Find, Fix and Strike Final Battle

 

With the inevitable end of the holidays approaching, my time for wargaming is slipping away but I'm going to squeeze in at least one more game of Find, Fix and Strike before I have to pack everything up for the trip home. I have a scenario all ready to go, the 'Follow that Flat Top' aircraft carrier escort mission, but I may well just throw some models on to the table for a 'What If?' nocturnal clash between the Marine Nationale and the Regia Marina off the island of Pantelleria. 

The First Battle of Guadalcanal is my inspiration for this, with the French taking the role of the US and the Italians the Japanese. The scenario map above has been adapted from a scenario for Naval Thunder, so it should be a challenging but realistic re-enactment, albeit shifted several thousand mile to the Med. I've also thought about setting up a destroyer scenario involving Free French against Vichy forces, possibly based on an actual WWII destroyer clash, but that's all a bit sketchy at the moment, so who knows?

The Paraguayan War for Dahlgren and Columbiad / Iron and Fire

That splendid Mr Manley has very kindly sent me an advanced copy of his next supplement for Dahlgren and Columbiad, which is focussed on the obscure but very interesting Paraguayan War between Paraguay and the triple alliance of Brazil, Argentina and Uraguay. I'd thought about the riverine side aspect of this war as a way to make use of my scratch built river terrain but this supplement makes it accessible in a number of useful ways. 

There is a brief but detailed overview of the conflict, scenarios for some of the major engagements, data sets for the ships of all the different nations and a full campaign system, based on the one for the American Civil War that is already available. It's a comprehensive package and the only thing missing are the ship models, although as the author mentions the 3D printing approach would probably be the best way to fill that gap. 

I would also consider the scratch building method in 1/2400th scale which would be an ideal size to replicate some of the larger actions including the passing of Humaita, which would look impressive as a full scale piece of wargaming terrain. If you are interested, it will be published on the 1st September and available as usual via Wargame Vault. I'm sure that the 3D printing community will make this a viable option for a campaign with an unusual setting, so why not grab a copy?

The Second Battle of Iquique Game Report

 

This turned out to be an enjoyable, if frustrating game but with a very historical outcome and some exciting moments. The first two turns saw the Huascar and Magellanes steaming toward each other to close the range, the first shots fired at 14'' by the Huascar splashing harmlessly into the sea. The Magellanes replied with her 64pdr smoothbore bowchaser, only for the shock of the recoil to sever a steam line, cutting her speed down by two points (in 1/2400th scale I use inches for gunnery ranges but cm for movement).

In Turn Three the action was at close range, with the two warships circling each other to get in their guns into a firing arc, the first blast from the Huascar scoring a hit and inflicting light damage, once again cutting the feed to the boilers and slowing down the Magellanes by a further point of speed. The Chilean corvette managed to out manoeuvre her opponent, however, with the engine room crew fixing the leak in time for a renewed gunnery attack in Turn Four.

In Turn Four the action continued at close range, the Huascar and Magellanes both failing to score a hit. with the -1 to Gunnery Factors due to low visibility playing havoc when combined with repeated low dice rolls. The two ships were fairly evenly matched, with the Huascar's armour countered by Magellanes manoeuvrability. In an attempt to end the impasse, the Huascar now rammed the Chilean corvette in the stern, but even this failed as both ships glanced off preventing a boarding action.

Turn Six announced the entry of the Almirante Cochrane, which steamed onto the table at a leisurely 5cm per phase due to the fouling in her hull. The Huascar now attempted to withdraw and was chased along by the Magellanes, which managed to hit the Peruvian ironclad with harassing fire but failed to penetrate her armour. The Chilean ironclad meanwhile turned to fire a broadside from her main battery at extreme range but this splashed harmlessly in Huascar's wake.

I decided at the end of Turn Eight that the Chileans abandoned the chase, allowing the Huascar to steam away to the north in the direction of Arica. This was a probable and sensible decision, as a gun burst on the Magellanes in Turn Seven cut her already weak Port and Starboard Gunnery Factor down to only 1, leaving her unable to damage the retreating ironclad. At the same time, the Almirante Cochrane was slipping further out of range as she just couldn't keep up due to her marginally lower speed.

At the end of the scenario, the Huascar escaped to fight another day, while the Magellanes had suffered light damage, a disabled 64pdr smoothbore and some leaky pipework. The Almirante Cochrane was undamaged but didn't exactly cover herself in glory, unlike Captain Latorre who managed to tie down the Huascar long enough for the Chilean squadron to turn up. This is almost exactly what actually happened, so I'm happy with the scenario even if it wasn't as decisive as I would have liked.

