Naval Combat 1852-1870
By Bryn Monnery
I read “A Hotter Fire” and “Sea Battles in Miniature” before writing this. Both have influenced me.
This is a 1:1200 scale naval wargame covering the period of the 1850’s-70’s. Initially it was meant to cover a hypothetical US vs UK war, but it has proved to be able to handle other conflicts as well.
The ironclad period is interesting for several reasons. Firstly, it’s one of the most well balanced periods in history, meaning the UK wasn’t as big an uberpower as other times in its history. Secondly, fighting orders had made the line of battle obsolete, and tactics were fluid. Thirdly, there are is vast variety in ships.
The ships of the period broke down into a number of distinct types:
Floating Battery (aka Casemate Ironclad): These were the first type of ironclad, fielded by the allies in the Crimean War. The FB is essentially an ironclad encasement on a raft like hull containing a battery of guns. Many were ram fitted. The biggest users were the CSA, then the French, then the British.
Broadside Ironclad: These are armoured frigates and sloops, the typical early ironclad such as the Warrior, New Ironsides and Gloire. They had relatively thin (typically 4.5-5.5 inches) armour, spread over a large area of hull. The iron built frigates (like Warrior and Couronne) had armoured bulkheads, and could probably survive multiple waterline hits and flooding, as the box-battery could maintain bouancy. The wooden hulled vessels (like New Ironsides and Zealous) did not have this proviso and could be sunk by penetrating their thin ends.
Central Battery Ironclad: These were improved BIs, with the armour concentrated over fewer, larger guns, and are invariably iron built.
Monitor: These are turret equipped floating batteries, the first of which, HMS Trusty is in service 1860. The name comes from USS Monitor, the first ironclad to fight another ironclad. Their turrets are usually pretty invulnerable, but any waterline hits tend to send them straight to the bottom. Later monitors, like Dictator, are good seaboats, and can fight in seaways in calm weather.
Turret ship: These are more conventional vessels equipped with turrets, starting with Royal Sovereign in 1862. They combine the good qualities of the BI and Monitor, and will evolve into the modern Battleship. One of the last vessels of this type in the period, HMS Captain was lost on her maiden voyage through lack of stability. Most vessels of this type were unstable gun platforms.
Steam Battleship: The last generation of wooden capital ships are still a force in this period, and acquitted themselves well on the occasions they met ironclads but are definitely on their way out, as their large number of small guns is not enough against ironclads.
Steam Cruisers: Frigates, Sloops, Corvettes etc. would continue to be wooden for decades, although often armed with fewer, larger guns.
The weapons of the period include guns, rams and torpedoes, in that order of importance.
The scale is 1:1200, so 1 inch = 100 yards and 1 turn is 1 minute.
A vessels speed is expressed in knots. 1 knot is a move of 1 inch per turn. Vessels may change their speed by 2 knots per turn.
When turning, a turning circle is used. This is a curved piece of card. The turning circle used is dependent on the vessels size (noted on the ship status sheet as Turn).
If the ship is a sailing ship, its move depends on the wind. There are 4 recognised courses; Running (the wind behind the ship), Broad Reaching (45 degrees, away from the wind), Reaching (90 degrees to wind) and Hauling (45 degrees into the wind). The listed move is the running move in a Fresh wind, in other winds multiply as follows:
|
Wind |
Movement multipier |
|
Light |
*1/2 |
|
Moderate |
*3/4 |
|
Fresh |
*1 |
|
Gale |
*2/3 |
|
Storm |
*1/4 |
When moving in directions other than running, multiple movement points are required to move 1 inch. Broad reaching is faster than running, and some requires less than 1.
|
Direction |
MP to move 1 inch |
|
Hauling |
3 |
|
Reaching |
1.5 |
|
Broad Reaching |
¾ |
|
Running |
1 |
Armour
Use Nathan Okuns formulae,.
