Trafalgar 220 - Naval Wargames Society Weekend, Part One

 

This weekend just gone, I had great pleasure attending the Naval Wargames Society meeting at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, where together with friends we refought the Battle of Trafalgar using David Manley's Fleet Action rules for the 17th to early 19th century Age of Sail era, 'Far Distant Ships'.

Trafalgar 220

With over seventy models on the table and a five hour battle to recreate over two days of the show we were able to play through Saturday and leave the game set up ready to pick up from where we left off on Sunday morning and managed to produce a game that captured much of the drama of the original battle fought this month, two hundred and twenty years ago off the cape of Trafalgar on the southern Spanish coast.

Given that, as I write this post we are just two weeks and one day away from the actual anniversary of the battle, fought of course on the 21st of October, 1805, a date, along with the 18th June 1815, 14th October 1066, and the 6th June 1944, and I might also include the Glorious Revolution of 1688, should be ingrained into every school-boy's memory from their early school days, I propose to do a full AAR of our battle to be published on the anniversary of the battle and to just mention a few highlights of our two days as guests of the Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMS Heron, Yeovilton.

This was my fourth visit to the show and a date I very much look forward to for the opportunity to enjoy this niche theme of our hobby, namely historical naval wargaming, and to spend time with folks who share that interest, with as many different games to be seen as there are eras in man's history of waging war at sea, and where better to enjoy that aspect than in a museum that is home to perhaps the most recent major development in sea warfare, the projection of air power in the 20th century that heralded the demise of the battleship in favour of the carrier group, which perhaps with the advent of drones might see yet further developments in this century.

The Sopwith Baby is a single-seat floatplane that was operated by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) from 1915. This example uses original components of two Babies built by Sopwith, Nos. 8214 and 8215, have been utilized to complete a composite aircraft for display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum , and has been marked with the serial N-2078, which was a Blackburn-built aircraft, named The Jabberwock, and flown by Sub-Lieutenant Hyams.

I have visited the museum numerous times over the years, but never grow tired of looking at and occasionally flying aeroplanes, another interest that has fitted in quite happily with the wargaming habit, and although the show took the focus of my time during the weekend, I took the phone with me as we made our way to the museum café from our meeting room for lunch, and grabbed a few pictures of just a small selection of the exhibits on show.

The Short Admiralty Type 184, was a British two-seat reconnaissance, bombing and torpedo carrying folding-wing seaplane designed by Horace Short of Short Brothers. It was first flown in 1915 and remained in service until after the armistice in 1918. 

A Canadian Airforce Short 184 circa 1915

A Short 184, aircraft number 8359, was the only British aircraft to take part in the Battle of Jutland. Flown by Flt Lt Frederick Rutland (who became known afterwards as "Rutland of Jutland") with Assistant Paymaster G. S. Trewin as observer, the aircraft was launched from HMS Engadine at about 3.08 p.m.: flying at about 90 ft (27 m) due to low visibility, they spotted four cruisers of the German fleet, reporting their presence back to the Engadine at about 3.30. The aircraft was presented to the Imperial War Museum in 1917, where it was damaged in a German air raid during the Blitz. The unrestored forward section of the fuselage is currently on loan from the IWM.

Supermarine Walrus L-2301, is a WWII era, single-engine amphibious biplane designed by Supermarine's R. J. Mitchell of Spitfire fame. Primarily used as a land based and ship-borne maritime patrol aircraft, it was the first British squadron-service aircraft to incorporate an undercarriage that was fully retractable, crew accommodation that was enclosed, and a fuselage completely made of metal.

A Supermarine Walrus being launched from the catapult of the Fiji-class light cruiser
HMS Bermuda circa 1943.

The display of helicopters that were a familiar sight flying in my younger days, reminded me that I, like them, am now a museum piece. Oh dear, how the years condemn!

If you haven't visited the FAA Museum yet and have an interest in military/naval aircraft then do go if you get the chance, as there are some very interesting aircraft held in the collection.

As well as enjoying my own game there was a broad selection of other games being played over the weekend with some of the games there for the two days and others just on one of them.

Harry Woker and Edzard Jan van Zanten made the trip over from Holland to join us and presented a Cold War naval scenario entitled 1986 Soviet Amphibious Landing on the German Baltic Coast, opposed by NATO forces.

