Square Dancing and the Joy of Hex?

Rough and ready and posed for this blog post. The actual refight added the second board which is the colour of those hills you see at the bottom of the picture. I also used the wrong Monitor....

 It is funny how a chance comment can set in motion a whole chain of events and trigger some very enjoyable memories. In a recent exchange of emails with Bob Cordery the subject of using a square grid for naval games came up - in passing, almost as a throwaway comment even. I should have known better as this proved to be the catch that unravelled a whole range of ideas and thoughts! I am sure I am not the first one that this happens to though - and I certainly will not be the last!

I should perhaps put all this into context. Many years ago I played a number of games of the old Battleline  - Ship O’ the Line age of sail naval rules. These were designed by S. Craig Taylor Jnr (of Flat Top, Air Force and Wooden Ships and Iron Men fame - one of my all time favourite game designers) and made use of a square grid with most ship models occupying two squares. As I recall we had some cracking games with these rules and to this day I would have no hesitation in using them again.

Blasts from the past but cracking reads all the same. The age of sail rules also include a supplement for fighting naval battles in the age of the Spanish Armada

Moving forwards in time the book Naval Wargames - World War 1 and World War 2 by Barry J. Carter also made use of a square playing area. Historically Fred Jane’s naval wargame also used squares and I am sure there are several others I have not mentioned. 

Using a square grid offers the ability to use 8 directions for movement rather than 6 - natural compass points if you like - and so would seem to be a better option. Certainly producing a square grid is a darned sight easier than a hexed version as I know to my cost only too well!

There are a few other factors to consider. The old chestnut of diagonal movement. If one counts squares diagonally then after a while in real terms a greater distance is covered than if measured orthogonally. This is easy to solve. When measuring diagonally simply count every second square twice, for example 1, 2 3, 4, 5 6 etc. 

You may recall I had mistakenly decided that the maximum size of my ship models would be 5” (not allowing for the bowsprit) as I thought that the grid squares for my Hammerin’ Iron gaming mat were 5.5” across the flat sides whereas they are 4.5” - very much a schoolboy error on my part, I should have checked first! I was pondering how to get around this and came to the conclusion that a larger hex would be needed. This in turn raised another problem. It would mean that there would be fewer hexes in the playing area and therefore less ‘sea room’. If I am honest I believe that the size of gaming mat I have (this is 5ft by 3ft) is as large as I would go as it fits my gaming table nicely but I as feeling a little uneasy about increasing the hex size.

It was while I was wrestling with this that the subject of a square grid came up and with it the feasibility of using a smaller grid but with ship models occupying two hexes/squares. 

Let me hypothesise. If I were to use, for example, a 3” grid area (I shall refer to these as such going forwards as I am looking at both hexed and squared options) it would mean that one of my ship models would occupy two such spaces. Movement and measuring of ranges would be effectively halved as one would only be using single grid areas to do so. 

This is a big deal because it means that suddenly the playing area (by that I mean the gridded playing surface) will appear a whole lot bigger. As a result models will cover less of the table when moving and firing ranges can be employed that are more closely relative to ship speeds. Using the larger grid area size meant that ships got to grips far sooner and also crucially that any manoeuvring was more restricted by space.

I think that the key lesson here is that if one is using a grid to fight naval battles then having smaller grid areas will increase the manoeuvring space for the ships, even if they are occupying two such areas.

Bob casually asked if I would run the game again using a square grid. So I did.

After some hasty improvisations to the rules draft I ran the game using the two tables I have (one of which  is above - the other is covered in grass mat so sadly no ‘in action’ pictures, just the posed shot you see). The playing surface used 3” squares and when set up the grid measured 12 x 16 or 4ft by 3ft if you prefer. This was the same depth as for the original game but a foot shorter. 

I will not give a blow by blow account but the effect of using a smaller grid area was outstanding! Despite the models covering less with their moves they had more room to manoeuvre as the table seemed to open out quite dramatically. I will say no more other than there was a definite result to the action and that in terms of material losses the honours were even....

So what does all this mean then? From a practical perspective I am now committed to the use of  two smaller grid areas for the models as the gaming advantages for me far outweigh using a single, larger one. I would qualify this by adding that this option is what suits my playing area and so gamers with access to more space may not agree. In my man cave I could (and on occasions have) deploy a 6ft by 4ft table but I routinely use my 5ft by 3ft. 

