Draco's Cruel Seas - Italians

Its been a while since the last update, so I figured I’d give one even though its just a progress report. The Large Italian ships are well underway, and I’m just working on individual pieces of detail.

But I also got in my first games at my club the other weekend – two games, a small free-for-all and a run through of the Invasion scenario, both against the Japanese. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of it, and the club hasn’t posted the blog about the day yet…

The first game was four MAS Boats vs four T-14 boats. It was a complete massacare for the T-14s, with only one MAS being taken sunk. Even though the two types are equal in points, the lower hull values of the T-14s really hurt them, and its almost like they’re paying a premium for their Long Lance Torps which have no use in a boat vs boat brawl. Probably better to have a 3:2 ratio of T-14s:MAS.

In the Invasion scenario, the Italian had a Gabbiano and two MZ Motozattera as the invasion force, escorted by two MAS Boats, and the Japanese were defending with a Hei Minesweeper and three T-14s. I know the scenario says Siebel Ferries, but I figured that the lower speed of the MZ Motos (they’re slower than a wet weekend) should counter their higher HP number in terms of the scenario.

But the game was a wash, again for the Italians. The first shot from the Gabbiano took out the Hei’s Fire Director, meaning that the ‘sweeper’s gunnery was affected for the rest of the game. The MAS Boats then ran straight forward and launched their torps at mid range, only for the minesweeper to slightly misjudge its turn in – one torp scraped its starboard quarter and skimmed off (missed) and the other hit the ‘sweeper right on the bow. The Hei somehow survived the hit (2HP left over), but it was finally sunk when the same MAS Boat that that launched the torps gave it a drive-by with its machine guns. The T-14s did manage to get a couple of torps off at the Gabbiano, but the only one that actually hit…was a dud.

So, in the end, the entire Japanese flotilla was…basically…taken out by…two MAS Boats…basically.

Awkward…

Background Noise: The Hollowmen Season 1 (2008), Numb3rs Season 5 (2009)