Battle of the Maunch - Continued (3)

End of 1st Battle Squadron; here comes 2nd.

Tardy as it was, the arrival of 2nd Battle Squadron could not save the 1st. Already San Pareil had blown up, and Thunderer was falling out of the battle. The badly damaged cruiser Endymion was valiantly trying to rejoin the fray in the hope of doing enough damage in its own account that might compromise at least one Azurian battleship. Eighth Torpedo Boat Flotilla, all three vessels reduced to wrecks barely able to swim, was making their way out of the action.

HMS Hood takes on alone the whole Azurian fleet;
whilst the badly wounded Thunderer crawls away 
from the action (although its parting salvo scores a 
hit on Charles Martel)

HMS Hood had got the bit fairly between the teeth, all the same. In almost berserk fashion it drove round the head of the Azurian battle line. That allowed Chevalier Blanc to pass under Hood's stern, with the dire consequences that will soon be related. Hood was going after the most powerful ship in the Azurian Fleet, ANS Gaulois. 

Terrible carnage aboard Gaulois; devastation 
aboard Hood.

At near-on point blank range, Hood shoved four shells aboard Gaulois, three of them 12-inch. Holes appeared along the waterline, more fires broke out, and the last of its secondary guns were knocked out. Already without its rear turret, Gaulois's feeble reply did little damage in return.  Reduced to a wreck, aflame everywhere, its speed reduced by the amount of seawater taken aboard, Gaulois had perforce to swing out of the line.

Retribution was swift - and terminal. Directly astern, unengaged and at point blank range, Chevalier Blanc's gunnery savaged Hood, knocking out the bridge before placing two shells into the hull beneath the forward barbette. There was no saving the magazine from the huge fire that broke out (I had to roll for both critical hits, 5 -OK; 6 -Boom). HMS Hood vanished beneath smoke, flame and flying debris. Vice-Admiral Doughty had earned his Imperial Cross.

The end of the gallant Endymion - though not without 
some doing some hurt to Marceau

HMS Endymion didn't last much longer. Two critical strikes upon Marceau its guns scored, but there was no faulting Azurian gunnery in response. Already badly damaged by the early torpedo strike, and barely able to join the action, there was no surviving the seven hits scored upon the cruiser. In a welter of flame, smoke and wreckage, Endymion went down. 

Agamemnon and Commonwealth open fire...

One might say that the Azuria Oceanic Fleet had won a battle, but Admiral Jellibene's Squadron was in range, and coming up hand over fist, the survivors of 8th TBD Flotilla scattering before it. Opening salvoes from Agamemnon and Commonwealth struck Amiral Gantheaume, already somewhat wounded from the earlier action.

Quickly surveying what he could see of the action, the Admiral formed his plan. The Destroyer flotilla he signalled at once to engage the enemy. Seeing that the whole Azurian fleet was still afloat, he had reason to apprehend a sudden dash eastward to shoot up the invasion fleet. He signalled Royal Sovereign to direct its course due southward to cut off that likelihood. His two remaining ships set out upon a course in pursuit of the enemy battleships.

Now, I missed a picture, here, but the sceptical reader might be wondering how the Azurian torpedo boat flotilla had teleported itself from one edge of the board to the other. This is the effect of 'scrolling' the table. Ordered to engage the big Ruberian battleships the flotilla swung northward, whilst the rival battle squadrons continued their southwest courses. I had in fact to scroll east-west as well as north-south to centre on the action, and keep the ships on the board. This sized action is probably the largest that could be contained upon a table 12x15 grid cells.

A running fight develops as torpedo attacks go 
in from both sides

The next phase of the battle was characterised by torpedo attacks by both sides' flotillas. Twelfth flotilla was fresh; the Azurians were down to their last torpedoes. Coming up to Amiral Gantheame, S12 scored a hit, and put a 4-inch shell aboard as well. Distant Agamemnon and Commonwealth added the weight of a 12-inch shell or two upon the unfortunate rear-most Azurian vessel. Suddenly she stopped, smoke pouring from many fires, and went down.

