Sino Japanese War 1894/95

 

The latest offering from the indefatigable Mr. Manley. Broadside and Salvo rules, a potted history of the campaign and a complete campaign system as well. Available, along with his other naval rules, from the Wargames Vault under his Long Face Games label. Very highly recommended - despite not being on a grid! Yet….

My knowledge about the above campaign was extremely limited until I started looking at the Russo Japanese War. I had certainly not thought about as a viable gaming option but, with the publication of the above, along with some acquisitions to the library and, probably the biggest surprise, the acquisition of two fleets in 1:1800th resin!

Another title from Mr. Olender - I also have both his volumes on the Russo Japanese War, the Russo Turkish War, the Austro Italian War, The War in the Pacific and shortly to be joined by the Sino French War. They are excellent. Also an Osprey Duel title on the battle of the Yalu River.

A little digging through my library also has some snippets about the war so I reckon I have everything I need to crack on the two forces. 

There are models available from Tumbling Dice in 1:2400th as well as 1:3000th from Navwar. In both cases they are nice models but are quite small. A quick trawl through the net and I decided that 1:1800th might be a better option - both for this and any other pre-dreadnought set ups. I like this scale and was first  introduced to it via Axis and Allies: War at Sea, the collectible WW2 naval game, also used by Warlord in their Victory at Sea range.

The firm I have used are called Three Decks Dockyard and so I ordered both sides for the Battle of Yalu. I will post a fuller review once I have looked at them in detail. They are still quite diminutive but, and this is a really handy point, even allowing for bases they will fit comfortably on the hexes of my new gaming mat. The hexes measure 2” across the flat sides and as the cloth is 6ft by 4ft there would be plenty of ‘sea room’ for manoeuvring. 

The BIG Decision

Work on the book is moving along at a fair old rate of knots! I have decided that the pre-dreadnought era battle that will be included in the book (there will be three battle reports, one for each sub-period) is going to be Yalu River rather than something Russo Japanese War based. Obviously I will need to base and paint the models but this will not be a problem as the numbers involved are quite modest.

So, it looks like I will have plenty to do over the next six months as I will also have to tackle the Great War as well. Luckily painting ships in smaller scales holds no terrors - even for me!

Some Age of Sail Experimentation

Side by side - the base model is at the rear with the filed, single decker in the foreground

A better view of the lower profile of the single decker

Viewed from the stern - the reduction in height is more noticeable

Aside from the whole decorating thing, I have been thinking about what to do with the recently acquired Risk style age of sail ships. The base model is a stylised two decker so adding a deck to make a first rate or trimming it down to make a single deck frigate type should be OK. They will all be the same length but given that I would only use these on a gridded playing surface, the sizes are not that crucial.

A fairly substantial amount of filing was needed - the plastic is pretty hard which makes for a durable model - but since I will only need around eight frigates it would not be too onerous an undertaking. Now to take a look at three deckers!

Wargaming Largesse and a Delicious Dilemma

A profile shot - ‘purely representational’ and sadly lacking a spanker on the mizzenmast. Two decks worth of gunports which will cover most of what I will need.

The view forward….

….and aft.

The selection of colours available.

The overall size.

The hexed board is from the board game ‘Fighters of the Pacific’ and is a perfect match for the size for the model.

OK, in the interests of full disclosure I have been thinking long and hard about age of sail gaming using, shock horror, models - although I have several really good board game solutions if necessary.

A chance email exchange with all round good guy, prolific painter and champion of all things Portable, Mark Cordone, touched on a potential idea that was struggling to be realised thanks to geography and the price of overcoming it! Let me explain. I had seen a whole pile of plastic ‘Risk’ style gaming pieces that seem to be readily available in the good ol’ US of A but would cost a King’s ransom to ship to the UK. In this case I am talking about fully rigged men of war from the halcyon days of Nelson, Suffren, John Paul Jones and others - add in Hornblower and Aubrey and you will get the general idea.

Anyways, to cut a long story short (as Spandau Ballet once said), Mark very kindly sent me a package of 50 of the models you see above.

Are they perfect? No. Are they accurate? Again, no. BUT - they are (very) hard plastic and are designed as playing pieces with a modest footprint. 

Looking long and hard at these my first thought is that a spanker on the mizzenmast would prove the look immeasurably. This would be east enough to organise. Being a two deck ship is handy but I am already thinking about how to cut the hull down so that a single deck frigate would be an option - also increasing the height of the hull so that three decked first rate ships can be represented.

Chopping these about will be a lot easier than building them from scratch and as the models are very basic I reckon that a paint job would cover a multitude of sins.

There is a huge amount of potential with these models which I hope to fully explore - Mark mentioned that he had experimented with some steamship versions, removing a mast and adding a funnel -  so lets see where this idea can go.

I have a couple of ideas to play around with but for now let me once again extend my grateful thanks to Mark Cordone - I hope he will appreciate what he has unleashed!

The Boshin War - The Penultimate Samurai

Despite being chock full of historical clangers, there is no denying that the Tom Cruise file: The Last Samurai is a splendid piece of entertainment. Although the film technically covers the later Satsuma rebellion it does serve as a great scene setter for the events of the period as Japan grappled her way into the modern world. Besides, any film that has given me a memorable quote will always get my vote!

A few ships, a simple campaign system suitable to fight to a conclusion potentially in a few hours and mental images of Samurai fighting modern troops means that this is probably a no brainer for me! The reality of the conflict is somewhat different though, but no less interesting for all that.

The Boshin War  was fought between 1868 and 1869 and is the subject of a supplement available from David Manley’s Longface Games label on the Wargames Vault. 

I rather fancy cobbling up the forces required for the naval side of this - I reckon I could probably do so from stock - and in any event, I am due to remodel the former Confederate ironclad the CSS Stonewall that became the Japanese Kotetsu. The Portable Ironclads Wargame would cater for the ships involved readily enough and for the land side I am thinking along the lines of Dominion of the Spear and Bayonet for speedy resolution on any actions or perhaps the Portable Colonial Wargame for greater depth. I do not possess any figures for the period BUT, I know a man that does - and he has, ahem, volunteered to take part in this Oriental flight of fancy.

Covering the later Satsuma Rebellion but very useful for the earlier period as well.

