"Your favorite WWII, North Atlantic Convoy Battle?" Topic

Looking forward to doing some of these in miniature, soon.

So, what is your favorite WWII North Atlantic Convoy Battle, and why?

I don't know about single battle but I like the Bismarck campaign played using the Avalon Hill game with the advanced miniatures rules included. When I have time I shall buy and paint 1/4800 ships to use in place of the card game counters.

To me the era only really comes alive when played as a campaign.

hmm hard call, they are all so gripping..

HX 228 and ONS 5, as being the battles on the very hinge of fate during the Battle of the Atlantic. HX 228 in particular for the magnificent action of the Aconit in avenging the loss of the Harvester, and ONS 5 in particular for the solitary action of the Pink in shepherding her own little convoy of stragglers along away from the main body.

Anything with "Johnny" Walker in it is pretty certain to be memorable, too, but my favourite action of his was away from the convoys, in patrol areas Seaslug and Musketry in the Bay of Biscay, when he hoisted the signal for the general chase.

All the best,

John.

Not North Atlantic, but PQ17 to Russia has it all. U-boats, Luftwaffe, and the option for a surface engagement. Poses the Allied player with several strategic and tactical decisions.

PQ 17 also, but IIRC there was an SC convoy with lots of action as well.

Another vote for PQ17.

Seems like lots of good options, with PQ-17 (or one of the other PQ/QP convoys) definitely being a good possibility, given the variety of forces in play, eventually.

Right now though, looking for some good Atlantic ones.

From reading about some decades ago, SC7 and SC42 spring to mind, but can't recall a lot about them. HX228, and ONS5 as well, plus some others.

The good thing is, there are a lot to choose from, to get the convoy size, and opposing forces just right, for a first run.

I've been re-reading ONS5, in Black May, which is an excellent book on the mid-war period. Recommended, and very inexpensive, in the paperback version.

Mako,

You might want to take a close look at Convoy SC-7, October 1940, 30 merchant ships in the convoy, 5 escorts, 7 U-boats attacking, 20 merchant ships sunk and 6 damaged, a very deadly convoy! From the map on U-boat.net, it appears that all of the action occurred between the Mid-Ocean Meeting Point and the East Ocean Meeting Point, and could be played out with Mal Wright's Rising Storm game using the Pink route, with 3 night event boxes and 7 day event boxes.

Convoyweb.org.uk and Warsailors.com both have detailed information that would help you set up this convoy with actual historical ships. Warsailors.com also has interesting detailed log data from the Commanding Officer of HMS Leith.

I have a few convoy actions in progress at the moment, and as soon as I get a window of opportunity, it looks like SC-7 will be making an appearance on my gaming table!

Enjoy your games!

Jan