Fleet Action - La Belle Epoque

I have been meaning for quite a while to try out Bob Cordery's Belle Epoque naval wargames set. Not having the Monopoly warship game pieces, I do have some Age of Imperialism vessels of suitable design and a good sized gridded game surface gleaned from my SPI Fighting Sail game.

Game map, fleets rule set and a hastily drawn up log sheet.

This pitted the inveterate enemies, Ruberia (RED) against Azuria (BLUE); fleets of 6 ships apiece. And I'm here to tell you the action was fast, furious, and quite fun, really.  

... and some dice: red for Ruberia; white for Azuria

In the year 1891, a border dispute erupted (as was almost an annual event) between the Kingdom of Ruberia and the Republic of Azuria. There had, apparently, been renewed contention over the fishing rights over the Doggerel Bank - though modern historiography seems to hint at more behind. The fleets were quickly mobilised and sailed off to 'protect' the fishing grounds against Johnny Foreigner and/or Perfidious Albert.

The log sheet. I ought to have taken a pic of the post-battle sheet!

The Fleets comprised:

RUBERIA: Admiral Sir Jno Jellibene

1st Squadron: Vice-Admiral James Doughty
11. Impetuous
12. Implacable
13. Impudent

2nd Squadron: Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Trumpeter
14. Indefatigable
15. Infernal
16. Intrepid

The fleets approach. The Ruberians begin their 
envelopment manoeuvre

AZURIA: Vice-Admiral Honore Ganteaume

1-er Escadron: Rear-Admiral Jonas Poisson-Care
1. Icarus
4. Ivrian
5. Valiant

2-me Escadron: Capitaine Guillaume Enseigner
6. Vigilant
9. Ixolite
10. Xaviera

In response, the Azurians begin to form a 
single battle line ahead

Approaching each other along the northwest-southeast axis, both sides squadrons formed separate columns. The Azuria were close together, the Ruberian more distant apart. This I decided by dice rolls indicating distance from the corner ('1' being the corner itself). The Ruberians rolled 1 and 4, 1st Squadron in the starboard column. Premier Esqadron formed the starboard Azuria column as well; the rolls were 4 and 5. Had either of the rolls been doubles, then they would have formed a single line of battle. The Azurians later would indeed so become, 1-ier Escadron taking station behind 2-me.

Into the jaws... or a kick in the ... erm ...

The Ruberian columns widely separated to begin with, Admiral Jellibene ordered divergent courses, the idea being to envelop the head of the Azurian line to inflict heavy damage on the lead ships before the rearward vessels came into range. How well that turned out will be the topic of the next posting. For now, here are the results of the opening salvos: two hits upon Vigilant, two critical hits upon Impetuous...

Opening salvos. Both sides get the range.

To be continued...

Chromatic Chronicles - Another Naval Project

 One of the reasons for the Roman Civil War taking so long to play through and write up had to do with other projects I had going. One of them was the Chromatic Wars, so called because the warring nations were named after colours. Long term readers might recall from late 2020, the outbreak of the First Blacklands War, as newly created nations sought to expand their territories at the expense of the Settee Empire, more generally known as Turcowaz (TURQUOISE).

That campaign had a tendency to grow as one of the nations, Hellenica, had built a navy (based upon the Greek), in order to blockade the Empire by sea. A link to the whole narrative may be found at the top of the column to the right.

The nations Chervenia and Rhumbaba have both acquired very small navies since then, in preparation for the Second Blacklands War.

In the last few days I have resumed the ship building programme that is the subject of the following pictures.

Of the six vessels shown above, all except the two bottom left were made in the last four or five days. The two on the bottom left were inspired by Bob Cordery's articles on flatiron gunboats.  

'Flatiron' gunboats. Modeled on real ones, but 
I can't identify them! I lost my notes.

Compared with the other vessels these are somewhat overscale! I made them a couple of years back. They are based on real examples of the flatiron type, but I find I can not identify them! I think they were British.

HMS Victoria - yes, the one carrying Adm. Tryon's flag.
Ruberian Navy (RED).

