The Singapore Sling, Vol 6: News From Our PBEM Campaign

 Our naval defence correspondent "Neptune"offers another column from his vantage point at the Empire Lounge, Raffles Hotel (reflecting state of play in our PBEM campaign after five turns, with much information concealed for the purposes of OPSEC - ref).

BATTLE OF RABAUL:  A PYRRHIC VICTORY?

The Royal Navy has now confirmed that an engagement occurred several weeks ago, approximately fifty nautical miles north of the German held portion of New Guinea.   The naval community here is stunned by the Admiralty's admission that a prized battlecruiser, HMAS Australia, was lost in the battle, while many of its crew were rescued.  

While details remain scarce, it is reported Australia, flying the flag of Rear Admiral Patey, accompanied by the light cruiser HMAS Melbourne, encountered the squadron of the Arch-Pirate, Von Spee.   In the battle that followed, the Admiralty claims that the German heavy cruiser Gneisnau was sunk and her sister ship, Scharnhorst, was badly damaged.   It is not known if Von Spee himself survived the battle.   After delivering the coup de grace to Gneisnau, Melbourne went to the assistance of the flagship, and after a long struggle to contain flooding below decks, the order to abandon ship was given.   

Admiral Patey giving the order to abandon ship:  artist's impression.

The Admiralty reports that Admiral Patey was the last man off the Australia.   We are confident that the sacrifice of this fine ship, though mourned throughout the Dominion for which it was named, was worth the crippling of Von Spee's squadron.

HOMECOMING IN HONG KONG

The crew of the SS Diplomat have arrived in Hong Kong to a hero's welcome.  Faithful readers will recall that this merchant ship was freed from the clutches of the German raider Emden by the timely arrival of HMAS Sydney under Captain Glossop.    

Crewmen of the Diplomat, happy to be free and ready to return to service.

The rescued sailors all spoke well of their erstwhile captors, who they report were generous with rations, small comforts, and extra clothing.  These grateful mariners have promised to stand a round of drinks to their rescuers, the next time they find themselves in port together.

A LETTER FROM "ODYSSEUS"

An American friend, a mate on a US tramp steamer, has asked to forward some mail from an unlikely source, the crew of the Empire's piratical nemesis, the Emden.  The letters are all the everyday longings of ordinary sailors far from home, and Neptune does not feel that they merit the attention of the Royal Navy.   One in particular seems worth sharing with our readers, as it shows how this German crew seems to be enjoying their war so far.

My Dearest Freya

I am taking advantage of a letter to the Singapore Sling to give you an update from your wayward Odysseus.  We are very much enjoying our travels in Eastern Seas, meeting many ships along the way – Dutch, Japanese, Brazilian, American and Swedes but mostly British.   We have some British officers on board as guests currently.  Unfortunately, they may be delayed from their scheduled travel plans.

I have acquired some interesting items in my travels, including some fine whisky, a grandfather clock that would go well in our parlour and some silk dresses for you and the girls.    

Yours

Siegfried

THE VISE CLOSES ON TSINGTAO

A journalist friend of Neptune, who writes for the Tokyo Shinbone, has just returned from a visit to the Japanese army forces that have invested the port of Tsingtao.     He reports that fresh troops are arriving daily and the German lines are receiving continuous naval bombardment.

Modern day samurai survey the battlefield.

With such a commitment from our allies, the fall of this German colony can only be a matter of time.

WORRISOME LOSSES OF MERCHANT SHIPS

The Admiralty reports that merchant ships continue to go missing.  The latest reports admit that eight British merchantmen are feared lost:

The British steamer SS Sophie, said to have been carrying luxury goods to Sydney.

The British liner SS St Osmund, with some forty souls taking passage.

the British steamer Zephyr, with a load of livestock out of Capetown.

The British sailing ship St Hilda, carrying rice and foodstuffs out of Bombay.

All four ships were last reported in the Gulf of Thailand.

Also missing:

The British steamer SS Caledonia, a grain ship out of Vancouver, and the SS Jupiter, carrying tea from Ceylon, both last known to be in the Bay of Bengal.

