| The Pre-Dreadnought period of naval
warfare covers a critical time of development, both technically and
historically. Between 1885 and 1905 the world saw the rise of several new naval
powers, especially the fleets of Germany, Japan and the United States. Numerous
wars were fought during this time, and such a period of "Pre-Great War"
violence helped to set the stage for the world-wide conflicts to come. Major
wars of the pre-dreadnought era include the Sino-Japanese War (1894), the
Spanish-American War (1898) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). More
importantly, this period saw numerous confrontations which nearly turned into
open warfare, and which give ample support to a huge variety of gaming
scenarios. Below is an outline of the types of battles which occurred and
various ships might be used in those battles. Fleet Action – A main fleet action would usually involve battleships of each side. Each fleet would have a scouting screen of cruisers which would scout ahead of the fleet (also behind) and attempt to screen the main battleships from destroyer attacks if necessary. Armored cruisers could also fight in the main battleline with the battleships. Destroyers could be present, and if they were they would usually stay on the disengaged side of the battleships until the enemy either attempted to flee or night time allowed closing for attacks. Cruiser Actions – Because cruisers were also designed for commerce raiding, they sometimes ended up fighting running engagements with other enemy cruisers. During such battles, the cruisers might split into different groups. The heaviest armored cruisers would form main battleline, much like battleships. The lighter protected cruisers would range around the flanks of the battle area looking for opportunities to engage the heaviest enemy units more closely. If destroyers were present, they would have to be very careful because armored cruisers often carried a formidable light weapons armament. Destroyer Actions – During actions near an enemy harbor, destroyers of both sides could end up fighting each other without the support of other heavier warships. Such actions might involve less than a dozen ships, but to the crews on board it was still war. Destroyer actions could easily be interrupted by larger warships intervening, especially if one side begins to lose badly. Single Ships – Sometimes individual ships encountered each other, either during a campaign, or around the periphery of a larger battle. In many cases they might be older screening ships which upon spotting each other see a chance for an evenly matched fight. Mixed Engagements – In some cases ships of various types would be thrown against very different enemy ships. In such cases the results could be hard to guess, whereas in other cases one side might be facing a critical challenge. For example, at the battle of Santiago Bay in 1898, four Spanish cruisers attempted to run out of their harbor and dash to sea in the face of several American battleships and cruisers. However, because the US ships were initially stationary, the action started in some confusion. |