American Civil War Naval - 27th Nov

[Timf]

Can I tempt people to some American Civil War Naval Action.

Rules will be Hammerin' Iron as usual!

1-3 players plus myself works.

[Timf]

OK date is updated - any interest at all or do I need to drag along another game system?

[dan]

ACW doesn't float my boat personally but that other fantasy navy one you've got was fun.

[rflowings]

I'm up for Hammerin' Iron, Tim. Been researching the Austro-Prussian War of late so I'm in an 1860s mood.

[kaustic]

Always up for some boaty action

[Timf]

Ok well, I'll bring Hammerin' Iron for the 13th.

I'll plan an Uncharted Seas session for Dan too....I bought some more fleets recently, so can add them to the mix if I can paint them.

I might also try ACW Ironclads under the Steam and Sail Navies rules that I have, some time before Christmas.

[Timf]

Right due to rugby injuries Im about 50/50 as to whether I am about tonight. If I am not there by 7.30 I'm not coming (to be fair if Im not there by 7.15 its probable I am a no-show).
If I do not show, we'll do Hammerin Iron and Uncharted Seas in the weeks after the 20th as there is an RPG session then

[Katie]

Oh no! What have you done to yourself???

[Timf]

Ref who didn't know anything about the front row letting the opposition prop bore in and drop his elbow. Little to nothing you can do other than deliberately drop the scrum and ditch the guy on his face - which I did and he behaved after that but by then I had wrenched my shoulder and later in the game when I moved to hooker he did the same to the new prop - my wrenched shoulder then got pulled both directions as shoulder was forced up but the rest of me got forced down in two collapses and there were no front row substitutes by then....I am a tad sore and driving was kind of rough this morning.
If I drive home OK then I will be out....if its hard going home then I will stay in.

[Katie]

Ouch.

I'm probably getting an early night tonight on account of being exhausted.

[Katie]

I'm not exhausted, I'm ill. Defn not making it in. Soz.

[rflowings]

Apologies, Tim, I hope you are feeling better but I must also take a rain check, I have house-moving stuff to attend to.

[Timf]

OK, third time lucky.....

New date for some serious ironclad action is 27th November.

Boat Chris is up for it, I'll play the opposition if need be but we can take up to 2 more players who might be interested - Rory has first refusal for a spot due to prior interest.

[Timf]

So the game got played last night!

I ran the Union, and Chris the Confederates. Unusually the battle consisted of a Confederate raid on a Union staging post that was too lightly defended. A pair of islands with their central channel blocked by a thick sandbar formed the centre of the expected battlefield between White Oak Landing and Horse Landing on the Mattaponi, slightly north of this blockage was a more linear sandbar. Fort McKinley, a light battery, was defending a staging harbour for mortar rafts in the lee of an island on the Union side just outside of Hope Landing. Material support from an Army Logistics post was set up near Garnetts Mill closer to and vulnerable to the surprise attack as their defenders had been ordered up river too late to try and ambush the Confederates.
The Confederate fleet was led by the Virginia supported immediately by the Arkansas and Selma. Steaming in were the General Sumter and the Drewry with the Planter running late.
Virginia, Arkansas and Selma's surprise approach threatened the depot at Garnetts Mill with Virginia - Arkansas headed outriver threatening to run down to the Mortar Raft assembly yard and Selma stayed central.
The Union forces on station consisted of the USS Indianola in the clear channel near Garnetts Mill and USS Signal midriver between the sandbars.

The fleets closed upon each other, Signal stood still and opened up with her light fore-guns alerting the Union defenders to the Confederate presence and telling the Confederates that they had been sighted. Virginia steamed toward Garnetts Mill with intent, Indianola moved to intercept her firing heavy guns speculatively at the target to her bow, denting Virginia's impressive armour. Arkansas and Selma steamed to battle. CSS General Sumter hove into view after the initial cross fire and the USS Tyler made her appearance from Horse Landing.
The crews of both big ironclads were clearly not expecting each other - Virginia didn't expect to take initial hits and Indianola wasn't expecting the Virginia herself, resulting in panic on each boat. Signal's stationkeeping made her vulnerable to a torpedo boat strike that battered her. However, the plucky ship took steam and charged the Virginia. As expected her light guns made little impact on Virginia but did affect the General Sumter who had steamed close at high speed. Tyler steamed into action, and Arkansas moved to intercept with a few long range rounds being exchanged. CS Drewry steamed into the action.
Virginia and Indianola opened up upon each other at close range, Virginia's gunners still hadn't got their guns in order as Indianola steamed past at close range. Indianola ripped Virginia's front gun from its mounts but otherwise did little damage, however her salvo at Selma had much more effect as her broadside gunners opened up and ripped into Selma's magazine sinking her with the resultant explosion.
Signal managed to avoid even more damage, with two more salvos still not convincing her to strike her colours despite Virginia's proximity. Her own battery set the Sumter ablaze. Virginia herself focussed on battering the Depot with shot as she station kept.
The battle continued further with Tyler engaging both Arkansas and Drewry, as Indianola struck a sandbar. Signal was sunk by Virginia who bombarded her land targets and Sumter finally succumbed to incoming fire from Indianola
As Union spirits were waning due to the loss of Signal, the Monitor appeared and charged directly toward the Virginia, firing as she bore. Hampton Roads was repeated as shell after shell bounced from Virginia's armour. The Arkansas rammed the Tyler, severely damaging her and ripping guns from mountings but not holing her. Drewry ran an attack run past Tyler and Indianola taking light damage as she went. Indianola freed herself and engaged Virginia, taking much more damage than she delivered. Drewry sank as a concerted broadside from Tyler hit her magazine. "There's danged summat wrong with our boats today" the Confederate Commodore was heard to exclaim!
Tyler attempted to escape contact with the Arkansas who was recovering from her ram. Indianola and Virginia exchanged fire once again as Virginia continued her shore bombardment and Monitor continued to close apace. Near crippled and missing her pilot house Indianola looked not long for this world, as did Tyler who by now was in a similar state, although she had repaired her steering house.
With Monitor closing the Confederates cut their losses and the Union were happy to let them go. In the aftermath, all floating ships made it home to their ports.
Despite the toll placed on the depot and the loss of Signal the Union came out on top as their ships managed to break up the Confederate attack and sink enough Confederate vessels while getting their near battered ships home.
The conduct of the captains of the USS Anemone and the CSS Planter is under investigation by their fleet commanders.

Fun game! Closer than the points difference would suggest....the Selma not copping a nasty crit would have kept her on table reducing my points and almost certainly guaranteed a sunk Union ship that would have turned the tide. Another turn would probably have done for me as well. Two more and Monitor could have swung it back. So on such small things the game can turn and at different stages of the game different sides were on top. It is nice playing asymmetric games like this as you have to make decisions - what would have happened in the Raft objective had been assaulted, or the fort been placed able to fire (it was silent all game).

[kaustic]

It was indeed a great game.

Been kicking myself about not going for that extra turn all day!