HMS Engadine: Her role in two World Wars

It was whilst I was researching the background of HMS Engadine for my recent blog post about the Battle of Jutland that I realised that she had played two very different roles in two different hemispheres during the two World Wars.

She had begun life in 1911 at the shipyard of William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton, Scotland as a cross-channel packet ship owned by the South East and Chatham Railway. She was capable of reaching just under 22 knots, and from her introduction into service until she was leased by the Royal Navy, she operated on the Folkestone to Boulogne route. Along with several other fast,short-sea packet ships, she was requisitioned for service in the Royal Navy soon after the outbreak of the First World War.

SS Engadine.

SS Engadine was taken into service on 11th August 1914 and was commissioned as HMS Engadine on 1st September. She was modified at Chatham Dockyard, Kent, to become a seaplane carrier, and this involved the construction of three canvas hangars (one forward and two aft) on her upper deck. Her complement of four seaplanes were housed in the hangers and deployed by being being lowered onto the sea by newly installed derricks so that they could take-off and land.

HMS Engadine.

These conversions proved to be successful, and in February 1915 Engadine was purchased by the Admiralty and further conversion work was undertaken in Liverpool. A permanent hanger with a capacity for four seaplanes was installed in place of the two aft temporary ones, two cranes were added aft to handle the seaplanes, and an armament of four 12-pounder 12 cwt quick-firing (QF) guns and two Vickers 3-pounder quick-firing (QF)anti-aircraft guns were fitted for self-defence. It was in this configuration that she took part in the Battle of Jutland.

In December 1919, she was sold back to her original owners, the South Eastern and Chatham Railway and returned to her role as a cross-channel packet ship. When the railways were reorganised in 1923, she came under the conrol of the Southern Railway. Ten years later she was sold to the Filipino ferry operator Fernandez Hermanos Inc. and was renamed SS Corregidor.

SS Corregidor.

When the Japanese declared war on the United States, SS Corregidor was operated by Compañia Maritima and based in Manila. On 16th December 1941 she set sail at 10.00pm with up to 1,500 passengers aboard ... which was well over her capacity. She was also carrying military supplies, including Philippine Army 2.95-inch mountain guns. On leaving harbour, she entered a defensive minefield, and at just before 1.00am there was a large explosion on the starboard side of the ship. She immediately began to sink, and despite the best efforts of PT boats from Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three (MTBRon 3), fewer than 300 passengers were rescued.

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The Royal Navy has a tradition of re-using names for ships that perform similar or the same function. Probably the most well-known instance of this is the name Ark Royal.

The first Ark Royal was the flagship of the English fleet which fought the Spanish Armada in 1588. The second was a merchantman that was - like Engadine - converted into a seaplane carrier in 1914. She was retained by the Royal Navy after the First World War and reamed HMS Pegasus in 1930 to release the name for use by the third Ark Royal. This was an armoured aircraft carrier that was launched in 1937, and which has a very active war until she was sunk by a U-boat torpedo in the Mediterranean in 1941.

The next Ark Royal was also an aircraft carrier that was launched in 1950 and commissioned in 1955. She was the last conventional aircraft carrier operated by the Royal Navy until the Queen Elizabeth=class came into service. She was decommissioned in 1979. The name was re-used for the third ship of the Invincible-class of light aircraft carriers, which was launched in 1981 and decommissioned in 2011.

The name Engadine was re-used in 1941 for an aircraft transport ship ...

HMS Engadine (1941).

... and again in 1965 when the RFA Engadine was laid down at the shipyard of Henry Robb Ltd, Leith, Scotland. She was a helicopter support ship (the modern equivalent of a seaplane carrier) that was operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She served during the Falklands War as a helicopter support and refuelling ship in San Carlos Water. She was withdrawn from service in 1989 and scrapped 1996.

RFA Engadine.

1812 The Retreat from Moscow: A Battle Chronicle Wargame

Over the years, I've taken part in several what Wargame Developments term 'road movie' wargames ... and thoroughly enjoyed them. These always involved a team of players co-operating with each other to get from A to B whilst the umpire (what role-players would call a game master) presented them with a series of problems, events, or scenarios that they had to deal with.

For example, during a 'road movie' game involving a German battlegroup retreating from a Russian offensive in 1944, they discovered that they had to cross a frozen river and didn't have any bridging equipment. At the same time, a Russian armoured column was closing in on them, and a group of partisans were thought to be in a nearby forest. The umpire took on the role of non-player characters and actually performed the function of a plumpire (player/umpire).

