Here are some of the scenarios taken from our TPP articles on small boat actions, Coastal Command rule set and the unpublished 'Devil Boats of World War Two.
The Coastal Command was our small boat campaign system with a tactical rule mechanic appendix published in 1984 by Xeno games.
Devil Boats of World War Two was a complete board game project rather than using an open map. It is an interesting read as sections are color coded for production concerns and possibilities. Plus sections on the rule mechanics. This has been considered by some as a good read for potential game designers on many of the issues regarding production, designing and playtesting.
Scenarios
This is the reduced list of scenarios. The full list of engagements is in the separate file. I reduced the list to a number of scenarios to consider.
The size of forces for a one-on-one scenario dominates historical actions. There were numerous three vessel actions per side. Larger forces per side for suitable large and multi-player actions seldom occurred. I have highlighted large force battles.
Some of the American engagements in the Le Havre (Channel) area during 1944 are listed below.
Aug 8. DD ‘Maldy' + 5 PTs (500, 503, 507, 509, ?) vs 6 GE MineSweepers
Aug 13. DE ‘Borum' + 2 PTs(498, 505) vs 5 GE MineSweepers
Aug 6. DD? ‘HMS Thornborough' + 3 PTs(510, 512, 514) vs 3 GE S-boats
Aug 8. 3 PTs (511, 520, 521) vs 5 GE R-boats + 1 MS or armed trawler
Aug 10. 3 PTs (515, 518, 513) vs 4 GE R-boats + 1 S-boat + 1 armed trawler
Aug 24. 3 PTs (511, 520, 514) vs 4 GE S-boats + shore batteries
Aug 25. 3 PTs (513, 516, 519) vs 2 GE S-boats + 2 R-boats
Aug 26. 3 PTs (511, 520, 514) + DE ‘Retalick'vs 5 GE Landing craft + shore Btys
Aug 26 same operation but in a different sector. HMS ‘Middleton' + 4 BR MTBs vs R-boats + landing craft + shore btys.
British Operations
May 23 ‘40- French destroyer "JAGUAR" torpedoed and sunk by German E-boats "S-21" and "S-23" off Dunkirk.
May 29 ‘40 – Royal Navy destroyer "WAKEFUL" sunk off Dunkirk beaches by a torpedo from E-boat "S-30".
May 30 ‘40-.French destroyer "SIROCCO" torpedoed and sunk by German E-boats "S-23" and "S-26".
July 25th-26 ‘40, British transport command CW8 lost eight of its 21 ships to attacks by Stukas and E-boats. Four more merchantmen and two destroyers were damaged.
March 1941 Merchant Shipping War – Royal Navy motor gun-boats (MGB's) were entering service to combat E-boat attacks on East Coast convoys. Improved motor torpedo boats (MTBs) were also being built to attack German coastal shipping. This marked the first step in the build up of Coastal Forces.
May 1942 13th – German raider "Stier" left Rotterdam for the Channel and operations in the South Atlantic. Off Boulogne she was attacked by RN coastal forces when one MTB was lost and she escaped. The escorting German torpedo boats "ILTIS" and "SEEADLER" sunk. She was also ‘surrounded' by four torpedo-boats of the 5th Torpedo-Boat Flotilla, the 933-ton Wolf-class Iltis, and three 924-ton Möwe-class boats, Kondor, Falke and Seeadler,
Oct 14 ‘42 – German raider "KOMET" attempted to pass down the English Channel on the way out for a second cruise. A force of British escort destroyers and MTBs attacked off Cherbourg, and in spite of a strong escort, she was torpedoed and sunk by MTB.236.
Dec 3 ‘42 – Escort destroyer "PENYLAN", with Portsmouth/Bristol Channel convoy PW257, was sunk by E-boat "S-115" in the English Channel off Start Point.
Nov 4-5 '43 Merchant Shipping War – German S-boats and mines were still capable of taking a toll of coastal shipping. During the night of the 4th/5th, Channel convoy CW221 lost three ships off Beachy Head to S-boat attack.
Aug 9 ‘44 – Old cruiser "Frobisher", acting as a depot ship for the British 'Mulberry', was badly damaged by E-boats.
1944-45 Merchant Shipping War – In 1944, surface actions were only part of the Allied air and sea offensive against German shipping off the coasts of occupied Europe, conducted by aircraft, MTBs, MGBs and submarines patrolling off the Biscay bases. In 1945, E-boats and small battle units continued operating out of Holland against Allied shipping in the North Sea and English Channel, and were now joined by Seehunde midget submarines. Mines remained the biggest problem for the Allies at sea. Allied sea patrols and minesweeping missions were conducted virtually every day.
