The Battle of Draneville

 

The confederate position and supplies. 

My men come on and drive off Stuarts cavalry sending them off in pell-mell retreat 

Then Union troops pour on to the battle field 

as the Confederates scrabble to protect their supplies (as the Union wins the initiative...)  

The transport is captured, but the assaulting unit's troops begin to loot, causing disorder among their ranks. The assaulting player may choose to take command of the transport or destroy it, removing it immediately from play. 

The counter attack comes quickly from the Confederates on the hill but somehow my cavalry survive. 

A second Confederate formation attack with a general at its head and routs my cavalry. 

Second turn end with us in good defensive position. 

My artillery drove off a unit...and two of mine couldn't carry off the assult. 

The third turn see fire back and forth with little damage but a there is an opportunity

Which I take and there is a desperate hand to hand struggle resulting in damage to both sides. 

The Rebels rally back into good order (boo) and then they fall back under fire. (this mean I can't charge them but its a win) 

Turn 4 the Confederate forces are going back but in good order... 

At least until the the get hit. 

leaving the gun exposed to my infantry who take the guns. 

a general advance begins to develop... though the confederates are resilient and rally back to good order. 

CHARGE! we lose a base by drive Back the demoralized unit and then a general melee ensues. 

I loose two unit in hand to hand combat. I Snatch a draw from the jaws of victory. 

Dreams In Orange Part 2 Battle Line Engagement at Meyham

 

For the evening I had 4 players Arofan retuned to command the surviving Japanese Cruisers was well as few battleships.  He was partnered with Daniel who ran most of the Japanese's battle ships and their close escorts. They faced off against Mark and Jerry running the USN. 

A Twisting battle between Destroyers and Cruises quickly developed.  USS Augusta and USS St Louise (the survivors)  of the night battle.  Were quickly torpedoed and sank. It was generally a bad day to be in Cruiser or Destroyer. Despite several attempts at long range Arofan's Cruisers only landed one torpedo hit on the battle line a disappointing result 

Nagato took a long range hit that took out her fire control early on and Japanese damage control never managed to fix it. As the smaller ships killed each other or attacked the attention of the "Big Girls" the two battle lines slowly closed pounding the see with long range fire. I decided after a couple of turns to grant a speed boost to bring the forces together.  After that... the action became more general as the small ships sank or ran for safety. 

Once the Battleships reached long and Medium range the hits started coming Ise takes  two critical hits including the lone USN Destroyer Torpedo hit on a battleship ... 

New Mexico takes three including a last torpedo strike by the Squadron of Japanese destroyers  

Ise becomes the favorite target of one half of the US line while the half other pounds  Nagato

New Mexico and Nevada are heavily engaged with Yamashiro, Ise and Hyuga 

 Ise and Nagato have their engines taken out and are quickly put down, so many hits are landed its hard to say who did what damage. 

Colorado takes damage from Mutsu and when her engine is disabled the Yamato finds the range. Mutsu, Yamato and Nagato finish her quickly.  In the end the Japanese lose two Battleships, the Us loses one several ships are damaged on both sides and the wrecks of cruisers and destroyers litter the ocean.  This is a minor American victory and a serious Strategic set back for Japan.  The Sharks are the big winners as with neither side being able to definitively claim the area to conduct rescue operations. 

Dreams In Orange Part 1 Night Action at Mayhem

 I had 4 players for my afternoon Game Peter and Arofan had the Japanese.  Bob and Ben Rioux ran the Americans despite being warned by Arofan not too! 

Needle Scratch "Yeah that's me...the commander of the scouting force, you may be wondering how I got myself into this situation." 

Here you can see the original set up.  The Americans have numbers 12 destroyers, 3 Scout Cruisers (Omaha class) and 8 Cruisers (I don't think of the Brooklyn's as light cruisers). The Japanese had 10 Destroyers, and 6 Cruisers.  The Japanese have long lance torpedoes, air dropped flares and better night fighting skill. The Japanese are trying to get past the American ships to make a night attack on the US Battleships. 