I will need to make some adjustments to the draft of the rules I am working on - nothing major, just some additional notes around firing arcs and turning. I will also need to ensure that they are suitable for both square and hexed grid areas and also if players wish to use a single grid area for a model rather than two. 

The only other choice I need to make for my own games is to use hexes or squares although the latter is looking very appealing for a variety of reasons. It would be easier to make for one thing!

Feeding the Anaconda, one piece at a time....Late Summer, 1864...Game number 60, Part 3

The combatants. From left to right we have the U.S.S. New Glory, the U.S.S. Coeur D’Alene, the U.S.S. Senator together with the C.S.S. Secessionist and the C.S.S. Southern Belle at the top of the picture.

 After yesterday’s game I have had some time to sit down and think about what took place and how things played out. For me there were many positives about the whole experience - way beyond what took place on the table top - and it served to confirm some general hobby related ideas I have had circling around the brain cell for some time.

The battle report was a little unwieldy in that I intentionally went through the rules process as well as the narrative of the action itself. This is not how I will do this going forward as the end result was neither fish nor fowl! It was the thing to do though as I wanted to get the main part of the rules bedded in. In this I succeeded but as a result the narrative was not as crisp as I would have liked. In my defence I am a little out of practice in respect of creative writing so this will improve over time. In many way it is rather like going back to the gym after a long break - the spirit is willing but the flesh needs to get back into he swing of things! I am committed to the three post method for my battle reports. By doing this I can put things in their proper place and it makes for a clearer understanding of the whys and wherefores of the action being fought.

The Battle

As a scenario the balance was slanted in favour of the Union but they would still need to be careful. The C.S.S. Secessionist (modelled on the C.S.S. Mississippi) was a powerful vessel that could have caused the Union all manner of problems. She could have been taken by a combination of the Union vessels but for the weak link of the U.S.S. Coeur D’Alene. This ship had very poor armour and so slugging it out with a rebel ironclad on a one on one basis was never going to end well. She may have been better advised bringing up the rear of the line and out of harm’s way unless called upon in support whilst the rest of the squadron dealt with the C.S.S. Secessionist.

The Union could have adopted a more cohesive posture and merely circled in the channel whilst engaging the C.S.S. Southern Belle at a respectful range and allowing for the effects of the current. Getting up close to the target and in overwhelming strength was arguably an avoidable and some would say needless gamble on the part of Rear Admiral Dursley and this was borne out by subsequent events as not only was the Confederate floating battery more or less unscathed, one of his vessels was virtually immobilised.

It was fortunate for the Union that the C.S.S. Secessionist was not handled more aggressively - possibly due to her having to manoeuvre against the current - as she could have really caused some problems as not only was she well armed and protected, she also sported a ram bow.

Little need be said about the part played by the C.S.S. Southern Belle. All she needed to do was fire at anything belonging to the Union as fast and as often as she could - and this she did.

The U.S.S. New Glory was fairly safe but suffered from being slow - especially once she had gotten too close to the C.S.S. Southern Belle. Rear Admiral Dursley was quite correct to let her drift away from the Confederate floating battery as he needed room to manoeuvre and were it not for the situation in respect of the U.S.S. Coeur D’Alene would have been well placed to engage either rebel vessel, especially as the U.S.S. Senator was closing in support.

The Table Top

I used my Peter Pig Hammerin’ Iron gaming mat which has hexes that are 4 1/2” across the flat sides whilst the hills I used for the headland are 4” across the flat sides. I need to address this but, and more significantly, I am thinking that I need to use bigger hexes. When I started building my models I got it into my head that the Hammerin’ Iron hexes were 5 1/2” across so my largest model is 5” at hull level (bowsprits make this even larger so there is an element of overhang). The overall length of the largest models I have built this far is 5 1/2” so this could be a problem going forwards. I will need to think about this as I am loath to build too much terrain until I have decided on the hex size I want to use. 

There are elements of polish I want to add - smoke markers, something to indicate a ram attack and a few other things but all these will feature in time.

The two sources of inspiration for my ironclads project - both are quite superb and in each case the authors have been unstinting in their support of my efforts. Thoroughly decent fellows indeed!

The Rules

The rules I am working on are an extended version of the ACW set found in Bob Cordery’s Gridded Naval Wargames. They have been fused with elements used (with the author’s permission) from David Manley’s excellent Dahlgren and Colombiad set (available from the Wargames Vault).

