Red Sea Game 4.

The Last Fight.

With Bulöw struggling after boiler damage her speed is too low to evade the pursuing British heavy cruisers, Leopard and Couragous.

The Battleship Empress, much slower is pushing her own boilers to catch up but will require an EDNA roll to appear on the table edge.

I'm using Admiralty_Chart_No_8a The_Red_Sea
Published_late 19th century

Bulöw
Scharnhorst-class armored cruiser

Displacement. 12,985 t (12,780 long tons). Length. 144.6 m (474 ft 5 in). Beam. 21.6 m (70 ft 10 in). Draft. 8.37 m (27 ft 6 in)

Installed power. 18 × water-tube boilers. 26,000 metric horsepower (19,000 kW)
Propulsion. 3 × triple-expansion steam engines.  3 × screw propellers
Speed.  22.5 knots (42 km/h; 26 mph)
Range. 4,800 nmi (8,900 km; 5,500 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Crew. 52 officers. 788 enlisted men
Armament. 8 × 21 cm (8.3 in) guns
6 × 15 cm (5.9 in) gun.  18 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) gun.  4 × 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes
Armor. Belt: 8 to 15 cm (3.1 to 5.9 in). Turrets: 17 cm (6.7 in). Deck: 3.5 to 6 cm (1.4 to 2.4 in)  Casemates: 13 cm (5.1 in)

Hamlin
Königsberg-class light cruiser
Displacement. Normal: 3,469 t  Full load: 3,902 t 
Length. 116.8 m (383 ft). Beam. 13.3 m (44 ft). Draft. 5.24 m (17.2 ft)
Installed power. 13,200 PS (9,700 kW). 11 × water-tube boilers
Propulsion. 2 × screw propellers. 2 × triple-expansion engines
Speed. 23.4 knots (43.3 km/h)
Complement. 14 Officers. 308 Enlisted men
Armament. 10 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/40 guns. 8 × 5.2 cm (2 in) SK guns. 2 × 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes
Armor. Deck: 80 mm (3.1 in). Conning tower: 100 mm (3.9 in)

German Admiral Maximilian Von Spittle

Kapitain Ernst Von Groüser of the Bulöw

Kapitain Pieter Pied of the Hamlin

The commerce raider Sigismund, a former liner armed with 4 inch guns.

2 colliers working under false flags.

September 9th 1914

Flagship, Admiral Sir Portly Proudpole
HMS Empress (Fictional)
Type: Pre-Dreadnought Battleship
Displacement: 14,500 tons
Armament: 4 x 12-inch guns, 12 x 6-inch guns, 8 x 12-pounder guns
Speed: 18 knots
Armor: 10-inch belt armor, 8-inch turret armor
Crew: 700
Description:
The HMS Empress is a fictional pre-dreadnought battleship built in the late 1890s, serving as a reliable but slightly outdated member of the British fleet by 1914. It has the distinct feature of being a "hybrid" ship that blends the older pre-dreadnought concepts with more modern updates, making it an effective addition to the squadron despite being outclassed by newer dreadnought battleships.

HMS Leopard (Fictional)
Type: Armored Cruiser
Displacement: 14,000 tons
Armament: 8 x 9.2-inch guns, 12 x 6-inch secondary guns
Speed: 22 knots
Armor: 9-inch belt armor
Crew: 750
Description: A powerful armored cruiser, the Leopard is designed to hunt down raiders and engage enemy criuisers. Its heavy 9.2-inch guns make it a formidable force in fleet actions, while its speed allows it to keep up with faster ships. The Leopard serves as a crucial secondary vessel in the squadron, supporting the flagship and scouting for enemy ships.

HMS Courageous (Fictional)
Type: Heavy Cruiser
Displacement: 7,500 tons
Armament: 6 x 7.5-inch guns, 8 x 4-inch guns
Speed: 26 knots
Armor: 6-inch belt armor
Crew: 550
Description: The Courageous is a fast, heavily armed cruiser designed for reconnaissance and acting as a fleet's "screen" to detect enemy movements. Its role at Coronel is to identify enemy positions and act as an intercept ship against any smaller German vessels.

HMS Falcon (Fictional)
Type: Light Cruiser
Displacement: 4,000 tons
Armament: 10 x 6-inch guns, of which 6 are operational.

Speed: 27 knots

Armor: 4-inch belt armor
Crew: 450
Description: A nimble light cruiser, the Vanguard is tasked with scouting, reconnaissance, and providing light support fire in engagements.  

The Game

Courageous and Leopard join Falcon.  They are overhauling the Germans because of Bulöws boiler damage.

The Germans turn, bringing their main Armament to bear.

The BB. HMS Empress waiting in the wings.

The British heavy cruisers turn adjacent, but are straddled.

The German salvos are ineffective.

It's at Medium range now.  The Germans struggle to hit.