The British steamer SS Clan MacGregor, carrying heavy equipment from the US to India, last known to be in the Caroline Islands, and the SS Star of Commerce, a grain ship out of Vancouver, also last known to be in the Caroline Islands.

MORE RUSSIAN GOSSIP

Neptune's good friend, Kapitan Grigory Orlov, the Russian military attache who does his share to prop up the bar here at the Empire Lounge, turned up recently as the escort of a very attractive lady typist from the Japanese embassy (Neptune takes this as a hopeful sign that Russo-Japanese hostilities are easing).

Over a Sake Sling, Kapitan Orlov confided to your humble scribe that recent liaison trials between the Japanese Airship Yuhi-go (Majestic Flight) and a Russian submersible in the Western Pacific have been very successful.   The Japanese electronics skills have proven that wireless communication with a submarine beneath the waves are possible!  Truly astonishing, and if true, this will prove worrisome to the beastly Hun.

Neptune could not resist a sally of wit, namely that this must be the first Russian submersible in the Western Pacific since the Battle of Tsushima, at which Kapitan Orlove stalked out, leaving Neptune with the tab.  The lady typist however remained and proved an excellent companion.

Your humble correspondent Neptune welcomes all tips and information, especially when accompanied by a drink offer.  He can be found most days at the Empire Lounge, at his usual table for the 4pm Happy Hour.  Ask Fernando to point him out to you.

Canadian Wargamer Podcast Episode 31 w Mike Hoyt

 

Finally caught up and am posting the second of two CWP podcasts that James and I did this summer. In Ep 31 we caught up with Mike Hoyt, owner of Battlespace Publishing. Mike is a military officer with an interest in the realistic modelling of conflict and with several rules sets to his name.

Canadian Wargamer Podcast Episode 30 With Andrew Dobson

 Catching up here with recent activity from the highly intermittent Canadian Wargamer Podcast.  Andrew Dobson is a promising young hobby entrepeneur and has a keen interest in naval history.  He's a good illustration of how 3D printing is changing the supply chain for wargamers.   

The Singapore Sling, Vol 5: News From Our PBEM Naval Campaign

 Our naval defence correspondent "Neptune"offers another column from his vantage point at the Empire Lounge, Raffles Hotel (reflecting state of play in our PBEM campaign after five turns, with much information concealed for the purposes of OPSEC - ref).

BATTLE AT RABAUL

News is just now arriving here of a sea battle near the German-held port of Rabaul on the New Guinea coast.   Details remain scarce but it appears that several ships of Admiral Patey's powerful Australia Squadron have intercepted a German naval force, possibly even that of Admiral Von Spee himself!   However, Neptune's sources with the Royal Navy have gotten tight-lipped, even after repeated rounds of pink gins at your humble scribe's impecunious expense.    We await further news with eager anticipation, and remain confident that our gallant sailors will have banished the Kaiser's pirates to the bottom of the sea.

PREPARATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Doubtless related to the aforementioned battle near Rabaul, there is news via telegraph of an urgent request from the Australian authorities for hospital trains to be prepared and sent to the port of Cairns.  It is most likely that these trains will be sent to succour the survivors of Von Spee's squadron, as befits the most chivalrous instincts of our gallant imperial allies.   

Angels of Mercy.

A DISCOURAGING LIST OF MISSING VESSELS

Readers of Neptune's last column were surely cheered to learn that the Royal Navy had freed the crew of the British flagged SS Diplomat and captured their gaolers, a prize crew of the pirate vessel Emden.  We expect the Diplomat to return to Hong Kong shortly.   

However, it must be said that the list of merchant ships missing grows apace.   The Admiralty now admits that four more ships are missing:

Steamship Mersey Girl, British, carrying livestock bound for Singapore, last know position in the Bay of Bengal. 

Sailing ship Madeleine, British, carrying tea from Bombay bound for Capetown, overdue.  Last seen entering the Bay of Bengal.

Sailing ship Gullwing, British, carrying textiles bound for Canada, overdue at a port stop, last seen entering the Caroline Islands.  

