NIMITZ - 1:2400 Scale WW2 Naval Wargaming

I had my first couple of games to learn the new NIMITZ WWII naval wargaming ruleset by Sam Mustafa (Honor Games), trying out my small (57 point) French fleet again various German forces.

The French Fleet and its Opponents

This was just a learning game for me, so my opponent was not really trying to win - just give a sense of how the rules mechanics worked.

I only took these photos of my French fleet's first battle against a Kriegsmarine force consisting of the battleship Bismarck and several destroyers. Against this, I could field my own battleship, the Strasbourg, with the cruiser Jean Di Vienne and supported by five Le Hardi-class destroyers. The French battleship has all it's big gun turrets forward and all it's light guns rearward, so I always tried to manoeuvre to be pointing at the enemy. I kept everything at high-speed to make the ships difficult targets (the one time I slowed my battleship down, it took a telling hit).

The Marine Nationale got the upper hand quickly by eliminating the outnumbered German destroyers, losing one of their own in the process. The Bismarck then began its duel, surrounded by French ships. The Bismarck's armour was proof against most French weapons, and it was able to sink another destroyer and severely damage the Jean Di Vienne before both sides broke off.

The Bismarck surrounded by French ships (CinC French miniatures and 3D printed German).

The second battle involved the French and Japanese allied together against a combined German fleet. Both sides used their destroyers recklessly as 'shell-magnets' and to get off early torpedo volleys (all agreed this was probably not the way to use destroyers). The action finished before a decisive result, but the Germans were probably winning, because although they lost all their destroyers and had at least one crippled capital ship, they had damaged several enemy and sunk two Japanese light cruisers plus some destroyers.

Rules Discussion

Overall, the surface engagement rules (the Nimitz component) were very good, and everything you expect from a Sam Mustafa game: easy to learn, simple to play, very efficiently and cleanly designed. Everyone had fun and never once needed to check the rulebook. Nimitz was more my style than General Quarters III I previously tried, mainly because of the simple movement mechanics (in GQIII you have to account for every knot of speed and 5 degrees of turn angle).

There are some things that players used to more intricate naval wargames won't like (specifically, Nimitz eliminates fine details of things like ranging-in, spotting/distinguishing fall of shot from multiple firers, and hit location and damage, and it completely ignores anything to do with command and control). However, it is easy to see how these can be eliminated in the interests of speed and simplicity of play while ensuring that the battle still proceeds plausibly (e.g. do ranging shots really matter, when a full volley will almost inevitably follow in a pretty reasonable timeframe?)

The Halsey campaign game

The Halsey component we have yet to try out but it looks very promising. It is a 'campaign' game with a zoomed-out map to cover searching over large distances, aircraft, aircraft carriers, submarines, and all the missions that naval engagements are really fought about, such as convoys, amphibious operations etc. I think an operational-level campaign could easily be accomplished using Nimitz (and Halsey) for the naval and air components and Rommel for the land components, so I will begin to develop some ideas.

Would I house-rule Nimitz? (In short: No (But I might try to write my own system too))

Having played only two games and having done limited research on WWII naval combat, I think it would be greatly premature and unwise for me to actually implement any changes to the rules at this stage. The only things I could think of that I might possibly change would be 1) adding some command & control mechanic (and a 'bridge' critical hit), 2) a negative modifier for multiple ships firing similar calibre guns at the same target (fall-of-shot confusion) and maybe 3) making critical hits to secondary turrets a bit more effectual (it seems unlikely in any given engagement that a ship would ever lose more than one turret - given the very decisive damage results, ships are likely to be sunk well before their combat effectiveness is reduced in this specific way).

Having said all that, I have for a long time had an idea to make something akin to the Mikawa quick battle system, though I was considering using the underrated Axis & Allies War at Sea rules as the basis. My idea would basically be a glorified game of the class Battleships. I will see what I can develop. However, in the mean time, I will be trying to play a lot more Nimitz (and Halsey).

Rommel in 6mm - Ruweisat Ridge

We had our first game of Sam Mustafa's Rommel wargame using my 6mm Afrika Korps (DAK) and British 8th Army minis, trying out the Ruweisat Ridge scenario from the online compendium of Rommel scenarios. I commanded the Allied forces and my opponent, whose first game this was, chose the DAK.

The scenario

Ruweisat Ridge runs roughly east-west and is key terrain for the El Alamein battlefield. The battle takes place 1 July 1942 as part of the First Battle of El Alamein. To win, the DAK must capture the objective on Ruweisat Ridge and at least two other objectives and hold them until day's end, in order to open up the Allied flank south of the El Alamein box. The British must simply to prevent this from happening.

The scenario map I made using the map editor function in the Panzer Corps computer game and LibreOffice Draw. Obviously we use hexes rather than squares.

