"Such tiny, tiny ships!" - more Russo-Japanese War naval action

Last year I ran a fairly well-received Russo-Japanese War naval scenario, re-creating the Battle off Ulsan. I do enjoy playing pre-dreadnought cruiser engagements. The action is fast and furious, and you don't have to keep track of lots of big battleships, aircraft, or submarines.

I have since purchased some more 1/2400 scale Russian and Japanese ship models from Panzerschiffe. The statement quoted in the title above was made by my wife, remarking on the size of these little resin models. (That`s a Canadian quarter in the photo below.)



I got enough cruisers and gun- and torpedo-boats to recreate the Battle of Chemulpo Bay, fought on Feb. 9, 1904 near the current Incheon, Korea. At the time, the Russians had a couple of ships in Chemulpo Bay, the main port for Seoul. There was the Variag, a protected cruiser, and the Korietz, an older gunboat (pictured at the top of the page). This battle, one of the opening engagements of the war, was part of a larger strategic plan by the Japanese to inflict a pre-emptive strike against Russian assets.

The Japanese commander delivered a letter to the Russian cruiser Variag and neutral vessels, including the British cruiser Talbot, the French cruiser Pascal, the Italian cruiser Elba, and the U.S. gunboat USS Vicksburg and collier USS Pompey:

HIS IMPERIAL JAPANESE MAJESTY'S SHIP NANIWA
Chemulpo Roadstead, February 8. 1904.

Sir: I have the honor to notify you that as hostilities exist between the Empire of Japan and the Empire of Russia at present I shall attack the men-of-war of the Government of Russia, stationed at present in the port of Chemulpo, with the force under my command, in case of the refusal of the Russian senior naval officer present at Chemulpo to my demand to leave the port of Chemulpo before the noon of the 9th of February, 1904, and I respectfully request you to keep away from the scene of action in the port so that no danger from the action would come to the ship under your command. The above-mentioned attack will not take place before 4 o'clock p. m. of the 9th of February, 1904, to give time to put into practice the above-mentioned request.

If there are any transports or merchant vessels of your nationality in the port of Chemulpo at present, I request you to communicate to them the above notification.

I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,

S. URIU

It is an interesting action, where the Variag and the Korietz fought at a marked disadvantage against a strong Japanese squadron of several cruisers and torpedo boats.

This weekend I based and labeled the ship models.



I plan on again using Coaling Stations, a fast playing game. Under these rules torpedo boats of a  division are collected together on a single base.



***

Some of the Conscripts have also expressed an interest in re-fighting the Ulsan action. That is a more balanced scenario, pitting six Japanese cruisers against three or four Russian commerce-raiding cruisers. The Japanese edge in numbers and technology is offset somewhat by the resilience and toughness of the larger Russian vessels.

Cape St-Vincent, 1797

Yesterday, DaveV showed up at the motorhome for some beer and wargaming. We played the Battle of Cape St-Vincent using a simplified version of Trafalgar, by Mark Latham. Basically, there is only one type of guns, saving throws are converted into extra hull points, opportunity fire can be done at will, all changes that make the game flow much faster.

Here we go: On the morning of 14 February 1797, a British squadron of 15 ships of the line met a Spanish fleet twice as numerous, with 27 ships of the line, including the giant Santissima Trinidad. To make the game playable, the fleets on both side were downsized to about half the original numbers (9 vs 14).

Dave asked what were the objectives for each fleet and I realized that I neglected to prepare clearly defined goals. Oh well, we just pounded each other for about 6 turns, just for fun. As it happened, the direction of the wind and the formations of both fleets kind of dictated the course of the battle. After a single devastating run at each other, both fleets were happy to resume course.

Here are the initial positions of both fleets, from the Spanish point of view. Minding her own business, the Spanish fleet was sailing in two groups, enjoying a well deserved morning siesta. But suddenly, a bunch of sails appeared from the North. The British! Those trouble makers were already parading into a splendid line in the middle of which Admiral Rowe was commanding from the H.M.S. Victory.

Ah, but the Spanish had no fear for within their fleet the plumply Nuestra Senora de la Santissima Trinidad (Santissima Trinidad for short) was sailing majestically. What could possibly go wrong with such a powerful vessel? [The fat Wonder of the Sea, unfortunately, would have an opportunity to vomit raging cannonballs from her 136 guns only on the last turn of the game, and at long range.]