Sailing ship Hakana Maru, Japanese, carrying grain from San Francisco, overdue in Japan, last seen in the Western Pacific.

The Madeleine in happier times.

Neptune's friends in the local maritime insurance business are not alarmed, but they privately tell that they are considering an increase in premiums.  Confidence is high that the Royal Navy and its gallant allies will rise to this challenge.

THE COLONIES ANSWER THE CALL

Men queuing to enlist: a familiar sight across Australia and New Zealand.

News from our Australian correspondent at the corner of the bar here in the Empire Lounge is that across the length and breadth of Australia, men are flocking to the colours.    The same is true in New Zealand.   Stories abound of frantic preparations to train and equip these brave lads, and to convey them to the Seat of War.   Reports from Sydney say that the harbour is full of requisitioned ocean liners, and that a mighty convoy will soon be ready to sail for [DESTINATON REDACTED].

Your humble correspondent Neptune welcomes all tips and information, especially when accompanied by a drink offer.  He can be found most days at the Empire Lounge, at his usual table for the 4pm Happy Hour.  Ask Fernando to point him out to you.

The Singapore Sling, Vols 3-4: News From Our PBEM Naval Campaign

Our naval defence correspondent "Neptune"offers another column from his vantage point at the Empire Lounge, Raffles Hotel (reflecting state of play in our PBEM campaign after four turns, with much information concealed for the purposes of OPSEC - ref).

Our esteemed readers will know that news travels slowly to this outpost of Empire, and especially now as the better passenger ships and fast steam packets are being requisitioned for the war effort.   However, your correspondent recently accepted a large pink gin from another ink-stained wretch, an American journalist newly arrived from South Africa who kindly shared this story with The Sling:

New York World

Sunday, 9 August 1914

OUR MAN IN SIMONSTOWN 

WITH THE ENGLISH AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR

 By Herbert J. Forrester III

 Last week, a kid stood over an ants’ nest, watching with fascination as the ants poured from their holds and rushed about in frenzied activity.  Focussed on their tasks, the kid is beyond their notice.  Except the kid is me, your esteemed correspondent, and the nest is the English Royal Navy base at Simonstown, South Africa.  And the ants are the brave sailors of that great island country.

Last week, word was received of the outbreak of European war.  Long anticipated, it still came as a shock, but as I wandered the streets last Wednesday that shock quickly disappeared, and was replaced with long-practiced drills.  Libertymen, normally requiring the persuasion of a marine to return to their ship after long stints ashore, rush back and crowd the gangplanks eager to get to grips with the enemy. 

I am only allowed to send this report on sufferance, so cannot speak in detail of the ships for fear of altering the Germans to their identity, but suffice it to say these steel castles retain all the towering imposition of their wooden forbears.  To a civilian such as myself, accustomed to the sight of the Great White Fleet, they might seem old and antiquated.  But their crews are not, and that is the one factor which the pages of Janes do not convey.  There is a palpable battle spirit among these men, transformed instantly from easy-going shore leave men, a little too much full of liquor, to zealous professionals, by the mere arrival of a telegram giving notice of war.

His Majesty's Dockyard, Simonstown

My own experience has not been entirely pleasant.  Despite our shared language, I am as much a “Jonny Foreigner” as any European.  Indeed, on Saturday I found myself arrested by a polite but insistent Marine sergeant who escorted me to a comfortable but locked room in the base’s officer’s mess.  There I was soon joined by a very worried but affable Russian gentleman, formerly a tailor and now suspected, like myself, of spying.  He was convinced he was to be shot, and indeed although I reassured him as much as I could, in the frenzied atmosphere of that day I could not entirely discount the possibility myself.

In the end, after several hours comfortable imprisonment, an admiral arrived to interview us personally.  His name was Kingall, and he was a harassed old gentleman, but one in whose eyes the light of battle shone.  A brief interview with me was enough to convince him of my credentials and I was released, but the tailor was requested to join the admiral for “further duties”.  I admit I felt a pang of sympathy for him as he looked back.

Overall, it is clear that for these Europeans, “the moment” has arrived.  So long expected, they are now ready for combat.  It remains to be seen who will triumph, and what their victory will mean for the United States.