Mediterranean
Jun 12-16 ‘42, Malta Convoys 'Harpoon' from Gibraltar, 'Vigorous' from Alexandria – Six escorted merchantmen passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. On the morning of the 15th, south of Pantelleria, an Italian two-cruiser squadron in conjunction with Italian and German aircraft attacked the five remaining merchantmen and their five escorting destroyers. The escorting destroyers attacked the Italians. The British destroyers "Bedouin" and "Partridge" were disabled by gunfire. Three merchantmen were lost to bombing attacks with Italian torpedo aircraft sinking the "Bedouin". Later that evening, as the seriously depleted convoy approached Malta, it ran into a minefield. Two destroyers and the fifth supply ship were damaged, but Polish escort destroyer "KUJAWIAK" was sunk. Just two of 'Harpoon's' six cargo ships reached Malta for the loss of two destroyers and serious damage to three more.
Jun 13 42 Meanwhile the ‘Operation Vigorous' force of 11 ships and their escorts sailed from Haifa and Port Said, and were met on the 13th off Tobruk by Adm Vian with seven light cruisers and 17 destroyers. By the 14th, two ships had been lost to air attack and two more damaged. That evening Vian learnt an Italian battlefleet with two battleships, two heavy and two light cruisers plus destroyers had sailed south from Taranto. The chances of driving them off were slim.
Jul 15 ‘42 German E-boats from Derna attack. Cruiser "Newcastle" was damaged by "S-56" and destroyer "HASTY" sunk by "S-55".
Aug 10 ‘42 – The Italian submarine "SCIRE" prepared to launch human torpedoes against Haifa in Palestine, armed trawler "Islay" spotted and sank her.
Aug 12-15 ‘42, Malta Convoy, Operation 'Pedestal' – The convoy passed Gibraltar on the 10th and starting on Aug 11 the force suffered constant intense attacks by submarines, aircraft and later coastal forces. Aug 12 ‘42 one of the British destroyers "Wolverine", rammed and sank Italian submarine "DAGABUR" off Algiers. On Aug 12, submarines then appeared and the Italian "COBALTO" was rammed by destroyer "Ithuriel". As the convoy neared Once the convoyed neared Bizerta, Tunisia, submarine, aircraft and Italian MTB attacks increased. The capital ships of the Royal Navy cover force turned back at the narrow Strait of Sicily. The convoy carried on, still with 13 of the original 14 merchantmen afloat and its close escort of four cruisers and 12 destroyers. As evening of Aug 12 northwest of Cape Bon, three of the four cruisers were put out of action by Italian submarines. "Axum" and "Dessie" hit "Nigeria" and "Cairo" and the fuel tanker "Ohio", and "Alagi" torpedoed "Kenya". "Cairo" was scuttled and "Nigeria" headed back to Gibraltar. Around this time aircraft sank two transports. Cruiser "Charybdis" and two destroyers rushed to the area as replacements for the lost ships. In the pre-dawn hours of Aug 13 the convoy was near Cape Bon, when Italian MTBs attacked. Four merchantmen were sunk The cruiser ‘Manchester' was damaged so bad it had to be scuttled. Air attacks continued during which sunk and another severely damaged. The already damaged ‘Ohio' suffered more damaged as she attempted to evade bombs and a crashing Ju87 Stuka. At this point just five cargo ships were left to reach Malta.
Aug 29 '42 North Africa An escort destroyer "ERIDGE" had the mission to bombard Axis positions west of El Alamein. She engaged several German E-boats. The British ship was badly damaged by a German E-boat.
Sept 13-I4 ‘42, Raid on Tobruk: Operation 'Agreement' – A combined operations raid was conducted on Tobruk against defenses and shipping. A land attack by the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) would take place while simultaneously destroyers "Sikh", "Zulu" and MBTs would land Royal Marine and Army units from the sea. The AA cruisers "Coventry" and 'Hunts' provided cover. In the night a few troops got ashore but "SIKH" was soon disabled by shore batteries. The remaining ships were attacked by German and Italian aircraft.
Early December – "TRAVELLER" left Malta on 28th November for the Gulf of Taranto. Overdue by the 8th December, she was presumed mined in her patrol area.