Hull hits are 1 for roughly every 30 foot of length, fudge it to make a gamable number of boxes (the Warriors 14 are fudged to be 12 by eliminating a column forward and aft of the Armoured box, leaving 26 foot boxes, for example. I justify this by her large beam). The hull should be set out with the correct number of hit boxes and their armour rating, along with an armament present in the following format (which borrows heavily from Sovereign Seas Lite in style, but not content):
Each deck should be represented as a series of boxes [ ] which include any weapons mounted there. Below should be noted that areas armour value. The upperworks should be noted with the letters M (Mast) F (Funnel) and P (Pilothouse). Any turrets should be treated like a box but with curly brackets { }. Other features which should be noted include bulkheads (/), Boilers (B), Steering gear (R), Magazines (M) and the normal level of the waterline (---).
This is slightly unrealistic, as it fails to account for port and starboard, different beams etc.
Example: HMS Warrior
This ship has 3 decks, two of which are armoured and above the waterline, and an unarmoured deck below the waterline. The majority of the guns are in a central citadel protected by heavy armour and bulkheads, but a few are outside the citadel and the 2 7 inch chasers are on deck. She has 3 masts and 2 funnels.
HMS
Warrior (d12)
7" M M
F F M
7"
[ ][
][2*68]/[3*68][2*68][2*7"][2*7"][2*68][2*68][2*68]/[2*68][ ]
[ ][
][ ]/[ ][ ][ ][
][ ][ ][
]/[ ][ ]
--- 2
/ 5 / ---
[R][
][ ] [ X ][ B ][ X ][ B
][ B ][ B ][ X
] [ ][ ]
2
USS Monitor
A much simpler ship, with only 1 deck (which is below the waterline) of 7 boxes and a turret and pilothouse for upperworks
USS
Monitor (d6)
{2*11"} P
--- 5 4 ---
[R] [ ] [B]
[ ][ ] [ ]
1
Vessels have a turn number, this is the diameter of the turning circle they use. To explain this further, before the game you should have prepared a number of circles of the correct diameter, with their circumference marked every inch. When turning, place the circle next to the ship, and move it round the circle like it was moving directly forward.
This is either worked out from known or implied data, or assigned based on length:beam ratio
|
L:B |
Turn |
|
4:1 |
3 |
|
5:1 |
4 |
|
6:1 |
5 |
|
7:1 |
6 |
|
8:1 |
7 |
Guns have several ratings, the most important of which is the penetration. This is base penetration and it is possible to pierce two levels higher than this (so the Dahlgren XV (Pen = 4) can pierce Warrior’s battery at close range, this is the historically accurate result).
Penetration is based on the Fairburn formula, with one point taken away.
E.g. Dahlgren XV with double charge has 60 lbs of powder, multiplied by 11 to 660. This is divided by (7.5*7.5*3.141592) and rounded to give a result of 4. At close range this will penetrate upto 6 (+1 for close range, possible +1 random factor) and pierce Warriors armoured battery. IRL tests showed that the XV (with 60lb of UK powder, which was more powerful) could only pierce Warrior at 100 yards, so within the game mechanics this is an accurate result.
Guns with steel shot should penetrate one more armour level (with Steel shot the XV penetrates Warrior at 500 yards).
Based on the squareroot of bore size. For shot damage = bore sized (inches)/2. Shell damage is double this.
This is based on the historical muzzle velocity. Short range is equal to half the MV, Long range is 1.5 times MV. Extreme range is any range upto double medium range.
This is based on the historical rate. Generally smoothbores of 8 inches or less fire once a round (1/1), or 10 inches or less every other round (1/2), of less than 13 inches every three rounds (1/3) and of less than 16 inch every 4 rounds (1/4). The Dahlgren XX, if available fires 1/5. Breechloading rifles always have a 1/1 ROF. Muzzleloading rifles ROF is the same as a smoothbore of that calibre.
Note, this actually overstates the ROF of the big guns, but is reasonable for game purposes. Once mechanical loaders are invented, no gun so equipped has a ROF below 1/2.
Guns should be grouped into batteries as much as possible. There are generally four arcs, forward and aft chase (90 degrees forward and aft) and the two broadsides (90 degrees). Swivel guns have a 180 degree arc of fire either forward or aft.