I have taken Bob’s sequence of play and damage results and converted the ship stats from David’s rules as the basis for tailoring specific ships types. A degree of ‘shoehorning’ was required - Dahlgren and Colombiad are table rather than hex based -  but the end result appears to work out rather nicely and it is testament to the soundness of both author’s original designs that such an attempt stands up in the face of battle!

By his own admission Bob’s rules were intended as a simple support for land based games and so as with all his rules, the core systems can be added to as required. For my part I wanted a set of ACW naval rules that would enable me to ‘personalise’ individual ships as required, beyond the generic types that Bob has used. By grafting in the tremendous amount of work that David Manley has put in concerning ship types I was able to achieve just that. 

As a simple example a Dahlgren and Colombiad gunnery factor of 3 now means that the firing player rolls 3d6 to determine any hits. Assuming these are scored (range dependent - from 3, 4, 5 or 6 when adjacent to a 6 at maximum range) the target ship then rolls to see what, if any damage is scored. The magic numbers are 4 or 5 for one point and 6 for two points. Guns have a penetration factor and targets an armour factor and by comparing the two a modifier is produced (or not, if both values are the same) and applied to the damage roll. If the resultant score is 7 or above then a roll is made on the special effect (critical hit if you like) table. One effect of this that I had not thought about beforehand is that where the modifier is equal or favours the target then it is impossible to score a special effect hit. I may need to think about this further as I am great fan of the odd lucky shot and certainly it would be in keeping with the period!

Damage points can be applied as the target player sees fit across the various stats the ship has - flotation points, gunnery or armour factors, speed or rate of turn. Special hits, along with those from mines or ramming are applied solely to floatation points.

Ships are rated for flotation points and scale of protection and the rules will detail how this is arrived at.

By using hexes I have had to simplify a number of David Manley’s mechanisms for things like turning and fire arcs but the end result is not too far away in my opinion. Once the rules are fully drafted it will make more sense!

Overall I was really pleased with this first run out and the action felt properly paced and with sufficient period feel. I am looking forward to further developing the rules, building more models and expanding the coverage to cater for the Russo Turkish War amongst others.

Feeding the Anaconda, one piece at a time....Late Summer, 1864...Game number 60, Part 2

Battle is joined!

Sketch Map of the opening positions of the two sides - the cartography department is very much a work in progress!

The ship data cards - again, this is also very much a work in progress. The various numbers will be explained as the game develops.

Entering the Sawless Channel the Union squadron, in tight formation with the U.S.S. New Glory leading, turn to engage the waiting Confederate ironclad.

Meanwhile, the Rebels wait patiently although unknown to the Union the C.S.S. Secessionist is quietly manoeuvring into the channel in readiness.

Turn 1. No fires or floods to roll for (phase 1) nor any firing as the range is too great. Initiative (phase 3) rolls were 4 for the Union and 5 for the Confederates meaning the Union move their ships first. After all the movement has been completed the effect of the current is taken in to consideration so all ships (except for the anchored Southern Belle) move one hex towards the Confederate baseline.

The action opens with the Confederates concentrating their fire on the lead Union ship - the U.S.S. New Glory

Turn 2. No floods or fires to roll for so it is straight onto the firing which is treated as simultaneous. Only the Confederate ships were able to fire with each ship rolling 3d6 to hit (GF3 for the broadside of the Southern Belle and the same the forward guns of the Secessionist). Both ships opened fire on the U.S.S. New Glory at range 6 (needing 6s to hit) for the Secessionist and 5 (needing 5s or 6s to hit) for the Southern Belle. Initiative was 5 for the Union and 1 for the Confederates so they moved first.

The strident crack of naval artillery rolled across the channel as not one but two Confedrate ironclads opened fire - both at the U.S.S. New Glory. Admiral Dursley was aghast, what had appeared to be a straightforward mission had now become much more complicated. He needed to get his full broadside into action and so ordered the helm swung hard over to the starboard. This would achieve two things - one good and one definitely not so good. The U.S.S. New Glory would be able to fully engage the rapidly closing rebel ship but in doing so would in turn be under fire from both ironclads. As the great ship ponderously answered the helm Dursley could not help but notice that the second Rebel ironclad, the one nearest the headland, did not appear to moving.

The C.S.S. Secessionist, in her haste to cross the front of the Southern Belle, forgot to allow for the current and so instead of having her on her port beam was now heading directly for her. Fortunately there was plenty of sea room although this meant the Secessionist, in order to avoid a collision, would be steaming into the heart of the Union fleet!

