I recently wrote a post on the FUNNY LITTLE WARS Yahoo Group about a lawn game I ran at COW1998. It was a re-fight (in the loosest sense of the term) of the Battle of Santiago (1898) and involved model ships made out of Oasis (the grey, dry blocks of foam used by flower arrangers) and 'spud' guns.
Having re-read the article I wrote about the game in THE NUGGET No.130, I think that some of my regular blog readers might like to read the article. It contains all the rules used and the scenario, and shows that you develop fun games that can be played by a large group of people in a fairly short period of time.
‘Where is Sampson?’ – The Battle of Santiago (1898)
Introduction
This session arose out of a long-standing interest I have had in naval wargaming, coupled with the appearance over the past few years of large-scale ship models in games at various wargames shows throughout the country. I began to ponder on the possibilities of fighting naval battles in a large hall or on a lawn using large-scale models, and soon found that I was not the only person thinking along these lines. I also discovered that there are several groups of enthusiasts in North America and Europe who fight such battles using radio-controlled models on large lakes. Their models are usually 1:72nd, 1:96th or 1:144th scale (each group seems to have its own favourite), are propelled by electric motors, and fire BB shot from CO2-powered cannons. Furthermore their balsa models sink when they have been repeatedly holed beneath the waterline and the ship’s pumps are unable to cope with the increasing in-rush of water – very realistic indeed! This system appealed to me, but the cost would be prohibitive and it would be impossible to stage at COW.
I was, therefore, in a quandary. What I wanted was a cheap alternative. I also needed a battle to re-fight. The answers to both these problems came to me somewhat serendipitously. I happened to be looking up some information about the Spanish-American War when I realised that 100th anniversary of the Battle of Santiago fell on the weekend of COW. I mentioned this to my wife, who was, at that precise moment, arranging some flowers into a display using a block of florist’s Oasis. I immediately realised that the Oasis, which is about £1.00 for a block 9” x 3” x 3” (22.5 cm x 7.5 cm x 7.5 cm) and which can be cut with a bread-knife, could be the building material I was looking for. After some experimentation I found that I could build two or three simple but recognisable, approximately 1:300th scale models of turn-of-the-century battleships and cruisers out of one block of Oasis. All I needed now was a method of simulating naval gunfire.
Again chance took a hand. On this occasion I had reason to confiscate a “spud” gun from a pupil who was using it to fire at other pupils in a lesson I was covering for an absent colleague. Later, when I was idly sitting in my office with the “spud” gun, trying to decide what to do with it, it suddenly dawned on me that the best way to simulate gunfire is to fire a gun, and that I had in my hand a relatively safe, environmentally-friendly, bio-degradable way of doing just that.
As soon as I got home I set up one of my experimental ship models in the garden, “stole” a potato from the vegetable rack in the kitchen, and proceeded to undertake some target practice. The results were even better than I had expected. The “spud” pellets were easily capable of causing damage to the Oasis material that the ship was made from, and the holes looked very realistic indeed. No arguments would ensue about whether or not a shell had hit its target – the evidence was visible to all who wanted to see it! I now had the essential elements of my game – or so I thought.
The problem of finding enough “spud” guns caused a temporary set-back in my planning, but a trip to my local discount toy shop soon provided me with enough guns for the game at a cost of under £20.00. The ship models took me about three to four hours to make, and cost the princely sum of £4.00. The movement measuring tapes were made out of a roll of discarded tape found by my wife in her sewing basket. I now had all the physical elements I needed for the game; the next stage was the write the rules.
The Rules
1. General Rules:
Nothing may be done contrary to what could or would be done in actual war.
2. Moves:
Movement is alternate; the Spanish move first, then fire; the Americans move second, then fire.
3. Movement:
Ships may move up to the maximum length of their individual movement measuring tapes, subject to any penalties imposed by damage or speed changes.
4. Movement Measuring Tapes:
The Movement Measuring Tapes are graduated in movement units of 9” (22.5 cm), each movement unit representing the distance moved by a ship at 3 knots of speed.
5. Speed Changes:
Ships may accelerate from stationary at a speed change rate of one movement unit per move or may decelerate whilst moving at a speed change rate of one movement unit per move.
6. The Effect of Damage on Movement – Hull Hits
Every two hull hits on a cruiser and every three hull hits on a battleship reduces its speed AT ONCE by one movement unit.
7. The Effect of Damage on Movement – Funnel Hits
Every two funnel hits on a ship reduces its speed AT ONCE by one movement unit.
