Off the Finnish Coast

Have been working on my Russian and Finnish navys.  My tactical rules are done.   So work can progress on Flotilla Forward.   Tonight is a report with my MO4 squadron. 
Capt Lt Marinesko scanned the horizon ahead.  His eyesight was legendary in the russian coastal forces since he had been a petty officer before Stalin's purges.  Dmitri had benifited from the sudden openings for trusted patriots to become officers in the People's Navy.  Tonight he and Lt G were to disrupt traffic to the Finnish held islands.   They had a Tral minesweeper as backup.  He hated going out with big ships as they slowed him down but if they ran into Finnish gunboats they would welcome the extra firepower. 

Characters

Capt Lt   Marinesko    glum/wealth      mustang    Eagle eye
Lt Giehorovcev       Generous/position 

                                               A MO4  patrol boat at speed 
                                               (Actually a Clyside Japanese MS)

                                              Unsuspecting Finnish convoy transporting cannon to several islands.


There!   He sees a Finish VMV ship!

                                                       The russians close on a Finnish vessel.

The two russians manage to wreck the Finnish boat through shear weight of shell; (4 45mms vrs 1 20mm). 

                                              Meanwhile the Cheka  arrives on the scene


The Russians dash ahead and notice a Finnish PG moving in from port.  The Cheka opens fire from a mile. 

                                            The Finnish gunboat Uusimaa.   ( Too thick with
                                              an extra stack)  I actually found a Japanese MS
                                              that plays this part better. 



 
 

The finns deploy a smokescreen between the MO4s and

the 2 merchant ships

 

 

As he plunges through the smoke  Lt Giehorovcev barely

avoids a collision with the Finnish gunboat.  The Finnish

Bofors knock out his aft 45 mm gun and cause heavy damage

to the ship. 

 

 

 

A "long range" gun duel devolps

between the Cheka and the Uusimaa

Range 1 mile

 

 

At this point the two MO-4s sink one of the VMVs. 

 

Cpat Lt Marinesko finally sees the merchant ships but then they are quickly obscurred by smoke.  Lt G signals his boat is too bacly damaged to go on.   (failed a morale check.)  The Cheka looses the gun duel when her 4 inch gun is destroyed.   Capt Lt Marinesko, his own ship heavy damaged with a gunmount destroyed, conceeds defeat and heads for home.

Great mission.   Played well and I got my Finns and Russian coastal forces on the table.   My VMV boats are just VAS boats  (Figurehead) with the torpedo tubes shaved off.  

Post mission one of the two MO-4 boats will be fixed for the next mission.  Lt Giehorovcev meet Capt Lt Ivantsov and buys him several drinks.    The Capt Lt is a mission planner so it can't hurt right?! 

For those of you that want to try this the Finnish forces are:
3 VMV boats
1 Uusimaa
2 unarmed 100ton trawlers.
the convoy has to traverse the board.  Once they do they will be under the protection of coastal artillery. 
Special rule:  If the Cheka sustains heavy damge (50%) it must break off the engagement.

Enjoy

Joe