Boardgame: By Stealth and By Sea - WW2 Italian Special Forces

I "finally" got round to playing this intriguing little game. A solo, or collaborative style game where each player is an Italian "pig" (SLC) Human Torpedo of the Decima Flottiglia MAS, tasked with destroying Allied warships in Mediterranean harbours (Gibraltar, Alexandria and Algiers). A  novel and beguiling game, against a British (RN) "Bot" defense. The players are endlessly frustrated with countless "faults" in their equipment, quite how the Italians ever got near their targets in real-life is quite beyond me (see below, the imagery gives an accurate impression of a "hard day in the office" - now imagine people dropping small depth charges near you and it you surface a searchlight and rifle fire await): 

Sadly (or rather unfortunately for the RN) HMS Sheffield is now lying at the bottom of Gibraltar harbour! Three "pigs" (SLC) attacked. One crew was killed. One crew was captured (but sank HMS Sheffield at berth). One crew escaped (but only after their "pig" SLC developed a fatal malfunction within sight of HMS Renown and had to be "scuttled")! 

It certainly has great replay value!

WW2 Naval Convoy Theme .. Mixing the Pot of Ideas

It all started with a Waterstone's book token left over from Xmas, or rather a Xmas present looking to be used. Whilst in store I was looking around and saw Max Hasting's Operation Pedestal, this I had already listened to on Audible but thought that a hard copy would help me plan for a naval miniatures game (see below, everything seems sensible just now, the narrative of the battle is good, but sadly when I got it home I felt a little short changed on maps and orders of battle that the wargamer seeks out):

Sitting nearby was another beguiling book, this time on the Arctic Convoys and with a recent take on operational decision making by the Admiralty based on information from Bletchley Park and its Enigma decryptions (see below, the "pair" nicely finished off the book token, job done - one a "Hot" sunburn Mediterranean campaign, the other a "Freezing Cold" ice chipping off the railings Artic campaign weather, Mother Russia here we come!):   

The fun started when I got back home and rummaged through my existing book and game library coming across "Hunting The Beast", trying to kill the Tirpitz and then a recently "gifted" Arctic Convoy game from Avalanche Press (see below, the map inside it is an absolutely beautiful masterpiece): 

I have a few more books that cover the action in the Mediterranean (see below, all bought with the intention of getting my Navwar 1/3000 Italians to fight it out with the RN and the odd Free or Vichy French ship thrown in for good measure): 

There was still more fun to be had in the "Wargaming Library" - Paddy Griffith's classic Sandhurst Wargames book includes a very detailed "Sink the Tirpitz" style game (see below, I like many other wargamers I know possess at least one copy of this [quad] game, but still do not have all the pieces for all the games, as it really needed to come in a box - alas it is now out of print despite it being a classic): 

Although not as beautiful as the Avalanche Press Artic Convoy map, the Sandhurst Wargames maps are still very functional and "interesting" especially the one detailing the fjords of Norway. Given that these were the days when we did not have Google Maps on tap, when it was produced this was a very enigmatic addition to any wargamers collection (see below, one interesting part of the game is that there are many ingenious ways [FAA, RN surface action, X-Boats] in which you can try to sink the Tirpitz and her companions - not saying you will be successful at any of them. I don't think getting the RAF's 617 Squadron to drop Grand Slams on her, as in the one that worked, is actually one of them):   

This is all "settling or stewing" in the back of my mind, where the wargame scenario idea "mixing pot" resides.

