WI Troubridge engages and fails (Scenario)

As some WW1 naval guys know the SMS Goeben and the Light cruiser Breslau headed to Constantinople and upon making it assisted in bring the Ottoman Empire into WW1. What happened before they made it was an admiral named Troubridge was sent to slow down the Battlecruiser with 4 armored cruisers and was in a position to do so.

However he chose not to because he realized that 4 armored cruisers dont equal 1 Battlecruiser. Something the British would discover at Jutland when the Defence was blown up and something Fisher (mastermind of Dreadnaught) said would happen.

Now I got a simulator called NWS Steam and Iron and using it I replayed the scenario and saw why Troubridge was afraid.

By keeping Breslau from harm and keeping Goeben at arms length I sank two of the armored cruisers (HMS Defence and HMS Warrior, turret flash fire on Defence and 2 torpedo hits on Warrior, both Goeben kills) and made it to the objective while the British BC's were about 30 minutes away.

In real life what would be the result of this fiasco? Churchill avoided it by Troubridge's "Cowardice" but with him a useless hero can he escape? Could it possibly allow the British to discover the Flash Fire issue and possibly stop the BC losses at Jutland (Both suspected Flash Fire victims).
 
As some WW1 naval guys know the SMS Goeben and the Light cruiser Breslau headed to Constantinople and upon making it assisted in bring the Ottoman Empire into WW1. What happened before they made it was an admiral named Troubridge was sent to slow down the Battlecruiser with 4 armored cruisers and was in a position to do so.

However he chose not to because he realized that 4 armored cruisers dont equal 1 Battlecruiser. Something the British would discover at Jutland when the Defence was blown up and something Fisher (mastermind of Dreadnaught) said would happen.

Now I got a simulator called NWS Steam and Iron and using it I replayed the scenario and saw why Troubridge was afraid.

By keeping Breslau from harm and keeping Goeben at arms length I sank two of the armored cruisers (HMS Defence and HMS Warrior, turret flash fire on Defence and 2 torpedo hits on Warrior, both Goeben kills) and made it to the objective while the British BC's were about 30 minutes away.

In real life what would be the result of this fiasco? Churchill avoided it by Troubridge's "Cowardice" but with him a useless hero can he escape? Could it possibly allow the British to discover the Flash Fire issue and possibly stop the BC losses at Jutland (Both suspected Flash Fire victims).

Did you play the scenario fom the British POV?

With hindsight attempting the attack makes perfect sense, in reality confusing and often contradicting orders from the Admiralty as well as the then percieved mission of preventing the German ships from interfearing with French Troop movements makes a scenario where the Royal navy units at the scene 'throw caution to the wind' and attempt to sink / cripple the german ships regardless of cost very unlikely.

However had such orders existed (or been interpereted as such) then I believe Troubridge would have ordered the attack and would have swapped as many of the 4 Armoured Crusiers and as many light Crusiers and Destroyers for the Destruction of the Goeben and Breslau as it took

They only have to slow the BC and any further damage to boilers or loss of bunkerage (both ships were very short of coal) would have prevented them from reaching their goal - and this would probably doom them.
 
Did you play the scenario fom the British POV?

With hindsight attempting the attack makes perfect sense, in reality confusing and often contradicting orders from the Admiralty as well as the then percieved mission of preventing the German ships from interfearing with French Troop movements makes a scenario where the Royal navy units at the scene 'throw caution to the wind' and attempt to sink / cripple the german ships regardless of cost very unlikely.