The forces

DAK has three very much weakened but nevertheless balanced division elements: 15 Panzer Division to the north of the ridge, 21 Panzer to the south, and 90 Light Division, coming on from reserve from the north. 8th Army has two infantry brigades (18th Indian and 1st South African), and two armoured brigades (one of which, 4th Armoured, comes on from reserve) and some army assets including Robcol (elite infantry) and 25 pounders. Being short one Panzer III model, I substituted a StuG IIID (5. Kompanie, Sonderverband 288) for 90 Light Division. I couldn't find an Order of Battle for 22nd Armoured that matched the scenario, so I subbed in 23rd Armoured.

The German attack

15 Panzer moved toward the northern hill objective while relentlessly attacking 18th Indian Infantry Brigade's northern sector (11th Sikhs), using their Pioneer infantry to good effect eliminating entrenched positions. 21 Panzer's infantry cautiously skirted the minefield and positioned itself to attack 18th Indian's southern sector held by the 3rd Gurkha Rifles, while the division's armoured component raced west to engage in a swirling series of tank battles with 23rd Armoured. The Luftwaffe was called in and bombed the Allied troops in their trenches. A sneaky use of the Intercepted Signals event caused the 18th Indian's artillery (157th Field Regiment) to think they were retreating and move out into the open desert to the southwest - putting them out of position and at risk to 21 Panzer's armour for the rest of the game.

The British respond

1st South African Brigade raced into position to shore up the Allied northern flank, with the Natal Carbineers taking up a strong defensive position on the northern hill and the Transvaal Scottish with supporting Matilda IIs holding off 15 Panzer on the flat ground. 11th Sikhs attempted a counterattack against 15 Panzer, but this was beaten back. 23rd Armoured inflicted heavy losses on 21 Panzer's armour but were eventually destroyed, along with the aforementioned 157th Field Regiment, which had been tricked by German sigint into retreating to a vulnerable location. Allied P-40s and Hurricanes tore up the German tank columns, helping to weaken their further attacks.

GHQ miniatures on vinyl tile bases with printed paper unit cards, cellotaped to allow use of whiteboard markers. The smoke is where an M3 Grant unit used to be (they were wiped out).

Panzerregiment 5 defeats 23rd Armoured after a tough tank-on-tank engagement.

15 Panzer and 21 Panzer assault 18th Indian Brigade in their trenches, bending back their line to the north and inflicting very heavy losses. (The 's/f' tokens are for tipped units, and the black smoke is from the flamethrowers of the German pioneers). The minefield is visible at left (small lumps of Selleys on vinyl tile and painted).

Reinforcements arrive, and the Germans gain the upper hand

4th Armoured Brigade eventually arrived to reinforce the Allied northern flank, but ended up spending much of it's time driving back and forth trying to protect the Allied MSR from the tanks of 21 Panzer, which had broken through. However, they did help 1st South African Brigade counter 90 Light Division with Sonderverband 288, which arrived at the same time from the north.

The infantry and tanks of 15 Panzer eventually succeeded pushing back the 11th Sikh Regiment to the foot of Ruweisat Ridge, while also dealing with the 1st Transvaal Scottish, which fought well but not well enough. The last of the infantry's Matilda II support was destroyed in this series of attacks.

21 Panzer's infantry finally overwhelmed the hitherto sturdy 3rd Gurkha Rifles and took the central objective, moving forward along the southern edge of Ruweisat Ridge.

The Sikhs, Gurkhas and Transvaal Scottish are pushed back to the ridge.

The Natal Carbineers and Duke of Edinburgh's Own managed to hold off repeated uphill assaults by the infantry of 90 Light Division, now to be known as 'Carbineer's Kopje.'

The South Africans, almost surrounded, hold Carbineer Kopje.

Late afternoon on 1 July - the Germans have broken through in the south and advanced in the centre, while the British still hold the northern hill and Ruweisat Ridge itself. Tanks from 4th Armoured (right of picture) desperately attempt to keep the British MSR open to prevent the whole force from being outflanked and cut off.

Final assaults at dusk

With the sun going down and just 2 turns remaining (and game time running out IRL, both I and my DAK opponent realised the main objective, Ruweisat Ridge, was still not taken. Without the ridge objective, the Germans could not win. Therefore they rushed into attack Robcol, which was now reinforced by the Transvaal Scottish. Using the Their Finest Hour tactic, and with the aid of favourable dice rolls, Robcol and the South Africans managed to hold off flanking attacks and bring the game to a close draw, though an operational defeat for the Germans, as they would not be able to outflank the Alamein box.

If the battle had continued for a second day it is very likely that the encircled and worn down Allied troops would have been defeated. However, it would greatly depend on the relative supply and reinforcement situation. The Germans were short of both, and had taken substantial losses to their best units, while the Allies had more troops and fuelled-up vehicles on the way. This outcome was satisfactorily close to the real history of the battle.

Positions at dusk: the Germans attempt but fail to take the ridge, and Carbineer Kopje still remains in Allied hands.

                                        

General scheme of the battle, including final positions of units.

Schutzen Regiment 200, which already wrested the central objective from the Gurkhas, attempts to take the ridge but is beaten back by Robcol and the Transvaal Scottish.