S12 scores a hit - a fatal strike?

But the big ships had suddenly to deal with incoming torpedo boats. TB1 ranged up alongside Agamemnon, ready to fire off its missiles at close range. The Agamemnon secondaries, aided by R19, blew TB1 apart before its crew could launch. TB4 was luckier. Ahead of Agamemnon, it launched its last torpedo - and scored a hit! The damage was, however, but slight, and Agamemnon sailed on undisturbed. What of the remaining surviving torpedo boat? Sweeping in to attack, TB2 found itself in the path of the oncoming big ship. Badly damaged by gunfire already, TB2 had no chance. Rolled underfoot, TB2 disappeared. Damage to Commonwealth was trivial.

TB4 scores a hit on Agamemnon - which quickly 
contains the damage ( the '1' for effect)

Amiral Gantheaume goes down in flames.

What remained was a pursuit - and Amiral Génépi was now faced with a dilemma. Two of his ships, Gaulois and Marceau were badly damaged, their speeds reduced, and barely under command. Gaulois was also without its rear main turret, and most of its secondaries; Marceau holed, on fire where the sea water wasn't pouring in. Neither could possibly outrun the Ruberian battleships. Should he make off with his remaining two vessels (the gunboats had long left the scene, Phlegeton escorting the badly wounded Styx)? Or should he try to rescue them, hoping the combined gunfire of four ships could discourage the enemy. The other ships had also taken some shrewd knocks before 1st Battle Squadron could be beaten down. The major worry took the form of the modern 12-inch guns carried by Agamemnon and Commonwealth, which outranged his own best weapons. 

The Azurian fleet tries to escape...

For good or for ill, the Azurian commander chose the latter option. Chevalier Blanc would assist Gaulois; his flagship would help Marceau. But all ships had been badly knocked about. There was no question of taking the fight seriously the the enemy, but he had somehow to induce them to keep their distance. If he could escape without further loss, he might yet claim a victory ... of sorts...

Marceau and Charles Martel try to develop 
a rearguard action

That proved impossible for Marceau and Charles Martel. Although getting at first somewhat the better of the gunnery duel between them and the two big enemy ships, they couldn't keep off the 'R' class destroyers. Despite taking damage from Charles Martel's secondaries - assisted by Gaulois - R19 shoved a torpedo into Charles Martel. Now the Azurian flagship was in as parlous a state as the ship it was escorting. A long range hit from Royal Sovereign contributed to the carnage aboard the Azurian flag. 

Further torpedo attacks by 12th flotilla.

Chevalier Blanc did succeed in driving off S12. Although failing to sink the destroyer, the latter missed with its torpedo, then, barely afloat and under power, drew out of the action. 

But it was all up by now with the Azurian Fleet. The torpedo strike had left Charles Martel dead in the water and in a sinking condition (0FP remaining), later to be scuttled by its crew. ANS Marceau, damage to steering affecting its course, didn't last much longer. The gunners aboard Agamemnon and Commonwealth hit their straps, and slammed seven shells in quick succession aboard Marceau. That was more than enough. Ablaze from end to end, Marceau capsized and sank.

The loss of three Azurian battleships in quick succession:
Gaulois and Marceau sunk; Charles Martel in a sinking 
condition before being scuttled by its crew.

Perhaps more spectacularly, and to everyone's (i.e. my) surprise, just a single hit from Royal Sovereign was enough to finish off Gaulois. Adding to the destruction aboard the big ship, there was no saving it. 

