Clash of Empires World War 2 Hunting the Bismarck 1941
- martinboulter2020
- 5 days ago
- 13 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
In this article I’m going to use the Clash Battle System to recreate a significant episode during the Battle of the Atlantic namely the hunting down and sinking of the giant German battleship Bismarck. As the Battle of Britain died down the Battle of the Atlantic intensified. Under the direction of Admiral Karl Doenitz German U-boat operations developed into the use of Wolf Packs and as a result convoy losses mounted. Also, there was the threat from surface raiders such as the battle cruisers Gneisenau and Sharnhorst. Then on the 18th of May 1941 the large and powerful German battleship Bismarck in company with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen were unleashed into the Atlantic.
Background
The German battleship Bismarck was the lead ship of a class of two and was intended to be used as a commerce raider operating against British trade. The pride of the Kriegsmarine the Bismarck and her sister ship the Tirpitz were fast, well armoured and provided with a main armament of eight 15-inch (38cm) guns in four twin turrets. In May 1941 it was decided to send the Bismarck out into the Atlantic with the cruiser Prinz Eugen to threaten the Atlantic convoys. They were detected by British reconnaissance in the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland. Immediately a squadron of the Home Fleet which included the Battlecruiser Hood and the new battleship Prince of Wales was sent to intercept them. In the naval engagement that followed the Bismarck scored a direct hit on the Hood which caused its magazine to explode destroying the ship and killing all but three of the crew. After taking some fire and being damaged the Prince of Wales withdrew but later joined other British warships in the chase. Having won a brilliant victory, the Bismarck now turned east for Brest and at this point parted company with the Prinz Eugen. The German battleship was sighted again on the morning of the 26th 700 miles west of Brest. Next on the 27th the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal launched a torpedo bomber strike which damaged the Bismarck’s steering. Now the trapped Bismarck was subjected to torpedo strikes from destroyers while the heavy ships closed in for the kill. These included the flagship King George V and the Rodney. After a furious gun battle, the Bismarck was reduced to a flaming wreck and shortly thereafter sunk beneath the waves. Nearly 2,300 German sailors went down with her.
The following scenarios consider the two main episodes that occurred during the cruise of the Bismarck. The first deals with the spectacular victory of the Bismarck over HMS Hood in the Battle of the Denmark Strait on May 24th, 1941. The second scenario focuses on the death of the Bismarck after a furious gun battle with her relentless pursuers on the 28th of May.
Scenario 1
Bismarck Triumphant
Battle of the Denmark Strait, 24 May 1941
As soon as the German battleship Bismarck and her escort the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen were spotted in the Denmark Strait, they were intercepted by the British battleships Hood and the Prince of Wales. The German ships were under the overall command of Admiral Lűtjens on the Bismarck, whereas the British “Battlecruiser “force was led by Vice Admiral Holland on his flagship the Hood. Its destroyer escort had been delayed by rough seas. At 5:52 am the British ships opened fire at a range of 25,000 yards (12 miles). This first salvo fell short and the German warships were quick to reply with salvos of their own. This big gun duel continued with several more salvos as the two pairs of ships ranged in on their targets. As both sides rapidly converged a plunging shell from the Bismarck struck the Hood on its stern. It is believed that this critical hit ignited a magazine which resulted in a huge explosion that blew the British battlecruiser asunder. As the stricken vessel sunk beneath the waves the Prince of Wales continued to fire and even scored some hits of its own. Nevertheless, having been badly damaged the remaining British warship decided to break off the engagement and under the cover of a smokescreen withdrew. This was a great victory for the Bismarck which had outfought two British capital ships and sunk “The Mighty Hood”, the pride of the Royal Navy. However, damage to one of the Bismarck’s fuel tanks, sustained during the battle, meant that the German warships would have to cut short their foray into the Atlantic and return to port.
Using the Clash of Empires rules the battle strength and capabilities of the combatants can be shown as follows: -
The Kriegsmarine Commerce Raiders
The Kriegsmarine is classed as Ordinary and therefore gets no bonus to Initiative for Navy Type. The KMS Bismarck is an extremely powerful and well armoured battleship which has a Combat Rating (CR) of ❾ . This converts to a Fighting Bonus (FB) of +5. Also, because the Bismarck is a Battleship (Legend) it gets to reroll a low scoring Battle Die to have a second chance at odds or evens dice. Furthermore, the Bismarck has an enhanced Survivability Roll of 4-6 on 1D6 which if made will half any damage to the warship. As for the Prinz Eugen it is a heavy cruiser with a CR of ❺ which converts to a +3 FB. A heavy cruiser has a Survivability Roll of 6. Based on their firepower the warships have a combined Fleet Action modifier of +5. In the game the German commander Admiral Lűtjens is rated as Competent and gets a +1 bonus to Initiative. There are no advantage dice for opponent outgunned. This information can be simply expressed as follows: Commerce Raiders Ordinary 2D6 (+5), CR to +8 FB and +1 Initiative. Special: Survivability Roll 4-6 Bismarck and 6 Prinz Eugen on 1D6. Battleship Legend Reroll and Critical on Double Sixes. This is now in an easily accessible form that can be put straight into the Battle Log below.
