pmaidhof

This boxed game is supposed to be an intro to the Second world War at Sea series from Avalanche Press. I ordered it last week and was waiting for me upon my arrival home after being away for a few days. Nice components...eg counters tactical map, and two ajoining operation map segments. Series Rule book appears to be a decently prepared photo copy as well as the game specific rules/scenarios. Scenarios include two of the shorter "Battle" Scenarios - "Night Action" and "Convoy Defense". The Operational Scenarios call for a "Battle of the Coral Sea 1-10 May 1942" scenario of 60 Turns (Each Turn is 4 Hours), and the full blown "Coral Sea Extended Campaign, 1-30 May 1942. Although I did not notice a "planning map" like that found in "Plan Orange" these games cry out for double bind, umpired game. If anyone is interested...

Were you using the "new" Air Rules for Harpoon...even if they are a few years old now. "New" Air Rules

"RP"?

Red Beach...not enormous, and has land forces.

Shapeways New interest is being generated in modern miniatures. Some are being created in both 1:2400 and 1:6000, in particular 1:6000 Modern Chinese PLAN. I have a set of 1:6000 PLAN Type 052 DD, Type 054A FF and Type 071 Amphib with hovercraft. I'll try to post pics once I receive them and get them painted up. We'll see. There is also a 1:6000 Naval yahoo group for those interested. Designer is open to Dreadnaughts as well. 1:6000 Naval

Oops... USS Macon, etc.

~11min history of USS Macon and now current day airship company" infomercial" all based out of the old Moffitt Field.

These games scream out for double-blind, umpired game.

Congrats on the torpedo kills. Tough to come by. And thanks for detailing the battle here. The torpedo shots were there only choice as their tertiary guns were lost in the prvious Japanese salvo. It was nice to see. This game's combat resolution can be critically compared to Yatzee, but overall it is supposed to be a higher level command view. Definitely no rivet counting here.

broncepulido, would you perhaps have any insight to stacking on the Tactical Map? If I wanted to push out a screen of the Clemson DD's would I be required by the rules to have all five of them in one hex, since they are more than four but less than the eight in a hex limit? I believe that is the intent of the rules, but I would have liked to establish a multi-hex screen as more of a barrier to the Japanese force. As it turned out, the Japanese DD's engaged the US DD's while the heavier Japanese force slipped around that cat-fight to engage and destroy the transports and their escort.

Old, silent footage from 1930's. Very interesting watching the recoveries, particularly the amphibian float planes coming in to land around minute 6:00, and the "steel beach" for Washington's Birthday.

Some pics I found after gaming: USS Richmond: Clemson Class Destroyers (Four Stackers) PG-19 USS Sacramento IJN Battle Cruiser Kirishima: IJN Kuma Class Light Cruisers IJN Naga Class Light Cruisers IJN Momi Class Destroyers Thanks wikipedia

Broke out Battle Scenario 1 today - Last Ships Out of Manila, 14 March 1930. The scenario proposes that "the Japanese invasion of Luzon caught the US Asiatic Fleet off guard. With most of the ships lost and the Japanese Army ashore in north and central Luzon, it wouldn't be long before Manila fell. In the early morning hours of 14 March the remnants of the US Fleet set sail for the sothern Philippines to await the arrival of the US relief force. The convoy was intercepted by a small but powerful group of Japanese warships. The end was certain, it was only unclear whether any of the American ships would escape. Time Frame: Night (2 Hex Spotting Range) Starting Weather Condition: 1 (Clear) Japanese Forces: BC04a Kirishima CL03 Kuma CL07 Kiso CL08 Nagara CL09 Isuzu 10x Momi Class Destroyers American Forces CL09USS Richmond (record one hull hit - makes her previously damaged in battle and very fragile in this scenario) 5x Clemson Class Destroyers (Four Stackers) PG-19 USS Sacramento 2x Fast Transports Entry Points for both forces, and the exit point for the US force are rolled randomly. US enters from the South and has to exit to the Southeast...looking good. The Japanese enter from the Northeast. Initiative: Japanese have the initiative. Just Following Orders: US ships must make a beeline for their exit point. Save Yourselves!: Once a Japanses ship is spotted, the US Fleet may separate in order to escape. Once the US does this, the Japanese may also. Victory Conditions: American player win if he exits the board without suffering damage or loss OR by collecting more victory points than the Japanese player. Any other result is a Japanese victory. US tries to push forward a screening force made up of the five Clemson DD's, while the Richmond provides close escort along with the gunboat to the two transports. The Japanese Momi Class DD attempt the same screening mission with the Light Cruisers and the Battle Cruiser attempt to swing around the destroyer screen and engage the juicy transports. As it gamed out the first round saw the destroyer squadrons inflict proportional damage to each other, The US destroyers lost their guns (tertiary gun rating) while one Momi DD loses its gun, and two more are sunk. Round 2 saw four US Destroyers sunk by gunfire, while US torpedoes found targets, sinking two Japanese destroyers. USS Richmond sinks the final two Momi DD's. Round 3 culminated with the Japanese main body arriving within range. The last Clemson DD is sunk. Richmond is sunk after being engaged by two light cruisers, Isuzu and Kiso. During that engagement, Isuzu i sroughly handled losing 2/3 of its Hull Factors (one more hit and its gone). The remaining two light cruisers and the battle cruiser make short work of the transports and gunboat. Victory Points: US earn 10x 5pts (Momi DD's) + 2 hits on the Isuzu = 52pts. Japanese earn 19 pts (Richmond) 5x 8pts (Clemson DD's) = 59 pts for the win.

