After our practice game we started on Jutland proper, having selected some optional and advanced rules, namely U-boats and British sweep. I was in favour of the latter as it seemed in keeping with the actual battle. The U-boats was more a balancing exercise.
I started the sweep late. U-boats started early and so our initial moves found nothing. As 30 May 1916 progressed the Germans quickly discovered that the Grand Fleet had combined into one Task Force. There was then a race and chase back to the German home port.
Richard, who commanded the High Seas Fleet provided the following descriptive text:
It was late afternoon on Tuesday, May 30th 1916. The sun was low in the western sky as strands of light stabbed at the grey sea below through the scattered clouds which danced in the last glorious days and hours of Spring.
At 1800, precisely, Fähnrich zur See Steinhoff had taken his position as officer of the watch in his uncomfortable nest that would be his world for the next 8 hours. Steinhoff had clambered into his watch position with a strange enthusiasm that evening. They had been at sea for a couple of days now and the crew had become used to the relentless monotony of watch and sleep, but today was different somehow. He felt a knot in his stomach as he scanned the horizon. Something was up, he could feel it.
A gentle swell splashed at sides of their sea monster and the Imperial Ensign fluttered proudly in the wind, but there was a squall, nay a storm, brewing on the horizon.
Steinhoff thumbed his pocket watch, it was 1900, scanning the horizon, he strained to see through the spray. He felt the weight of duty on his young shoulders that day for he was literally the eyes of the fleet. As he wiped the salty spray from face, Steinhoff gripped his binoculars once more and stared into that eternal sea. Suddenly a wisp of smoke! He held his breath and started to count, first one, then two and then many grey ghosts which now loomed into view.
"ENEMY FLEET SIGHTED BEARING 315!" he roared, "BATTLE STATIONS!"
However, battle there was not.
So that everything was not wasted, we just set up the battlecruisers and had a game.
The British battlecruisers sailing into action
The end of the game.
The dice are just to denote for the photo the damaged ships.
Red are British, white are German.
The rest of the German fleet is coming to the rescue. The British could have added more ships, but the physical job of managing it all becomes a bit of a chore. Also, there is a distinct lack of visual appeal. Pity as the game system is relatively sound and I have since found some articles in the General magazine that offer some interesting rule changes and options.
I'm investigating 3D prints, and it is first a question of what scale to go for.
The above image is 1/6000.
The model Hood is metal from a different game,
but shows what a model at that scale would look like.