At the end of the day, with Robcol and the South Africans surrounded, 4th Armoured in turn surrounds the very worn out Jager Regiment 155.

Discussion

The game showcased the Rommel ruleset and really demonstrated the need for commanders to focus on the key objectives while retaining a broader situational awareness to win the game. There were also some great moments of heroism and tactical skill be various formations, which I think indicates the value of including unit names on the cards and gives a hint as to how great Rommel could be for campaign games.

My opponent really enjoyed the game - he was inspired by the Little Wars TV Peleliu campaign to try out bigger games - grand tactical or operational. I will now be looking into various hex and counter wargames set in the North African theatre to find material to create a Rommel campaign with the miniatures I have available.

I do wonder though about different ways to handle the Tactics and Events in Rommel - whether cards would work better, and whether there should be more instances of particular tactics or more variety of effects than just combat value increase and shifts up or down. I'm sure all alternatives were play-tested, but I'm always thinking adjustments, expansions and house rules anyway.

The losses taken by both sides. (One of the tanks fell of its base, but no worries, it's safe).

Revenge of the Drukh - Battlefleet Gothic Part 6

Following their defeat at the hands of the Falcon Guard main fleet during the Battlefleet Gothic tournament earlier this year, the local coven of Drukhari were out for revenge. They engaged a part of the Falcon Guard fleet consisting of smaller ships in orbit around a moderately sized gas planet among the nebulas and asteroid fields of the outer system, catching four strike cruisers and five Gladius frigates in a Surprise Attack! (we tested out sub-plots for this Fleet Engagement - the Drukhari rolled up a Surprise Attack, meaning the Space Marines could not go on special orders for the first 2 turns (including, importantly, Brace).

Gladius frigates hiding behind a nebula (3D printed ships).

Four Falcon Guard strike cruisers orbit the gas planet.

The Marines deployed cautiously, hiding their ships behind nebulas and the planet. However, as Dark Eldar escorts approached, the Gladius squadron commander broke discipline and advanced out from the nebula to attack and destroy a pair of the larger Drukhari boarding escorts. This was a huge mistake, as they then received the full brunt of an enemy battlecruiser and numerous other escorts without recourse to the Brace special order. The Gladius squadron was destroyed in short order, the only consolation being they were wiped out before being boarded by the sadistic Elves.

The remains of the opposing escort squadrons float in front of the Dark Eldar.

What happened next was fairly simple, with the Space Marine strike cruisers closing the range and wiping out the Dark Eldar torpedo boats. By that time, the rest of the Dark Eldar fleet had arrived and hammered the always ill-fated Angel Sinistre, battering her into a drifting hulk with Phantom Lances, massed weapons batteries, attack craft and teleport strikes.

Next, Gathering Storm (my carrier-cruiser) came under heavy fire and was then boarded by the Drukhari flagship. Despite support from the fleet flagship Adamantine Will, Gathering Storm was crippled, with enemy boarders slaughtering the bridge crew and destroying her shield generators and engines.

With Gathering Storm barely managing to escape and disengage, Adamantine Will and Vigil of Caliban managed to cripple the enemy flagship with close-range bombardment cannon, Thunderhawk strikes and teleport raids from the Veteran Honour Guard.

The two remaining undamaged strike cruisers after the Dark Eldar had escaped, with the hulked strike cruiser drifting away silently in the background.

The Drukhari at this point did some quick calculations and decided to disengage their whole fleet while they were still ahead, zipping away into the void. The Falcon Guard were left holding the field, but had suffered very heavy casualties, losing on points and on sub-plots (theirs being to prevent at least half their capital ships from being crippled or destroyed).

Ship and squadron cards attest to the heavy losses.

Conclusion

This was a good game, finished in just 2 hours for 4 turns, and the sub-plots were an interesting addition - they will be very important for campaign games. It got me moving on making my Battlefleet Gothic terrain (pretty quick and easy really).

The Space Marines' firepower was dismal throughout - the strike cruisers only really got in one effective barrage the whole game, largely due to the Dark Eldar shadowfields and bad dice-rolling. The only aspects of the Marine's fleet that worked were the Veteran Honour Guard and some of the Thunderhawks doing a reasonable job. The Gladius frigates had potential but I tragically and stupidly wasted them on Turn 1.

The Dark Eldar are a very solid fleet, with special rules enhancing them in almost all aspects, from survivability, to firepower, to boarding actions, to manoeuvrability - their only weakness seems to be their lack of shielding against teleport hit-and-run attacks and 'all-eggs-in-one-basket' with their weapons, meaning a critical hit in the right spot, if remaining unfixed, could potentially make an expensive ship useless for a turn. However, I did beat them once before with a larger ship with adequate bombardment cannon firepower and good resistance to boarding actions, so the battle barge or grand cruiser might still be the way to go vs. this opponent. Also, the Marines might have just had a bad day with relatively ineffective shooting and some bad tactics by me.