Schlaup's Farm: A Seven Years War Sharp Practice Game

It's been a while since I took out the Too Fat Lardies Sharp Practice rules, and I wanted to give them a try with some Seven Years War figures, and they worked surprisingly well.   I was also reminded of how well the chit/card format works for a solo game.

I dipped into my Prussian and Russian collection to put two small forces together.   I didn't use any points, just picked two small forces that seemed appropriate for the Seven Years' War kleine krieg.

The Prussians got a light cannon, a group of 8 hussar skirmish cavalry, a group of six jaeger rifle armed light infantry, and two groups of musketeer line infantry.  They had four Big Men: a Lvl 3 in overall command, a Lvl 2 with the cannon, a Lvl 1 w the line infantry, and a Lvl 2 with the Jaegers.

The Russians got a group of 8 hussar skirmish cavalry, a group of six musket armed skirmishers (Pandours), three groups of 8 musketeer line infantry.   They had three Big Men: a Lvl 1 with the hussars, a Lvl 2 with the line infantry, and a Lvl 3 in overall command.

After Turn 2 some of the opposing forces are on the table, shattering the peace of the Schlaup Farm and its inhabitants. Prussians on the left side.  I wish I knew why I insisted on fighting end to end and not side to side.   I randomly selected the Prussians as defenders so they get to deploy a little further forward from the jump off points.

The two opposing groups of hussars looked at each other and growled.  It was the Prussians who got the first card and elected to charge at the canter so they catch the Russians standing.   Since the Russian hussars are classed as irregular cavalry I thought about giving them the evade option but as I read SP, that is only allowed to troops classified in the lists as skirmishers.  So it goes badly, the Prussians lose 2 men and their Big Man is wounded, going to a Lvl 0, but the Russians lose half their 8 men and are thrown back with lots of shock.  The Prussian hussars on the left are by Front Rank, I don't have any idea who made the orange chaps on the right, some of my earliest painted figures.  Falcon, maybe?  Dunno.

Scharf's Rifles arrive and take up position behind a stone wall, which I count as light cover because it's only breast high.   This was my first time using these figures and this troop type.  In SP their rifles take 2 turns to reload but outrange muskets by 12", so they are useful troops best employed at long range.  They do have the evade characteristic which is handy because they are few in number, and a 6 figure group is more vulnerable to shock than an eight figure.   In SP, these troops can reduce their reload time to 1 action (the action cost for smoothbore muskets) instead of the usual 2 using the Tap Reload rule, which states that "This is a poor choice in the long-term as it causes damage to the rifling on their weapon, however, in extremis, it may be an attractive option" (p. 43).  However, the rules don't state what effect this damage might have and how long before it takes effect.   Probably a factor in a campaign game.  These are Foundry figures as featured in my previous post, and they are having their maiden action.

More light infantry action.   The Russian jaegers (I'm calling them pandours) take up position behind a stone wall and await the Prussian line which are slowly making their way forward through a muddy field.   Unlike the Prussian jaegers, the pandours are musket armed, so their only advantage on the table is that they are classed as skirmishers and can also evade.   It was a mistake leaving them to face the Prussian line alone.  Even with the benefit of light cover from the stone wall they are outgunned six muskets to sixteen, with no range advantage.  I should have tucked them inside the farmhouse, but they might have been lost to me from a bad looting test - quite likely, really, given that these are rough and wild troops.  

One thing I like about SP is the random events, which can occur if three command cards or chits are drawn.  In this case, a random event happened to the Prussian line infantry.  Their Lvl 1 Big Man stepped in something awful and, since he is evidently a pomdaded and perfumed sort of fellow, his Command Rating fell from 1 to 0.  He would need to get to the courtyard, find a well, and wash.   I got a good snicker out of that.

As mentioned, the pandours should never have been left that far forward.   They inflict a little shock on the advancing Prussians and their stinky leader, but the Prussians stop, present, and unleash a first volley that kills two pandours and sends the rest reeling back with lots of shock.  So a lesson learned.