Dec 12 ‘42 – In the Gulf of Naples submarine "P-222" was lost to Italian torpedo boat "Fortunale" while attacking a convoy.
Dec 17 ‘42- North of Bizerta, "Splendid" sank Italian destroyer "AVIERE" escorting a convoy to North Africa. 25th – As an Axis convoy headed into Tunis, "P-48" attacked and was sunk by Italian destroyer escorts "Ardente" and "Ardito".
Mediterranean 1943
May 10. Cape Bon. 3 US PTs (202, 204, 205) vs 3 GE S-boats. Two British DDs in the area fire at both groups of boats.
July 12. Cape Granitola, Sicily. 5 US Pts + 4 BR ASRC (Air sea Rescue Craft) w/ loud speakers conduct diversionary operations and are engaged by shore batteries.
July 27. Stromboli, Sicily. 3 US Pts (202, 210, 214) vs 7 GE F-lighters.
July 28. Stromboli, Sicily. 3 US Pts (203, 218, 214) vs 3 IT MAS-boats
July 27. Stromboli, Sicily. 2 US Pts (204, 217) vs 2 GE F-lighters + 4 IT MAS-boats
August 15. Sicily. 3 US Pts (205, 215, 216) vs 2 GE S-boats
Sept 8. Salerno. 2 US Pts vs 1 GE F-lighters
Sept 20. Naples. 2 US Pts vs 4 Shore battery positions
Oct 19. North of Leghorn. 3 US Pts (208, 211, 217) vs 3 GE R-boats + 1 GE F-lighter + Merchant "Giorgio"
Oct 22. North of Giglio Island. 3 US Pts (206, 212, 216) vs 4 GE R-boats + 1 Corvette- Merchant
Nov 2. Leghorn. 2 US PTs (207, 211) vs 3 GE R-boats + 1 GE Sub-chaser (UJ2206)
Nov 29. 2 US Pts (204, 211) vs 1 GE S-boat + Mind-sweeper. Due to very poor weather, they did not see each other until they were only 75 yards apart. They were also on a collision course.
Dec 18. Bastia. 4 US Pts (206, 208, 210, 214) vs 2 GE-IT TBs
Dec 18. Elba. US PT 209 + BR MTB 655 + 2 BR MGBs (659, 663) vs 2 GE-IT Tbs + Shore Btys
Jan 20 ‘43 – "SANTAROSA" was torpedoed off Tripoli by MTB-260, one of the growing number of coastal forces operating along the North African coast.
Feb 12 ‘43 – "TURBULENT" (Cdr Linton) attacked an escorted ship off Maddalena, Sardinia and was presumed sunk in the counter-attack by Italian MTB escorts.
Feb 14 ‘43 – "THUNDERBOLT" was lost off the north entrance to the Strait of Messina to Italian corvette "Cicogna".
Mar 12 ‘43 – In a sortie against Axis shipping bound for Tunisia, Force Q destroyer "LIGHTNING" was torpedoed and sunk off Bizerta by German E-boat "S-55".
Mar 19 ‘43 – Attacks by German aircraft on Tripoli harbour sank two supply ships and damaged escort destroyer "DERWENT" so badly she was not fully repaired. This was the first German success using circling torpedoes.
Mar 24 ‘43 – "Abdiel's" Cape Bon minefield sank two more Italian destroyers – "ASCARI" and "MALOCELLO".
Jul 11 ‘43 – "FLUTTO" off the southern end of the Strait of Messina in a running battle with MTBs 640, 651 and 670. Jul 12 ‘43 – "U-561" torpedoed in the Strait of Messina by MTB-81; Italian "BRONZO" captured off Syracuse by minesweepers "Boston", "Cromarty", "Poole" and "Seaham"; "U-409" sunk off Algeria by escorting destroyer "Inconstant" as she attacked a returning empty convoy.
Jul 13th ‘43 Italian "NEREIDE" was lost off Augusta to destroyers "Echo" and "llex"; north of the Strait of Messina "ACCIAIO" was torpedoed by patrolling submarine "Unruly".
Jul 15 ‘43 – Transport submarine "REMO" on passage through the Gulf of Taranto during the invasion was lost to submarine "United".
Jul 16 ‘43 Cruiser "Cleopatra" was torpedoed and badly damaged off Sicily by submarine "Dandolo".
Jul 23 ‘43 Cruiser "Newfoundland" was damaged off Syracuse by a torpedo from "U-407", and as Italian "ASCIANGHI" attacked a cruiser force off the south coast of Sicily she was sunk by destroyers "Eclipse" and "Laforey".
