After much sorting and shifting (and the odd rehoming), the hobby boxes are packed and in the truck
And the Hobby room is not even a shadow of its former morale building self |
Home for the next few years! |
After much sorting and shifting (and the odd rehoming), the hobby boxes are packed and in the truck
And the Hobby room is not even a shadow of its former morale building self |
Home for the next few years! |
HMAS Sydney, famous for her destruction of the raider SMS Emden in 1915 in the Indian Ocean, was in 1917 part of the home seas fleet under the command of her new Capitan, John S. Dumaresq. He went on to become a Rear Admiral and Command the Australian Fleet (https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P163)
"SYDNEY versus a Zeppelin" |
This action occurred on 4 May 1917 in the North Sea, and is described by the Official Historian as follows:
On the 3rd of May the Sydney, with the Dublin and four destroyers (Nepean, Obdurate, Pelican, and Pylades), left Rosyth for a sweep along certain cleared channels between the mouths of the Forth and the Humber; three destroyers in line abreast did the sweeping with their anti-submarine paravanes, the cruisers and the Obdurate (whose paravanes were out of order) following. About 10 a.m. on the 4th the southward sweep was completed, and the six ships turned north-north-west towards Rosyth at 18½ knots. Five minutes later a small vessel was sighted eastwards, and the Obdurate was sent to examine her. At 10.25 a.m. the Dublin observed a Zeppelin (afterwards ascertained to be L 43) about 17 miles away to the east, rapidly approaching the strange vessel; both cruisers promptly made for the enemy, opening fire on it at extreme range and ordering the three destroyers to cut their sweeps loose and follow in support. The Obdurate , meanwhile, had been attacked by a submarine just as she reached the suspected vessel, and at 10.30 sighted another about 1,000 yards away; she dropped two depth-charges near the first and one near the second, sighted the distant Zeppelin, and started independently in chase of it. As soon, however, as she got within four miles of it, it rose steeply and sheered off to the south-east.
The cruisers now had their turn. At 10.54 the Dublin saw the track of a torpedo passing ahead of her, at 11.12 a submarine, and at 11.15 another, which fired two torpedoes at her. At 11.20 she sighted a third, which she engaged with her guns and on which she dropped a depth-charge. [Captain J.S.] Dumaresq (who was in command of the whole British force) came to the conclusion that he was being deliberately led into a submarine-infested area; recalling his companions, he resumed his original course to the north-north-west , at the same time signalling to the Obdurate to board the suspect from which she had been lured away - "if there is any presumption whatever of connection with Zeppelin and submarines, you are to sink her and take back crew with you." Seeing the British ships in apparent retreat, the Zeppelin took heart and came after them. Dumaresq at once spread his ships, the cruisers maintaining their course, the Pylades making north-east to join the Obdurate, the Pelican and Nepean diverging south-west to get behind the airship, so that soon after noon it was technically "surrounded." At 12.10 the cruisers doubled back on their tracks, bringing the L 43 within 7,000 yards' range at an elevation variously described as 50º and 80º, and opened fire. This angered the Zeppelin into a direct attack: making for the stern of the Dublin, and rising hastily as it flew, it endeavoured to obtain a position vertically above the cruiser in order to drop bombs on her - an attempt which was foiled by the Dublin's hurried swerve to starboard. The Zeppelin thereupon flew above the Obdurate (which had completed her examination of the suspected vessel) and from a height of about 20,000 feet dropped three bombs within 30 feet of her, splinters coming aboard; 20 minutes later it flew above the Sydney and dropped 10 or 12 bombs , six of them in two salvoes; then, the Sydney having used up all her anti-aircraft ammunition and the L 43 all its bombs, "the combatants," to quote an officer who was in the fight, "parted on good terms." During the latter part of the fight L 43 used its wireless vigorously, and a little before 1 p.m. another Zeppelin was seen far off in the north-east, but by 1.10 both had disappeared eastwards.
