The full Tsushima collection is now ready for action with the bases edged in black (I used a permanent marker rather than painting them - it was a whole lot easier!) and I have also sorted the ships into their historic formations. There are few gremlins. There are a couple of names spelled incorrectly, one Japanese destroyer was duplicated (Shinonome), another (the Akatsuki, ex Russian Reshitel Nyi) used the wrong image and a further Japanese destroyer - the Arare - is missing. One of the Japanese torpedo boats had the incorrect number - 42 rather than 39 - and a number of their formations were missing entirely - four torpedo divisions in all and an old cruiser squadron.
The Russians had a couple of names spelled incorrectly and the eight ships of the transport squadron used the wrong image - a point of which I am currently in discussions with WoFun.
Despite the above minor niggles I am hugely pleased with the collection and am trying to persuade them to expand the range to include the pre Tsushima ships (and losses) for completeness.
Anyways, without further ado, here are the two fleets, ready to do battle (and they will be very shortly!).
Japan
1st Squadron, 1st Division - Mikasa, Shikishima, Asahi and Fuji (all PB). Kasuga, Nisshin (all AC) and Tatsuta (UPC)
1st Squadron, 3rd Division - Kasigi, Chitose, Niitaka and Otowa (PC)
1st Destroyer Division - Harusame, Fubuki, Ariake and Akatsuki. 2nd Destroyer Division - Oboro, Inazuma, Ikazuchi and Akebono. 3rd Destroyer Division - Shinonome, Usugumo, Kasumi and Sazanami. All three units are (DD)
2nd Squadron, 2nd Division - Izumo, Iwate, Asama, Tokiwa, Azuma, Yakumo (all AC) and Chihaya (UPC)
2nd Squadron, 4th Division - Naniwa, Takachiho, Akashi and Tsushima (all PC)
4th Destroyer Division - Asagiri, Murasame, Shirakumo and Asashio. 5th Destroyer Division - Shiranui, Murakumo, Yugiri and Kagero. Both units are (DD)
3rd Squadron, 5th Division - Itsukushima, Hashidate, Matsushima, (all PC), Chin Yen (obs PB) and Yaeyama (UPC)
3rd Squadron, 6th Division - Suma, Chiyoda, Akitsushima and Izumi (all PC)
9th Torpedo Boat Division - Aotaka, Kari, Tsubame and Hato. 15th Torpedo Boat Division - Hibari, Sagi, Hashitaka and Uzuru. Both units are (TB)
10th Torpedo Boat Division - Numbers 43, 40, 41 and 42 (42 should be 39). 11th Torpedo Boat Division - Numbers 72, 73, 74 and 75. Both units are (TB)
Russian
1st Division - Alexander III, Orel, Borodino and Suvorov (all PB), Zenchug (PC).
2nd Division - Oslyabya (2nd class PB) Navarin, Sissoi Veliky (PB), Admital Nakhimov (AC) and Izumrud (PC)
3rd Division - Imperator Nikolai I (PB), Admiral Seniavin, Admiral Apraksin and Admiral Ushakov (all CDB)
1st Cruiser Division - Oleg, Aurora (both PC), Donskoi and Monomakh (both AC). 2nd Scouting Division - Svetlana (PC) and Ural (AMC)
1st Destroyer Division - Byedovy, Bystry, Buiny and Bravy. 2nd Destroyer Division - Blestyashchy, Gronky, Grozny, Bezuprechny and Bodry (both are DD)
Transport Squadron - Almaz (a yacht but used as an unprotected cruiser)
So there you have it. Despite a couple of minor niggles I am more than satisfied with this collection. The models (is that the best way to describe them?) look fine and I am sure that I will get some entertaining games with them. I only hope that my discussions with WoFun will yield fruit in respect of the additional ships.
Now, to battle!
12 comments:
David -
Impressive fleets - especially the Japanese. I'll be looking out for some lively action in this quarter!
Cheers,
Ion
That is a great collection! I have the entire Russian and Japanese fleets for the RJW in 1/3000, but I never went as far as all the torpedo boats.
David,
That’s a very impressive collection of ships … and I look forward to seeing them in action.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Archduke,
I am rather taken with them. They will hopefully be in action this Wednesday evening - with the AAR to follow.
All the best,
DC
Hi Martin,
It is a lovely collection but not without a few niggles - which WoFun will hopefully address. There are torpedo boat formations missing from the line up but to be honest there is more than sufficient to be going on with. I am trying to persuade WoFun to produce the pre Tsushima ships to round out the naval side of the Russo Japanese War so we shall have to wait and see if that happens.
All the best,
DC
Hello there Bob,
All being well this will be happening on Wednesday evening - with an AAR to follow (with pictures, naturally!).
All the best,
DC
A couple of splendid fleets David…
WoFun certainly make a lot of sense if you want to get your toys on the table and have some games….
Hopefully they will be able to correct the errors you have found.
All the best. Aly
Hi Aly,
They do look nice - I was hoping to get a game in this week but sadly will be unable to.
Wofun’s is designed with the wargaming butterfly in mind…;-)
All the best,
DC
Cross the T Admiral! :-)
G’Day Paul,
Always a good idea to do that - so those nautical types say….;-)
All the best old chap,
DC
The WoFun style works well with the ships, I think better than with figures. Your fleets look great.
I also saw your post about the Battle for Hoth. I must purchase that as it looks like a lot of fun. I visited the Days of Wonder website and I see that Memoir' 44 has been refreshed, with hard plastic models and much better looking tanks.
Bob
Hello there Bob,
It was a bit of a gamble but I am pleased that I took it! They do look rather splendid, minor niggles aside. The only thing I would have done differently would to have been to have provided my own bases. The WoFun ones are convenient in that they have a nice sea effect with the ship names but they have used an awkward looking font and there are a few typos. They are also too narrow - 15mm. As a rule of thumb my ship models when base tend to have a 5mm ‘overhang’ off the bow, stern and the beam. I believe that the WoFun ships would look better on a 20mm wide base but I will make do with what I have. It has certainly saved me a lot of time for this section of the next book!
Battle for Hoth is enormous fun - think Memoir ‘44 but straight into the action. It is worth getting a couple of sets for the epic scenario and a lot of the terrain (including the shield generators and the Ion cannon) can be purchased off eBay for a modest price.
All the best and it is about time I dropped you an email!
DC
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