Here is the battle report of our Ironclads in action game.

The game has been played using the Ironclads In Action rules, by Alan Goodearl (for further info please visit Central London Wargamers Club).

The scenario has been prepared by Alan, we just adapted to be played in two game phases since we wanted to test the two game scales, true and condensed.

A description of the scenario can be found here. At the end we decided to use only one table since miraculously the Yazoo river in true scale is about the same table scale of the Mississipi in condensed scale.

First encounter

The setting is the Yazoo river. The Arkansas is going downstream towards the Mississipi river and Vicksburg.

The Northern ships are going upstream in recoinnassance. The absolute positions of the ships was taken from a contemporary map. In true scale they are quite apart from each other!The leading ship spots the confederate Ironclad and starts signaling frantically to the following ships to “Close to Flagship” signal. Ship Commanders are green so they are not able to give independent orders of movement.

The Yazoo river in true scale looks very wide, but turning circles scaled up to 1/600 are also large and ships will have to be careful in maneuvering in order not to run aground.

Some spectators from the farms along the river watch the US river boats pushing the boilers to full power to counter the Yazoo current of 2 knots.

Small craft full of blue soldiers are already taking possession of the river banks.

Ship crew are cheering the three US ships, will they be able to stop the confederate ironclad?

The players, from the left Marco, commander of the Carondelet (thanks for all ships assembly and painting!), Maurizio, commander of the Queen of the West, francesco, commander of the Tyler, Vittorio, the Arkansas master gunner.

First encounter between Arkansas and USS Tyler. Tyler does not manage to bring her guns to bear.

The Arkansas delivers a deadly broadside at close range. The US wooden ship is hit on the superstructures, also catches fire and looses most of her power.

The Arkansas uses the favor of the Yazoo river, is very fast and in two minutes reaches the Queen of the West, second US wooden ship.

The Arkansas gunners are very fast, they start firing before the enemy.

A deadly broadside of shells from rifle and smoothbore guns hits the enemy ship on the waterline, the ships sinks in a matter of minutes!

The captain of the US ship which was hit (in the center of the photo), without any steam left in her ship’s boilers, manages to run the ship aground near the right bank of the river.

The Arkansa has only one last obstacle to pass. Her speed would make it an easy accomplishment, but her captain is eager to sink more union ships, and orders the helmsman to steer toward the union ironclad.

The two ships touch eat other bow to bow, without causing any damage.

A deadly exchange of shots is done point blank. The confederate manage to place good shots on the US ironclad, but one union gunner with perfect timing pulls the cord exactly when one of open Arkansas gun ports are open.

The first union shots that manage to reach the ship penetrate the Arkansas armor at this distance, but this lucky shot penetrate deeply in the rebel boat and hits the powder room.

The Arkansas blows apart in one huge blast, all hands are lost. The union boat is heavily damaged by the blast but manages to keep afloat.

This is the end of the first part of the game. The Arkansas managed to damage two ships and sink one, but did not survive the encounter.

Since the game was fast, and everybody was extremely excited and had great fun, we decided to go on and try the second scenario, assuming the the Arkansas captain would more wisely decide to keep the ship course straight and pass the last US ship.

At this point players exchange sides and were briefed on the change of ground scale. Turning circles were also substituted with the ones in 1/1800 scale.

Running the Mississipi fleet

First encounter for the Arlkansas will be USS Benton, which is almost ready to lift anchor.

On the foreground, Mound city, the rest of the US line on the background, St Louis, Cincinnati and Lexington.

Lots of masts are seen by the courageous crew of the Arkansas. But is the fleet really unaware of her?

Coal barges are close to shore, loading one of the ship support ships.

A bird’s view of the fleet, the very last ships, close to Vicksbourg which is laying just behind the right turn of the Mississipi river are the flagship Hartford and Kineo. Kineo is lifting anchor!

A view of the fleet looking from West.

A close caption of the flagship. You may see Admiral Farragut standing at the stern of USS Hartford, anxiously sending commands to the ship signallers.

Arkansas can barely be seen far away along the river!

A close view to the Northern transports.

Small ships are moored along the river.

The Arkansas will need to drive through all these masts.

Some of the ships are trying to pump steam in the pistons..

The referee and the rest of the ship captains are really enjoying the evening.

The swift Arkansas has just passed two US ironclads, the battle begins.

The Arkansas helmsman on the left does not want to go too close to the river bank because of fear of running aground. He decides also to put maximum pressure in the boiler. After two minutes the engine has a breakdown! It looses 4 knots. This choice may prove fatal..

Already three US ships have been lucky to ready their engines and start moving, trying to catchup the Confederate Ironclad.

Two lucky shots hit the Arkansas funnels, the ship slows down even further.

One hit smashes the rail armor on the central part of the ship waterline, wood becomes exposed to the northern shots.

One more ship lifts anchor, the northerners were really ready for any enemy action.

A view from upstream. You may notice the number of US ships chasing the Arkansas. The shot exchange has caused already damage to three US ships.

The Arkansas manages to keep the US ships at bay, but the engines keep loosing power.

The gunners on the left broadside are getting very tired.

Some of he US ships do not manage to lift anchor. St. Louis has gained speed and is chasing the Arkansas.

USS Benton has changed its course, now points directly to the Arkansas.

The Arkansas has so far managed to reach the middle of the enemy formation.

The Confederate crew is very worried about all enemy ships chasing their boat.

But the confederate appear to have built massive forts along the river! No its just a mirage of the Arkansas crew…

Now St. louis and Kineo are so close to Arkansas, a waterline hit brings much water in, the confederate ships slows down to one Knot velocity.

All guns are firing now, from the two broadsides. Kineo’s deck is raked, gun crew are cut to pieces, the ships catches fire! St. Louis is mauled! There is a fire amidship!

A deadly fire takes its toll on both sides.

The admiral Farragut has ordered the flagship gunners to get ready for action.

The Arkansas bow , stern guns fire! Also both broadsides, but the armor is penetrated two more times, smoothbores are silenced on the sides, also bow guns have lost their gunners.

St. Louis and Kineo bang their sides withou damage. The Arkansas course is being barred.

Admiral Farragut plays dice and manages to lift anchor of the flagship Hartford.

Arkansas is chased by faster ships. The Hartford fires its broadsides, taking some risks of hitting their own kind.

Kineo is doomed not being able to control its fire and runs for safety on the river banks.

Much smoke along the river, burning vessels and muzzle flashes.

The last images of Arkansa, which gets a direct hit from Hartford, in the mid waterline, exactly where its armor was defeated earlier during the fight.

Water floods in the ship.

No pictures are taken of the actual sinking, which will happen five minutes later. The survivors are taken on boards the US ships surrounding the spot of the sinking.

We had overall a very exciting evening. We all thank Alan for the beautiful scenario which had organized, all his help for the organization of the game. We plan a second game using Ironclads In Action very soon.

I personally think that this scenario was well balanced, but the US players were extremely lucky:

• to deliver a deadly shot to the ship powder magazine as the first and final shot in the first part of the scenario;
• to wake up three of the six sleeping ships, while only one was expected, during the second scenario.

On the other side, the Arkansas was very unlucky to wreck the boiler at the very beginning of the second game, where steam is the main weapon of the confederates.

The Arkansas armor is tough for the majority of the US guns, but the ships cane slowed down with some non-penetrating lucky shots, and if they manage to come to close range the steel rails are not an efficient defense for the confederate crew.

Thank you so much Alan! We want more!