Force de Raid Le Fantasque-class contre-torpilleurs

 When is a Destroyer not a Destroyer?  When its a Contre-Torpilleur? The French did not really use the term Destroyer dividing their smaller warships into Torpileurs (Torpedo Craft) and larger Contre-Torpilleurs (anti-Torpedo Craft) harkening back to the days of Torpedo Boats and Torpedo Boat Destroyers (Pre-World War One)

Still the French Contre-Torpilleur of  Le Fantasque class are something of a special case.  They are big over 400 feet long with a beam of 39 feet.  They have 5 5.5 inch guns, two triple torpedo launcher, depth charges and mines.   Their AA as built is  bit light with two 37mm AA guns and pair of AA Machineguns. 

Speed is a key factor with a top speed 37 knots. Tactically there role was to race ahead and intercept opponents armed with torpedoes and put them down fast and hard.  Thus the focus on speed and a relatively heavy guns.  

The United States Navy thought of these ships are Light cruisers you'll also see the term "super destroyer" thrown around.   Comparing Le Fantasque to the Atlanta class you can see the point. The Atlanta is 530 feet long compared to the 434 feet length of the Fantastique.  Also the Fantastique were built to counter a class of Italian light cruiser (the Condottieri) I would argue they are just on the Destroyer side of the line (though only just). 

If any Contre-Torpilleur crosses over to being a light cruiser I'd argue its the Mogador class with its three twin turrets (for a total of 6 5.5inch guns).  You can see how it on the right here next to a Fantastque. 

Tree House up date

 This project was started Labor day weekend and as of this past Thanksgiving weekend I am declaring the tree house open. (not finished but good for the kids to use. 

I added some support where two of the plywood floor pieces meet. 

We have have added another wall.   this will go higher when I have time to get out toe it. 

Finally there is way up.  it needs some additional work but Evie can clime up and down (and so can her old man) 

and today having survived its first snowstorm

Force de Raid La Galissonnière-class cruisers

 The La Galissonniere class of light cruisers are the next part of Force de Raid. 

Four of Six members of this class were assigned to Force de Raid providing the Battle ships with a cruiser escort.  These are solid light cruisers of the 1930s period.  They have good armor only slightly lighter than the Alegre one of the best Prewar Heavy Cruisers.  They have a design speed of 31 Knots though they could reach 35 to 36 knots! if you pulled out all the stops (and were willing to risk engine damage) 

They have nine 6-inch guns for a main armament capable of a rate of fire between 3 and 5  round per minutes.  That's a good if not impressive rate of fire (the US Brooklyn's could manage 10 rounds a minute in short bursts) . They also had a pair of twin torpedo launchers one on each side.  The Galissonnieres are fleet light cruisers focusing on taking out enemy destroyers and cruisers so the battle ships can focus on the other fellows big boys. 

There other function is providing arial scouts each vessel had two sea planes for spotting and scouting.  The rear of the sip included a hanger and seaplane launch catapult on the 3 turret.  The open area be hind the gun is for an ingenious recovery system a wood and canvas mat dragged behind the ship that the seaplane could drive up on to and then be pull up on a crane.  This allowed aircraft to be recovered at spreads up to 15 knots 

Force de Raid Battleships

 Those Italian ships need some opponents so I have been painting up some French ships the intended opponent. I'm basing my French fleet on a formation called the "Force de Raid" 

The Dunkerque class battle ships were built by France as response to the German building the Deutschland class they were intended to hunt down and kill such ships.  

These ships were fast 29.5 knots, reasonably well armored  though somewhat lightly armed with 13" guns. Some folks think of these as Battle Cruisers and it's a reasonable argument though Fast Battle ship fits better.

The all forward main gun armament allows a shorter armored citadel and as a ship that is intended to run down raiders it makes sense. That said I have never liked all forward armament as it limits tactical flexibility and then there is the edge case of Mers-el-Kabir where these ships had to anchor with their bows pointing towards the shore when the British opened fire from the sea. 

Italian Destroyers Navigators (Navigatori) and Soldiers (Soldati)

 Rounding out the Italian fleet (for now) eight Destroyers.

The Navigatori Class of Destroyer were built in the late 20s and earl 30s and were bigger than existing Italian Destroyers in a response to some of the large Contre-torpilleures the French were building.  For a while they Italians classed them as "Scouts" rather then destroyers i the early 30s though by World War II they were considered destroyers

They have three Twin Turrets with 4.7 Inch guns (120mm). They have 6 Torpedo tubes making them good surface combatants.  Their AA component is a little weak, only two single barrel 40 MM guns and 4 twin Machine guns.  I haven't found any information on their ASW abilities. 

A More modern design form the late 30s they have only have 5 4.7 inch guns (2 in twin mounts and 1 in a single mount as dedicated star shell gun, latter converted to a regular gun or an AA gun) but retaining the six torpedo tubes.   There AA is better with 8 20mm, and they have a par of depth charge Throwers 

These ships were somewhat faster with a top speed of 35 knots (compared to 32 for the Navigatori class).  These are good all rounder type Destroyers. 

