Post by rockyr on Jan 9, 2012 10:25:33 GMT -5
DEWEY AT RISK
Hypothetical Spanish American War scenario, 1898
US:
Olympia, Baltimore, Charleston, Raleigh, Boston; Concord, Petrel
Spain:
Carlos V, Princessa de Astria, Reina Cristina, Castilla, Isla de Cuba, Isla de Luzon
Special Rules
no division rules applied
all ships moving and operating in cruiser phases
special moral conditions based on losses
Spanish treated as average (Leadership 7, Crew 0), all guns mounted...
Americans LD 7, Cr 0
no crossing T rules (few belt armors to consider)
no additional -1 for pre 1900 (not on charts, would likely be forgotten, also wanted the first game to go quickly for this group)
five players
Judges error: not adequately briefing both sides on the opponent’s fleet
Americans deploy in two columns: Charleston, Raleigh, Concord and Baltimore, Olympia, Petrel
Spanish also in two columns, the Atlantic and the Philippines Squadrons
Both close in the first few turns.
Spanish change heading first, heading “north” as US columns approach “eastward”.
Clearly the Charleston group vears north, intending to take on the two Spanish armored cruisers, not realizing what they undertake! The Baltimore leads the charge on the Philippine Squadron. The Americans are thus a diverging V formation.
Long range shots prove....entirely ineffective.. no surprise there.
As the fleets closed to more realistic ranges, a lucky hit from Reina Christina penetrates (that is not the lucky part given the armor values) the Olympia, causing major flooding and an severe list. Throughout the action, the Olympia will score only three hits that day, even having loosed three full broadsides. Admiral Dewey must not have understood Lt. Fiske’s new instrument! Of course, the list did not help.
The Spanish heavier cruisers began early to hurt the Raleigh with their main guns. Even one penetrating shell is so dangerous with 15 hull hits, versus damage 5!
A melee ensues between the Baltimore’s column and the Philippine squadron, first at medium and more at close range. The two Ilsas cannot take that kind of secondary firepower. The Spanish were particularly accurate at this range, it seems their reliance on several “secondary” rapid fire guns pays off this close. The American protected cruisers suffer from hits and the affects of flooding from so many shots. The fight gets so close that both sides loose torpedoes, but to no avail.
The Baltimore, although flooding herself, sets the Castilla on fire. Secondary guns, obviously not adequately protected by their gun shields were pealed off all vessels. The Reina also caught fire.
Meanwhile, the Atlantic fleet pounded the Charleston and soon the Raleigh under the waves. The Raleigh at least managed to dodge behind the Princessa, where only one gun could bear. That raking fire caused serious, including an engine hit, but not enough crippling damage before the Carlos dispatched the Raleigh. Olympia sailed to help, but too late.
[Up to this point, the players had been forgetting the penetration modifier for range. now, most shot penetrated the thin American armor on the protected cruisers, but the Americans could have benefitted against the seemingly juggernaut armor 9 of the Princessa. This no doubt accounted for some of the lopsidedness of that part of the action. The judge eventually noticed and corrected, just in time for the Raleigh’s rake.]
The Philippines Squadron managed to keep broadsides on the Americans, which is good since they have no fore or aft firing batteries to speak of! Still, their wooden hulls could not sustain American fire [as poor as it was from die rolls]. The only remaining vessel, the Castilla, fled the action with almost no guns, and barely afloat, having gratefully extinguished an otherwise fatal fire. The sight of the explosion, fire and flooding that sent the Reina to Davy Jones may have been enough inspiration to flee.
Although the Olympia and Baltimore had seemingly won their part of the battle, both eventually succumbed to the rapid fire gunnery, but mostly to flooding (and the arrival of the Atlantic Squadron). Neither cruiser survived.
The slow moving Boston did eventually join the fight and put in the shots that doomed the remnants of Philippines squadron. But the Raleigh and the Charleston had proved were no match for the Carlos and Princessa. Those two Spanish ships administered the coup de grace to the Olympia. The Concord and Petrel eventually braved the action and scored a few hits, but joined the Boston in its retreat from the Spanish Atlantic Squadron.
Victory to Spain, with Carlos V fairing well, the Princessa beaten up, and the Castilla barely afloat to watch the Boston, and the two small escorts sail away.
Points (calculated only after the battle) were 224 Spain, 182 US, so the outcome seems supported by the point imbalance. The judge gave Spain tan advantage both because of the ship models available, but also to promote players happily accepting Spanish commands in light of history.
Tactical analysis shows the Spanish did well to keep broadsides on target, but allowed the heavier (yet faster) ships to fight a separate action. The American divided their fleet as well, but suffered more for it. If the Americans had known about the Atlantic cruisers’ I believe they may have fought differently. The hail of secondary fire from the Philippine Squadron wore down the US protected cruisers, even at the cost of their wooden lives.
All the players applauded the rules system’s simplicity yet challenge, and accuracy.
More WTJ ships will be ordered when available form the manufacturer. The players liked the models, even though they (and the charts, and the markers) were all “too small” perhaps showing the affects of our age on our eyesight!
Great rules, great game! More on the horizon!