Probably against conventional wisdom the U.S.S. New Glory swings around to engage the Confederates - manoeuvring dangerously close to both ships

Turn 3. Again, no floods or fires so straight to the shooting. Once again the Southern Belle blazed away at the U.S.S. New Glory but to no effect. The Union ship’s luck did not last though as she was battered by the Secessionist. Two of her three firing dice scored potential hits (she rolled a 6, a 4 and a 1 needing at range two 4 or above) and for damage she rolled a 6 and a 4. The 4 scored a single damage point whilst the 6 meant two points of damage - one off the flotation point and one of the forward gun factor.

Only the U.S.S. New Glory and the U.S.S. Senator would be able to fire. Starting with the flagship she rolled 4d6 scoring a 6, a 4 and a pair of 3s meaning two potential hits on the Secessionist. There were no modifiers for penetration versus armour (both were 3) so the two dice rolled came up with a 5 and a 3 meaning one point of damage was scored against the rebel ship.The U.S.S. Senator opened fire on the Southern Belle at range 4 and scored two hits from four. Again, no modifiers for penetration versus armour (4 in both cases) and the damage roll came up with a 5 and 4 meaning two points of damage scored. 

For initiative the Union rolled a 5 whilst the Confederates rolled a 2 meaning they moved first.

Admiral Dursley surveyed the battered flank of his flagship and offered up a silent prayer that it was not a whole lot worse. Both rebel ironclads had fired at him and he was now caught executing a turn against the current with both enemy ships within conversational distance. His ship was not out of danger yet but help had arrived in the shape of the U.S.S. Coeur D’Alene (again he silently offered up a prayer of thanks for her speed) and between the two of them they should be able to best the more mobile of the two enemy ships.

The C.S.S. Secessionist had troubles of her own as the not one but two Yankee warships were hanging off her stern and about to administer a royal battering. All her captain could do was to take it and hope he could swing his ship around to engage the enemy from a far better position.

More by luck than judgement the C.S.S. Secessionist is suddenly receiving the attention of two Union ships at point blank range!

Turn 4. Still no floods or fires to deal with so on with the shooting. The Southern Belle, ignoring the looming bulk of the U.S.S. New Glory off her bow, engaged the U.S.S. Senator at a range of 3 scoring a 6, a 5 and a1 so two potential hits. Penetration and armour are equal so no modifier and dice came up with a 6 and 2 meaning two points of damage.

The Secessionist continues to engage the New Glory, this time at point blank range. Her shooting was off as she scored but a single potential hit - a 5 and two 2s when she needed 3s or above. There were no modifiers for penetration and armour as both were the same value. The score was a 3 so no damage was scored. The U.S.S. New Glory was certainly riding her luck!

The U.S.S. Senator fired at the Southern Belle at a range of 3 scoring two potential hits  - she rolled a 2, a 3, a 4 and a 5 whilst needing 4 or above. Straight damage rolls gave up a pair of 5s meaning two points of damage. U.S.S. New Glory now gave her undivided attention to the Secessionist. Despite only needing 3 or above for a potential hit she only managed to roll a 3, a pair of 2s and a 1. The damage roll was a 6 meaning that two points of damage had been inflicted (these were taken off the flotation points). Next was the U.S.S. Coeur D’Alene, again at the Secessionist. She rolled 2d6 to hit and scored a 6 and a 1. The damage roll was a 6 and as her penetration factor was equal to that of the rebel ship no modifiers were applied meaning a further 2 points of damage. These were applied to the forward and aft gun factors meaning that the ship now had but a single gunnery factor to use in these arcs.

For initiative the Union rolled 6 whilst the Confederates rolled a 2 meaning once again they moved first.

“Now it’s my turn!” Rear Admiral Dursley muttered under his breath as his ship wallowed and juddered to a halt as a result of applying full reverse to the engines. He reasoned that by doing so the current would take him further downstream so that he could get some sea room to get back into the fight. His captain had tried to reason with him - sitting stationary next to an enemy ironclad was not something one should readily entertain - but Dursley was in no mood to argue “Damn it sir, my order will be obeyed!” Meanwhile the Coeur D’ Alene continued to dog the rebel ironclad that both her and the New Glory had just scored telling hits against. “Come on D’Alene!” He said to no one in particular, so caught up in the moment was he.

Aboard the U.S.S. Senator the dull metallic clang was heard as a hit was felt from the rebel ironclad. 

The Secessionist had opened the range from the Union flagship although was still be harried by second ship in the line. She had taken a pounding and was taking on water but so far was still full of fight and was readying to return to the fray. 

