So, the big pre-WWI naval campaign had it's first battle last night. All of South America plus some European Allies taking on the US over the barely averted crisis in Mexico at Vera Cruz in 1914. The Allied fleets were called to rendezvous at Caracas, Venezuela, so the Spanish and Germans (under my command) went there. The Germans went to tweak American noses and as the Spanish/Portuguese fleet went to relocate, American contacts were reported to the north. My threat estimate was a maximum of seven American dreadnaughts (to my three) so we sallied with light recon elements to locate the Americans and break east to the allied Brazilian and Argentinean fleets.
The Portugese made first contact, engaging an American cruiser line but finding a line of battleships behind it. Then another line of battleships appear to the west, spotted by the Spanish cruisers...... Eleven battleships, not seven, plus several large armored cruisers....
We make smoke and turn east. The Western American battleline sinks my cruisers one by one as the run for the destroyer screen, the Eastern American Battle line doubles back to break through the smoke screen and engage my dreadnaughts just clearing the harbor....
But when the Americans stick their nose through the smoke screen it gets bit off. First a torpedo run by the modern destroyers forces the Americans to break their line and a lucky torpedo hit damages Louisiana. As Kentucky clears the smoke, the Spanish dreadnaughts and the Caracas fort smash and sink it. The destroyers dashing between the American battleships are obliterated by heavy gunfire.
Louisiana and Missouri break West and the antique Spanish destroyers with their short range torpedoes break through their smoke screen for a perfect run on them. Both ships soak up multiple torpedoes and two of the Spanish destroyers escape unscathed....
Kentucky is sinking and Louisiana and Missouri were last seen limping northwest. Without the modern destroyers, the smoke screen to the north disappated and the heavies engaged. Wisconsin was battered out of the line, Maine was hammered by a combined salvo and the Spaniards appeared unfased to the Americans. After that unpleasantness, the Yankee battlelines combined and ducked behind their own smokescreens, but the only photos I have are out of focus. We left the table their on acount of 2:00 AM, so I'll take the tripod next time and get starting photos when action recommences.
Father and son flew till shot down then went to play some other game, leaving seven players still in. Husband gave up on Goring and came back for a third try in one of my planes.... We started with two Goring's at either end of the table.
The rivers and roads are from WizardCraft out of Coeur d'Alene, ID US sold ready to play. The craters are from Stonehouse Miniatures out of Portland, resin castings that I painted and decorated. They are all basically intended for 15mm minis, but it makes a more interesting table than featureless felt.... ;o)
