The Ottoman ground forces have been pushing their way back into Europe. They have planned an offensive to re-take the Greek city of Salonica. The generals had requested the aid of Admiral Al-Reis to support the attack with a heavy bombardment of the Balkan lines. Admiral Al-Reis was reluctant to help, but an order from the Sultan overrode his objections.
In the meantime, the Balkan League fleet was also assembling near the city. With the Balkan ground troops being slowly pushed back, Capt. Aube counselled Admiral Ivanov that the next obvious objective for the Ottoman’s would be Salonica. Therefore, Admiral Ivanov began to mass nearby to help repel the ground offensive and attempt to smash the Ottoman League forces in a decisive battle.
The stage was set for one of the largest air clashes of the Uprising.
The Ottoman League has seen their lead slip in the last battle, but they are one decisive victory away from winning the campaign. They still have a strong lead and seem to have the edge in resources. Admiral Ivanov of the Balkan League has been given clear instructions by the Tsar to try and achieve the Russian dream of access to the Mediterranean via the Dardanelles at any cost. Both Admirals reveal their strategy for the turn, and the Balkan League is Offensive, while the Ottoman’s switch to the Defensive.
Forces
Balkan League: 48 Armor Points
Russian
Imperator Pyotr Captain: Pavel Ivanov Command: Flagship- 1
Class: Imperatrista Mariya Category: Battleship Armor: 8
Experience: 6
Pallada Captain: Matija Yumashez Command: 1
Class: Bayan Category: Cruiser Armor: 7
Experience: 2
Albatros Captain: Feliks Golokov Command: 3
Class: Krasnoye Category: Gunboat Armor: 5
Experience: 5
Kondor Captain: Nikolay Konovalov Command: 3
Class: Krasnoye Category: Gunboat Armor: 5
Experience: 4
French
Brennus Captain: Theo Aube Command: 4
Class: Charles Martel Category: Heavy Cruiser Armor: 8
Experience: 13- Blow Smoke
Primauguet Captain: Jean
de Vienne Command: 4
Class: D’iberville Category: Cruiser Armor: 7
Experience: 13- Marksmen
Greek
Georgios Averoff Captain: Sofoklis Dousmanis Command: 3
Class: Vettor Pisani Category: Armored Cruiser Armor: 8
Experience: 5
Ottoman League: 48 Armor Points
Ottoman Empire:
Sultan Mehmed II- Fatih Captain: Seyid Al Reis Command: 3- Flagship
Class: Sultan Osman-I Evvel Category: Battleship Armor: 9
Experience: 13- Disciplined Crew
Basra Captain: Hasan Rami Pasha Command: 2
Class: Barbarous Heyreddin Category: Heavy Cruiser Armor: 8
Experience: 6
Turgut Reis Captain: Abdul Kadir Command: 1
Class: Resadye Category: Battleship Armor: 8
Experience:
Austro-Hungarians:
Prince Eugen Captain: Anton von Sterneck Command: 2
Class: Tegethoff Category: Battleship Armor: 9
Experience: 8
Bravo Captain: Anton Pock Command: 4
Class: Huszar Category: Destroyer Armor: 6
Experience: 5
Italians:
San Bartolomeo Captain: Paolo Revel Command: 1
Class: Vettor Pisani Category: Armored Cruiser Armor: 8
Experience: 13- Airship Handling
Mission:
The Balkan League will be the attacker in a Fleet Action between the two fleets near Salonica. The board is covered by a layer of clouds at Altitude 3. This battle will last 8 turns, and then the fleet with the highest remaining Armor points is the winner. Severe damage counts as a -1 to armor points.
Set-up:
Both fleets are set-up on opposite board edges. The Balkan League is to the west, while the Ottoman’s are arriving from the East. These are the long board edges respectively. The Ottoman League has brought a number of their heavy hitters to the party, including their latest reinforcements in the form of the Turgut Reis a Resadye class battleship.
The Russian gunboats, the French cruiser, and the Greek cruiser are on the extreme left flank of the Russian force, acting as a smaller flotilla. The Greek, Captain Dousmanis is placed in command of that wing of the fleet. They are moving at altitude 3 for stealth. Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet is center right on the board, and arriving in echelon with the Imperator Pyotr leading the way. Their slanted approach should allow them to get broadsides in early. They are at Altitude 5 and Speed 4.
The Ottoman force is stretched across the board with the battleships anchoring their right steaming forward, and looking for the right time to make the turn into line of battle or alternatively use their better armor and guns to simply close and Melee with the Balkan Fleet.
You can read the results here:
https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2018/12/battle-report-castles-in-sky-balkan.html