That pretty much ended the battle - one highly destructive to both sides. Chevalier Blanc managed to get away (I just called it at this point, but it seemed reasonable), as did both gunboats and the sole torpedo boat remaining, TB4. So the Azurians lost four battleships and three torpedo boats. The cost to Ruberia, was pretty steep, however. Only Thunderer survived out of 1st Battle Squadron, and that only as a crippled wreck. Admiral Hood and Sans Pareil were both sunk, and the protected cruiser Endymion as well. Strangely, not a single destroyer was lost - although four out of six of them would be a long time in drydock undergoing repair.

Of course, the Ruberian press trumpeted the victory - a huge strategic success that had practically written down the Azurian Oceanic fleet as a factor in the war. The Azurian naval defeat in the Mesogesian (see 'Prologue') also augured badly for the Azurian war effort at sea. Not the most lavish praise - unstinted by both sides - of Amiral Génépi's gallant battle and rearguard action could disguise the disaster to Azuria's naval campaign. 

And let's not forget: the beach landing half of Operation Archduke could go ahead unmolested...

To be continued... The Beach Landing

Battle of the Maunch - continued (2)

 

Invasion begins!!

Operation 'Archduke' underway!

Great Naval Clash off Azurian Coast!!

Fighting along the beaches continues!

From Our Special Correspondent

"The Special Project meticulously planned and undertaken by our gallant soldiers and sailors has at last been set in train. The Maunch has been successfully crossed by our Grand Fleet, and, reports indicate, the army has effected a landing. However, the Azurian Navy made yesterday a determined effort to interfere with or halt the operation. 

So far, the outlook is obscure. Word so far received varies between a Disaster to Our Navy, to a Great and Glorious Victory! The situation ashore is no clearer. Although the Headquarters of General B.L. Montregard has remained quiet - whether owing to interrupted communications or a natural and wise reticence - such indications as we have received are that the day's objectives have not been quite met, and the landed troops have scarcely got off the beaches. It is widely apprehended that the whole operation might have to be abandoned, and the troops evacuated. Hope, considerably mingled with disquiet, prevails..."

Patrolling several nautical miles west of the beach landing objective, 1st Battle Squadron were on the southward leg of their beat when the smoke of approaching ships appeared upon the western horizon. No great powers of deduction were required to determine that this was the Azurian Oceanic Fleet - or at least a major part of it - come to oppose the landing.  Heading on a northeast bearing, it seemed that the Azurians might pass astern of the Ruberian battle squadron. This might well have suited Vice-Admiral Doughty - placing the Azurian fleet between himself and 2nd Battle Squadron, far to the north.

Such was not, however, the Azurian plan. Theirs was to force open a passage through which the gunboats, Phlegeton and Styx, might drive towards the landing beaches and to shoot up the invasion fleet. As the Azurian battle line turned in line ahead to a course paralleling the Ruberian, their torpedo boats made a sudden early sortie, TB1 and TB2 making straight for RNS Endymion. That light cruiser having surged forward to intercept the gunboats, the torpedo boats intercepted it. Releasing a torpedo, TB1 scored a lucky hit, the damage being almost sufficient to drive Endymion right out of the battle.

First salvoes and torpedo attacks. Endymion (lower left) took 
a torpedo that left it badly damaged; R2 slams one 
into Charles Martel.

First blood, then to the Azurians. Not a good beginning for 1st Battle Squadron, which, on their own, were no real match for the whole Oceanic Fleet. Three battleships to five; three torpedo boat destroyers to 4 torpedo boats, and a nearly crippled light cruiser against two gunboats - the Vice-Admiral had to hope for the timely arrival of Admiral Jellibene and 2nd Battle Squadron to redress the balance.

Not that 1st Battle Squadron was going to wait upon the Fleet Admiral. The Azurian Fleet was there, there was where it would meet its demise if Doughty and his tars could bring it about. Doughty by name, doughty by nature, he was going to sink his teeth like a bulldog into the enemy. 

