Ironclads in the Adriatic

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to have a game of  "Ironclads in Action" with Alan and some of the guys at Central London Wargames Club.
We played a fictitious scenario of an engagement between a British Fleet coming up against an Austro-Hungarian fleet in the Adriatic Sea during the latter part of the nineteenth century.

Alan has devised a cleaver way of depicting the ocean. He lays out a 6x10 foot wide length of blue light weight fabric. Over the top of which he places a sheet of clear cellophane  which can cover the entire surface area of the 6x8 game table with on overlap of a  foot or so on either end.  Finally a 2nd clear sheet is placed over the table on the opposite orientation with the overhang cellophane length ways rather than long ways.

With ironclads the action tends to gravitate to the edge of the playing area. However because of Alan's cleaver system if the action heads for the edge of the world  all that is necessary to do is to pull the cellophane one direction or another to centre the action. This allow the scale distances  to be maintained easily in a what is a true scale game.

Our game consisted of three players on each side. For the Austro-Hungarian Howard, Jesse and I for some reason beyond my comprehension selected me to fulfil the role of admiral

In any case we started off very well, sailing our ironclads and line abreast at the Royal Navy fleet sailing up the middle of the table. Howard's Squadron was the first to encounter the British fleet and got embroiled in a slugging match at closing distances. This caused the British line to concertina and slow allowing my squadron to interpenetrate the line and offered the opportunity for me to ram one of the British ships. Unfortunately I missed but managed to get ships entangled.

This is where things started to go wrong for me.  The next round second ship in my battle line had the ingenious idea of firing at the British vessel which was entangled with my flagship. Predictably enough I missed the target and there was a thirty per cent chance of the shot hitting my own ship. Predictably enough I rolled a 30.  To add insult to injury Howard who was firing on the same target also missed his mark but was successful in causing another hit to the Austro-Hungarian flagship.

At this point we ran out of time and we all agreed that the game should be called a draw before I sank one of my own vessels!

Photo credits: Alan 

New Rulers

Like France I also acquired some new rulers* recently. Unlike France mine won't represent anything more than the turning-circle of a nineteenth century ironclad warship.

Alan at the CLWC organised some of these lovely wooden turning-circles to be manufactured for Ironclads in Action, the wargame he wrote. The set of seven circles of different curves are designed to represent the rate of turn of various different classes of ship in the period.  With a nice finish reminiscent of the old wooden ruler from my school days.

They add to the aesthetics of the naval wargaming table which tend to be relatively devoid of scenery.

Ironclads in Action is a clever game which blends the complexity of the period encompassing  an array of different ships  that combine both old and emerging technologies of the industrial age with a simplicity of playability.  This allows a fast paced game in actual scale which provides the player with an engaging and entertaining experience with many permutations to explore.

*Strictly speaking France has a new Head of State and I have new turning circles.

No Jerry, the Other Starboard!

I managed to get down to the CLWC on Monday evening for a game of ironclads. It is a game I am enjoying at the moment. Having played a few recent games I think I am getting the hang of the rules. So queries and clarifications are not required for every other move, no doubt to the relief of every other player.

The Hecate between two French Central Battery Ships

Monday's game involved a fictitious Anglo French engagement off the coast off Cherbourg circa 1880.  I had under my charge a shiny new turret ship HMS Hecate, part of a British squadron of four vessels. They were lined up against three French Central Battery Ships, Colbert, Trident and Océan which raced in to intercept our squadron while on its way to bombard Cherbourg.   

HMS Devastation Ramming the Trident 

At the earliest opportunity I charged head long into the French fleet to scatter them and in the process hopefully cause a bit of damage. Managing to place the Hecate in-between two of the French ships I brought my two twin gun turrets to bear at point blank range at the closest and fired a salvo which promptly missed everything. The French returned fired knocking out my rear turret and blowing a hole in my hull.  The following round, in an effort to extricate myself from the embarrassing situation I'd got myself into I was hit again causing my front turret to jam.

The Colbert on fire 

Thankfully my fellow players on the British side displayed more competence that I and importantly, more effective gunnery than I. They blasted holes in, and set fire to one of the French number. While I sailed around attempting to ram a French ship purely out of revenge for firing a total of 3 torpedoes at me.  Naturally I missed and almost collided with another British ship.  In the final round I managed to un-jam my front turret and destroy the remaining weaponry of the French ship Océan.

The final positions with HMS Hecate near the top of the picture sailing towards Océan

At this point it was decided that we should stop since due to time.  One of the things I enjoy about Ironclads in Action is how much I learn from playing the game about a period which I do not know a great deal about.  

Vicksburg or Bust

On Thursday I had the pleasure of playing Alan at Ironclads in Action a 19th century naval game he designed.

The Arkansas (right) passes the Union Ram Queen of the West in her bid to make it to Vicksburg.

We played a historical scenario of the Confederate ironclad CSS Arkansas running a gauntlet of Union ships. She steamed down the Yazoo and onto Mississippi to reach the safety of the Confederate Garrison at Vicksburg.

The Arkansas (Foreground) escaping the Union Yazoo squadron who are getting themselves in a bit of a pickle.

The Arkansas started on the Yazoo, a tributary of the Mississippi. From the outset of the action I realised the Arkansas had one option open to her. Being out numbered three to one on the Yazoo by Union ships, with a further eight ships moored on the west bank of the Mississippi waiting to join the action as soon as the Arkansas came into sight. The only possible tactic was not to hang around go as hard as I could to get past the Union ships before they could get their stem up and cast off. If I managed to hit anything on the way past it would be a bonus.

The Arkansas sailing past the Union squadron moored on the Mississippi.

The Mississippi squadron of union ships lay in wait thankfully none of them cast off in time to worry the Arkansas. Although most managed to fire off salvos, a number of which hit, disabling all the guns on the starboard side. Nevertheless the Arkansas sailed on safely to Vicksburg, although, the boilers will no doubt need a serious overhaul.