Now to see about uploading pictures....
R
Hypothetical Spanish American War scenario, 1898
US:
Olympia, Baltimore, Charleston, Raleigh, Boston; Concord, Petrel
Spain:
Carlos V, Princessa de Astria, Reina Cristina, Castilla, Isla de Cuba, Isla de Luzon
Special Rules
no division rules applied
all ships moving and operating in cruiser phases
special moral conditions based on losses
Spanish treated as average (Leadership 7, Crew 0), all guns mounted...
Americans LD 7, Cr 0
no crossing T rules (few belt armors to consider)
no additional -1 for pre 1900 (not on charts, would likely be forgotten, also wanted the first game to go quickly for this group)
five players
Judges error: not adequately briefing both sides on the opponent’s fleet
Americans deploy in two columns: Charleston, Raleigh, Concord and Baltimore, Olympia, Petrel
Spanish also in two columns, the Atlantic and the Philippines Squadrons
Both close in the first few turns.
Spanish change heading first, heading “north” as US columns approach “eastward”.
Clearly the Charleston group vears north, intending to take on the two Spanish armored cruisers, not realizing what they undertake! The Baltimore leads the charge on the Philippine Squadron. The Americans are thus a diverging V formation.
Long range shots prove....entirely ineffective.. no surprise there.
As the fleets closed to more realistic ranges, a lucky hit from Reina Christina penetrates (that is not the lucky part given the armor values) the Olympia, causing major flooding and an severe list. Throughout the action, the Olympia will score only three hits that day, even having loosed three full broadsides. Admiral Dewey must not have understood Lt. Fiske’s new instrument! Of course, the list did not help.
The Spanish heavier cruisers began early to hurt the Raleigh with their main guns. Even one penetrating shell is so dangerous with 15 hull hits, versus damage 5!
A melee ensues between the Baltimore’s column and the Philippine squadron, first at medium and more at close range. The two Ilsas cannot take that kind of secondary firepower. The Spanish were particularly accurate at this range, it seems their reliance on several “secondary” rapid fire guns pays off this close. The American protected cruisers suffer from hits and the affects of flooding from so many shots. The fight gets so close that both sides loose torpedoes, but to no avail.
The Baltimore, although flooding herself, sets the Castilla on fire. Secondary guns, obviously not adequately protected by their gun shields were pealed off all vessels. The Reina also caught fire.
Meanwhile, the Atlantic fleet pounded the Charleston and soon the Raleigh under the waves. The Raleigh at least managed to dodge behind the Princessa, where only one gun could bear. That raking fire caused serious, including an engine hit, but not enough crippling damage before the Carlos dispatched the Raleigh. Olympia sailed to help, but too late.
[Up to this point, the players had been forgetting the penetration modifier for range. now, most shot penetrated the thin American armor on the protected cruisers, but the Americans could have benefitted against the seemingly juggernaut armor 9 of the Princessa. This no doubt accounted for some of the lopsidedness of that part of the action. The judge eventually noticed and corrected, just in time for the Raleigh’s rake.]
The Philippines Squadron managed to keep broadsides on the Americans, which is good since they have no fore or aft firing batteries to speak of! Still, their wooden hulls could not sustain American fire [as poor as it was from die rolls]. The only remaining vessel, the Castilla, fled the action with almost no guns, and barely afloat, having gratefully extinguished an otherwise fatal fire. The sight of the explosion, fire and flooding that sent the Reina to Davy Jones may have been enough inspiration to flee.
Although the Olympia and Baltimore had seemingly won their part of the battle, both eventually succumbed to the rapid fire gunnery, but mostly to flooding (and the arrival of the Atlantic Squadron). Neither cruiser survived.
The slow moving Boston did eventually join the fight and put in the shots that doomed the remnants of Philippines squadron. But the Raleigh and the Charleston had proved were no match for the Carlos and Princessa. Those two Spanish ships administered the coup de grace to the Olympia. The Concord and Petrel eventually braved the action and scored a few hits, but joined the Boston in its retreat from the Spanish Atlantic Squadron.
Victory to Spain, with Carlos V fairing well, the Princessa beaten up, and the Castilla barely afloat to watch the Boston, and the two small escorts sail away.
Points (calculated only after the battle) were 224 Spain, 182 US, so the outcome seems supported by the point imbalance. The judge gave Spain tan advantage both because of the ship models available, but also to promote players happily accepting Spanish commands in light of history.
Tactical analysis shows the Spanish did well to keep broadsides on target, but allowed the heavier (yet faster) ships to fight a separate action. The American divided their fleet as well, but suffered more for it. If the Americans had known about the Atlantic cruisers’ I believe they may have fought differently. The hail of secondary fire from the Philippine Squadron wore down the US protected cruisers, even at the cost of their wooden lives.
All the players applauded the rules system’s simplicity yet challenge, and accuracy.
More WTJ ships will be ordered when available form the manufacturer. The players liked the models, even though they (and the charts, and the markers) were all “too small” perhaps showing the affects of our age on our eyesight!
Great rules, great game! More on the horizon!
Now to see about uploading pictures....
R
