North American Campaign - final thoughts

The North American campaign has now been packed away, and it was an enjoyable exercise in ship building (!) and rules testing.  Each game, and a few others, were played indoors with 1/1200 ships, and the same rule system - less the firing.

These pre-dreadnought games have been played with these rules since 2006, and they are inspired from Patrick Wilson's very fine creation, 'Boilers and Breechloaders' and Ken Fisher's 'Baltic Battles'.  They first appeared in the 'Herring war' games played at Dover Castle in that year.

The next step will be to write up 'Funny Little Fleets' in the winter, with Edwardian toy battleships, torpedo rams, Teddy Roosevelt, American invasions of Canada, the Herring wars, and  FT Jane, AT Mahan and HG Wells... 

but, before then, hopefully there can be some toy soldier actions outdoors as we continue to experience this astonishing summer.  That will be on the other blog.  

 

North American Campaign - final battle

 Glorious weather at FLW HQ, and finally some time off to finish the campaign.  The clash of the pre-dreadnoughts had been played with JW in London, and then a follow on solo game - with the results tied 1 - 1.  So this was the decider, and the chance to again play a squadron sized game with the proper ships.

Situation

Dawn. August, 190? 

With Halifax blockaded, and no sign of relief the Navy Red/Maple Leaf Naval Service commander decides it is time to break out.  The trawler Doris and the ships cutters successfully clear the mines, and the squadron departs at first light.  Commodore Armitage Shanks leads the way in HMS Uncertain, followed by Torpid and Thunderchild the Second.

 

Meanwhile Navy Red/White/Blue awaits off the harbour – the yacht Plutocrat scouts ahead.  Commodare Standard leads in the USS Bluster, followed by the Swank. 

The battleships engage, and in three rounds of firing the Bluster is struck by two direct hits that result in catastrophic 'special effect' hits, and she sinks before the Torpedo ram can deliver the the final blow.  Bluster sinks, and Swank retires.

Meanwhile, HMS Uncertain has received significant damage and is engulfed in steam and smoke.  The trawler Doris comes alongside to rescue the crew before she also sinks.  

It has proven to be an exciting couple of hours.  

 

So victory for Armitage Shanks, and a photo for the Illustrated News in the very bright sunshine...

Armitage Shanks triumphs over American Standard

 

North American Campaign - interlude - minelaying

 This little campaign is loosely based on events in the Spanish American War and Russo Japanese War.  As a test of the Funny Little Fleets pre-dreadnought rules there are a number of planned scenarios - ship to ship action, attack on a fort and all leading up to a squadron action.  In the margins other things are being tried out, such as minelaying - which had a key role at Port Arthur.

The model of the Red/White/Blue minelayer (USS Boom) is based on a toy which I came across online.

It is also an opportunity to deploy searchlights from the fort.

The searchlight troops are a Tunstill recruiting party, being redeployed here.

The mine rules are very much a work in progress - more to follow.

A lantern slide of mines in action at Port Arthur.

Searchlights at Port Arthur

A model of a toy Japanese minelayer, found online - with thanks.

North American Campaign - Game 2 - the attack on the fort

 

Dawn

 The Red/White/Blue squadron approaches the outer harbour defence fort.  The armed yacht Plutocrat leads the way, and the squadron then retires to open fire at first light.

The defenders are in place, and ready. 

Swank opens fire with her main armament, and Queasy fires from a closer position.  Both ships are ‘over’ with the first rounds.

Before the fort can return fire, there is a remarkable climactic interlude – high winds and a rain storm erupt!  The Plutocrat disappears! A percentage dice is rolled - Plutocrat receives 10% damage.

Alas rain stops play.  This is early summer in Hay on Wye - so all seasons can appear in one day.  

Everything is utterly soaked.

Alas, the toy soldiers and ships have to go away … but just for now.  The Red/White/Blue squadron retires over the horizon and in the fort, it is time for tea. 

The game continues …

 

North American Campaign - the forts and the squadron

 

May, 190?

 Following the engagement at sea, the USS Swank is joined by the armed yacht Plutocrat and the monitor, Queasy.  The newly formed squadron is being deployed to test out the outer port defence, in preparation for the planned blockade and possible landing …

On board the Swank, the commanders of the Army Expeditionary Force are photographed. 

 Navy Red/White/Blue – USA

 USS Swank – armoured cruiser

USS Queasy - monitor

USS Plutocrat – armed yacht

 

 Meanwhile, on land the bold defenders of Army Red/Maple Leaf are preparing for action ...

Battery A

Battery B

HQ

Army Red/Maple Leaf

2 x Heavy cannon – Battery A & B

1 x searchlight unit

1 x RGA HQ

1 x Signals troop

Garrison troops = 10

 

 The fort is based on one of the artillery forts in Halifax, NS. 

 Dawn

Colonel Backsight Forethought, brother of the defender of Duffer's Drift, looks on.

The armed yacht Plutocrat moves towards the fort, in a heavy sea.

Game 2 - the attack on the fort - to follow

North American Campaign - Game 1 - opening shots

 

Scenario 1

May, 190? 

With war looming, and negotiations stalled, the Navy Red/White/Blue fleet has sent an Armoured Cruiser, the USS Swank, to assess the situation off Halifax, and to be in place to enforce a blockade of this British North American citadel.

On patrol is the Navy Red/Maple Leaf Naval Service scout cruiser, Languid, which is looking out for intruding Yankees,

in the fog…

Languid sights Swank

Swank sights Languid 

both ships stumble across one another, and with tensions high, it is not sure who fired first?

Turn 1

Using the Wellsian spongy dart firing method

Movement in turn – firing in turn results applied at the end of the turn.

 

Languid – 2 x shots from the 6”, 4 x shots from the 4" = 1 hit,  = 2 points of damage, but as it directly struck the aft casemate that gun is considered destroyed.

Hits 1 out of 6

Swank – 2 x shots from the 8”, and 4 x shots from the 6” – 2 heavy hits/1 x medium = 21 points of damage = effect

Hits 3 out of 6

 on Languid

Lose 3” speed

Languid taking hits and loosing a funnel!

Special effect rolls

1 = Engine room hit.  Loss of steam – speed reduced by 50%

14 =  Fire control hit.  Only Secondary and QF armament can fire

16 = Raging fire started - Roll 1 D6 to locate: 1,2=Forward; 3,4=Amidships; 5,6=Aft. See Fire Fighting Rules.  Fired located forward

17  = Searchlights destroyed + 2 extra Damage Points

 

 

Languid fires torpedoes 

Turn 2

Languid turns to starboard at half – speed, and fires torpedoes.  Swank turns to port and fires.  One hit = 8 points.

1 hit out of 4

One extra special effect hit

 

13    = The Officers Mess wine cellar destroyed!  Consternation ensues – the ship ceases fire for a turn

 

Turn 3

Languid's torpedoes miss!

Languid attempts to fight the fire.  A 1 = explosion.  Languid sinks.

 

Summary  - accurate fire from the Swank overwhelmed the Languid - but it was never going to be an equal fight.

The scene will now move to a sortie from Red/White/Blue against the harbour defences...

Summary - in testing the rules there is a need to assess the special effect hits and the hit rates,  This scenario will be replayed with two other firing methods - a ranging method and traditional D6.  It will then be replayed with two other rules sets, but it is difficult to simulate the outdoor sea state, indoors.