As the pair of torpedo boats returned to the battle line, the first salvoes roared out, just as the Ruberian destroyers made their own torpedo run. All three leading Azurian battleships received gunfire hits, as did all three Ruberian. But the torpedo boat R2 scored the sole torpedo hit. ANS Charles Martel, Amiral Génépi's flagship, came out of the turn seriously wounded: half its portside secondary weapons knocked out, the bridge hit - though the ship was able to stay in the battle line - and a large hole beneath the water line on the port side. 

Battle log, early action.
I really ought to have planned this better

The Ruberian destroyers returned to the shelter of the battle line as the gunnery duel raved on. Somehow the Ruberian battle line had head reached upon the Azurian, which tended to leave Marceau and Amiral Ganteaume able to offer limited supporting fire to the leading three ships. On the other hand, the gunboats ventured to prolong the line forward, to bring their own big guns to bear. Gaulois got the better of the duel with Sans Pareil, two serious strikes for one trifling hit in return. But the puny Thunderer was dealing out considerable hurt upon Charles Martel. Two critical hits affected the latter's  steering, and put paid to what remained of its secondary armament.

Meanwhile, its speed reduced, Endymion was circling out of the action, with the view to rejoining astern of the main battle line, where were the destroyers. The Azurian torpedo boats were withdrawing from the action to prepare a possible renewal of their torpedo attacks. At the rear of the group, TB1 caught two 6-inch shells and went down - the first vessel sunk in the battle.

So far: no sign of the 2nd Battle Squadron. The situation was becoming critical. All three of his battleships had taken serious damage, though he was satisfied that the enemy had hurts to show. ANS Gaulois's stern main gun turret astern was not firing, and there seemed to be some problem with the Azurian command and control. Sure enough, early in the action a 12-inch shell from Thunderer had struck the bridge of  Charles Martel, partially knocking out the ship's command and communications. But overall, Doughty had reason to believe his squadron might not last much longer. 

How Doughty would have liked to have drawn the Azurian fleet northward onto Jellibene's more powerful squadron. But that would have left open a way through to the invasion fleet, and the Azurians would surely have taken it. So the battle was trending towards the coast, none too distant now. Maybe the bold decision Doughty now undertook was unnecessarily risky. He ordered the line of battle onto a southwesterly course - to close the range and, it seemed likely, to 'cross the T' of the Azurian battle line.

As the lines of battle converged, the gunboat Styx had joined the head of the Azurian, some distance astern of Phlegeton. There it came under the notice of Admiral Hood. Two 13.5-inch shells slammed into the fragile craft, followed quickly after by a torpedo. Badly damaged, the gunboat began to pull out of the line, escorted by its sister vessel. For the rest, the Ruberians were still managing to engage the head of the enemy line. The rear vessels, Marceau and Amiral Ganteame had to content themselves with ineffectual gunnery against the Ruberian destroyers.

The shortening range also brought on once more attacks from the respective torpedo boat flotillas. All three Ruberian destroyers survived to launch their torpedoes, but only R25 scored a hit. Gaulois took the damage, and more from a 12-inch shell from Thunderer, but maintained its station. Incoming defensive fire, however, was enough force all three Ruberian destroyers - albeit still afloat - out of the battle.

The Azurian TB3 and TB4 did far more damage, decisively so, and placed 1st Battle Squadron in desperate condition. Badly holed from TB3's torpedo (4SP damage), and taking two heavy shells from Gaulois, Thunderer could no longer maintain its station, and began to sag out of the line. More drastic was the fate of Sans Pareil. Fires raging fore and aft (6SP damage) reached the forward magazine. With a flash, a roar and clouds of smoke, Sans Pareil disappeared. 'Methinks we're on our own, Chatfield,' the Admiral, aboard Admiral Hood, was heard to murmur.

(Note: the critical hit damage card for Sans Pareil indicated an upper hull hit below the main 16-inch turret. This meant a potential magazine hit. On a die roll of 6, the magazine would blow. I rolled a 6.)