The later and final rebellion, that of the Satsuma, is the one that is depicted in a stylised, Hollywood interpretation of the events in the Tom Cruise film: The Last Samurai. It also features in the supplement to the Dan Mersey “The MenWho Would Be Kings” rules and is chock full of information and scenario ideas. I also splashed out £3.98 on a copy of the book by Mark Ravina about Saigo Takamori - who also featured in the earlier rebellion and is today revered in Japan. The Samurai leader Katsumoto is based on Saigo Takamori.

I feel a quote coming on:

“The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life.”

I am not sure if Takamori said this but I like to think that he did!

More on the Battle of the Little Big Horn

Just the one this time - note the green trousers of the US Cavalry….

For a game that is fifty years old, the mechanics of this Waddington’s classic are actually rather good! In fact I reckon that it would not be too much of a difficulty to adapt them for use in other settings as a simple set of skirmish style rules.

You can guess where this may well be going….

I had a good look at the figures and whilst they are pretty basic I reckon that it would not take too much work to restore them to their former glory. I would probably base them, simply because it would be easier to move them around. At this stage I am not looking at upscaling the gaming mat to a 6ft by 4ft or using 54mm Deetail figures but I can certainly see the attraction of doing so as at least two gamers have done so to my knowledge!

The Rules

Movement

Each player rolls a D6 with the high score moving first each turn.

Each player may move one or all their troops per turn. Foot figures move one space and mounted three. Foot can move anywhere on the map except for the river (they can use the fords) and mounted may not enter areas with trees or boulders. Each area may be occupied by three foot figures, two mounted or one foot and one mounted and figures from either side may not occupy the same area. The flag can be moved by any US player by placing a figure in the same area.

Combat

Firing weapons have a range of three areas. Mounted tribesman armed with a Tomahawk have to be in an area adjacent to an opponent for combat. With ranged combat (two or three areas) the defender can fire back if not eliminated but in hand to hand combat (if the figures are in an adjacent area) they must fight back. The attacking player rolls a D6 followed by the defender. If each player rolls a 1, 2 or 3 then it is no effect. If one player rolls a 4 or 5 and the other rolls lower then the low scoring figure must retreat one area if able to do so - if they cannot (due to impassable terrain or enemy figures) they are eliminated and removed from the board. If both players roll a 4 or a 5 then this is no effect. If either player rolls a 6 then the opponent is eliminated.

There are some modifiers to the above - all are plus 1 to the player’s D6 roll. These are Mounted troops fighting a figure in an adjacent area, foot figures among trees or among improvised barricades. Note that the plus 1 feeds into the dice score effects so if a figure was in a plus 1 situation and rolled a 5 this would count as a 6 and therefore eliminate the opponent.

Note that adjacent had-to-hand combats are adjudicated before ranged combats - the winner of a hand-to-hand combat may then occupy the vacated area. Also, each figure may only take part in one round of combat per game turn so if a figure is engaged by several enemies it may only ‘defend’ itself against a single attack - hand-to-hand attacks taking priority.

Winning the Game

The battle is won by the tribesmen if Custer and his men are eliminated or if one of them is able to enter the area occupied by the flag as long as no US figure is there as well. Custer wins if the three Chieftains (the mounted tribesmen wearing a feathered headdress) are eliminated or if the flag can be moved to one of the blue arrow areas on the map board. 

Further Thoughts

I genuinely believe that there is a lot of potential with these rules for a simple, almost ‘Portable Wargame-ish’ style skirmish game. It is certainly something I shall explore further as and when time permits but for now the main priority will be getting the figures repainted.

Meanwhile, back to the ships….

The Battle of the Greasy Grass - Waddingtons Style

You are not seeing double - there is two copies of the above!

The blurb on the underside of the box

Way back in the very early 1970s, when I was taking my first tentative steps into the world of wargames, I used to play a board game produced by Waddingtons called ‘The Battle of the Little Big Horn’. It was an attractive looking game with a stylised board and containing real, painted figures. For some reason I never got a copy myself - presumably as I had discovered ‘Campaign’ by the same company and was far more interested in Napoleonics anyway. I was of the ‘Waterloo Airfix generation’ and proud of it!

The map board. One of the victory conditions requires the US exiting the board in the top left corner - good luck with that methinks!

Fast forward some forty odd years and with a fortuitous trawl through eBay (note to self: try to cut down on the idle browsing….) netted me two copies of the above game being sold as a job lot by a local seller for a price that was hard to turn down (£30 if you are interested).

The US Cavalry - the figures are a shade over 40mm or so

The opposition - a combination of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. The chaps with feathered headdresses are the tribal chieftains.

The games are in pretty good order and more importantly are complete in terms of the figures included. Quite what I will do with two Custer figures is anyone’s guess but hey ho! Between the two I now have a dozen mounted braves, a dozen foot braves, a dozen dismounted US cavalry, four US foot officers and a pair of Custers. As you can see from the pictures, time has not been kind to the paint job but I reckon that even I could rework them into something more respectable. They certainly could not any worse!

The rules are quite simple, as are the victory conditions. One curiosity is that one edition of the game the rules are printed as part of the game storage section whilst in the other it is on a separate sheet of paper.

Version one of the rules - this is how I remember them from ‘back in the day’

The ‘newer’ version - if you enlarge this note the final paragraph

All joking aside I plan to repaint the figures - it will make a nice mini-project - and will use the game as is. Having said that there is also the possibility of using the figures for skirmish games in some fashion. It would also be remiss of me not to mention that I also acquired a copy of the book you see below - purely for research purposes naturally….

I may well have to watch Mr Flynn in ‘They Died with their Boots on’, again, purely in the interests of research. You will have probably guessed that my tongue is firmly in cheek with this latest bout of madness….

The Portable Son of the Morning Star anyone?

Research Material. Sort of….

I am sure the Spanish American War of 1898 was similarly described!

I have owned a copy of this book before but like a number of others it mysteriously vanished a few years ago. I have been trying to source another copy - not with any degree of urgency - but had been put off by the secondhand prices quoted. When I looked I was seeing north of £60 which was a little excessive! 

Anyways, eBay came to the rescue for a more reasonable £11 and I promptly (re)acquired it - mainly due to my current mini-project for DTPIW.

