The bottom two rows are 3D printed Italian battleships. The top row wreck markers are made from failed 3D prints, resulting from a two year hiatus in using the printer. The Italian and French cruisers are crude conversions of Figurehead models. The British Edgar and Blake class are Figurehead models, with only slight changes to reflect the modified armament of HMS Crescent and Royal Arthur.
This 1918 scenario is based on the following:
1. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 ended in a stalemate and the issue of who would dominate north-east Asia remains unresolved.
2. The First World War and Russian revolution have not yet occurred.
3. The naval building programs delayed or curtailed in 1914 have continued.
The Russian side was played by a remote gamer using text output files, plots of contact reports and photos of the table. The Japanese side was run by the code‘s AI.
The Orel class Russian dreadnoughts used in the game are based on the 1917 design described here:
https://ncc1717.com/2019/01/04/1-6000-naval-never-built-ships/
Russian Player briefing:
Based on their actions in the war of 1904, it is expected that Japanese naval forces will attempt to gain control of the Yellow Sea to allow troop landings somewhere on the Korea Bay. Attacks will likely precede a declaration of war. Although significant Japanese naval units are reported in the Pescadores Islands, the newest ships are believed to have remained at Sasebo. These may include battleships of the Fuso, Ise, Nagato or Kaga classes.
You are ordered to sweep the area south of Cape Shantung and Cape Shoppek. If the Japanese fleet is discovered it should be assumed that hostilities have begun, and that it is your duty and privilege to engage and destroy it.
The orders of battle are listed in the narrative file:
Photo album (Google): https://photos.app.goo.gl/ss8J54zJYH8Ejmmz8
Plots:
This animated plot shows the movements in 10 minute increments:
Full scenario plot:
Plot of movements and reports to 1100 hours as seen by the Russian player:
Simplified plot of battleship movements and all torpedo tracks:
Plot of action from 1100 to 1200 hours:
Plot of action from 1200 to 1245 hours:
Status at the end of the game:
Gunnery Logs:
Hit Logs:
Comments:
The Russian force did better in the scouting battle, due to the heavier armament of the light cruisers, aggressive tactics, and the use of seaplanes. The Japanese cruiser screen was driven back and unable to locate the Russian battleline. As a result, the Japanese force did not deploy from its cruising formation until the battleships were engaged.
In the early part of the battleship engagement the Russian fire was hampered by smoke from having the upwind position. This improved later after a slight turn to a more easterly course.
Both sides sent destroyers to attack the opposite battlelines at about the same time. The Japanese flotillas were better positioned ahead and able to launch torpedoes at a greater distance (and take less damage). The Russian flotillas eventually launched, but suffered more from close range secondary fire.
The scenario was fairly evenly matched in terms of damage, with each side having three of eight battleships surviving (Tosa is considered as lost since, with only 3% flotation and being ~400 miles from a safe haven, she would need to be scuttled). The remaining Japanese battleships were in somewhat better condition, but lower on ammunition.
Here are a few 1/6000 scale ship to fill gaps in the fleets. All are Figurehead.
Garibaldi class armored cruisers built by Italy and sold to Argentina and Spain (Pedro de Aragon was cancelled) and British seaplane carriers.
Late war British Ceres and Capetown class light cruisers, and WW1 ships from the Figurehead Argentine and Brazilian fleet packs.
This scenario assumes that the Austrian fleet at Pola sortied in December 1915 to challenge the evacuation of Serbian troops from the Albanian port of Durazzo, and that the Italian fleet with French support sortied to oppose it. For a detailed description of the historical situation and events, see Paul G. Halpern, “The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1914-1918,” Chapter 6.
The Allied side was played by a remote gamer using text output files, plots of contact reports and photos of the table. The Austrian side was run by the code‘s AI.
Player briefing:
The orders of battle are listed in the narrative file:
Photos:
Due to the circling nature of the battle, an entire battle plot is difficult to read. This animated plot shows the movements in 10 minute increments:
Animated plot showing target lines of primary batteries. The plot includes only the four Austrian dreadnoughts and the four Italian dreadnoughts.
Status at the end of the game:
Gunnery Logs:
Hit Logs:
Shell Diagnostics:
This table gives the performance of the large caliber shells in the battle.
Conclusion:
After quite a long game the Italian commander decided to give up the chase of the retreating Austrians. With the exception of three remaining the French dreadnoughts, all the battleships on both sides were low on or out of ammunition. The losses and battle damage were roughly equal. Since it is clear that the evacuation would not have been disrupted, the result is a strategic victory for the Allies. Vittoria!
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