So, our 3rd Game of wee ships in a month and this time we went for a more balanced game of Cruisers and Destroyers(USN/RN v IJN). Each player was to have a Cruiser and 1 or 2 Destroyers. There were 3 players a side and as I was playing this game……there are less photos then normal, and to cap it off…a few were not good enough to use in this post.

Now Russ has been working on his IJN Fleet and below here they are steaming along. The close up shoots did not work apart from one, so will need to take more the next time they grace the table. Nice Battleship line.

Pride of place is this wee beauty..the Musashi.

Onto the game and I have the lead Allied cruiser in the Northampton with a Clemson class destroyer out front also mine.

Japanese heavy cruiser and destroyer facing off to my brave destroyer trying to get in close….its torpedoes have a range of 10inches…half that of the IJN version. Next game will need to balance the quality of the IJN ships at this stage of the war better.

Now the Northampton was quickly getting smacked by the IJN Cruisers ….I was rapidly running out of hull pints…then Russ let rip and rolled…real bad as below. I survived 1 more turn!!

So my destroyer is no more..never had a chance…but still 184 left in the class! Northampton quickly followed.

The very unsporting IJN players blocked next destroyer to trying to get in close….we need more destroyers!

The game ended up being a resounding win for the IJN. The quality of their ships was just to good….next time will try and even points up a bit more.

Now that wonderful chap Stu Dobson at Magpie Designer has sent me a further order which arrived yesterday. Stu has added individual vessel names on the ships on request! How wonderful.

So this order had 4 more Japanese Destroyers of the Asashio Class, 4 USN Benson Class and 4 more Clemson Class. This gives me a good sized destroyer force for both the IJN and US Navies. Future additions need to be Capital ships for both sides and to boost up the USN cruiser force.

I also added the planes for my Essex Class Carrier and the planes for the small IJN Carrier the Ryujo.

Below is a close up of the Asashio Class destroyers

Now Stu has a dinky base on the ships so they can be safely attached to the card box in transit and also makes painting simpler. Simply to remove them once painted. I like simple.

That will be wee ships for a few weeks. This week is an ACW game at Alan’s then next week we have the first ‘Pike and Shotte’ Game in the Garage. Stephen , Russ and Alan have some beautifully painted units so will be an exciting nights gaming!

Now this weeks ‘Whisky of the Week’ is a local offering from New Zealand.

Tasting Notes: Pōkeno Origin Single Malt

Vital Stats: Mash Bill: 100% malted barley. 43% ABV. Aged in ex-bourbon casks.

Appearance: light yellow, similar to a Pinot Gris.

Nose: The nose is very citrusy with hints of lemon. It’s very light in general, with zero alcohol burn on the back end. The lightness of the citrus is then slightly offset but a honey sweetness that also grounds the overall aroma with a full-bodied-ness.

Palate: The palate loses a bit of the citrus and more prominently features the honey sweetness. It’s similarly light in flavour as it is in colour and on the nose. There’s a bit more alcohol bite than on the nose, but overall, it’s incredibly smooth. It does though lack an overall distinctive flavour that would make it interesting.

It was actually quite a pleasant dram with quite a smooth taste…recommended.

Until next time…Terry out.

So, after the last game, the ladz elected for another wee ships game and Russ volunteered to prepare a Carrier Scenario.

Scenario is:

Early April 1942 IJN Carrier Division 2 under Admiral Chūichi Nagumo consisting of fleet carriers Akagi (Flag) (17 flights), Kaga (18 flights) and Shōkaku (18 flights), two heavy cruisers, a light cruiser and seven destroyers execute the right hook of Plan C to sweep the Indian Ocean and in particular sink Admiral Sir James Sommerville’s Force A Fast Carrier division.

Force A consisted initially of HMS Illustrious (8 flights), two heavy cruisers and four destroyers. This uneven fight has been assisted by New Zealand Signals Intelligence gathering and American decryption of the Japanese Navy code to have a good sense of what Yamamoto has in the wind. The timing and general shape of the Japanese Plan C.
As a result, on 27 March Sommerville bought the newly repaired carrier Ark Royal (15 flights) and a British light cruiser from Alexandria, through the Suez Canal, to join Force A.
Sensing an opportunity to cut out a detached part of the Kidō Butai (Mobile Force – Japanese carrier battle groups), Admiral Nimitz dispatches the also freshly repaired USS Saratoga (20 flights) under Captain DeWitt Ramsey and three destroyers to join Force A.

