*With apologies to the Pussycats from 1976….
The initial positions. The U.S.S. Admonisher is at the bottom of the picture whilst the C.S.S. Missenhitti approaches from the top.
I can do no better than to quote, verbatim, the words used by Bob Cordery to describe the background to this action, taken from his book Gridded Naval Wargames.
U.S.S. Admonisher
“For some months the Union government’s spy system had known that the Confederates had been building a Casemate Ironclad at Pratt’s Landing on the Missenhitti River. To ensure that this threat to Union army transport ships using the lower reaches of the river negated, the Union had stationed the newly-built Turreted Monitor - the U.S.S. Admonisher - on the Missenhitti. She had been patrolling the area for some weeks and expected to be in action as soon as the Casemate Ironclad appeared.
C.S.S. Missenhitti
Unknown to the Union forces, the C.S.S. Missenhitti had already been launched and her crew of sailors, riverboat men, and transferred artilleryman had been getting her ready for her maiden voyage down the Missenhitti River. One cold and misty morning she set sail downriver….”
Turn 1. The Confederate ship won the initiative (3-1) and as the range between the two ships was still some 13 hexes, opted to move first. Both ships moved at a speed of two and so moved a single hex forward and turned towards each other before moving a further hex.
End of Turn 1. Both vessels decided to move into midstream so as to have some room to manoeuvre.
Turn 2. Again the Confederate ship won the initiative (6-4) and again, as the ships were out of range opted to move first. The C.S.S. Missenhitti continued on her new heading so as to ensure that she could bring as much of artillery to bear as possible - she would be able to bring two heavy rifles into action against the two smoothbores the Union ship carried. The U.S.S. Admonisher turned directly towards her adversary, no doubt to close the range as quickly as possible, thus helping to negate the range advantage possessed by the Confederates.
End of Turn 2. No firing as yet but you can be sure that the Confederate ship is ready to do so by virtue of her longer ranged artillery.
Turn 3. Yet again the Confederates win the initiative (5-4)! This time though, they allow the Union to move first. The Union ship slows down and turns to face the opposite bank of the river whilst the Confederate maintains her speed and course, mindful of keeping her guns facing towards the enemy. At a range of four hexes, both ships open fire. The C.S.S. Missenhitti is able to roll 1D6 with a plus 1 due to her weight of artillery (heavy rifle) against the medium armour of the U.S.S. Admonisher. She rolls a 5 which goes to 6 which inflicts a single flotation point and either a secondary or tertiary gun. Since she has neither the hit is classed as another flotation point making two in all. The U.S.S. Admonisher fires back at the same chance - overall plus 1 to the single D6 roll - and rolls a miserable 2 meaning she has missed the target.
End of Turn 3. Fortune thus far favours the South as the C.S.S. Missenhitti scores two hits on the Union ship. The return fire was ineffective, presumably due to range being at the maximum distance for her smoothbore artillery.
Turn 4. Finally the Union win the initiative (5-2)! Given the relative closeness of the Confederate ship the Union allow them to move first. Conscious of the fast approaching river bank the Confederate ship maintains her speed but turns hard to starboard so she is now facing the Union monitors. Unfortunately, her turn did not allow for the slow moving Union ship and so she now is unable to fire as her forward gun has insufficient traverse to reach. Not so the Union ship and so maximum range she opens fire again. She rolls a 4 which, with the plus 1 for the gun/armour modifier makes 5 - a flotation point.
End of Turn 4. Both ships have sustained minor damage with the Union ship getting the worst of the exchange. The Confederate ship now faces a tactical dilemma. Does she try to get the Union ship within a firing arc, thereby exposing herself to more fire, or does she go ‘hell for leather’ and attempts to position herself for a ram attack? The next initiative roll will be crucial.
Turn 5. The Confederates resume their winning ways with a 6-1 initiative roll victory! The Union ship moves first. The U.S.S. Admonisher moves forward one hex and turns to starboard, thereby ensuring that her turret is able to fire (she cannot fire directly ahead). The C.S.S Missenhitti surges forward and turns to face the Union ship and is able to make use of her forward firing artillery. The Confederate ship opens fire and rolls an abysmal 1!. The U.S.S. Admonisher is able to fire with both her heavy guns, each at plus 1. She rolls a 4 and a 1. The 4 goes to five so the C.S.S. Missenhitti suffers another flotation point of damage.
End of Turn 5. Both ships have suffered the same amount of damage - 2 flotation points - and from the perspective of the C.S.S. Missenhitti the next initiative roll will be crucial. Has the U.S.S. Admonisher made an error in keeping her speed down and occupying the centre of the river?