This fight well illustrates the defects of the Zeppelin as an instrument of aggression. Airships can rise quickly and fly fast, but, compared with cruisers and destroyers, are slow in lateral steering; their plan of attack, therefore, when once an enemy ship is sighted, is to fly high out of range while observing her course and speed, and then, manoeuvring into a position well astern of her, to catch her up and bomb her while flying directly above. Obviously the vertical height should not be too great, or bombing becomes a matter of chance. The attacked ship has two main defences - sudden alterations of course, especially when the airship is just about to get into bombing position, and steady anti-aircraft fire, which, though it has little chance of inflicting actual damage, compels the airship to keep to a great height. Dumaresq's method of fighting the Sydney was in accordance with these principles. In his report of the 5th of May he says:
During the latter part of the action the Sydney manoeuvred to prevent L 43 from coming up astern, by keeping her on or before the beam, turning often, whereby L 43 was obliged to drop her bombs while crossing Sydney's track ... The gunnery officers of Sydney and Dublin made very good shooting with the H.A. guns, thereby keeping the airship at such a height as to make her bomb-dropping inaccurate."
The action was also described by a member of Sydney's ships company, Leading Signalman J.W. Seabrook:
On Thursday, 3 May, 1917, H.M.A.S. Sydney, H.M.S. Dublin and eight destroyers under the leadership of Captain Dumaresq, left Rosyth with orders to sweep "L" Channel, which was approximately 120 miles long. On this occasion, also, as the ship passed under the Forth Bridge there was no train on the bridge, and the word soon went round - "What's going to happen?"
Nothing of any note occurred until 10.28 a.m. on Friday, 4 May, when H.M.S. Dublin reported having been fired at by a submarine, the torpedo missing astern. The destroyer Obdurate next reported a submarine, and the Sydney and Obdurate steamed over the spot and let go depth charges. At 10.30 a.m. the signalman of the watch on board H.M.A.S. Sydney reported "Zeppelin right ahead, sir."
A Zeppelin, which we subsequently learned was the L 43, had been sighted. Captain Dumaresq immediately ordered full steam (25 knots), and his plan of action was as follows: to rush at the Zeppelin and fire a 6-inch gun, with the object of making the Zeppelin engage the Sydney. Immediately the Zeppelin was sighted Captain Dumaresq thought that it was working in conjunction with U-boats, the Zeppelin doing the scouting and the U-boats the sinking of British merchantmen. With this thought in mind the captain of the Sydney did not intend to rush in too far. It seemed obvious that the Sydney sighted the Zepp. first, because, on the Sydney's 6-inch projectile landing in the water, the Zeppelin stuck its nose up and tail down and rose rapidly. Here I may explain that the Germans claimed that their Zeppelins could rise at a speed of 500 feet per 30 seconds. The Zeppelin continued to rise and turned away, either because she did not want to fight or else to draw the Sydney on in order to get her to steam over the position on the water that the Zeppelin had been manoeuvring, which was thought to be a submarine nest or rendezvous.
If such was the game, it failed, because as soon as Captain Dumaresq thought he saw the Hun manoeuvre he turned and ran away from the Zeppelin. As soon as the Zepp. saw this move it turned round and chased the Sydney, which was exactly what that good ship wanted. Just before the Zeppelin overtook the Sydney, Captain Dumaresq ordered "open fire" with the anti-aircraft gun. The shots from the Sydney went as straight as a gun barrel for the Zepp. amidships, leaving a thin trail of smoke in their wake, and appeared to anxious eyes on the deck of the Sydney to reach their culminating point not many feet below the undercarriage of this mighty Zepp. Groans went up when it was realised that the Zepp. could have it all its own way by keeping outside the Sydney's anti-aircraft vertical range of 21,000 feet and take its time in letting go whatever bombs it had on board. Captain Dumaresq recognised this point, and tried just one more ruse to "kid" the Hun to come a little lower. He ordered all ships to "scatter."
