The Secret Mission: Napoleonic Naval Rule Test (Part 1 of 2)

The majestic Le Franklin, a Third Rate 80 Gunner, sails out of Marseilles on a secret mission for the French Revolutionary Republic (see below):

These apparently random scribbles are in fact her vital statistics (see below):

Alarm and consternation ring through the French ship as so early into her voyage another vessel unexpectedly comes into view. Could the French mission really be compromised so soon?

The newcomer is quickly identified as a British Third Rate (the 74 Gunner HMS Thunderer, although the French did not know her name at this point). The game is afoot with both vessels making best speed, quartering as the wind comes from the left hand corner of the photograph (see below):

An uncharacteristic British navigation error (this was very much a learning experience for both player "teams") saw HMS Thunderer inadvertently sail directly into the wind and sustain minor mast damage (sail ripping sound effect). The Le Franklin therefore got an unexpected opportunity to open her account, though be it with an extreme long range shot.

This was taken as the British offered a tantalising chance to the French to "bow rake" HMS Thunderer, hopefully adding additional damage to the British sails and rigging,that is if the Frenchman got lucky (see below):

As seen from the Royal Navy's perspective. As it turned out the French gunnery optimism was totally unjustified as all they managed to achieve was scaring a few roosting seagulls on the British ship, while in turn losing their port side batteries "first fire" bonus modifier (see below):

Golden Rule to remember in Napolronic naval combat:

"Save your 'first fire' for your most effective shot!" 

The two ships closed from extreme to merely "long range" with the French holding the advantage of the weather gauge (see below):

Shame about the tabletop, the sea being a most unusual colour of brown this day, but alas no blue sheet could be found at short notice.

Next: Fire as she bears!

Greeks and Romans ... tell me who were these Romans?

Whenever one reads about the Greeks (lumping Alexander and the Successors all in as one) there always seems to be a few chapters "comparing and contrasting" the Greeks to the Romans. "Soldiers and Ghosts" is no exception and gives a fascinating recount of the cultural as well as military forces that guided the Roman legionary war machine development (see below):

All these books seem to be drawing me away from WWII modelling intentions (see New Year's Resolutions) but heck "variety is the spice of life". My DBA+ armies of 15mm ancient painting projects 'frozen in time' are now calling me:

• Republican Romans
• Hoplite Greeks
• Early Achaemenid Persia
• Alexandria Macedonian

But which to start first? The Romans seen to be a bit of a front runner as I already have a Later Carthaginian army in need of the Roman Republican opponent to fight

;)

 

The commissioning of HMS Canopus (80 Guns)

I have been putting this off for a while now but I faced my fears as in "Napoleonic Ship Rigging". HMS Canopus is put through her rigging paces, firstly with her bow-spit (see below):

Then her fore and mizzen masts, see the innocuous spidery threads appearing (see below):

Tip: It was so much easier having pre-drilled (some but sadly not all) 'thread holes' on the ship before I started attaching the masts and sails (see below):  

Tricky business but thankfully I have a cup of char to hand as HMS Thunderer and HMS Canopus share a berth together (see below):

The aft mast and sail is stuck firmly into its place (see below). Sadly I had forgotten to drill the wholes associated with rearmost mast ropes so there was a 'tense moment' as I had to add another couple of holes.With all three masts in place she is coming together rather nicely (see below):

Half of the RN squadron is now constructed, with another (74) and (100 aka HMS Victory) still to do. Both completed ships (HMS Canopus [left] and HMS Thunderer) really need a 'flag' and I need to figure how to put on some "ratlines" running up from the base of each mast to add a touch of class to the model (see below):  

A little closer look at HMS Canopus. The central rigging does add a bit of much needed internal strength to hold the masts together (see below):

Apologies for any incorrect or misuse of nautical terminology. That is two down and just another "six" (Napoleonic battleships) to go, but I am short of "frigates" so I may have to invest in another Navwar "Fleet Pack" nearer my birthday

Note: As this is way off in the autumn it gives me a fighting chance to complete the "six that are on the stocks" first.

;)

Post Peloponnesian War and Pre Alexander: Thebes and Xenophon

The Song of Wrath (documenting the first ten years of the of the Peloponnesian War proper) is now read. 

Not an easy read but well worth it, as "The Peloponnesian War" to me now displaces the Persian Wars as the defining period of Greek Hoplite warfare. 

Ancient Greek politics/life was certainly a dark, dangerous and sinister place to visit as your current 'best friends' were never your friends for very, very long.

So in the end (with Persian help) Sparta wins the Peloponnesian War, so then what? Along comes Thebes to challenge its hegemony but where to "read all about it"?

Reading Plan:

Lazenby will tell the history to 'the fall of Sparta at Leuctra' at the hands of their former Boeotian allies the sturdy agricultural Thebans. Victor Davies Hanson tells of the mercurial Epaminondas and his cunning plan in "Soul of Battle".

I am waiting for the latter to travel from America courtesy of an Amazon order. That gives me a chance to look at Xenophon and  where a lot of Greeks found gainful employment in Persia after The Peloponnesian Wars:

It does not look an easy read, so I might well bed myself in first via Manfredi's novel:

And Waterfield's :

Plenty of reading to be done, just as well as I am back on the caffeine ;)

Rumaging and Reviewing through some Rules Sets for "Interest"

During the hiatus I caused myself looking for my misplaced "For God King and Country," I discovered some interesting rule sets in "other" peoples's collections I just "had to borrow".

There was something "old" relating to earliest naval times, from the very credible David Manley (see below):

Something "new" to me, as in Phil Sabin's first Society of Ancients (Soc) rules pre-Strategos and Lost Battles, trying to mix board games with miniature rules style of play (see below):

Some thing(s) "borrowed" (as in all three of them) and something "blue" an early [1970's] WWII Pacific naval game ziplock game (see below):

Lots of interest but so little time to cram them all in. It is one fine thing to find them, then quite another thing to read and then quite yet another thing to sit down and play, past the "taster session" stage.

Watch this space to see ow far I get. (Do not remind me of my New Year's resolutions) 

Next RN Napoleonic ship: HMS Canopus (80 Gun)

The next ship in my RN squadron is the 80 gun HMS Canopus currently getting fitted out on my painting tray (see below):

Masts and sails are now painted with the first layer of yellow (classic RN) stripes have been applied, which should help her being distinguished as a "friend" rather than a "foe" (see below):

The hull still needs a bit of dark ink shading and a little yellow touch up before I have another stab at some tricky rigging. This time I have at least "drilled some holes in the hull ahead of super-gluing the masts on,"which is a far, far better order.  

I am looking at the possibilities of using "brush bristles" from the Pound Shop instead of the tricky cotton thread, but have not managed to find the cheap £1 brush yet espoused by my fellow Hartlepudlian wargamers, the quest continues (watch this space).  

Back on the Caffeine

Tea or Coffee I care not but I am back on it (see below):

On the caffeine wagon and loving it so the late night modelling madness can resume.

Remember: Drink responsibly!