Probably the second most famous naval engagement of the American Civil War is the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5th August 1864. It may have ended up a little known historical footnote were It not for the famous order given by Rear Admiral David Farragut. which has come down to us as "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" Now I must admit straight away that I'm a confirmed wargamlng landlubber, but I have hankered for a long time to get behind the wheel of a tlndad paddle steamer, ring four bells and do battle in the lazy rivers and shallow boys of the Confederacy. Obviously though, this was just going to be a diversion from my more term firma based games and as such I didn't want to expend too much effort in teaming rules, Andy Callon sums this up perfectly In his piece written In Miniature Wargames No. 14 American Civil War Rivertine Actions: The Noddy Approach. Nor did I want anything more from the rules than fast, furious action with as little book-keeping as possible but plenty of period feel ; i.e. rough & ready ! Also, were I to take this game down to the local club, I didn't want anyone left feeling out of their depth -- they had to be able to learn, play and forget the rules all in a single evening what the American board-gaming fraternity call the 'Beer and Pretzels' approach, which I suppose could be translated as 'Lukewarm Lager & Pork Scratchlngs'. The game begins with the USS Brooklyn having to throw above its EDNA, NOT to turn end on and block the Deep Water Channel into Mobile Bay. In the battle this act forced Farragut to make his famous order. Only the USS Tecumseh struck a torpedo and sank, the Tennessee was surrounded and eventually battered into submission with many of the Union vessels ramming each other in the confusion. Quick Play ACW Naval Rules EDNA : An expression of the ability of a ship or fort to take damage. Should EDNA be reduced to 0 then the ship or fort has ceased to be an effective fighting force ( ship has sunk / struck it's colours etc, fort has been battered into submission / batteries silenced ). TURN COUNTERS Place a numbered counter = to the number of ships / forts in a container. Pull out one counter alternately per side. Once all the counters have be drawn, both commanders may choose which order his elements will move / fire in during the turn and places his counters behind the respective models. - Starting at number one, carry out the actions - moving / firing for that ship or fort before moving on to the next. Where ships are in line of battle, all vessels will move immediately after the leader, but they cannot fire until it comes to their own numbered turn. Bounds Draw Turn Counters : Decide on order of execution : Each Ship / Fort 1st Cannonade : Move 1/2: Turn (If any) : Fort 2nd Cannonade : Finish Movement : Ship 2nd Cannonade. "ALL AHEAD FULL" Ship Type Slow Cruise Full Turning Monitors 2 - 4 30 degrees Ironclads 2 4 6 30 degrees Sidewheelers 3 6 8 90 degrees Wooden Screw 4 8 12 45 degrees All distances In Inches. Only sidewheelers can turn when stationery (18(r). All ships wishing to increase / decrease speed, can do so by one step per bound. Reverse: Slow speed only. RAMMING Take EDNA & Speed of Ramming vessel and minus same from target vessel. Will be left with + or - result. This is the Ramming Factor. Throw 2x 06 (3x D6 if classed as Rom ), +1 - Ramming Factor against target vessel EDNA to find result. Should any double be thrown go to Catastrophic Events chart. TORPEDOES (Minefields) Throw 3x 06 against the current EDNA of any vessel moving through a minefield - per 1/2 Move. A vessel must test against its EDNA if it ends a 1/2 Move, Turns and or begins a 12 Move in a minefield. Should any double be thrown ( out of the three dice ) go to Catastrophic Events chart. CANNONADES ( Firing ) The number of guns listed for ships and forts represent Cannonade Factors as opposed to being a scaled down number of actual pieces. The big guns were used to pound a vessel to pieces called 'racking', straining the skeleton of a ship with repealed heavy blows so that the armour plating would fall away or the structure would be weakened and let in water. 