Four Books on Midway

Stemming from an interest that was cultivated from an early exposure to XTR's (Command Magazine) Victory at Midway, I have been fascinated by this battle (see below, and still my most favourite wargame - that is a game plus an excellent reference magazine): 

Since then I have been collecting books about the battle. My four specific reference books being.

Book 1: Midway The Battle That Doomed Japan, the Japanese Navy Story. Albeit acquired and read late in the day (of my interests) but early in the literature review (1954), it is a classic - but suffers from deep political motivations (written for a post war Japanese and Western audience). Extremely interesting as it gave an insight into the Japanese view, from a surviving protagonist, but projected myths about the battle that are still persistent today.   

Book 2: Midway - Incredible Victory. A somewhat popularist follow on from the above, but from an American perspective, that is dramatic in its recounting of the battle. It seems to set the pace and scene for most wargames of the battle. A fight against incredible odds and patriotic American sacrifice, There was great patriotism but the actual combatants were more evenly matched than portrayed. Nevertheless it does convey the tension of the times,

Book 3: The Battle of Midway - The Battle that Turned the Tide of the Pacific War. To my mind not much separates this from Incredible Victory - but it is a different recount of the same battle, again from the US perspective, which fleshes the narrative and lists all the moving parts (essential for a wargamer). 

(The) Book 4: Shattered Sword - The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway. Quite frankly this book blew away the "I already know the story" cobwebs right out of my mind. "Myth busting" and with access to IJN archive material it gives a definitive account from both sides, explaining the who, what, how and why. It places Midway in the context of what it was, an USN "ambush" that the IJN sleep walked into. It also places the nature of the IJN wargaming into its correct context, a tick box exercise. The IJN set themselves up to fail because they expected the USN not to interfere with their (overly) complex plan. Amazing detail, surfacing truths that had already been exposed for years in Japan's academic world.  

Read it. The description above in no way diminishes the US heroism but frames the Japanese operations (because you cannot forget about the Aleutians). With the IJN so focused on Midway they gave the USN a "first strike" opportunity it so gratefully took. The relatively inexperienced USN pilots pulled it off, not in a prefect fashion, but the end results speak for themselves. Japan lost the strategic initiative - but there was much gruelling fighting still to be done.     

PS: Yes I also have the Osprey Midway book, and yes there are hundreds of other "good" books on Midway (it is a very popular battle), but these are the four on myselves. Please read Shattered Sword, it is far ad away the BEST and the most DEFINITIVE account of the battle - but this is only my humble opinion (as well as many better souls). Enjoy!

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!

Der Tag (Minden Games) : The Holy Grail of WWI North Sea HSF v GF Wargaming is found!

For the better part of thirty years I have been searching and experimenting with various rule systems that allow me to play WWI naval games, specifically North Sea actions between the Royal Navy (RN) Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet (HSF). This encompassed and included a vast fleet of 1/3000 Navwar ships (the Jutland Battle Pack and much. much more [ahem]) for use with General Quarters (I and II). I have acquired a shelf load of books and various boards games (Avalanche Press - The Great War at Sea Vol II - The North Sea and the Baltic and SPI Dreadnought to name two). There is the History of Wargames project's reprint of Fletcher Pratt's rules, a copy of "Si Vis Pakem" (Prof David Manley's WWI rules), an old copy of A&A's Sea Wars [1894-1945] and teh Jutland scenario booklet, XTR's Command Magazine Jutland zip-lock game and many other things I bet I have forgotten about, but all of which make me think "Jutland". The wilderness years are now over as Minden Games "Der Tag" officially does it for me (see below, a simple and brilliant game, designed originally as a solitaire game, but it was cleverly expanded by a ingenious friend to a multi-player system which we played over Zoom for myself (as Admiral Scheer) and some friends as the various RN "fleets" [most of the Grand Fleet at Scapa, some Grand Fleet elements at Cromarty Firth, at Rosyth the BCF and the "Wobbly Eight" of the Dover Patrol]):   