El Grandissimo Almirante DaveV del Winnipego confidently moving his ships forward. Note how convenient wargaming in a motorhome can be: proximity of a counter top for beer bottles and sheets, quick exit, etc.

Admiral Rowe, Earl of Regina, moved his line like a vengeful wedge between the two groups of Spanish ships, just like Admiral Jervis did in the real battle. Wargaming and History, once again, were about to meet for a fabulously accurate re-enactment of the action. Ah, tears come to my eyes!

But wait! Instead of a RIGHT tacking AFTER passing both Spanish groups, Admiral Rowe had his line turning to the LEFT, BEFORE passing the enemy ships. [Note from the British player: my goal was to cross the T in front on the Spanish Lee Division. But some miscalculation regarding the distance occurred...]

Iiiii! Crrrash! Aaaargh! What a mess! H.M.S. Diadem, the leading ship of the line, was quickly dismasted by the Spanish guns aiming high. She can be seen wandering South while the new leader, H.M.S. Prince George, takes the line to the East. Lots of hull rubbing ensued. adding some damage here and there to both fleets. Thanks to raking, a few spectacular dice rolls on both sides resulted in lots of critical hits and lots of damage. H.M.S. Prince George suffered greatly.

Uh oh! The Spanish Weather Division is getting closer and closer. Will the British fleet become trapped like tuna salad between two slices of bread?

Abandoning the H.M.S. Prince George, now crippled beyond repair and useless,  the following ship in line, H.M.S. Orion takes the lead and manages to break through the Spanish Lee Division. The unfortunate San Juan Nepomuceno (with black smoke), because of the direction of the wind, had to come facing the H.M.S. Victory. 50 cannon balls later, the Spanish ship, badly raked and with two fires raging on board, struck down her colors.

The British line tried again to turn, this time BEHIND the Spanish Lee Division and apparently succeeded. Trapped by the crippled hulk of the H.M.S. Prince George, the Principe de Asturias (both ships have red markers), a 112 guns First Rater, became the focal point for the fire of the turning ships, just like sun rays are focused by a concave mirror. Despite all the beating, the Spanish Vicealmirante stubbornly refused to surrender. At the end of the British line, Commodore  Nelson decided that NOW was the time to do something heroic and rolled for a command check... Heroism had to wait and Nelson decided that the best course of action was to stay with the line. Meanwhile, the Spanish ships decided that it would be great fun to remove Commodore Nelson's name  from the Royal Navy's payroll and concentrated all their fire on the H.M.S. Captain. Because of the distance, however, Nelson and his ship survived the onslaught.

In the final turn, the British line continued to perform parade-like maneuvers. Reduced to a few boards and planks, the Principe de Asturias finally struck down her colors. The heroism of the Vicealmirante on board is certainly worth of the highest medal that there is in the Spanish kingdom. The British had one dismasted ship (H.M.S. Diadem) and one completely crippled ship (H.M.S. Prince George). Nelson felt a little shy and did not perform any heroic deeds. The Spanish fleet left behind two 74 guns and one 112 guns. Other ships on both sides suffered considerable damage. Considering the confusion resulting from the melee, the game could have gone either way. And playing with DaveV made the whole experience very enjoyable.

Regarding the rules, there is certainly room for improvement. The simplified stats work well, but bookkeeping proved to be fastidious, especially for the Spanish Almirante with 14 ships. In order to fight bigger battles, I will have to figure out a more intuitive way of managing a squadron with a large number of ships.

Godspeed.

Battle off Ulsan, August 14, 1904

('Sinking of the "Leulic", 14 Aug.'

Sinking of the Russian cruiser Rurik in the Battle off Ulsan
during the Russo-Japanese War, 1904,

from a contemporary propaganda postcard.)

Taking a bit of a break from my recent near-total immersion into 40K 6th edition, last Thursday I ran a pre-dreadnought era naval scenario, re-creating the Battle off Ulsan, during the Russo-Japanese War.