Turn 6. The Union win the initiative 6-2! Seeing the imminent threat of a ram attack the Union monitor accelerates and crosses the bows of the fast approaching Confederate Ironclad.At the last second she throws her helm over hard to starboard. The C.S.S. Missenhitti follows the Union ship and by cutting the corner comes up on her aft starboard quarter - close enough to fire but not for a ram attack! The U.S.S. Admonisher opens fire at a range of one hex with both her heavy smoothbores. She rolls 2D6 each with a plus 1 gun/armour modifier. She rolls a 4 and 5 which go to 5 and 6. The C.S.S. Missenhitti suffers another flotation point for the 5 and another for the 6, along with a further flotation point as she does not have any secondary or tertiary guns, making three in total. This is sufficient to require a Critical Hit roll which comes up as a 6! The Confederate ship now has a fire to deal with, as well as losing a gun factor - in this case her forward heavy rifle. As damage is considered to be simultaneous she is still able to fire this turn. For the final shot from her forward rifle the C.S.S. Missenhitti replies with a roll of 3 that goes to 4, thus giving the Union ship a further point of flotation damage.
End of Turn 6. With a devastating point blank salvo the U.S.S. Admonisher batters the onrushing C.S.S. Missenhitti and is rewarded by seeing great gouts of flame pouring out of her forward gunport. The Union ship did not escape the return fire though and sustained a further point of flotation damage.
Turn 7. The C.S.S. Missenhitti rolls a D6 to determine the state of the fire. She rolls a 4 which means that it still blazes and so a further flotation point of damage is sustained. To add to the chagrin of her captain, the initiative roll goes against them with the Union winning handsomely, 6-1! The Union ship moves first, hoping to shake off the blazing Confederate ship. Not so, as the C.S.S. Missenhitti continues to doggedly follow the Union vessel. Only the U.S.S. Admonisher can fire as the Confederate ship has lost her forward artillery. The range is one hex and she rolls 2D6, again with each being at plus 1. A majestic 5 and 6 are rolled! The 5 goes to 6 and the 6 to 7. In total this equals a further four flotation points and a Critical Hit roll. The Critical hit roll is a 5 which is flood. Straightaway a further flotation point is lost meaning that the Confederate ship has suffered 6 in total this turn - one from the fire, four from shooting and one from the flood. As this is a further multiple of her hull size of 3 this requires a further Critical Hit roll. This roll is a 2 which is hull/armour. The C.S.S. Missenhitti opts to take a further 2 flotation points rather than weakening her hull or armour. She is in a bad way and needs to think about getting away.
End of Turn 7. With her hull leaking like a sieve and the fire continuing to blaze, the C.S.S. Missenhitti must seriously think about breaking off the action if she can. She is positioned nicely to ram the Union monitor assuming she can win the initiative but will this be enough to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?
Turn 8. The C.S.S. Missenhitti fails both her recovery rolls scoring a 3 and 4 which in turn means two more points of flotation damage. More importantly she has now passed her critical point having sustained 16 points of damage out of 18. Reaching the Critical point also triggers a further Critical Hit roll and this comes up as a 6 - another fire (and a further flotation point of damage)! The Union win the initiative 5-2 and opt to move first. The U.S.S. Admonisher pulls away at best speed from the blazing and sinking Confederate ironclad that appears to be attempting to get away. Not wishing to risk his own ship the captain of the Union vessel is content to fire a final broadside at point blank range rolling a 5 and a 2 which go to 6 and 3. The resulting two floatation points inflicted on the battered C.S.S. Missenhitti are enough to sink her.
End of Turn 8. With a flood, two fires and more point blank battering from the Union monitor, the C.S.S. Missenhitti settles by the bow and sinks slowly in the shallows.
Overview
Now that was a lot of fun and no mistake! The rules worked very smoothly with no major issues to tell of. The damage levels felt suitably paced and with sufficient impact. I am quite pleased with how this is now working.
How should the ram equipped C.S.S. Missenhitti fought this action? Well, the mistake was in not pursuing either a standoff at range shooting or going full tilt for a ram attack. She appeared to have chopped and changed her mind during the action and crucially was often at a disadvantage in terms of gunnery - mainly due to not having a usable firing arc. Losing her forward heavy rifle was definitely a handicap as every time she was able to get in close she was unable to ‘shoot her way in’. All the U.S.S Admonisher needed to do was to stay out of way and make sure that she could get her turret to bear. The rolls of the dice during the game swayed first one way and then the other which I have no problem with as it all evened out. Early in the action I really thought that the Confederates had the measure of the Union ship but it soon went the other way.
It was tremendous fun to refight a wargaming classic action - once again thanks to Bob for the inspiration - and even though the outcome was different to the original it should not take away from the fact that it is possible to have a rewarding and entertaining game with but a single ship on each side.
Loved it!
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