Battle Cruiser Hood:
Scenarios, Part Two
By James Stear
February 2014

Editor’s Note: This series of Great War at Sea scenarios by Jim “Captain Terror” Stear focus on the British battle cruiser Hood. We hope you enjoy them.

Operational Scenario One
Baltic Cruise
June 1920
Hood’s first international cruise took her to Scandinavia, where she made goodwill visits to Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Less well known was the fact that her visit was intended to reach as far as Reval, Estonia, in order to send a message to the erratic Bolshevik leadership of Russia, that England had not abandoned the Baltic and the new nations there. As events turned out, newly-independent Estonia signed a peace treaty with the Soviets in February 1920, and by the time of the spring thaw, hostilities had petered out as Lenin and his followers turned their attention to subduing the remaining White Russians. Hood ended her visit at Copenhagen after a call at Kalmar, instead of proceeding on across the Baltic to Reval to make the intended show of force. Had instead the Bolsheviks not given up hope of keeping the Baltic states in the new socialist nation, the Royal Navy would have been ready to intervene against any harassment.

Note: This scenario uses the map and warship pieces from Jutland.

Time Frame: 36 turns
Weather Condition: 1 (Clear)

Central Powers (Bolshevik) Forces
At Kronstadt (L 60):
BB06 Petropavlovsk
BB08 Sevastopol
PC08 Aurora
4 x Ilin-class DD
4 x Ukraina-class DD

Within three sea zones of any Central Powers port:
2 x submarines

Allied (British) Forces
At Karlskrona (V 44):
Leader Keyes
BC09 Tiger
BC16 Hood
DL07 Spenser
8 x W-class DD

At Reval (N 56):
MN38 Erebus
CL24 Cordelia
CL35 Castor
CL43 Caledon
CL46 Curacao
8 x Admiralty-class DD
8 x Hunt-class MS
1 x S.184 (s)

Within three sea zones of any Allied port:
3 x Submarines

Special Rules
Ports: The Central Powers player has the use of Kronstadt and St. Petersburg. The Allied player has the use of Copenhagen, Reval, Riga, Windau, Libau and Memel.

Fleets: The Central Powers player may have up to three fleets, including one decoy. The Allied player may have up to six fleets.

Bolshevik Squadron: Use the Russian ships from Jutland to represent the Bolshevik ships.

CMB Courage and Accuracy, August 1919: The Central Powers player secretly rolls one die; on a result of 4 through 6, remove Petropavlovsk from starting forces.

Too Many Revolutionaries, Not Enough Crewmen: Before the start of play, the Central Powers player secretly rolls one die each for Sevastopol and Aurora; on a result of 6, remove the ship from the starting forces.

Sailors’ Soviets: All Central Powers warships move at a speed one level less that that indicated on the counter (2 is treated as 1, 1 as 1s, 1s as coastal defense ship or slow transport).

Minefields and Minelayers: The Central Powers player may place six minefields on hex sides of sea zones within two of Kronstadt. The Ilin-class DD may be given minelaying missions. Allied MS may be assigned minesweeping missions.

Royal Naval Air Service: The S.184 (s) starting at Reval must remain based there for the duration of the game.

Flagship: Leader Keyes must be placed aboard Hood.

Victory Conditions
The Allied player receives one VP for each enemy minefield swept, one VP for each turn Kronstadt is blockaded by at least one BC, and one VP for each primary gun hit scored via bombardment of the Kronstadt sea zone or adjacent sea zones. The Central Powers player receives 1 VP for each minefield laid on a hex side of Reval, and 1 VP for each primary gun hit scored via bombardment of the Reval sea zone or those within two of Reval. A player must score at least 10 VPs more than his or her opponent in order to win.

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