But Courageous scores.  Boilers on Bulöw again.  Her speed drops to less than five knots.  Things are getting critical.  Leopard knots out a turret on Hamlin.

The Heavy Cruisers stop Bulöw in her tracks and she goes down by the stern.

HMS Empress comes on table.

Falcon captures the German collier.

Hamlin circles back and makes full steam southwards.  The British heavy cruisers are too slow to catch up.  With Falcon off capturing a merchantman only the Battleship can hit Hamlin.  Its a single dice roll and Empress scores double one! 

The odds were poor but a double one!  Empress gunners need more training!

Hamlin races south making smoke.

And Empress shows her age.  Having overextended her boilers I roll a damage check and discover she is now crippled.  Looks like Hamlin escapes.

1914 Red Sea Game 3

The Rendezvous off Shaka Island

A fictional 1914 mini campaign.  The German Heavy Cruise Bülow and it's light cruiser companion Hamlin, have been shadowed travelling north towards the Red Sea.  A British pursuit force under Rear Admiral Sir Portly Proudpole initially diverted to the north east believing that the Germans were heading to Mesopotamia to disrupt Imperial operations against the Turks.  

It is now known that the Germans headed into the Red Sea, perhaps to strike at the Suez Canal.  British cruisers are now in pursuit from the south.

I'm using Admiralty_Chart_No_8a The_Red_Sea
Published_late 19th century.

The central Red Sea

The Bulōw and Hamlin, two German cruisers have fled into the Red sea to avoid a British squadron in pursuit.  

Bulöw (fictional)
Scharnhorst-class armored cruiser
Displacement. 12,985 t (12,780 long tons). Length. 144.6 m (474 ft 5 in). Beam. 21.6 m (70 ft 10 in). Draft. 8.37 m (27 ft 6 in)
Installed power. 18 × water-tube boilers. 26,000 metric horsepower (19,000 kW)
Propulsion. 3 × triple-expansion steam engines.  3 × screw propellers
Speed.  22.5 knots (42 km/h; 26 mph)
Range. 4,800 nmi (8,900 km; 5,500 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Crew. 52 officers. 788 enlisted men
Armament. 8 × 21 cm (8.3 in) guns
6 × 15 cm (5.9 in) gun.  18 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) gun.  4 × 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes
Armor. Belt: 8 to 15 cm (3.1 to 5.9 in). Turrets: 17 cm (6.7 in). Deck: 3.5 to 6 cm (1.4 to 2.4 in)  Casemates: 13 cm (5.1 in)

Hamlin (fictional)
Königsberg-class light cruiser
Displacement. Normal: 3,469 t  Full load: 3,902 t 
Length. 116.8 m (383 ft). Beam. 13.3 m (44 ft). Draft. 5.24 m (17.2 ft)
Installed power. 13,200 PS (9,700 kW). 11 × water-tube boilers
Propulsion. 2 × screw propellers. 2 × triple-expansion engines
Speed. 23.4 knots (43.3 km/h)
Complement. 14 Officers. 308 Enlisted men
Armament. 10 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK L/40 guns. 8 × 5.2 cm (2 in) SK guns. 2 × 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes
Armor. Deck: 80 mm (3.1 in). Conning tower: 100 mm (3.9 in)

German Admiral Maximilian Von Spittle

Kapitain Ernst Von Groüser of the Bulöw

Kapitain Pieter Pied of the Hamlin

The commerce raider Sigismund, a former liner armed with 4 inch guns.

2 colliers working under false flags.

The Rendezvous at Shaka Island

The Game

Hamlin is resupplying from a collier.  Both German vessels at anchor.

HMS Falcon (played by Bristol in this game) finds the German cruisers.  Falcon is well armed but no match for both Germans.  An action dice is rolled and her Captain decides to run past the Germans and attempt to force them out.

HMS Falcon (Fictional)
Type: Light Cruiser 
Displacement: 5,500 tons
Armament: 10 x 6-inch guns
Speed: 25 knots
Armor: 4-inch belt armor
Crew: 450
Description: Falcon is a light cruiser equipped with a powerful array of 6-inch guns for engaging enemy destroyers, cruisers, and light ships. 

Falcon works up to full speed.  Her advantage is a few knots more than the enemy.  She is of an older pre torpedo type but has ten six inch guns, and a reasonable armour belt.

Falcon sweeps closer to get a better look, but Bulōw's  8 inch guns will soon be in range.

Falcon gets just a little too close

Bulöw lands a critical.  Falcon loses two turrets!  Her speed is unaffected.

Falcon shoots at extreme range with her rear turrets as she turns away.   No hits

A long shot emphasising that Falcon is running south.

Falcon gives the Germans a lot of distance.  Missing two turrets she resumes her shadowing role.  The rest of the Squadron is closing in on the Germans.