German Zeppelin flying over H.M.A.S. Sydney in the North Sea. |
The manoeuvre "to scatter" is used for several reasons, but had never before been used for Captain Dumaresq's reason. On the order "scatter" all ships turned away from the Sydney and, selecting a point on the horizon, set their various courses and steamed outwards at full speed. The result of this was that the Zepp. and the Sydney were left to it, and the remaining ships were in a complete circle around them but steaming away. Captain Dumaresq hoped that, when the Sydney ordered the remaining ships apparently to run away, the Zepp. would close down on the Sydney in order to have a good shot at her with some heavy bombs. As soon as the Zepp. commenced to come down, the Sydney hoisted the "recall" to all ships and to "open fire." The result of these signals was that the Zepp. was the centre at which shells from one light cruiser and eight destroyers were coming, the height of the Zepp. being at one time 14,000 feet. She immediately rose to a safer height, and then began to act. Her first bomb of 250 pounds missed, off the Sydney's port bow. The second missed, also off the port bow but nearer. The Sydney altered course and steamed over where the second bomb fell. The third bomb missed and dropped off the starboard bow. The Sydney straightened her course. The Zepp. then let go three bombs in "rapid fire" which straddled the Sydney, two dropping to starboard and one to port. Had the Sydney repeated her manoeuvre of steaming over where the last bomb fell, I would not be able to finish this story.
The Sydney next altered course to starboard, this time over where the nearer of the last two bombs to starboard fell. The Zepp. let go two more bombs "rapid fire", missing with both (off the port bow) and causing Captain Dumaresq to say "You can't drop two in one place, old chap." The Sydney again steamed over the point where the nearer of the last two bombs had dropped, and the Zepp. again let go a "rapid fire" of yet two more bombs, which duly missed - off the starboard. After the Zepp. had let go her third bomb, the destroyer Obdurate joined up with the Sydney and asked for orders. Captain Dumaresq replied: "Follow me round." Then, with his back up against the bridge screen, his feet on the base of the compass, and intensely watching the Zepp., he remarked, "This fellow is doing some good shooting, but he won't damn well hit us." The signalmen of the Sydney had huge grins all over their faces, because they thought the little destroyer was absolutely bound to get all the "overs" - that is to say, those bombs that missed the Sydney by dropping astern. However, good fortune or the God of Justice or the Sydney's manoeuvring favoured the little Obdurate, because all she got were two punctures in her funnels and no one wounded.
While the Zeppelin was bombing the Sydney, the Commander of Sydney was driving would-be spectators down a hatchway under cover. At the same time others were pouring up another hatchway to see all the fun.
"The German Zeppelin L43, photographed by Able Seaman G Leahy, who lay on his back while HMAS Sydney was being bombed by 10 bombs each weighing 250 pounds." |
The Sydney, Dublin and destroyers now finished the interrupted work of sweeping "L" Channel, and returned to Rosyth. To show how monotonous the members of the Sydney's ship's company considered life in the North Sea, I will relate an incident which happened about four days after this action. On return to harbour, four hours' leave was given. A certain stoker who failed to return on board was arrested three days later, and was brought before Captain Dumaresq on a charge of desertion. When asked what he had to say, he answered, "I'm fed up sir. Nothing ever happens." Captain Dumaresq said: "Nothing ever happens! Why you just had a fight with a Zeppelin; isn't that something happening?" The stoker replied in a most lugubrious voice, "Not one of 'em hit us, sir."
click for larger version |
Her Commander from commissioning was Käpitanleutnant Hermann Kraushaar. He was a veteran Luftshiff officer, having previously served in L6, L9 and L17
https://www.zeppelin-museum.dk/main.php?page=base&sub=crew&id=kraushaar&lang=en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Kraushaar
L43 conducted 6 reconnaissance missions and one attack on English docks, dropping 1,850 kg (4,080 lb) of bombs.
In the month following the action with HMAS Sydney, L43 was shot down while engaged on another reconnaissance mission over the North Sea U-boat routes. On 14 June 17, she was caught at the low altitude of 1,500 feet off Vlieland (Friesland, Holland) by Royal Navy Curtis H-12b Flying Boat No8677, flying out of Royal Naval Air Station Felixstowe. L43 was shot down and all German Navy crewmen, including CO Käpitanleutnant Hermann Kraushaar, were Killed in Action.