As the action spreads out the U.S.S. Coeur D’ Alene bears down at full speed on the C.S.S. Secessionist - both ships braced for impact! Meanwhile the U.S.S. New Glory stares threateningly at the C.S.S. Southern Belle whilst waiting on the current to help her out.

Turn 5. Still no floods or fires so back to the guns. The Coeur D’Alene, in her eagerness to engage the rebel ironclad she had been chasing was now in the unenviable position of being too close so that her broadside could not be brought to bear. Without hesitation she then opened fire at the Southern Belle and promptly scored a single hit. The roll for effect was a miserable 1. The New Glory resumed it fire against the retreating Secessionist and scored a single hit with again a miserable 1 for effect. Next up was the Senator firing at the Southern Belle scoring with a couple of 5s. For damage yet more bad luck in that rolls of a 1 and 2 were made. 

The Southern Belle returned fire at the Senator and scored 2 6s and a 5! Even scores for modifiers and for damage rolled a further 2 6s and a 1! Four more damage points scored against the hapless monitor!

The Secessionist engaged the Coeur D’Alene at point blank range and rolled 3 6s to hit! The damage rolls were 3 2s and to each was added a 2 for the penetration/armour modifier - the firing ship was +3 whilst the  defenders armour value was 1. The adjusted score was 3 4s meaning that 3 points of damage were scored - a damaging blow.

Initiative was a 1 for the Union and 6 for the Confederates so the Union moved first.

The Coeur D’Alene was moving too quickly to be able to take avoiding action and so ran into the Confederate ironclad. Despite the horrible grating and screeching of metal on metal no damage was inflicted as the Union ship effectively slid off her enemy. As the Union ship was not ram equipped only 2d6 were rolled and both scored 2s meaning no damage.

Rear Admiral Dursley’s gamble appeared to be working. As the current dragged his ponderous vessel away from the stubbornly static enemy ironclad he gave the order to his captain to be ready to move off. The U.S.S Senator was circling round to engage the static enemy whilst he was going after the other enemy ship in concert with the Coeur D’Alene. She had just attempted to ram the enemy ironclad albeit with little discernible effect. He was well aware that all of his ships had taken damage but there was still plenty of fight left in them.

Aboard the C.S.S. Secessionist was a frenzy of activity as repair crews hustled and bustled whilst the ship pulled away from her antagonists. Considering the battering she had received everything was still functioning and although her forward and aft facing guns had been reduced in effect, as much by crew casualties as anything else, her captain was confident they could still fight hard - especially given the salvo they had just poured into the pursuing Union ship. Her first order if business though was to get back to the Southern Belle to render what support she could.

After having rammed the C.S.S. Secessionist and inflicted no damage the U.S.S. Coeur D’ Alene suffers a mortal blow from the retiring enemy ship.

Turn 6. No floods or fires so back to the guns once more. The Coeur D’ Alene raked the stern of the Secessionist and scored a single hit. This was converted into a damage point that the rebel took from his flotation points. The Senator fired once again at the Southern Belle scoring two hits which converted into two points of damage. The New Glory was able to fire at the Secessionist but missed.

The Secessionist fired her single aft gun at the Coeur D’ Alene and rolled a magnificent 6. This was then followed by a further 6 for damage to which was added +2 due to the penetration/armour modifier. This came to 8 meaning that a special hit was scored. The subsequent special effect roll was a three which equalled engine damage reducing her speed by 2! This was a deadly blow as her speed had already been reduced from 4 to 3 and so now it was 1 - which would not be sufficient for her to be able to negotiate the current upstream!

The Southern Belle, with its single forward facing gun fired at the Senator and missed.

Initiative was rolled with 4 for the Union and 6 for the Confederates meaning that the Union moved first.

Disaster had struck the Union squadron! The gallant Coeur D’ Alene had taken a damaging hit to her engines and her speed had been reduced to a crawl - barely sufficient to hold station in the current let alone work her way back upstream. Her options were limited in that she could attempt to work around the Kingsville Point to pick up the current from the Yawdew which should take her out to sea. She would be hugely vulnerable to Confederate interference though unless escorted. Dursley was frustrated by this turn of events - not because he was gaining the upper hand against his enemy - as the landings would have to be postponed until such a time as the channel had been cleared. The squadron was downstream of the Confederate anchored ironclad with one of their number in sore need of assistance. 