It is a high level operational game, German action cards initiating missions but there is a huge emotional buy-in during combat, from a simple but effective combat system that "gets it right". It is set in the 1916 Jutland year and plays for four turns of nerve racking play. We ran the game twice on consecutive days, each game lasting just over an hour of playing time. It was also a great conversational piece and highly entertaining to play as everyone got into teh mood. I can only say "I highly recommend it to you" if you are of a similar disposition as myself to WWI naval warfare. I just wish I had found it sooner! Please also see Board Game Geek's review (and if you get it, enjoy the solitaire version, but do think about translating it to a multi player version to spread the joy): 

• https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/316075/der-tag-1916-solitaire-ww1-naval-game

Footnote: My WWI naval addiction. I must also give a shout out to Paul Hague's two books of naval wargame rules. The first I discovered as a teenager in the Public Library and I ended up making 1:3000(ish) WWI ships out of bits of balsa wood (looking back I am amazed at the fortitude and ambition of that young man, I think I got the BCF, 5th BS and 1st SG of the HSF). The second book was purchased some twenty years later and was a welcome reunion to somebody returning to his hobby's "second life" in his late twenties. 

Board Game Geek Comments: 

• https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3168818/der-tag-is-der-game
• https://boardgamegeek.com/video/542479/der-tag-1916-solitaire-ww1-naval-game/coffee-with-kilroy-panzerschreck-issue-17-fall-202

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.

1/3000 WW2 RN Destroyers bulk basing!

The WWII RN Destroyers get their basing call and proudly get squished together like the good mates they are, or rather the sisters they are (see below, they have been waiting in that box a good few years for this treatment):  

These range from early to mid war, where possible (according to budget) I like to get all of the iconic classes like the Tribals.

The Essex Class - Basing the War Battle Winners

Their time has come, the war winning class of USN aircraft carriers which made it simply impossible for the IJN to get back into the war after Midway. Fast Carrier battlegroups dominated the 1944-45 Pacific Theatre of Operation (PTO) in TF 58 (see below, these are eight of the beauties that came crisply from teh Navwar 1/3000 moulds):  

Sadly Navwar experienced mould degradation and the remaining nine (see below) I received needed some tender loving care (TLC) in the form of the miracle Vallejo Plastic Putty. Navwar discontinued the mould shortly after I placed my order (several years ago now), but Davco still do a 1/3000 model (see below, my seventeen [of a total class of twenty four] that were commissioned during WWII (see below, it may seem slightly obsessive, but blame the appeal of the Orange Conway encyclopaedia and Avalon Hill's "Victory in teh Pacific" - and in one sense having started collecting these models some twenty seven years ago, in for a penny in for a pound):

From late 1942 onwards the USN replaced the CV fleet she had going into teh war more than twice over which is simply phenomenal. A strategic Pacific Game seems destined to follow in teh footsteps of War Plan Orange at a future Conference of Wargamers (CoW). Some sea texturing and model painting is needed before then though. 

52 Fletchers - 1/3000 Navwar

Dating back to the time I bought "The Battle of the Philippine Sea" Battle Pack from Navwar, I always had a few of these destroyers to base. It came to pass that now, was the time I had some time and inclination to do it (see below, I now have a harbour full of US Destroyer, 52 Fletcher Class ones to be precise): 

Stage one complete, got them out of the packaging, filed down bits of flash and then superglued them to a 20mm by 60mm card stock base. Good for the soul if nothing else. As you can see bottom right I have taken two all the way (for a different project) but the other 50 have to play catch up! 

Harpoon Captain's Edition from 1990 - FREE Download from the Admiralty Trilogy

Incredible but true, legit and you can get it here:

https://admiraltytrilogy.com/ce.php

Audible Book: Victory at Sea - Paul Kennedy

A good general read of naval war in WWII, from the man who brought us Rise and Fall of the Great Powers. In fact how I came across this Audible version of this book (Victory at Sea), was because I was looking for an Audible version of "that" book (Rise and Fall). I was intrigued at his (Kennedy's) obvious obsession with WW2 naval power and the world wide implications of naval conflict. I listened to the sample and was hooked (see below, it gives a good all ocean coverage of WWII and I have to say "I learned a few new things" - although the editors should have picked up some silly errors [Hipper was not in the Channel Dash, but the Prince Eugen a Hipper class cruiser heavy, while accounting for RN CVs they had tallied the Furious sunk despite it surviving the war, getting confused with the loss of the Hermes I think], in the main it was wholesomely good and accurate [so I forgive the previous small errors], but I would double check specifics of ships to see if they are correct): 