However had such orders existed (or been interpereted as such) then I believe Troubridge would have ordered the attack and would have swapped as many of the 4 Armoured Crusiers and as many light Crusiers and Destroyers for the Destruction of the Goeben and Breslau as it took

They only have to slow the BC and any further damage to boilers or loss of bunkerage (both ships were very short of coal) would have prevented them from reaching their goal - and this would probably doom them.
No I have yet to play the British side. But the question is what if Troubridge had tried, and failed with 2 of his ships destroyed and light to medium damage for the others while light damage on the Goeben (Which I kept some distance with at 20 knots) and Breslau escaped (Presumably mooning the Battlecruisers as they escaped.:D
 
No I have yet to play the British side. But the question is what if Troubridge had tried, and failed with 2 of his ships destroyed and light to medium damage for the others while light damage on the Goeben (Which I kept some distance with at 20 knots) and Breslau escaped (Presumably mooning the Battlecruisers as they escaped.:D

From an Initial British POV?

Troubridge engaged superior German forces in all the best traditions of the Service blah blah blah England expects and all that.......

In doing so the German forces were "forced to escape to the East" where they can no longer Interfere with French Troop movements (I do not believe that the German ships true intentions where known at this time?) protection of which which was the RNs ultimate goal.

So in this context despite the losses the Atempted engagment would be seen as a sucess.

As for mooning....I hope they are wearing factor 30 or better
 
From an Initial British POV?

Troubridge engaged superior German forces in all the best traditions of the Service blah blah blah England expects and all that.......

In doing so the German forces were "forced to escape to the East" where they can no longer Interfere with French Troop movements (I do not believe that the German ships true intentions where known at this time?) protection of which which was the RNs ultimate goal.

So in this context despite the losses the Atempted engagment would be seen as a sucess.

As for mooning....I hope they are wearing factor 30 or better
One author (Castles of Steel Robert K. Massie) brought up a great point, if no one dies then the crews can be sent elsewhere while the ships losses are viewed as 'good riddance'. However I believe I killed Troubridge during this engagement.

Also Im not asking about the aftermath, Milne's going to be trounced for this (OTL he and Troubridge never saw a bridge again).

What Im asking is what can the Royal Navy learn from this, can Jellicoe recognize the dangers of flash fires and get onto Beattys case? Could Beatty finally recognize the virtue of "Aiming?"

Would the Battle of the River Plate (Which Churchill called a repudiation of Troubridge's desicion) play out the same with the knowledge that the last guy who tried that failed everything?
 
One author (Castles of Steel Robert K. Massie) brought up a great point, if no one dies then the crews can be sent elsewhere while the ships losses are viewed as 'good riddance'. However I believe I killed Troubridge during this engagement.

Also Im not asking about the aftermath, Milne's going to be trounced for this (OTL he and Troubridge never saw a bridge again).

What Im asking is what can the Royal Navy learn from this, can Jellicoe recognize the dangers of flash fires and get onto Beattys case? Could Beatty finally recognize the virtue of "Aiming?"

Would the Battle of the River Plate (Which Churchill called a repudiation of Troubridge's desicion) play out the same with the knowledge that the last guy who tried that failed everything?

This is the Royal Navy we are talking about - not attacking the Germans is pretty much an exception.

I think the main reason Troubridge never had a command more comprehensive than gun boats was was because he didn't charge in - had he charged in and failed but survived - I suspect that he would have done!

My opinion is that he should have attacked and he was rightly sidelined for not making that decision.
 
This is the Royal Navy we are talking about - not attacking the Germans is pretty much an exception.

I think the main reason Troubridge never had a command more comprehensive than gun boats was was because he didn't charge in - had he charged in and failed but survived - I suspect that he would have done!

My opinion is that he should have attacked and he was rightly sidelined for not making that decision.

Despite the fact HMS Defence was lost at Jutland and this Goben just had to keep 20000 yards distant to keep away.

Anyway I'm just asking what would be the wffecrs afterwards. Is it possible the RN would find out about the flash troubles a year early (Troubridge and crew of 1 Armored Cruiser killed by a single hit near the turret)

Torpedoes becoming more prominent since Goeben sank a ship it didn't engage until the torpedoes meant for Black Prince killed Warrior.
I could see the British possibly learning more about the German firing system.
 
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