Battle of Trafalgar 1805

There were nearly 60 ships of the line at Trafalgar - too many ships for our Man o' War rules.  Oue ship models are too big to fit that many on the table & though the rules re very efficient it would still take too long to be played in one night.  Our solution was to scale the battle down to 45% of the numbers.  The scenario still presents the same issues to the commanders but is a much better game.

Nelson's column: 1 1st rate, 1 2nd rate, 3 3rd rates.  Led by Victory.
Collingwood's column: 1 st rate, 1 2nd rate, 4 3rd rates.  Led by Royal Soverign.
French: 8 3rd rates.
Spanish: 1 super 1st rate (Santisima trinidad), 1 1st rate, 4 3rd rates.
Only the main flagships were individially identified.

The two British columns are in the foreground, Collingwood on the right.
The Allies line has 4 French in lead, then 3 Spanish, 4 French & 3 Spanish in the rear.
The wind is blowing accros the table from behind the British,

The Allies have turned to close hauled to close with the British.

The staggered allied line meant that while Collingwood broke thru a Spanish squadron, his column was in turn broken thru by a French squadron.  It may have been a bit careless of Collingwood to charge straight at the 136 gun Santisima Trinidad, but he had a even bigger problem with the dice gods.  His passage thru the Spanish line with double shotted guns caused a laughably small amount of damage while the Royal Soveriegn got plastered so badly Collingwood had to moveb jis flag & let the ship break off the action.  In contrast when the French broke thru the British line they smashed the ships on  either side.  

In the maeantime Nelson turned parallel to the French van, but the advantage of his superior crews was also being negated by the dice gods.

Nelson is fighting the leading French squadron with 5 ships to 4, Collingwood is fighting 3 Spanish & 4 French with only 5 ships, his crippled flagship flag having sailed away.  But the rear Spanish squadron is not enagaged, evening the odds,if only the dice gods would play fair.  

Collingwood's squadron finally gained some sucess forcing 2 French ships to strike, but 2 more ships had to bear away with severe damage & the others were unable to support their prize crews.  They scuttled one but couldn't prevent the other being recaptured. 
Meanwhile, Nelson in the van was finally getting some decent dice & getting the upper hand.

3 of Collingwood's ships has had to strike & the other 3 have had to break off with heavy damage.  
Nelson has captured 4 French ships with none of his lost.  

The Brits have only Nelson's column able to fight, but all 5 ships with significant damage.
The French have 2 ships left fit to fight, 1 barely still afloat, 1 sunk & 4 captured.
The Spanish have lost 1 ship sunk, 1 with significant damage & 4 unscathed.

Clearly not a great British victory this time.  

The battle highlighted the fact that the combat system is prone to wild random variation in results.  The variation does add excitement, & gives the losers an excuse other than their own incompenence, but it can obscure tactical lessons.   The problem is that the dice system, which is specifically designed to be really quick & easy to use (and really is), happens to have a very wide bell curve of possible results, so seriously good or bad results are not only very common, but too often seem to come in game deciding rushes. 

Despite the game going very diferently to the real thing, it showed that Nelson's strategy was good.  In our case it was thwarted by 1) a better reponse by the enemy & 2) the dice gods.


 

Battle of Cape Spartel 1782

The battle of Cape Spartel in 1782 was an indecive battle between a British fleet & a combined French & Spanish fleet suggested as a scenario by Peter in Canberra.  The British had already suceeded in escorting transports to supply Gibraltar which was under seige so neither side was very intersted in a serious fight.  We scaled the number of ships down to make a scenario we could do in an evening.
The battle took place in the straits of Gibraltar so the far long table edge is Spain & the near one Africa.

The British fleet is in the foreground with 2 1st rates & 6 3rd rates.  
The French lead the allies with 2 1st rates & 6 3rd rates with the Spanish behind with 1 1st rate & 4 3rd rates. 
The wind is blowing from the north across the table so the allies have the weather gauge.

The Brits have tacked & turned back close hauled to close with the the enemy.