"THE NAVY'S HERE!"  THRILLING RESCUE OF BRITISH SEAFARERS

Fears for the safety of merchant commerce in the Pacific continue to rise as a number of merchant vessels of the allied nations have been reported missing in recent days.   Following the disappearance of the British steamer Matheran, the French merchantman Annatoile has been reported missing somewhere in the mid Pacific.  Who knows how many other peaceful ships have been intercepted by the Kaiser's pirates?

Today however the glorious news has reached us that the British merchant ship SS Diplomat was briefly in the clutches of the Hunnish eagle, but has been rescued by the cruiser HMAS Sydney under her intrepid Captain John Glossop.     

6

HMAS Sydney visiting Singapore before the current hostilities.

Sydney sighted the Diplomat in the company of her captor, a German cruiser, in one of the labyrinthine channels of the Dutch East Indies, and the Hun departed the scene like the proverbial thief in the night.  Electing to ensure the safety of the merchant, Captain Glossop, like a seaborne constable, freed the prisoners and apprehended a prize crew who are part of the ship's company of the German cruiser Emden.  The gaolers gaoled!  Our gallant Australian friends are patrolling the Dutch East Indies for further sign of the dastardly pirates, joined no doubt by ships of our allies.   We look forward to seeing the men of the Diplomat safely back in a British port.

NEWS FROM OUR RUSSIAN FRIENDS 

One never knows who will wash up here at Raffles, or what stories they may tell.   Earlier today I came across my dear friend, Kapitan Grigory Orlov, the Naval Attaché here.  Disappointingly, he did not have snow on his boots, but to be fair, he has been in the Pacific for some time.   

Kapitan Orlov pushed a large vodka sling in my direction and winked conspiratorially as he told me that "A Russian submarine of the Narval class was transferred from the Baltic Fleet to the Siberian Fleet in the summer and after extensive testing with the latest long range high speed 21” torpedo code name тайфун (Typhoon) has left Vladivostok heading to the Barents Sea."

While the veracity of this claim is unproven, Neptune has heard that a "powerful squadron" of Russian warships from the Vladivostock squadron has been put at the disposal of the Allies in this part of the Pacific.  It remains to be seen if they will get along with our new Japanese allies!

THOUGHTS OF A FRENCH CAPTAIN

In our last issue we mentioned the French armoured cruiser Dupleix, which currently prowls the sea lanes on the lookout for France's ancestral foe (err, the Germans, not we English).  Her skipper, Capitaine Louis Juares, is a regular here at the Empire Lounge on port visits to Singapore.   Fernando, the barman, recently shared with me some scribblings on the back of a bar bill, which reveal the inner thoughts of this hero of La Republique.

 Diary Entry No. 17

This place is truly horrrid, much as I anticipated it would be in my last entry.

Dupleix has finally arrived in Guangzhouwan after our extended journey up and down the Chinese Coast.

I do not know what Admiral I have managed to upset to be assigned to this backwater of a colony,

in a rustbucket of a ship, crewed by what seems to me like the peak incompetence of the service. Men either so fresh they are barely boys anymore, or so old they would have been retired in any other circumstance.

But yes, yes. The war demands. And what of me? Does the war not permit me to show my merit in service against our true foes, the germans, where it really counts, in Europe?

What do they expect me to do here? A ship too slow to run away and to weak to fight if anyone worth fighting shows up? And even if I sink one, or even a couple. What does that matter if the Armies fight for Paris and Berlin on the other side of the globe meanwhile?

It is incomprehensible.

But to top it all off, I am of course placed under Albion Command. Those people don't know how to Command at sea! Sure, their ships are fancy, and their guns are quite good, but give them more than three ships at once, and see what happens.

Well, we will see....

The Singapore Sling Volume 2: News From Our PBEM Campaign

 Our naval defence correspondent "Neptune"offers another column from his vantage point at the Empire Lounge, Raffles Hotel (reflecting state of play in our PBEM campaign after two turns, with much information concealed for the purposes of OPSEC - ref).

