Battle Cruiser Hood:
Scenarios, Part Three
By James Stear
March 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.

Battle Scenario Two
Enforcing Versailles
August 1920
On August 5th, Hood provided guards and search parties to board the surrendering German battleships Helgoland and Westfalen off Rosyth. These warships, along with others, were delivered to the Allies to make up for those scuttled at Scapa Flow on June 21, 1919, prior to the signing of the Versailles Treaty. Had the ships not been delivered in a timely manner, it is entirely possible Hood and others would have been tasked with making sure the remaining heavy ships of the High Seas Fleet were handed over or eliminated.

Note: This scenario uses warship pieces from Jutland.

Time Frame: Daylight
Weather Condition: 1 (Clear)

Central Powers (German) Forces
Battleships:
BB01 Nassau
BB02 Westfalen
BB03 Rheinland
BB04 Posen
BB05 Helgoland
BB06 Ostfriesland
BB07 Thüringen
BB08 Oldenburg

Destroyers:
6 x V25-class DD

Allied (British) Forces
Battle Cruisers:
Leader Keyes
BC09 Tiger
BC16 Hood

Light Forces:
DL07 Spenser
8 x W-class DD
8 x Hunt-class MS

Special Rules
Map of Jade Estuary: Use the graphic provided to determine which hexes on the tactical map ships can enter. The olive hexes are land, the white hexes deep water, and the blue hexes shallow water. “A” denotes the starting location of all Central Powers ships.

You can download the graphic here.

Setup: The Allied player has initiative; the Allied force sets up four hexes from Hex “A.” The battle cruiser and light forces fleets must set up in adjacent hexes per 5.2; they may not start stacked together. The Central Powers ships all start in Hex “A.”

The Shallows of the Jade Estuary: Allied capital ships may not enter the shallow water hexes. Central Powers capital ships may only enter shallow water hexes at a rate of one per round.

Defiant but Unready: At the start of the game, the Central Powers player rolls one die for each capital ship; on a result of 1 through 4, the ship is dead in the water (DIW), on a result of 5, the ship is dead in the water but may fire guns, and on a result of 6, the ship may move and fire guns and torpedoes within the limits of the scenario rules.

Malaise of Defeat: All Central Powers BB move at a speed one level less that that indicated on the counter (1 is treated as 1s). For each hit scored by Central Powers BB guns or torpedoes, the Central Powers player must roll the die again. On a result of 1 through 4 the hit is ignored; on a result of 5 or 6 it takes effect normally. Add one to the result of this second die roll if the target is a capital ship. All hull hits against Central Powers capital ships (scored by either player) count double (mark off two boxes instead of one).

Big Target: Central Powers ships must direct their primary guns at any Allied capital ships in range, in preference to other targets (exception: ships may direct their primary guns at Allied destroyers or minesweepers if closer).

Versailles Replacements: Allied minesweepers that spend a complete round in the same hex as a DIW Central Powers BB may attempt to capture the BB at the end of the round. At the end of the round, roll one die for a target vessel, adding one to the roll for each minesweeper beyond the first present in the hex. On a result of 6, the BB has been stormed by marines, and is captured by the Allied player. Add one to the result for each subsequent attempt. The ship is considered dead in the water (and cannot fire any weapons) for the remainder of the game.

Death Before Dishonor:  The impulse an Allied minesweeper moves into a hex with a DIW Central Powers BB, the Central Powers player may initiate scuttling procedures for the BB. The Central Powers player announces the ship is scuttling, and may no longer use the ship’s weapons. At the end of the round scuttling was declared, and prior to any attempt to seize the ship by the Allied player, the Central Powers player rolls one die; on a result of 6, the ship sinks. The Central Powers player must continue rolling at the end of each round, until the ship has scuttled or has been captured by the Allied player; add one to the result for each subsequent scuttling attempt. Also, after the Central Powers player has announced the intention of scuttling a ship, Central Powers ships with functioning weapons may fire on that ship.

Length of Battle: The game continues for eight rounds, or until all ships of one side have been sunk or have exited the map per 7.33.

Victory Conditions
Central Powers BBs are worth VPs as follows: the Allied player scores 25% of the VP for each Central Powers BB captured, while the Central Powers player receives VPs for any BB that leaves the map (100% if not crippled, 50% if crippled). Round any fractions up. The player with the most VPs at the end of play wins.

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