Seawolf: Eighty-one years ago today: Tirpitz gets spotted off Trondhiem

[MengJiao]

  So this is my 7th or 8th run in various game systems of Tirpitz going after PQ-12 and nearly getting torpedoed.  Historically, on the 5th, German air recon spotted PQ-12.  After several bad accidents, I beefed up the Tirpitz's escort and here we see her getting spotted by HMS Seawolf very early on the 6th. 

  In good weather, usually, Tirpitz takes 2-4 torpedo hits from the 18 Albacores launched from HMS Victorious, thus ending things, though usually not sinking Tirpitz outright.  Here we just say they missed and go on with the scenario still hoping for bad weather and nightfall: 

[MengJiao]

Here we just say they missed and go on with the scenario still hoping for bad weather and nightfall: 

  March 7 -- late afternoon.  The RN task force approaching from the west would be silhouetted against a brighter sky except that there's a snow squall blowing in from the northeast that has now obscured that part of the sky.  Part of the PQ-12 convoy escort is to the NE (CL Trinidad playing HMS Kenya by the wind markers).  HMS Devonshire and some destroyers just came out of the squall and wrecked two German destroyers.  Ivanhoe's guns are out.  Obdurate took a hit in the boiler room and was then rammed near the rudder by Devonshire.  Devonshire lost power and now sees Tirpitz fine off her port bow at 6,000 yards.  Not a pleasant prospect.  Meanwhile, Ithuriel launches 10 torpedoes at Admiral Hipper as HMS Renown and HMS Duke of York emerge from the squall.
  Looks like a violent afternoon which goes to show that about 1 out of 10 times in Solitaire you surprise yourself and get a big battle:

[MengJiao]

Here we just say they missed and go on with the scenario still hoping for bad weather and nightfall: 

  March 7 -- late afternoon.  The RN task force approaching from the west would be silhouetted against a brighter sky except that there's a snow squall blowing in from the northeast that has now obscured that part of the sky.  Part of the PQ-12 convoy escort is to the NE (CL Trinidad playing HMS Kenya by the wind markers).  HMS Devonshire and some destroyers just came out of the squall and wrecked two German destroyers.  Ivanhoe's guns are out.  Obdurate took a hit in the boiler room and was then rammed near the rudder by Devonshire.  Devonshire lost power and now sees Tirpitz fine off her port bow at 6,000 yards.  Not a pleasant prospect.  Meanwhile, Ithuriel launches 10 torpedoes at Admiral Hipper as HMS Renown and HMS Duke of York emerge from the squall.
  Looks like a violent afternoon which goes to show that about 1 out of 10 times in Solitaire you surprise yourself and get a big battle:

After 36 minutes of gunfire and torpedoes, things do seem to have been pretty violent...which might be why
naval people tended to be very wary when visibility got bad and the sun was low.  Let's see what happened:
Ithuriel wrecked Admiral Hipper with torps.  Tirpitz wrecked Devonshire.  Impulsive rammed Tirpitz while shells from
Devonshire knocked out Tirpitz's fire control and started fires.
Then Tirpitz left Renown blazing and likely to blow up, but fire from Renown, HMS King George V and Duke of York knocked out all guns and all steering on Tirpitz.  Tirpitz is afloat and moving but out of control, with serious fires and no functioning guns.
So be careful when approaching convoys in worsening visibility in the Arctic in winter: