Battle of the Laroc Sea - An Overture to Action

Task Force 7

Well... not just the action. For this and subsequent postings the battle narrative will be interspersed with commentaries upon the issues that came up and possible methods of resolving them - if they seemed to need resolution. I thought I would begin with the opening passage of arms with an air attack...

The Ra'easharn objective - and whom they have to get 
past

The Invasion Convoy

Ra'esharn 'Covering Group'

Task Force 1 - the first target for Ra'esharn aircraft.

As the dawn of May 4, 66942 spread itself over the sunlit Laroc Sea, the Ra'esharn and Allied fleets sought each other out - the one to force a passage through to Port Fewersby for the invasion force; the other to keep that passage firmly closed.

It was the Ra'esharn 'Carrier Striking Force' that opened the ball. Scout aircraft having found to the south, heading westward, the Saabian Task Force 1, Rear Admiral Mazota ordered at once a powerful strike. All bomber aircraft from both fleet carriers - six squadrons - were ordered to obliterate the enemy group, especially the carrier. Six squadrons - eighteen 'flights' - 72 aircraft, let's call it.

The Carrier Striking Force launches its first air attack

Before continuing, a couple of issues have already cropped up.

(1) Playing this thing solo, I felt the want of a 'proximate' cause of sending out an air attack. How  was the enemy force discovered? The thought occurs that the respective fleets would send out scouting aircraft to look for them. It seems reasonable to subject this to a die roll. Call it a 50-50 proposition, although the probability of discovering anything of interest might depend on how far away is the object of the search. 

(2) This brings up the matter of weather. Now, early on during the course of the Coral Sea operations, enemy fleets were hard to find  anyway, but cloud cover made reconnaissance even more problematic. I thought of determining cloud cover for each quarter of the battle theatre by a die roll - a 'six' on a D6, say. This one I also let go.

(3) A third issue I will bring up here, but discuss more fully later on: how many moves between sorties by a given squadron? 

Task Force One under air attack!

As there was no shooting in the first Turn, we went straight into the moves, beginning with the launching of the air attack. I found it convenient to take the aircraft about halfway to their objectives, keeping them out of the way of moving the ships subsequently. After the moves, we move on to Turn Two - and the aircraft are moved up to their targets.

The bomber squadrons divided their attack as follows: one squadron against the cruiser SNS Gullicambe (to larboard of the carrier), three against the carrier SNS Bahamut, and two against the cruiser SNS Cockatrice. The Saabians sent up their fighter squadron - 3 flights or 12 aircraft. As the enemy priority target was obviously the carrier, the fighter took on one of the squadrons attacking it. 

Now, the fighter and the bomber squadron automatically cancel each other out, but there is still the combat to be resolved. 
Air-air combat:

• Fighter dice rolls: 3,3,6 => bomber FP (a third of the bomber strength) shot down
• Bomber dice rolls : 1,4,5 => no effect.

In effect the fighter squadron drives off one enemy squadron, shooting down a third of their strength.

Anti-aircraft fire:

• Gullicambe vs bomber Sqn: 2,4,5,6 => 1 bomber FP shot down
• 2 destroyer plus carrier vs 2 bomber squadrons: 4,4/5,6/1,2,3,5 => 1 bomber FP shot down
• Cockatrice vs 2 bomber squadrons: 3,5,6,6 => 2 bomber FPs shot down.
  

Just 11 FP remain available for attack, 5FP having been shot down and 2FP driven off.

Bombing attacks:

• 2FP attack Gullicambe: 1,5 => no hits
• 5FP attack Bahomet: 1,2,2,2,4 => no hits
  
• 4FP attack Cockatrice: 2,3,5,6 => 1 hit - the 5 added to the 6 => 11FP damage!
  

So, for the cost of twenty out of 72 aircraft (5 out of 18 Flying Points) the Ra'esharn has effectively knocked a Saabian cruiser out of the action. Speed reduced and a primary gun turret and some secondaries knocked out, SNS Cockatrice has to crawl southwards from the battleground and hope to make it to port somewhere in Terra Australis.

Task Force One launches a retaliatory strike

Task Force One had to respond. The fighters were of course unavailable, on account of their recent air action. So, in their turn, the three bomber squadrons - 36 aircraft, say - flew off to the north. It was a powerful force that awaited them.

In the distance, what TF1's aircraft will be facing...

For their part, Task Force Seven were at the time also launching an air attack. The objective: the troop and aircraft carriers of the Ra'esharn Invasion Force.

TF7's air strike being launched. This one is going after
 a different objective - this one with a fighter escort.

To be continued: More air strikes...

Battle of Laroc Sea - a BIG Playtest

Possibly the most interesting of the naval battles of the Pacific during World War Two, was the inconclusive action in the Coral Sea that induced ('forced' seems too strong a word; 'persuaded' perhaps more apt) the Japanese command to call off their attempted seaborne landing at Port Moresby, New Guinea. Methought something along those lines, but at a smaller scale, would make a fine, and fairly comprehensive playtest of the Gridded Naval War Games Rule set that I have been assembling. Tell you what: it was a lot of fun!

