THE NARROW SEAS

In World War I, the Germans occupied the coast of Northwest Europe only as far south as the Belgian ports.  German occupation in World War II extended as far as the French port of Bordeaux, on the Bay of Biscay.  The opportunities for clashes between British and German coastal forces multiplied with so much more coastline occupied, as each side strove to maintain naval superiority off its own coasts while harrying the enemy in its own waters.

This set of scenarios, spanning the years from 1939 through 1944, reflects the heightened naval activity caused by the German occupation of the French ports.   

Note: For older scenarios, see the updated ship forms on the  FOTW Ships page.  These have been revised to include the gun tables on the forms, to make merchant ships easier to sink, and in other minor details.

First Blood in the Channel -- Early in the war, a German mine-laying mission collides with a British destroyer patrol.

Bey versus Mountbatten -- An offensive German sweep in the Channel meets a British patrol.

Turned Tables -- A German sweep into the Channel meets more than they bargained for.

The Toothless Terror -- The British go in search of a German blockade runner, but find something different.

The Channel Dash -- Can the Germans run two battlecruisers up the English Channel right past the Royal Navy?

New Arrivals -- The Kriegsmarine throws some new units into the Channel battles.

Odds and Ends -- Dribs and drabs from the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine find each other on a dark night off the French coast.

Mousetrap -- A combined British and Canadian force hunts Germans in the Channel.

Riposte -- German torpedo boats collide with a Canadian destroyer patrol.

Against Neptune -- A German destroyer force attacks off the D-Day beaches.

Into the Breach -- German torpedo boats attempt a raid on the D-Day invasion forces.

Last Gasp -- The swan song of the German torpedo boat force.

Action off the Isle of Wight -- Early in the war, Mountbatten's 5th Destroyer Division has a chance to cut some German torpedo boats off from their base.

Action off St. Nazaire -- British Hunt class destroyers supporting the St. Nazaire raid suddenly have their hands full.

The Bee Swarm -- A Polish/British force goes hunting for German light units off the island of Jersey.

Escape to Boulogne -- The last of the German torpedo boats in the Channel tries to make its escape.

Generated Scenarios for the Narrow Seas