As per what is now a recurring theme of my Audible purchases, if (as I usually do) I like the audio recording of the book I also end up getting a print copy too. It is a knowledge at your fingertips thing for me. Here, despite it being newly in print (so a relatively "expensive" treat) and despite it being in hardback, I really wanted it for the glorious watercolour artwork which beautifully accompanies it. If but only for that reason alone, the watercolour illustrations make it a beautiful book for the library shelf and thus I can whole heartedly recommend it. 

1904-1905: Russo-Japanese Naval War Literature References

Following of from my hypothetical WWI Naval Russo-Swede battle at CoW-2023 I had a wide ranging conversation with Toby Ewin (a Naval Historian) who kindly passed on these references for the Russo-Jap War (see below, I never knew there was so many and so much to read!): 

I have to confess to once having Julian Corbett's history of the Japanese War but could not get into them (I did read his WWI histories cover-to-cover, so I do not know what mental block I had for the Russo-Jap) and so passed them onto a friend for a 1/3000 figure [ship] swap [I received a modern USN Carrier Battle Group]. I am content with the battles in Avalanche Press' 1904-05 Russo-Jap Naval War board game and David Manley's White Bear and Red Sun rules and scenarios (see below, the amount of detail in the reference list is fascinating):  

I am pleased just to have the complete range of Russo-Jap ships [bar the full number of destroyers] represented in the Navwar 1/3000 figure range for this period (see below, more and more references): 

Final page just to be complete (see below, as the wife says, this is what libraries are for - get it on Kindle if you must!): 

i

I look forward to Toby's book on Russian Imperial Naval Wargaming in the History of Wargaming Project in due course at it is a fascinating subject (that will probably find its way to my book shelf as it has wargaming in the title).

Note to Self: Naval Kindle(?) Books - Russo Japanese War

I have a strange (hot and cold) interest in the Russo-Jap war (as in I am trying to justify a large collection of 1/3000 Navwar ships of the period). So I was thinking to myself, maybe I should re-kindle it ("Gedit", ok corny joke) with some background reading. An Amazon scan revealed: 

Russo Japanese War Titles:

• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maritime-Operations-Russo-Japanese-War-1904-1905/dp/1591141974  
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maritime-Operations-Russo-Japanese-1904-1905-ebook/dp/B00PSSK61W/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1697060788&refinements=p_27%3ASir+Julian+S.+Corbett&s=books&sr=1-2&text=Sir+Julian+S.+Corbett
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Russo-Japanese-Naval-1905-Vol-Maritime-ebook/dp/B007PS9CFO/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=xAgvB&content-id=amzn1.sym.3413293e-3815-4359-96ba-1ec5110e0b30&pf_rd_p=3413293e-3815-4359-96ba-1ec5110e0b30&pf_rd_r=257-4679612-4309404&pd_rd_wg=Np39d&pd_rd_r=e23957dd-e77f-4a2f-b07a-d33a4e35a167&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Russo-Japanese-Naval-War-1905-Vol-ebook/dp/B007PS9CTU/ref=d_pd_sbs_sccl_1_1/257-4679612-4309404?pd_rd_w=wE0Ig&content-id=amzn1.sym.35f2c042-27ab-4aa8-8df6-255fec069b2b&pf_rd_p=35f2c042-27ab-4aa8-8df6-255fec069b2b&pf_rd_r=HVT7DGNDQ3Q7W0KGPMY2&pd_rd_wg=O2N9h&pd_rd_r=d735b6d5-e8ff-4267-a830-d35553e430a7&pd_rd_i=B007PS9CTU&psc=1
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Imperial-Japanese-Navy-Russo-Japanese-Vanguard/dp/1472811194#:~:text=Book%20Description,in%20Asia%20and%20the%20Pacific.
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Russian-Battleships-Cruisers-Russo-Japanese-Vanguard/dp/1472835085/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_1/257-4679612-4309404?pd_rd_w=GXXZQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_p=40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_r=FZYWPR69M0T1R6J7H7GH&pd_rd_wg=akY3A&pd_rd_r=c74aab2b-56ca-4ec8-bfff-6f15dae30360&pd_rd_i=1472835085&psc=1
• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tsushima-1905-Death-Russian-Campaign/dp/1472826833/ref=pd_bxgy_img_sccl_2/257-4679612-4309404?pd_rd_w=0gV2P&content-id=amzn1.sym.40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_p=40f919ed-e530-4b1a-8d7e-39de6587208d&pf_rd_r=M3KFVA2DVGKCEJMAZW4W&pd_rd_wg=iQ5PY&pd_rd_r=6201f873-7c82-45bb-bbf9-34295464d57c&pd_rd_i=1472826833&psc=1