 

But what about the Russian line infantry?  They were stolidly advancing up the centre of the table.  The Prussian light cannon got a few shots in, killing a few and causing shock, but according to the Russian SYW army list I was using, Russian line have the "Stoic Serfs" characteristic, which allows them to "ignore the first point of shock for each round of fire received or round of fisticuffs".  A very useful ability that rings true to accounts I've read of battles like Kunersdorf (which had its anniversary ysterday!).

So the Russian line continued to advance at a slight oblique towards the stone wall held by the jaegers, and being careful not to show their flank to the hussars, who in turn were reluctant to face that mass of bayonets.   

At this point I stopped taking photos so I'll briefly describe the outcome.  The pandours fell back and were out of the fight.  The Russian Lvl 3 Big Man was lightly wounded trying to rally them.  Meanwhile the Russian line infantry pushed up to the wall, firing at the evading jaegers and killing two of them.   Their advance carried two of the three groups in the formation over the wall but the third group was now separated from their comrades by the right angle of the wall, so I ruled that they were broken off from their formation.  Leutnant Stinky, having disposed of the pandours, broke off one of his two groups and along with the cannon they made life miserable for the exposed group of Russian musketeers, which lost three men and took a lot of shock.

The depleted Russian hussars thought they might sneak around the barn and catch their nemesis in the rear, but the cards went against them, the hunters became the hunter, and in a second melee the Russians lost two more men without doing any damage.  The survivors were out of the fight.  The Prussian hussars had nothing between them and the Russian deployment point, so they galloped up, captured the cart of fodder and vodka, and with the Russian morale rapidly collapsing, I called it a day.

Things I learned:

1) I was reminded how good SP is for solo play.  As long as I can play a complete turn, I can leave it and come back to it when time permits without forgetting a unit that hasn't moved.

2) I use chits but I really need to make some playing cards, the chit pull is awkward and the way I've painted the MDF chits, they tend to stick together.  Also, I allowed myself to put the Tiffin chit back in the cup if it came up too quickly and only apply it the second time.

3) Light infantry and skirmishers are fun to use but the caveats described above apply.  They are too vulnerable to be left in the open.

4) Cannon are fun but don't expect too much of them.  Rolling ten dice is a pleasant experience, and it will cause some damage, but with two actions to reload and one to lay the gun to get the extra dice, it means that a cannon will at best fire every second turn.

5) Formations, formations, formations.   Two, or better yet, three groups of lined infantry in formation, ideally with a subordinate leader to help reduce shock, are terrifying to face if handled properly, and their first fire is a veritable Death Star.   However, they are easily disrupted by bad terrain.

6) Don't forget that a Big Man needs to spend a Command Action to activate a group or formation he's with.   It's not automatic.   It was one of those details I'd forgotten from previous games.

7) A little terrain goes a long way.  I think the table I set up had a good mix of terrain to troops.

One final thing, I mentioned that I was using Sharp Practice army lists for the SYW and yes, I have lists for the Russians and Prussians but I'm blessed if I know where they came from.  If you'd like them, let me know in the comments and I'll send them to you.

Cheers and blessings to your die rolls!  MP+

New Grenadiers and Jaegers for Der Alte Fritz

I have a little ritual when I finish painting a horse and musket era unit.  I like to "muster it in" to the army I'm currently working on, and so, having shown you the Prussian grenadiers finished in my previous post, I wanted to stage a little parade with their compatriots from IR3 Anhalt Dessau.  Together they will represent the 3/6 Von Kleist Converged Grenadier battalion, which is drawn up for inspection here by Der Alte Fritz.

Frederick and his glittering staff watch the regiment pass in review.  As a converged grenadier battalion, they would not have carried any colours.  Almost all of these figures are by Foundry, a few of the staff are from the Front Rank / Gripping Beast line.