Having neglected to take a picture of the original set up - hiatus valde deflendus - I show the above, with the action well along, but yet to reach the crisis. (Edit: turns out I did take a pre-game picture, but it was in a different folder. See below).

The playing area comprises 4 sheet of thin card stock upon which the grid array had been drawn. It turns out I have as many more of these (two of which two make up a Bloodbowl field I had completely forgotten about!). This action will be repeated on a 3x2 arrangement, instead of this 2x2). The islands are terrain pieces for land war games, and the towns (Trakta and Port Fewersby) a couple of those tinytowns that this project seemed to call for. 

This turned out to be a very complicated game, although it did not take very long to play. It did, however bring up a vexed question of spatial and time scales. At the moment, I've settled upon each 5cm hex representing a linear distance of 3 nautical miles/ c.5400 yards/ c.5000 metres (roughly). This would suggest to me a time scale of a little over 3 hours per Game Turn. Call it 3 hours; 4 game turns representing the hours of daylight. The question of night moves arises of course. For this game I just carried on through as though the sun had slowed down. I didn't count, but I think the action went for 7 or 8 Game Turns, which would represent a day and a night (24 hours) or maybe two days of daylight hours.

Situation, morning 4 May, 66942

Background Narrative:

As part of their programme of imperial expansion, Ra'easharn had invaded the north coast of New Sterling with the view to advancing across the island and down the peninsula to capture the Port Fewersby. The operation went badly. The local defenders, poorly equipped though they were, slowed the enemy advance, finally bringing it to a halt well west of their objective. To break the deadlock, Ra'esharn High Command resolved upon sending a landing force - a brigade group loaded into 5 merchant vessels - to seize the vital seaport. In view of the risks involved in making the passage of the Lindisfarne Strait, this expedition was to be escorted by a small group that included a light carrier,  and supported by a 'Covering Group' built around the battleship RNS Barbatos, and a 'Striking Force' that included two fleet carriers.

The whole organisation comprised: 

Raesharn Expeditionary Force:

Invasion Convoy: Rear Admiral Honduki

• Light Carrier RNS Angra Mainyu (12FP) (Flotation Points)
  to include 1 Fighter and 2 Bomber squadrons @3FP (Flying Points)
• Cruiser RNS Charun 12FP
• Cruiser RNS Charonzon 12FP
• 2 Destroyers: R21, R22 @ 6FP
• 5 Transports: Chubby Maru, Ramjam, Shagnasti, Mangla, Barracuda @6FP                                    carrying Brigade Group of 3000 men

The Invasion Convoy

Covering Group: Rear Admiral Suzumaha

• Battleship RNS Barbatos 24FP
• Cruiser RNS Chemosh 12FP
• 2 Destroyers: R23, R24 @ 6FP
• Oiler Tanker Trampas 6FP

Striking Force: Admiral Mazota

• Battleship RNS Bushyasta 24FP
• Fleet Carrier RNS Achlys 12F ( 1 Sqn fighters, 3 Sqn Bombers @ 3FP)
• Fleet Carrier RNS Azi Dahak 12FP (1 Sqn fighters, 3 Sqn Bombers @3FP)
• Cruiser RNS Cimijes 12FP 
• 2 Destroyers: R25, R26 @6FP

The Carrier Strike Force, and in the distance west of 
Trakta, the Covering Group.

Ra'esharn also had two submarines, patrolling the area: 
RU18 roughly half way along a line between Trakta and Port Fewersby,

RU23 somewhere within the area of the Rehoboam Archipelago.

Working overtime, with a partially cracking of the Ra'esharn naval 'Code Mauve', the Saabian intelligence services knew something was afoot in the area of the Laroc Sea. Whether it was further landings in the Rehoboam Archipelago, or perhaps something to do with the impasse on New Sterling, they could not be sure. Their anxieties driven by the amount of radio traffic concerned the Allied Area Commander sufficiently to order the gathering of forces to oppose anything the enemy might develop. This opposition comprised three Task Forces: two, TF1 and TF7 supplied by the Saabia Navy; and TF34 by Kiivar. 

Allied Regional Defence Force:

Saabia Task Force 1: Rear Admiral Fitcher

• Fleet carrier SNS Bahamut 12FP (1 Sqn fighters, 3 Sqn Bombers @ 3FP)
• Cruiser SNS Cockatrice 12FP 
• Cruiser SNS Gullinkambie 12FP
• 2 Destroyers: S11, S12 @ 6FP

Saabia Oiling Group:

• Oiler Oumanaka 6FP
• Destroyer: S20

Saabia Task Force 7: Rear Admiral Flett (overall command)

• Battleship SNS Hakawai 24FP
• Fleet Carrier SNS Bake-kujira 12FP (1 Sqn fighters, 3 Sqn Bombers @ 3FP)
• Cruiser SNS Sarimanok 12FP
  
• 2 Destroyers: S77, S78 @ 6FP
  

Kiivar Task Force 34: Rear Admiral Craze

• Battleship KNS Harrier 24FP
• Cruiser KNS Heirax 12FP
• Destroyer K43

Kiivar Task Force 34.