8. The Effect of Damage on Movement – Bridge Hits
If a ship’s bridge is hit it will remain on its present course and at its present speed for D6 moves, subject to penalties imposed by further damage.
9. Waterline Hull Hits:
Any hit that is inflicted in the area where the bottom of the hull meets the surface of the sea is deemed to be a waterline hull hit.
10. Sinking:
A cruiser will sink once it has received 3 waterline hull hits; a battleship will sink once it has received 6 waterline hull hits.
11. Armament and Ammunition:
Each ship is allocated armament (a “spud” gun) and a supply of ammunition (a potato). Neither may be replaced during the course of the game.
12. Firing Procedure:
When it is a side’s turn to fire, the players kneel or crouch behind their model ships. When the umpires deem it to be safe, they will announce that the ten second firing period has begun. Players fire one handed over their models at the enemy and may fire as many times as the wish during the ten seconds, but may not fire once the umpires have announced that the firing period is over.
13. Damage Adjudication:
Once the firing period is over, the umpires adjudicate on the damage caused.
14. The Effect of Damage on Turrets:
If a ship’s turret or turrets are hit the player must fire with their other hand for the next two moves.
15. Ramming:
This is not permitted. See Rule 1.
16. Collisions:
Ships that collide will suffer D6 hull hits, half of which (rounded up) will be waterline hull hits.
17. Scuttling:
A player may scuttle their ship by declaring that they wish to do so at the beginning of their side’s move. A scuttled ship will take D6 moves to sink.
The Game Set-up
It is 9.30 a.m. on Sunday 3rd July, 1898. The majority of ships in the US squadron that is blockading Santiago de Cuba are at anchor, and their officers are conducting the usual Sunday inspections. The ships of the squadron are arranged in a rough semi-circle approximately two miles in diameter, with the semi-circle centred on the on the main fort defending the narrow approached to the harbour, Morro Castle (see map).
From west to east the order of the ships is as follows:
USS Brooklyn (Cruiser)
USS Texas (Battleship)
USS Iowa (Battleship)
USS Oregon (Battleship)
USS Indiana (Battleship)
In the absence of Admiral Sampson, who is nine miles away steaming eastward towards a conference with General Shafter at Siboney aboard the cruiser USS New York, Commodore Schley commands the squadron. At 9.30a.m. the quartermaster aboard Schley’s flagship – the USS Brooklyn – spots smoke rising from the entrance to the harbour, and moments later the leading Spanish ship – the flagship of the Spanish squadron, the cruiser
Infanta Maria Teresa – dashes out of the harbour entrance, closely followed by the cruisers
Vizcaya,
Cristobal Colon, and
Alimrante Oquendo. At once, the American ships sound “General Quarters”, and the first shots of the battle are fired … but where is Sampson?
The Re-fight
The Spanish sailed forth and immediately turned south-west. This brought them on to a direct collision course with USS Brooklyn, which bore the brunt of their attack. Lead by the
Infanta Maria Teresa and
Cristobal Colon, every Spanish cruisers’ gun were brought to bear on the luckless Brooklyn, and within a very short time her hull and upperworks were riddled by shot and shell. Despite this she attempted to fight on, and before she sank she was able to inflict some damage upon her attackers.
The USS Texas was the next American ship to become a target of the Spanish squadron, and very soon she was in a severely damaged state. However by this time the Spanish were themselves beginning to suffer from an accumulation of damage and problems with their guns, just as the faster US battleships came into range. In short order the
Cristobal Colon, the
Vizcaya, and the
Almirante Oquendo were all pounded to a standstill by superior American firepower, and were scuttled by their captains in order to avoid capture.
Only the
Infanta Maria Teresa was left to face the wrath of the pursuing Americans, and very wisely her captain took her up to full speed and maintained his westward course. Earlier damage had, however, taken its toll on the Spanish ship’s ability to steam at high speed, and gradually the American ships – now joined by Admiral Sampson in the USS New York – came within gunfire range. A hail of shells rained down on the luckless Spanish cruiser, and after suffering fatal damage, she struck her colours. Victory was America’s, but at the cost of a sunken cruiser and a badly damaged battleship.
Conclusions
As a game designer one has to rely on the feed-back of the players in order to make any judgement on the success or otherwise of one's game. In this case the feed-back was very positive indeed, and included the following comments:
1. The gunnery system worked very effectively.
2. It was easy to see whether or not a ship was damaged, and where the damage had been caused.
3. The game moved along at a cracking pace, and the players had plenty to do.
4. It was fun!