'Punching' was the term given to the fire from high velodty, smaller calibre ( preferably rifled ) pieces, whose task was to penetrate the opponents armour and whizz around inside killing crew and destroying guns. Heavy guns can only fire once per bound in either first or second cannonade, others fire twice. Determining accuracy and effectiveness of a cannonade is done through one simple procedure as set out below Heavy and Medium guns test against target's EDNA. Parrots do not test EDNA but utlilse the Catastrophic Events chart upon any doubts result. Heavy Gun - Throws 2x D10 per gun Medium Gun - Throws 2x 06 per two guns (If only one gun 2x AvD ) Parrots - Throws 2xD6 for per 1-2 guns Add 1 x AvD to score to Heavy & Medium Guns if at Point Blank range 0 - 2'. Parrots no effect. Minus 1 x Av0 from score over 12' Minus 1 x AvD Parrots over 24', 2x AvO Heavy & Medium Guns Catastrophic Event. Chart Where guns are put out of action and a ship or fort has different calibres, knock out the smallest ( I.e. Parrots ) first, then Mediums, finally Heavies. 00 Magazine pierced, ship blows up and sinks / fort put out of action 22 Boiler blows up throw 4x D10 against EDNA / 4 fort guns put out of action 33 Vessel holed : sinks In lx 06 moves / 4 fort guns put out of action 44 Damage to propulsion / 2 fort guns / 4 ship guns put out of action 1 xD6 score = 5/6 Lose Full Speed : 3/4 Only Slow Speed : 1/2 Dead In Water 55 Damage to steering / 2 fort guns / 3 ship guns put out of action ix D6 score = 4/5/6 one turn every 2 moves : 12/3 No turning 66+ 2 ship guns / 1 fort gun put out of action Note : Guns may be put out of action due to running out of ammo, running out of able bodied gunners, debris falling on gun etc. The Union Fleet Rear Admiral David Forrogut Monitor Division Tecumseh: single turret 2 guns 1 heavy gun EDNA: 16 Manhatten : single turret 2 guns 1 heavy gun EDNA : 16 Winnebago : double turret 4 guns 1 heavy. 1 medium gun EDNA : 16 Chicksam : double turret 4 guns ; 1 heavy, 1 medium gun EDNA : 16 Wooden Ship Division (ships lashed together In pairs) Brooklyn : Screw sloop, 25 guns I heavy, 4 medium & 4 parrots EDNA : 14 with Octorara: double-ender, 10 guns ; 2 mediums & 1 parrot EDNA : 8 Hartford: Screw sloop, 24 guns I heavy, 4 medium & 4 parrots EDNA : 14 with Metaoomet : double ender, 10 guns ; 2 mediums & 1 parrot EDNA : 8 Richmond: Screw sloop, 22 guns I heavy, 3 mediums & 4 parrots EDNA : 12 with Port Royal: double ender I medium EDNA : 7 Lackauranna : Screw sloop, 14 guns ; 2 mediums & 2 parrots EDNA : 10 with Seminole : Screw sloop, 8 guns ; 1 medium & 1 parrot EDNA : 9 Monangahela: Screw sloop, 11 guns ; I medium & 1 parrot EDNA : 9 with Kennebec : Gunboat, 6 guns ; 2 parrots EDNA : 6 Ossipee : Screw sloop, 12 guns I medium & 1 parrot EDNA : 9 with Itasca : Gunboat, 6 guns 2 parrots EDNA : 6 Oneida: Screw sloop, 10 guns I medium & 1 parrot EDNA : 9 with Galena: Screw steamer, 11 guns; I medium & I parrot EDNA : B Confederate Fleet Admiral Franklin Buchanan Tennessee: Ironclad Ram, 6 guns ; 2 heavy & 2 medium guns EDNA : 18 Morgan : Side wheel gunboat, 6 guns ; 1 heavy & 1 medium EDNA : 9 Gains : Side wheel gunboat, 8 guns ; 1 heavy & 1 medium EDNA : 9 Selma: Sldewheel gunboat, 4 guns ; 1 medium EDNA : 6 Fort Morgan: ; 4 heavy, 4 medium & 2 parrots EDNA : 22 Fort Gaines: ; 4 heavy, 2 medium & 2 parrots EDNA : 18 Back to The Gauntlet No. 3 Table of Contents Back to The Gauntlet List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1995 by Craig Martelle Publications This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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