A six stand unit in 28mm is large for the average table, to be sure, but it's my preferred unit size and works well for smaller battles.  For a larger fight, I use three stands to represent a foot regiment and two stands to represent cavalry, so it works.  Here Frederick has the regiment gathered for an inspiring speech, in which he calls them a parcel of rogues and tells them to earn their laurels in the thickest press of the battlefield, etc etc.

The King's eye is caught by a grenadier answering the call of nature.

"Sirrah, a grenadier should know better than to be caught in an exposed position!"

"Yes, sire, but rest assured I fight as fiercely as I piss!"

"Hmm, should I flog this rascal or promote him?"

Frederick pauses to chat with two pioneers and urges them to keep their axes sharp and clean.

Next on his itinerary, the King watches a demonstration of light infantry tactics by a newly raised regiment of Jaegers zu Fuss.  Captain Scharf of the Jaegers puts his green coated men through their paces.

The King wonders if hiding and skulking behind walls is quite becoming of soldiers.   However, he is soon impressed by the sharp crack of their rifles.  "Perhaps they will be useful against those verdamnt Croats!"

Historically there wouldn't be much call for light troops in a game depicting a pitched battle.  However, a skirmish game, especially one set in the kleine krieg with jaegers, pandours, cossacks and hussars cries out for a unit like ... Scharf's Rifles.   OK, I'll get my coat.

So these jaegers, like the grenadiers, are Foundry figures are painted mostly using Foundry triad system paints.

Many thanks for looking and blessings to your brushes!

MP+

Of All The World's Brave Heroes, There's None That Can Compare To The Prussian Grenadiers!

 Some talk of Alexander and some of Hercules 

Of Hector and Lysander, and such great names as these.

But of all the world's brave heroes, there's none that can compare.

With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, to the Prussian Grenadiers.

Apologies to any British grenadiers out there, but it seems a good song to celebrate finally finishing these lads.  They are the second half of an order to Wargames Foundry in the UK last year (currently my go-to range for the Seven Years War), but the poor fellows got tucked away half painted in preparation for our move last November, and I've finally dug them out of a box and pushed them over the finish line.

These brave fellows are painted to represent the grenadiers of the Von Retzow regiment, or the Grenadier Garde, as per Kronoskaf.   Together with a contingent of grenadiers I painted last year, they will form the 3/6 Von Kleist converged grenadier regiment.  Once I finish a skirmish currently occupying the table, I'll post a parade photo of all the grenadiers assembled.

Extremely terrifying and competent NCO.

Pioneer.  He came in a set of Prussian grenadier characters.  I've been trying my hand at painting eyes, he looks like he has the thousand yard stare going!

Another character figure.  Private Horst is falling out to do what we all have to do sometime.   A fun little vignette figure to tuck away on the battlefield.  He'll probably catch Frederick's eye and get a tongue lashing!

Very happy to get these fellows finished and hopefully christened in battle soon, where they will doubtless fare as poorly as all first time units do!

Cheers, thanks for looking, and blessings to your brushes! MP+

What A Tanker! Skytrex 1/300 Scale Tanker for Torpedoes and Tides

When I posted pics of this model on my Bluesky social media feed, my friend James called it "the scummiest vessel he'd ever seen", a nice tribute to Stan Rogers and to my intention to paint this Skytrex model as a hardworking little tanker.   And yes, this post's title is a little joking reference - IYKYK as the yutes like to say.

Not much more to say about this model, it's from the Skytrex Cruel Seas range, 1/300 scale models that work well with the Torpedoes and Tides rules I like.  It's straight out of the box, resin hall with some metal bits, no mods, just some heavy drybrushing and some rust effects to make it look like the tramp steamer she is.

When Joy and I were waiting to disembark in Vancouver last summer at the end of our Disney cruise, a little oiler barge came alongside our ship to fuel it, and I was amused at the contrast between this working vessel and the pristine cruise ship, so i tried to capture that memory here.