The Brits & Spanish exchange long range fire as they pass on opposite tacks as the French turn around the British rear.

The lead Spanish ship is seriously damaged, but the rear British ship is being raked by the French & even though at long range is being really pounded.  The 2nd Brit squadron has passed the Spanish & is tacking again

The 1st British squadron has got away from the French apart from the rear ship which struck it colours & drifting waiting for a prize crew to board.  The rest of the 1st squdron is now tacking as the Spanish break up to concentrate fire on the now end ship.    The original lead Spanish ship has a lot of hull damage, but the sails are still good & it has broken off & is sailing to the left towards Cadiz.

The 2nd British squadron is masked from the action by the 1st which is taking a lot of punishment but also dishing a bit out to the Spanish.
The French are in typical fashion lurking in the rear with minimal damage.
The Spanish & Brits are about to pass out of each other's fire & the will Brits continue on into the Atlantic rather than go into action with the mostly undamaged French.

Resin 3D printers

 Jim has been having problems with the blog, so I am creating a test post.  But while I'm at it I thought I would talk about my 3D printers, specifically my resin printer!

In summary, it is fantastic, and the biggest pain in the bum!

Why is it fantastic?

- I can print figures off with ease.  I have printed 6mm figures (napoleonics), 15mm figures (Egyptians and Hittites) and 42mm figures (Arkham Horror).  All have been beautiful!

- If you use the right resin, the figures are tough.  After some playing around I settled on Siryatech Build resin -- but there are other equivalent brands.  This is a reasonably tough and flexible resin.  It costs twice as much as other resins.  But the cost per figure is still measured in cents.  And you lose more when a brittle figure breaks after you have painted it.

Why is it a pain in the bum?

- the resin is toxic, so you need to wear gloves until it is cured.

- you need to clean up with methylated spirits.  You can get water washable resin, but all my stuff printed with water washable resin has warped over time as it absorbs humidity.

- you need a heated setup.  Cold resin doesn't cure properly, and the miniature will eventually crumble.

- the combination of printer, washing station, chemicals etc. takes a LOT of space.  Its like an old darkroom setup.

So how do I use my printer?  I pick a subject, print the figures I need one day on a weekend, and then pack everything up and put the printer away.  I can print in a weekend what will take me several months to paint.

My printer is an Elegoo Mars 5.  But in truth all cheaper resin printers are much the same.  If you want some good reviews of printers, try https://www.youtube.com/@FauxHammer

Here is a picture of my 3D printed Gauls.

WWII Mech War

Germans v. US Mech War 15mm using house rules. US: Mark.  Germans: Jim

The Germans are on the near side.  They have deployed with their MkIVs on their tight, Tigers on the hill in the centre.  Half their inf in the centre, the rest on their right.  The US vae their armour in the centre & their infantry on their left. 

The Germans have attacked with armour on their right. The US attacked with infnatry on theri right.. The Tigers are exchchanging long range shots with M10s accross the cente.

In the centre 2 Stuarts circled & attacked the Tiger not hit by the M10s, distracting them from the M10s.  The Tiger got both Stuarts, but was taken out itself in the final exchange (we have simultaneous movement & fire).The US infantry overwelmed the German infantry in the centre.

In the tank fight, Germans partially offset the US deplyment hull down by flanking, but the tank fight became a dice fest that the US won.  The Germand conceded with just one MKIV making agettaway with half the infantry.

The blog has been unresponsive to the point of driving me crazy for a about 3 weeks.  The problem occurs both on my new PC & the old one I keep as backup.  I have found a solution in that my laptop works fine.  So how come I have a problem on 2 machines, one Win 10 & one Win 11 but not on my Win 11 laptop, all using the same wifi?  Anyone got any clues?
 

 

Bolt Action 1250 pts

Germans: Jim
US: Mark

The Germans are on the near side of the table.

The US gave up after 4 turns having lost 5 units to none.
The Marder took out a Super Sherman. While their mortars & MMGs provided long distance support the German infantry used the bocage to get in close to the GI's & use their smgs .