Some time ago – and thanks to Big Lee's (i.e. Lee Hadley) YouTube channel and blog – I became aware that Paul Brook (who also has a YouTube channel and a website) was working on a 'road movie'-style of game about a group of French soldiers during the retreat from Moscow. I became intrigued and followed the progress with growing interest. Big Lee and Ray Rousell (another blogger) were the principal play-testers and wrote about their battles on their respective blogs (here and here).

The rules have now been published and they live up to my expectations ... and more!

The rules are published as an A5-sized softback and are sixty-pages long. It is divided into ten main sections:

• Introduction
• Core Rules
• The Turn
• Movement
• Shooting Melee
• Buildings
• Loot
• Campaign Phase
• Scenario

The introduction explains the Battle Chronicle concept and its design objectives. These are:

• Highly narrative
• Campaign-driven
• Complete, stand-alone wargames
• Suitable for collaborative or solo play

These are all admirable – and quite ambitious – objectives ... and it says much for the work of the designers that it achieves all of them.

I particularly like the fact that the rules use standard D6 dice and not the usual range of dice I've seen used in role-play games. Furthermore, unlike the latter, the rules are clear, coherent, and easy to understand. Admittedly, I had seen videos of the play-test before I read the rules, but they are – in my opinion – an exemplar of how rules should be presented. Everything you need to know is laid out in a very user-friendly way and includes a quick reference sheet inside the back cover.

One important aspect of the rules that – again, in my opinion – set them apart is the fact that the actions of the Russian troops are controlled by a simple but very effective set of mechanisms that don't require an umpire and can be used by solo wargamers. This is a big plus in my book ... and I can see myself using something like them to 'control' enemy units in my own solo wargames.

The book also includes several scenarios:

• The Barn at Dawn
• Through Frozen Streets
• The Killer Wind
• The Eagle

Each scenario includes a map, and require tabletops that are 2' x 2' (60cm x 60cm), 3' x 2 (90cm x 60cm)', 3' x 3', (90cm x 90cm) and 4' x 4' (120cm x 120cm) respectively ... which means that they do not require a huge amount of space to set them up. In addition, the total number of figures required is small (seventy-six in total, made up of eighteen French infantry, six French cavalry, six civilians, twelve Russian infantry, twelve Russian Jagers, and twelve Cossacks.)

In conclusion, I can thoroughly recommend these rules ... and I understand that there are more Battle Chronicles in the pipeline.

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1813 THE RETREAT FROM MOSCOW: A BATTLE CHRONICLE WARGAME was written by Paul Brook, Lee Hadley, and Ray Rousell and published in 2026 by Pazoot (ISBN 978 19195 1980 7) and costs £12.00. It can be purchased from Pazoot.

110th anniversary of the battle of Jutland

Today marks the 110th anniversary of the opening phases of the Battle of Jutland, which was the world’s biggest pre-aircraft carrier naval battle*.

A map showing the course of the Battle of Jutland.

I suspect that in the great of almost all naval wargamers there is a desire to recreate this battle, but its sheer size makes this very difficult. Avalon Hill’s board wargame about the battle certainly makes it a feasible project … but it uses counters rather than model ships and somehow it doesn’t quite ‘hit the spot’ for people like me.

The box art on Avalon Hill's board wargame about the Battle of Jutland.

Now, I have been extremely lucky over the years to have taken part in two re-fights of the battle using 1:1200th-scale model ship. (In my eyes, this is the best size of model ship to wargame with if one has the space … but as my recent blog post shows, I am rather biased!)

The first was not actually a true recreation of the Battle of Jutland: it was the so-called Second Battle of Jutland as staged by the United States Naval War College in the Queen’s House at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

The Queen's House at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

The second was staged in central London by the informal grouping of wargamers known as the Jockey’s Field Irregulars. I had the honour to command the Grand Fleet … and the sheer scale of this wargame is difficult to adequately describe. Even the photographs I took don’t do this wargame justice.

A photograph of the recreation of the Battle of Jutland at Jockey's Field.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to take part in such a huge naval wargame again ... but the memory of the game at Jockey's Field will live with me forever as one of the outstanding wargames I ever took part in.

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* This is almost an untrue statement! The seaplane carrier HMS Engadine ...

HMS Engadine.

... participated in the battle as part of the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron. One of her seaplanes (a Short Type 184 flown by Lieutenant Frederick Rutland) ...

A Short Type 184 seaplane.

