Battle of the Nile (Battle of Aboukir Bay), 1-3 August, 1798 Scenario

[Walram]

Fantastic write up! I enjoyed reading all three parts. Thank you one and all for this.

Will this become an annual event or will you move on to another fleet battle?

Thanks again!

Didn't even think about that! I think after 5 1/2 hours of game play we were pretty tired. (Well, I was anyway!)

It wouldn't be hard to do. The works all done: the ship log/mats, identity flags, layout map, etc. all nicely put up in a binder!

I'll bring it up at the end of month gaming session and see if there is interest. Fred, are you up to it? [BTW your son is quite a gamer - If you come AND bring him - I'll schedule it that he gets his own ships.]

And, until next year, I'm not sure what my next project will be. Suggestions?

[fredmiracle]

Fred, are you up to it? [BTW your son is quite a gamer - If you come AND bring him - I'll schedule it that he gets his own ships.]

If we're in town I'm sure we would play it again. Owen had a great time--I probably should have pushed him harder to take one of my ships from the beginning, but he thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Now he's wanting us to play first Algeciras, in the style of the Nile event. We may give it a try, but I'm also trying to communicate to him just how much work went into making the Nile game such a special and well-oiled event. It was great for us, who could just show up and enjoy the fruits of your labors

[Nightmoss]

Didn't even think about that! I think after 5 1/2 hours of game play we were pretty tired. (Well, I was anyway!)

It wouldn't be hard to do. The works all done: the ship log/mats, identity flags, layout map, etc. all nicely put up in a binder!

I'll bring it up at the end of month gaming session and see if there is interest. Fred, are you up to it? [BTW your son is quite a gamer - If you come AND bring him - I'll schedule it that he gets his own ships.]

And, until next year, I'm not sure what my next project will be. Suggestions?

Glorious First of June when you get some free time?! j/k Probably not a battle that could be done easily with SoG ships.

[Walram]

Glorious First of June when you get some free time?! j/k Probably not a battle that could be done easily with SoG ships.

I believe it could be done but gathering enough ships would be a problem. My quick estimate has the Suggested Retail Price for both fleets would probably be a little over $2,000.00 U.S. Nothing anytime soon on my gaming budget! (I actually would enjoy the challenge of setting it up - but like I said, that's a lot of ships!)

Copenhagen would definitely be doable. Similar but with some interesting twists to the Nile scenario just finished.

[fredmiracle]

I believe it could be done but gathering enough ships would be a problem. My quick estimate has the Suggested Retail Price for both fleets would probably be a little over $2,000.00 U.S. Nothing anytime soon on my gaming budget! (I actually would enjoy the challenge of setting it up - but like I said, that's a lot of ships!)

I could help out a good bit on the ships. But then there's also the issue of space and time. It would probably call for a considerably wider gaming space, and at least a couple of full days to play (?).

[Walram]

I could help out a good bit on the ships. But then there's also the issue of space and time. It would probably call for a considerably wider gaming space, and at least a couple of full days to play (?).

Let me mull it over. If I remember correctly, the "Glorious First of June" was the largest naval battle in the French Revolution/Napoleonic wars. It would be a challenge, but that could be fun to work up - i.e. go through it to see what is required (personnel as well as ships), see what assets are available, and figure the best way to handle something that large. But I really do believe it can be completed in a day (already thinking of a few ways to manage it!)

[Walram]

Glorious First of June when you get some free time?! j/k Probably not a battle that could be done easily with SoG ships.

Here Fishy, Fishy!

As I said to Fredmiracle when asking for assistance, “Nightmoss was trolling and I'm starting to play with the bait! Looking for other fish to help, (that's a BIG piece of bait!)” I do love a challenge!

I'm doing some preliminary checking on the possibility of running a "Glorious First of June" or “3rd Ushant” scenario. It looks as though we are very close to having enough ships to run it (like I needed an excuse to buy a few more 74s!) However, it will be a few weeks before our group here can get together to discuss and do a few tests.

I’d be looking to do it around the 1st of June, (of course!), maybe the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Based on the Nile scenario, my guess is that we will need about 7 to 9 play mats. Once I have a firmer idea on the table size requirements, I will start looking for a venue to host it.

Got a few other ideas percolating, but I’ll save talking about them until after our group has done a bit of work on them.

So far, besides Fredmiracle and Aprilbook acting as sounding boards and volunteering to assist, Diamondback is also in the process of helping me with some of the base statistics. If we need any other assistance, besides having more folks to play it of course, I’ll be sure to ask first on this site.

Isn’t there a saying something about “It takes a village ...”? Hope the ending wasn’t “to create the village idiot!”

