Swordsmen for Plume and Blade

I picked these guys up at Mayhem for Plume and Blade  Its a very enjoyable Swashbuckling game. 

Its based on the best of film and story with enough history to keep it honest. I contributed some Historic fencing reality check and tricks during the Play test phase and got a mention in the dedication. 

Nothing too fancy her just a bunch of swordmen who look cool enough to be main characters if they need to be. 

Dream (Nightmare)in Orange play teat

 Arofan, Frank and Mark joined me for a play test of a scenario I hope to run at conventions last year.  It's a battleline engagement after a less effective Pearl Harbor. 

I didn't get a picture of the set up but the Japanese formed battleline to their left.

While the US Navy split into two task groups going left and right.

Ise took an early hit including a fire critical. As did Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Soon after the Japanese Nagato class ships hit Maryland knocking out her engines. 

Huyga at the front of the Japanese line was hammered hit five times in one salvo from Pennsylvania doing 100 points of damage. She staggers under the damage. She and her sister hit Pennsylvania in turn 

Huyga dead in the water is battered by the US Battleships and slips below the waves 

It's Maylands turn the two Nagatos with one shot from Yamato put her down. Battered Pennsylvania had to withdraw.

As Nagatos sucummed to damage and Ise slipped beneath the waves Nevada is nearing her break point. Despite terrible dice (Yamato got only a single main battery hit all battle) the Japanese sank one US Battleship and badly damaged two more for the lost of three a clear US victory though hardly an overwhelming one.  Had Yamato had even average dice it might have been a very different game.

Walrus Flying Boats and Minekaze Class Japanese Destroyers

My friend Frank game me these to pass on to Arofan and I decided the best way to deliver them was assembled and painted.  

The Walrus was a common spotter and reconnaissance aircraft used by the Royal Navy.

Frank also gave me these three Minekaze class destroyers. They are an older class from Just after the Great War. Lightly armed and becoming obsolete in the World War II period. Still they served I secondary theaters or as convoy escorts and fast transports.

As the war progressed some were designated patrol boat x to free up their names for more modern ships.

These are more lightly armed than later destroyers with four 4.7inch (120mm) guns in single mounts, they also carried a respectable torpedo armament with three twin torpedo mounts.  

More Like Foxes Than Lyons Battle of Grimsburg

 From Arofan's Back group packet 

I was in the Role of Turenne the French Commander using his superior quality troops to drive back the Imperial Army.

The main French line it has multiple streams to cross to attack the Imperialists who are in a very strong position. 

The open area on the right was my best hope for a break through where my elite cavalry was located. 

French troops advance across the river and begin exchanging fire with the Imperial troops I was hoping to maybe get lucky and disorder someone with a good volley or artillery barrage but that didn't happen. 

The fighting on the left was heavy but inconlcusive still large portions of the Imperial force were tied down. 

On the right my cavalry won an initial clash against Imperial Cuirassiers then advance steadily with dragoons on one flank and infantry on the other. Then it was time. 

A charge sent first one and then another Infantry battalion falling back. 

In the center Turenne sword in hand lead the German regiment in an assault on the town taking the battery and holding off the Imperial counter attack. 

The Imperials have to with draw under the pressure of troops in the town and French cavalry on the right pressing their men back.  Its a near thing but the Germans must abandon the town and  fall back from the City of Trier the objective of the campaign. 

 

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