The seemingly heightened degree of urgency about getting hold of another copy of this book, you will have probably guessed, is because includes a useful chapter on the bombardment of Alexandria. Now I am not going to replicate that engagement but it will be handy for background etc. In fact, the lead up to the invasion is also of interest as I may look to weave elements of this into the back story of the Anglo-Turkish War which will be set prior to 1882.

As for the land side, I have not given any thought thus far but who knows? One thing at a time (said no wargamer ever….:-)!

Taking the Plunge

S.M.S Scharnhorst in her colonial, pre war colour scheme.

I have previously waxed lyrical about the famous Madasahatta Campaign devised by the late Eric Knowles way back in the late 1970’s in which myself, a mere callow youth still in his teens, took part along with such luminaries as Bob Cordery, Messrs. Fox and Hardman and various others. The campaign on the fictional Indian Ocean island of Madasahatta at the outbreak of the Great War featured a degree of naval activity which at the time was fought using 1:1200th scale models from Eric’s collection (still with his son, Bill, I believe) and the rules of choice were those of Fletcher Pratt. It was all great fun - mainly as the number of models in use was fairly modest - unlike the fleet scale actions fought in the later South East Asia naval campaign. 

Anyways, fast forward to more recent times and I have previously mentioned about a rather roundabout idea I had to revisit the island but with an expanded theatre of operations. This would include the East coast of Africa and the Red Sea along with the Arabian Peninsula. The basic idea is that both the British and the Germans have a presence on the island and that the events in East Africa and the Arab Revolt have a bearing on the overall scheme of things. 

To make this work I have allowed the German Pacific Squadron to have sailed West rather than East and that the Goeben and Breslau were able to escape down the Suez Canal to join them, based on Madasahatta. Obviously the Konigsberg in East Africa and the Royal Navy Red Sea squadron would feature along with such assets as can be spared from the Mediterranean and North Sea. The Turks would be present in the shape of the two ex German pre-dreadnoughts and a handful of torpedo boats.

The focus will be very much on a kind of ‘fleet-in-being-whilst-commerce-raiding’ type of set up with the Royal Navy in their best ‘hunting-the raider-and-bringing-the-enemy-fleet-to-battle’ guise. In other words a kind of diluted North Sea scenario.

The forces deployed will be largely League One or Championship level rather than Premier League although alongside all the second and third line scrap metal there will be a smattering of more modern stuff available. There will be no dreadnought battleships although battlecruisers will feature. 

What I have not mentioned about this is the l-o-n-g drawn out decision making that needed to be made in respect of the models. My plan originally was to build them myself but after a lot of soul searching I have reluctantly abandoned the idea. The insurmountable obstacles presented - time taken as well as the design of the relevant parts - meant that it really would have been a project that would have taken a long time to come fruition. On the back of a few selected disposals I decided instead to buy the models in 1:2400th from Tumbling Dice from their Age of Battleships range. The rationale behind this decision is speed of execution as all that will be required is the painting and I have a speedy technique for this.

This is not the first time I have been down this path but the critical advantage now is that Tumbling Dice have added to their range to capture some of the early war vessels so the collection can be better rounded out. There is nothing worse than a range that has some key elements missing - be it model ships or figures!

To give you a taste of the forces for this the models I have acquired are as follows:

MSP 9 British China/Pacific

ABB1a Centurion (rebuilt)

ABB 5 Canopus

ABB 12 Monmouth

ABB 15 Drake

ABB 20 Arrogant

ABB 22 Pelorus

MSP 11 German Pacific

ABG 12 (x2) Scharnhorst

ABG 14 (x2) Bremen

ABG 16 (x2) Emden

ABM 2 Tramp Steamer

MSP 12 British Falkland Islands

ABB 42 (x2) Indefatigable

ABB 12 Monmouth

ABB 13 Devonshire

ABB 38 Bristol

ABM 10 Otranto

Aside from these battle packs I also ordered the following:

ABB 9 (x2) Swiftsure

ABB 14 Cressy

ABB 38 Bristol

ABG 2 (x2) Brandenburg

ABG 24 Moltke

ABG 30 Magdeburg

The nautically inclined amongst you will have noticed that there are no torpedo boats present. I shall be adding a smattering of these in due course but to be honest I have not decided on the types or the numbers involved - they will however be older and fewer than for, say main fleet formations. This is after all primarily a reinforced cruiser style conflict.

Overview

Initially the Admiralty were satisfied that the forces on station, old and arthritic though they were, would be more than sufficient for patrol and containment purposes. The arrival of the German Pacific squadron was in turn countered by the assigning the two Swiftsure class battleships to the region but the stakes were raised again when the Goeben and her escort arrived. A pair of Indefatigable class battlecruisers were then ordered on station. The pieces were in place.

Rules

I am spoilt for choice here as there are many commercially available sets I could call upon but my first thoughts are looking at the rules in Bob Cordery’s Gridded Naval Wargames and seeing where that takes me.

In any event it is a while away yet as firstly the models need assembling and painting.

Wofun we had in the Wild, Wild West….

Mounted gunfighters….

….and their foot counterparts.

Native Americans on foot….

….and their mounted counterparts.

The all important bases. Although they are green on the top surface one could easily just flip them over and use the plan MDF side - a cheap way of representing arid, desert-like terrain.

Some time ago I was very very generously gifted an 18mm ACW Wofun collection by Bob Cordery. It was more or less complete and ready to go aside from some mounted command and dismounted cavalry which an acquired latterly from WoFun themselves. Fast forward to just before Salute this year I had the good fortune to acquire at no cost a complete set of the Time Life Books Old West collection and then of course at Salute itself I picked up the latest version of Pony Wars: ‘B’ Troop Ain’t Coming Back - the revised and hardback version of the 1980s classic rules. 

The Old West series published by Time Life

Pony Wars Redux acquired from Baccus, the 6mm people

I then had the idea of using the cavalry from the ACW collection for a Pony Wars style game but needed some opposition. Reasoning that it would be cheaper to get some WoFun Native American Tribesmen rather than two lots of figures that would also require painting, I placed an order for some foot and mounted types, along with, you’ve guessed it, some gunfighters also both on foot and mounted.

So, armed with this lot I will be able to game Pony Wars style as well as some western gunfights - along of course, with the ACW and all in 18mm WoFun. I even have a quick play set of western gunfight rules to use.