There were also two submarines patrolling well south of the Rehoboam Islands, SU19 somewhere southwest of the westernmost Rehoboam island; SU47 due south of Guanocanal.

One issue that cropped up in this action was that at 18FP, the carriers would prove a little bit to resistant to bombing attacks. So I brought them back to my first thought: 12FP only. 

The Coral Sea battle that this action is supposed to resemble involved no battleships. However, I thought it would be interesting to include two on either side. This isn't really a 'refight' of Coral Sea - or even a 'might have been'. On the other hand the oilers on both sides really served no function for this game other than simply to be there. But it does raise the question how they might functionally be incorporated into the set of rules.

During the course of the action a number of issues cropped up that this action was intended to discover. They will be treated as they arise in the narrative. The main one was recording damage, and expenditure of certain types of weapons, to wit, torpedoes and depth charges (yes, a submarine was sunk during the course of this battle!). I have worked out a system better than the pen strokes I used on this occasion.

An issue also arose concerning air attacks on shipping - especially when intercepted by fighters. At present, I have the defending fighters taking on ONE attacking squadron, and neutralising it. They still fight and take losses, but even if the attackers take no loss (which happened at least once) they have been forced away from their objective. The remainder carry on. To make their attacks, they have to survive the flak.

Flak fires once only. However, if 2 squadrons are attacking, and the defence scores 2 hits, the loss may be shared between the 2 squadrons. Bombers that survive the flak (not the fighter intercept) carry out their bombing attacks. Late in the action two identical air attacks were carried out in the same Game Turn against two carriers. The results were almost as completely disparate as they could be!

I said this was a pretty complicated exercise. There were at least seven air attacks I can think of (which raised the issue of turnaround time for second sorties), but there was some surface action as well. The latter probably led to heavier losses than the air attacks did ... possibly.  At any rate, there was plenty of incident.

I'll leave the story of the battle for next time...
To be continued... 







 

Tinytown, Miniville, and Smallburg...

Embarking on a fairly ambitious naval action, methought a need for some settled places as bases or objectives for the opposing fleets. For instance, in a recent large scale operation, Port Mores Port Fewersby had to appear on the battle area as the objective of the Ra'esharn invasion fleet... 

So I built one.   

And then another.

And then a third. 

Of course, there had eventually to be something more resembling a teeming metropolis: hence the city of Hugeville. 

The smaller settlements can be anything from jungle villages  to sizeable towns. Hugeville might just aspire to a city, and, if ever the need arise, all of them might be combined into a species of conurbation. 
Hugeville (or whatever appellation applies in a given scenario or campaign) is just 48mm x 40mm; the other settlement 30mm square.

Of course they are overscale compared with the naval units for this project, but scale is not all that much of a concern. In the following picture, Port Fewersby can be seen on the southern coast of New Sterling...

Kiivar Task Force 34 sailing to intercept a Ra'esharn 
invasion force heading for the Lindisfarne Strait and
the south coast of New Sterling.

Coming up: Battle of the Laroc Sea... 

Doodling -

 I can't help it. Whenever I find my hands itching to do something - anything that is not an actual chore - I find myself ... doodling. Sometimes they are 2D - like this

Or something inspired by words:

This is a picture of Admiral Gantheaume
Who once led a diplomatic mission to Rome.
The purpose of the visit was a mystery to some
who wondered why on earth he had come;
But there was no mystery at all to many,
knowing that of purpose the trip had not any;
And the enigma had already been solved to most,
who suspected that the mission had no purpose to boast.
Having paid his respects to the Bishop of Rome,
Admiral Gantheaume led his mission back home.

This little ten-liner was inspired by this epitaph in clerihew form:
    'Here lies Admiral Gantheaume
    Who sailed his fleet from Brest to Bartheaume;
    Then aided by a wind from the west
    Sailed his fleet from Bartheaume to Brest.'

But sometimes the 'doodling' is 3D. Finding some balsa offcuts, I finally filled the missing two battleships of Saabia Navy with a couple of slightly smaller vessels - battlecruisers. Then the Ra'esharn Navy acquired four more destroyers; the Kiivar also two more, and just this last few days the battlecruiser that features in the Battle of Phaiq T'anh. 

Suddenly an armed merchant cruiser has appeared on the scene - these bits of balsa just keeps turning up. This thing will have to be given 'stats' of its own. Let's see:

• Flotation Points: 9FP. Converted from a MS for convoy protection, will have added protection fitted;
• Speed: 2 hexes;
• Gun ranges: 0-3 hexes - 5-6 to hit;  4-6 hexes - 6 to hit (i.e. cruiser sized armament);
• Firepower: Forward: 1D6; Broadside: 2D6; Aft: 1D6 (model has one gun forward and aft) 
• Anti-Air: 2D6 all round

  

  Armed Merchant Cruiser KNS Mollymawk.
  Really, just a 3D doodle made of balsa and pins...

