It was a day of “shakedown cruises,” with no fewer than three ships testing new setups or refits, meaning more drama than usual!
Ship Reports
- USS Dallas: Fresh out of a mid-level electrical refit, Jeff’s Dallas performed well on escort duty for one of the new 3d printed Victory Ships. The Dallas focused on sea control, lurking in the glare to avoid unnecessary attention from larger ships like the Bismarck. She took a couple of hits from Jerry’s Bismarck but managed to successfully execute a few feints to pull the Bismarck away from Justin’s Tiger to allow for attack runs. One worked, the second didn’t, but it was a great tactical effort!
- HMS Tiger: Justin’s Tiger is still finding her sea legs. She faced some frustrating issues with radio range and an accidental pump-off that resulted in a decks awash situation while coming into port. After some mid-battle adjustments, the guns were firing better, but ultimately, suspected capillary action pulled water into the gunboard, silencing her cannons for the day.
- DKM Bismarck: Jerry’s time-tested Bismarck had the most reliable guns on the water, though even she had a few non-firing cannons. Despite that, she kept both the Dallas and the Tiger on their toes!
- Victory Ship (Convoy): Captained by Mike and a few young guests. The ship’s sensitive rudder made for a steep learning curve, especially for new captains still learning their left from their right as the ship changed orientation. Luckily, the Bismarck took it easy on the convoy. The drama peaked when the batteries suddenly died, leaving the Transport adrift. The Dallas executed a quick sprint to keep the Transport from drifting into open water and successfully guided her back to the dock for recovery.
Overall, it was a fantastic day of shakedown cruising and skirmishing!