The important thing with this ‘distraction’ is that it will take very little work to set up and use. I would want to ‘edge’ the figures and would prefer to do something with the bases but other than that there would be little else to do other than acquire a few sticks of scenery. To be honest I have enough raw material in stock to knock up a few clapboard buildings or the odd ranch house so this could be quite a self contained and easy to bring to the table kind of project.

Something else to think about then….;-)

Beneath the Claws of the Eagle….Game Number 75, Part 3

 

Slowly H.M.S. Superb approaches the entrance to the harbour of Navarone. A picture of nautical innocence but for how long?

The view from the Turkish Fortress. 

As H.M.S Superb entered the harbour mouth, Captain Hornblower was already thinking about how he would be able to get his ship away after his audacious attack. His approach would be straightforward but engaging the furthest Turkish ship may be problematic as he would already be needing to make his turn to exit the narrow confines of the harbour by then. He would defer that decision until the last possible moment. Everything was ready - it would take time and infinite precision but, he felt sure his plan could work.

Turn 1. No firing and no need to roll for initiative as the Turks are unable to react until after H.M.S. Superb has opened fire. She makes her best speed - much to the surprise of the commander of the Turkish fortress - Mustafa Popoathim - although he reasoned that given the size of the ship she would need the widest possible amount of ‘sea room’ to enter the harbour. Little did he know….

End of Turn 1. H.M.S. Superb turns in the mouth of the harbour in readiness for her attack run. Still the Turks have little idea as to what is about to befall them….

Turn 2. No firing and the initiative is still very much with the Royal Navy. Captain Hornblower immediately ordered a reduction in speed - all perfectly natural when entering a harbour - and by virtue of some adroit manoeuvring had positioned the ship off the stern of not one but two Turkish ironclads. Inwardly he cursed at the speed he had entered the harbour - a knot or two slower would have given him more lead time to engage the enemy but, with the fortress now ranged across his stern speed was now essential.

End of Turn 2. A sight that would gladden the eye of any Captain during the age of sail - targets anchored and with their sterns ripe for the raking! The Turkish flag aboard H.M.S. Superb continued to flutter gallantly in the early morning breeze….

Captain Hornblower, his eyes never leaving the tempting stern of the first Turkish ironclad, waited until the last possible moment until, with a mental swallow he gave the order. “Raise our flag Mr Shrub and open fire as your guns bear!” No sooner had he uttered the words than the first shots crashed out from the great bulk of the English warship….

Mustafa Popathim stared aghast at this incredible turn of events. At once he gave riders to the garrison to make ready to engage this English interloper.

Turn 3. H.M.S.Superb opened fire with a full broadside into the stern of the leading Turkish ironclad - in this case the Avnillah. Her gunnery is 4/4 meaning that she rolls 4D6 each with a penetration factor of plus 4. The armour of the Turkish ship is rated as 6 - she is a modern ironclad - but as the fire is coming in her stern this is reduced by 2 meaning 4 overall. Due to the range the guns of H.M.S. Superb add plus 1 to hit. The rolls are a 6, a 5, a 3 and a 1. The 1 is discarded as an automatic miss (the rule of 1 and 6) and the 6 generates a further roll which also comes up as 6! Sadly this is followed by a miserable 1 but it means that there are two natural 6s that mean four potential damage rolls, a 5 that goes to a 6 due to the range which means a further two damage rolls and a 3 that goes to a 4 meaning that there are SEVEN damage rolls to make! These are all at evens as the penetration factor of the guns from H.M.S. Superb are rated 4 and the armour of the Turkish ship is reduced from 6 to 4. The 7D6 come up with two 6s, a 5, a 4, a 3, a 2 and a 1. The two 6s result in an extra roll at the same odds and come up with a pair of 5s. That is an incredible 8 points of damage inflicted on the Turkish ship which means that her critical point has been reached. the obligatory critical hit role comes up with a 5 which is a flood. As this generates an automatic point of damage, making 9 in total, the Turkish ship slowly sinks and settles, ignominiously, at her moorings!

End of Turn 3. With a truly shattering broadside the first Turkish ship literally disappears under an avalanche of heavy calibre shells (the white counters represent the bubbling resting place of the hapless Turkish ship). A ragged cheer goes up from the crew of H.M.S. Superb but her captain knows that retribution will be following - and swiftly! 

I should have mentioned this earlier but under the rules of the scenario the Turks are unable to fire until the game turn after the Royal Navy does. The ships at anchor do not have cold boilers but they will not be able to move other than to pivot. To reflect the shock of the Royal Navy appearance the Turkish ships may only fire or pivot after rolling a D6 equal to or less than the current game turn - this is in the first phase of the turn. 

Turn 4. The only firing comes from the fort as the forward batteries of H.M.S. Superb are out of effective range of the next enemy ship - they could hit it but would not be able to cause any damage at that range. The fort rolls 1D6 with a plus 1 because it is a fort firing. The roll is a 5 going to 6 so there are two potential damage rolls. The armour of H.M.S. Superb is a 6 but she is being assaulted from her stern so this gets a minus 2 making 4 in all. The dice modifiers are even. The scores are a 5 and 4 so the ship suffers two damage points from her total of 12. There is no initiative roll so H.M.S. Superb moves.

“Mr Shrub I want to lose some way so one quarter speed please!” Captain Hornblower, his thoughts always one step ahead, was looking at the next Turkish ship and a way out  - the fort was now active and he knew that once they had the range measured it would require some deft manoeuvring to get away. He had little time to think about this though as his ship slowed as she drew level with the stern of the second Turkish ironclad. “Fire as your guns bear men!” The shout was eagerly taken up by the crew despite the ominous series of bangs and thuds as heavy calibre artillery found the stern of H.M.S. Superb. “A damage report if you please Mr Shrub, it appears the enemy now knows who we are!” Mr Shrub hurried aft to see the extent of the damage.

Meanwhile, the gunners of the Turkish fortress, seeing the first of their shots striking home on the enemy ship prepared to administer more of the same. H.M.S. Superb would be caught like a rat in a barrel….

End of Turn 4. Despite the damage sustained from the Turkish fort Captain Hornblower has positioned his ship off the stern of the second Turkish ironclad - the Muin-i- Zaffir. 