"This morning around 0840, while patrolling off Vieland, an H12 (8677), spotted a Zeppelin five miles away at a similar altitude. This was the L43. The pilot Flight Sub-Lieutenant Basil Deacon Hobbs, climbed another 500 feet and then dived to attack. Flight Sub-Lieutenant Robert Frederick Lea Dickey manned the bow Lewis gun, and the wireless operator, H. M. Davies, and the engineer, A. W. Goody, manned the amid- ships and stern guns. The flying-boat passed diagonally across the tail of the Zeppelin, and, after a burst of tracer ammunition from the Lewis gun amidships, followed by Brock and Pomeroy incendiary ammunition from the bow gun, the L.43 caught fire. It then broke in two and crashed into the sea. The entire crew were killed."
Another account states:
"On the night of 13/14 June 1917, Kraushaar set off on his last voyage in the Zeppelin L 43. On 14 June at 5:36 a.m. he reported that he had reached the lightship off the island of Terschelling. A short time earlier, at 6:15 a.m., the English Lieutenant Basil Hobbs took off from Felixstowe in a Curtiss H-12 seaplane. The gunner sub-lieutenant was Robert Dickey, the radio operator H. M. Davies and the engineer A. W. Goody. When they reached Vlieland at 8:40 a.m., they were flying at 500 ft (150 m). They discovered the Zeppelin L 43 flying north at 1,500 ft (460 m), which took them under fire with tracer ammunition. As they passed the stern, Dickey fired the Lewis machine gun loaded with Brock-and-Pomeroy ammunition, into the hull of the Zeppelin. After two hits, the Zeppelin exploded; Kraushaar and his 23-man crew were killed."
Source: Guttman, Jon (2018). Zeppelin vs British Home Defence 1915–18, p 90.
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Pics from the Australian War Memorial website here: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C174886
Read more about the history of HMAS SYDNEY (I) here: https://seapower.navy.gov.au/hmas-sydney-i and here: http://www.enjoyed.today/HMAS_Sydney_(1912)/
This weekend, Slowpainter John hosted our Sydney Odinians club members for a festive game of Silver Bayonet in the Caribbean. For reasons that will become obvious later, the game was Tropically based as a farewell to one of our club regulars moving overseas shortly.
The brave (and allegedly unhinged) explorers of M'popo island! |
Two crews were pitted again one another: intrepid British Privateers under an authoritative Letter of Marque, and upstart French Pirates under the command of Capitaine Camembert! Each was in search of the famous Golden Pineapple, which legend said was last seen on the curiously pineappled shaped island of M'popo!
Capitaine Camembert leads the French charge ashore against the undead sailors on the beach |
A Highwayman, Squidface and Spack Jarrow run ashore |
While poor Izzy got stuck in a Spectral conversation |
The game was (very) loosely based on Scenario 8: Loup Garoup Surprise, with a bit of everything thrown in. Was great to see all the figures John has been painting over the last few months make an appearance on the table!
"This statue is the dog's bollocks" cried British Captain Lachy |
..and was then assaulted by undead dogs in said bollocks region of the statue! |
"Lets go that way!" cried Midshipman Marty! |
...as the Undead Werewolf leapt out of hiding to greet him! |
Meanwhile Giant Scorpions (in Spider Riding Goblin fancy dress costume) assailed me midway down the island! |
Wonderful to see so many Odinians able to make it and have some fun! Big Kudos and thanks to our hosts for the day: Lord John of M'popo and his ever-better half, Mistress Robyn of the elusive Golden Pineapple!
Lord John of Spam-a-lot! |
An update from the northern realms, where the Blood Bowl League has complete its first Season of 11 games. All teams started fresh from the box with a million gps. This is how the Coach Reilly's Vampire team went:
Game 1 vs Snotlings TIE 1-1
Game 2 vs Chaos WIN 3-nil
Game 3 vs Orcs WIN 1-nil
Game 4 vs Chaos Pact WIN 3-nil
Game 5 vs Halflings DRAW 2-2
Game 6 vs Mummies DRAW 1-1
Game 7 vs Khorne DRAW 1-1
Game 8 vs Black Orcs DRAW 1-1
Game 9 vs Underworld WIN 3-1
Game 10 vs Gnomes WIN 6-nil - breaking the League record for most TDs in a single game!