Note: I did have the two Corbett titles but my interest in the period waned and I passed them on (mostly unread, that was the problem - I just could not get into them, unlike the WWI books by the same author, which I devoured). Also for Corbett's books it seems strange how the Kindle version is the same price as the paperback one - at least the one that is currently available!

For my reference material on this period I fell back on a game (see above), the Russo-Jap 1904-05 Avalanche Press naval campaign game and David Manley's "White Bear Red Sun" naval wargame rules. A game and a set of wargame rules instead of books, crazy but true!  

Nimitz - Operation Freya (1/3000 Ships)

At last a use for my 1/3000 WWII Navwar naval collection (huzzah), the Nimitz rule set and its hypothetical introductory scenario, Norway 1940 - Operation Freya a RN v KM battlecruiser clash, let the dice roll and decide history (see below, slowly collected over many decades part of my 1/3000 collection which I consider as an ongoing proect): 

I guess the intention in the scenario (from Sam Mustafa's website download section) is to be a WW2 version of a Dogger Bank 'fast and furious' battlecruiser clash, with one side (RN) having destroyers and one side (KM) having a light cruiser, both sides having something capable of firing torpedoes (see below, the ships were fast out of their starting blocks with the KM hurling caution to the wind and sending in their light cruiser [Nurnberg] for a torpedo attack on the RN Hood and Repulse): 

Nurnberg was crippled and sunk, but her sacrifice was not entirely in vain (as the RN battlecruisers paid her some main armament attention) as she allowed the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau to deliver painful blows to the Mighty Hood, taking structural points away (see below, one crippled RN destroyer stays attending to the British main force [aka hiding], while the two healthy attack the German battle cruisers [gulp]): 

With HMS Hood suffering yet again (and the British return shells bouncing off Krupp armour) t'was "the better part of valour" this time for the British as they retired off table under cover of a threatened or rather attempted torpedo attack (see below, the rules showed the nice premise of a running battle - jumping between tactical and operation game boards was possible - something previously hinted at but not really supported by other tactical rules sets): 

I liked the scenario (and the way Nimitz was playing [without cheese]) so much I decided to play it again, this time over at a friend's house who had a much better "sea mat" than me! In a short summary, the British need to get lucky early or the German armour works in the KM's favour over the course of a long range gunnery dual. Note, players don't seem to be the classic missing smoke-screens, not just yet at any rate (see below, in the first run through we forgot about rolling the "dice for advantage" [I like this little tweak] - nothing is equal so KM rolled well enough to "have the advantage2, so they can watch the RN set-up in a limited "floor space" and choose their angle of attack from anywhere in their half of the board (see below, the RN force opt to make a high speed run [hence the yellow counters on their ships]):  

The RN strategy is "run fast, shoot with a full broadside and then get lucky" whereas the KM felt an uncontrollable urge to charge at the enemy with the Nurnberg - two separate [unrelated so I don't think it's genetics] German players did this (see below, in the exchange the Scharnhorst suffered light damage [structural] and the KM player learned it pays to "move fast when you can" because you are harder to hit - even if it makes your shooting slightly worse): 

The Nurnberg meets a watery grave from a bucket load of torpedoes from the leading RN destroyer (which was crippled in the process - a medal for someone) - Nurnberg's back was broken and  she went straight down (see below, he RN's strategy was working for two thirds of their battle plan - keep going fast, shooting away with full broadsides but alas missing with their shooting - whereas the KM just "got lucky" and HMS Hood (that fateful old girl) suffered accordingly, losing lots of structure points and a nice 15" turret to boot):     