No flags, I want this ship to be a target for E boats or RN torpedo boats.

Thanks for looking and blessings to your brushes!

MP+

Getting Pushy - New WW2 Land Combat Rules From 4P Press

Hello friends:

I'll start with a disclaimer that what follows attempts to be an objective review of new WW2 rules, though the rules are also written by a dear friend of mine, so take what follows with however many grains of salt you require.  

If you ever explored Wargames Vault (WV), you know that there is a vast universe of resources there - rules, scenario books, STL files, paper models, anything that can be sold and delivered via download.  I suppose that most things offered on WV are like those self-published e-books that people sell through websites like Amazon.  And I suppose that many wargamers have the itch to write their own rules because aren't we are all sometimes dissatisfied with aspects of published rules for our favourite periods and we feel that our ideas are truer to how we imagine, say, a hoplite battle unfolding.   I've never tried to write and sell my own rules, but I know people who have and I respect them.

I've read that a few people get rich selling their own e-books online, but I don't think anyone's gotten rich off WV.  However, it is a niche market and a source of revenue for some.   4P Press is one of the most prolific WV publishers that I'm aware of, and the genius behind it is Patricia Phillips, who describes herself as "an autistic history fanatic".  I know her well enough to say that this self-description is only partially tongue in cheek.   Patricia's knowledge and interests are vast and her pen (well, keyboard) is seldom still.   4P's rule offerings on WV are many - WW1 flying, early 20th century race car driving, ironclad naval combat - and she also has a goodly number of STL files done with the help of her talented friend Chris Ferree.  Patricia would be the first to say that 4P is a labor of love and not a business, but I don't think she minds whatever sales come her way.

When Patricia offered me the chance to look at Push; A Game of Ground Combat 1930-45, her new WW2 rules (though as the title says they do work for the interwar period as well), I was curious and thought it was a chance to break out my neglected collection of 15mm toys.  The rules offer an interesting take on morale (called Stance) which is as important as firepower.  As the introduction states, "The philosophy behind Push is that combat comes down to two things: the side that pushes forward and the other side's efforts to push back".   This philosophy is behind the fire mechanics, of which I'll say a bit shortly.

Push is a company level game, so an infantry company will have three stands of infantry, an HQ stand, and maybe support weapons.  Troops have the usual ratings (Elite, Veteran, Trained, Poor) but these only matter for morale tests.   The most important thing about your troops in battle is their Stance (or combat effectiveness), which ranges from Pressing (gung-ho), to Steady, to Cautious, to Pinned, to Broken.   A stand that is Steady has a better chance of working under fire, moves faster, and shoots better than a stand that is Cautious or Pinned.

I'll try to explain these and other concepts as I walk through a little game that I set up to test drive the rules.   

Here two Canadian companies are attacking a village at a crossroads.  Each company has an attached 2 inch mortar section, and one has an attached HMG section.  The Canadians get a divisional (medium) artillery barrage once at the start of the game.  The German company has a light mortar and an MG42 section in support.

Canadian attackers.

German defenders.

Combat in Push is an expression of what the rules call Pressure (attack) against Resistance (defence).   If the Pressure dice exceeds the Resistance score, then the target decreases its stance.  For Indirect Fire (artillery and such), as well as Reaction (basically Opportunity Fire) only the attacker gets to throw Pressure dice and see if the score for each dice is greater than the target's Resistance (determined by it's stance) modified by cover.  In this case, the medium artillery get 4 Pressure dice against each stand or base within a 4" barrage area.  The German defenders in the initial barrage are all Steady so their resistance is a four, increased by +1 if dug in or +2 if in hard cover (the ruined village buildings).   

Initial barrage results.  Dug in German squad on the left goes from Steady to Cautious.   Squad in hard cover on the right takes three hits (three sixes on the Pressure dice roll!) and groes from Steady to Broken.