... spotted three cruisers and five destroyers of the German II Scouting Group. This is thought to have been the first heavier-than-air reconnaissance mission during a naval battle.

During the battle, she came upon the heavily damaged armoured cruiser HMS Warrior, and assisted in rescuing approximately 750 of her crew before she sank.

Triang Minic Ships: Some of my first 1:1200th-scale model ships.

Lines Brothers (who traded as Triang) introduced the Minic warships range of 1:1200th-scale in 1958 ... when I was eight years-old and already keen on joining the Royal Navy. As a result, I acquired number of them over the next few years, including the following:

• Two models of the cruiser HMS Superb.
• Models of the aircraft carriers HMS Albion, HMS Bulwark, and HMS Centaur.
• Three models of Daring-class destroyers.
• Three Ton-class minesweepers.

I still own some of these models, but they are not in the best of condition (scratched or badly repainted models and missing masts) and really need to be renovated.

Some time ago, I bought four of the Harbour sets and my 'fleet' was increased by a model of the battleship HMS Vanguard and yet another Albion-class aircraft carrier. What my collection is missing are examples of the Battle-class destroyers as well as the Type 12 Whitby-class and Type 15 V-class frigates. the latter having been converted from wartime-built V-class destroyers

I hope to rectify this situation with some eBay purchases as I’ve found some examples on sale there.

Keep reading this blog for further news!

Nugget 381

Yesterday, I collected the latest issue of THE NUGGET from the printer (Macaulay Scott Printing Company of Welling, Kent), and I intend to post it out to members of Wargame Developments as soon as possible.

I will send the PDF copy to the webmaster as soon as I can so that members can read this issue of THE NUGGET online.

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IMPORTANT: Please note that this is the ninth (and last) issue of THE NUGGET to be published for the 2025-2026 subscription year.

If you wish to subscribe for the 2025-2026 subscription year and have not yet done so, please request a PayPal invoice or the bank transfer information from the Treasurer or follow the instructions on the relevant page of the website.

American Civil War campaign: The first real clash!

The American Civil War campaign that I am currently 'fighting' with Professor Gary Sheffield has generated its first real battle!

Both sides had advanced somewhat warily towards the centre of Sicily, and scouting forces had skirmished at Unitedville (9). Now cavalry from both sides have met at Triangle (11), and this time the opposing forces intend to fight.

Please click on the map to enlarge it.

My (Confederate) cavalry brigade has been in Triangle for long enough to fortify the town and expect that they will be able to see off the Union attackers ... who are thought to be a cavalry brigade.

. Due to my current circumstances, Gary is going to fight this battle solo ... and I will share the result with my regular blog readers as soon as I can.

Nugget 381

The editor sent me the latest issue of THE NUGGET on Monday and I sent it to the printer (Macauley Scott Printing Company, Welling, Kent) on Tuesday morning. I hope to collect it later this week and post it out to members of Wargame Developments next weekend.

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IMPORTANT: Please note that this is the ninth (and last) issue of THE NUGGET to be published for the 2025-2026 subscription year.

If you wish to subscribe for the 2025-2026 subscription year and have not yet done so, please request a PayPal invoice or the bank transfer information from the Treasurer or follow the instructions on the relevant page of the website.

Air-conditioning, Bank Holidays, half-term, decorating, and wargaming

One of the things that some Americans complain about when they visit the UK is the lack of air-conditioning. Now, for most of the year the UK never seems to get hot enough to warrant the wholesale use of air-conditioning (the average summer temperature reaches a maximum of 19°C/14°F in July) but every so often it does get hot, especially when the temperature exceeds the average by some margin.

For example, what has been described as a 'heat wave' hit our part of the UK last Friday, and by midday on Monday it was 30°C/85°F, By 2.00pm it was 33°C/91°F ... and the best thing that we could have done was to keep the curtains and blinds closed, switch on our tower fans, and do as little as possible. What made this more unusual that normal was the fact that last weekend was a Bank Holiday and this week is a school halft-term holiday ... both of which can usually be a guarantee of poor weather!

This would have normally resulted in most people – including Sue and I – just slowing down and trying to keep cool ... but we had already decided to redecorate our main bedroom and replace the furniture. Now, to do this, first we have to empty our spare bedroom (i.e. pack up all the clothes and pass the furniture onto Emmaus a charity that supports the homeless) so that we can then move everything from our main bedroom into it. In other words, the whole operation is a sort of 'Towers of Hanoi' puzzle.