[fredmiracle]

It wouldn't be hard to do. The works all done: the ship log/mats, identity flags, layout map, etc. all nicely put up in a binder!

I'll bring it up at the end of month gaming session and see if there is interest

Dave, one possibility to add some freshness would be a what-if variant--for example, what if the French had springs, as well as chains between ships. And/or what if Villeneuve's ships were ordered to beat upwind and help the center division. That should change the dynamics quite a bit without a lot of new work.

[csadn]

Dave, one possibility to add some freshness would be a what-if variant--for example, what if the French had springs, as well as chains between ships. And/or what if Villeneuve's ships were ordered to beat upwind and help the center division. That should change the dynamics quite a bit without a lot of new work.

[shrug] For that matter: Let the French start moving as soon as the British arrive (the French are aware of the transitory and ridiculous position they're in, and decide to get out soonest).

[fredmiracle]

[shrug] For that matter: Let the French start moving as soon as the British arrive (the French are aware of the transitory and ridiculous position they're in, and decide to get out soonest).

Yes, one of the players suggested we replay it the next week with all the French free to maneuver at will from the beginning.

As a practical matter, the reason I would hesitate to go that far (and this is a bit of a gut check for someone wanting to replay battles like the Glorious First or Trafalgar) is that the complexity would go way way up. You'd need a full roster of French players for one thing. Playing the turns would be a lot slower, with the much higher probability of frequent collisions, etc. Also you'd have more time eaten up in planning/signalling/conferring, since the situation would be more fluid. Not that it couldn't be done, but it would be a radically different game with tougher challenges. Even the "Villeneuve option" of allowing only a few French ships to move (and later in the battle) might be too much to bite off, but at least it would be far more manageable.

Another justification for limiting the French mobility is to reduce the scope of the hypotheticals involved. As far as I know, the question of, roughly, "did Villeneuve screw up, and if so what would have happened if he had acted more boldly?" has been a rich subject of historical debate and second guessing. Therefore it seems a promising topic to explore.

The broader "what if" of what might have happened if Brueys had been prepared for Nelson and engaged in a mobile action (in deep water?) is of course interesting too, but sufficiently open ended and hypothetical that I've actually not seen it raised as often in my limited reading...

[Nightmoss]

Yes, one of the players suggested we replay it the next week with all the French free to maneuver at will from the beginning.

As a practical matter, the reason I would hesitate to go that far (and this is a bit of a gut check for someone wanting to replay battles like the Glorious First or Trafalgar) is that the complexity would go way way up. You'd need a full roster of French players for one thing. Playing the turns would be a lot slower, with the much higher probability of frequent collisions, etc. Also you'd have more time eaten up in planning/signalling/conferring, since the situation would be more fluid. Not that it couldn't be done, but it would be a radically different game with tougher challenges. Even the "Villeneuve option" of allowing only a few French ships to move (and later in the battle) might be too much to bite off, but at least it would be far more manageable.

Another justification for limiting the French mobility is to reduce the scope of the hypotheticals involved. As far as I know, the question of, roughly, "did Villeneuve screw up, and if so what would have happened if he had acted more boldly?" has been a rich subject of historical debate and second guessing. Therefore it seems a promising topic to explore.

The broader "what if" of what might have happened if Brueys had been prepared for Nelson and engaged in a mobile action (in deep water?) is of course interesting too, but sufficiently open ended and hypothetical that I've actually not seen it raised as often in my limited reading...

Haven't I read somewhere that if the French had anchored correctly the British would not have been able to play it out as they did? I really can't recall the source or whether anchoring closer to land would have made any difference or not?

[Walram]

Haven't I read somewhere that if the French had anchored correctly the British would not have been able to play it out as they did? I really can't recall the source or whether anchoring closer to land would have made any difference or not?

That is what I found. The Fleet commander's orders were to set spring anchors as well as run cables between ships to preclude the British from going between the ships. Neither was done. One of the other things I ran across was that the lead British ship had recently captured French charts of Aboukir Bay. However, there was no excuse for the French to not have had their frigates out to provide early warning of the British arrival.

Another problem for the French fleet was that when Napoleon went ashore, he took all the provisions, including that meant for the crew. The French had crew ashore getting food and water.

[Nightmoss]

That is what I found. The Fleet commander's orders were to set spring anchors as well as run cables between ships to preclude the British from going between the ships. Neither was done. One of the other things I ran across was that the lead British ship had recently captured French charts of Aboukir Bay. However, there was no excuse for the French to not have had their frigates out to provide early warning of the British arrival.

Another problem for the French fleet was that when Napoleon went ashore, he took all the provisions, including that meant for the crew. The French had crew ashore getting food and water.

Thanks for confirming what I'd thought I'd read. Having crew ashore certainly wouldn't have helped either.