an ME109. Over 7000 were built. The I-16 was one of the aircraft considered for use on the Project 71 Class carriers. Tupolev SB-2 Katyusha: The SB-2 (also known as the ANT-40) was (at the time of its design) an advanced twin engined high speed bomber. Its performance advantage had fallen away by 1941, but even so it performed well. A marinised version was considered for use on the Project 72 class carriers. The SB-2 can carry either bombs or a torpedo, not both at the same time. Sukhoi Su-2 Ivanov: The Su-2 (despite its designation this was the first aircraft designed by Pavel Sukhoi) was a land based tactical bomber. Over 500 were built, but suffered heavy losses to the Luftwaffe in the opening days of ’s advance into the Soviet Union. A variant of the Su-2 was proposed for service as a strike and torpedo bomber on the Project-71 class carriers. The Su-2 can either carry bombs or a torpedo, not both at the same time.

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Civilian Shipping The civilian ships detailed here expand the list of vessels of commerce and transport. These ships are interchangeable for scenarios that involve merchant vessels, though some will take the place of more than one swapped ship, as shown in their descriptions.

Liner During the 1920s and 1930s, liners plied the seaways as the ultimate symbol of travel luxury. After September 1939, many were requisitioned and served as fast troop transports, carrying thousands of troops across the globe. Due to its massive structure, a liner is worth four civilian ships. Speed: 7” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 2+ Special Traits: None Damage: 57/19 In Service: 1939 Crew: 99/33

Weapon AA

Range 4

Civilian Shipping

Length: 1,019 ft.

AD 2

Displacement: 82,000 tons

DD — Speed: 33 kts.

Special — Crew: 1,100 + 3,000 troops

Troop Ship Whilst the big liners represented the glamorous end of conveying armies around the globe (if such a word can be applied to those duties) smaller cargo liners performed as valuable a role carrying both troops and supplies. A troop ship is worth three civilian ships. Speed: 5” Turning: 1 Target: 5+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 20/7 Crew: 28/10

Weapon AA Length: 550 ft.

Special Traits: None In Service: 1939

Range 4

AD 1

Displacement: 20,000 tons

DD — Speed: 25 kts.

Special — Crew: 200 + 500 troops

Oil Tanker Tankers provided the life blood for nations and their armed forces. They often represented the single most important ships within convoys. The most famous example during World War II was the SS Ohio which reached Malta as part of the ‘Pedestal’ Convoy – her arrival saved the island. An oil tanker counts as two civilian ships. Speed: 1” Turning: 1 Target: 6+ Length: 500 ft.

Armour: 2+ Damage: 10/4 Crew: 2/1

Special Traits: None In Service: 1930

Displacement: 10,000 tons

Speed: 12 kts.

Crew: 50

* If an oil tanker is hit by a torpedo, or if the ship is on fire at the beginning of a turn, roll a dice. On a roll of a 6 the ship explodes and sinks immediately.

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Ammunition Ship As well as fuel, armies and navies need enormous amounts of ammunition to function. Ammunition ships were vital to the war effort, but also posed a severe risk to their own forces in company. An ammunition ship is worth three civilian ships. Speed: 3” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 16/5 Crew: 3/1

Weapon Secondary Armament AA Length: 455 ft.

Special Traits: None In Service: 1939

Range 8 4

AD 1 1

Displacement: 16,000 tons

DD 1 — Speed: 16 kts.

Special Weak — Crew: 90

* If an ammunition ship is hit by a torpedo, bomb or gun of 6” or more, or if the ship is on fire at the beginning of a turn, roll a dice. On a roll of 6 the ship explodes and sinks immediately. Any ships (except submerged submarines) within 5” take 1d6 damage. This is reduced by -1 per inch distance away from the ammunition ship (for example, a destroyer 4” from an exploding ammunition ship rolls a 6; it takes 2 points of damage).

Raider / Armed Merchant Cruiser

Speed: 3” Turning: 1 Target: 4+

Armour: 2+ Damage: 16/5 Crew: 3/1

Weapon Secondary Armament (6”) Port Torpedoes Starboard Torpedoes AA Length: 475 ft.