The British “Battlecruiser” Force
The Royal Navy is classed as Superior and therefore gets a +1 bonus to Initiative for Navy Type. The Hood is an Admiral-Class battlecruiser and the only one of its kind. The warship is heavily armed like a battleship but was built for speed at the expense of adequate deck armour. For this reason, she has a CR of ❻ which converts to a +3 FB. However, being lightly armoured the Hood has a Survivability Roll of 6 on 1D6. As for the battleship Prince of Wales it has only just been commissioned and is plagued by technical problems and for this reason the Hood takes the lead in the forthcoming battle. Because of a problem with its main armament and an inexperienced crew the CR of the Prince of Wales is downgraded from ❽ to ❻ which converts to +3 FB. However, the British capital ship retains its battleship Survivability Roll of 5-6 on 1D6. Based on their firepower the warships have a combined Fleet Action modifier of +5. In the game the British commander Vice Admiral Holland is rated as Competent and gets a +1 bonus to Initiative. There are no advantage dice for opponent outgunned. This information can be simply expressed as follows: Battlecruiser Force Superior 2D6 (+5), CR to +6 FB and +2 Initiative. Special: Survivability Roll 6 Hood and 5-6 Prince of Wales on 1D6. Critical on Double Sixes.
Reconnaissance
Ship and Convoy Detection
Roll 1D6: - 1-5 No sign, 6 Target detected.
Modify by +2 for Radar (range 50 miles for ships)
Score = 4+2 = 6 Target detected.
WW2 Clash Battle Procedure:
After rolling for Initiative the Battle Roll for each army consists of the following procedure:
Battle Dice 2D6 (highest scoring die only).
Army Combat Rating (CR) to Fighting Bonus (FB).
Calculate Battle Bonus. (Determined by Army Type and FB).
Any other Battle Advantages such as Artillery Bombardment, Opponent outnumbered or Tactical Advantage.
Total Battle Roll.
Highest scoring Battle Roll wins and the difference between the two scores determines the number of casualties.
Combat Rating to Fighting Bonus Conversion and Casualty Tables not shown.
Scenario Pre-set condition: - None.
World War 2 Battle Log
The Kriegsmarine Commerce Raiders
Initiative | Battle Dice (Modifier) | No. of Units and CR to Fighting Bonus | Navy Battle Bonus Normal (Enhanced) | Battle Advantage Dice | Total Score |
1D6+1
3+1 = 4
| 2D6 (+5) 6 and 6
6+5 = 11
Double sixes maximum scoring Battle Dice = Critical
| Battleship Bismarck ❾ x1 = +5 FB. Survivability Roll 4-6 = 5
Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen ❺ x1 = +3 FB. Survivability Roll 6 = N/A
Total = +8 FB | Evens Dice
1D3(1D6) 1D6 = 4 | N/A | 11+8+4 = 23 |
The British “Battlecruiser” Force
Initiative | Battle Dice (Modifier) | No. of Units and CR to Fighting Bonus | Navy Battle Bonus Normal (Enhanced) | Battle Advantage Dice | Total Score |
1D6+2
4+2 = 6
| 2D6 (+5) 4 and 1
4+5 = 9
| Battlecruiser Hood ❻ x1 = +3 FB. Survivability Roll 6 = N/A Battleship Prince of Wales ❺ x1 = +3 FB. Survivability Roll 5-6 =5
Total = +6 FB | No odds or evens 1D3(1D6) 1D6 = 2 | Tactical Advantage 1D6
= 2 | 9+6+2+2 = 19
|
WW2 Army Battle Bonus Calculation Table not shown.
Battle Bonus calculation determined by Air Force Type and Fighting Bonus (FB).
(#D#) = Enhanced Battle Bonus on odds or evens Battle Dice.
Critical = On maximum scoring Battle Dice a critical can be scored against one target only. In such an instance the damage against one preselected target is increased by 50% on the Naval Battle Casualty Table. There is no Survivability Roll against a Critical.
