Years ago, I built my own version of Fred Janes’ NAVAL WAR GAME, and I scratch-built two small 1:3000th-scale fleets. I chose to build the Turkish and Greek fleets of 1914, and amongst the latter was the RHNS Averof.
The Averof was a large armoured cruiser, and was the third of a three-ship class built and designed by the Italian shipbuilder Cantiere Navale Fratelli Orlando, Livorno. The other two were the Pisa and Amalfi, which both entered service with the Italian Navy. Unlike her sisters, Averof was armed with guns manufactured by Vickers. The ship had a reasonably active life, and took part in both World Wars. She is now preserved as a museum ship at Phaleron near Athens.
When I realised that John Carr had written a book about the Averof, I had to buy a copy. It was delivered a few days ago, and I am currently reading it.
- Displacement: 9,956 tons
- Dimensions:
- Length: 459.7ft
- Beam: 69ft
- Draught: 23.6ft
- Propulsion: 22 x Belleville coal-fired boilers providing steam to 2 x compound-expansion steam engines, each of which drove a separate shaft
- Speed: 23. Knots (maximum); 20 knots (normal operations)
- Range: 2,480 nautical miles at 17.5 knots
- Armament:
- 2 x 2 9.2-inch guns; 4 x 2 7.5-inch guns; 16 x 1 3-inch guns; 4 x 1 47mm quick-firing guns; 3 x 17.7-inch torpedo tubes (Original armament)
- 2 x 2 9.2-inch guns; 4 x 2 7.5-inch guns; 8 x 1 3-inch guns; 4 x 1 3-inch anti-aircraft guns; 6 x 1 2-pounder anti-aircraft guns (later replaced by 6 x 37mm anti-aircraft guns) (After refit)
- Armor: Belt: 7.9-inch to 3.15-inch; Deck: 1.6-inch; Main turrets: 7.9-inch; Secondary turrets: 6.9-inch; Barbettes: 7.1-inch; Conning tower: 7.1-inch
- Complement: 670
RHNS AVEROF: THUNDER IN THE AEGEAN was written by John Carr, and published in 2014 by Pen & Sword Publications (ISBN 978 1 78303 021 7).
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HI Bob,
ReplyDeleteThe Averof is a very impressive Battleship- I'd like to see some photos of your 1/3000th ship models if you still have them- yes, I'd be very interested. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteI think that Averof was the last big armoured cruiser to enter service before the first battle cruisers cane into service.
My model was featured on the cover of the reprint of Donald Featherstone’s book about Naval wargames. It can be seen here: http://www.wargaming.co/recreation/details/dfnaval.htm
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
DeleteHaving one of my models pictured on the cover of a wargames publication would be for me the apotheosis of wargaming achievement.
I had a look at Jim Duncan's navies as well: aMAZing! Very attractive models.
I've kind of worked out my own design, based upon a memmory of a wooden battleship puzzle I once saw, and the memory of some battleships I used to make from 'Betta Bilda' building bricks (and fight single ship naval actions with). Marbles can be very damaging...
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo,
DeleteInterestingly, I’ve seen the photograph used elsewhere - without permission or attribution - to illustrate an example of naval wargaming.
Jim Duncan’s model ships are superb examples of the wargamer modeller’s art. They are robust, easy to identify, and fit the bill very nicely.
I’m not sure if you’ve seen David Crook’s recent blog posts about the pre-cut MDF bits and pieces that Warbases have made for him. They have laser cut a variety of hull shapes and gun turrets to his designs, and he intends to use them to create a fleet of ships. I am hoping that they will make them available to a wider public.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob -
ReplyDeleteI missed this post yesterday, so my looking up and sketching a number of Greek and Turkish warships last night could be simply another case of 'convergence.' I'm tossing up whether or not to scratchbuild the same - or instead go for this ...
http://archdukepiccolo.blogspot.com/2013/04/ultra-simple-naval-games.html
I have been unable to find any details upon the destroyers in Greek and Turkish service c.1913. Have you, or can you direct me to, any such information? Might make a difference!
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteI remember your simple naval rules, and after re-reading them, it strikes me that they - and the models - would be very suitable for your purposes. That said, I know that it only took me a few hours to build my 1:3000th-scale models.
There is a very good internet website that has a page that covers the Ottoman Navy, and it is here = https://www.naval-encyclopedia.com/ww1/turkish-navy . The equivalent page about the Greek Navy is somewhat less detailed, and it is here = https://www.naval-encyclopedia.com/ww1/greek-navy ,
I hope that this is of help.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob -
DeleteYes: excellent: just the thing. At least I know now what the smaller craft look like!
Meanwhile, the two battles of Week 2 have been fought, and require writing up. There will probably be a naval action During Week 3 as the Turcowaz attempt to break the blockade of the Dardanelles.
Reading up the account of a fleet action between Greek and Turkish fleets in 1913, I get the impression of the Turks achieving a greater rate of fire, but the Greeks having a marked edge on accuracy.
The temptation is, if using those 'Age of Empires' ships, to give the Turks one extra die for each ship's firing (3 dice) but for each '6' rolled, a further roll of 'evens' must be rolled to secure the hit. This will favour the Greeks very slightly, but I also have in mind a slightly larger version of your GNW 'Predreadnoughts ... in action' scenario.
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteIf you need more information, I’ll see if I can find the relevant pages from Janes.
I’m looking forward to reading your next battle reports. For reasons I won’t go into, they’ve helped to raise my spirits at a rather trying time.
I think that you’ve identified the difference between to way the two navies fought. The Royal Navy training mission to the Turkish Navy certainly spent a lot of time improving their gunnery, emphasising the need for a high rate of fire. (I remember a comment about the Greek Navy of the time as ‘having tight uniforms and slack ropes’.)
All the best,
Bob