Nimitz and the River Plate

Started by Ithoriel, 18 March 2023, 08:54:03 PM

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Ithoriel

18 March 2023, 08:54:03 PM Last Edit: 18 March 2023, 10:14:32 PM by Ithoriel
I decided to give Nimitz a whirl solo but the only painted things I could find that went together were the Graf Spee and the three cruisers from the River Plate battle. So a game inspired by, but not based on, the Battle of the River Plate was thrown together.

Data Cards for the four ships were created using the pdf versions available from Sam Mustafa's site suitably chopped up and slotted in to an Open Office text file.



Ships are placed on the table so that the large guns of Exeter and Graf Spee are in range but the smaller guns of Ajax and Achilles and the secondary batteries of Graf Spee are not.

Play sequence is an admin phase, then move phase then fire phase. Move is by alternating Task Forces (groups of one or more ships in base contact). All groups moving slowly move first starting with a TF from the side moving first. Once all those moving slowly have gone those moving at normal speed move then those moving fast. Firing phase is again by alternatin TFs with secondary fire done first, then main batteries, then torpedoes. All damage is inflicted when rolled so those firing second may have lost weapons or speed as a result before they get to fire back.



The "sea" will be pulled taut before the game begins!

Each side rolls a D6 for initiative and the British win. They opt to have Graf Spee move and shoot first hoping this will let them close the range.


Graf Spee moves 9" (normal speed) and angles away from the approaching British.




The British race forward 12" (fast speed) which will make them harder to hit with Graf Spee's big guns but also making it harder to hit with theirs. They wind up behind the Graf Spee and out of the range and/ or the arc of fire of the Graf Spee's secondary batteries. The British have no secondary batteries so we move to main gun firing.

Thanks to the high speed of the British, Graf Spee just misses the Exeter with her aft main battery.

Exeter's return fire is on target (needed a 6, rolled a 6) but doesn't penetrate the Graf Spee's armour but the critical hit roll inflicts a point of structure damage in the event of a non-penetrating hit. So, first blood to the Royal Navy.

There are no targets in any of the ship's torpedo target arcs so on to next round.

British win the initiative roll and again opt to have Graf Spee move and fire first.

Graf Spee hits Exeter with her secondary battery doing two points of damage and knocking out one of her fore turrets. However Graf Spee's rear turret misses completely.

Exeter's return for from her two remaining turrets inflicts three more points of structure damage to Graf Spee and knocks out one of her port secondary guns. Ajax hits but fails to penetrate but eliminates another port side secondary gun while Achilles scores another non-penetrating hit that causes a point of structure damage if non-penetrating.

Brits win the third initiative round and Graf Spee turns to bring her undamaged secondary battery to bear



However, the Brits manoeuvre to keep themselves out of the arc of fire of the secondaries.

Graf Spee's main battery inflicts a further structure point of damage to Exeter and knocks out her other fore battery.

Exeter's rear turret has Graf Spee in her arc of fire and does a further two points of structure damage and destroys Graf Spee's starboard torpedo launcher.

Ajax and Achilles hit but do no structural damage but eliminate two starboard secondary guns.

Exeter score a lucky hit (needed a 6 got a 6) to hit with her port torpedoes doing 3 points of structure damage to Graf Spee.

Graf Spee wins the initiative but opts to go first again.

Her secondary fire does no damage to Exeter but her main battery knocks out Exeter's last gun turret.

Ajax and Achilles manage a point of damage each to Graf Spee's structure eliminating the last blue structure boxes on her data card and as a result she is crippled. She is reduced to slow speed and will find it harder to hit. Fortunately for her the reduction in her AA capacity is not an issue. She also loses her rear main turret to a critical hit.

Last turn and the British once again win initiative, opting to go first.

Since slow ships move first and Graf Spee can only move at slow speed she moves straight ahead. Ajax and Achilles close on her rear while the now toothless Exeter powers off at high speed away from the action.

Graf Spee has no guns that can bear.

Ajax fires and the hit inflicted removes Graf Spee's last structure point. She is a shattered burning hulk. The Brits move in to rescue survivors.



A fast, fun little game in which the German inability to shake off the British cruisers and open the range saw her slowly pecked to death.
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T13A

Hi Ithoriel

Many thanks for this, looks good and really useful as I'm currently working my way through the rules.  :-bd

Cheers Paul
T13A Out!

steve_holmes_11

Thanks.

That provides a good idea of how the game might play.

d_Guy

Thanks for the play-through. I think Sam Mustafa is a brilliant designer so may give it a look.
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paulr

Thanks Mike, an interesting run through

I find it strange that the tactical game is Nimitz, and the campaign game is Halsey
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Ithoriel

Halsey and Nimitz are 50% of those who have achieved the rank of 5-star Admiral of the Fleet in the USN. Would you prefer King or Leahy instead? :)
There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

paulr

Admiral Chester Nimitz was already Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet while Halsey was Commanding Carrier Division 2

Halsey as the tactical game and Nimitz as the campaign game would make more sense to me

Given some of Halsey's performances I'd prefer Nimitz & Spruance but understand the marketability of the Halsey name
I hope this doesn't turn into a typhoon in a tea cup ;)
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Ithoriel

19 March 2023, 07:59:07 AM #7 Last Edit: 19 March 2023, 08:05:26 AM by Ithoriel
I'd prefer Cunningham for tactical and Pound for strategic but I guess they are not as eye-catching names :)

I do agree however that reversing the names would make more sense as would having Nimitz/ Spruance.
There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

Ithoriel

Replayed the scenario this morning.

Graf Spee sunk, Exeter sunk, Achilles crippled, Ajax with only a single point of structural damage so basically unscathed.

Graf Spee went down with only her front turret still in action. Rear turret, secondaries and torpedo tubes all knocked out.

Exeter hammered Graf Spee's structure but kept "knocking out" by now non-existant torpedo launchers! In return Graf Spee whittled away Exeter's structure just as fast and Exeter has less of it.

Ajax and Achilles were finding it hard to land a penetrating blow but picked away relentlessly at the weaponry.

Exeter and Achilles lost a main turret each but Graf Spee kept doing penetrating hits and then rolling the "do a point of structure if you failed to penetrate" as a critical hit.

A longer and more even game second time around.
There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

pierre the shy

Somerville and Cunningham as names for the Mediterranean suppliment?  :)

Both of them topped out as Admirals of the Fleet.....
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
we are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.

paulr

Good to hear you got a second enjoyable game in  :)

Jellicoe & Beatty for the WWI version ;)
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flamingpig0

What make and scale are the ships?
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Duke Speedy of Leighton

Good report
Poor Exeter, always a good sign when she is müllered and then Spee is crippled, makes you think balance is right
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Ithoriel

Quote from: flamingpig0 on 20 March 2023, 09:06:38 AMWhat make and scale are the ships?

1/3000 scale Navwar or Davco. Part of a collection bought second hand and ready painted, together with  a pile of still unpainted WW1 naval stuff.
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Just bought it from Amazon, oh dear...
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