Turrets have 360 degree arcs, with exceptions. For example, a twin turret monitor may not fire at an aft target with its forward guns. Those like Captain, Monarch have high freeboards and may only fire in the two broadsides, those with more than 2 turrets (Roanoake, Royal Sovereign etc.) have similar restrictions for their central turrets.
Statistics below are short/medium/long for range, ROF is expressed as above, Penetration and Damage show the stats for shot first and then shell.
|
Weapon |
Range |
ROF |
Penetration |
Damage |
Notes |
|
UK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
32 pounder |
4/8/12 |
1/1 |
1/0 |
1/2 |
|
|
40 pounder rifle |
5/10/15 |
1/1 |
1/0 |
1/2 |
|
|
8 inch shell gun |
4/8/12 |
1/1 |
-/0 |
-/3 |
Fires shell only |
|
10 inch shell gun |
4/8/12 |
1/2 |
-/1 |
-/3 |
Fires shell only |
|
68 pounder |
6/12/18 |
1/1 |
2 |
1/3 |
|
|
110 pounder rifle |
6/12/18 |
1/1 |
2 |
1/3 |
|
|
100 pounder “Somerset” |
6/12/18 |
1/2 |
3/1 |
2/3 |
|
|
300 pounder (50 pound charge) |
7/14/21 |
1/3 |
5/2 |
2/3 |
Never fielded |
|
300 pounder (35 pound charge) |
6/12/18 |
1/3 |
4/1 |
2/3 |
Never fielded |
|
600 pounder |
6/12/18 |
1/4 |
7/3 |
2/4 |
Never fielded |
|
7 inch MLR |
7/14/21 |
1/1 |
4/2 |
1/3 |
1865 |
|
8 inch MLR |
7/14/21 |
1/1 |
5/2 |
1/3 |
1866 |
|
9 inch MLR |
6/12/18 |
1/2 |
6/3 |
2/3 |
1865 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
US |
|
|
|
|
|
|
32 pounder |
4/8/12 |
1/1 |
1 |
1/2 |
|
|
Dahlgren IX |
4/8/12 |
1/2 |
1/0 |
2/3 |
|
|
(double charge) |
5/10/15 |
1/2 |
2/1 |
2/3 |
|
|
Dahlgren XI |
4/8/12 |
1/3 |
2/1 |
2/3 |
|
|
(double charge) |
5/10/15 |
1/3 |
3/1 |
2/3 |
|
|
Dahlgren XV |
4/8/12 |
1/4 |
3/1 |
2/4 |
|
|
(double charge) |
5/10/15 |
1/4 |
4/1 |
2/4 |
|
|
Dahlgren XX |
4/8/12 |
1/5 |
5/2 |
2/5 |
Unknown stats, assumed 100lb charge |
|
150 pounder rifle |
6/12/18 |
1/2 |
2/1 |
1/3 |
|
Ships roll d6 for every gun in the firing battery (which in the case of 3 deckers can be 30+ guns). The base target is 5+, any rolls of 5 + hit. The rolls are modified as follows:
Each hit has a hit location rolled for it, and this hit location has an armour value. Take the weapons penetration, add one at close range, deduct one at long range and deduct 2 at extreme range. If one or more greater to the armour value then penetration has automatically occurred. If two or more below then there is no chance of penetration. Otherwise roll d6. For every 1 deduct 1 from 1 round, for every 6, add one.
Each penetrating shot inflicts a number of points of damage indicated in the table
If the target is side on, roll d6 for the deck it hit, and the appropriate dice (indicated on the damage chart) for where you hit on the horizontal axis. A roll of 1 on the deck die is the hold (below the waterline), each additional number is one deck up. If the hit is in empty space, than you missed (this is how profiles are represented).