Apart from his own flagship, that left Doughty with only the badly damaged Endymion, still thrashing its way at reduced speed back into the action. As he altered course to engage the enemy more closely, and Endymion brought the Azurian battle line under fire, flashes on the northern horizon were followed by huge fountains of water erupting at the rear of the Azurian column.

2nd Battle Squadron arrives with 12th Flotilla. 
Agamemnon and Commonwealth open fire at 
long range.

Admiral Jellibene and 2nd Battle Squadron had arrived at last.

A note on torpedo attacks. 

I really think I might have to revisit this aspect of the game. Now, my own approach is that torpedo attacks take place after gunnery, and the boat has to survive gunfire in order to launch its torpedoes. As it turned out the gunfire - usually secondary, the main guns being reserved for enemy capital ships - was pretty ineffective in driving off torpedo boats. On the other hand, torpedo attacks, especially on the Azurian side, were very effective indeed. I had made one change from Bob Cordery's original rule set: a torpedo hit (3 dice rolled, 6 required) led to a die roll to determine damage (1-6).

Now the odds of scoring a torpedo hit (rolling at least one 6) with 3 dice, is 91/216 - a shade over 42%. That seems to me a bit on the high side. With just one die, the odds are (to the nearest whole number) 17%. 

I also departed from the original rules (I'm not sure why) in giving TBs 5SPs and destroyers 6SP. That I think was a mistake (it might even have been absent-mindedness. Instead one fewer SP for each type would have made them more vulnerable and torpedo attacks more risky.

I'm still not sure what to do about the torpedo attacks themselves. I like to make them much more chancy but a deal more damaging... more frighteningly uncertain. My thoughts right now suggest 1 die per torpedo, 6 required to hit, roll 2D6 for damage.

 There is another approach, that keeps the 3 dice idea, and that is to make the TBs operate as flotillas of 3 vessels. The number of dice rolled is the number of surviving boats. This idea is only half-formed at the moment, and may require considerably more thought - and probably more torpedo boats! 

Finally, I discover I made a little bit of a boo-boo with my first ever battleship torpedo attack. The launcher being fixed has an 'arc of fire' much more limited than I allowed. That launch ought to have awaited the 'crossing of the 'T', whence it might have been more effective!

To be continued...
How did 2nd Battle Squadron fare against the Azurian fleet? Will the latter succeed in cutting off (or cutting out) the beach landings?

Little Great War - Naval Battle in the Maunch!

Early action of Cap Tarfleur

Weeks, months ... years of planning had gone into this operation, always contingent upon war breaking out - as it so often had in the past. Operation Archduke it came to be called: a rapid descent of a large army upon the Azurian coast, consolidation, then advancing eastward upon the capital, Lutetia-sur-Seine. Gathering all along the south coast of Ruberia, the whole invasion fleet would assemble southeast if the Isle of Soul, then push rapidly across the 60-mile strait. 

Respective plans: Ruberian invasion, and Azurian naval
counter-strike.

Of course, the Azurians could be counted upon to oppose this plan. Nor could Ruberian High Command count securely upon total secrecy. A large deception programme was put in train, shadow armies created such that even their real commanders were unsure whether something more substantial might emerge from the mists of obscurity. Would there be a dash across the narrow strait upon the Pas d'Artois? Possibly a Division sized raid might be mounted in the Bay of Biscuit, or perhaps threatening the major seaport at Finisterre itself.

Nor could the Admiralty guarantee whence the almost certain Azurian naval response would come. Most likely the Oceanic Fleet would sortie from Finisterre, but there remained a possibility of units - especially gunboats or torpedo boats - might emerge from the fishing ports, ferry terminals, bays and inlets in and around the Pas d'Artois. The invasion fleet would be protected from the west by 1st Battle Squadron, under Vice-Admiral David Doughty, and from the east by the armoured cruiser RNS Warrior.
Close protection of a sort was offered by the armed merchant RMS Earnslaw and the light cruiser RNS Elizabeth. The whole would be covered by the powerful 2nd Battle Squadron, under Admiral Sir Jno Jellibene himself, ready to intervene where a naval threat might develop. 