Historical Background:
The Vladivostok Cruiser Unit of the Russian fleet (made up of the armoured cruisers Rossia, Gromoboi and Rurik and the protected cruiser Bogatyr) raided Japanese sea commerce in the first stages of the war. On August 14, 1904, after failing to rendezvous with the main Russian fleet in the Straits of Korea, Rear Admiral Iessen was heading back to Vladivostok with his squadron (less Bogatyr, which was damaged due to a grounding) when at 0500 he encountered Japanese Navy cruisers blocking his path off Ulsan, Korea. Vice Admiral Kamimura's squadron consisted of four armoured cruisers (the Idzumo, Azuma, Tokiwa, and Iwate), and two older, protected cruisers (the Naniwa and Takachiho).

The three Russian armoured cruisers were of an out-dated design, whose 8" main guns were mounted on the broadside. The Japanese armoured cruisers had their main armament mounted in twin turrets fore and aft, doubling the number of 8" guns able to fire on each side. However, the Russian armoured cruisers were larger ships, displacing approximately 1/3 more tonnage (~12-13,000+ tons vs. ~9,000+ tons). Playing ahistorically, I added back in the lighter ship Bogatyr (whose stats were included in the printed scenario), to add more balance to the engagement.

Models:
All the ships are crisp 1/2400 scale resin models from Panzerschiffe. The ships' 1.5mm thick plywood bases, the splash markers, smokescreens, and the laser-cut compass wind gauge all came from LITKO Game Accessories.

Rules:
I used Coaling Stations, a set of pre-dreadnought naval rules by Rob Heath, available for $6.19 USD as a PDF download from Wargame Vault.

The main feature of the rules is the use of command and orders. Each turn the commander of a division chose a hand of order cards, each one representing an action such as "Fire Main Guns". They had to roll equal to or less than their Command Rate on two dice, to succeed in carrying out an order (here, all division commanders had a Command Rating of 8). For each number rolled less than their Command Rate, an extra order could be carried out; so, with a Command Rate of 8 and a roll of "6", three of the orders chosen could be completed.

Objectives:
The Russian squadron is to escape off the northern table edge. If all four Russian ships escaped, it would be a Russian victory. Loss of one or two Russian ships would be a draw; loss of three or more Russian ships would be a Japanese victory.

The Game:
The 10 cruisers were divided into five divisions of two ships each. The action started as the Russians spotted the Japanese forces at a distance of four nautical miles (40 cm. at this scale). Below, from left to right, can be seen Conscripts Brian (running the two Japanese protected cruisers), Greg and Bill (both running the four Russian ships). Not pictured are Sylvain (visiting from points west) and Dallas, who both ran the balance of the Japanese forces. The photo looks east; the four Russian ships are to the south, steaming north and east, the Japanese ships are located further to the east, steaming towards the camera.



I had the Russians set up first. The Japanese set up in response. The Japanese protected cruisers, having lighter armour, are at the bottom of the screen, in a position to hopefully block anything that got past the armoured cruisers. The Russians got first turn.



Greg, running the lead Russian division (Rossia and Gromoboi) commenced with a long-range bombardment of Sylvain's Asama, causing no damage (Sylvain rolled hot with his saving throws). The Russians laid smoke, to protect from the inevitable counter fire. Below is an ocean-level view of the action.



Below, I can be seen contemplating the Japanese ships after their initial move, the armoured cruisers turning to the north and the protected cruisers laying smoke. Brian had moved his protected cruisers at flank speed, but they rolled a "6" and suffered engine damage, reducing their speed until repairs to the boilers could be made.



Bill's Rurik, unprotected by smoke, received damage from the combined fire of the Japanese squadron.



Brian rolled boxcars for his Command roll. Not only did this result in an uncontrolled move straight ahead, under the rules this also led to a change in weather. Rolling randomly on a table, fog descended, reducing visibility by 80%!



Below, Sylvain points at the lead Russian ship as he brings his Japanese ships into knife-fighting range, in an attempt to bring their guns to bear through the thick fog.



Unexpectedly, the Russians also rolled boxcars for command, and the fog dissipated to a light haze. The Japanese took this opportunity to rain 8- and 6-inch shells onto the Rossia. (The amount of "12's" rolled was truly staggering; the weather changed at least three more times during the course of the game.)



Below, Greg maneuvers the Rossia in an attempt to break through the Japanese battle line.



