Port Arthur on the morning of 9 February 1904

[paulr]

This is a delayed battle report on our action off Port Arthur on the morning of 9 February 1904. I gave a quick update on the first half of the game about three weeks ago.

1) What ruleset did you use in your last game? - General Quarters I/II - Russo-Japanese variant
2) What armies were confronted? - Russian & Japanese navies off Port Arthur on the morning of 9 February 1904 (the morning after the torpedo attack)
3) Did you feel comfortable with the ruleset? - Yes
4) and... was this the first time you used this ruleset? - No, only second time for this variant though
5) How many players were in the game? - 3
6) What went well? - The Russians managed to get under way and formed up quicker than expected, they have managed to cross the T of the Japanese battleships
7) What could have been improved? - running the Russian hospital ship aground was a little careless   Gunnery on both sides

We are halfway through the game and should finish it next Saturday. The Russian Cruisers are potentially isolated to the west and may struggle against the more numerous Japanese armoured cruisers

I was too heavily involved in the game to take any pictures, I'll try and take some before we start next week and hopefully during the game

Before resuming the game here is the position at the end of last week. All pictures are taken looking south from Port Arthur.



The three circled shore batteries are active but the Japanese are out of effective range. The protected cruiser (PC) and battleship (BB) were run aground after being torpedoed during the Japanese night attack. The hospital ship (AH) accidentally ran aground while trying to stay clear of the Russian warships that were deploying from their anchorage between Lutin Rock and the coast. The Russian armoured cruiser and protected cruisers had withdrawn to the right and are now attempting to return and enter Port Arthur before the more numerous Japanese armoured cruisers (AC) and protected cruisers can intercept them.

The Russian battleships have crossed the T of the Japanese battleships and forced the Japanese flagship, Mikasa, to turn away. The Japanese armoured and protected cruisers are moving to engage their Russian counterparts and avoid the Russian battleships. Several battleships have launched torpedoes as the range is well under 1,000 yards, all torpedoes missed.


 
The Russian battleships concentrated almost all their fire on the Japanese flagship, Mikasa, and she is now stopped and unable to reply. The Japanese battleships had distributed their fire more evenly but briefly concentrated on Sevastopol, the last in the Russian battleline. She was crippled and failed her morale test forcing her to withdraw to Port Arthur. The remaining Russian battleships manoeuvred to avoid torpedoes and to double the leading Japanese battleships.

The Japanese armoured cruisers are closing in on their Russian counterparts. While manoeuvring to take station astern of the Long Distant Scouts (the armoured cruiser and two large protected cruisers) the small Russian protected cruiser Novik got too close to the shore and ran aground.


 
Damage had been slowly mounting on all the Russian battleships and the less damaged Japanese battleships were firing more effectively. Damage rapidly mounted on the Russian battleships. The flagship, Petropavlovsk, was sunk and the remaining battleships damaged, two more failed their morale and were forced to withdraw to Port Arthur.

The Russian cruisers had managed to slow the armoured cruiser Azuma disrupting the Japanese formation and hopefully allowing most of the Russian cruisers to enter Port Arthur.

At this point the Russians conceded a Decisive victory to the Japanese as there was no way they could avoid all their battleships being sunk or crippled before they reached Port Arthur.

A very enjoyable game that was "a real hoot" according to one of the players. The Russians had got into a good tactical position early, crossing the Japanese T. Concentrating on the Japanese flagships had crippled her but had left the other Japanese battleships almost undamaged. This was to prove critical as the battleship action became more general.

The possibility of crossing the Japanese T had also led the Russian battleships well offshore out of the effective range of their shore batteries. They would have been better to have fought between Lutin Rock and the coast. Running a second Russian ship, Novik, aground was particularly careless.

[Keraunos]

Thank you.  That looked a realy good game, with the Russians acting true to form - bravery and carelessness in equal measure.

[pierre the shy]

Things were looking a bit sticky for the Mikasa, Admiral Togo's flagship, for a while. Maybe he ordered the "Z" flag hoisted a bit eariler than Tsushima. If so it certainly seems to have changed his luck in this game (or maybe it was because I missed the second half of the game    ).

Banzai!!

[streetgang]

Very sharp looking game! Love the look of the land terrain, especially the coastline edge and the paint job. I have never played General Quarters, I do have these fleets unpainted. I play some pre-dreadnought games and usually use beer and pretzel complexity rules.

[Keraunos]

Things were looking a bit sticky for the Mikasa, Admiral Togo's flagship, for a while. Maybe he ordered the "Z" flag hoisted a bit eariler than Tsushima. If so it certainly seems to have changed his luck in this game (or maybe it was because I missed the second half of the game    ).

Banzai!!

I hope to be visiting the Mikasa Museum later this year.

[paulr]

I hope to be visiting the Mikasa Museum later this year.

Pictures, we like pictures

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great report

[Keraunos]

Pictures, we like pictures

Pictures can be found here.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Good stuff

[d_Guy]

Nice to see your latest creations back in action. Great report!

Also thanks for the blog post and photos, Keraunos. 
One note, you used Tojo rather than Togo. General Tojo has a rather sinister reputation. Don't pretend to know how Kanji might be best rendered in Latin alphabet, however.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great visit blog! 

[Keraunos]

Nice to see your latest creations back in action. Great report!

Also thanks for the blog post and photos, Keraunos. 
One note, you used Tojo rather than Togo. General Tojo has a rather sinister reputation. Don't pretend to know how Kanji might be best rendered in Latin alphabet, however.

Ooops!

[paulr]

Thanks Keraunos

Interesting photos and somewhere I'd love to visit    

Some of the reconstruction is fairly obviously reconstruction but somewhat understandable when you have so little of the original to work from

[Keraunos]

Thanks Keraunos

Interesting photos and somewhere I'd love to visit    

Some of the reconstruction is fairly obviously reconstruction but somewhat understandable when you have so little of the original to work from

They clearly have a team of dedicated enthusiasts working on the ship.  Lots of repairs to woodwork were underway on the day we were there.  We had a good curry afterwards - there are plenty of venues to choose from, a reflection of the fact that it was the Japanese Navy that introduced curry to Japan after picking up the taste for it from the Royal Navy!