I think this counts as a draw!

(apologies for the rubbish photos - crap phone)

The Second Battle of Iquique - a scenario for Dahlgren and Columbiad

 

Peruvian Briefing

You are Captain Miguel Grau, officer commanding the Peruvian ironclad Huascar. You have been tasked with sinking a Chilean corvette, the Abtao, which has been reported as the only enemy warship blockading the port of Iquique at night.

The naval intelligence branch has discovered that the Chilean squadron blockading Iquique withdraws at night leaving only the Abtao to enforce the blockade. You must sink the Abtao but avoid contact with the rest of the Chilean squadron, as you will be outgunned.

You have arrived off Iquique early in the morning but have found no Chilean warships present. However, you have managed to pursue and seriously damage a Chilean collier, the Matías Cousiño. As you close on the collier for a boarding attempt, a lookout spots a Chilean warship approaching, which you assume must be the Abtao, so you have decided to engage.

Chilean Briefing

You are Captain Juan José Latorre, officer commanding the Chilean gunboat Magellanes. Your orders are to patrol off the port of Iquique which is currently being blockaded by a Chilean squadron. The squadron has withdrawn overnight due to the threat of a Peruvian torpedo boat attack, so you are the only naval force present until dawn.

You have to ensure that Peruvian naval forces are not able to break the blockade at night or attack the Chilean transports that are anchored offshore. You must engage any Peruvian warships and hold them off until the rest of the Chilean squadron, under Captain Enrique Simpson Baeza, returns at dawn in the powerful ironclad Almirante Cochrane.

Objectives

The Huascar starts at the centre of the 4' x 3’ table. The Magellanes enters on turn one from the SE corner. The Almirante Cochrane enters on turn six from the E edge of the table. The Peruvian player must capture or sink the Magellanes before the Almirante Cochrane enters on turn four, after which she must attempt to escape via the N table edge. This may be by inflicting sufficient damage to slow her down and sink her or by boarding. The Chilean player must inflict at least heavy damage on the Huascar to force her to withdraw and, if possible, prevent her escape by capturing or sinking her.

Special Rules

This action occurs at night and in the early dawn. As a result, both sides have a -1 modifier to gunnery to reflect the poor visibility.

To reflect the skill of Captain Latorre in manoeuvring the Magellanes during the battle, her MAN rating is increased to High (H).

The Almirante Cochrane has hull-fouling with a consequent reduced maximum speed rating of -1.

(I use 1/2400th scale models and measure in centimetres so you might want to expand the size of the table to 6' x 4', especially if you use 1/1200th or 1/600th scale ships)

War of the Pacific Naval Action

 

I have a couple of scenarios for Find, Fix and Strike to play, but I also have my War of the Pacific Peruvian and Chilean fleets for the War of the Pacific with me, so I'm going to set up a quick, skirmish level game using Dahlgren and Columbiad before the end of the week. It won't be strictly historical but I will be aiming to include some of the 1/2400th scale models that I've added to my collection since the last time I played a game. I also don't have any coastal terrain with me, so these will be actions out to sea, almost certainly featuring a few of the ocean-going ironclads, Almirante Cochrane, Blanco Encalada and Huascar, quite possibly a take on the second battle of Iquique in July 1879.

AK47 Regime Change

 

I've decided to take a step back as lead admin of the AK47 Facebook group which I set up back in May, to concentrate on other things and to give the other admins a chance to take it forward. It's been a real success, with almost 400 members in the space of just under four months, lots of good content and some real enthusiasm generated for a great set of rules. A good time to move on, although I'll still be around to post my usual drivel as a supposed expert?

Summer Holiday Aircraft Workshop

I have now finished preparing the 1/3000th scale Italian warships for my extended fleet, so it's onto the aircraft that I will need if the Regia Marina is going to fight off the French and British torpedo and bomber waves. In Find, Fix and Strike, aircraft models represent flights of three or four planes or a single spotter, patrol or recce aircraft .

I'm using 1/600th scale Tumbling Dice miniatures for this including some more Meridionali Ro.43 float planes for the battleships and cruisers, some land-based BR.20 Cicogna bombers and SM.79 Sparviero torpedo bombers, together with some CAP top cover from CR.42 Falco and G.50 Freccia fighters. I should have some catapult-launched Re.2000 Falco I fighters for the Littorio but I forgot to order them.