The Japanese commanders, Dallas, Brian, and Sylvain, contemplate the impending close action.



Sylvain failed his command roll, causing a collision that sank both the Rossia and the Asama!



As all the ships moved in and out of fog banks, the Tokiwa came under fire from the Russian squadron.







Greg failed yet another command roll...



...resulting in a second collision which sank the Tokiwa and damaged the Gromoboi.



Brian turned the Naniwa and the Takachiho south to try and engage the lead Russian ship, Gromoboi, while Dallas continued to steam east and placed more hits on the following Rurik.



As the Gromoboi slipped through the Japanese cordon, the Rurik was hammered by repeated hits, eventually sinking.



Below, Dallas contemplates his next move while Sylvain (whose crews had taken to their ships' lifeboats) looks on.



Brian and Dallas look on in amusement as all the ships moved out of control - everyone had failed their command rolls! Notice the near-collision as the Gromoboi sailed past the Japanese line of battle; she eventually escaped off the table to the north.



The surviving Japanese cruisers switched their fire to the Russian Bogatyr. Torpedoes were launched at, respectively, the Idzumo and the Bogatyr.



A single torpedo hit on the Bogatyr crippled her, fatally slowing her movement.



The Bogatyr's surviving crew kept on fighting and trying to repair their sinking ship, damaging the Japanese flagship, Idzumo. However, the lighter ship could not stand up to the combined fire of the four remaining Japanese cruisers, and finally sank beneath the waves.



Result: Japanese victory

[Historically the forces never moved to such close range, the Japanese commander continually turning away instead of toward the enemy. The Rurik's rudder was jammed by Japanese fire; it could not evade and was damaged to such an extent that it was scuttled by its own crew. The other two Russian ships (Rossia and Gromoboi) escaped, but were severely damaged.]

All the participants said they had fun. The game played very quickly. The action came down to the wire, being decided just as the last Russian ship was about to escape off the northern table edge.

Thanks to everybody for coming out to play! Special thanks go to Sylvain, who provided sake (Japanese rice wine) for the evening's refreshment.

Note: I was able to obtain a copy of the following, which contains a very detailed account of all stages of the battle (the author had access to early 20th century sources):
Brook, Peter, Armoured Cruiser versus Armoured Cruiser, Ulsan, 14 August 1904, in Warship 2000-2001, Conway's Maritime Press, ISBN 0-85177-791-0

VISIT OF THE MIKASA

Admiral Togo greetings visitors to the Mikasa.

I was in Japan for two weeks and I took half a day to visit the Mikasa, Admiral Togo's flag ship at the battle of Tsushima (or battle of the Sea of Japan) in 1905. I thought I would share some of the pictures I took.

The ship is located in Yokosuka, about 45 minutes by train from Tokyo, to the south. In Yokosuka, there is also a huge American naval base since the end of World War II. To get onto the ship costs only 600 yens ($7). The ship is "beached", enclosed in concrete by the sea.

Togo was standing on top of the bridge during the battle.

12" guns viewed from the front deck.

The Mikasa was restored in the late 50s with the help of Admiral Nimitz. Since the ship fought the Russians and the cold war was heating up, the Americans saw in the process a good opportunity to collect brownie points. There is actually very little original 1905 steel left, but hey, how many 100 years old battleships can you visit in the world?

UTE! (fire!) View of the 12" guns from the upper bridge,
where Togo was standing.

The 3" guns deck.

The armored bridge, enclosed in 13" thick walls.

The whole interior of the Mikasa has been converted into a museum. A nice miniature of the Mikasa rests besides a reproduction of the Victory. Tsushima is the for the Japanese what Trafalgar is for the British and Togo, according to the displays, is way up there with Nelson.

A model of the Mikasa.

An animated diorama of the battle.

The officer's mess. The 3" gun adds some ambiance.

Nothing like drinking an Admiral Togo beer before heading back to the hotel.

In Yokosuka, there is also a naval base for the Japanese Navy. I took a few pictures of modern ships before heading back to Yokohama.

A Huyga class helicopter carrier

A modern Japanese submarine.

Hope you enjoyed. I also visited the Yasukuni shrine, the closest thing to a war museum in Japan. I`ll have a report in a few days.