The barrage does some damage.   Now on to the first turn and the first phase is the Command phase, when you can call in offboard artillery and, more importantly, use your Gumption tokens.  Gumption is an interesting and important idea in Push.  Each side gets one token per company (maybe more depending on circumstances).   A Gumption token allows you to do various things, like automatically rally a stand and improve it's stance, combine the fire of two stands, and motivate one stand to do something heroic (the game calls this stance Pressing or Carrying the Push).  More about that below.

The next phase is Movement  which is done on an IGOUGO basis, one side moving all their units, and then the other moving.   Units that move in LOS of an enemy unit can be fired on at the time of moving  (same principle as described above, Pressure dice vs Resistance rating).   My Canadians advance and take some fire, one stand going Cautious (red token).     Units that use Reaction Fire can move in their turn, but can't participate in Combat unless it's a close assault so, if you want to shoot and you're on the defence, you have to decide, do I use Reaction Fire or wait until the Combat phase when all the enemy's moves are complete?

The Combat phase combines shooting and hand to hand assaults.  If a moving unit contacts an enemy stand, then assault is immediate.  Otherwise, all shooting that has not happened as Reaction Fire happens now.  Here's an interesting thing about how Push imagines combat - it's often simultaneous.  Both units fire or melee at the same time.  Both roll their Pressure Dice vs the enemy's Resistance rating and vice versa.  Whichever side rolls more dice that equal or exceeds the other's Resistance rating than the other successfully pushes the other's Stance down one or more levels.   

Here's an example.  A Canadian stand and the German MG unit engage in combat.  The MG gets 4 pressure dice, the Canadians three because they moved half or less of their movement of 6" in the open.  The Canadians' Resistance is a 4 because their Stance is Steady and they are in the open.  The German's Resistance is 5: Steady Stance and +1 for being dug in.  The Germans roll only one dice (4) that equals or exceeds the Canadian stance, and the Canadians only roll one dice (a 5) that equals or exceeds the German stance.   The result is a tie and neither side goes down a Stance level.   Push's idea of fire combat may seem counterintuitive, as in most systems A fires at B (eg, Prep Fire in Squad Leader) and sees if it can damage B.  With Push, I imagine simultaneous exchanges of fire so in this case, the Canucks went to ground when the MG opened up and returned fire with rifles and Brens, lots of shooting, no result.   It might have gone badly for the Canucks in the open but they were lucky.

The example discussed above - a good illustration of how the Combat Phase in Push can be mutual.  The black dice are the German Pressure rolls, the red dice are the Canadian Pressure rolls.

One of the things I like about Push is that there is no casualty removal.   Everything depends on Stance and if a unit goes to Broken, it just runs away or surrenders.

Fast forward to the last few turns I had to play and a good example of the Gumption mechanic.   As my attackers get closer, I decide to use a Gumption token to give raise one stand to Pressing.   Only a Gumption token can do this and it can only be given to a Steady stand.  It gives the stand an extra pressure dice and increases its resistance to five.  Perhaps the lieutenant gave an inspiring speech or these joes just have their blood up.   

In Push there is a subset of the Movement Phase called the Initiative Phase.  This allows one stand the benefit of surprise or extreme heroism.  It can't be targetted by Reaction fire and if it engages in Combat (fire or assault) it gets its licks in first and the defender does not roll its Pressure dice in response.    A player can spend a Gumption token to give +1 to an intiative roll if the HQ of the stand that might benefit from the initiative is touching another stand of the company and within 6".  In this case, I used my second Gumption token to give the Canadians a +1 on the Initiative Roll.   Canucks win the roll, and so my Pressing stand gets the Initiative.  It runs around the corner of the stone wall and is in among the German foxholes with grenades and bayonets.  It gets an extra Pressure dice, so four dice, gets lucky rolls, and shellacks the Germans with three hits, driving them from Steady to Broken.   Kamerad!