Audible Book: Pedestal - Max Hastings

With my current diet of dog walking, car journeys and kitchen washing-up duties I have managed to ply through some Audible books running nicely in the background (see below, one of the latest being Pedestal by Max Hating which concerns the epic 1942 convoy run to relieve the siege of Malta):   

A straightforward chronological churn (not meant in a bad way, but in the same way the convoy made its sojourn to its Malta destination under intense Axis fire) of the convoy battle and all its different phases. It did up-end my rather simplistic narrative (probably based on post war Allied propaganda and black and white war films) of a valiant mission fought through with outstanding RN pluck (which there certainly was plenty of, alongside that of the Merchant Marine) to a worthy win in the expected traditions of the RN. Rather it was a game of two halves, the first with the convoy holding formation under duress with the heavy covering force present (albeit taking casualties, such as HMS Eagle [sunk], HMS Indomitable [damaged] and HMS Nigeria [damaged]), then when the heavy covering force withdrew (with its reduced intrinsic air support) a second brutal half of chaos and confusion under increased Axis air and small boat (MAS and E-Boat) attack - but with utter confusion on the British side (the convoy losing its formation and defensive structure). The Axis reigned superior here sinking many merchantmen and more cruisers [HMS Cairo and HMS Manchester (sunk) and HMS Kenya (damaged)]. Despite the disorganisation and confusion, the battered and brave remnants "got through" - some like the Brisbane Star making her "own way". Many curious and potentially ill thought decisions on both sides were highlighted, albeit with the benefit of hindsight, but it seems to have been a major Axis "missed opportunity" despite the dreadful toll inflicted. All it would have took was a sally by the Regina Marina and better target priority of the Axis bombers to sink the merchantmen [there was certain fixation on aircraft carriers and large warships] where and whenever possible (discuss). I enjoyed it and it is a battle on my wargaming "bucket list" (maybe with the Nimitz ruleset). 

Nimitz - Sam Mustafa Wargame Rules .. is it "The One"?

Is it the .. "The One Set of Naval WWII Rules" .. (to rule them all) that I have been waiting for all my wargaming life (pass me my Hood and Rodney and bring out your Bismarck models)? Now I am a man who has collected a few set of naval rules over the years (and that is an understatement of sorts). I am a grizzled fifty plus year old with a large ship collection - some of which are even painted - in various scales. Post my Paul Hague "Sea Battles (in miniature)" adolescent gaming, I was weaned onto General Quarters I (for WWII) and General Quarters II (for the Great War, aka WWI) .. which were very close to very damn, damn good IMHO - bar time consuming for large fleet actions [but don't ask my opinion on General Quarters III as I think it "went the wrong way" counting turrets rather than abstracting firepower and they broke it .. sniff]. Then there were many such as Sea Krieg that had oodles of charts [but killed playability IMHO]. There were the insanely simple ones (from Full Thrust variants to one brain cell rules, akin to Victory at Sea and Victory in the Pacific Avalon Hill board games - and no I am not forgetting AH Jutland). The great David Manly produced some fine sets of Russo-Jap, WWI and WWII (which I bought and meant to really get into .. but time needed and the urge to learn yet another set, while "feeling around" for the native intuition of what the rule writer wanted to convey - left me cold) .. but what I really, really [Spice Girls] want, is to find the sweet spot of a "pick up an play" set of rules which give very reasonable [but not deterministic] historical results - quickly (as in quicker than the historical battle took) .. that lead into extended campaign play, of multiple scenarios - without premature umpire brain death. I am a man who discovered Fletcher Pratt very late in life, thanks to Wargames Developments [Nugget articles] and the History of Wargames Project [collating, then editing, reprinting and selling the rules]. There I see the beautiful analogue ingenuity of the firing mechanisms [hell it is a damn close to the same set of rules used by the professional US Naval War College in their inter-war years re-fights of Jutland and Sable Island [the latter being the hypothetical USN against the RN action], but for all its historical accuracy and fun suffers from the "mass is mostest and bestest" paradigm .. 48,000 tonnes of Hood could take on the 45,000 (or was it 50,000) tonnes of the Bismarck. No critical hits and punctuated equilibrium, but graduated damage. So back to Sam Mustafa's Nimitz (see below, a good book cover with the great man himself looking out over a battle scene with the USN's finest DDs doing battle, with the backdrop of a historical map): 

I went for the Amazon local print option and am currently digesting it. So far and so good, it is really two sets of rules in one - Nimitz for the tactical and Halsey for the campaign, which I like. Watch this space for further details and hopefully an AAR soon ;)