I've also got another CRDA Cant Z.506b Airone sea plane to add to the one I've already assembled back on the workbench. There are only a few of each type, however, as they will represent formations of aircraft rather than individual planes. I also haven't got any magnets with me, so those will have to be glued on when I get back home.

Torpedo Boats in Broadside and Ram

 

I had a tip-off via the Naval Wargaming (Historical) Facebook group that the Russo-Turkish War supplement for the Long Face Games ironclad rules series has a section on spar and locomotive torpedoes in Broadside and Ram. 

This is great, as I now have rules that I can use for my Victorian 'What If?' naval games, as well as making it possible to deploy the French torpedo boats that I have based up for the later Victorian naval project, which covers the 1880's when the 'Jeune Ecole' was in the ascendant. 

Jim's Wargames Workbench: 1/2400th French Torpedo Boats (jimswargamesworkbench.blogspot.com)

The rules are elegantly straightforward and I can see them being the focus of a few scenarios, with French sallies from the blockaded ports of Brest, Lorient and La Rochelle against the Royal Navy ironclads on inshore picket duty, amongst other things. 

It also opens up some possibilities for other scenarios involving lesser powers, which did not have the naval capabilities of the great power nations so resorted to the use of small, lightly armed craft with torpedoes as their main offensive weapons. The Imperial Chinese and Vietnamese are an obvious example but there are also others that could make for some interesting games.

INWarD 2022: The Battle of Le Havre [2]

I played the remainder of the INWarD Broadside and Ram game yesterday, which lasted for six turns by which time the result was pretty clear. After a wobbly start, the Royal Navy pulled off a stunning victory, sinking the entire French third division, sinking half of the second division and seriously damaging the rest, which were boarded and captured in the scenario wash up, but allowing the first division to escape to Le Havre unscathed. It was ironic that the first division was composed of the most powerful of the French ironclads but didn't fire a single broadside!

The Royal Navy itself suffered only damage to most of the ironclads of the first and second division, despite some close action and ramming attacks, with some successful running repairs keeping the fleet in top shape, despite the second division being split up in the action at various critical points. The British managed to pin the French down by a combination of ramming and aggressive tactics, forcing at least one of the French warships into the shallows and sandwiching others in a pincer movement.

The highlights were a full speed ramming attack by HMS Minotaur on the Revanche, flagship of the French second division, which effectively stopped the whole line astern formation in its tracks, along with the ramming of HMS Monarch and HMS Captain by the Alma and Atalante, which completely backfired leaving the French third division in tatters. The heroic French third division was deliberately sacrificed in order for the rest of the fleet to make an escape, but this wasn't enough to save more than half of the ironclads, a massive blow to the Marine Imperiale.

It was interesting to see how this replicated quite well the actual Battle of Camperdown, on which the scenario was loosely based. It was also really good fun and I think quite a well-balanced game, even given the decisive end result. The French certainly gave as good as they got at the start of the action and did manage at various points to give the Royal Navy a thrashing, but in the end, the superiority of the British ironclads and their commanders was a clinching factor.

Good fun!

You've got to be in it to win it!

It's competition time over on the Wings at War Facebook group.....

Wings at War Summer Competition!

PAINT A SECTION OF AIRCRAFT FOR ONE OF THE SEVEN WINGS AT WAR RULES SETS.

Your section should consist of between two and four aircraft.

Your aircraft should be from the lists on the last page of the relevant rules booklet (ask if you don't have the rules).

You cannot use aircraft that you have painted previously.

Your aircraft should be 1/600th scale but other scales may be allowed (ask if you want to use a different scale)

You will have until the end of the month (August 31st) to submit your entry; you can submit an entry at any point up to the deadline.

Entries must consist of a before and after photo of the models, a brief identification of the aircraft type, the nation, the conflict and which set of rules it relates to e.g. B-26 Invaders, USAF, Korean War, MiG Alley.

You may include other details if you wish e.g. paints used, decals etc.

All entries will be judged by the Admins.

THE PRIZE!

A set of 24 assorted Tumbling Dice 1/600th scale aircraft for the period of your choice, from the following options:

Battle of Britain

Korean War

Suez Crisis

Six Day War

Vietnam War

Cold War Soviet

Cold War USA

Falklands War

The selection will include appropriate aircraft for both sides.

Get cracking!