WWI Cruiser Action

Germans (Chris): BC Seydlitz, 2 CA, 4 CL, 6 DD flots.
British (Mark): BC's New Zealand & Invincible, 2 CA, 4 Cl & 6 DD flots.

The Germans are on the right, Sydlitz is turning to port  with 2CA's followin& 3 DD flots each side.  The CLs are close to the island.
New Zealand leads Invincible turning to starboard with CA's on the left, CL on their right,  DDs on both flanks.

The BC's are exchanging ranging shots over the German DDs which have launched torpedoes (torp models hidden under cards).

The New Zeland & Seydlitz ranged in on each other, after two slavoes on target, the New Zealand went down while the Seydlitz shrugged off the damage.
The German DDs were mostly blown away by a hail of fire from BC secondaries, CA & CL but theri orps have sunk a CA & a CL.

The Brits DDs have launched torpedoes & the German LCs have turned towards them succesfully avoiding being hit.

The Brits decide that it's suicide to take on Seylitz with just Invincible, so turn away laying smoke.

   

 

Men o' War blockade run scenario

This is a re-run of a scenario designed by Tim in England where the French & Spanish have to escort a fleet of transports into port past a British blockade.
Brits (JIm): 2 squdrons each 1 1st & 2 3rd rates, 1 squadron 3 4th rates, Elite crews.
French (Chris): 2 squadrons each 1 1st & 2 rd rate, Regular crews.  3 transports.
Spanish (Mark): 1 1st & 4 3rd rate Raw crews.

The French are in the middle of the far side of the table with men o' war each side of the transports.
The Spanish are on their elft.
The Brit 4th rates are scattered on patrol with a squadron approaching from each end of the table.
The port is in the middle sof the near table edge.  The wind is accross the table behind the French.

The 2 Brit squadrons are sailing diagonally downwind at maximum speed to try to cut teh French off from port.

The RH Brit squadron got past the Spanish though their rear ship copped damage from long range raking fire before the Spanish turned to follow them.

The lead French ship of their left flank was smashed by point blank, bow raking double shotted broadside by the Brit 1st rate,of the RH squdron, has been boarded & struck it's colours.

The Brits now have a problem as their converging squadrons & their prize get in the way of each other restricting their fire.  The tail ship of theri RH squadrons being pounded by French & Spanish. 

The British are in some confusion as their two main squadrons pass each other, but a brave 4th rate is tying to board the Spanish flagship.

The rear ship of the RH British squadron has struck its colours while the other Brits are still sorting themselves out.  The 4th rate has now boarded & captured the Spanish flagship.  

On the left of pic, badly damaged Brits & their 1st prize are sailing off to the left as 2 ships of their RH squadron have tacked & are returning towards the fight.
On the right, the remaining Spanish have turned away.
In the centre, the Brits LH squadron has finally got into the action with devastating effect sinking 1 French ship & 2 have struck their colours. 
The British ship that had struck its colours was boarded & recaptured.
The fight has now come within range of the guns of the port defences,.  

At this point nightfall curtailed the action. 
It was judged that the heroic Brit 4th rate, now badly damaged, is trapped between the surviving French shisp & the fortress guns & cannot escape (although part of it's crew has sailed off with their prize).  The other British ships are unable to intercept the transports.

The Brits have 3 ships with crtical damage & 1 captured.
The French have had 1 ship sunk & 3 captured.
The Spanish have had rheir flagship captured.
The French have only 2 ships left, but they have done their job protecting the transports as the Brits are occupied taking prizes & the transports are moving into the cover of the port's batteries.

The Allies claim victory as they have acheived their victory condition of getting the trtransports to port.
But the Brits aklso claim victory pointing to the one-sided butcher's bill with their taking of 4 prizes & the sinking of another for the loss ofjust the heroric 4th rate.  

Men o'War

Spanish: 1 1st rate, 3 3rd rates, all raw crews.  Jim
French: 1 2nd rate,  3 3rd rates, all regular crews. Mark
v.
British: 1 1st rate, 1 2nd rate, 4 3rd rates, in 2 squadrons, all elite crews. Chris

The wind is blowing down the table from the far end.  The Spanish are in the nearest corner, the French in the RH corner.  The Brits at opposite ends of the far siude of the table. 