Players for the game are Terry, Goldie and Keith as the IJN and Stephen, Graeme and Rob as the Allies with Russ running the scenario and consulting the rules book.

We had comprehensive instructions for Combat Air Patrols(CAPs), Scouting and pregame decisions which I will move on from. The IJN however rolled best for the scouting and we sighted the Allied Fleet first. The IJN fleet is below with our CAPs of 2 flights of fighters per carrier airborne awaiting any incoming flights!(the 2 finished carriers are Russ’s. I have just found someone who makes decals so mine will be getting an upgrade!)

Close up of the Akagi and its CAP.

Allied Force steaming along with the Saratoga and its CAP in the rear. They had a large CAP!

As I was Nagumo I decided at the start to scout with 6 of the Strike Bombers, which left 31 Strike aircraft and 11 Zero’s in the Strike Force and 6 Zero’s on CAP. Below is my Strike Force arriving on Allied table and being met by 3 fighter bases.

Keith arrived on my right flank and was also met by a CAP of 3 fighters.

Close up of my Strike Force… my Kate’s are not touching the Zero bases so don’t get to support the fighter combat. New rule for me…..won’t happen again.

View from the Illustrious of the incoming swarm!

Goldie arrived to the front of the Allies….below is what’s left of his Strike Force after AA fire from the ships and fighter combat.

Here we have lots of Japanese goodness attacking the Illustrious.

The love was also shared with the Ark Royal.

Fighter combat was still going on with mine and Keith’s fighters and some bombers. Fighter combat is rather brutal.

After all the AA fire….these planes get to drop bombs and launch torpedoes. They did…it didn’t do diddly squat…it slowed down a bit.

So all that remained from the attack on the carriers…….is below.

Now the Allied Strike force made it to the Japanese Carrier group…the photos I took didn’t come out well…so this is only one have. But, it didn’t go well for them either…they got through to 2 carriers….did no damage (or minimal) and lost most of their planes.

Hmmmmm…..so lots of questions after this game. Both sides lost most of their large air groups and did minimal damage to 2 carriers contacted in each engagement. So we will reread the rules….look at some videos on games with planes and see what we assume we are getting wrong. In 2 weeks, we will play a Cruiser engagement with just a couple of ships each…..should be fun.

Now, yesterday was a lovely clear winters day and was pleasantly warm in the sun. So the neighbour and I sat in the sun, in our shared driveway and sampled a couple of whisky’s. John had a new one in a Clynelish 14.

Tasting notes: One of the most distinct whiskies from the Highland’s, Clynelish is renowned for it’s notes of light brown sugar, cooking toffee and a delicate perfumed and waxy characteristic. The initial sweetness is complimented by a mouth coating oily/waxyness and just a touch of tangy sea-air salt.

Now this wee beastie is 46%, and was really quite pleasant with no smokiness or sherry tastes overpowering the taste buds. Recommended.

Til next time… Terry out.

It’s been a year since we had a game of little ships so after the last game of ACW the ladz elected to have a game of Victory at Sea.

Now with Russ overseas that left available fleets as Stevens British and my Japanese. A quick paint of a carrier and its 18 flights and my Japanese were ready. Russ even returned in time for the game and bought along a Japanese Carrier and Battleship plus 3 clip together prepainted Japanese kits of the Titanic and her sister ships!(he also bless his soul bought the 3 for me as well!).

Ignoring the fact we hadn’t played for a year I set up a scenario bound to fail…but it meant we had lots of ships and planes on the table … and some combat actually occurred!

So the scenario was the Japanese have to escort the 3 Troop carrying liners to some islands and the British have to stop them. Simple really.

The Japanese steaming towards the islands in the distance. Out front is a destroyer squadron led by an AA Cruiser. Tucked in behind them are 2 heavy cruisers, then the 3 troop transport’s, then the cover force for the capital ships of 2 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers. Lastly the Carrier and her guardian Battleship. The carrier has a combat patrol up plus has launched her full attack force.

Close up of the Carrier…great paint job Russ!

My newly painted planes are from MagpieDesigner who Russ located as a source in the UK.

Here is a close up of the liners…beautiful.

Those nasty British have formed a very cool battle line.

Steve has the standard Warlord Games planes. Nice paint job.

Side on look at the British line.

Russ moved some flights in the direction of the Nelson….the Japanese destroyers also have REALLY GOOD TORPEDOS and extra tubes.

Japanese Capital Ships.

Now at the start of the game I told Stephen his light cruiser was an AA Cruiser..target planes…so he rushes off to take on the Nelson….. next game he is getting a tug.

