The 1/2400th Scale Tumbling Dice Collection

 

H.M.S. Monmouth - lost in action with Von Spee's East Asia Squadron at Coronel, 1914



I have made a number of assumptions with the models I have acquired for my next bout of naval gaming with the main one being that Great Britain did not sign any form of treaty with Japan and was therefore required to keep ships in the East. For the most part they have a numerical superiority over the Germans but the ships themselves are largely second line

The models I shall be using for my planned 1906 to 1910 'imagi-naval' set up have been sourced from Tumbling Dice and are based on the discount starter packs as follows.

The Royal Navy

2 x China Station Packs (MSP9) each consisting of :

1 x Centurion 1903 (ABB1a)
1 x Canopus (ABB5)
1 x Monmouth (ABB12)
1 x Drake (ABB15)
1 x Arrogant (ABB20)
1 x Pelorus (ABB22)

The additional models I added to this are as follows:

2 x Swiftsure (ABB9)
2 x Cressy (ABB14)
2 x Apollo (ABB26)
6 x Brazen (x 3 per pack) (ABB28)

This will give me 6 battleships, 6 armoured and 6 protected cruisers and 18 destroyers. All of the above (at least larger than destroyers in size) saw service overseas on a colonial basis. I intend deploying them anywhere from South China to the Red Sea.

 

S.M.S. Emden in China livery



The German Navy

1 x East Asia Squadron (1914) (MSP11) consisting of:

2 x Scharnhorst (ABG12)
2 x Bremen (ABG14)
2 x Emden (ABG16)
1 x Tramp Steamer (ABM2)

The additional models I added to this are as follows:

4 x Brandenberg (ABG2)
2 x Hertha (ABG7)
1 x Furst Bismarck (ABG10)
2 x Fraunlob (ABG15)
4 x S108 (x3 per pack) (ABG18)

The Germans then will have 4 battleships, 5 armoured cruisers, 6 light/protected cruisers and 12 destroyers. Their fleet has some very old and slow ships alongside the newer cruisers and although the Royal Navy outnumber the Germans in the  1914 East Asia Squadron they possess a modern and powerful force. It was for this reason I allowed the Swiftsure and Triumph to head East as a foil for the two German Scharnhorst class cruisers.

I may add some later armoured cruisers to the Royal Navy and perhaps a brace of modern light cruisers.

The bases for these models are currently on order as are the flags. Whilst I am waiting for them to arrive I can give some thought to the livery of the ships in question - do I go for China Station/Tropical White or should I go for the more practical overall grey?

At this stage I am leaning towards the overall grey simply because I will be using the ships for actions set during the Great War as well. In any event I have a few days to decide.