An example of using Gumption to influence events.  The two Union Jack tokens allow the Canadian stand top centre to be Pressing and to win the intiative, thus flanking and inflicting a buttload of hurt on the German stand.  The tokens are I think from Litko.

So that was enough to give me a taste of the rules and I will definitely try them again.   One thing I haven't mentioned or yet explored is that there are also rules in Push for armour and air support, minefields, and some suggestions for solo play.    Push also comes with enough data on troops and equipment for enough nationalities to satisfy hardcore gamers.   One of Patricia's super powers is research and copious data set compilation.

Push is a first edition, so there are a few details that were unclear to me, but I got prompt answers when I asked the author.  Patricia is on Bluesky (4ppress.bsky.social) and is planning a website for questions, FAQs, and discussions on her rules.  Push offers some interesting ideas for WW2 gaming, and is currently available on WV for the princely sum of $7.70USD, which is a small amount to support an indie publisher.  Do have a look.

Fresh From The Shipyards: Escort Vessels For Torpedoes and Tides

Hello friends:

In my last post, "Convoy Chaos", I had some photos of some shamefully underpainted German vessels and even black primed targets (I mean, merchant ships).   Since then I've been working on getting them finished for their next encounter.

Here is the 3D printed Raumboote or R Boat.  The German term literally means "clearance boat" and they were wooden hulled, fast vessels that could serve a number of roles: minesweeping, air-sea rescue, and convoy escort.  Over 400 were produced and served in all theatres.   Later versions were upgunned and some had torpedo tubes added.

I found this model on Thingverse.  If you search for "Cruel Seas" you'll find a number of nice models from the various countries' coastal forces.   It painted up well.  I added a copper wire mast and some Skytrex crew.

This beast is a Skytrex resin and metal model M Class minelayer.   In German they were called Minensuchboot and I gather that, like the R Boats, they were versatile ships that could play a variety of roles.

The Skytrex model includes crewed weapons and I added some figures to the bridge.

The two- models side by side to give a sense of how big the M class ship is.  In 1/600 scale it’s a bit of a beast.

And another perspective shot with the Skytrex Bangor class minesweeper.

Finally here’s the latest model from the 3D printer shipyards, an armed trawler to beef up my RN escorts.   I have some spare weapons in my Skytrex bit box including a crewed 3” gun.  Again it’s a Thingverse model so not sure how accurate it is but it’s a sizeable ship and should give the E-boats pause for thought.

Cheers and blessings to your boats.

MP+

Convoy Chaos! A Torpedoes and Tides Battle Report

I've now played a full solitaire game of Torpedoes and Tides, using the Campaign Rules.   I used all my Fairmille models to give me a flotilla of three MTBs and two MGBs.   The lead character was Lt. "Rocky" Rhodes but he didn't do so well so another boat commander ended up being my main character.  

I gave all the dogboats Q3, so the flotilla isn't green, but it's fairly new to the war, so just barely Competent  I rolled a Convoy Attack mission. We pick up the action in front of the Senior Naval Officer.

***

Lt John Miller, RCNVR, "Dusty" to his friends, stood uneasily in front of the desk of Commander Jennings, referred to soto voce in the flotilla as "The Dragon".    Jennings had been a year from retirement when the war began, and although he had been a dashing torpedo boat skipper in the last war, his approach was by the book and he did not like undisciplined Canadians.

Jennings put down the after action report and pointed his pipe stem at Miller.  "Well, you did well, at least, but it was a damned poor show all around."

Miller, still short of sleep, struggled to recall the events of last night.   The convoy had been there on its reported route, and had first been spotted by Lt Harry "The Hammer" Fields in his MGB.  "It's hammering time!" Fields had shouted over the radio as his guns unleashed on a small German escort, an R-boat at close range.   