Game 11 BYE (counts as a draw)
Overall 5 Wins, 6 Draws and a very sweet number of TDs scored.
Throughout the first Season the Vamps stayed in the top 4, creeping upwards slowly so after 9 rounds they sit proud at the top (but likely to slip to a most respectable second when the Orc team plays their last game and are odds on to win) and the only team that is unbeaten.
The Vamps are now fielding 3 of the 5 leading TD scorers in the League:
And the top passer in the League - "Air Vamps"??? :-) For a guy who doesn't like elves, Coach Reilly seems to be taking a lot of moves from the Elf playbook! :-)
Vamp team now boasts these key players:
Baron Gregor von Klaus (Blitzer) Blodge, Tackle, Mighty Blow and Juggernaught! (frequent scorer and headhunter)
Count Edgar Dietrich III (Thrower) with Block, Cannoneer ( For throwing the ball)
Vicount Freidrich Freydenburg V (Thrower) with Blodge, Leader (for running the ball)
Here's what the team roster looks like at the end of the Round:
With one of the teams dropping out, there will now be another full round with each opponent. Some teams are now getting very developed and sitting a swedge of cash to buy special play cards and all the shenanigans they bring!
*BRRZZZTTT- News from 'the Warden of the North' as ' Coach Right Stuff ' plays his fifth Blood Bowl League game with Vampire team, the Mighty Jundheim Jugulars, against Halfling team "The Chode Pirates":*
The Haflings hosted this game at their stadium hidden amongst the ports in the Border Princes, and the Coastal weather made the Vampires all the more uneasy with all the sunlight and life in the stadium as opposed to the cosy dark manor they call home. The coin is tossed and yet again the Vamps are losing said toss and kicking to their opposition. The vampire staff were smart enough to think ahead and pay some petty cash for a Budweiser Keg to help any knocked out thralls get back out there. The Halfling staff were just as busy as they set up their food stand of massive salty pretzels and rum in an attempt to distract the remaining vampire coaching staff. Hah! Vampires can't be lured by such mortal vices such as regular human food! right? guys? aaaand there they all go. (The Halfling Chef stole all 3 Vampire team re-rolls).
After setting up for the start of the game, Piotr is handed a rather juicy looking BLT instead of a ball to kick to the halflings. Not wanting to cause a fuss for his glorious vampire overlords, he kicks it anyway and we start the first drive with the Stacked Lunch Ball.
The rules for the Stacked Lunch Ball are as follows:
- Five Second Rule: Both teams get +1 to pick up the ball
- Lunchbox Jealousy: The kicking team gains the Strip Ball skill for the drive
- Mid Game Snack: When a player scores with the Stacked Lunch Ball, they need to pass a 2+ test in order to avoid eating the sandwich ball. If they do, they soon keel over with a tummy ache and that player misses the next drive.
The game begins with the smackdown laid down by the massive wall of Treemen |
Baron Von Kraus employs his new Tackling skills to lay a return smackdown onto the ball carrier! |
Unfortunately for the Halflings, the trees are too tied up by poor thrall sacrifices or are too busy standing up to help the new ball carrier get to a safer spot on the pitch. The Vamps take the chance and spill the ball again. Count Edgar manages to snap it up and bolt it up the pitch to the now open Viscount Freidrich, who takes a thrall escort and makes a run for it. The halflings tried but couldnt catch up with enough bodies to make it matter, and after dodging the weaponised throwing of a downed halfling as a desperate last attempt to knock him over, The Viscount Freidrich Freudenburg V scores the first TD of the game on turn 6 of the first half!