 

They played the game over the weekend using the rules Naval Command 2021 and 1:3000 miniatures.

It was fun chatting to Harry and Edzard and getting an appreciation of the hobby from their side of the Channel.

Michael Lane was running two games over the weekend, The Battle of Midway, June 4th 1942, using a modified version of 'Wings at War' on the Saturday and on the Sunday, I grabbed some pictures of his second game, Calder's Action, otherwise known as The Battle of Cape Finisterre, part of the Trafalgar Campaign and fought on the 22nd July 1805.

For this game Michael was using 'Fire as She Bears' naval rules that incorporate the use of octagon bases to regulate movement and a collection of 35 models from the Rod Langton range of 1/1200 model ships.

Michael informed me that Rod Langton is planning to retire at the end of the year, so if you were planning to invest in a collection of his wonderful models, now might be a good time to do so, and perhaps these pictures of the game and Michael's collection might inspire matters.

Speaking personally, I would like to wish Rod much happiness in retirement and to thank him for his contribution to Age of Sail wargaming in particular, as it was his range of models thar inspired me back into age of sail collecting and playing, and I will always be grateful to Rod for taking the time at a show he was at to illustrate the finer arts of rigging to a much younger JJ that has stood me well over the years in transferring those skills to my collection of larger models.

Michael's game brought back memories of my own recreation of this battle in 1:700 at the Devon Wargames Group back in 2022, using Kiss Me Hardy, and having lots of fun incorporating rules for firing in the mist that was a distinct feature of this battle.

Finisterre - Carlos Parrilla Penagos
https://www.carlosparrillapenagos.es/pintura-naval/
The 80-gun Argonauta, flying the pennant of Admiral Gravina at her mizzen, and leading the van of the Combined Fleet, exchanges broadsides with HMS Hero in the van of Vice Admiral Sir Robert Calder's squadron during the Battle of Cape Finisterre 22nd July 1805
Devon Wargames Group - An Opportunity Mist, Battle of Cape Finisterre, Kiss Me Hardy

Ian Armstrong's collection of Tudor Fleets have featured here in my previous NWS show reports, which have rightly garnered their proportion of admiring comments, none less than from myself, for his scratch-building skills incorporating a marvellous attention for detail and the way they capture the look of these early 'age of sail' warships.

I had Ian's models in mind earlier this year when Carolyn and I spent time enjoying the delights of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon and our visit to the Lisbon Navy Museum with their equally marvellous collection of models illustrating the early Portuguese warships of this era, contemporaries of these in many ways.

JJ's Wargames - Lisbon Navy Museum

This time Ian was demonstrating his skills putting one of his models together, which proved most useful for me in getting some ideas for glue options over what I currently use with my own models.

As has often been the case, I have garnered the best ideas in the hobby from folks who know what they're talking about and are happy to share the love - cheers Ian.

The ancient era of naval warfare has always been popular with wargamers, and I have dabbled over the years with the odd bit of ramming and Corvus.

The interestingly named 'Alan's Getting Married Group' presented a demo game from the Peloponnesian War using 1/3000 model triremes and an adaptation of Bramwell Adam's rules published in the Wargames Illustrated edition 33. 

I don't know who was running the next game I took pictures of, but if anyone reading the blog knows, please leave a comment, and I will update the post with their details.

This was a very eye catching rendition of the Battle of Salamis and surrounding terrain, and I particularly liked the leaders models positioned ahead of their respective squadrons.

 

Peter Colbeck and pals presented a pre-Dreadnought clash between British and French forces with the British fleet in their eye-catching Edwardian livery, illustrating the Royal Navy moving into the era of steel warships but with paint work recalling the glory days of a previous century. 

In Part Two of this post I will focus my attention on my own game, Trafalgar 220 using Far Distant Ships, very slightly adapted for use with 1:700 scale models, the bulk of which are from the Warlord 'Black Seas' range but with the collection updated with two French brigs from Henry Turners excellent range of 3D printed offerings and fitted out with masts and sails from the Warlord brig.

Suffice to say the two days to game this battle with a rule set very much designed to facilitate this size of game produced all the fun and drama I had hoped it would married with excellent company and banter from all involved that produced a game to savour and remember, which I look forward to recounting on the most appropriate day to do so, the 21st of October 2025.

