Girl Scout Cookie time

My Daughter Evie is Selling Girl Scout Cookies you can order at this link: Cookies!

Fort Devens Museum Game Day

 On November 18th Fort Devens Museum hosted it's annual game Day 

Bill Greenwald ran Command and Colors Seven Years War.

Gabe Landowski ran his home brew Damned Human race rules.

A crazy battle for control of "Mars"

Bob Rioux ran Kasserine Pass using Bolt Action.

I got to play Frank Shepard's Naval Theater Battle of River Platte. I had the Graf Spee. I'm a big fan of these rules which Frank is in the process of preparing for publication (or so I believe)

I played Kris and Mark running the Royal Navy. 

I was able avoid fire for the first turn using this handy rains squall...

But it didn't last . I blew HMS Ajax out but Graf Spee was dismantled by fusillade of Six and Eight inch shells.

I ran The Leeward line again Kris running the French and Spanish while Mark and I ran the Royal Navy.

As happened historically Royal Sovereign attempted to break the line 

But the French successfully grappled her. 

A confused melee took place with two French ships locked in combat with the English 1St rate. Three French ships struck their colors it looked like an English victory was ensured.

But the Santa Ana, Indomitable and the other Spanish ships got in a numbered of key hits forcing four English ships to strike 

The remaining Spanish and lone French survivor are badly battered but they came off the winners in this scenario. 

The Leeward Line Trafalgar at New England Gaming Flea Market

The Leeward line Trafalgar I have the Royal Navy and Bob Rioux has the allied fleet . 

The French Frougeux opened the ball firing on the RN flagship

With the rang closing Santa Ana added her fire scoring it's first (of many critical hits) slowly Royal Sovereign and disordering the RNs formation. Royal Sovereign raked Pluton in return.

The second English squadron led by HMS Tonnant cuts the line and rakes the stern of Pluton..

Blowing her out of the water and battering p with it's other broadside.

Royal Sovereign is Raked and loses a mast. Santa Ana unleashed a point blank broadside into HMS Bellies her return board seems paltry by comparison.

Foruguex is sunk by HMS Mars two French down with two to go but Royal Sovereign, Belleisle and Tonnant are all badly damaged.

Tonnant and Belerophon hit Algesiras setting her ablaze and killing numerous crew.

Then Royal Sovereign sinks as does Algesiras... but then both Belleisle and Tonnant strike. Bon had a lot of good criticals getting a Mast critical twice on Royal Sovereign and knocking masts off two other ships.

State of the Fleets World War II edition

 I have shared my various sailing fleets here is the more modern edition all 1/2400 scale ships. 

The Royal Navy a York class heavy cruiser and a King George V class Battle ship. 

The USN USS Lexington, USS Washington, USS Massachusets, 1 Atlanta class,  two New Orleans class, one Portland class, 1 Northampton class, 2 Brooklyn class, 4 Fletcher and 4 Benson class destroyers

Two Italina destroyers 

Kriegsmarine 1 Deutschland, 1 Admiral Hipper 2 Scharnhorst class Battleships/battle cruiser 1 Bismark class Battle ship and 3 destroyes. 

The Imperial Japanese fleet Kirishima, Hiei, Kongo, Agano, Nagar, Takao, Aoba, Furutaka, Mogami, 4 Matsa Class dewtroyers also 1 Kagero class and the Shimakaze

Two perascope Submarine marker I'm poud of these 

Six cargo ships built with popsicle sticks 

The di Brassi incident Panama 1938

 Report of  Lt JG Carriere June 10th 1938

The Gun Boat Onondaga processed into the interior to investigate a group of  missing American women.

I was ordered to take a landing party of sailors to investigate a supposedly abandoned warehouse.

Within minutes of landing we we attacked by bandits.

Chief Sullivan and his boat crew entered the warehouse and encouraged a mob of orientals and Americans. They began firing and we had to respond. Firing was out of the question so fists, gun butts and bayonets are the order of the day.

Fortunately the Americans in the room switched sides (why they were originally opposing us is "unclear") but with their assistance we subdued the orientals.  Then more in Japanese army uniforms came out of a trap door. We just husstled the prisoners and Americans out we killed the soldiers and sent a grande into the tunnel before more men could come up!

The Onondaga sank a boat with additional japanese troops

We got the Agents, women and prisoners on board the ship.

With the help the Marines we established a perimeter to allow for an orderly withdrawal. US Army Air Corp and locals (Able Seaman Ramirez was able to interview a pair of locals)  located an encampment and later investigation found the tenants of an extensive camp but little other evidence. 