TSINGTAO A FORTIFIED CAMP

Tsingtao in more pleasant times.

Neptune remembers Tsingtao as having a very pleasant climate, a curious German style rice beer, and some rather shocking Teutonic architecture.  However, he has just spoken to several English families on the last steamer out  before the declaration of hostilities, and they describe that the town and port now resemble an armed camp.   Apparently there has been an influx of young German men from the Fatherland, and much activity in the harbour, which was sealed off by armed naval guards.   The English report that they were taken to their ship at night, so were unable to see much.   We hope that Admiral Jerram will find and destroy what now appears to be a nest of Hun raiders.

OUTRAGE IN THE CAROLINES

Sources in the Telegraph Exchange inform Neptune that an urgent message was overhead from the French colony Tout Compris in the Caroline Islands.   The message, which was incomplete, reported that the harbour was under attack by an enemy warship.  While we are tempted to explain this message by reference to the excitable temperaments of our Gallic friends, it is equally possible that some Hun raiders put to sea before the commencement of hostilities.    Such a possibility is concerning but our faith in the Royal Navy abounds.

The French armoured cruiser Dupleix.

Neptune wonders if finding the guilty party will be the task of the Dupleix.  This fine armoured cruiser is the first French warship to be assigned to the Pacific, and we welcome her contribution.

 SS MATHERAN MISSING

SS Matheran in happier times.

The mercantile community is expressing concerns that a fixture of these coasts, the SS Matheran, is overdue.  Her last reported position was in the Caroline Sea, and there are fears that she may have encountered the same Huns who attacked Tout Compris.  

Neptune welcomes all tips and information, as well as drink offers.  He can be found most days at the Empire Lounge, at his usual table for the 4pm Happy Hour.

The Singapore Sling Volume 1: With News On the Naval Excitement in the Pacific

 Herewith a tongue in cheek narrative of "Swan of the East", the play by email game currently under way. M

From our correspondent "Neptune", from his vantage point in the Empire Lounge, Raffles Hotel, Singapore.

With war now broken out all over the vast globe, our eyes are firmly fixed on the Pacific and the drama being played out here as we await news from the battlefields of Europe.

WHERE IS VON SPEE?

Was it only this spring that Admiral Von Spee and his East Asiatic Squadron made a port visit here?  The belles of Singapore certainly remember with fond recollection his glittering train of young gallant young officers, and the many balls and soirees held in their honour.   Our understanding is that his squadron, now turned foe, are lurking at their base in Tsingtao, and it is hoped that the Royal Navy may soon bottle him up there.

A few other odds and ends are thought to be lurking about, including the light cruiser Koenigsberg, rumoured to be in one of Germany's East Africa ports, but we are told she poses little threat.

DEFENDERS OF THE EMPIRE

Like a naval version of the Round Table, the Royal Navy has a host of paladins who are equal to the task of defending the sea lanes and defeating the Kaiser's pirates.

Senior among them is the bluff old sea-dog, Vice Admiral Martyn Jerram.  His China Squadron is said to be departing Hong Kong as I write this to confront Von Spee in his lair at Tsingtao.

The handsome and experienced Rear Admiral Sir George Edwin Patey has the honour of commanding the Empire's first colonial squadron, the Royal Navy's Australia squadron.

Admiral Patey's flagship, HMAS Australia, is one of the Royal Navy's vaunted battlecruisers.  Fast and deadly, she is more than a match for anything the Kaiser has afloat in the Pacific.

From his base in South Africa, one of the Royal Navy's most seasoned salts, Rear Admiral King Hall commands the Cape Squadron.

While there are rumours that the German navy will try and sneak a ship or two around the Cape and into the Pacific, we have no doubt that Admiral King Hall and his crack squadron will see them off.

ALLIED ASSISTANCE

A source in the Russian consulate here in Singapore tells us that a powerful squadron of the Czar's navy has departed its based in Vladivostock to assist the Allied cause.   We hear that these ships are commanded by veterans and boast the latest technology, a surprise to us as we thought the Russian navy was wiped out by the Japanese, whom we also are told will soon be our new allies.   In this strange world, old enemies are new comrades.