Patton's Vanguard: The United States Army Fourth Armored Division by Don M. Fox. Very interesting read thus far. I was intrigued after seeing the Arracourt Battle episode of Modern Tank Battles. Relationships between Patton (US Third Army Commander), General Manton Eddy (US XII Corp Commander) General Wood (4th Armored Division) and 4th Armored subordinates Major Irzyk, and 1stLt Leach from the breakout from Normandy, exploitation through Brittany, then turning east into the Lorraine region and the encirclement of Nancy. That is where I am right now. Preparation for the watered down German counter-attack is now being described. Still have the attrition-warfare relief of Wood, the 3rd Army pivot and relieve of Bastone, through the end of the war.

TNS #40 arrive over the past day or two. Here is what is within: In Memorium Doug Chaffee 1936-2011 Product Updates: Clash of Arms selective titles reduced in price; Development continues of Atlas (Trilogy land warfare supplement) and Harpoon5 (elimination of 30 second Engagement Turns). Flankers Untangled, Part 2 - more variations and game stats for the Su-27/30 Alphabet Soup. New Russian Aircraft Insignia, and Secret Russian Weapon (sense of humor) Flanker Operators/Variants Simpler Inflight Refueling: Making Topping Off Easier - new rule section, applicable charts, and how they came to this through the development of Persian Incursion. Designs for the Kaiser - an article with stats for a number of proposed capital ships for the WWI German navy. CaS Scenario: Latin Getaway. Data for Argentinian Vienticinco de Mayo CA. India's Tejas Enters Service Imperial Japanese Naval Topedo Doctrine - UHOGS Style Book Review: Project Azorian (The CIA and the raising of the K-129 Japanese AA Rockets Harpoon Scenario(s): Strike Group Reagan: Handful of timely hypothetical scenarios invoving NATO and Islamic Revolutionary forces off the northern African coast. Gator Mountain: Kunlun Shan - Game stats for the PLAN Type 071 [Yuzhao] CaS Air Group Integrity WWII Air Unit Quality Definately some good lunch time reading. Getting me interested in some dogfighting with the "new" trilogy air combat rules.

I'm kinda Hormuz'd out at this time, not that I would not participate. Red Beach would be somewhat more tactical, while vintage Kola, and PRC/Taiwan would be much more operationally driven. I think that Red Beach would be smaller, more manageable for a first or seldom time umpire cpx/mbx opportunity. If Red Beach would be selected, would the current GCS system be used...or something less of a math exercise? Could you beg the new GCS out of the Admiralty in order to "playest" one of their very own scenarios?

Anyone else wondering what the Libyan end game is? I mean I'm all for kinetics, but really? If seemed like from news reports yesterday that the goverment forces were again using armored vehicles and arty/MRL to attack/besiege rebels Misrata again. Just an observation, but this seems to be dragging on while we take down much of the infrastructure that will be needed to be rebuilt once the inevitable happens. Aren't western SOF/Spotters on the ground to direct CAS. Why not focus on the Libyan forces opposing the Rebel drive(s) on Tripoli. Or are we afraid of what will happen when that occurs due to tribal and/or other considerations. "Regime Change" remains an unperfected art. If this message needs to be moved to another, more appropriate, folder or deleted outright I understand.

A good book can definitely do that.

No $ for fuel? Haven't we been told over the past few years of a resurgent russian military due in part to energy sales? I'd say something deeper, the question though is what. My head is currently buried in the 1967 Mid East.

As Six Days of War is leading me up to the outbreak of hostilities, it is amazing to me how the various Arabic countries were competing against each other as much or more than "liberating" the Palestinians. Whether it be nationalists versus "reactionary" kingdoms (Egypt vs Jordan), Syria goading Egypt into attacking before it felt it was ready, etc. And I never even knew that Egypt had 50,000 troops in Yemen fighting a proxy war against Saudi-backed forces there. A very enlightening read so far.

I chose Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Michael B. Oren. It dovetails nicely with my current land wargaming interest. Shattered Sword is definitely on the short list.

I'm at a cross road. Six Days of War or Shattered Sword? I'm leaning toward Six Days of War.

Well in that case have at 'em. (wouldn't the Royal Marines be envious.)

Count me in.

Stephen, are you strictly using H4.1 on the current game, or do you take liberties where you can? Your plans are grand, I look forward to them, but not from the front porch of the home for the aged.