After reading my paper copy of 'General Quarters 3.3' and downloading the 'Soviet Navy' Supplement from the website I got interested to learn more if I would like these Rules. My experience with WW2 Naval wargaming rules was limited: I've played a few 'Victory @ Sea', 'Naval Thunder' and 1 'Pacific Command' games. At first sight the GQ3.3 rulebook looks 'massive': a lot of text, many details to think about, too complex? But after reading I learned that most type of warfares (Surface Operations, Aerial Ops, Submarine Ops, Mine Ops, Amphibious Ops, Convoy Tactics) can be played without any knowledge of the other types of warfare. So, you don't have to read/understand the whole book; you just read the relevant chapter. There are also some suggestions to skip more complex things which you don't like. For instance: if you don't want to play the aerial combat rules of chapter 2, you are suggested to use the air-oriented more streamlined rules of the Campaign section (Chapter 4). Similar for Submarine Operations; a streamlined version can be found in the Campaign section. The usage of detailed different national Combat Result Tables (CRT) and 1 page called 'Flank Speed' (which acts as a Quick Reference Sheet) makes the game indeed very playable and fast. So on second thoughts: I like the array of possible naval actions (fight against surface ships, submarines, aircraft, land targets, sea mines, etc.) and the data on a large volume of ships. Not only major combatants, but also minesweepers, landing craft and loads of merchant ships.
Set Up
I wanted to play with my freshly painted Soviet cruisers, so I came up with a 1943ish scenario of a German convoy in the Baltic which is attacked by a Soviet task group of light cruisers. I didn't want to be bothered about weather, ice, airplanes or whatever. The plan was to go through the motions and apply (& learn) the Rules. To get a proper feel of the GQ3.3 Rule System. In advance I had acquired D12 dice.
The first challenge was: which groundscale to use on my 4 x6 feet sea mat? The suggested scale was 1 cm. per 100 yds. (for a suggested playing area of 6 x 10 ft!) which was completely different to the scales we were used to in modern Naval Wargames (1 cm. = 1 nautical mile). What would happen when both fleets would sail at each other with a speed of 25 kts each? Anyhow, we tried 1 cm. = 100 yds.
During the game we 'discovered' my scenario was flawed. We forgot to use a Scenario Log and we hadn't established clear missions for both sides, victory points, atrocity points, wind direction (smokescreen!), etc. With hindsight the USSR had the mission 'patrol', NAZI Germany had 'passage'. Anyhow, it didn't hinder us to get a feel of GQ3.3.
We used the Soviet Navy & Kriegsmarine CRT's and followed the Basic Game Turn Sequence. Both fleets started in an opposite corner of the seamat, approx. 150 cm. (15,000 yds) from each other. USSR Taskgroup with a speed of 15 kts; the German Convoy with a speed of 8 kts.
The Soviet Taskgroup consisted of 1 new 'Kirov'-class cruiser, 1 modernized Nakhimov-class cruiser ('Krasny Kavkaz'), 2 WW1-era Nakhimov-class light cruisers ('Krasnyi Krym' & 'Chervonya Ukraina') and 2 brand new Tashkent-class destroyer leaders ('Tashkent' & 'Kiev'). They were sailing in 2 divisions, 1000 yds line abreast of each other. Div 1: Kirov and both Nakhimov-class cruisers (all 1000 yds apart); Div. 2: Krasny Kavkaz cruiser, followed by both destroyer leaders (5oo yds apart). The German convoy of 3 merchants and 1 oiler was protected by 1 brand new heavy cruiser (KMS 'Hipper'), 2 light cruisers (KMS 'Leipzig' & 'Koln'), 2 modern fleet destroyers (Z-24, Z-26) and 2 Torpedo boats (T-23, T-28).
Turn 1
Tactical plot phase (read: the movement plan). Both Taskgroups have spotted each other and adjusted their course and speed. USSR (cruiser)Div.1 maintain course and accelerate towards 20 kts. USSR Div 2. split up: both Destroyer Leaders accelerate towards 25 kts and cruiser 'Krasny Kavkaz' turns hard starboard to join cruiser Div. 1. The German convoy turns approx. 30 degrees to starboard (to keep her distance, away from the threat), together with both torpedo boats. The German cruisers and destroyers maintain course and speeds towards the Soviet enemy, in order to defend the convoy.
Movement phase: all ships move simultaneously as plotted (as planned). The Soviet combatants move either 25 cm. (Destroyer Leaders) or 20 cm. (cruisers).
Gunnery Phase (simultaneously; results are applied at end of Phase): KMS 'Hipper' opens fire with her 
2 forward 8-inch turrets at the Soviet flagship at 12,000 yds but misses. Destroyer Leader 'Kiev' opens fire with her 2 forward 130 mm turrets at a German torpedo boat at 11,000 yds but misses... KMS 'Leipzig' fires her forward 150 mm triple turret at the 'Kiev' at 13,000 yds but misses as well. 'Krasny Kavkaz' gives a broadside over port side with her 4 x180 mm guns but misses, partly because her fire control is influenced by her sharp starboard turn. Everybody fires at each other during this phase, but only the German destroyer Z26 places a hit on 'Kiev' with her forward 150 mm. turret. The damage is 1 hull box.
Turn 2
Damage Control: reading the rules we 'discover' that hull boxes can't be repaired at sea. The good news is that the brand new Italian built Soviet Destroyer Leaders of this class have 9 hull boxes (more than the older Soviet cruisers)!