The view from the fort - Mustafa Popathim, seething at the deception and humiliation visited on him, urges his gun crews to aim true at the enemy warship.

Turn 5. The fort opens fire once again with 1D6 with modifiers of plus 2 - one for the fact that it is a fort firing and two because the target is a large ship - something overlooked by the gunners in their initial salvo. The remaining Turkish ships, after the loss of the Avnillah, are suddenly galvanised into the action - at least as far as they are able. The fort rolls a 4 which, with the plus 2 means that there are two potential hits to roll for at evens. The rolls are a positively miserable 1 and a 2. H.M.S. Superb opens fire - 4D6, each at plus 2 (plus 1 for range and plus 1 for the the fact that the target is at anchor) - giving a 6, two 5s and a 3. The 6 is an automatic reroll which come up a 2 so with a plus 2 means a further potential damage roll (which with the 6 means three already). The two 5s each go to 7 so with the 6 which goes to 8 (plus the 2 going to 4) means we are looking at 7 potential damage rolls BUT as ther are scores over 6 - two 7s and an 8 - there are three more rolls to make, The sevens require a 1 and the eight a 2 - and only one of the 7s rolls a 1 so there is further potential damage point meaning 8 rolls in all. The scores are a 6, a 5, two 4s, a 3 and three 1s. That is 5 damage points before the reroll of the 6 - which comes up with a further 6 and then a 5 - an extra 3 damage points meaning 8 in total. The critical roll is a 5 which is a flood and an automatic damage point. Like her sister ship the Muin-i-Zaffir slowly slips beneath the waves! Two enemy ships engaged and two sunk!

End of Turn 5. With the element of surprise H.M.S. Superb continues to wreak havoc amongst the anchored Turkish ships. Her devastating broadsides have so far accounted for two of the enemy ships but - how long can the luck of her captain last?

As the second Turkish ship slipped beneath the waves Captain Hornblower, oblivious to the cheers f his men, considered his next move. The ship had been ranged in by the enemy fort and he assumed that only his sudden reduction in speed has caused their aim to be awry judging by the forest of shell splashes that had dosed the ship forward. In an instant he made his decision. “Mr Shrub, have the forward batteries on standby as we will engage the next ship head on!” Mr Shrub hurried forward, urging the gun crews as he did. 

Turn 6. Once again Mustafa Popathim urged his gunners to wreak the Sultan’s vengeance upon his enemies (forgetting that the Royal Navy were actually doing the Sultan a service by taking out these rebels) and so the guns spoke once again. 1D6 at plus 2 comes up with a 4 making 6 so two potential damage rolls. These come up as a pair of miserable 2 for no effect. H.M.S Superb opens fire at the next Turkish ship in line with her forward battery as she prepares to cut across the stern of the enemy ship. These are rated as 2/3 so 2D6 are rolled at a range of one hex. A double 6! This means that the scores are a pair of 8s so that means a pair of additional rolls for the two 6s and then a pair of rolls for the scores of 8 requiring a roll of 1 or 2 for another potential damage roll.  The two 6s come up with a 5 and 3 so there are a 7 and a 5. The two “over 6” rolls are are a a 4 and a 5 so are of no effect. Taking all this into effect we have 4 damage rolls for the pair of 6s, 2 damage rolls for the 7 and 1 for the 5 or 7 in total. The rolls come up with a pair of 6s, a 5, two 4s, a 3 and a 1. This is 7 points of damage in total but the pair of 6s generate a further pair of rolls - these come up with a 1 and a 3 so although being severely damaged the Turkish ship - the Feth-i-Bulend is still afloat.

Despite the blistering salvo H.M.S. Superb was able to pour into the Turkish ship Captain Hornblower knew that the time had come to beat a hasty retreat. He could see the remaining Turkish ships making ready for action and the enemy fort was starting to get the range to his ship and so, mindful of the damage they could cause, decided that discretion would be the better part of valour and so ordered the helm hard over to starboard so as to withdraw.

As the great ship ponderously leaned into her starboard turn, H.M.S. Superb crossed the stern of the next Turkish ironclad the Feth-i-Bulend, unaware that, although she had been badly damaged, she still had her teeth and was about to use them.

End of Turn 6. Despite being battered into a nearly sinking condition, with steam and smoke billowing from every hatch, door or porthole, the Feth-i-Bulend was still afloat and ready to fight. Meanwhile, H.M.S. Superb prepared to beat a hasty retreat.

Turn 7. The fort resumed firing at maximum range meaning a single D6 with a plus 2 (one for the fort and one for the target being a large ship. the roll was a 3 modified to a 5 meaning one potential damage roll. This was a 4 so a further point of damage was scored on the Royal Naval battleship. The Feth-i-Bulend opened fire at a range of one but with only 1D6 due to the arc. This was at plus 2 (the target being adjacent and a large ship) and the roll of a 6 was most welcome! The additional roll for the natural 6 was a 4 which moves to a 6. The natural 6 plus the two making 8 meant that a further roll of 1or 2 would result in a further damage roll. A 1 was scored! This meant that the number of damage rolls was as follows: two for the original roll of 6, one for the ‘plus 2 over 6 roll of 1’ and finally the additional roll of 4 which moved to 6 meant that a further two damage rolls or five in total.  All of these would be at minus two overall as the target being adjacent (and therefore minus 1) despite the penetration of 3 against the armour of 6 ordinarily being a minus 3. Two 6s, two 4s and a 3 were rolled - meaning a further two points of damage - 6 minus 2 equals 4 for a two points of damage - the 4s and 3s being discounted. Considering the battering the Turkish ship had received this was outstanding gunnery. 

Captain Hornblower decided that his ship had done enough and now looked to secure the best possible route to the open sea. “Mr Shrub, full steam if you please and have the crew make ready to salute the fort as we go past!” The first lieutenant saluted and hurried away to ensure that the Captain’s orders were executed in a timely fashion. “Starboard your helm and a keg of rum to the crew that takes down that Turkish flag! A ragged cheer forum the gun deck followed as the great ship continued to heel into the turn.

End of Turn 7. After putting her helm hard to starboard H.M.S. Superb made ready to run the gauntlet passed the Turkish fort into the open sea and safety.

