Memoir of Battle at Sea: The 1860s and 1870s

MEMOIR OF BATTLE AT SEA (1860 – 1870)
Turn Sequence

1. Both sides fire their guns. (N.B. Firing guns is deemed to be simultaneous, and a ship that has been hit and sunk may fire its guns that turn – as it sinks – if a suitable target is in range.)
2. Both sides throw a D6 die. The side with the lowest score moves its ships first that turn.
3. Once the first side has moved its ships, the other side moves theirs.
4. If a ship rams another, the results of the ramming are adjudicated.
5. Once both sides have had the opportunity to fire, to move their ships, and the results of any rammings have been adjudicated, the turn is over and the next turn may commence.

Ship Data

Firing Dice

• The six faces of the D6 firing dice are marked as follows:
  • 1 x Major hit (worth two Flotation Value points) = White
  • 2 x Minor hit (worth one Flotation Value point) = Blue
  • 3 x Miss = Red

Firing Guns

• No ship may fire its guns at more than one target each turn.
• No ship may fire its guns at a target that is not in direct line-of-sight.
• Turreted Monitors: Can fire at targets that are within a three hundred and sixty degree arc (i.e. they can fire will full effect at any target). The number of dice thrown is reduced by one for every hex the target ship is distant from the firing ship.

For example, a Turreted Ironclad firing at a target ship ‘fires’ by throwing six dice. The number of dice thrown depends upon the range, and is counted down as follows: 6-5-4-3-2-1. Therefore if a target is at point-blank range (i.e. one hex) she 'fires' (or throws) six dice, but if it is four hexes away, the Turreted Ironclad ‘fires’ two dice.

• Other ships: If the target ship is not ahead or astern of the firing ship (i.e. it is in a hex that is not wholly within a sixty degree arc either side of the hex ahead or astern of the firing ship), the firing ship may ‘fire’ with full effect. The number of dice thrown is reduced by one for every hex the target ship is distant from the firing ship.

For example, a Casemate Ironclad firing at a target ship that is abeam of it ‘fires’ by throwing four dice. The number of dice thrown depends upon the range, and is counted down as follows: 4-3-2-1. Therefore if a target is at point-blank range (i.e. one hex) she 'fires' (or throws) four dice, but if it is four hexes away, the Casemate ironclad ‘fires’ one die.

• If the target ship is ahead or astern of the firing ship (i.e. it is in a hex that is wholly within a sixty degree arc either side of the hex ahead or astern of the firing ship), the firing ship may ‘fire’ with half effect (i.e. it only throws half the number of dice it may normally throw). The number of dice thrown is reduced by one for every two hexes the target ship is distant from the firing ship.

For example, a Casemate Ironclad firing at a target ship that is ahead of it ‘fires’ by throwing two dice. The number of dice thrown depends upon the range, and is counted down as follows: 2-2-1-1. Therefore if a target is at point-blank range (i.e. one hex) she 'fires' (or throws) two dice, but if it is three hexes away, the Casemate Ironclad ‘fires’ one die.

Damage and Sinking

• All hits are cumulative. When a ship’s Flotation Value reaches the Critical Point, the ship must break off from battle. When a ship's Flotation Value is reached, it sinks.

For example, a Steam Frigate has suffered three points of damages, and its Flotation Value has been reduced to three. It is hit again by gunfire and suffers a ‘Minor’ hit. As a result its Flotation Value is reduced to two, which is the ship’s Critical Point. Next move it must break off from the battle it is taking part in and sail to safety … if it can.

Movement

• Movement is measured in hexes. Ships may turn sixty degrees – the turn 'costing' one hex of movement – or move forward one hex for each hex of movement they are allotted.

For example, a Steam Gunboat has a movement rate of three hexes. It can move forward one hex, turn sixty degrees (= one hex of movement), and move forward another one hex. Alternately, it could have turned sixty degrees three times (i.e. made a turn of one hundred and eighty degrees) in the same hex.

Ramming

• Ramming occurs when a ship enters the same hex as another ship during the movement phase of the turn sequence. If the ship that is ramming the other is equipped with a ram, then four firing dice are thrown. If the ship that is ramming the other is not equipped with a ram, then two firing dice are thrown.

For example, if a Casemate Ironclad equipped with a ram rams a Turreted Ironclad, the results of the ramming are adjudicated by throwing four dice. If the Turreted Ironclad was not equipped a ram and rams the Casemate Ironclad, only two dice are thrown.