The whole seaborne expedition comprised:

Commanding in Chief at sea: Admiral Sir Jno Jellibene KCGB

1st Battle Squadron: Vice-Admiral David Doughty

RNS Admiral Hood - pre-dreadnought battleship (flag): FP=15
RNS Sans Pareil - pre-dreadnought battleship: FP=14
RNS Thunderer - ironclad battleship: FP=12
RNS Endymion (attached) - protected cruiser: FP=9
8th Flotilla (attached) -1 x 'S' class destroyer (S8, FP=6); 2 x 'R' class torpedo boats (R2, R25, FP=5)

First Battle Squadron espies the approach of 
the Azurian Fleet!

2nd Battle Squadron: Admiral Jellibene

RNS Agamemnon - pre-dreadnought battleship (flag): FP=22
RNS Commonwealth - pre-dreadnought battleship: FP=22
RNS Royal Sovereign - pre-dreadnought battleship: FP=17
12th Flotilla (attached) - 1 x 'S' class destroyer (S12); 2 x 'R' class TBs (R7, R19)

RNS Warrior (Capt Cyrus H. Auger) - armoured cruiser FP=12

Invasion Fleet: Rear-Admiral Raventon Burlee

RNS Earnslaw - armed merchantman, troop transport, FP=7 CC=3
RNS Elizabeth - light cruiser FP=7

MS Adelaide - troop transport: FP=4, CC=7SP   
MS Beatrice - troop transport: FP=4, CC=6SP
MS Caroline - troop transport: FP=6, CC= 8SP
MS Dorothea - troop transport: FP=6 CC=8SP (in reserve)*
Barge flotilla - 9 x towed barges, each FP=2, CC=4SP

Notes:

1. FP = Flotation Points
2. CC= Carrying Capacity
3. SP = Strength Points
4. * - Actually MS Dorothea has only just been built, and did not feature in the action.

Earnslaw and Elizabeth provided close-in fire support and some protection. Warrior also provided the same once it had become clear that no threat was apparent east of the landing area.

* * *

Aware from intelligence provided by the Troisième Bureau that an invasion was likely, it remained for the Azurian High Command to provide for contingencies. The most likely landing point, by reason of proximity to the Ruberian Coastline, seemed to be the Pas d'Artois area. Lacking a nearby major sea port (Finisterre being the nearest, some 300 nautical miles (nearly 500km) distant), the Azurian Navy could scarcely count on mines and submersibles to do more than impose delays, and maybe slight losses to the invasion fleet before the Oceanic Fleet could intervene. At least 24 hours would elapse before that could happen.

So it was that Azurian military leadership concentrated a sizeable proportion of its land forces close to, or within striking distance of the Cote d'Artois area. Some canny officers successfully argued that at least some provision be made for alternative operations at Norromany or the Fronteaux coast. So it was that the actual invasion fleet was heading into a contested beach landing.

With the declaration of war, the Oceanic Fleet immediately prepared for sea, waiting only upon notification of the sighting of the enemy fleet. It came soon enough, a rather excited officer at the other end of the telephone line exclaiming at the ship-filled bay at Chaudement-sur-Mer. Amiral Génépi could at least congratulate himself that the Ruberian fleet was only 12 hours away, and the landings far from complete before his own fleet could bring the enemy's into action.