Thank you to Simon Stokes for doing all the cat-hearding and bringing off another NWS gathering and to the Fleet Air Arm Museum management and staff for making their superb facilities available to us.

As always, more anon.

JJ

Trafalgar 220 - Naval Wargames Society Weekend (Preparations)

 

This week has been a bit busy which explains my lack of a post on the blog last weekend, as I had several projects on the go that I was keen to get finished, three of which will see some more new units to be showcased as part of my ongoing American War of Independence theme, 'The World Turned Upside Down'; and some final preparations for my attendance this weekend with friends at the Naval Wargames Society gathering at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, where I will be running out the Trafalgar collection of 1:700 models to refight the battle in commemoration of the 220th anniversary of this most famous naval battle. 

JJ's Wargames - The Battle of Trafalgar, 1805 - 2025, Legionary Exeter

It was back in May this year that I play tested the battle using Far Distant Ships, Fleet Action Rules written by David Manley at the Exeter Legionary Show, and with just one day to fight our way through six turns of battle equating to just one hour of the four and a half hours the real battle took to fight, our game was 'hotting-up' by Turns 5 & 6 as my AAR recorded:

Turn 5 - Game Time 12.25. 

Vice Admiral Collingwood mortally wounded by French sharpshooters aboard the French 74-gun Fougeaux.

The Spanish 74-gun Bahama strikes to HMS Bellerophon after a devastating close range broadside caused her to strike immediately

Turn 6 - Game Time 12.35

Six Allied ships struck in the following ten minutes of battle

The Spanish 74-gun Montanez strikes to HMS Bellerophon which had moved along the allied line after shattering the Bahama.

The Spanish 74-gun San Francisco de Asis strikes to HMS Temeraire after a stern rake.

The French 74-gun Algeciras

The French 74-gun Fougeaux

The French 74-gun Pluton

The Spanish 74-gun Monarca

Our team of players for Legionary Exeter this May with the fleets well and truly engaged.

The game was great fun to run and, despite a few admin errors of my own creation, went very well and I came away with quite a few tweaks to include for the game that is prepared for this weekend, which will give us two full days to play through as much of the battle as we can.

My plan for the game takes much inspiration from Mark Adkin's great book on the battle, 'The Trafalgar Companion' published for the bicentenary with a wealth of information that was able to include some of the latest research about the battle that helps the gamer to be better informed about it's 'choreography' or more precisely why the battle was fought in the way it was.

I have always taken a similar approach to setting up historical actions and battles in that I am always keen to present the player-commanders with a very similar set of issues that faced their historical counterparts, that explains why, in this battle, one commander was very keen on bringing on a battle of manoeuvre or as Nelson would have termed it 'a pell-mell' battle, whilst his adversary was most distinctly not.

To have the Combined Fleet setting about the approaching British Fleet in anything but an attempt at a line of battle is completely at odds to what convinced Villeneuve and his commanders not to attempt such a feat, and yet I have seen Trafalgar played like that, which in my humble opinion is not Trafalgar.

So my start point has been to focus on what Nelson and Villeneuve had to say about the tactics they intended to employ in the upcoming battle and to use that to inform the situation the players will need to work with and to see if they can improve on the outcome.

Nelson described his forthcoming battle tactics. 

‘No day can bring long enough to arrange a couple of fleets and fight a decisive battle according to the old system (i.e. in two long parallel lines). 

 . . . I shall form the fleet into three divisions in three lines. One division will be composed of twelve or fourteen of the fastest two decked ships, which I shall keep always to windward, or in a situation of advantage . . .

 I consider it will always be in my power to throw it into battle in any part I may choose . . .

 With the remaining part of the fleet formed in two lines I shall go at them at once, if I can, about one third of their line from the leading ship . . .

 I think it will surprise and confound the enemy. They won’t know what I am about. It will bring on a pell-mell battle, and that is what I want.’

As for Villeneuve, his fleet orders contain key pointers to his plans should he be forced to fight.

'. . . I by no means propose to seek out the enemy. I even wish to avoid him in order to proceed to my destination. But should we encounter him, let there be no ignominious manoeuvring; it would dishearten the crews and bring about our defeat.' 