If you have news that you would like to share with our correspondent "Neptune", he can usually be found in Raffles Hotel most afternoons starting at the 4pm Happy Hour, and he would be happy to accept your offer of a drink and news.

Mike's Fighting Ships: A Player's Aid for the Swan of the East PBEM Game

Lately my modelling and hobby work has focused on cranking out 1/2400 scale ships for the Great War naval campaign that I'm running.  I'd love to say more about it, but it's all hush hush.   I look forward to telling the story when it's all over.

This blog post shows off the work I've done lately (a mix of Tumbling Dice and GHQ models) and is intended as a player aid to help recognize ships when I send digital photos of what the players might be seeing from their bridges.  I won't identify the ships, I'll just show them photos of what they see.  So in lieu of Jane's Fighting Ships, here is Mike's Fighting Ships.   

German battle cruiser, Moltke class.  Ships in class:  Moltke, Goeben.  10 28cm (11"), 12 15cm (5.9") guns, speed 25.5 knots.

German armoured cruiser, Scharnhorst class.  Ships in class:  Scharnhorst, Gneisnau. 8 21cm (8.3"), 6 15cm (5.9") guns, speed 22.5 knots.

German light cruiser, Magdeburg class.  Ships in class:  Magdeburg, Breslau, Strassburg, Stalsund.  12 10.5 cm (4.1") guns, top speed 27.5 knots.

German light cruiser, Dresden class.  Ships in class:  Dresden, Emden.  10 10.5cm (4.1") guns, top speed 25 knots.

German light cruiser, Koenigsberg class.  Ships in class: Koenigsberg, Stettin, Stuttgart, Nurnberg.   Ten 10.5cm (4.1") guns, top speed 24.1 knots:

British battle cruiser, Indefatigable class.  Ships in class:  Indefatigable, Australia, New Zealand.  8 12" guns, top speed 25.8 knots.

British pre-dreadnought battleship, Swiftsure class.  Ships in class:  Swiftsure, Triumph.  4 10", 14 7.5" guns, top speed 19 knots.

British pre-dreadnought battleship, Canopus class.  Ships in class:  Canopus, Glory, Albion, Ocean, Goliath, Vengeance.  4 12 inch guns, 12 6 inch guns, top speed 18 knots.

British armoured cruiser, Minotaur class.  Ships in class: Minotaur, Shannon, Defence. 4 9.2", 10 7.5" guns, top speed 23 knots.

British armoured cruiser, Monmouth class.  Ships in class:  Monmouth, Bedford, Essex, Kent, Berwick, Cornwall, Cumberland, Donegal, Lancaster, Suffolk.  12 6" guns, top speed 23 knots.

British armoured cruiser, Drake class.  Ships in class:  Drake, Good Hope, King Alfred, Leviathan.  2 9.2", 16 6" guns, top speed 23 knots.

British armoured cruiser, Devonshire Class.  Ships in class: Devonshire, Antrim, Argyll, Hampshire,  Carnarvon, Roxburgh. 4 7.5 inch guns, 6 inch guns, top speed 22 knots.

British  Town class light cruiser.  Various sub-classes, 21 in all.   6-10 6" guns, top speed 25 knots.

Japanese armoured cruiser (arguably a battle cruiser),   Ibuki class.  Ships in class:  Ibuki, Kurama.  4 12", 8 8" guns, speed 21.5 knots.

Japanese protected cruiser,   Chikuma class.  Ships in class:  Chikuma, Yahagi, Hirado.  8 6" guns, speed 26 knots.

Russian protected (light) cruiser Askold, unique design. 12 5" guns, speed 23.8 knots.

Russian Izumrud class protected (light) cruiser.  Ships in class:  Izumrud, Jemtchug.  6 4.7" guns.  Speed 24 knots.

Armed merchant cruisers (converted passenger ships).   Used by both sides.  Varying light armaments and speeds.

A humble and typical merchant ship.

Swan of the East: A Great War Naval PBEM Game - Players Needed

 

Hello friends:

If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know that I've been thinking about a Play By Email naval campaign loosely based on the exploits of the German raider Emden in the first year of the Great War.