  
  

In effect, this is a very weak cruiser. It might be interesting to see how it would go against a destroyer. The latter is faster and less well protected, but does have its torpedoes.

I have also been adding to the air fleets. All together, these amount to 102 aircraft mounted on 34 stands: 16 Ra'esharn (green), 12 Saabia (white); 6 Kiivar (blue). I'm about two-thirds the way through their construction. 

As I have a more ambitious scenario in mind that is likely to involve landing craft and a beach landing, I'll have to come up with 'stats' for these. They will be of two classes, LCI (infantry and support weapons and tows) and LCT (AFVs), but should have the same 'stats':

• Flotation Points: 3FP Very fragile, these things, and if reduced to 1FP will abandon any landing attempt.
• Speed: 1 hex Reduces to 0 only when reduced to 0FP
• AA: 1D6 all round.

A question concerning launching air attacks did occur to me. Suppose Ra'esharn and Saabian carrier groups launched their aircraft in the same turn. One side - let's say it is Ra'esharn - will get its attacks in before the enemy aircraft have had their chance to move into their attack. The best solution seems to me is to set the defender's - Saabia's - aircraft aside (obviously the enemy aircraft must have passed each other en route). When Ra'esharn has set up its air attacks, Saabia sets up their own. Then resolve the separate air attacks in turn.

One of those situations that seemed at first blush to be a problem, but turned out not to be so. 

Speaking of poems, the following saga was partly inspired by events in a Napoleonic campaign some ten or twelve years ago; and partly by Robert Burns's The Plenipotentiary. Although not as raunchy as the Bard's original, it retains a certain ribaldry. Readers have been warned...

The following is a poem by way of background for a 'what if' Napoleonic campaign begun several years ago. The campaign was 1809-plus - that is to say, during the course of the campaign in Bavaria and Austria, a British Expeditionary Force landed in Hanover, and the world awaited which way Prussia would jump. Much to everyone's surprise, the King of Prussia clove to Napoleon, whereat certain verses began to appear on walls of taverns and other likely spots in Vienna (I was/am playing the Austrian commands). Soon the lampoon became widely spread...

Readers will observe that the second stanza has a different rhythm to the others. That was due to absence of mind when penning it, but, having completed it, decided to let it stand.

The Intermediary (with acknowledgements and apologies to Robert Burns, writer of The Plenipotentiary):

Part One.

The King of Prussia, when wishing to usher
A new era in for his State, sir;
As he knew that in France, Josephine wore the pants,
He chose one well hung to negotiate, sir.
He searched through the Schloss, 'til he found out a 'hoss'
with diplomatic bags full and hairy;
With credentials aligned in breeches so fine
to act as his Intermediary.

Josephine was rapt, to moment that she clapt
Eyes upon the Envoy's manly frame.
From that instant was ignited a spark right soon requited:
The burning light of passion's deadly flame.
They began their discussion, the Empress and the Prussian, 
With courtesies exchanged in seemly wise
For they both knew for certain that behind every curtain
Lurked one o' Bonaparte's multitude of spies.

Desiring to dance, the Empress of France
Soon drew the Envoy to the floor, sir.
Admiring the charms held in his arms, 
He guided her out of the door, sir.
With caress and cosset, straitway to her closet,
He carried her light as a fairy; 
She abandoned her 'state, surrendered to fate,
And the amorous Intermediary!

It was not, I ween, to pleasure Josephine
That the Envoy came to Paris cap-in-hand, sir:
What was to follow, that Prussia might swallow
Hanover's coveted lands, sir.
So persuasive was the force of his 'political' discourse,
To refuse him the Empress was chary.
She answered him 'Yea', she would not say 'Nay'
To the persuasive Intermediary.

Napoleon turned green when he heard Josephine
His brows had garnished with horns, sir* (*yet again)
He swore he would make the young Prussian rake
Wish he had never been born, sir.
With tormented mind, the Treaty he signed, 
But marks of perturbance were nary
That he designed to requite the libertinous slight
Done him by the Intermediary.

Part Two.

The emperor sought one who’d bring the Envoy undone,
He searched his Empire at large, sir;
It was Monsieur Fouche who showed him the way,
And recalled him to Mme Lafarge, sir.
Madame Lafarge, as large as a barge,
with nethers cavernous and airy;
An uncomely wench, the very one to quench
The lusty Intermediary.



Mme Lafarge, though uncommon large,
‘Twas not to that she owed her ill fame, sir;
With needles she’d sit, under the guillotine and knit,
Whilst heads rolled down from the frame, sir.
Her visage gave fright to walkers at night,
Her eyes rounded and bloodshot and scary
The Emperor grinned: she’d be the end,
Of the false Intermediary.

But he reckoned without our libidinous lout
Whose tastes tended to the bizarre, sir
When faced with the Madame whose lusts without fathom
There was no risk of going too far, sir.
He rattled her good, right where she stood,
Three times three and a Hail Mary -
There was no quenching the appetite for wenching
Of the vigorous Intermediary.