State of the Fleets

Over the weekend at Huzzah several people asked me how many ships I had at this point and I decided that I should probably do an inventory because honestly I wasn't sure. Well I still don't know for sure(haven't counted the small stuff) but I can speak to the major fleets British, Spanish and French. 

The Royal Navy 1 Ship Sloop, 12 Frigates, 1 4th Rate, 3 small 3rd Rates, 11 large 3rd Rates, 4 2nd Rates, and 2 1st Rates. There are also quite a few Brigs, cutters and Indiamen not pictured here.

The Spanish Armada 1 Schooner, 1 Brig, 2 Frigates, 2 Small 3rd rates, 4 Large 3rd rates (2 more in the Painting queue) and 3 1st Rates including the Princessa Evelyn which with it s purple paint scheme may or may not see the table (but I do have one more spanish 1st rate in the painting queue)

The French 3 Brigs, 1 Corvette/Sloop, 6 Frigates, 14 Large 3rd rates, 2 1st rates. 

Over the weekend I had 35 ships of the Line battling each other about as big a fight as I want to run without a co-gamemaster.  If someone wants to run Trafalgar or First of June or some other mad project let me know and we can see how much we need to add to the Order of Battle . 

 

Cape Finisterre at Huzzah!

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I day tripped up to Huzzah to run the battle of  Cape Finisterre for Huzzah! 2023 "Turning Points". I picked this battle because it resulted in Napoleon turning his back in an invasion of England and heading off to Austria instead.  The French and Spanish had the weather gage turning south east as the English are turning Northwest. 

Artist/engraver/cartographer: Engraved by Ch. Dyonnet; Drawn by A.H. Dufour . Provenance: "Atlas de l'histoire du consulat et de L'Empire", Dressé et Dessiné Sous la direction de M. Thiers, Par MM. A. Dufour et Duvotenay; Published by Paulin, Lheureux et Cie, Paris. Type: Antique engraved map

Deployment was based off the map above. 

My players had all the aggression both sides wished their leaders had possessed in 1805. The six Spanish ships split into two squadrons in an attempt to envelope the leading English Ships. Meanwhile half the French fleet moved north and east while the other half split in two part of it moving to assist the Spanish and part of it heading south east to cut through the rear of the English line. 

The leading English ships HMS Hero and HMS Ajax where soon in trouble and hero slipped beneath the waves while Ajax was forced to strike it's colors. 

The English where giving as well as taking punishment as the Spanish flagship Argunata sank to relentless English gunnery.

The English van was battered on both sides by the Spanish though it was not a one sided affair and more ships came up to support both sides.

French gunnery joined the Spanish as the Epannia was forced out of line and moved to join the southern most French squadron. 

At this point the fighting became hand to hand with Formidable grappling HMS Triumph and forcing her to strike. She was the grappled by S Barflure. The Spanish where not to be left out with three of their ship America, San Rafael and Terrible all grappling HMS Agamemnon.  

Barflure eventually overcame Formidable but Agamemnon though she over came one attacker was overwhelmed. The HMS Glory passed close along the tangled ships and fired in to them at point blank range with devastating results. San Rafael and Agamemnon slipped beneath the waves while America was left crippled. The British press reported Agamemnon sank bue to Spanish not English fire....

HMS Defiance was mauled by the French and would probably strike if another turn or two had been played but Swiftsure was battered and forced to strike.

Let's look at the score.  HMS Ajax was Captured by the French but Formidable was taken by the English. The Allies lost Argonauta, America and San Rafael sunk, while Swiftsure and Firme where forced to strike, in addition Terrible and Pluton took significant damage(below half). Several other allied ships suffered minor to moderate damage. On the English side, Hero and Agamemnon were sunk, HMS is Triumph was forced to strike and had only two hull left so she is probably scuttled, Barfleur, Malta, and Defiance significantly damaged (below half) Additionally Dragon and Glory are Damage but still fully able to fight.  The allies have 10 ships that are still more or less fully combat capable while the English have 7 (both side include ships with some damage). 

             Allied vs English

Captured     1 vs 1

Sunk             3 vs  2

Struck           2 vs 1

Damaged   6 vs 5 (all types) 

Over all I would call this a Minor English victory.  Both Sides are battered but the English Government probably won't sack the British Admiral as they did historically.  I suspect the French ships run to Ferrol with thier prize though they might be able to try again the next day if they felt specially aggressive.  Napoleon probably still heads to Austria as I don't see the French pushing on to Brest after this mauling.