The last sentence underlines how he appreciated the severe limitations under which his crews would sail and fight. 'No ignominious manoeuvring' put matters neatly. Unfortunately for Villeneuve he felt compelled to order his fleet to make such a manoeuvre (wearing) prior to battle. The fleet struggled to form anything like a line and the resultant loss of time and formation was indeed disheartening to his crews and their commanders

‘Any Captain commanding that is not under fire will not be at his post; and any whose next ahead or next astern is closer than he to the enemy will not be doing his duty and a signal recalling him will be a reflection on his honour.’

Here we see Villeneuve giving almost identical instructions as Nelson - 'no Captain can do very wrong if he places his ship along-side that of the Enemy.'

'If . . . the enemy appears to windward (as was the case) of us and exhibits the intention of attacking us, we shall await him in close-formed line of battle. It will be for the discretion and skill of the leading ship to make only such sail as is necessary and to keep the wind only as needful to assist the formation of this order.'

Here Villeneuve deals with the situation that occurred at Trafalgar. Being to the lee he accepts he must await an enemy attack and intends to do so in line. He stipulates a close line, that is one with gaps of perhaps 30 to 40 yards about 1.5 to 2 inches in 1:700 scale. Note the wide gaps in the line as arranged at Legionary at the top of the post illustrating the results of 'ignominious manoeuvring'.

'The enemy will not confine himself to forming on a line of battle parallel with our own and engaging us in an artillery duel, in which success lies frequently with the more skilful but always with the more fortunate; he will endeavour to envelop our rear, to break through our line and to direct his ships in groups upon such of ours as he shall have cut off, so as to surround them and defeat them. . . The formation being broken, every effort must be exerted to go to the assistance of the ship assailed and to close on the flagship.' 

Ten months before Trafalgar, Villeneuve is predicting almost precisely how Nelson would attack if he was to windward of the Combined Fleet. He foresaw a melee-type engagement where captains would be required to take their ships to the centre of the action without awaiting orders. A captain not under fire was not doing his duty.

The Battle of Trafalgar lasted well over five hours from the opening shots of the Fougeux at 11.45 a.m. to the surrender of the Intrepide at 5.15 p.m. with the battle roughly divided into three interrelated parts.

• Collingwood's and Nelson's almost simultaneous attacks
• The subsequent confrontations between various combinations of individual ships
• The belated attempt of Dumanoir's van to return to assist the centre

The most intense fighting occurred during the two hours after 12.30 p.m. Within the first 90 minutes Villeneuve had lost two ships (Redoutable and Fougeux) and Nelson was down (hit at about 1.15 p.m.). By 3 p.m. another nine of the Combined Fleet had struck (Bucentaure, Santa Ana, Santisima Trinidad, Algeciras, San Juan Nepomuceno, Bahama, Monarca, Aigle and Swiftsure) and a third of the fleet was out of action including three flagships (those of Villeneuve, Cisneros and Magon). By the time Nelson died at 4.30 p.m. three more had surrendered (San Augustin, San Ildefonso and Berwick) while the Achille had caught fire and exploded; altogether 16 enemy ships had been captured or destroyed, another 11 were in full flight for Cadiz and Dumanoir was escaping westward with four more. This left one Spanish ship, the Neptuno, and one French, the Intrepide still battling on. The Intrepide struck at 5.15 p.m., after a two and a half hour fight (15 game turns) that was arguably the most gallant of the entire battle, she being engaged by no fewer than seven British ships.

Thus we have the premise for our two day game set up by our two historical commanders, Nelson and Villeneuve and a blow by blow record of the historical five hour struggle to compare the outcome with that our player commanders can achieve.

I've prepared a simple game log to help keep a note of the events as they occur.

With that in mind we have a 'Battle Log' ready to record the critical events of the game with historical notes to compare.

Victory opens fire in our play test at Legionary in May this year

Finally one of the key points to come out of the Legionary game was to include a simple but effective way of deciding when Rear-Admiral Dumanoir will react to Villeneuve's signal and wear the Combined Fleet van squadron and come to the assistance of the centre, and that is now included in the new briefing.

I'm really looking forward to our game this Saturday and Sunday at the Fleet Air Arm Museum and the hall we are playing in is open for public access to come along and see the various naval games being played, so if you fancy coming along to see the game, and visit the museum, we will be glad to see you.

In addition to playing the game, I'm looking forward to sharing the results here on JJ's so as always, more anon.

JJ