If you are not side on, you might like to optionally roll different dice to reflect the distribution of hits. TBC
Assuming the damage value is one or greater, this is the number of sections damaged. If the value is one, then the hit section is damaged. If greater than one, adjacent sections are damaged as well. To assign this additional damage, note that damage will stay on the same deck, and will spread out evenly along the deck. It will be blocked by bulkheads (any remaining damage is lost) or other enclosures and the magazines are always considered to be protected by a bulkhead.
Anything in a damaged section is destroyed. Waterline hits will flood and the vessel will begin to sink in the water. If half the boxes below the waterline (including virtual waterline in bad weather, see below) are damaged and flooded, the vessel will sink by a deck, and speed is halved. You should immediately take note, as the first deck out of the waterline is now the new waterline deck, and any damaged sections are now flooded. When half these boxes are flooded, the ship sinks.
Otherwise, if anything is present in a damaged area this occurs.
Boilers: Every boiler destroyed reduces steam speed pro rata, so if the ship had 4 Boilers (like Warrior) each would reduce speed by 1/4th until when all four were destroyed she becomes immobile.
Bow: If the bow becomes damaged at the waterline, the ship ceases to efficiently cut through the water and speed is halved.
Funnels: The effects of losing the funnel are twofold, first the ship loses speed (losing all funnels reduces speed by 1/3rd, pro rata if multiple funnels are present), secondly, the ship fills with smoke, and is subject to a –1 to hit penalty.
Guns: Any guns in that section are destroyed.
Magazine: If hit there is a chance that the magazine may explode and sink the ship. Roll d6, if equal or less to the damage, then the ship explodes. Otherwise the magazine is destroyed. Each gun has its ROF lowered by 1 (so 1/1 becomes ½, ½ becomes 1/3 etc.). If all magazines are destroyed each gun is assumed to have d6 (roll for the entire ships armament) rounds ready to fire, after which the guns may not fire. If damaged by ramming there is no chance of an explosion. If damaged by a torpedo, it is automatic, the vessel explodes.
Masts: Each mast reduces sail speed pro rata.
Rudder: The rudder has jammed and may not be moved. The ship will continue to turn if currently turning, or move straight ahead if not. This is a fixable hit.
Turret: The turret is destroyed. If a turret is hit by a non-penetrating hit for a Ericson turret, it may jam, but only if the gun failed to penetrate by 1 point. Roll d6, on a 6 it jams. Jams are fixable.
Turret Gear: For Coles turrets, their turning gear is in the box beneath the turret. If it is damaged the turret is permanently jammed.
Ramming occurs when two vessels come into physical contact. Accidental rams occur when two ships touch after movement. If movement tracks cross, either side may elect to ram. All ramming vessels immediately halt. Ramming only occurs when the blow is at an angle of 45 to 90 degrees (i.e. “side on”) otherwise their bump and scrape hulls.
Roll for an impact point, like gunfire. The ram will destroy all the spaces in this column upto its height (so a 2 deck ship ramming a 3 decker will only destroy the lower 2 decks). For every 3 knots of speed, an additional column will be destroyed.
The rammer will suffer no damage if an iron ram (wooden ironclad ships are not rams), or will have it entire forward column destroyed, and an additional column for every 6 knots of speed.
Armour offers no protection against rams.
Spar torpedoes are resolved like a ram, but inflict d6-1 of damage (the chance of a zero is based on the chance of a malfunction). Spar torpedoes may be used only once, and their deployment should be noted in orders. They are treated as shell hits below the waterline, but automatically cause an explosion if they hit a magazine.
Any fixable hits may have repair attempts made. Roll d6, on a 6 the hit is fixed.
TBC
TBC
Exotic Shot (Hotshot, Canister, Martin’s Molten Iron etc.)
TBC
Terrain (running aground etc.)