Diplomatic work done, goodbyes said at a run,
The Envoy left for Berlin sir.
Carried with him report with gladsome purport
His mission was blessed with a win, sir.
But his memory rumbled of the lady he'd tumbled
A recollection that troubled his life;
His heart so smitten a letter he had written
To Mme Lafarge that he might take her to wife.
Upon receipt of this missive, the Madame grew pensive,
And the answer she gave him was wary;
But Napoleon smiled for he knew that his guile
Had conquered the Intermediary.

Ion A. Dowman

 They're all... doodles.

Naval Projects - Game Rules and other stuff.

.

I thought I would use this post to lay out my 'Mini-Naval Wargames' (working title) in a more formal arrangement. I'll use the layout of the Portable Naval Wargame rule set as my 'template'.

'Force Q' - setting out to attack an island beach landing by
Ra'esharn forces. Air cover is wanting!

Mini-Naval War Games.

The setting for this rule set is c.1940-43, and features aircraft carriers, their aircraft, and submarines also as possible participants in its battles. Battles involving fleet carriers might well take place with each side on its own playing surface, representing fleets or task forces separated by hundreds of kilometres of ocean. But actions relying solely upon ships' gunnery were still frequent, most notably in the Guadalcanal campaign of 1942-3.


We'll begin with the Chart; explanations will follow.

Standard Naval ship statistics.

1. These rules keep to a minimum the classes of ships, all members of each class being treated as identical. There is no reason not to experiment with slight modifications, though they might go more towards varying flotation points (FPs), the gunnery rules leaving little scope for variance. A 'heavy cruiser' might be given 15 FPs, and/or be given four twin turrets, or three triple turrets, numbers of guns shooting forward, abeam or aft. Else, you might regard the 'standard' cruiser of the chart as a heavy cruiser, and reduce the flotation points, say, to 9 or 10.

Ra'esharn covering group. The Kiivar 'Force Q' having
been discovered by (notional) scout aircraft, the fleet carrier has 
just launched its strike bombers.

2. The flotation points (FPs) go to the vessel type's survivability. The figures I have used aren't really proportional to tonnage or armour. The gun ranges of the vessel classes also go to survivability of the targets.

Submarines are very vulnerable, if ever a destroyer carrying depth charges ever enters the same grid area!

3. Vessels reduced to one-third or less of their FPs must attempt to remove themselves from the action. Their speed is reduced by one grid area; one primary turret is knocked out (this can be diced for: 1-2 = 'A' turret; 3-4 = 'B' turret; 5-6 = 'Y' turret, say); and one-third of the secondary armaments are knocked out. 

An aircraft carrier so reduced is held to have developed a heavy list; its flight decks damaged; and is unable to fly off or land aircraft.

General situation, looking north among the outlying
islands of the Phaiq T'anh Archipelago. Force Q 
bravely advancing into battle. The Ra'esharn covering force 
still well out of gunnery range.

 

4. A vessel whose FPs is reduced to exactly 0FP remains afloat, but lies dead in the water, all its guns out of action. In a single battle this may make little difference, as any further loss of FP will sink it. But it might have campaign significance, as whilst still afloat the vessel will be salvageable. This might be a consideration in respect of merchant vessels.

5. A vessel reduced to below 0FP has been sunk.

6. Speed is in terms of grid areas, 2 being slow, and 4 fast. 

7. Gunfire is assessed by the number of guns shooting at a particular target. For each class of vessel, the chart shows to guns available firing forward, abeam (broadside) or aft. My  battleships and battlecruisers have three triple turrets with big guns - call them 15-inch. They also have a secondary armament of 12 x 6-inch guns. My cruisers have three double turrets with smaller guns - call them 6-8-inch. They also have a secondary armament of 12 x 4-inch. My destroyers have but two single-gun turrets with 4-inch guns. 

'Force Q' under air attack! Can the flak hold off the enemy?

8. All gun ranges are given in increments of 3 grid areas. 

9. All gun fire is 'per gun' depending upon arc of fire.  

Effective AA brings down a third of the attacking 
strike force - but the remainder - 6 'Flight Points'
will press home their bombing runs.

10. Torpedoes are launched in singles (fixed fore and aft on destroyers), pairs (fixed fore and aft on submarines), or threes (trainable on destroyers and cruisers). Dice for each torpedo launched.  Cruisers have one such launching available on each beam; destroyers have 2 on each beam, and (optionally) one only fore and aft. (It seems that at least early on in the WW2 Pacific War, only the Japanese were able to reload their torpedo launchers whilst on the move. In  this game, each launcher may each be used once). Submarines have 2 launching pairs forward, and one launching pair aft. (See Stats Table above).

Very effective bombing attacks - a damaging hit of the 
cruiser KNS Falcon, and a devastating hit on 
KNS Aquila. 