“Mr Shrub, a damage report if you please”, asked the Captain, his eyes never moving from the fort and its heavy artillery. Mr Shrub gave the only reply he knew his captain would want to hear. “Engines and pressure fine, artillery all in order and the crew ready to comply!”. Captain Hornblower allowed himself the smallest of grins but caught himself before his officer noticed. “Harrumph” he spluttered. “Thank you Mr Shrub”. The great ship moved steadily forwards.

Mustaf Popathim had seen the carnage the English ship had caused and knew that unless he was able to rectify the situation he would likely find himself in sack dumped in the Bosphorus. He ordered his gunners to once again intensify their fire against the rapidly approaching bulk of the enemy ship.

Turn 8. The fort continues to fire at H.M.S.Superb. 1D6 at plus 2 to hit and rolls a 4 making an adjusted 6 to two potential damage rolls. These are both at minus 2 and the rolls are a 1 and 6! The 6 means a further roll which is a 5 and so not enough but the two points of damage continue to eat away at the British ship. There is no return fire. H.M.S. Superb positions herself to run the gauntlet past the fort via the main channel.

End of Turn 8. Whilst the Turkish ironclad at anchor continues to belch great gouts of steam H.M.S. Superb prepares to run the gauntlet to the open sea and safety.

“Full steam ahead, Mr Shrub if you please, make ready to fire on the fort when we pass!” The great ship, steam and smoke issuing from her torn hull, open hatches and gunports and with her decks seemingly a mass of tangled and superfluous rigging but still coming along at close to her top speed, presented an awesome spectacle - a sight that moved Mustafa Popathim to exclaim “The English ship is dead but doesn’t know it - no wonder these English rule the waves, their hearts of oak are now hearts of iron!” He shook his head sadly and give the order to his gunners to intensify their fire. The claws of the eagle would tighten around the throat of the English ship.

Turn 9. The fort continues to rain fire on the luckless English ship. As the range reduces so the number of D6 creep up - it is now 2D6, each at plus 2. A 6 and a 5! The natural 6 extra roll is a 5. The original 6 and 5 go to 8 and 7 so there are two chances of potential additional damage rolls - the scores of 4 and 6 are too high, a 1 and 2 being required. There are four potential damage rolls each at minus two. A 6, a pair of 4s and a 3 result in a single natural 6 roll scoring a magnificent 6 for a further point of damage. H.M.S. Superb has sustained two points of damage in all, making 9 in total. She does not fire back but continues to steam as hard as she is able for the open channel.

End of Turn 9. Battered, but with her steaming ability unimpaired, H.M.S. Superb makes the deep water channel en route to the open sea and safety - has she done enough to escape after her audacious raid?

“Mr Shrub, damage report if you please” Captain Hornblower knew that his ship had been sorely tested as shot after shot had battered his hull but so far her engines were still running and he offered up a silent prayer of thanks to the stokers for their efforts in maintaining the ship’s speed. Mr Shrub, minus his hat, his face and uniform streaked with soot and his right arm sporting a bloody looking bandage made his report, knowing through experience of his captain what he would want to know first. “Engines and steering fine but not sure how long this speed can be maintained due to casualties and damage to bunkers. Enough crew available to man half a broadside should you wish as crew told off on damage control duties. Overall sir, there is nothing major but there is a lot of minor damage that needs attention”. The Captain pondered this for a moment. “Very good Mr Shrub, please have Mt Etienne report to me and then go below to the surgeon to have that wound tended.” Mr Shrub knew better than to argue and so left the captain to find the second lieutenant.

Hornblower knew that the ship needed to be out of range of the fort as soon as possible because she could not carry on indefinitely under this weight of fire. It would be a race to clear the channel before her damage took its toll.

Turn 10.   The fort continued to fire at the English ship. The range is 2 so 2D6 are rolled with plus 2 to each - 1 for the fort and 1 for the larger target. A 3 and a 5 come up which are adjusted to a 5 and a 7 meaning three potential damage rolls and a 1 in 6 chance of a further roll.This comes up at 4 which is too high, a 1 being required. The damage rolls are at minus 2 being the difference between the fort penetration factor (4) and the target armour (6). The three damage rolls are as follows: 6, 5, and 3. Only the 6 counts for a single damage point but there will be a further roll. This comes up as a 6 for a single damage point as this is rolled at the same modifier as for the original damage roll. As there were three original damage rolls the maximum number of natural 6 rerolls is limited to three so the second 6 can be rolled again - fortunately for the English ship the score is a mediocre 3 so no effect.

H.M.S. Superb has sustained a further two points of damage making 11 in total which is her critical point. She rolls for the obligatory critical hit and scores a 5 - a flood! She takes an immediate pint f damage which is sufficient for her to reach her damage point total and so she begins to sink - right in the middle of the main channel! The roll for the number of tuns to sink comes up with a 4 meaning that she skips beneath the waves after four turns.

End of Turn 10. With her hull riven through and her pumps unable to manage the sudden influx of tons of boiling, foaming seawater, H.M.S. Superb begins her final journey - to the bottom of the main channel leading into the harbour of Navarone.
 

Captain Hornblower, the wreck of his ship around him, needed no one to tell him that H.M.S. Superb was doomed. The instant the ship shuddered violently under the impact of heavy shell hits and the telltale lessening of speed as the way fell off of her told him all he needed to know. All that remained now was the safety of his officers and men. The main deck was a confused jumble of tangled rigging, splintered wood and twisted, scorched metal. “Mr Etienne, order the crew to abandon ship but send a gun crew to me at the double!” Mr Etienne picked his way through the shambles of what had one been the main deck. 

The ponderous bulk of H.M.S. Superb wallowed as she settled but Captain Hornblower wanted to make sure that his ship could still be a thorn in the side of the enemy. It was essential that the ship could not be salvaged - especially her machinery and artillery - so he ordered a gun to run inboard and fired at maximum depression through the ships engine space and underside. He quickly outlined his plan to the assembled gun crew. “Quickly now, raise her up as far as we can - used blocks or anything if you have to!” The crew bustled, heaved and cursed as the huge gun barrel was gradually tilted towards the main deck. “Ok men, over the side, quick as you can” Captain Hornblower made sure that the men were over the side and without pause fired the gun. The effect was immediate and dramatic. A cavernous hole appeared in the main deck followed by a great gout of steam. The gun, recoiled and ran completely off her track to finish laying on its side pointing, almost accusingly at Hornblower himself. Then, almost lazily, it rolled off the deck, over the side and into the water, disappearing instantly. The captain took a final look around and, despite the loss of his ship, felt sure that he had done the right thing and that when the rest of the squadron arrived it would be mission accomplished. Without further ado, Captain Hornblower of H.M.S. Superb, climbed over the grab rails and jumped into the sea and an uncertain future.