The Spanish held their course to windward while the Brits turned away to pass them the leeward.  Both sides started loaded with chain shot, then chanegd to standard solid shot.   

The French converged on the other British squadron, but turned to windward of them.  Again both sides atrted with chain shot, then changed to solid shot.

In both actions both side suffered a lot of rigging damage, but both aliied squadrons gained an advantage at the start of trh combat geting 2 shios to 1, then used the weather gauge to lap around the rear of the enemy line & pound the rear ship.

The Brit squadron fighting the French had their lead ship too badly damaged to stay in the fight & the rear ship so badly damaged it struck it's colours. The lead 2 ships decide to free downwind.
The Brit squadron fighting the Spanish had done serious damage to the Spanish, but their rear ship is a total shambles, so they too decided to break off & run downwind while they still had enough rigging to do so..  
.  

Mech War: Germans v. Soviets

Same terrian & forces as last Sunday, but on opposte sides of the table & this time Jim + Chris as Soviets & Mark & JamesF as Germans. 

Pic from Sovier side.
The Soviets advanced all their armour to their left flank, but the Germans immediately reinforced their right so the 10 T34's (half only 76's) met 10 MkIVs.  Some of the Soviets were in cover, but the Germans mostly had the advantage of defence then the dice gods heavily favoured them.  

Meanwhile the Soviet infantry advanced supported by off table artillery. 

The Soviet gods of war were as supported by teh dice god as much as the Panzers & they decimated the German infantry allowing the Soviet infnatry to drive off the remainder. 
But the total loss of the Soviet armour at the cost of just 2 MkIVs left the Soviet infantry unable to do anything but cling on to their gains. The Soviets hold more objectives, so technically can claim a victory, but it's a pretty hollow claim.

In three recent battles with these forces, the Germans have won two & the Soviets one.  In each case the better plan was supported by better dice causing a decisive result in the tank fight. 

Mech War Soviets v. Germans

Chris' Soviets v. Jim's Germans
Same forces as last weekend.  House ruels for WWII Mech War.  

Pic from behind German right flank.
Deployment platoon by platoon as counters drawn from a bag BA style.

The Germans used theri half tracks to move quickly to occupy the 3 woods near the centre.
The Germasn advance their MkIVs on their right.  The Soviets engaged them with T34/85s in the wood but advanced armoutr on theri right & centre.

The Soviet tanks in the wood on their left were wiped out by superior numbers reinforced by good dice.   The Soviets then thought better of their advance right of centre where two Tigers lurked in the field & sent them back to meet the MkIVs.  But the MkIVs continued to shoot well & the Sovieta rmour on their left was destroyed.  
In the woods the Germans infantry held off Soviet infantry attacks.
The T34's sent around the German left were kept occupied  by the Tigers.

The Germans concentrated their forces better, then got good dice to multiply their advantage into a decisive victory, reversing the result of last weekend's battle with the same forces. 

American War of Indepenance

 Jim's: Brits: 9 vet innfatry, 4 small indians, 2 guns , 2 Brit cavalry
Chris' French & Colonials: 4 French vet inf, 8 comial inf, 4 small woodsmen, 2 gunbs, 2 French cavalry.
28mm figs. House Rules M2M.

Pic from behind British lines after map deployment.

The Brits are advancing on their right.  They are also sending some of the troops from their left through the fields to support that adavnce leaving 2 vet inf, 2 indiasn & 2 guns to defend their left.

The Brit inf have engaged the French infantry on the right while their cav sipports their right & Indians in the woods support their left.
On the far flank the Brits are withdrawing behind a screen on Indians.

The British infnatry advance on their right was halted by acurate French musketry & a valaint bunch of colonials in the wood on their left left.
A bit of support form their infantry gave the British cavalry an edge that the dice didn;t muck up & the French cavalry has been driven off.
The Brit inf brought from the left is attacking the colonials in the central wood after they have been softened up by Indians. 
On the far flank the Brits have falklen back to the fields & their artillery is really hurting the colonials.