A RN admiral discussion concluded that whereas the German armour was saving them from serious damage and the Admiralty would like to get HMS Hood back to Scapa to be repaired (see below, the two fresh RN destroyers were able to chase the German battlecruisers away as the RN battlecruisers disengaged):  

After seeing what torpedoes can do to KM ships the German admiral was satisfied to claim honours and retire just after the British had retired from the map (see below, the game worked really well, credit to the Germans in both games with sound tactical victories - note in the Halsey campaign this would be set up for a nice running battle over several encounters and other Task Forces trying to intercept [or hide if you were a convoy], all good stuff): 

This all bodes well for this rule system methinks and future battles. Nimitz is easy to pick up, fun to play and gives more or less, plausible historical results in a much quicker time than the likes of GQ II (my previous preferred WW2 naval rule set). I can recommend watching the SaturdayNightFights of the Armchair Dragoons fame, playthrough of Operation Freya:

https://www.armchairdragoons.com/events/wn/saturdaynightfights-operation-freya-for-nimitz/

Murmansk Convoy Ships: 1/3000 Navwar

 Seen from a distance, a sneaky German recon plane spies its target in the cold, northern waters - radios its position and expect all hell to break loose (see below, my "dirtied up" [aka with a rusty brown wash] Navwar, 1/3000 British Convoy): 

This is in preparation for "Halsey" Murmansk Convoy operation, with tactical game play using "NIMITZ".

Saturday-Night-Fights with the Armchair Dragoons: Nimitz

Learning the game, Nimitz, with a video - just like the cool kids on the block (see link below): 

https://www.armchairdragoons.com/events/wn/saturdaynightfights-operation-freya-for-nimitz/

The follow on Halsey for Murmansk in three parts) is good too:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-mIoIeeiEA&t=331s
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0A33jA2vXo
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnGA-9UYnwg&t=7772s

Audible Book: All Hands Down - USS Scorpion

I decided to go for a quicker and lighter Audible book (in length, though not necessary in topic), but keeping to the naval theme, this time more modern (Cold War), albeit in 1968 - the unofficial hypothesis of the loss of the USS Scorpion, to alleged Soviet action. Which is an attention grabbing headline if ever there was one. Allegedly the attack on the USS Scorpion was in retaliation to the earlier loss of K-129 near Hawaii in mysterious circumstances, the Soviet Sub being the later focus of the CIA backed Glomar Explorer expedition to recover [part] of it (see below, "All Hands Down" gave a very good picture of what it was like to serve on a US nuclear submarine and the lifestyle of the "dolphin" families had to endure - and you really did feel that the US Navy let the families down afterwards):  

Whether true or not is conjecture, though a compelling case was made, particularly with relevance to US serviceman turning traitor (John Anthony Walker) and passing on communication code cipher secrets to the Soviets and the capture of US communication equipment in North Korea (USS Pueblo). There was a huge window of opportunity for the Soviets to electronically eaves drop on US Naval Operations, with the US blissfully unaware that their communications were deeply compromised. What is also clear, was the the sixties and early seventies were a tense time of frequent Cold War Superpower confrontations, many of which had the potential to spark a general East-West war. From the Cuban missile crisis, the ongoing Berlin tensions, the Kennedy assassination, the ongoing Vietnam War and while general bipolar mistrust of the period. 

It is amazing the world survived in retrospect.

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 ;) 

First Experimental Battles - Triremes

Ok the kit (or certainly enough kit) has been painted and placed on the table = but how to play? (see below, "Red" Spartan triremes face-off against "Blue" Athenian .. as they represent ships, not squadrons, .. I think I will need more "space"): 

The "dice have it" .. coloured dice to represent hit points of damage .. six hits and you are dead. Double attacks from flank and rear. Working on the principle of one ship per model (aka "not squadrons") there  is a maelstrom of ramming and mad manoeuvre (see below, this Athenian started the day extremely confident but ended the day clinging to the wreck of his trireme with his gloating Spartan son sailing on - the Fates are extremely fickle):   