So, the light cruiser has been smacked……couldn’t hurt a Tuna now……so British gunnery moves onto the front heavy cruiser. Japanese destroyers have sent some torpedoes into the cruiser flanking the Nelson. Russ has massed his planes to assault the Nelson.

Last turn of game……Japanese planes attack the Nelson…..Sea Hurricanes and Fulmars attempt to stop them. Smoke is the flanking cruiser.

Once the dogfight was over…only 2 flights were in contact with the Nelson….it didn’t sink.

British planes then hit the Mogami Heavy Cruiser…..it didn’t go well for the Mogami.

So that was that…..basically a rule refresher with another battle in 2 weeks where Russ is running a scenario where we will be a lot closer at the start of the game!

Til next time…Terry out.

Somewhere in the Atlantic in 1941……..

Now we have had several practice games of gradually moving from a destroyer v destroyer to adding cruisers in games to learn the rules a bit. So as our local club Wellington Warlords had cancelled Saturday games as the hall used on Saturdays has been requisitioned as a Covid testing station, I decided to move a Thursday game to Saturday. It would also allow a full days gaming rather than 3 hours at night.

So for this game it was the Germans v the British. Russ and SteveT would be the Germans with SteveC, Goldie and Robert the British. I was on drinks and assisting the BossLady with lunch duties.

After rolling up the scenario the Germans with the Bismark, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Gniesnau would square off against the Hood, King George V, Warspite who had company in the Ark Royal(with Swordfish), 3 cruisers and 3 destroyers. The Germans had to exit the table and inflict more damage than they suffered. Simple enough.

Below we see the Kreigsmarines finest steaming full ahead. The Tirpitz and Bismark are the 2 larger vessels.

And here is a close up of the Tirpitz. Russ paint jobs.

This is the picture on turn 2. The British has deployed in line facing left on the top table edge with the line led by the destroyers, then the cruisers and the biggies in the rear. The Ark Royal was off table but had some Swordfish flights in the air. She has 15 flights. Now I didn’t agree with the British set up…but being an unbiased(well sometimes) umpire it didn’t seem the best position to be in facing a group of 4 Battleships…..a remark that was ignored as most of my comments tend to be LOL. So below we see the Germans going full speed to the right to get off table….the British destroyers and cruisers who are torpedo armed and need to get in close the the Germans…like right alongside…..to fire off their torpedoes with any effect…are going to need a miracle…..to catch them. The British battleship group is moving to intercept the Germans…the Warspite being rather old and slow is starting to fall behind. Some Swordfish are flying over them… however they are REAL slow for planes!!

A close up of the British Battleships with the Swordfish flying by.

Here is the Ark Royal sitting off table…launching one flight a turn…which move only marginally faster than the German Battlegroup.

Close up of the King George V (model says Duke of York..but…no one wants to play with the Duke of York!)

Battle scene below…Germans racing for table edge….British Battleships moving to intercept…Swordfish closing in on Germans…and British Destroyers and Cruisers trying to catch up. More flights ofSwordfish are joining the action.

Russ and SteveT had the Germans in formation so nice and compact and can unleash a lot of firepower. Players ignore size of model…you measure from the model bridge …so there is no blocking of shooting angles.

The unusual formation of the the British smaller ships……

Something for the German ships to worry about……well…..hopefully anyway….there is a lot of dedicated AA and light guns on those 4 ships to get through.

Remember the Hood… it had the misfortune to be closest the the Germans.. the red marker is her burial spot.

Remember the King George V…the red Marker is his burial spot.

But…some Swordfish’s made it to the Bismarck brought her to a halt(a chance to get underway again) and

the Scharnhorst…. and did some serious damage with all main guns being taken out. The Tirpitz and Gniesnau were relatively unscathed. The British had lost the Hood, King George, the Warspite was 1 hull point away from critical damage, they had lost a cruiser and a destroyer and a number of flights of Swordfish.

So in balance…I feel the Germans won it…….the picture below was a bit earlier ,,,,the red marker in the Hood…the King George about to get one as well.

So that was a fun game…we all got better acquainted with the rules , introduced battleships and carriers to the mix. Also need to get some of the battle card holders that Russ has. One of gamers at another local club is making them for Victory at Sea…makes admin side of game SO MUCH EASIER!.

Looking forward to the next game already. I have had a supply of Japanese planes and ships arrive from Magpie Promotions so will post an update on them and my Team Yankee force am working on next.

Next Group game is 2 weeks away….. will be a return to 1812.

Bye for now.

Terry.