Mustafa Popathim saw the great ship slew to a halt and settle by the bow along with the ant-like scurrying of the crew as they jumped for safety. He ordered the gun crews to cease firing and the troops of the garrison to head to the shore to pick up survivors. Although he had successfully stopped the English ship it was at a grievous cost - a cost that he may yet to pay with his life.

Overview

OK, cheesy I know and on the face of it quite contrived but never let that get in the way of a great game -and this was just that! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and all that was missing was a good soundtrack to accompany the action. Having said that there are a few elements of the rules that with hindsight could be tweaked ever so slightly. There is a danger in doing that - think of Maverick in the Darkstar when it hits Mach 10 - so I shall ponder these points further. Not changes as such, just a better understanding of what works and how. 

Although it was freakish luck that saw three ships reach their critical point and then all roll the same critical hit - number 5 which is a flood - I have no issue with that. I am of the opinion that should a flood occurs then there will be an instant impact on the ship so allowing an automatic damage point feels about right. Think of it as being the straw that broke the camel’s back!

My plans to expand the Royal Navy and the Turkish fleets have moved up the project list so the prospect of an 1879 war between the two makes for an interesting prospect.

All in all then, it was a really enjoyable way to spend some time over a few days.

Beneath the Claws of the Eagle….Game Number 75, Part 2

 

H.M.S. Superb, sporting the Turkish ensign (don’t look too closely - she is under the Royal Navy flag!) cautiously approaches the guarded entrance of the harbour of Navarone. Note the four Turkish ironclads anchored in the harbour.

Another view of the same. 

Captain Hornblower, his eyes glued to the remorselessly approaching Turkish fortress, gave no outward sign of being perturbed at the audacity of his planned undertaking. He could sense the tension present in his officers and crew but was mindful of appearing unconcerned. He knew that everything was as ready as it could be and the guns were primed to open fire at his command. Aside from the rhythmic, steady beat of the ships engines, all was reassuringly quiet.

Suddenly, from the tower of the Turkish fortress the recognition signal flags run up the flagstaff and snapped urgently in the breeze. The question black barrels of modern heavy artillery thrust forwards from their embrasures and Hornblower knew that any mistake now could be fateful. If he was concerned he showed no sign of it.

“Mr Shrub, have the recognition signal run up!” The command was instantly obeyed. First lieutenant Shrub whispered to second lieutenant Etienne. “Five guineas says that we will be tackling the fort before the ships”. Etienne smiled and said “Done, it is about time I took some money off you!” They shook hands, each with a grim smile.

All eyes were fixed on the Turkish fort as the ship steamed, ever so slowly, into the mouth of the harbour. 

The Turkish garrison commander, Mustafa Popathim, was hugely impressed at the sight of the latest Turkish battleship honouring his modest command by paying a visit. As soon as the great ship had been sighted he had instructed his staff to make ready to receive the captain and his officers for a grand banquet (thereby sending a gentle reminder to the admiralty that his service fully merited a recall to the high command) and so, feeling suitably honoured, gladly ordered the recognition signal to be acknowledged.

Captain Hornblower breathed an inward sigh of relief at the sight of the answering flags from the Turkish fortress. Maybe, just maybe, this ruse de guerre could work. In the time it had taken for his ship to draw parallel to the fort Hornblower’s resolve had hardened. His ship and his crew were ready and so with an audible “Haruumph” he gave the order for the crew to prepare for action….

To be continued….

Beneath the Claws of the Eagle….Game Number 75, Part 1

To my eternal shame I have not read any of the Hornblower series although I have read some of the the other titles by C.S. Forester. The film is a cracker though and as well as Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo also featured Christopher Lee, James Robertson Justice and a young Stanley Baker.

Following on from the completion of my new fort the next step was of course to get it into action. Inspiration for naval scenarios can be gained from many places and in this case my point of reference is the 1951 film Captain Horatio Hornblower, starring Gregory Peck, Virginia Mayo and Robert Beatty. This was in turn was based on three books from the Hornblower series by C.S. Forester - The Happy Return, A Ship of the Line and Flying Colours. C.S. Forester is also credited with writing the screenplay for the film, most of which was shot in the UK, including Rye in Sussex. There are also another couple of sources for the scenario - tenuous links I know but that make perfect sense to me…

So, how did this work out? Well, what really started this latest flight of fancy was the fact that the sister ship of the Royal Navy ironclad H.M.S. Superb was the Turkish ship Messudieh. In the film Hornblower’s 74 gun ship of the line is H.M.S. Sutherland - a captured French ship. In other words a (class) of ship that served under two flags so to speak. The rest was easy. I could use H.M.S. Superb in the role of H.M.S. Sutherland (under two flags etc) and the four Turkish ironclads I have currently built became the anchored ‘targets’. I would need a fort and the only one I currently have is Confederate flagged. This provided the spur to build a Turkish fort to guard the anchorage. Obviously the Turkish lookouts could have easily mistaken H.M.S. Superb for the Messudieh - especially if she was able acknowledge the recognition signal from the fort previously obtained by the interception of a small Turkish cutter.

The Bombardment of Alexandria, 11th to 13th July, 1882

Of course the British and Turks did not go to war in 1879 although the former certainly did with Egypt in 1882 which of course included the bombardment of Alexandria by the Royal Navy Mediterranean squadron, in which H.M.S. Superb took part. It is also worth pointing out that the British ship spent a number years being modified after she was compulsorily purchased on 1878 by the government and so was not in service when this action was set. I have used the original Messudieh specs for H.M.S. Superb as found in David Manley’s excellent supplement for the Russo-Turkish War.

I shall be building more ships for this particular 19th century match up - seven more for the Royal Navy and four for the Turks - these will be the main fleet units although I fully expect there to be some supporting vessels as well.