11. The standard complement of aircraft on a fleet carrier is 4 squadrons (stands). The standard mix is 

• 1 fighter squadron @ 3FP
• 2 bomber squadrons @ 3FP
• 1 torpedo bomber squadron @ 3FP

Note that the bomber squadrons have to be in the same hex as the target vessel, but the torpedo bomber may be launch its torpedo from a hex adjacent to the target vessel. Note that the torpedo bomber need not attack a vessel in the same hex if a more lucrative target is available in an adjacent hex. 

One large fleet carrier, KNS Condor, uniquely carries 6 squadrons, 2 of each type.

12. In air to air combat, opposing 'flights' (stands) neutralise each other, as well as scoring hits upon their Flight Points.

13. If an aircraft strike force is accompanied by a fighter escort, then in the air-to-air combat, the fighter stands fight each other, stand for stand (squadron for squadron). If there are fighter stands left over from the defending side, then they may fight the bombers.

14. A fighter escort finding no air defence to attack, may instead attack ships AA, 'neutralising'  AA points. The fighter squadron's 3 strafing dice may knock out 1AA point if a '6' is rolled. The ships' AA shoot back, again requiring a '6' to hit. The damage to AA is the only damage a fighter squadron may inflict upon shipping.

15. Surviving AA may shoot at attacking aircraft at one D6 per AA point. For each roll of '6' the target stand loses 1 Flying Point. 

16. One D6 is rolled for each 'Flight Point' (FP) of bombers that have survived flak and air combat to release bombs or torpedoes against a given target. They may be released from directly overhead (bombs) or from an adjacent grid area (torpedoes). 

17. A successful 'hit' by torpedoes and bombs scores 6FP of damage for the hit, and a further 5FP of damage for every 5 also rolled. Note that the '5' scores apply only if a hit has been achieved.

Effective gunnery batters cruiser RNS Charun,
forcing it out of the battle. Return fire strikes 
battlecruiser KNS Aquila, which also abandons the fight. 

18. Submerged submarines may be spotted and attacked only by destroyers or bomber aircraft. Either may spot a submerged submarine if within 2 hexes. Roll 1D6, requiring:

• 3-6 - spotting destroyer or aircraft in the same hex
  
• 4-6 - spotting destroyer or aircraft in adjacent hex
• 5-6 - spotting destroyer or aircraft 2 hexes away. 
  

18. Once spotted, the submarine may be approached and attacked by depth charge or bombs. Either requires a roll of '6' to hit. Destroyer rolls 4xD6 the bomber stand rolls 3xD6.

As the battle group engage the enemy squadron at long range, 
returning aircraft are being collected by carrier
RNS Abraxas.

19. Submarine patrols. A submarine may patrol an area of radius 2 hexes out from a central hex - an area covering 19 hexes. Place the submarine stand at the centre of this area. When its precise location needs to be known - roll 1D6 to determine how far from the centre it is:

• 1 = the sub is at the centre of its patrol area.
• 2-3 = the sub is 1 hex out from the centre. Roll  a further D6, and counting the hex directly in front as '1', count in a circle clockwise until the die score is reched.
• 4-6 = the sub is 2 hexes out from the centre. Roll a D12 (if you have one) and count as before or roll a 2D6s, one counting 1-6, the other 'high' or 'low'. If 'low' (1-3) count clockwise from 2 forward of the bow; if 'high' (4-6), count clockwise from 2 abaft the stern.

Having determined where the sub really is, the vessel is removed to that spot. The sub may move in its own Turn from that spot at a rate of 2 hexes. Spotting and so forth may also proceed from there.

Excellent shooting - despite heavy damage to both ships - 
batters the Ra'esharn cruiser out of the battle. 

20. Ramming was not a feature of warfare at the period this rule set has in mind. It was hard enough to bring capital ships into a fleet action. But it was not unknown, as the German cruiser Admiral Hipper was to discover in battle against the destroyer HMS Glowworm. On the other hand, it was a known method of dispatching submarines caught on the surface. If a ramming can be pulled off, these are the results:

• Destroyer ramming Cruiser = D6 - 2 FP damage to cruiser; D6 damage to destroyer
• Destroyer ramming Battlecruiser = D6 roll of '6' causes 1FP of damage to target; D6+1 damage to destroyer
• Destroyer ramming submarine = D6 damage to submarine; D6 - 2 damage to destroyer
• Cruiser ramming destroyer = D6 + 1 damage to destroyer; D6 - 2 damage to cruiser
• etc.

This seems to me a rather unlikely tactic generally speaking, and is included here mereluy for the sake of 'completeness.

Parting shots as Force Q retires from the action.
Destroyer K2 exchanges fire with R1. Unable to escape, 
K2 is sunk shortly afterwards. Ra'esharn gunnery was pretty woeful 
in this action, compared with their adversaries'. But K1's 
torpedo attack fails.