His decision was made. Reluctantly they would break off the action, form up on the injured Coeur D’Alene and escort her to home and safety. They would pass around Shepherd’s Island standing well out to sea and, weather permitting, would take her under tow. Dursley did not expect any enemy interference.

The captain of the C.S.S. Secessionist noted the great gouts of steam enveloping the Union ship with grim satisfaction. Naturally he could not know the full extent of her damage but he was experienced enough to understand that whatever it was it was enough to take her out of the fight. His own ship was damaged and he reasoned that the Union would want to ensure that their crippled charge would get back safely - they certainly would not want it falling into enemy hands. He would take the Secessionist back to the Southern Belle to see how she had fared.

The engine room of the Coeur D’ Alene was a wreck. Steam was gushing out from various places and the cries of the wounded added to the infernal din. Her captain had already signalled of their plight to the flagship and whilst they had some motive power for the present he could only allow the current to take his ship away from the action.

The commander of the Southern Belle stood on the top deck of his command to see the Union squadron heading away. He heard a ragged cheer coming from the gun deck. His ship may not be able to move but she could still pack a punch. They had won the first round against the Union but he knew that they would be back and in greater numbers. For now though, he would join his men and celebrate as best as they could.

End Game. The U.S.S. Coeur D’Alene (second from right) limps slowly away from the action - the current in the Sawless Channel providing most of her motive power - whilst the remaining Union ships move to support her. The C.S.S. Secessionist (top right) circles warily in the distance.

This was the first action fought using my ‘ACW naval rules mash up’ and I have to say that I think it went rather well! The action felt like it had the right level of ‘pace’ to it and the all important period ‘feel’. There are a few tweaks I need to make and also tidying up a few things but nothing major. The models looked (IMHO) really good and once I have improved the terrain aspect it will look even better.

Once I have a chance to think about the nuts and bolts of the rules I will detail my observations in the next post but for now all I can say is that I could think of worse ways to spend a wet Tuesday afternoon!

Feeding the Anaconda, one piece at a time....Late Summer, 1864...Game number 60, Part 1

A crudely penned map of the area prepared by the cartography section assigned to General Dursley. The Union landing was to be made at Lonesome Bay. The vanguard of the force would sweep Sawless Channel, swing around Kingsville point and then engage Fort Purepoint.

By the middle of 1864 for the most part the Union had secured control of the mighty Missenhitti river but with so many smaller waterways feeding into it - primarily from the Confederate side - it was a challenge keeping this vital artery open. Every transport needed an escort against the ever present threat of Confederate raiders both on land and occasionally from their remaining naval forces. A major boost to the Confederate cause was the breakout and escape of three ironclads that were able to fight their way to the main rebel base of Immobile Bay. The escape of the C.S.S. Secessionist, O’Hara and Butler was seen as a major failure in the Washington press but privately the Union command were pleased that these three powerful ships were now where they could keep a close eye on them. 

The Missenhitti flows into the Gulf of Mexico and is joined by two other rivers also emptying into a fifty mile section of coastline known locally as Trois Bouches. The two other rivers  flow into what is in effect a second estuary and these are the Yawdew and the Semaht respectively - named after two rival tribes of native Americans. 

Although the Semaht is by far and away the larger of the two rivers of more immediate interest to the Union forces was the Yawdew. To begin with it was the closer of the two rivers but more importantly, it contained a substantial naval dockyard at New Chatham, second only in size to that within the main base of Immobile Bay. If it could be secured or neutralised it would be a major blow to the Confederacy as the only outlet to the sea would then be via Immobile Bay.

Since reaching the Gulf via the Missenhitti the Union forces had fought their way along the coastline and had evicted the Confederates from a number of positions. The sole remaining rebel outpost was now located on the small island - known locally as Shepherds Island - in the mouth of the Yawdew. Whilst capturing the island would not stop the Confederates from using Immobile Bay it would deprive them of the use of New Chatham as the island effectively controlled the approaches to the river.

Shepherd’s Island was a bleak and depressing place, with the sole redeeming feature of having a relatively modern fort based on the outskirts of the principal town of the island - Purepoint -and a small harbour facility able to take ocean going ships. The Confederates were under no illusions as to the strategic importance of the island but by late 1864 lacked much in the way of material and manpower to maintain the fortifications to their fullest potential. So it was decided that it was to be held for as long as was practical but certainly not to the last man.