I'm happy to say that I have some campaign rules, a map, and some models.   I already have some players, but I could use a few more.  If you'd like to be one of the Kaiser's pirates and command a swashbuckling commerce raider, or if you want to run with the hounds as a dogged Royal Navy squadron commander, please let me know.    I might even have a role for someone who wants to be Winston Churchill, First Sea Lord, so they can hector and annoy the other British players.

Have a look at the campaign rules (Dropbox link here) and if you like what you say leave a message in the comments with your command preference.   You can also email me at madpadre (at) gmail (dot) com.  Please be aware that while I will try to keep the game moving, it will not be for those needing instant gratification.

I hope to have the spots full and the players briefed by mid-June, and play start in July when I'm back from two weeks holidays.

Cheers,

Michael

Back to the Denmark Straits: Some GHQ WW2 Famous Adversaries

 The naval minded among you will know that today, 27 May, is the anniversary of the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck.  It seems like a fortuitous day to show off these recently completed 1/2400 naval models from GHQ.

Bismarck and Prinz Eugen:

Hard to tell which is which from this angle.   You can see how the British were confused at Denmark Strait and mistook Prinz Eugen for Bismarck, as the silhouettes are very similar.

Easier to tell them apart in this shot.  That's Bismarck on the left.

And of course their brave adversaries, including the poor doomed Hood and Prince of Wales beside her, though for some reason steaming in the opposite direction!

There's something rather sad about the fact that of these four ships, only one would survive the war.

Not much to say about the painting of these models, I start with a medium gray (Americana craft paint), then cover it with Army Painter Dark Tone wash, then a light drybrush with a light gray.    I paint the decks using Tamiya Deck Tan, and then give it a wash with Army Painter Light Tone.  The Light Tone has the added benefit of adding hints of rust to the hulls.   The bases are handcut polystyrene painted with Americana Navy Blue, drybrushed with Americana True Blue, and then stippled with light grey to give the wave effects.  The bow waves and wakes are a mixture of white craft glue and light grey paint.

Hopefully I'll find time to do a Denmark Strait matchup using the Naval Thunder WW2 rules, though in my heart I know who I want to win!   

Cheers and thanks for looking.  Blessings to your die rolls.

MP+

Some More Thoughts About a Great War Naval Campaign

Kapitän zur See Karl Von Muller, Emden's captain.

Grateful to Thomas Brandsetter, a reader of this blog, and with a cracking good blog of his own, for suggesting that I look at a YouTube video of a fantastic naval campaign, The Hunt for the Goeben,  which was great fun to watch and chock full of ideas worth stealing.  I especially liked how the GM focused it on the Goeben, but added friction between allied (French and English) forces, and also included the Austrian navy as a player.  I also admired how requiring that French troop convoys be escorted from N Africa to France added strategic constraints for the allies and possible targets for the German and Austrian players.

The 1914 campaign I'm contemplating is a little more abstract (area movement vs hex movement in the Goeben campaign) but there are allied navies (the French and Russians have several ships in the N Pacific and the Japanese may enter the war - think of the language problems), there are also allied troop convoys to be escorted, and adding Von Spee's squadron as a possible threat would keep the allies honest and give the star of the show, the Emden, some potential cover and helpful diversions of enemy hunters.

As an example of the area movement system I'm contemplating, here's a portion of the map from Avalanche Press' Cruiser Warfare, showing dispositions at the end of the Aug I turn (turns will be biweekly, two a month).  Ships can move one area a turn.

Here Emden has slipped out of Tsingtao at the start of hostilities, leaving ahead of a French and English fleet which are now blockading the German-held port; Emden's goal is to unite with Von Spee's squadron at a pre-arranged location and receive further orders.  Meanwhile, the rest of Admiral Jerram's China Squadron is keeping station in the South China Sea in case Emden tried to head south.  Unlike the Goeben game where ships move through specific hexes, the mechanic I am taking from Cruiser Warfare allows a ship or group of ships to search within an area each turn, with success after applied modifiers on a 5 or 6 on 1d6.  A "6" means that the searchers achieve surprise, rather like HMAS Sydney surprising Emden at the Cocos Islands.  I'm considering changing the mechanic slightly and using a d8 or even a d10, just to give the raiders more of a chance.

