May 2016

Jutland 100th Anniversary – Windy Corner

For the 100th anniversary of the battle of Jutland, the positions of the fleets at about 6 pm were set up, and various options for the deployment of the Grand Fleet were discussed.

No formal game was attempted since it would have taken more time than was available, but the capital ships were run through the deployment with automated targeting while we talked. The light forces were mostly ignored, but several torpedo attacks occurred anyway due to the initial courses. Since the German fleet did not turn away, the damage was much greater than historically. The poor visibility, particularly toward the north and east, allowed several devastating torpedo attacks.

Scale: 1/6000 miniatures, 500 yards/in ground scale.

Computer code (described here).

Status at the end of the game: IO Windy

Damage output file: Windy output

Plot of ship movements: sk-plot-Windy

TV screen used to display the code’s plot.

Actium, 31BC

Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a game of Hail, Agrippa!. The Hail, Agrippa! rules are a modification of Hail Caesar published in Issue 66 of ‘Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy’ magazine. [Hail Agrippa! rules link]

The scenario was based on the battle of Actium in 31 BC. The fleet of Marcus Antonius attempts to defeat, or failing that break through, the fleet of Octavius.

The fleet of Antonius advances with the heaviest units on the left. Agrippa has placed his heavy ships on his right and deploys the lighter and faster units on his left.

Antonius’ heavy ships make some progress on the left, but the out-numbered right wing is being outflanked.

The loss of units was surprisingly even throughout the game. Octavius is killed when his unit is destroyed.

Alternating close combat victories leave the forces in the center mixed.

Each side’s right flank is all but destroyed.

Antonius and Cleopatra have a possible escape route.

Each side lost seven units and the fleet of Octavius was left with more un-shaken units. There was an opening for Antonius and Cleopatra to make their historic escape, but with Octavius dead, Antonius might have gone back to his army and attempted to continue the campaign or negotiate with whoever emerged as the leader of his opposition.

Minorca 1756 – Flying Colors

Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a Seven Years’ War naval game using the Flying Colors rules. The scenario was the battle of Minorca, 20 May 1756. The ship models are Old Glory miniatures. The scenario from the rule book starts after the approach and Byng’s tack to bring his fleet onto a parallel course with the French (Tunstall, Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail, Chapter 4). The scenario does not specify a wind speed, so the wind barb in the first photo is arbitrarily set to 10 knots.

The starting positions from the Flying Colors rule book. The British are to windward. All ships are on a reach.

The French maintain the line while the rear British ships close in. The leading ships exchange fire.

The rear French ships bear off to maintain their distance from the British.

We had to quit after about 3.5 hours of play. At that point, the French had taken mostly hull damage and the British had taken mostly sail damage. Most ships were undamaged since fire had been concentrated on a few ships.