The Azurian Oceanic Fleet comprised:

The Azurian Oceanic Fleet

Amiral Anne-Marie-Jacques Génépi Commanding

ANS Chevalier Blanc - pre-dreadnought battleship: FP=14
ANS Gaulois - pre-dreadnought: FP=17
ANS Charles Martel - pre-dreadnought: FP=17
ANS Marceau - ironclad battleship: FP=15
ANS Amiral Gantheaume - ironclad battleship: FP=12
TB Flotilla - 4 torpedo boats (TB1-4): FP=5
ANS Phlegeton - gunboat: FP=8
ANS Styx - gunboat: FP=8

The Amiral quickly devised his plan against this unexpected development. His fleet concentrated would make a determined drive to smash through whatever force covered the Ruberian westward flank, and to force through the gunboats that would engage and destroy the landing fleet. This was to be an 'At All Costs' measure: "The Fleet itself," quoth the President Emmanuel de l'Oquace, "is not too high a price to pay to sink and destroy the invasion before it has fairly got off the beaches..."

Can a counterstrike by this force concentrated against one flank succeed against a more powerful but necessarily dispersed adversary? We'll see!

To be continued...

Invasion!

 

The Ruberian invasion fleet approaching Chaudeville-sur-Mer
and the flanking beaches. The armoured cruiser, RNS Warrior
begins its duel with a shore battery.

Following up from the previous posting, there has been a further development in the Little Great War. Readers might recall the naval action as the Azurian navy tried to interfere with the Ruberian invasion fleet heading for the Norromandy coast. That narrative has yet to be reported, but suffice it for the moment to say that hard fighting kept the Oceanic Fleet at bay. The invasion fleet arrived off the beaches at Chaudeville-sur-Mer about mid-morning 6 June, 1884.



Now, this turned out to be a two day battle. Failing to achieve all their objectives on D-Day, Ruberia's I Corps found itself having to fight a second battle to effect a breakout from the bridgehead.

..

General view of the battlefield. The two small 
villages, close up and to the right, were the D-Day 
objectives

For this campaign I decided to fight out some of the opening action whilst I can, before using 'down time' to draw up the maps and fill in the background narrative: casi belli, political and military alliances, and a bit of a breakdown of the forces available to the belligerents. An unusual approach, but I am hoping that this plot scheme proves narratively satisfactory

1st Brigade approaching Silver Beach. The shore battery 
scores a hit on Warrior...

Certain looming family issues, complicated, at least for the moment, by a 1500-mile separation, seem likely to place a crimp on war gaming activities for a goodish while. Hence this approach to the campaign: to create a backlog of action reportage hopefully to keep this blog spot ticking along at something approaching its normal pace.

3rd Brigade beginning landings on Sabre Beach, west 
of Pointe d'Oq. The light cruiser RNS Eliza and Merchant 
Cruiser MS Allwright engage the shore battery on the point
clifftop.

3rd Brigade beginning its assault upon the Nonstreham 
Heights... Allwright has taken a hit...

At any rate, I think this will be enough of a 'teaser' to be going on with...
To be continued...

Two Battles...

Little Great War - Naval Battle

The Little Great War has begun, with a seaborne expedition by the Ruberian army upon the Norromandy Coast of Azuria. The 1st Battle Squadron protecting the oceanic flank of the invasion fleet, they came under attack by the entire Oceanic Battle Fleet straight out of the l'Elorn Estuary. Reserve cover was to be provided by the powerful 2nd Battle Squadron, but would Admiral Jellibene arrive betimes?

Napoleonic Battle: Aspern-Essling, May 1809

This has been long planned, and is still ongoing. Big, complicated action that I probably could have made a great deal simpler! I'm using Bob Cordery's Portable Napoleonic Wargame 'Army' level game, with some minor tweaks. The following pictures show some of the early action.

Marshal Massena's IV Corps about to occupy a bridgehead 
flanked by the villages, Aspern and Essling

Austrian Army closing in on the bridgehead. By the way, the 
pontoon bridge was knocked up a couple of days ago in about
10 minutes: a piece of cardboard bridge upon balsa pontoons.

Here they come - most of them anyway!

Aspern bitterly contested between Molitor's Division and 
Nordmann's Grenzer Brigade 

Boudet's Division under strong attack by Rohan's 
more numerous formation. Casualties already have been heavy
on both sides...