Game sequence, per Turn:

A. Air Phase

1. Strike aircraft arrive over target vessels. If the defending ships include an aircraft carrier, it may launch [a] fighter stand[s] to meet them. 
2. Air to air combat. If the strike aircraft includes a fighter escort, then the opposing fighters neutralise each other, squadron for squadron, permitting the bombers to go through. Both sides still roll for damage to FP. 
3. Anti-aircraft fire. One D6 per point of AA from target and any support vessel within 1 hex range. A '6' required to hit and knock off a FP.
4. Bombing attack by surviving aircraft. A '6' is required to hit, and it scores 6FP of damage. If a '5' is also rolled, then it adds 5FP more to the damage to the target vessel. Note that if no '6' is rolled at all, then there is no damage to the target, even if a '5' is rolled.

B. Gunnery Phase

1. Both sides fire their main and secondary armaments, both. Use different sized or different coloured dice to distinguish main from secondary. Secondary armament may choose a target different from the main.
2. Both sides ships fire torpedo pattern of 3 torpedoes per launcher abeam or (optionally) 1 single torpedo fore or aft. A submarine fires 4 fore or 2 aft only.
3.  Roll 1D6 per torpedo. A '6' is required to hit the target.
   
4.  If a hit is scored, it will cause 6FP of damage. If a '5' is also rolled in the same pattern, then a further 5FP of damage is inflicted. Note that when launching a single torpedo, there will be no supplementary '5's rolled!

C. Movement Phase

1. Both sides roll a D6 die. Low roll moves ships first.
2. If available, first side's carriers launch strike aircraft. The aircraft stands are placed over and around the launching vessel. The following Turn, they will arrive over their targets in the next Turn's Air Phase
3. First side then moves its ships 
4. If available, second side's carriers launch strike aircraft. They will arrive over their targets in the next Turn's Air phase. 
5. Second side moves its ships. Once completed, the Game Turn is also completed. 
   
   
   

Results of the brief action illlustrated:

Ra'esharn losses;

• one third of RNS Abraxas strike aircraft shot down by flak;
• one cruiser RNS Charun heavily damaged, 'Y' turret and one third of secondary armament knocked out, and speed reduced (9FP out of 12);
  
• one destroyer (R1) slightly damaged (1FP only out of 6);
• battleship (RNS Barbatos) slightly damaged (3FP out of 24).

Kiivar losses:

• one destroyer (K2) sunk;
• battlecruiser (KNS Aquila) heavily damaged, 'B' turret and some secondary guns KO, speed reduced (14FP out of 18);
• cruiser KNS Falcon heavily damaged, 'A' turret knocked out, speed reduced, secondaries reduced (9FP out of 12). 
• Destroyer K1 and Cruiser KNS Kestrel escaped with no damage
  
  
  

Overall, a tactical and strategic success for Ra'esharn, as, without air cover or air support, Kiivar's 'Force Q' never got close to breaking though the covering group.

Naval Projects Playtest: Battle of Saucer Bay

Possibly one of the most fascinating small scale naval actions of World War Two was that which pitted what was then termed a 'pocket battleship', Admiral Graf Spee, against three British/ Commonwealth cruisers. Not much better protected than the heavy HMS Exeter and the lights HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles, the panzerschiff carried a far greater weight of firepower - as many 5.9-inch as the 6-inch guns on each of the light cruisers to complement its 11-inch main armament. Just as in chess I am fascinated by equal but asymmetrical end games, so it is with any other battle. What I think I'm edging towards is to say that asymmetrical actions of this type can provide fascinating scenarios for playtesting.

The 'Battle of Saucer Bay' purports to be an encounter between a Saabian battlecruiser commerce raider returning from a profitable cruise, and three Ra'esharn cruisers - a small squadron that is part of a large scale effort to end the raider's depredations. Readers with long memories might recall a similar encounter using my 'Mighty Armada' toys: https://archdukepiccolo.blogspot.com/2019/08/the-fox-and-hounds-battle-of-river.html
The keen eyed reader will also observe certain similarities between the ultra-simple rule set used for that action, and the more elaborate system I am developing.

First sighting: distant smoke to the north...

This action featured the following vessels:

Saabia:
SNS Circe - 18 Flotation; Speed, 3.
Primaries 9 hex range
Secondaries 6 hex range

Ra'easharn: 
RNS Salamander
RNS Axolotl
RNS Amphiuma
All have 12 Flotation Points, Speed, 3.
Primaries 6 hex range
Secondaries 3 hex range
Strictly speaking, all three ought to have a torpedo salvo available on each beam, but for this scenario, they were not issued (a Ra'esharn Admiralty oversight, that is to say: I forgot about them).



In the early morning, approaching the coast of the Great South Continent, SNS Circe spied smoke on the northern horizon. Soon discerning that there were three sources of this miasma, the Saabian raider increased speed, imagining a convoy, possibly with only a light escort. Closer examination of the prey revealed them to be three Ra'esharn cruisers of the Urodela class (this is just narrative swank, of course, all cruisers in this world being precisely the same). Figuring that sending 3 major units to the bottom of the sea was at least as useful to Saabia's naval war effort as raiding trade routes, Circe closed to within range of its main guns, swung to port onto a westerly bearing, and opened fire at 27,000 yards range (I have yet properly to determine 'ground scale' - something I'll have to work on).