The Players

Royal Navy

H.M.S. Superb - Size: Large, Speed: 4, Manoeuvrability: Medium, Hull Factor: 4, Armour Factor: 6, Hit Points: 12. Guns: (F) 2/3, (P, S) 4/4, (A) 2/3

H.M.S. Superb

Turkish Navy

Feth i Bulend and Mukaddeme-i Hayir - Size: Medium, Speed: 4, Manoeuvrability: Medium, Hull Factor: 3, Armour Factor: 6, Hit Points: 9. Guns: (P, S) 3/4

Feth-i-Bulend and Mukaddeme-i Hayir 

Avnillah and Muin i Zaffir - Size: Medium, Speed: 4, Manoeuvrability: Medium, Hull Factor: 3, Armour Factor: 6, Hit Points: 9. Guns: (P, S) 3/4

Avnillah and Muin i Zaffir

The fortress - Adler Kalesi - Size: Large, Hull Factor: 4, Armour Factor: 4, Hit Points: 12. Guns: (FW) 4/4, (P, S) 2/2, (AW) 4/4.

The Turkish Fortress of Adler Kalesi

Rules and Scenario Specific Points.

The action was fought using the Portable Ironclads Wargame but with a few hints as to what to expect in the next book! The observant amongst you will notice mention of Manoeuvrability. This featured in David Manley’s excellent Dahlgren and Colombiad rules and were applied by using turning devices. For my rules I have managed to allow for varying turns depending on the ship’s manoeuvrability - high, meaning that a ship can make its first turn at no cost and one movement point thereafter. Medium is as per the existing rules i.e. a turn equals one movement point and for low manoeuvrability a ship has to enter two hexes before it turns. I shall be using a system of markers for turns that go over the end of a move - these are currently being designed.

You may also note that the maximum armour factor is 6 as opposed to the 5 in the book. This is the optimal armour rating for the rules and is designed mainly for ships built from around the early 1870s - the rationale being that developed construction techniques made for more effective protection.

One other rule I shall be making use of concerns firing arcs. I have tidied these up from the original and so they are now far less confusing to use. This is not a change for change’s sake - rather it is me realising that the revised version is actually far simpler to understand than the original and, I believe, is closer conceptually to Bob Cordery’s ACW rules in his book Gridded Naval Wargames. Anyways, I will try it out and see how it goes. It will feature as an option in Developing the Portable Ironclads Wargame.

Somewhere, off the southwest Turkish coast….

Captain Hadley Hornblower - the grandson of the Admiral of the Fleet, Horatio Hornblower - surveyed the wine-dark Aegean Sea for any sign of enemy shipping, indeed of any shipping, for this cruise had been anything but eventful. For some ten days H.M.S. Superb had been criss-crossing this small corner of the Aegean Sea hoping for a sight of the four missing renegade Turkish ironclads - even though he was under strict orders to avoid engaging the enemy until the rest of the squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Sir David Leighton (known by the lower deck as the “Buzzard” after his rather large nose), was able to concentrate. Hornblower’s instructions on this point were crystal clear and so he needed to be mindful of his actions. Thus far though, nothing had come to pass and all was quiet so Hornblower revisited in his mind the events that had led to the situation he, his crew and his ship now found themselves.

The Russo Turkish War had recently ended in an ignominious defeat for the Ottoman Empire but there were some, especially in the navy, that felt that the Sultan and his cronies were to blame. Kemal I Fateful - an admiral in the Ottoman navy  - one of the new breed of modern naval officer that found defeat a bitter pill to swallow - had taken matters into his own hands and, together with some similarly disposed brother officers, had decided to offer their services, along with their ships, to any foreign power that would take them. After a long and frank exchange of views (that very nearly came to blows) the general consensus was that Egypt would offer a safe haven as well as suitable employment and remuneration. So with this destination in mind the four ships would make their way to Port Said. First of all though, they needed to take on coal and so the first port of call would be the small, out of the way island of Navarone, safe under the guns of the formidable fortress  the castle of the eagles or the Adler Kalesi as it was known locally.

“Sail off the Larboard bow!” Came the cry from the foremast. Hornblower immediately looked in the direction indicated. “Looks like a local cutter Captain, should we order her to heave to?” Hornblower was about to speak when two signal flags ran up the foremast of the small and innocuous looking Turkish ship. “Mr Shrub, do we recognise that signal?” Asked the captain, his telescope still trained on the the Cutter. The first officer shook his head. “It must be a recognition code captain - and if we don’t know the correct response he will  take to heels - look, he is hoisting more sail!” Hornblower had already decided that the enemy ship must have mistaken H.M.S. Superb for their own ironclad Messudieh - an understandable mistake given that they were sister ships and had not seen their flag. Her captain was probably unaware that the Turkish warship was currently in Black Sea but even so, the cat was out of the bag and Hornblower could not allow the Cutter to escape and give warning as to her whereabouts. “A shot across her bows Mr Shrub, if you please” he said, urgently. No sooner had the order been given that a strident crack rang out followed by a plume of gun smoke. 

No sooner had the shot fallen in the sea than the Cutter hastily hove to. “Well done Mr Shrub, have a boat sent over to take the ship and bring the crew aboard - I want to see her captain in my cabin”. He turned and headed below.

The interview with the Turkish captain was brief and he was unusually cooperative - probably due to the (unfounded, but theatrically effective) imminent threat of personal harm offered by Hornblower who now knew several previously undisclosed facts. To begin with he had the Turkish recognition signal although for how long it would be valid for was unknown. He also learned the destination of the enemy cutter - the small and out of the way island of Naverone. Finally, and most tellingly, that the cutter was carrying a cargo of coal - and coal could mean only one thing - steamships, in this case most likely the four missing ironclads.

“Mr Shrub, put a prize crew aboard the cutter and send it find the rest of the squadron. In the meantime we will head for Navarone at best speed and have the sailing master make me a Turkish flag!” Hornblower was convinced that he had found his quarry and that there was no time to waste in catching up with them -despite orders to the contrary, he could not wait.

Two days later H.M.S.Superb sighted the small island of Navarone and so Hornblower and his crew made ready for action and for the execution of his outrageous and possibly career-ending, plan.

To be continued….