Austrian general advance in the centre.
The space between the villages is covered by French cavalry -
including d'Espagne's Heavy Division...

The narratives of both will be written up in due course. But I thought it high time at least to get this blog spot back into action!

To be continued...

Little Great War - Azuria's latest battleship

Azurian pre-Dreadnought Chevalier Rouge...

Seeing Bob Cordery's Chris van Allsberg style picture of a generic French pre-Dreadnought battleship, I found it hard to resist the thought actually of making one. Not overfond of resisting temptation, I succumbed, with this result.

... or it might be Chevalier Blanc...

It looks vaguely similar to the slightly larger Carnot, also part of the Azurian fleet. It now has five capital ships, seen in line astern in the picture below: Charlemagne, Carnot, Chevalier Rouge, Hoche and Amiral Duperre.

Azurian capital ships in line ahead

Now, for the purposes of the Little Great War, I will be doubling up on the Azurian Fleet, there being, in fact, two: The Western Oceanic Fleet, and the Mesogesean Sea Fleet. It was the latter that got itself entangled with the Hellenic navy, for the loss of Amiral Duperre and two torpedo boats. The Oceanic Fleet's capital ships are to be named Gaulois, Charles Martel, Chevalier Blanc, Marceau and Amiral Ganteaume.

The Azurian fleet also features a couple of 'flatiron' gunboats of the Acheron class. Two are attached to each fleet: Acheron and Cocyte with the Mesogesean, and Phlegeton and Styx with the Oceanic. 

Two 'flatiron gunboats' Acheron and Cocyte...
They might be badly needed to repel a large scale amphibious landing...

This rather makes the Azurian navy larger in campaign terms than the Ruberian, although the latter does have the odd unit on detached service, e.g. RMS Blunderer in the Gulf of Parthia, and the gunboat Shoofly operating in Medifluvia. Separated by the while Iberian Peninsula, there will be little in the way of the one reinforcing the other. Probably. Furthermore, the Hellenic Navy will now be a handful for the Azurian to deal with - and the Turcowaz allies of the Azurians have the powerful units of the small Izumrud-Zelenian navy to worry about.

The gunboats, I admit, are overscale, but that was partly deliberate. Even so, with the fighting 'stats' according, they would be no match for, say, the Ruberian protected cruiser Endymion, the least powerful of Ruberian fighting ships. 

At the moment, with war about to break out between Ruberia and Azuria, a whole deal of planning is happening in Ruberian High Command at the Anditover Army HQ and the Admiralty. Probably the whole fleet will have to involve itself in protecting the amphibious landing upon the Norromandian Coast, with elaborate deception measures to persuade the Azurian High Command that the main effort would drop an army corps upon the Pas d'Artois, or a Division sized raid might be mounted in the Girondois region. Although Norromandia is closer to the Azurian Naval Base at Finisterre, it is thought that the imminence of invasion would bring out the Azurian fleet, where it could be intercepted and destroyed by the more powerful Ruberian Navy before getting close enough to the landing fleet to disrupt or stop the invasion. Admiral Jellibene is looking at a 'bait and clobber' scenario...

Well, that, in very broad terms, is the scheme. We'll have to see how this plays out...

Meanwhile - my apologies for the lengthy hiatus. Several reasons, for this, one being a week-long visit to see daughter and growing family in Queensland. Far from a vacation - little Eva was born the morning after our arrival (three days ahead of schedule, which was probably just as well!). Also problems with our house lighting that began before we left, and had to wait upon our return before they could be fully resolved. But I can't say the old umpty-poo has been up to much for several months, now. I've been 'finishing off' elements of my War of the Imperial Succession armies, some of which work in progress I posted two months back.

I've plenty of projects to engage my interest - it is a puzzle to me sometimes why it is so hard actually to set up a table, or to write something on this blog. I guess I'll never really know...