About a decade separates these two and you can see the escalation of Destroyer seize in the 1930s as the "exceptionally" big Navigatori of the late 1928 is only a little bigger than the "normal" size Soldati class.  It also illustrates how powerplants improved as the Soldati is faster despite being shorter and only having three boilers to the Navigatori's four. 

Italian Heavy Cruisers

 Italy had two (or three) classed of Heavy Cruisers they built during the Inter-War Period. The Italian Heavy Cruiser was designed to support and supplement the battleline in addition to the more traditional cruiser roles in part because of the Battleship holiday or the treaty era. 

This made six ships in total, powerful units with 8" guns. 

The Trento Class were fast ships with a spread in trials of 35 knots.  Their armor was relatively light as they tried to stick close to the Washington Naval Treaty.   Still these ships had Protection broadly similar to near US contemporaries (Pensacola and Northampton) and might have been a little bette. 

The Bolazno is sometimes counted as part of this class and some times thought of a unique class with a newer and slightly faster powerplant and an improved 8" gun.  Still the hull form was broadly similar externally.  These three ships did serve together as the 3rd Cruiser Division of the Regia Marina (3a Divisione Incrociatori). 

The Zara's took a cut in speed (32 knots) but a considerable upgrade to armor making them among the best protected Heavy Cruisers of the period.  They retaining the 8" guns though they dropped the torpedos the Trento class carried. 

These three served together and sank more or less together as the 1st Cruiser Squadron (1a Divisione Incrociatori) at the Battle of cap Matapan. 

The Zara's were very effective ships often forcing British Cruisers to fall back on their battle line rather than mixing up cruiser vs cruiser as they were willing to do with Germans ships of the same type. 

Italian Battleships Andrea Doria and Dullio

 These are two older Italian battleships (dreadnoughts if you prefer) built in the Great War erra and then extensively rebuilt and modernized in the interwar period. 

When they where built these were good frontline Dreadnoughts with 13 12 inch guns in 5 turrets.  

The ships were modernized in two phases the first in 1925-26 and then again in 1937.  By the time it was all done they had lost one 3 gun turret, gained almost 36 feet in length, and 92 feet in beam.  Upgrading the her guns (form 12 to 12.6 inches) 

They also got their engine rooms completely rebuilt uping their speed form 21 to 26 knots. These are sollid ships, they don't have great hitting power but they have reasonable speed and protection.  When get down to it an old Battleship is better than no battleship and the US and France all have similarly old ships in their inventory. 

Italian Battle ships Littorio and Vittorio Veneto

 I have bunch more ships printed for me by Arofan form Ghekek's filles. 

First up we have the Littoro and Vittorio Veneto the first two ships of the Littorio Class Built after the London and Washington treaties though they didn't exactly conform coming in a good bit over the 35,000 ton limts (more like 40,000 or 45,000 tons).  These are less well known than Bismark Class but might well be better ships (Dreachinfel did a great comparison video) maybe its the lack of a climactic battle to the death.

The Italians did this interesting red and white barber pole areal recognition painting.  I think the Italians feared the Germans and their own air force more then British fleet air arm. 

The rear of the ship had a wide open area for air operations I wonder if the space couldn't have been better used for another main turret or maybe a few additional AA guns. 

The Italians had two sets of secondaries a pair of three gun 6" turrets and then a number of 90 mm High angle AA guns (with limited anti ship capability) 

I feel the Italian Navy is the forgotten fleet of the Second World War and I am looking forward to highlighting then in games. 

Fubuki class Destoyer

 I found this unpainted minature while claning up and decided it was time to get it painted up. 

The Fubuki class was somehting of a revolutionary ship built to be the toughest combatant it could be for its size and more than a match for any existing destroyer.  They are oftern looked as the first "modern" Destroyer and other nations quickly started designing new destroyers in reaction

These tough ships had a top speed of 35 knots, 6 5inch guns in three twin turrets and a tottle of 9 torpedeo tubesl (in three tube lonchers) 

Japan built 24 of these and 22 of them were lost in the 2nd world war.  At the time of the Second world war these ships were getting old but were still considered front line combatants

Fort Devens Museum Game Day 2025

I didn't have to run any games to run so I got to play. First I too command of Bismarck and Prince Eugene. 

I got some good hits early but also got hit hard...

Bismarck was forced to scuttle after only three turns (the English had my engines dialed in for targeting).

Prince Eugene didn't last much longer both Royal Navy ships where hit hard, but at the loss of two German ones. 

Next I joined Bill Greenwalds trench fight 

Despite German machine guns and art we advanced across the no man's land 

Shell holes provide good cover for those who can make it (about half the platoon)

At last we reached the enemy trench and engaged with the flamethrower. 

Then the table come up in support and the first trench line falls to our onslaught.

Pete ran his retreat from Concord game.

Gabe ran his Victorian Science Fiction game 

My German opponent Louis in full kit.

Frank ran multiple sessions of Denmark Straight 

Bismarck sank multiple times.