Circe's gunnery quickly found the range of the lead Ra'esharn ship, SNS Salamander. Three hits scored - and the squadron was still well short of the range of their own primary armaments.

Determined to engage the big raider, the Ra'esharn cruisers bore in. Just as Captain Tarquin gave the order to open fire, a devastating salvo arrived from Circe. Five more damaging hits the big guns scored, with the secondary guns adding another. Smoking from several fires, 'B' turret knocked out, 4 of the 12 4-inch secondaries out of action, Salamander began to break off the action. As the battle trended to the west, Salamander turned to port, to crawl out of the action at reduced speed.



Not before Salamander and the following Axolotl got off salvoes - inaccurate ones -from their forward guns. 

Now, the two remaining cruisers swung off to starboard on a due westerly course, just as Circe elected to close the range. This probably wasn't a very smart decision, though for the moment, the Ra'esharn ship still had only their main guns engaged. The sudden changes in course, seemed to have upset the Ra'esharn range-finding - just one hit being registered upon Axolotl. 

In return, all three enemy cruisers scored telling hits upon Circe, even the retreating Salamander, scoring two hits of their own. This rather induced Circe to turn away to increase the range. Turning onto a 210-degree bearing, took two more hits, one from Salamander just before it disappeared out of range. 

Circe engaged Amphiuma with its after guns, scoring two hits from 'Y' turret, and one more - a very lucky shot - from the secondary weapons. 

At this point, this was the state of the combatant ships:

SNS Circe: 7 hits taken => 11FP remaining;

RNS Salamander: 9 hits taken => 3FP remaining out of 12. Speed reduced to 2, 1 turret out of action, and 2/3 of secondary guns also knocked out.
RNS Axolotl: 1 hits taken => 11FP remaining out of 12.
RNS Amphiuma: 3 hits taken => 9FP remaining out of 12.



Having increased the range beyond the enemy's range, Circe once more bore due west. Determined to take the fight to the big raider, the cruisers altered course to close the range. This left only their forward main guns in action - and they were taking time to find their target. For their part, Circe shoved two more big gun shells into Amphiuma. 

At this point I seem to be missing a picture, as Amphiuma took several more hits that knocked out its 'A' turret and reduced its speed, leaving it to withdraw from the action. Circe closed in to the short range of its own big guns to finish off the relatively undamaged Axolotl, scoring two hits with its forward guns. This was probably not the smartest move the raider's captain might have taken, as he could bring to bear only 6 forward main guns and a single secondary. Two hits were all he managed.



But Axolotl could bring into action his 6 main guns, and 6 secondaries as well. The potential for heavy - possibly crippling - damage suddenly dawned upon the Circe's crew. It was a complete frost (ain't that always the way?!). The primaries requiring 5s to hit, and the secondaries 6s, they might have expected to score 3 hits. Instead, obviously unsettled by the Circe's aggressive approach, Axolotl's gunnery scored nothing. Woeful. Amphiuma did better, one shell from 'Y' turret arriving aboard Circe.



As Axolotl continued westward, Circe turned to starboard onto a 030-degree bearing. Out of arc of Y turret, only the forward main guns could be brought to bear. That was rather unlucky for Amphiuma, as four out the six struck home. Badly damaged already, Amphiuma could not survive such blows. Down she went. Axolotl achieved a poor revenge with a single hit aboard Circe, but perhaps that was enough to end the action. Turning slightly to port, onto a 330-degree bearing, Circe sent one last, long range salvo after Axolotl. The one hit achieved persuaded neither to try conclusions. As Axolotl turned onto a 090-degree course, to join the crippled Salamander, Circe carried on its northerly course.



The battle was over.

Damage:

RNS Salamander - 9FP: withdraws from action, speed reduced (2 hexes), 'B' turret knocked out, along with 4 of the 12 secondary armament.
RNS Axolotl - 4FP: fairly superficial damage
RNS Amphiuma - 12FP : 0FP, sunk. I'm inclined to enact that a vessel reduced to 0SP is not sunk, but remains dead in the water, with all weaponry knocked out. It would take a further loss of FP to sink it. At the moment, just something to think about.

SNS Circe - 11SP damage. Still under full power and all guns intact, but with just 7FP remaining, not anxious for another battle.

Both sides break off the action at this point.  Any more damage would compel the battleship to cry off anyhow, but if it could keep the action at long range, might have inflicted heavy damage on the remaining cruiser. Both sides, of course, claimed the victory.

A rough diagram of the action. Another time 
I might put together the chart as it happens.

  
Well, that was interesting from a play test point of view. It seems that the Battlecruiser had the edge over three cruisers, which is as it should be, I think. However, with a bit of luck - and maybe with torpedoes issued, the lighter craft might have a whisker of a chance. But if there was a hunt on for SNS Circe, methinks it would remain with very problematical chances of escape.

Next time: a more 'formal' arrangement of the rule set, with some corrections to the 'Stats' chart.
To be continued...