On the right, the Brit infantry has been pulled back with heavy losses covered by their cavalry. 
In the centre the Brits have cleared the colonials out fo the central wood.
On the left the Colonials are falling back rather than be mangled by British muskets & grape shot.

At this point neither side's commander feels able to make another attack & is contrent to cease fire & write a dispatch to Washington ot London claiming a great victory. 

 

 

Mech War: Soviets v. Germans

Chris: Soviets
Jim: Geramns
Rules: Camp Cromwell house rules for WWII 15mm.
Scenario:  Key positions with 8 objectives with map deployment.

Pic from Soviet side.
The Soviets have T34/76's & infantry on both flanks, T34/85's in the centre with support from a/tank guns & infantry.
The Germans have all their armour in the centre. Their armoured infnantry is on both flanks & in the centre. 

The Panzers advance to engage the T34/85's & medium a/tank guns in the centre.  The Germans have superior numbers, but the Soviets engage from cover.  
The Germans concede their left flank & shift infnatry to their right.
The Soviets move their rigth flank T34/76s towards the centre & their left flank T34's towards the German's right flank.

The Germans turned 2 of their MKIVs to face the threat to their right flank, but they were picked off by hot shooting.  A second pair of MkIVs met the same fate.  That distraction plus more good shhoting allowed the Soviets to odetroy the panzers in the centre.
German infnatry took the two central objecyives (road juctions.
They alkso attacked teh ridge on their right, but the Soviet infnatry their were dug in & supported by T34/76s & the attack was destroyed. 

Chris had a good plan that wasn't stuffed up by the dice gods & the Soviets won a well deserved decisive victory.  

BA v3: Germans v. Soviets

 Chris' Soviets v. Jim's Germans.
1250 points, Key Positions scenario.

Pic from German side.
The objectives are: the 2 houses, the 2 road junctions & thecentral ends of the ridges on the table centreline. 
The Germans advanced quickly to sieze both the ridge objectives & the RH road junction as well as the house on their side.  They also set up a network of MMGs covering the centre to deter the Soviets from advancing into the open ground in the centre. 
When the Soviets counterattacked on the German right the Germans reinforced the flank from the centre & destroyed the attack.was destroyed.
On the other flank the German squad on the objective was destroyed by Soviet fire, but they held out long enough for 2 MMGs to be moved up to hold the objective at the end. 

In the centre the Germans took both road juctions after their MMGs cleared out the enemy MMGs defending the ground.  The Tank Hunters both sides had stayed out of sight of each other & mostly out fo the action so acheived nothing.

A decisive German victory holding 5 of 6 objectives & destroying 6 units for 1. 

English Civil War

Parliament: Jim & Mike
Royalists: Mark, Chris & SteveJ 
M2M house rules

Parliament are on the near side, Mike on the left, Jim on the right.
The Royalists are: Left flank: Mark. Centre: Chris.  Right flank: Steve. 

Both sides advanced though Parliament held back their cavalry on each flank.

On the near flank the Parliament cavalry was outnumbered, but they used the terrain & infantry support to repell the Royalist attack. 
In the centre the infantry are poing at it at close quarters.
On the far flank the cavalry is still pussy footing around.

Right of centre, the Parliament got the dice to turn a small tactical advantage to a big breakthrough.
Left of centre the foot are still slugging it out.

Right of cantre the Parliament's foot are expanding the hole in the royalist line.
In the centre, the Royalist are gaining the upper hand.
The cavalry on the far flanl are still dithering.

On the near flank the Parliament's cavalry have attacked & finished off the Royalist horse.
Right of centre the Kng's innfatry has been destroyed.
Left of centre, Parliament's foot have been beaten.
On the far flank, the Royalist horse have got the better of the long delayed fight.

Both sides have won on their right flank, but the Parliament's win is more decisive so they can claim victory.