All these vessels were built in what I call my 'Chubby Marine' style (the appellation a nod towards the Fujimi 'Chibi Maru' models of IJN ships of WW2). The ships (apart form the Flatiron types) are very roughly scaled at 1:1200 in length, and 1:600 in the beam.

HMS Thunderer - Ruberian Navy

Thunderer comes out as a very small vessel in this scale - just 8cm long. Its sole armament comprises the four early 12" guns; there is no secondary armament.

IZNS Tsarina Ekaterina II - Navy of Izumrud -Zeleniya
(GREEN)

I saw a really nice picture of this vessel and was struck by how elegant it looked. The main guns are barbette mounted. Now, while it is clear that the secondary armament can not shoot across the centre line projection forward or aft, one has to ask, to what extent the main forward guns can. Clearly the secondary armament forward and aft shooting effectiveness must be half the 'broadside'. What about the effectiveness of the main guns firing forward?

Now, my own variant of Bob Cordery's Portable Naval Wargames rules uses his gunnery stats, but, instead of standardising on ship type as he does, I have standardised on 4 guns of each of the listed types. This does complicate matters, requiring special stat lists, but I like the results (as seen in the Blacklands War naval actions).

Now, HMS Victoria (this vessel will probably receive a different name) had huge16.25" guns in its (fatally) massive gun turret. I gather they were installed in lieu of 13.5" guns that were unavailable at the time of commissioning. So let's for the sake of this article, pretend they are the equivalent of the most powerful ordnance in the 'pre-dreadnought' list: the 'modern' 11 or 12-inch guns.

The gun range is 8 hexes; the standard effect 9D6, reducing by 1 for each hex added to the adjacent for range. At 8 hexes range, the effect is down to 2D6. But the 9D6s go for 4 guns; Victoria has 2 only, firing forward or in broadside. So its effect must be halved: 5D6s, reducing to 1D6 at 8 hexes range.

What about the 'Y' turret at the stern? It houses a single 10-inch gun. 
The standard 4-gun shoot has a range of 6 hexes, with 7D6 at 1hex range. As Victoria has but one such gun, it rolls just 2D6 at 1 hex range, reducing to 1D6 at 3 to 6 hexes. 

For this vessel, the stern gun I count as a primary. This vessel's secondary 6-inch guns in broadside casemates shoot at the standard rate. Strictly speaking it should be allowed a 50% extra, but I'll stay with the four guns per side of the model, rather than the historical 6. These guns fire abeam only.

Work in progress: HMS Royal Sovereign (RED)

I admit to taking considerable licence with this ship. Of the eight Royal Sovereigns built, only one, HMS Hood, had turreted main guns. At that, those turrets were cake-tin shaped, rather than the shape I gave them here. The secondary turrets - far more substantial that the barbette emplacements - have been placed slightly nearer the ends of the vessel. Begun today, it now awaits its paint work.

4x13.5" main guns; 10x6" secondaries.

I will have to add in 'Modern' 13.5" guns to the pre-dreadnought ordnance list, for the vessels of my fleet that carry them. This will make Royal Sovereign a very powerful vessel, the main guns reaching out to 10 hexes. An alternative (quite an arbitrary one) is to go with the stats for the 'modern' 12" guns listed in the Portable Dreadnought game. The extra 3 dice at all ranges in broadside would be bad enough at the incoming end...

More pics of the whole group...

If anyone can help me identify what my flatiron gunboats most resemble. I'm fairly sure they aren't monitors...

Roman Civil War - The End in Africa

Though victorious in Spain, the situation remained in doubt in Africa as the fourth month of the campaign neared its end. Following their victory a fortnight earlier, the Caesarians, led by Gaius Curio, pursued the Pompeians as far as Utica. For Cato of Utica, replacing the slain Publius Varus, that was the end of the line. He did have his fleet of seagoing transports, but the warships to escort them were still maintaining a blockade at Thapsus. Although the strategic situation was not to his liking, his army was still a match for the Caesarian. He resolved to fight.