Weather
In bad weather certain ship types have problems operating. This is mostly based on their degree of freeboard. Monitors for example had to seal their turrets even in some fairly mild seas. Heavy seas effectively raise the waterline and reduce gun accuracy. The actual waterline remains where it is, but for flooding purposes hits below the virtual waterline are treated the same as waterline hits, and when flooding equal to half the hold (whether above the real waterline or not) happens, we sink a deck
United Kingdom
The RN in 1860 had 64 steam battleships, 36 sailing battleships, 44 steam frigates, 60 sailing frigates, 135 steam sloops, 45 sail sloops and 59 steam gunboats (and the steam: sail ratio was increasing). They have 8 ironclad batteries in commission and by 1865 will have 18 Armoured Frigates, 4 Armoured Sloops and 4 Turret Ships (Two of which were built for the CSA), with some more retained on the slips, such as Repulse. HMG would only fund the construction/ conversion of ironclads as needed, and the RN could have perhaps fielded many more (~10 more just by seizing those building for other nations in UK yards, many of which where built for the CSA, but sold elsewhere).
Speed: 14 Sail: 11 Turn: 7
(d12)
7" M M
F F M
7"
[ ][
][2*68]/[3*68][2*68][2*7"][2*7"][2*68][2*68][2*68]/[2*68][ ]
[ ][
][ ]/[ ][ ][ ][
][ ][ ][
]/[ ][ ]
--- 2 / 5 / ---
[R][
][ ] [ X ][ B ][ X ][ B
][ B ][ B ][ X
] [ ][ ]
2
Resistance and Defence
Speed: 11 Sail: 7 Turn: 4
(d9)
7” M M F M 7”
[ ][][]/[1*68][2*68][2*7”][2*68]/[ ][]
[ ][][]/[
][ ][ ][
]/[ ][]
2 / 5
/ 2 ---
[R][][] [ X
][ B ][ B ][ B
] [X][]
2
Hector and Valiant
Speed: 12 Sail: 6 Turn: 4
(d9)
7” M M F M
7”
[ ] [][2*68][2*68][2*68][2*68][2*68][ ] []
4 / 5 /4
[ ]/[][
][ ][ ][
][ ][ ]/[]
2 / 5 /2 ---
[R] [][ X ][
B ][ B
][ B ][ X ][ ] []
2
Speed: 14 Sail: 11 Turn: 6
(d12)
7" M
M F F
M M 7"
[
][][]/[2*68][2*100][2*100][2*100][2*100][1*68]/[][][]
2
/ 5 / 2
[
][][]/[ ][ ][ ][ ][
][ ]/[][][]
3
/ 5 / 3 ---
[R][][] [
X ][ B ][ X ][ B ][
B ][ X ] [][][]
Royal Oak
Speed: 12 Sail: 9 Turn: 4
(d9)
7”
M M F M 7”
[ ][2*68] [2*68][2*68][2*7”][2*7”][2*68]
[2*68][2*68]
[ ][ ]
[ ][ ][ ][ ][
] [ ][ ]
3 / 5
/ 3 ---
[R][ ] [
X ][ B
][ B ][ B ][ X
] [ ][ ]
Speed: 12 Sail: 9 Turn: 3
(d8)
7” M F
M F M 7”
[ ][2*68] [2*68][2*100][2*100][2*68] [2*68][]
[ ][ ]
[ ][ ][ ][ ] [
][]
3 / 5
/ 3 ---
[R][ ] [
B ][
B ][ B ][ X ] [
][]
Note: This is a best representation of all three, which had slightly different armament fits, assuming all were put in commission for an Anglo-American war. Repulse could have been completed early (1863) as another member of this class (as appears to have happened in S&SF)
United States of America
Note: Boiler placements etc. are provisional, waiting on
hard data.
The US Navy put into commission 1* Armoured Frigate (another was built as a private venture and sold to France (Dunderburg), while Italy contracted Webb in NY for 2), 2* Armoured Sloops, 2* Oceangoing Monitors (plus Puritan, which never commissioned) and no less than 39 Coastal Defence Monitors during the period 1862-66. There were also 15* Casemate gunboats and 9* Riverine Monitors (some of which were sternwheelers!) commissioned in the same period. The wooden navy started with 6 large “steam frigates” which were more like battleships (2 of which were converted to Ironclads, 1 for the CSA), 4 old sail frigates and 25 sloops (about a 50/50 mix of sail and steam). To supplement these a number of paddlewheel steamers were put in service, which while they had a frigates speed, had at best a few Dahlgrens, no protection against gunfire and (worst of all) unprotected paddlewheel propulsion. These were of little value against a screw sloop, but sufficient as Privateers/ Blockade Ships.