Tactical Plot Phase: both new Soviet Destroyer Leaders (Div. 2) accelerate 10 kts towards 35 kts. All Soviet cruisers accelerate 5 kts towards 25 kts. The cruiser 'Krasny Kavkaz' of Div. 2 joins the rest of cruiser Div. 1. The German cruisers and destroyers close the range towards the Soviet Taskgroup. Both German Torpedoboats lead the convoy further away from the Russians.
Movement Phase: during the joining manoeuvre of cruiser 'Krasny Kavkaz', she comes within 500 yds of light cruiser 'Krasny Krym'. According the GQ3.3 rules both ships now have to roll for Collision. 
Unfortunately the bow of 'Krasny Kavkaz' hit 'Krasny Krym' midships portside. The bow damage is 2 hull boxes but the damage at 'Krasny Krym' is 3 hull boxes (of a total of 6) & engineering! 'Krasny Krim' leaves with a speedlimit of 13 kts. (cruiser)Div.1, conducts a positive morale check and continues repairs... 'Krasny Kavkaz' has a speed limit of 19 kts. and follows as good as she can (cruiser)Div 1. The German cruisers and destroyers close the range further towards the Soviet Taskgroup, changing their course 20 degrees to starboard. Both German Torpedo boats lead the convoy further away from the Russians.
Gunnery Phase: Kirov opens fire at KMS 'Hipper' with her 2 forward triple 180 mm. turrets at a close range of 8,500 yds. Probably due to 180 mm barrel wear and insufficient training of personnel they misses (again). Although the return fire of 'Hipper's' 2 forward 8-inch turrets miss as well! The old cruiser 'Chervonaya Ukraina' of the 'Nakhimov'-class opens fire at the nearby T23 torpedo boat at 6,700 yds) with a part of her open shield 130 mm guns. Result: 2 hits, resulting in 2 Fires & exploding DepthCharges onboard the torpedo boat. The damaged 'Krasny Kavkaz' cruiser tries to hit KMS 'Leipzig' at 10,700 yds but hasn't any luck. The Destroyer Leader 'Kiev' hits the German 'Z26' at 7,000 yds with 2 hits, taking out 1 of her torpedo mounts and her fire control. Her sistership 'Tashkent' gives a broadside with 3 double 130 mm turrets 
towards German T28 but misses at 6,200 yds. KMS 'Leipzig' gives a broadside of 3 150 mm triple turrets towards the Soviet Destroyer Leader 'Tashkent'. Resulting in 7 hits; damaging 1 torpedo mount, searchlights, the rear gun and 1 hull box. Two engineering hits limits the speed to 25 kts and therefor she has to leave Div.2. Her sistership 'Kiev' is now fired upon by the remainder of the German fleet. Only KMS Koln and 1 torpedo boat (rapid fire by T23?) hit the Destroyer Leader (at 9,000 and 4,700 yds), resulting in multiple fires.
End of game, due to dinner.
Verdict & remarks
- Although limited in turns this particular Naval Wargame was interesting, the GQ3.3 Rules are workable & realistic. We had a steep learning curve and the scope of the Rules (and the Combat Result Tables) can support a large amount of possible/future naval engagements.
- a ground scale of 1 cm = 100 yds doesn't work very well on a 6 x 8 ft. table. We sailed during the game on a 6 x 9 nm. patch of water.. during 2 turns (which is supposed to be 12 min. of real time). If we had used battleships (they open fire at 25,000 yds?) we had ran out of real estate! Don't mention searching with aircraft... So next time we use a scale of 1 cm = 200 yds or 1 cm = 500 yds?
- How realistic is the chance for a collision (as happened between both Soviet cruisers)? Looking at the history of both World Wars and the Cold War: yes, that seems realistic at close quarters and during the confusion of a sea battle. The 'Krasny Kavkaz' had made a sharp 90 degrees turn to starboard, had opened fire at the enemy with a full broadside and was in the process of making a sharp 90 degrees turn to port to join the line astern formation of Div. 1. A miscalculation in speed can trigger such a collision. See the picture of the collision of KMS Prinz Eugen into KMS Leipzig in October 1944...
- GQ3.3, especially with a ground scale of 1 cm = 100 yds, has a focus on professional maneuvering of ships. We made 2 'mistakes' during this game: first the collision of the 2 Soviet cruisers, but we also came too close towards each other (so secondary guns will become an issue) and we didn't maneuver sufficiently to bear all our (main)guns towards the enemy. At close ranges of 10,000 - 5,000 yds we were still firing at each other only by the forward guns!
- All Soviet cruisers were outgunned by their German counterparts: in calibre and in age. 'Kirov' with her 180 mm. (7.1-inch) turrets was no match for the modern 8-inch turrets of KMS 'Hipper'. Same with the WW1 cruisers of the Nakhimov-class with their open shield single 130 mm. guns. All German light cruisers and destroyers had 150 mm guns/turrets; mostly in double/triple turrets!
Sadly we were not able to conduct the Damage Control Phase of turn 3, to see what had been left of the Soviet fleet. Could the light cruiser 'Krasny Krym' after repairs rejoin the fight? Did the 'Tashkent' after all this damage had any chances? So...after turn 2 only 50 % of the Soviet cruisers was still 100% operational and both cruiser types were inferior compared to their German counterparts. All 3 German cruisers were undamaged, 50% of their escort force (destroyers, torpedo boats) was undamaged and non of the convoy was attacked. The Germans could deploy a smokescreen, as the Soviets didn't have radar to look through it. All German ships had some rudimentary radar system and KMS Hipper, Z24 and Z26 had Radar guided main guns as well.
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