Selecting a good defensive position, he placed his right wing - XXII Legion, backed by I Auxilia - on  rising ground.  Cato himself stood with XXIV legion, directly supported by the velites in the centre. The cavalry he placed on the left, with auxiliary infantry to back them.

Pompeian Army:

Right Front: XXII Legion = 2SP
Right Rear: I Auxilia = 2SP
Centre Front: XXIV Legion = 2SP + Cato, commanding
Centre Rear: Velites = 2SP in direct support
Left Front: Equites heavy horse = 2SP
Left Rear: II Auxilia = 2SP

Totals: 6 units, 12SP
The light cavalry were otherwise employed.

View from behind Caesarian army

That the enemy was ready to fight suited Curio, eager as he was to bring the campaign to a successful finish. Although the armies were numerically equal, he did enjoy a slight qualitative superiority, having three regular legions to the Pompeians' two.

Caesarian Army:

Left Front (facing the rising ground): IV Legion = 2SP
Left Rear: II Auxilia =2SP

Centre Front: II Legion = 2SP
Centre Rear: Velites = 2SP (direct support)
Right Front: Equites = 2SP
Right Rear: I Legion =2SP

Totals: 6 units, 12SP.
I Auxilia were engaged in protecting the road south.

View from behind Pompeian Army. Both commanders
in the centre.

No sooner drawn up for battle, Curio ordered the attack. The first clash, as expected, was on the right between the rival cavalry units. The action inconclusive, the Caesarian horse were rebuffed, whereat the Pompeian horse essayed a charge of their own. That, too, led to nothing decisive on this flank.

Caesarians attack!

Before the IV Legion could begin storming the hill, down came the Pompeians to attack them in the plain.  IV Legion met them steadfastly, and drove them back up the hill with loss. 

XXII Legion charges off the hill...

Returning to the Caesarian right, the cavalry withdrew behind the I Legion, who began a successful push that would eventually drive in the whole Pompeian left wing. Throwing back the enemy horse with loss, the legionaries carried on into the supporting auxiliaries.

I Legion defeats the Pompeian cavalry...

The auxiliaries fared no better, also taking heavy losses as the rampant Caesarians drove them from the field.

... and follows up to smash the enemy auxiliaries as well.

On the other wing, the Pompeians were barely holding (fighting uphill, the IV Legion's die roll of 4 reduced to 3).

IV Legion repulsed the Pompeian attack, and drive the 
enemy legion back up the hill.

The decisive fighting continued on the Caesarian right wing. The Pompeian cavalry attempt to recover the lost ground ending in failure... 

Pompeian cavalry attack fails to restore fortunes
on The Pompeian left wing.

General view. The Caesarians victorious on the right.

... there remained but one last effort to turn the battle. Cato himself wheeled XXIV Legion to attack the Caesarian right. I Legion turned to face this attack. That last clash proving indecisive, the Pompeians were unable to restore their line. The army began to draw off in defeat.

Cato's last ditch attempt to restore the battle not 
quite enough...

Less decisive - and less bloody - than Caesar's victory in Spain, this success was the end of the Pompeian campaign in Africa. The respective losses were just 1 Caesarian SP to 4 Pompeian. Though the latter army remained in being, there could be no retreat. Their backs to the sea, they might have been evacuated by their transport fleet. To determine whether the army might yet escape to join Pompey Magnus in the eastern half of the empire, I rolled the initiative dice for the 5th month. 

I Legion hold, and inflict losses on Cato's XXIV 
Legion

It was bad luck for the Pompeians: the roll went 4-2 against them. The transport upped anchor, left Utica, and left the army in the lurch. Cato had no option but surrender. Spain won, Africa won, the Caesarian faction had won the whole of the Empire west of Italy.

* * *

It transpired that in Spain, Sextus Pompey was a hunted man. In the post campaign confusion, he escaped by boat, together with a small entourage, and fetched up in Sicily. There, he began a remarkable comeback and carved out for himself an independent State that for a time Rome faced too many distractions to do much about. It was to be some years before the Empire was able to direct its attention to the upstart start its midst... But that is a campaign for another day...