The Canadian flotilla approaches in darkness under blinds.  The white cotton depicts a fog bank.  Harry's MGB is close enough to the Raum-botte and a freighter behind it that they come off blinds.   Harry fires, but to no effect.

"I don't know what Rhodes was thinking, having you all charging in pell-mell like that.   Officer cadet heroics have no place here!" 

"We were all eager, sir, it was our first show."  Miller recalled their flotilla skipper, Peter "Rocky" Rhodes, ordering them to "get stuck in, full throttle" and Miller suddenly finding himself within spitting distance of the small escort, its tracers flying overhead and chewing up his Fairmille's woodwork.

Miller's boat takes a point of damage and is now operating on one red dice.   Because the German now has initiative, and the R-boat must move at least a short move forward before turning, it bashes into the MTB of Lt Rouleau.   Both the British and German boats take damage.

The German R-boat skipper is undergunned but gamely hangs in, happy to play bumper boats and spoil the British attack.  Meanwhile, the other MGB in the flotilla, under Bruce "Fairway" McGregor, lights up the German freighter but doesn't do any real damage.  The red chits are for the optional muzzle flash rules, meaning that a boat that fires is easier to hit.

"There's a difference between eager and stupid," Jennings growled.  "I'd say getting your boat cut in half is just plain stupid."

Rhodes is too close to the oncoming German minesweeper, the large escort.   It was a hard way to learn the collision rules, especially as the British lost the initiative at this point and the Large German ship cuts through the MTB like a knife through butter.

"Yes, sir.  I hope my report made it clear that Lt. McGregor was able to rescue Rhodes and his crew while under fire."

Miller recalled glancing at the minesweeper, her secondary armament lashing the water as McGregor's men cooly plucked their mates from the sea.

"That was a good show, McGregor showed guts.  Good sort of man to have in a gunboat."

Jennings allowed himself a flinty smile.  "And you managed to redeem this dog's breakfast of a show."

"It was hard to miss at that range, sir.   Got the last freighter amidships and she broke in two.   We were able to get out in the confusion."

Miller fires two fish at close range, if he was any closer there wouldn't have been enough time for the torpedoes to arm.  He's rewarded with one hit, which does catastrophic damage to the freighter.

Jennings sat back in his seat and relit his pipe before looking up at Miller from under his bushy eyebrows.  "The MO is looking over Rhodes and his lot.  I can't produce dog boats from thin air, so you're down a boat and I'm giving you the flotilla.  Do better than Rhodes and you might keep it.  Go get some rest, you'll need it.  Dismissed."

***

At the dockyard, the base chief engineer says he's busy and shorthanded.  I roll a 5 on 2d6, and since I have one boat with two damage (Rouleau's MTB) and two boats with 1 damage (McGregor's MGB and Miller's MTB), I decide to fix one point on Rouleau's boat and one on Miller's.   The MTB's take precedence.  

All the crews in the flotilla get an experience point for being in a battle.  McGregor's crew gets an experience point for rescuing Rhodes and his crew.   Miller's crew gets three points for sinking an enemy freighter.

Rhode's reputation is not enhanced by losing his boat and two of his MTBs not firing any fish.   Rhodes' reputation goes down by 1 and is now -1.   

I now check for an event and Miller is awakened the next day to the unwelcome news that the base is getting a surprise visit from an Admiral.   There's enough time to make and mend and clear away last night's empty gin bottles.  The flotilla makes a good showing and the Admiral is pleased with his fighting Canadians.

I now need a personality for Lt Miller so I roll up the following stats for him:

Stamina: 3; Charisma: 3; Tactics: 4

We'll see if Dusty Miller has what it takes to keep the flotilla and do better than poor Rhodes.   

A note about the ship models:

The R-boat is a 3D print of a file from Thingverse (do a search there under Cruel Seas and you'll find all manner of helpful files).  The minesweeper and the three merchant ships are from Skytrex, and may get properly painted before their next outing.

Cheers and blessings to your die rolls!

MP+