Battle Report: The German Commerce Raiders are spotted by British reconnaissance in the Denmark Strait and are promptly intercepted by the British “Battlecruiser “Force. The British ships win Initiative and fire the opening salvo but roll low on their Battle Dice with no odds or evens. In contrast the German warships roll a maximum of 6 for their Battle Dice and get evens dice, which means that they get an Enhanced Battle Bonus. This negates any tactical advantage that the British ships had. The differential is 4 which equates to a +1 modifier for the loser and -1 for the winner on the Naval Battle Casualty Table. Consequently, the Hood rolls high on the table and suffers 75% damage, whereas the Prince of Wales’s score results in 25% damage. Unfortunately for the Hood it is also the recipient of a 50% critical because the Germans scored maximum Battle Dice i.e., two 6’s. There is no Survivability Roll against a Critical. Thus, the Hood is destroyed and sunk. The Prince of Wales scores a 5 for its Survivability Roll and has its damage reduced to minimal. As for the winners the Bismarck suffers 50% damage but has this reduced to 25% by a successful Survivability Roll of 5. The Prinz Eugen sustains minimal damage.
Scenario 2
Bismarck at Bay
The Sinking of the Bismarck, 27th May 1941
Following the sinking of the Hood the hunt was on as numerous ships of the Royal Navy and aircraft searched for the Bismarck. After parting company with the Prinz Eugen, the Bismarck raced for the French coast and the security of a Luftwaffe fighter screen. For three days the elusive battleship managed to evade her relentless pursuers as they sought revenge for the Hood. Then, on May 26th after being detected by enemy radar the Bismarck was attacked by Swordfish torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier Ark Royal. A single torpedo hit the ship’s rudder causing serious damage and forcing the battleship off course. Thus afflicted the Bismarck was unable to avoid an engagement with the Royal Navy on the next day. Bearing down on her were two battleships the King George V (Flagship of Vice Admiral Tovey) and the Rodney. These were supported by the heavy cruiser Norfolk and the light cruiser HMS Dorsetshire. As soon as they came into range the British ships opened fire upon the stricken German battleship. Despite an inability to manoeuvre the Bismarck fought on defiantly. However, the sheer intensity of firepower ranged against her was too much and it wasn’t long before the battleship received multiple hits that turned her into a flaming wreck. Torpedoes fired by the Dorsetshire finished the Bismarck off. At 10:40 am the great ship rolled over and sunk beneath the waves taking nearly all the crew of 2000 men down with her. Thus, the threat to British naval supremacy in the Atlantic was over.
Using the Clash of Empires rules the battle strength and capabilities of the combatants can be shown as follows: -
The Bismarck
The Kriegsmarine is classed as Ordinary and therefore gets no bonus to Initiative for Navy Type. The KMS Bismarck is an extremely powerful and well armoured battleship which has a Combat Rating (CR) of ❾. This converts to a Fighting Bonus (FB) of +5. Also, because the Bismarck is a Battleship (Legend) it gets to reroll a low scoring Battle Die to have a second chance at odds or evens dice. Furthermore, the Bismarck has an enhanced Survivability Roll of 4-6 on 1D6 which if made will half any damage to the warship. The Bismarck has a Battle Factor modifier of +5 which is added to the Battle Dice score. A special consideration for this scenario is that the Bismarck’s rudder is badly damaged and therefore the warships manoeuvrability is impaired. This is best represented by a -3 penalty to Initiative. In the game the German commander Admiral Lűtjens is rated as Competent and gets a +1 bonus to Initiative. There are no advantage dice for opponent outgunned. This information can be simply expressed as follows: Bismarck Ordinary 2D6 (+5), CR ❾ +5 FB and -2 Initiative. Special: Survivability Roll 4-6 on 1D6. Battleship Legend Reroll and Critical on Double Sixes. This is now in an easily accessible form that can be put straight into the Battle Log below.
The British Naval Battle Force
The Royal Navy is classed as Superior and therefore gets a +1 bonus to Initiative for Navy Type. The King George V is a modern battleship that has a CR of ❽ which converts to a +4 FB. It has a standard battleship Survivability Roll of 5-6. The Rodney has a similar profile. The Norfolk is a heavy cruiser with a CR of ❺ which converts to +3 FB. The Norfolk has a Survivability Roll of 6. As for the HMS Dorsetshire it is a light cruiser with a CR of ❹ which converts to +2 FB. It has no Survivability Roll. Based on their firepower the warships have a combined average Fleet Battle Factor modifier of +4. Any lack of proportion will be regulated by the FB and outgunned advantage dice. In the game the British commander Vice Admiral Tovey is rated as Competent and gets a +1 bonus to Initiative. Thus, the British get +2 to Initiative. The British Naval Battle Force outguns the Bismarck by more than 2-1 so get 2D6 Battle Advantage Dice. This information can be simply expressed as follows: British Battle Force Superior 2D6 (+4), CR to +12 FB and +2 Initiative. Special: Survivability Rolls 5-6 Battleships and 6 Heavy Cruiser on 1D6. Critical on Double Sixes.
