Aleutian Campaign Takes Wing

A small GQ3 WW2 campaign has got under way based on an hypothetical attempt by the Japanese to reinforce\relieve their bases in the Aleutian Islands from American attack.


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Referee: Dave M.
Japanese: Martin (C-in-C), Jack, Tel.
Hot-dog Munchers: Matt (C-in-C), Colin, Alan.

The first set of hidden map moves have been completed, and, as I'm not totally daft, I'm not going to say what our sides moves were! Basically the first day (of three) is now over with no surface engagements and only a brief air-battle over a U.S. base to worry about.

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With some time left to burn at the end of a night a quick(ish) game of Wings of War took place, a DH4 and a Snipe vs an Albatros DVa and a Fokker DVII.

Using the altitude rules complicated things a bit and the table was probably too big an area to play on as well. Would probably of been fine with more planes.

In the end the allies managed to scrape the win, shooting the DVIII down and forcing the Albatros off board. Little did the Germans know just how close both allied planes were to going down, one more 2+ damage card each could of done it.

Also news of Series 3 minis; now supposedly being released sometime in November. Hopefully not too late else things are going to get caught up in the Xmas mail surge.
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Japanese vs the Rest of the World (nearly)

An historic scenario in more than one sense.

Battle of the Java Sea - A mid war, Pacific naval battle (which have been played a few times before at the club using various rule sets.)

This game also heralded the suprise return of Jack, who's not been seen at the club for a few years.

From GQ3

At the start things don't look too good for the Japanese with only the solitary squadron vs the combined fleet of Brits\Aussies\Dutch and Yanks, but things should soon improve with the rest scheduled to come on soon after.



The Brits split off from the main group, heading to starboard with the Exeter in the lead. Their destroyer screen was eventually reduced from three ships to one, but they did manage to get their torpedoes off and sink a Japanese destroyer.



The main body of the Japanese arrive and actually make good use of some spotter planes to do some long range gunning. The Dutch also had a spotter available but failed to lauch it in time.



Waves of torpedoes are crossing each other as the Japanese fire off their long lances as the British try to close to the effective range of their own torps. Formations become difficult to maintain as damaged ships start to slow down.



Soon ships are exploding everywhere, particularly the lead destroyers.



Things ended up much bloodier than the historic outcome, with torpedoes from both side causing havoc, In GQ3 they do seem very powerful. But the final result was the same with the allies taking a pounding with a number of their ships disengaging due to excessive damage.

In other news, Martin has announced on the Shipwreck Yahoo Group that he plans on developing a new edition of the rules with the assistance of the group members.

Ding! Ding!.. BOOM! (or not)

A title in honour of Colin's observation that it only seems to be the British who ring a bell before letting the big guns off, as in the movie 'Battle of the River Plate'

A General Quarters 3 scenario based in an undisclosed part of the Pacific. Despite the scenario being U.S. vs Japan that did not stop us from going Ding! Ding! before rolling the D12s.

The opposing fleets, both consisting of two task forces, faced off against each other but with the added hindrance of a couple of islands mysteriously appearing in the ocean after deployment. (Graeme had finished some more islands that he intends using for Uncharted Seas)



The Japanese had deployed in line astern but turned slightly towards the enemy.

The U.S. had to turn/slow pretty sharpish to avoid the risk of running aground on the islands, preferring instead to run the risk of hitting their own ships. The main TF split, the Battleships staying behind the islands while detaching its destroyer screen towards the main enemy TF.

From Furness Wargamers

As the U.S. realigned and turned full circle the Japs kept their big guns in line but sent their smaller task force at full speed around the islands. (They could do this due to their shallower draft, the artificial constraints of table play stopping the U.S. from going round them by going off the table)



Rather than set the guns against like for like ships, most shots were sent towards targets lower down the food chain, the Japanese destryers in the main group getting a couple of nasty salvos off the U.S. Cruseirs. The 3 U.S. Battleships concentrated on the force coming around the island and managed to hurt and slow down the cruisers.



With a wave of torpedoes coming from Dave S's main Japanese force evasive maneuvers were needed from the U.S. to avoid not just the torps but their own ships.



With Colin's destroyer screen surviving their head-on charge towards the torpedoes, but his Battleships taking a few hits from the ones directed at them, the game was declared over.

Everybody agreed that the rules worked OK and there is talk of a possible short campaign based in the Aleutians.

Also of interest was the conversation on NavyField an online WW2 naval game that an increasing number of locals are playing.