Seeking easier prey, I called on my friend, we'll call him "Dave" - who always loses in the most sportsmanlike way, so I laid a trap for him (see below, I gave him plenty of Spartan triremes to surround my defensive circle of Athenians in a prickly "kyklos" formation):  

All I had to do was survive for a set number of turns until the rest of the Athenian fleet turned up and scared the Peloponnesians away, simple. As the unwary Spartans approached I decided I would sprint out at them, like a released coiled spring (see below, unleash watery hell!): 

Except Dave had not read the script and biffed me up before the rest of the Athenians had time to turn up. Perhaps I should have waited more patiently for the attack to bounce off my prows and then I could have taken the unwary Peloponnesians in the flank or rear quarter as they drifted past in disarray (see below, as it was I traded blows and came off far worst, swimming home again): 

Sigh, I retain my 100% ancient naval record, the only way now being up. All hail to Dave the Navarch, I now tremble in your wake or rather swim pathetically!

Rules: Er, yes, there were some, sort of. I was going to play using a set called "One Hour Ancient Naval" (by "somebody" - Update [12-1-2022]: please see comments by Simon for clarification on this) whose name escapes me. However I had to roughly translate the movement in inches to hexes and related the up to 45 degree turns into a number of hex sides. I then slimmed everything down to do triremes only (Romans really liked boarding and shooting a lot), so the rules were a back of the fag packet and a bit in my head, so yes I kludged them together and called them in as I saw fit. The result being I pulled in rules from of things I had read historically or I think were in one of the many other ancient trireme rule sets I have previously read ... and so, the result was that I still lost, if I may say so in the finest of style and Dave managed his fourteenth game in a month ;) 

1/1200 Navwar Triremes - Greece in Peril [Again]

I tend to cycle round in my 'catholic' (as in disparate and varied rather than religious) wargaming interests and it is about time I revisited my 'old' (as in unfinished) ancient naval collection of triremes from the "Greece in Peril" period (see below, despite being 1/1200 you can get some nice detail on these Navwar miniatures - Themistocles to the front!): 

As one swallow does not make a summer, then one trireme clearly does not make a fleet (see below, the complete [or first stage] collection of Greek triremes, the two square bases were just products of experimentation to see what works, but they may also have a use representing a Navarch):  

This is "my starter for ten" Greek fleet with three squadrons on ten each, plus two command ships - or a left, middle and right of the fleet if I put the individual ships into sabots of bigger bases. Nothing deciding bar the need for flexibility of thought. As for the rules to use .. plenty of options, watch this space in due course ;)  

Footnote: It is sobering to reflect that I started this project in 2012! What a different world that was! For instructions on how I based and painted the above please see link below and keep scrolling down: 

Geordie's Big Battles: trireme (exiledfog.blogspot.com)

The French Admiral Suffren - Bane of the Royal Navy

After finishing listening to Mahan's "Influence of Sea Power on History" (although I have to say, it was a much longer than expected slog), I was delighted to uncover an aspect of naval history I was completely ignorant of, namely the illustrious career of the French Admiral Suffren, who was the bane of the Royal Navy on the India station in the late eighteenth century. I have to confess to my relative ignorance of the of both the "Age of Sail" and this great French admiral (other than a class of French WWI vintage armoured cruisers being named after ), things I am trying to address (see below, the Wikipedia link is a very useful starting point):  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Andr%C3%A9_de_Suffren

There is also a wonderfully titled tomb (Satan's admiral) on Admiral Suffren's career, but it is somewhat outside of my price range and budget (see below, I ask you is there nothing [in theory] you cannot buy on Amazon?):  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Admiral-Satan-Life-Campaigns-Suffren/dp/185043686X

From my internet poking I see there are plenty of other wargame bloggers have tread the Suffren path before: 

http://jjwargames.blogspot.com/2020/12/admiral-satan-life-campaigns-of-suffren.html

http://devonwargames.blogspot.com/2013/02/battle-of-sadras-1782.html

There are even board games to play: 

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/31251/monsoon-seas-naval-warfare-south-atlantic-and-indi

Interesting "Age of Sail" web-site:

http://www.larsonweb.com/transfer/miniatures/sail/sailhomepage.htm

More doubtless to follow ;)