Jul 29 ‘43 "PIETRO MICCA" was torpedoed by submarine "Trooper" at the entrance to the Adriatic in the Strait of Otranto.
Jul 30 ‘43 – "U-375" was lost off southern Sicily to an American sub-chaser.
Sep 9 ‘43, In conjunction with the landings at Salerno, the Eighth Army's 1st Airborne Division was carried into Taranto by mainly British warships (Operation 'Slapstick'). Around midnight in Taranto harbor, cruiser-minelayer "ABDIEL", loaded with 1st Airborne troops, exploded as it hit a magnetic mines dropped by German S-boats "S-54" and "S-61" as they escaped.
Mediterranean 1944
Feb 17. 3 US Pts (202, 203, 211) vs 2 GE TB
Feb 18 3 US Pts (202, 203, 211) w/ rockets vs 6 GE S-boats + 4 F-Lighters
Mar-Apr. Operation Gun was an attempt to sink the well built and armed F-lighter craft. It was a combined US-Br operation in which 2 x 4.7" guns and 2 x 40mm guns were placed on LCG landing craft and crewed by British Marines. The force was divided into several formations including a control (HQ) section, an Attack group consisting of the LCGs with escorts, and one or two scouting formations.
Mar 27. Scout 2 US PT (212, 214) + Control 2 US PT (208, 218) + Attack 3 LCG (14, 19, 20), 3 BR MGB (659, 660, 662) , 1 BR MTB (634) vs 2 GE Dds + 6 GE F-lighters
Apr 24. Scout 3 US PT (212, 213, 202) + Contol 2 US PT (209, 218) + Attack 3 LCG (14, 19, 20), 4 BR MGB (657, 655, 660, 662) , 2 BR MTB (633, 640) , 2 US Pts (211, 216) vs 5 GE F-lighters + Armed Tug; Later, 3 GE F-Lighters reinforced by 1 GE S-boat + 2 GE DDs.
May 18. Vada Rocks. 3 US PTs (204, 304, 213) vs 2 GE Flak Lighters + Shore Bty
May 23. Vada Rocks. 3 US groups one of 2 boats and two of 3 boats vs 2 GE Cor + Subchaser
May 30. La Spezia. 3 US PTs (304, 306, 307) vs GE Cor + TB/DD
June 14. La Spezia. 3 US Pts (552, 558, 559) vs 2 GE Cor
June 17. Elba. 2 US Pts (209, 210) vs 1 GE S-boat + 2 GE F-lighters
June 18. Elba. US PT 207 + 1 BR MGB (658) + 3 BR MTBs (633, 640, 655) vs GE Cor + F-Ltr.
June 19. Elba. 3 US Pts (203, 204, 214) vs 2 GE F-Lighters evacuating German troops
June 29. Elba. 2 US Pts (308, 309) vs 2 IT MAS evacuating German officers.
July 15. Nice. 1 PT w/ qd 20mm + 2 Pts w/ 40mm vs GE Patrol craft
July 17. Antibes. 1 PT w/ qd 20mm + 2 Pts w/ 40mm vs GE Patrol craft
July 17 Sou France. BR Gbs Aphis + Scarab + ASRCs w/ speakers; later reinforced by 2 US Pts + DD ‘Endicott' vs 2 GE Corvettes (ex-IT TBs)
Sept 10. Mouth Rhone River. US PT 559 + 2 BR MTB (422, 376) vs F-Lighter + Tug and barge.
Sept 13. Mouth Rhone River. US PT 559 + 2 BR MTB (422, 376) vs 2 GE F-Lighters + COR
Sept 10. Mouth Rhone River. US PT 558 + 2 BR MTB (423, 419) vs F-Lighter + 2 tug-barges
Dec 15. Mouth Rhone River. US PT 310 + BR MTB (422) vs 4 GE F-Lighter
Dec 16. Mouth Rhone River. 2 GB trawlers w/ 4' guns + 2 US Pts vs R-boat + 4 F-lighters
Mediterranean 1945
Jan 7. 2 US Pts (303, 304) + BR MTB 422 vs 3 coastal shore Btys
Feb 8. Leghorn. US PT 308 + 2 BR MTB (376, 423) vs 3 GE F-Lighters
Mar 9. Leghorn. 3 US Pts (304, 308, 313) vs 2 GE F-lighters + 6 armed Tugs w/ barges