Once a ship is sighted, the next step is to determine time of day.   I think merchant ships will automatically be sighted during the day, but for encounters between hostile warships I'm thought of a d6 to determine AM or PM and a d12 to determine the hour of contact.   The next step would be a mechanism to determine the distance of the contact (close, medium, far) and that might be up to the player, eg "You see smoke of [# of ships] on the horizon, do you wish to investigate or to steer away from the smoke?".  After that it would be a matter of the relative speed of the ships, possibly limited by damage from a previous encounter or coal supplies, to see whether a fight happens.

Thinking about the time of day a fight might occur led me to investigate night-fighting according to Naval Thunder: Clash of Dreadnoughts (NTCD), the rules I will be using for this campaign.  The German Navy put great stock in night fighting, and you may recall that at Jutland several British ships were mauled when they got caught in searchlights and gunfire.  In NTCD, the German player enjoys a first salvo at night, which means that a German raider might have a better chance to survive a combat if at night.

To test that proposition, I introduced two likely opponents, SMS Koenigsberg, sortieing from her starting position in East Africa, and the HMS Weymouth (below).

Both ships are light cruisers, but Weymouth has superior guns (6 inch vs 4 inch) and can take more damage (22 damage points to the German 14).  Both ships are lightly armoured, so any hit had a good chance of penetrating and causing critical damage.   Since I was pressed for time, I used the mapboard from the old Avalon Hill game Wooden Ships and Iron Men, and the counters from Avalanche's Cruiser Warfare.  I used the stats and rules from NTCD.

I played three encounters, starting at medium or close range and in all three fights the German first salvo was a definite advantage.  In the first fight, Weymouth obligingly exploded from a magazine hit before it could return fire.  In the second and third, Weymouth returned fire but also lost, though not before causing enough damage to Koenigsberg to make her future raiding career precarious.  The lesson is that while the German player should avoid battle whenever possible, a night fight offers the best chance of survival.

Next steps:  

1) keep play testing

2) write a simple set of rules and briefings for players (reach out if you're interested in a slow PBEM campaign)

3) recruit some players for a June start

4) build more model ships!

Thanks for reading and always grateful for your ideas and suggestions.

Cheers and blessings,

MP+

Mustering Into Service: Rostovski Regiment (SYW Foundry Figs)

Marching out of the basing depot and mustering into the Czar's service is this new regiment for my Russian Seven Years War army.  These are 28mm Foundry figures, Russian infantry in red waistcoats, and they fly the banner of the Rostovski Regiment (flags by Adolfo Ramos).   They are mostly painted using the Foundry tri-tone system.

The Rostovski Regiment was formed under Peter the Great and fought in several of the big battles in Eastern Prussia, including Gros-Jagsersdorf and Zorndorf.

I always try to add Foundry's character packs to my large units and there are some tucked into these bases.  On the left below, Fyodor still wears his servant's wig that he felt privileged to wear as valet to young Sasha Grigorevich Solovev.  Now that the master is a lieutenant commanding the colour party, Fyodor is his self-appointed bodyguard. 

Private Gervasi Stepanov is mindlessly cheerful and always does his best to improve morale.

Private Morozov is getting a bollocking from his corporal for picking his nose in ranks.

Isaak Osipov is boasting about the rabbit he shot while on picket duty, "Clean through the skull, like that Jager I potted at Gros-Jagersdorf, remember?"  Looks like I need to revisit Isaak's bayonet with some silver paint!

Captain Sergei Kovalev inspects his men before they go on parade.   The good captain is on a single base for games using Sharp Practice.  I like how the Foundry Russian officers in this set all carry carbines, it gives them a business-like look.

Father Mikhail Mikhailovich blesses the regiment's colours.

Good opportunity to put all of my Russian SYW army on parade.  I definitely need more light cavalry!

Many thanks for looking, and blessings to your brushes!  Happy Easter.MP+