Viscount Freudenburg V makes a break for it down the left sideline! |
Luckily he didn't feel too peckish and left the sandwhich ball alone. The referees however couldnt resist the snack and took it for themselves, replacing it with a league regulation ball for the rest of the game.
The celebration was short lived however, as despite the employment the "Picket Fence Formation" (which is entirely made up of lining up across the pitch a couple rows short of the end zone), the Halflings simply lobbed #6 "Yurp" to run in a one turn touchdown.
Eager to punish them for allowing them time to try and score, the Vamps line up an aggressive offense and prepare for "Air-Vamps" to take back the lead. Unfortunately for them, failing all 5 bloodlusts in one turn swiftly put a stop to that. To really drive home the point, Deeproot MNG'd #13 Vasyl, and Treeman "Ship-Wreck" Kills #11 Demetrius! For the folks counting along at home, this does keep the count for the season so far to 1 dead thrall per game(I'm suprised the Vampire nobles even name them at this point).
Half Time: 1-1.
Second half kicks off which the vamps head coach a bit nervous as he realises that no matter what, the halfling coach will have a chance to one turn touchdown again at the end of this half,. Even if the vamps score on their last turn. Respecting this, the vamps go for a hyper aggresive approach to this half, in hopes of scoring once early and then either shutting down the slower paced halfling offence or having enough time to score again after another one turn touchdown.
The rest of the Vampire coaching staff is left in food comas after feasting on all the goods the Halfling chef had to offer. (The chef takes all 3 rerolls again).
The Vamps attempt to push up hard along the left flank, and feed the runner, Lady Striga Drachenfeld down the right flank in an attempt to make them split the slow team in half and not having enough bodies to deal with both threats. Naturally, they fail 3 bloodlusts in the process and lose several thralls to casualties and knockouts. This results in a half baked protective bubble that any faster team could comfortably break open or stop from moving forward at all.
The vulnerable offensive attempt of the Vampires after they've snacked on nearly the entire rest of the team |
Luckily for the vamps they are versing halflings and the massed 5 MA and several 2 MA pieces allow for such vulnerabilites to go unpunished. The pint-sized pirates do their best to put tackle zones in the way and try their best to get the trees to a relevant part of the pitch, but luckily its not quite enough. The Duke von Dragoslav(Vargheist) gets knocked out while keeping the Treemen busy and tied up, and Lady Striga occupies 3 halflings to herself which significantly aids the already dwindling numbers on the vampire side be on equal footing on the other side of the pitch. The bubble manages to move forward and away from the 'flings and up the pitch but takes a turn or two to do so due to a record number of failed hypnotic gazes, and losing more thralls on the way between the Treemen and the incredible number of failed blood lusts per turn.
Lady Drachenfeld is nearly killed when the halflings marking her manage to get her down and gutter-stomp her into the casualty box. In order to be safe, the Apothecary dives into action just in case the natural regeneration abilities of the Vampire isn't enough. Thank god a good apothecary was hired because he managed to reduce the injury into a Badly Hurt result when the regeneration failed to kick in. The halflings on that side of the pitch are happy with their work, but arent fast enough to make it across the pitch in time as Viscount Freidrich Freudenburg V runs in the ball for the teams second touchdown for the game on Turn 7 of the second half.The dwindling numbers of the Vampire team manages to break away and score the 2nd touchdown for the game, despite the numbers disadvantage. |
The score at full time surrounded by what was left of the team at full time. |
Got some hobby supplies sent up from the Canberra Strategic Reserve, including a few games. Amongst them was this gem by GMT Games in 1992: Thunderbolt Apache Leader.
Comrade James introduced me to this in 1994 when it was only a few years old, and I got my own copy at the time. It was my first of many GMT games and that we played together, but I always loved how immersive and narrative TAH is. We played a particularly good set of campaigns together while at sea in 2007 but sadly the war diaries have been lost.
Contents are all still in great condition! |
TAH has since spawned a whole array of games in the Leader series. The Game's designer Dan Versson left GMT Games, started his own games company (DVG) and released a revised version of TAH a decade or so ago, taking the game's mechanics in a different direction.