Civilian Shipping

Allied and Axis nations alike pressed cargo liners and other ships into service as auxiliary warships. In particular the British organised regular patrols by armed merchant cruisers aimed at intercepting and capturing blockade runners, while operated a number of highly successful commerce raiders such as the Stier and Kormoran (the latter was credited with sinking HMAS Sydney). A raider counts as five civilian ships, an armed merchant as four. Special Traits: Aircraft 1 (raider only) In Service: 1939

Range 12 10 10 4

Displacement: 16,000 tons

AD 3 2 2 1

DD 1 3 3 — Speed: 16 kts.

Special Weak Slow Loading, AP (raider only) Slow Loading, AP (raider only) — Crew: 90

111

2

Bretagne Bretagne-class -class Battleship

Courbet Courbet-class -class Battleship

Gangut-class Gangut -class Battleship

Kostromitinova Kostromitinova-class -class Aircraft Carrier

Arkangelsk Arkangelsk-class -class Battleship

Kronshtadt-class Kronshtadt-class Battle Battlecruiser cruiser

Project 71 71-class -class Carrier

Project 72 72-class Carrier Shore Battery

Shore Battery

Shore Battery

Shore Battery

Soviets Sovietski ki Soyuz Soyuz-class Battle Battleship ship

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Bellona Bellona-class -class Cruiser

Dido (1st Group) Group)-class -class Cruiser

Dido (2 (2nd Group)-class Group)-class Cruiser

Group)-class Cruiser Dido ((33rd Group)-class

Emerald Emerald-class -class Cruiser

Emerald Emerald-class -class Cruiser

Bellona Bellona-class -class Cruiser

Curacoa Curacoa-class -class Cruiser

Coventry-class Coventry -class Cruiser

Coventry-class Coventry -class Cruiser

C-class Cruiser

Danae-class Danae -class Cruiser

Danae-class Danae -class Cruiser

Delhi-class Delhi -class Cruiser

Delhi-class Delhi -class Cruiser

Dido (1st Group) Group)-class -class Cruiser

C-class Cruiser

Dido (2nd Group)-class Group)-class Cruiser

Effingham Effingham-class -class Cruiser

Curacoa Curacoa-class -class Cruiser

Dido ((33rd Group)-class Group)-class Cruiser

Arethusa-class Arethusa-class Cruiser

Effingham Effingham-class -class Cruiser

1

Arethu Arethusa sa-class -class Cruiser

1

1

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2

Activity Activity-class -class Escort Carrier

Audacious Audacious-class -class Fleet Carrier

Ameer Ameer-class -class Escort Carrier

Audacity Audacity-class -class Escort Carrier

Archer-class Archer-class Escort Carrier

Avenger Avenger-class -class Escort Carrier

Argus-class Argus -class Fleet Carrier

Colossus Col ossus-class -class Light Aircraft Carrier

Attacker Attacker-class -class Escort Carrier

Campania-class Campania -class Escort Carrier

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Swiftsure-class Swiftsure-class Cruiser

Hunt-class Hunt -class Destroyer Escort

Roberts-Class Monitor

Hawkins-class Hawkins-class Cruiser

Hawkins-class Hawkins-class Cruiser

Kent-class Kent-class Cruiser

London Lo ndon-class -class Cruiser

Surrey-class Surrey-class Cruiser

Surrey-class Surrey-class Cruiser

Swiftsure-class Swiftsure-class Cruiser

Tiger Tiger-class -class Cruiser

Flower-class Flower-class Corvette

Flower-class Flower-class Corvette

Hunt-class Hunt -class Destroyer Escort

Loch Loch-class -class Frigate

Loch Loch-class -class Frigate

U-class Submarine

U-class Submarine

Roberts-Class Monitor

Kent-class Kent-class Cruiser

Fiji-class Fiji-class Cruiser (Ceylon Group)

Tiger Tiger-class -class Cruiser

1

London Lo ndon-class -class Cruiser

1

Fiji-class Fiji-class Cruiser (Ceylon Group)

1

1

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Courageous Courageous-class -class Aircraft Carrier

Renown Renown-class -class Battlecruiser Battlecruiser (Refit)

Eagle Eagle-class -class Aircraft Carrier

Lion Lion-class -class Battleship Battleship

Furious Furious-class -class Aircraft Carrier

Queen Elizabeth-class Elizabeth-class Battleship Battleship (Warspite)

