The Greenland Campaign - A Retrospective

NINE GREAT GAMES WERE RECORDED ON THIS BLOG OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS - IN THIS POST, WE TAKE A LOOK BACK OVER THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF THE TWO GREAT POWERS AND THEIR MERCENARY ALLIES IN THE GREENLAND CAMPAIGN

Before we turn our eyes to the battles raging in the Pacific Ocean, we take a look back over the battles of the Greenland Campaign. Links to the nine Battle Reports are highlighted in RED, have a look if you haven't read them before! 

Overall a fun little campaign, the players in these games were myself, Good Friend Ben and Mike. In the future, I aim to involve more people, more nations, and more settings. Hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am!

5th February, 1872
Opening Strike - The Federated States of America launch an assault on the Prussian port of Holsteinsborg, on the west coast of Greenland. Following a fierce naval engagement in the Davis Strait the battered FSA fleet withdraws, but leaves the Prussian fleet burning

Prussian forces engage the services of the Black Company, mercenaries based in the Rogue Anchorage of Ammassalik, Greenland. A small fleet under the command of the notorious Sea Snake begin exclusively targeting American convoys, aiming to track down the Dreadnought Argo

Federacy patrols increase across the Labrador Sea, under pressure from both Imperial Bond Wolf Packs and the infamous Black Company

26th February, 1872
Marked For Death - A convoy passing close to Ammassalik is tracked and ambushed amid the ice floes, and the Enterprise-class Dreadnought Argo is destroyed by Black Company submarines. 

Prussian commanders rapidly realise they are not in control of the Black Company as their targets become indiscriminate - merchants, Grand Coalition and Imperial Bond vessels all suffer under their guns

26th March, 1872
Treachery at Kap Farvel - Following the destruction of the Argo and clearing of the Davis Strait, Prussian piracy recommences. Calling for reinforcements, Prussian command despatches the Dreadnought Sachsen and supporting vessels to Holsteinsborg. The fleet is ambushed and the Sachsen captured by Black Wolf Mercenaries in an act of base treachery

30th March, 1872
Surprise Attack at Nanortalik - As the Black Company turn on their erstwhile employers, Prussian and Danish salvage ships tracking the debris from the Argo come across an Aerial Brigade of the Honourable Eclipse Company. In the ensuing battle, the Prussian and Danish ships are mauled, but they succeed in retrieving a valuable piece of FSA technology, and whisk it back to Prussian laboratories in Greenland

Prussian command rapidly realises that the Honourable Eclipse Company have been engaged by the Federated States of America, honouring their contract with heavy ordnance

12th April, 1872
Raid on St. Anthony - Prussian ships attack the refuelling station at St. Anthony, but are repulsed by a strong Aerial Brigade of the Honourable Eclipse Company

29th April, 1872
Raid on Ammassalik - Eager to recapture the lost Dreadnought Sachsen, a Prussian fleet assaults the Black Company at their anchorage of Ammassalik. Attacking from sea and air, the Prussian forces surround and overwhelm the mercenaries, reclaiming the Sachsen and dragging their prize back to the nearest Prussian port

9th May, 1872
Blockade Run - The Federated States begin their blockade of the Davis Strait, trapping the Prussian ships anchored at Holsteinsborg. Having finally cracked the encryption of the secret plans recovered from the wreck of the Argo, Prussian ships attempt to break the blockade and carry the message back to Europe. They are not successful. 

18th May, 1872
Attack Down the Davis Strait - The FSA send a large aerial bombing group ahead of the main fleet to take out the defences of Holsteinsborg. Betrayed by spies within the Honourable Eclipse Company, the Prussian fleet is forewarned and sallies out to meet them. The Prussian fleet is shattered, but the bombing group is forced to call off their attack as they have expended all of their ordnance

The Sachsen, having only recently been recaptured from the Black Wolf Mercenaries, is badly damaged by the 27th Bomb Group and has to be dragged back to Holsteinsborg

1st June, 1872
Final Assault on Holsteinsborg - The Federated States launch their grand assault on the Prussian port, led by the Enterprise-class Dreadnought Dortmunder. Unprepared for the strength of the Prussian defences, the American fleet is surrounded and brought down, one ship at a time. The attack fails, and what few ships survive fight to escape the Davis Strait 

The FSS Dortmunder and the SMS Hetzer engage, bloodying each other with punishing broadsides and turret fire

In the narrows of the Davis Strait, Prussian and Federacy vessels engage in close quarters

At such close range, the strength of the Prussian ships comes to the fore

The vessels of the Federacy are surrounded and bracketed with fire, or captured by waves of Luftlancers

The Prussian Empire may have been badly mauled in the Blockade, but the cost was deemed too high and the FSA withdraw their punitive actions, concentrating on defending their convoys rather than taking the fight to the piratical Prussian fleet

Looking over the campaign, we can see the Imperial Bond fared worse overall, smashed by the Honourable Eclipse Company and the treacherous Black Wolf Mercenaries, and barely holding their own against the powerful Federated States Navy, until they dragged back a solid victory at the gates of Holsteinsborg.

In the nine games, the Prussian Empire and their allies (when they were loyal to the Imperial Bond, anyway) only scored three victories and two draws, but when they did win, it was important - specifically the destruction of the Argo, the raid on Ammassalik to recover their Dreadnought, and the grand finale of the campaign.  

The Prussian Empire may not have come out of the campaign in a particularly good state, but they won some decisive victories and the FSA were not allowed to capitalise on their wins to the extent they would have preferred, especially not at the very end. An inconclusive result... the World War will drag on for another year yet. 

We shall see how the FSA fare on the other side of the world in Campaign: Tropic Thunder, as they chase the piratical League of Italian States and Free Australians, encounter the mysterious Wani and the technologically advanced Covenant of Antarctica, and awaken the Dragon - the grand juggernaut of the Chinese Federation. 

Thanks for reading,

George