Full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes (or another game of ACW naval)

Having spent a week enjoying the delights of “Dixie”, our hard-working reporter once again joined the fray to witness some more action on the rivers of the Deep South during the American Civil War. Greg took the Unionists and Tony the Confederates to play one of Peter Pig’s ready-made scenarios. This would see the introduction to battle of the innovative Unionist turreted monitors against a pair of Confederate Ironclads supported by two converted riverboats.

Soon hot iron was flying across the waters as ships manoeuvred into optimum firing positions. Once again, the CSS Planter which was sunk and resurrected last week, was soon a burning hulk but the other Confederate ships proved tougher nuts to crack.

The CSS Arkansas (or as Tony repeatedly pronounced is Ar-Kansas) was quickly proving its worth both as a gun-ship and a ram. The USS Monitor took damage. The mighty CSS Nashville had part of its rudder shot away and at some point appeared in danger of colliding with its own ship the General Sumter. However, the crew repaired the damage and managed to regain control.

The Sumter then rammed the Monitor again, bringing the plaintive dry from Greg “who gave the lunatic two rams”! The Monitor limped off to lick its wounds but could still fire its two heavy guns battering away at all and sundry. The CSS Arkansas seemed to exit the battle with a damaged smoke stack and only one damage point remaining.

However, the Nashville fought on finally forcing the Monitor to strike its colours, and Greg suffered a sense-of-humour failure when the USS Canonicus’ 18 dice only inflicted one point of damage?

Was the tide literally turning in favour of the Confederates. The answer was “no” as the General Sumter sank to the bottom courtesy of the USS Canonicus’ big guns. With both Confederate ships down to 10 damage points between them, and the Arkansas effectively out of the fight the game was decided in favour of the Union. The Confederates had failed to break the blockade and the Anaconda plan would continue.

Simon