Hermes Hermes-class -class Fleet Carrier

Queen Elizabeth-class Elizabeth-class Battleship Battleship (Barham)

Implacable-class Implacable -class Aircraft Carrier

Indomitable Indomitable-class -class Aircraft Carrier

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Pretoria Castle Castle-class -class Escort Carrier

Vanguard Vanguard-class -class Battleship Battleship

Vindex-class Vindex-class Escort Carrier

N3-class N3 -class Battle Battleship ship

Unicorn Uni corn-class -class Light Aircraft Carrier

Resolution-class Resolution-class Battleship Battleship

Project Jade Aircraft Carrier

G3-class G3-class Battlecruiser Battlecruiser

Malta-class Malta -class Aircraft Carrier

Merchant Aircraft Carrier

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Kaga-class Kaga -class Carrier

Ryuho yuho-class -class Light Carrier

H39-class H39 -class Battle Battleship ship

Fuso-class Fuso -class Battleship Battleship

Junyo-class Junyo -class Carrier

O-class Battle Battlecruiser cruiser

Hosho Hosho-class -class Light Carrier

Ise-class Ise -class Battleship Battleship

Akagi-class Akagi-class Carrier

Chitose-class Chitose-class Light Carrier

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Series X-class X-class Submarine

Luigi Cadorna-class Cadorna-class Light Cruiser

Kirov Kirov-class -class Heavy Cruiser

Maxim Gorkiy-class Gorkiy-class Cruiser

Profintern-class Profintern-class Light Cruiser

Profintern-class Profintern-class Light Cruiser

Series X-class X-class Submarine

Murmansk Murmansk-class -class Light Cruiser

Tashkent-class Tashkent-class Destroyer Leader

Tashkent-class Tashkent-class Destroyer Leader

Krasnyi Kavkaz Kavkaz-class -class Heavy Cruiser

Chapaev Chapaev-class -class Light Cruiser

Chapaev Chapaev-class -class Light Cruiser

Tallin-class Tallin -class Heavy Cruiser

Tallin-class Tallin -class Heavy Cruiser

Luigi Cadorna-class Cadorna-class Light Cruiser

Krasnyi Kavkaz Kavkaz-class -class Heavy Cruiser

Kirov Kirov-class -class Heavy Cruiser

Novik Novik-class -class Destroyer

Murmansk Murmansk-class -class Light Cruiser

Maxim Gorkiy-class Gorkiy-class Cruiser

Gnevnyi-class Gnevnyi -class Destroyer

Novik Novik-class -class Destroyer

1

Gnevnyi-class Gnevnyi -class Destroyer

1

1

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Shinano-class Shinano-class Carrier

Ryujo yujo-class -class Light Carrier

Taiho-class Taiho-class Carrier

Zuiho Zuiho-class -class Light Carrier

Soryu/Hiryu Soryu/Hiryu-class -class Carrier

Wyoming-class Wyoming -class Battleship Battleship

Wasp Wasp-class -class Carrier

Tennessee-class Tennessee-class Battle Battleship ship

Conte di Cavour-class Cavour-class Battle Battleship ship

AquilaAquila -class Defence Carrier

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Sangamon Sangamon-class -class Escort Carrier

New Mexico-class Mexico-class Battleship Battleship

Ranger Ranger-class -class Carrier

Nevada-class evada-class Battleship Battleship

Bogue Bogue-class -class Escort Carrier

Pennsylvania-class Pennsylvania-class Battleship Battleship

Casablanca Casablanca-class -class Escort Carrier

Lexing Lexington ton-class -class Carrier

Independence Independence-class -class Ligh Lightt Carrier

Long Is Island land-class -class Escort Carrier

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Mogador Mogador-class -class Destroyer

Späähkreuzer Scout Cruiser Sp

Marcello-class Marcello-class Submarine

Argonaute-class Argonaute-class Submarine

Chacal Chacal-class -class Destroyer

Chacal Chacal-class -class Destroyer

Mogador Mogador-class -class Destroyer

Emden-class Emden -class Light Cruiser

M-class Cruiser

M-class Cruiser

P-class Cruiser

Type 39 Torpedo Boat

Type 39 Torpedo Boat

ZH1 ZH1-class -class Destroyer

ZH1 ZH1-class -class Destroyer

Späähkreuzer Scout Cruiser Sp

P-class Cruiser

Marcello-class Marcello-class Submarine

Surcouf-class Surcouf-class Submarine

Emden-class Emden -class Light Cruiser

Argonaute-class Argonaute-class Submarine

Da Barbiano Barbiano-class -class Light Cruiser

Surcouf-class Surcouf-class Submarine

1

Da Barbiano Barbiano-class -class Light Cruiser

1 1

1

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Omaha Omaha-class -class Light Cruiser