Speed: 5 Turn: 3
(d6)
{2*XI} P
--- 5 4 ---
[R] [ ] [B]
[ X ][ ] [ ]
1
Speed: 8 Sail:
8 Turn:
6
(d6)
M F
M
[7”] [IX] [ ] [IX] [ ] [7”]
--- ---
[R ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
3
Note: 7” are 100 pound Parrott rifles and may fire into either broadside or chase.
Speed: 7 Sail: 6 Turn: 5
(d8)
8” M M
F M 8”
[ ] [XI][XI][2*XI][XI][XI][XI] [ ]
3 / 5 / 3
[ ]/[
][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
[ ]
---
3 ---
[R] [ ][X ][
B ][B ][X ][ ] [ ]
Speed: 5 Turn: 5
(d6)
F {2*XV}
--- 6 ---
[R] [ ] [B]
[ B ][ X ] [ ] [ ]
2
Note: Were originally armed with only 1x XV and either a 150
pounder or XI as well.
Speed: 10 Turn:
5
(d6)
{XI} F
{XI}
[ ] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
--- ---
[R] [ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
3
Speed: 6 Turn:
6
(d9)
{2*XI} F
{2*8”} {2*XV} P
--- 6 6 6 5
[R] [ X ]
[B] [B] [ ] [ X ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
2
Speed: 7 Turn:
6
(d8)
{2*XV} F {2*8”}
--- 6 6
[R] [ ] [ X
] [B] [B] [ ] [ X ] [ ]
4
Canonicus, Saugus, Tecumseh, Manhattan, Mahopac, Wyandotte, Ajax, Catawaba and Oneota
Speed: 7 Turn:
7
(d8)
F {2*XV}
--- 6
[R] [B] [B] [ ] [ X
] [ ] [ ] [ ]
1
Miantonomoh, Monadnock, Agamenticus and
Tonawanda
Speed: 7 Turn:
7
(d9)
{2*XV} F F
{2*XV}
---
6 6
[R] [ ] [ ] [ X
] [B] [B] [ X ] [ ] [ ]
3
Dictator and Puritan
Speed: 10 Turn:
8
(d10)
F F {2*XV}
--- 6
[R] [ ] [B] [B] [B] [ ] [ X ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
1 /
4 / 1
Notes: Puritan was designed to be similar, but different
to the Dictator, but there is no possibility of commissioning as designed
before 1867. Here I’ve assumed she’s commissioned with Dictators weapons fit
etc. If you want the “proper” Puritan, add an extra section forward, increase
the armour at the ends to 2, and replace the XV with XX (realistically, only
one could be shipped, not the planned two).
Casco, Tunxis, Chimo, Naubuc,
Squando, Suncook, Nausett, Shawnee, Shiloh, Napa, Modoc, Waxsaw,
Wassuc, Koka, Yazoo, Cohoes, Etlah, Klamath, Yuma and Umpqua
Speed: 5 Turn:
6
(d8)
F {2*XI}
---
5
[R] [ ] [B] [B] [ X
] [ ] [ ] [ ]
2
Notes: Vessels with underlined names were completed as spar torpedo boats. They have only 1*XI, unprotected by a turret and a spar torpedo fitted as standard. They had an extra knot of speed (speed = 6)
Confederate States of America
France
Russia
Denmark
Prussia
Austria-Hungary
Holland
Italy
Turkey
Spain
Brazil
American League
Stars and Stripes Forever
Battle of Biloxi
Intruder: Monitor and 3-5 US Steam Frigates
Native: Warrior and Royal Oak (Ironclads), plus a number of RN steam frigates
Battle of the Potomac
Intruder: Caledonia, Prince Consort and Repulse (Ironclads)
Native: Avenger (Non-existent) or perhaps New Ironsides and some Passaic class Monitors