The island had one weakness in that the entire northern side facing the mainland was rolling farmland and completely unprotected. As long as this area was in friendly hands it was not a problem except that at that stage of the war the Confederates had largely abandoned the entire region. This meant that the whole of the island’s northern face was open to an enemy landing should they choose to do so. The stretch of water separating Shepherd’s Island from the mainland was tidal and traversable by ocean going ships. It was broadest at its western end and narrowed considerably as it met the Yawdew river, close by the protecting guns of Fort Purepoint.

By the middle of  1864 the Union forces had perfected the technique of waterborne assault and so it was a common sight to see a couple of transports laden with troops being escorted by warships disembarking a short distance from an objective and then, in conjunction with a naval bombardment, successfully capturing it. Having virtual naval superiority meant that for the most part Union forces could strike where they liked. The Confederates were very mindful of this and so made extensive use of shore batteries and remote operated mines - called torpedoes - as well as the ever present threat of their remaining ironclads.

The Union had resolved to capture Fort Purepoint and so made their plans accordingly. A landing was to be made on the undefended northern side of Shepherd’s Island so the fort could taken from the landward approaches. This had to made towards the eastern end of the island as the nearest landfall was for the most part low lying marshland. A sweep by warships in advance of the landing was to be undertaken in order to silence any land or floating batteries that may be in place and to provide cover should one of the Confederate ironclads be operating in the vicinity.  

The Confederates were well aware that Shepherd’s Island was the next likely target for the Union so they made there dispositions accordingly and as best as they were able. Not one but two ironclads were sent from Immobile Bay to the small harbour at Purepoint with orders to watch the channel between the north coast and the mainland and to intercept any enemy forces present. This was sound in theory but it failed to take into consideration the parlous condition of the engines of one of the two ironclads detailed for the task.

On board the U.S.S. New Glory....

Rear Admiral Dursley exuded confidence as his command steamed towards the channel to the north of Shepherd’s Island. The U.S.S. Glory, in company with the U.S.S. Coeur D’ Alene and the monitor, the U.S.S. Senator was a powerful force, more than sufficient to handle anything the Rebels were likely to have to hand. For sure he had heard the rumours that a pair of ironclads had been sent over from Immobile Bay to defend the island but he was certain that the firepower his three ships carried would be more than enough to ‘settle their cotton picking hash’ as he was wont to say. His task was to clear the channel of any enemy and then to engage Fort Purepoint. Whilst this was happening the transports would be unloading troops to assault the fort from the rear. He was aware that the channel to the east of the island offshore from the fort featured numerous sandbars so care would be needed. Indeed, the U.S.S. Richard Montgomery had run aground on such a sandbar and broke her back. Her cargo of munitions was gratefully salvaged by the Confederate garrison, along with other desperately needed supplies.

As the U.S.S. New Glory steamed into the entrance of the channel all eyes suddenly looked due east as a lookout cried ‘Smoke ahead starboard!’ It appeared that the rebels were coming out after all. 

Fort Purepoint, commander’s office....

General Abe. L. Boded surveyed the map of his command and drew mightily on his cigar, a present from the Yankee ship the U.S.S Richard Montgomery, along with whisky he enjoyed during these planning sessions. His was an easy task. Essentially he had to wait until told to evacuate at which time he would be heading into Immobile Bay along with however many of his men and their material could be gotten away. Given the relative paucity of his command this should be straightforward enough as any determined Union attack was bound to succeed. He had the transports ready for loading and instant departure so could move in a hurry if required.

He was aware that the Union ships were on their way - his coast watchers were very effective, which was just as well as very little else was - and that he now had at his disposal the wherewithal to at least give the Union ships a bloody nose. The arrival a few days  previously of the ironclads C.S.S. Secessionist and the C.S.S. Southern Belle was a welcome reinforcement even though it would only be delaying the inevitable. Then came the news that the Southern Belle had suffered an irreparable engine failure. 

Under normal circumstances the small harbour at Purepoint would be able to cater for such a mechanical emergency but most of the available equipment and trained engineers had been sent to Immobile Bay. Chief Engineer Scott, despite his best efforts, was unable to improvise anything by way of a repair. ‘The engine canna take it’ was his stock reply when asked of the status of his charge.

Boded knew that the Union would expect to meet ironclads so ironclads he would give them. Whatever his shortcomings as an individual Boded was no mean commander and so he settled on a cunning plan. The C.S.S. Southern Belle would be towed into position in the north channel and there anchored. Her boilers would be alight so clouds of smoke would give the impression that a warships was on the move (luckily there was a light breeze to further the impressions of a ship in motion). She would be covered on three sides by some tethered mines and the C.S.S. Secessionist would be lurking out of sight to the east. The guns on the Southern Belle would be well placed to be able to cover the approaches to the only place that any transports could unload.