Etna-class Etna-class Anti-Aircraft Cruiser

Baltimore-class Baltimore-class Heavy Cruiser

Alaska laska-class -class Large Cruiser

Northampton-class Northampton -class Heavy Cruiser

Northampton-class Northampton -class Heavy Cruiser

Omaha Omaha-class -class Light Cruiser

Abruzzi-class Abruzzi-class Light Cruiser

Porter Porter-class -class Destroyer Leader

Porter Porter-class -class Destroyer Leader

Capitani Romani Romani-class -class Light Cruiser

Da Barbiano Barbiano-class -class Light Cruiser

Da Barbiano Barbiano-class -class Light Cruiser

Duca D’Aosta-class D’Aosta-class Light Cruiser

Duca D’Aosta-class D’Aosta-class Light Cruiser

Etna-class Etna-class Anti-Aircraft Cruiser

Capitani Romani Romani-class -class Light Cruiser

Baltimore-class Baltimore-class Heavy Cruiser

Gridley Gridley-class -class Destroyer

Abruzzi-class Abruzzi-class Light Cruiser

Alaska laska-class -class Large Cruiser

Cleveland-class Cleveland-class Light Cruiser

Gridley Gridley-class -class Destroyer

1

Cleveland-class Cleveland-class Light Cruiser

1

1

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Matsu-class Matsu-class Destroyer Es Escort cort

Tone-Class Heavy Cruiser

Agano Agano-class -class Light Cruiser

Akitsuki-class Destroyer

Kitakami itakami-class -class Light Cruiser

Kitakami itakami-class -class Light Cruiser

Matsu-class Matsu-class Destroyer Es Escort cort

Myoko Myoko-class -class Heavy Cruiser

Oyodo Oyodo-class -class Light Cruiser

Oyodo Oyodo-class -class Light Cruiser

Shimakaze-class Shimakaze-class Destroyer

Shiratsuyu-class Shiratsuyu -class Destroyer

Shiratsuyu-class Shiratsuyu -class Destroyer

Tenryu-class Tenryu -class Light Cruiser

Tenryu-class Tenryu -class Light Cruiser

Tone-Class Heavy Cruiser

Shimakaze-class Shimakaze-class Destroyer

Agano Agano-class -class Light Cruiser

Kuma-class Kuma -class Light Cruiser

Myoko Myoko-class -class Heavy Cruiser

Akitsuki-class Destroyer

Schleswig Holstein Class PrePre-Dread Dreadnaught naught

Kuma-class Kuma -class Light Cruiser

1

Schleswig Holstein Class PrePre-Dread Dreadnaught naught

1 1

1

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Armed Merchant Cruiser

Yubari-class Yubari-class Light Cruiser

Tanker

Tanker

Liner

Troop Ship

Troop Ship

Raider

Raider

Armed Merchant Cruiser

Liner

Yubari-class Yubari-class Light Cruiser

1

Roberts-class Roberts-class Monitor

Roberts Roberts-class -class Monitor

Erebus-class Monitor

Erebus-class Monitor

Ammunition Ship

Ammunition Ship

Kaiten

Kaiten

Kaiten

Kaiten

Kaiten

Kaiten

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Junkers Ju-87

Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II

Junkers Ju-87

Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II

Junkers Ju-87

Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II

Junkers Ju-87

Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II

Fiat G.50 Freccia

Junkers Ju-87

Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II

Aichi E16A Paul

Nakajima B6N Jill

Vought Vindicator

Aichi E16A Paul

Nakajima B6N Jill

Vought Vindicator

Aichi E16A Paul

Nakajima B6N Jill

Vought Vindicator

Aichi E16A Paul

Nakajima B6N Jill

Vought Vindicator

Breda Ba.201

Fiat G.50 Freccia

Breda Ba.201

Macchi MC.202 Folgore

Fiat G.50 Freccia

Breda Ba.201

Macchi MC.202 Folgore

Fiat G.50 Freccia

Breda Ba.201

Macchi MC.202 Folgore

PBY5 Cat Cataqlina aqlina PBY5 Cat Cataqlina aqlina PBY5 Cat Cataqlina aqlina PBY5 Cat Cataqlina aqlina

