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QUICKFIRE
PRE-DREADNOUGHT ERA FAST-PLAY RULES



Quickfire Scenario: Dash to Chifu

Location – Coast of China, south of Port Arthur. December 9, 1904.

Background – By early December 1904, the Japanese siege of the Russian harbor at Port Arthur was nearing its end. A few days earlier the Russians had finally lost their grip on Hill 203, and with that loss the Japanese Army was able to begin shelling the Russian Pacific Fleet at its narrow anchorage within the bay. Of all the Russian ships present, only the battleship Sevastopol was able to consider making a run for freedom. Her commander Captain von Essen had no intention of letting his ship be captured under any condition, and on the morning of the 9th he brought Sevastopol into the roadstead outside of Port Arthur and anchored her in preparation for a possible dash to Chifu (Cheefoo). It was considered far better to be interned in a neutral harbor than be captured, for the ship and crew would again be available to the Russian fleet after the war.

The Japanese were acutely aware that one Russian battleship remained mobile, and naval high command in Tokyo made it clear that under no circumstances should Sevasopol be allowed to escape into internment. Unfortunately for Admiral Togo, many of his ships had returned to Japan for badly needed refitting. This was due to the slow but steady approach of the Russian Baltic Fleet half-way around the world. They did not want to let Sevastopol get away, but the Japanese also knew that they could not afford to run any risks against the second Russian fleet. As a result, a relatively small number of warships are available for interception of Sevastopol.

Russian Order of Battle
Battleship Sevastopol
Japanese Order of Battle
Third Cruiser Division (Admiral Dewa): Cruisers Yakumo, Takasago, Otowa

Scenario rules – Sevastopol has ROF ratings of 3 - 4 and no repair dice. Players can gather by the state of Sevastopol, which was the most prepared ship at Port Arthur, that the rest of the squadron was in poor condition even before their sinking by land-based howitzers.


Setup – Sevastopol begins game on north side of board on a southerly heading. Japanese 3rd Cruiser Division begins game on the southest side of the board on a northeasterly heading. Players may want to consider setting a limited visibility of three or four nautical miles. Ships beyond this may not fire at each other.
Closest setup proximity: 1.5 Nautical Miles


Reinforcement Die Rolls (1D6)
Japanese Battle Division (Togo): Battleship Mikasa. Cruisers Kasuga, Nishiin. Roll once at the start of turn two and each turn thereafter. On any die roll result of 6, the division arrives on northeast edge of board during movement phase.
Japanese Sixth Cruiser Division: Cruisers Chiydoa, Idzumi. Roll once at the start of turn three and each turn thereafter. On any die roll of 5 or 6 the division arrives on southeast edge of board.
Two Russian Destroyers: Roll before setup. Include with Sevastopol on a die roll of 3 through 6. If weather is unfavorable to small vessels, players should reduce the odds of the destroyers coming along.


Victory Conditions
The Russians must run to the south or southeast until Japanese give up trying to stop them. The Japanese must force the Russians to turn around and abandon their attempt to pass to the south. Note that this does not mean the southern edge of the board, it means southward movement in general.
 
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