It was simple and would certainly give any Union attempt to force the channel pause for thought. Boded was well satisfied with his stratagem and so gave the appropriate orders to set his plan in motion.

The trap was set.

To be Continued....

“Pook’s Turtles’ and the C.S.S. Missouri

 

A city class gunboat - in this case the Baron de Kalb

A plan of C.S.S. Missouri. The overall shape is very similar to that the of the city class gunboat so that is all the excuse I need!

Part one of my three part game report has been drafted and is merely waiting for me to colour in the map! I wanted to use this so that the action can be seen in geographical context as it is quite important fo the scenario. I hope to get this finished this evening to post either later today or, more likely, in the morning.

Warbases have contacted me so they are on the case with my bits and pieces which is great news. In the meantime I have started work on a further three models all of which will be built identically up to the fitting out stage. 

I am building two of ‘Pook’s Turtles’ - the city class gunboat - and also the C.S.S. Missouri which overall looks pretty similar in shape and profile. True she only has a single funnel and mounts rather less artillery than the Union vessels but I am building her anyway. The finished model will look quite different with the paint job in any event but the core construction - the hull and casemate will be the same.

These three models, together with the six planned paddle steamers will be the lot for this phase of the ACW project. I will have a core of 24 models and so anything further can be built as and when required. In fact I see this as being a good way to maintain an ongoing interest in the project as it means that ‘freshening it up with something new’ will be easily achievable and fun to do.

That is the plan anyways!

Russo Turkish Tinkering

The original model (of which there are two). Nothing wrong with it and yet.... 

....by adding to the sailing rig and applying some white trim to the hull it looks a whole lot more business like.

In advance of the resumption of ship building once my order from Warbases arrives I spent some time thinking about the models I want to build for the Russo Turkish half of the project. Whilst I have settled on the Turkish order of battle there was something nagging away at me in respect of the first two models I have built - the two river monitors of the Luft - u Celil class.

I built these two models with a reduced sailing rig but after further research decided that they need a little more in the way of spars. The option I have chosen reflects something of a compromise but given that the Turkish navy of the period seemed to be several steps behind the curve in respect of how ships were handled and maintained I certainly think it does not look out of place. I also took the opportunity to add a little detailing in respect of painting and so they now grace some rather fetching white trim - again this has been seen on a number of contemporary prints and pictures etc.

A closer look

Taking it all into consideration it has certainly perked the two models up rather nicely and I think they look far better in their current configuration. I will certainly incorporate the white trim on the next batch of models I build for this project.

We’re only making plans for....Martin!

The three drawings to the right (3, 4 and 5) are the key three layers of the hull of the Mesudiye - there will be two plain templates under these making five layers in all. The lighter lines on drawing 3 give a good top down view. The two on the left are for the Feth - i - Bulend and her sister - these will be built up in the same way but with only a single plain template making four layers. I have the necessary templates for this class except for the two illustrated. They are smaller ships so by reducing the height if helps to differentiate them as I am not being too pedantic about scaling.

Mesudiye as originally built - her sister ship was taken over by the Royal Navy as H.M.S. Superb

The above shows to good effect the layering technique I am using. It is a time honoured, tried and tested method for building up a hull shape!

The plans for the Muin - i - Zaffir - note the double sponsons. Again these will be built up in three layers with a single complete piece as the base layer. 

A plan of the sister ship of the Muin - i - Zaffir. You can see how my model will be using a different overall hull form as it is fuller at the bow and stern

In the immortal words of C3 PO “Thank the maker!’ Or in this case thanks to Martin and Diane at Warbases who are now back in the custom order business. I cannot tell you how pleased I am about this as by the addition of some selective custom cut pieces I should be able to more or less finish the building for the ACW and Russo Turkish War projects.

The pictures are above are the rather crude plans I have drawn up for the hull section for three of the Turkish ironclads I shall be building. It is rather unusual for me in that I have owned and painted all three types but in their rebuilt Balkan and WW1 guises but never in their original form. As ever these will not be to scale in that they are very much in the ‘based upon’ mould rather than the historically accurate.

Producing the hulls for these models will be very straightforward once I have the pieces from Warbases. The most time consuming part will be making the masts but even that is quite straightforward albeit fiddly.

First up though will be the remaining ACW models.

All good fun!