Macchi MC.202 Folgore

Fiat G.50 Freccia

Potez 63.11A.3

Lat Latééco coèère 298

Potez 63.11A.3

Moraine-Saulnier #M.S.406

Lat Latééco coèère 298

Potez 63.11A.3

Moraine-Saulnier #M.S.406

Lat Latééco coèère 298

Potez 63.11A.3

Moraine-Saulnier #M.S.406

Lat Latééco coèère 298

Potez 63.11A.3

Moraine-Saulnier #M.S.406

Lat Latééco coèère 298

Moraine-Saulnier #M.S.406

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Fairey Firefly

Gloster Gladiator

Blackburn Roc

Fairey Albacore

Fairey Firefly

Gloster Gladiator

Blackburn Roc

Fairey Albacore

Fairey Firefly

Gloster Gladiator

Blackburn Roc

Fairey Albacore

Fairey Firefly

Gloster Gladiator

Blackburn Roc

Fairey Albacore

Fairey Firefly

Gloster Gladiator

Blackburn Roc

Fairey Albacore

Fw-200 Condor Condor

Heinkel He-111

Heinkel He-177 He-177

Messerschmitt MeMe-110 110

Fw-200 Condor Condor

Heinkel He-111

Heinkel He-177 He-177

Messerschmitt MeMe-110 110

Fw-200 Condor Condor

Heinkel He-111

Heinkel He-1 He-177 77

Messerschmitt Me-110 Me-110

Blackburn Skua

Fw-200 Con Condor dor

Heinkel He-111

Heinkel He-1 He-177 77

Messerschmitt MeMe-110 110

Fairey Barracuda II

Blackburn Skua

Fairey Barracuda II

Blackburn Skua

Fairey Barracuda II

Blackburn Skua

Fairey Barracuda II

Hawker Typhoon

Short Sunder Sunderland land

Hawker Typhoon

Short Sunder Sunderland land

Hawker Typhoon

Short Sunder Sunderland land

Hawker Typhoon

Short Sunderland Sunderland

Hawker Typhoon

Short Sunder Sunderland land

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Ilyushin Il-4 Ilyushin Il-4

Spotter

Spotter

Nakajima B6N Jill

Spotter

Nakajima B6N Jill

Spotter

Ilyushin Il-4

Nakajima B6N Jill

Ilyushin Il-4

Nakajima B6N Jill

Ilyushin Il-4

MXY Okha

MXY Okha

MXY Okha

MXY Okha

Polikarpov I-16

MXY Okha

Polikarpov I-16

Mitsubishi A5M4 Claude

Sukhoi Su-2 Ivanov

Polikarpov I-16

Mitsubishi A5M4 Claude

Sukhoi Su-2 Ivanov

Polikarpov I-16

Mitsubishi A5M4 Claude

Sukhoi Su-2 Ivanov

Mitsubishi A5M4 Claude

Mitsubishi A5M4 Claude

Ki-115 Tsurgi

Sukhoi Su-2 Ivanov

Tupolev SB-2 Katyusha

Yak-9 Ki-115 Tsurgi

Yokosuka D4Y2 Judy

Tupolev SB-2 Katyusha

Yak-9

Ki-115 Tsurgi

Yokosuka D4Y2 Judy

Tupolev SB-2 Katyusha

Yak-9

Ki-115 Tsurgi

Yokosuka D4Y2 Judy

Tupolev SB-2 Katyusha

Yak-9

Ki-115 Tsurgi

Yokosuka D4Y2 Judy

Yokosuka B4Y1 Jean Yokosuka B4Y1 Jean Yokosuka B4Y1 Jean Yokosuka B4Y1 Jean Yokosuka B4Y1 Jean

Yokosuka D4Y2 Judy

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Shore Batterry

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Coastal Forces

Copyright 2007 Mongoose Publishing. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.

2

Civilian Shipping

Available FREE every month at www.mongoosepublishing.com

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