Ship and Convoy Detection score = 7. Target (Bismarck) detected.
WW2 Clash Battle Procedure:
After rolling for Initiative the Battle Roll for each army consists of the following procedure:
Battle Dice 2D6 (highest scoring die only).
Army Combat Rating (CR) to Fighting Bonus (FB).
Calculate Battle Bonus. (Determined by Army Type and FB).
Any other Battle Advantages such as Artillery Bombardment, Opponent outnumbered or Tactical Advantage.
Total Battle Roll.
Highest scoring Battle Roll wins and the difference between the two scores determines the number of casualties.
Combat Rating to Fighting Bonus Conversion and Casualty Tables not shown.
World War 2 Battle Log
The Bismarck
Initiative | Battle Dice (Modifier) | No. of Units and CR to Fighting Bonus | Navy Battle Bonus Normal (Enhanced) | Battle Advantage Dice | Total Score |
1D6-2
5-2 = 3
| 2D6 (+5) 4 and 5 Reroll = 3
5+5 = 10
| Battleship Bismarck ❾ x1 = +5 FB. Survivability Roll 4-6 = 2
| Odds Dice 1D3(1D6) 1D6 = 3 | N/A | 10+5+3 = 18 |
The British Naval Battle Force
Initiative | Battle Dice (Modifier) | No. of Units and CR to Fighting Bonus | Navy Battle Bonus | Battle Advantage Dice | Total Score |
1D6+2
3+2 = 5
| 2D6 (+4) 4 and 2
4+4 = 8
| Battleship King George V ❽ x1 = +4 FB. Survivability Roll 5-6 = 2 Battleship Rodney ❽ x1 = +4 FB. Survivability Roll 5-6 = N/A Heavy Cruiser Norfolk ❺ x1 = +3 FB. Survivability Roll 6 = N/A Light Cruiser Dorsetshire ❹ x1 = +2 FB. Survivability Roll = N/A Total = +12 FB | Evens Dice 1D6(2D6) 5+3 = 8
| Opponent outgunned more than 2-1 2D6
Tactical Advantage 1D6
2+4+6 = 12 | 8+12+8+12 = 40 |
WW2 Army Battle Bonus Calculation Table not shown.
Battle Bonus calculation determined by Air Force Type and Fighting Bonus (FB).
(#D#) = Enhanced Battle Bonus on odds or evens Battle Dice.
Battle Report: Not surprisingly the cornered Bismarck loses Initiative which yields a 1D6 tactical advantage to the Royal Navy warships. This together with the opponent outgunned advantage dice leaves the German battleship in a perilous predicament that not even the warship’s successful Legendary Status reroll can mitigate. Nevertheless, an accurate shot by the Bismarck causes some damage to the King George V but the German battleship’s guns are soon silenced by the repeated hits from the British ships. Aflame the shattered Bismarck is finally finished off by torpedoes. The Battle Roll differential for this engagement is a very high 22 which equates to a +3 modifier for the loser and -4 for the winner on the Naval Battle Casualty Table. A subsequent high roll on the casualty table for the Bismarck results in the complete destruction and sinking of the battleship. An unsuccessful Survivability Roll of 2 seals the Bismarck’s fate. As for the British ships they receive minimal or no damage except for the King George V which suffers 25% damage. This remains unreduced due to an unsuccessful Survivability Roll of 2.
Sources
Curry, J. Dunn, P. 2009: Phil Dunn’s Sea Battle Games. Naval Wargaming 1650-1945. Revised Edition. Edited by John Curry as part of the History of Wargaming Project.
Dupuy, R. E. and Dupuy, T. N. 1993: The Collins Encyclopaedia of Military History. Harper Collins Publishers.
Konstam, A. 2011: The Bismarck 1941. Hunting Germany’s greatest battleship. Osprey Publishing Ltd.
Mayer, S. L. Various Contributors. 1977: Encyclopaedia of World War II. Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited.
Article Front Page Picture
German battleship ‘Bismarck’, 1941 (b/w photo) was sunk on 27th May 1941. Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo. After Alamy (IY05614556).
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