Except for the furniture, everything that was in the spare bedroom has been crated up and moved upstairs to our former home office, with the inevitable overspill being stored in my toy/wargame room. The latter has therefore impacted on my ability to do any wargaming up there. Mind you, it's so hot in the room at present that I doubt that I could have done much in that room anyway! (The room is in our loft conversion and has both a black roof and enough insulation to keep it warm in cold weather ... which makes it very hot during the current 'heat wave'.)

The plan is to get everything back to normal by the middle of July, so until then, I'll probably be writing about the hobby rather than doing much actual wargaming ... unless – of course – I can come up with a cunning plan to bring my tabletop battles downstairs ...

Even more naval books!

After I had written my recent blog post about by collection of naval books, I felt sure that I had not included all the books on my shelves ... and then I found some more! These included:

• The Osprey-like EL CRUCERO REINA REGENTE Y SU HUNDIMIENTO EL 9 DE MARZO DE 1896 by Joaquín Gil Hondubilla.

• William Eugene Warner's WARSHIPS OF THE CHINCHA ISLAND WARW (1864-1866): SPAIN'S LAST IMPERIAL ADVENTURE and WARSHIPS AT THE BATTLE OF RIACHUELO.

• Four of Louis Davison's WATERLINE SHIPMODELOR'S PLANBOOK SERIES, including 1. UNITED STATES DESTROYERS. 2. UNITED STATES DESTROYERS, 3. UNITED STATES BATTLESHIPS, and 4. UNITED STATES MONITORS AND CONFEDERATE RAMS.

• Ing. Prasky's 1:100th-scale MODELLBAU-UND TYPENPLAN of the Austro-Hungarian river monitors MAROS & LEITHA and TEMES & BODROG.

• Five issues of the WARSHIP PROFILE series, 23. HMS FURIOUS AIRCRAFT CARRIER 1917-1948 PART 1: THE FIRST EIGHT YEARS (by Commander C A Jenkins OBE RN), 35. HMS EAGLE (by David Brown), 36. UNITED STATES MONITORS OF THE CIVIL WAR (by Commander William J Cracknell USN), 39. USS MISSISSIPPI (BB23)/GREEK KILKIS (by Karl Lautenschläger), and 40. HER NETHERLANDS MAJESTY'S SHIP DE RUYTER (by F C van Oosten).

• THE CHINESE STEAM NAVY 1862-1945 by Richard N J Wright.

The plan books are particularly useful, and I can imagine some of the people who took part in Fletcher Pratt's naval wargame using the ones in Louis Davidson's books to build their 1:600th-scale waterline models.

A missing comment on a recent blog post

I recently wrote review of the recently published WARSHIP 2026 annual. One of my regular blog readers – Toby Ewin – wrote a detailed comment about the article about the capture of SMS Magdeburg's naval code books ... that Blogger somehow deleted before I could approve it. He has now sent it to me again, and I have reproduced it below:

In connection with a posting you made a few days back about WARSHIP 2026. I drew your attention to Stephen McLaughlin's article about SMS Magdeburg and its famous codebook. I added (and have told Steve) that among the secret German documents which the Russians retrieved and shared with us, was the manuscript write-up of a 1913 German Navy wargame, conducted under the auspices of Germany's Torpedo Research Establishment (TVK). The write-up was the work of the game's umpire, Captain Julius Maerker, who lost his life in December 1914 when he was captain of SMS Gneisenau at the Battle of the Falkland Islands.

SMS Magdeburg.

Andy Boyd's epic book on British naval intelligence mentions that several of the captured German documents from Magdeburg were the subjects of Naval Intelligence reports from the Admiralty, but that he could not locate the report about the wargame. I too have not found the NID report, but – with help from the late great Australian naval historian James Goldrick - I have found the original document (at TNA, still in a file cover bearing the Cyrillic stamp of the Russian Naval General Staff).

In due course I hope to publish a translation of the German write-up; the game covers an encounter between German coastal forces and a more powerful British force, and there are similarities with the real-life First Battle of Heligoland Bight of August 1914.

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Toby Ewin is Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Laughton Naval History & Maritime Strategy Unit, King's College London. He has a particular interest in naval history before and during the First World War, especially the Black Sea conflict and Anglo-Russian naval relations. He is also doing extensive research into the use of wargaming by navies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and he has written comprehensively about his research. For example, THE ROYAL NAVY'S FIRST WARGAMES, 1900-1915 (MORS Journal of Wargaming) and his presentation at CONNECTIONS UK 2025.