Gods of War Togo. Disaster in the Philippine Sea.

In our games set during this period of the war, the Spanish have consistently come out on top. This is somewhat surprising given the quality of the ships in both fleets. This time, I decided to introduce merchant ships and proposed a "me versus others" format for the game. The rules, of course, are from Gods of War: Togo, and the ships are in a 1/1200 scale.

SCENARIO: Bartek Żynda
UMPIRING: Bartek Żynda

SCENERY: SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

US NAVY

(Bartek)

Convoy Escort

USS Iowa

USS Indiana

USS Brooklyn

Convoy

USS Vixen (Regimental HQ)

SS Clan MacCay (Regimental Equipment)

SS Arizona (Regiment)

USS Gloucester

ARMADA ESPANOLA

Pelayo (Tim)

Infanta Maria Teresa (Alasdair)

Cristobal Colon (Campbell)

Vizcaya (Michael)

2. The Game.

The Americans' objective was straightforward: to lead the convoy, fully assembled, from one corner of the table to the opposite corner. The Spanish forces had to counter this movement. The Americans received bonus victory points for destroying Spanish ships.

I decided to move the convoy at an average speed of approximately 9 knots along the lower long edge of the table. The escort, consisting of the USS Indiana and USS Iowa, was initially to travel with the convoy. As needed, they would then detach to hold off the advancing Spanish forces. Although I wasn't aware of the exact plan the Spanish had, it appeared they intended to cross the convoy's path and launch an attack.

Soon, a significant misunderstanding occurred among the Spanish ships. The Infanta Maria turned too quickly, causing a major shift in their formation. Pelayo and Cristobal Colon narrowly avoided a collision, while only the Vizcaya managed to hold its course, but it had pushed too far ahead. As a result of this confusion, Pelayo began his summer cruise around the outer reaches of the fleet, and the Cristobal Colon ended up crashing into an island. Welcome, Campbell, to the Island Ramming Club!

The Vizcaya began bombarding the convoy. She swiftly sank the USS Vixen and inflicted significant damage on the SS Clan MacKlay. At this point, only the USS Iowa had left the convoy, while the other ships returned fire on the Vizcaya. The Vizcaya was hit several times and ended up on a collision course with the SS Arizona. The massive passenger ship struck the Spanish ship, slicing it in half and resulting in the Vizcaya's destruction.

The Infanta Maria also entered the battle, sinking the American freighter. The USS Indiana then rammed the Spanish vessel. Meanwhile, the Cristobal Colon was able to dislodge the shoal, but the damage it sustained was severe. After receiving several salvos from the USS Iowa, it ultimately sank to the depths as well. Only the Pelayo continued to fight, managing to hit the USS Iowa several times.

At this point, the Spanish had reached their limit. The Infanta Maria raised the white flag, and the captain of the battleship, Pelayo, seeing his squadron completely destroyed, made the decision to sink his own ship. The Spanish lost their entire squadron, while the Americans managed to keep the SS Arizona, with its troops prepared to fight in the Philippines. Although the infantry regiment lacked sufficient equipment and leadership, these were only minor issues.

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/Seswc.co.uk/posts/1066474725509858

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720329428579

Spanish and American navies for the Spanish-American War.

In my last post, I discussed a game I played using the Gods of War: Togo rules. I mentioned that the new ships would be revealed later because some of them still needed painting. Now, I’m excited to share everything I’ve completed for this game. In this post, you’ll find painted squadron sets for both the American and Spanish fleets, along with a few items I received for backing last year's English-language edition of the game's Kickstarter.

Before I begin the presentation, I want to note that all the models featured in this post are participating in the Strategie forum painting competition as non-competitive works. I am honoured to be serving on the competition jury once again. You will find links to the entire thread in the links section. Although the thread is in Polish, modern translation tools should make it easy to understand, even if you're not familiar with the language.

This time, I expanded my ship collection by adding two squadron sets for the US and Spanish navies. Overall, everything went smoothly, but there was a small hiccup. Since Brexit, we have had to deal with some inconveniences here in the UK, including additional paperwork and customs requirements. What bothered me, however, was that the courier company (which I won't name) charged an extra £10 fee for a smooth customs process without asking for my consent. While I understand and appreciate the convenience, such an option should be offered to the customer rather than charged upfront without prior agreement. Okay, I've vented enough—now it's time for the presentation.

The first item is the Spanish Navy squadron, along with an expansion for it. This set includes the following ships: the armoured cruiser Cristóbal Colón, the Infanta María Teresa-class armoured cruiser (which I painted as Vizcaya), the Reina Cristina-class cruiser, the Aragón-class cruiser, and four Furor-class destroyers (I painted Furor, Plutón, Terror, and Audaz). Additionally, I've included the auxiliary cruiser Rápido in this set, which is sold separately.

The Americans also received reinforcements. I purchased a squadron for the US Navy fleet, which includes the battleship USS Iowa, the battleship USS Texas, and the armoured cruiser USS Brooklyn—arguably the most beautiful ship I've painted for this war. Additionally, I included the armed yachts USS Gloucester and USS Vixen, along with two Ericsson-class torpedo boats, which I named USS Stevens and USS Fulton for fun. To complete the set, I added two transport ships: the Arizona and the Clan MacKay.

As part of my Kickstarter support, I received models of two sinking ships: one destroyer painted in American colours and one cruiser painted in Spanish colours. Additionally, I painted a set of small torpedo pinases in neutral colours, allowing them to be used by both fleets, depending on the scenario. I'm not entirely sure, but I believe all the models are either already available for sale or will be soon.

The final piece of the puzzle is the buildings, forts, Martello towers, lighthouses, and fort cannons. I received these pieces through Kickstarter support as well.

Links

Thread on Strategie forum:

https://www.strategie.net.pl/viewtopic.php?f=231&t=23185

Progress photos on Flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720327884347/