This was the Key moment of the battle movement phase Turn 1 the American destroyers to the right of their formation turned inward to cover the cruisers in the center with smoke.  The Japanese turned the other direction giving them an opportunity to move around the flank of the American formation. The USN is now in a stern chase as three Kangaro-Class Destroyers make their move  

The initial exchange of fire  results in the destruction of two US Scout Cruisers, one US Destroyer in exchange for the death of all five of the Japanese destroyers that used their searchlights. 

The Right Flank US Destroyers turn hard trying to revers course trying to catch the Japanese Destroyers at the top of the picture... 

Helena the one US Cruiser with a chance to stop the Japanese Destroyers is smashed by Long Lance Torpedoes.  Gunnery and torpedoes on both sides land hits as the big cruisers enter the fight. Japan get the better of it but its hardly one-sided.  

The American Destroyers take down one more Japanese destroyer before they sunk by the Japanese cruisers 

Three American Cruisers survive carnage... Portland in the lead is badly damaged and must turn away. The USN lost two of three scout cruisers, five of eight Large cruisers, and seven destroyers.  Japan had three cruisers too badly damaged to continue the fight and lost seven destroyers.  Its a significant (almost overwhelming) victory for Japan as the sun begins to rise. 

Star shells and flairs

So I get three Star shell markers from LITKO Game Accessories they are amazing but three isn't enough and my gaming budget isn't unlimited.  

 it looks really slick but don't for a reasonably large night action you need more. So I decided to get to work. 

I came up with two version the first uses florist wire a washer and cotton. 

The other option uses a finish nail it might be more durable but doesn't look as natural. 

They should work and look a little closer to scale for the ships I am using.  I like the variability with the wire I will have to see how well they hold up at Mayhem and Huzzah.

hopefully I have enough to light the Night battle. 

Dream In Orange

 

The convention season is coming up on us fast. I'll be attending Mayhem and Huzzah. I'm running a two part mini Campaign Called a Dream in Orange Part 1 & 2.  

From National Park Service

I wanted to create a battle using the US Standard class battle ships as the main battle force.  So I have imagined a scenario were the Pearl Harbor attack happens but the results are significantly different.  I'm assuming better communication between the US Army and Navy so that when the Sub is spotted off the harbor entrance... and then air craft are spotted on radar the US command in Hawaii sounds the alarm. So the Battleships are at action stations, their gun are manned, the ammo is distributed, most importantly the ships are buttoned up with watertight doors closed.  Smaller ships are building steam or moving, and few aircraft are on patrol or taking off.  

From National Park service

Japan still hits pretty hard,  West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona still sink, the other Battleships take only superficial damage.  Still with all the fire, smoke and wreckage from ships and both sides aircraft the Japanese believe they did significantly more damage (They think they did as well as they did historically).  The rest of the Japanese plan for the initial phase of the war goes off as it did historically, Singapore falls, Force Z sinks, Bataan is besieged.  

By March political pressure to do something about the Philippines has hit a boiling point, between American anger and the impassioned please of MacArthur and Quezon have forced Kimmel to commit his force sailing West.  The hope is that Supply ships can get to Bataan from Australia while the Fleet keeps the Japanese fleet busy.   Both sides are confident they can win a surface action and hope to get one.  The US carrier force is dispersed suppressing the air fields on Japanese held islands and the Japanese carrier force is in the Indian Ocean playing tag with a smaller British fleet. 

The battle will start with session one a night action between the Cruisers and Destroyers, followed by session two where the survivors will support their respective battle lines.  The USN has an edge in numbers but Japan has an advantage in night fighting.  When the Battle Fleets meet Yamato will get a shot at the battle she was built for. 

Yamato 1941 from Wikipedia 

The Old 4 Stackers of the Clemson Class

11 Destroyers of the Clemson Class, The Clemson were built at the end of World War 1, 156 are were built between 1918 and 1922.  Americans often seem to enter wars unprepared then make it up with massed production (at least that what we did in the two world wars). 

There had four 4 inch Guns and 12 torpedo as well as depth charges.  They traded some speed for extended range (compared to earlier classes).  

They would serve though the 2nd World War in the US, Royal Navy and even the Royal Canadian Navy