Thanks to a discussion I had with Mark and Chuck on The Lead Adventure Forum I was inspired to bring out my coastal craft and try out Coastal Patrol by James Schmidt. When these rules came out I didn't pay them much attention. As many of you know I was playing Cruel Seas [ actually with my mods entitled Crueler Seas ]with my dad until he died. After he passed I couldn't bring myself to play coastal actions. I bought Narrow Seas by Manly. They are a great set and before I started playing with my dad they would have been the set I wanted but now I was looking for something quicker but with enough detail to satisfy. Inspired I re read Coastal Patrol and thought I would give them a go.
First I decided to roll up 3 ships per Flotilla Forward. I decided I would use Dog boats in the atlantic 1944 as they would be big enough to test my mods.
We have:
SO Lt Hampton RNVR He is a famous peacetime yachtsman who has joined the colours to do his part. His boat is Veteran.
Lt Phillips RNVR He is a generous sort whose dad is a MP. His boat is Veteran.
Lt Smithers RNVR He is a generous sort. Comes from a long line of well bred gentlemen farmers. His boat is also a veteran.
I rolled up the mission and it was a convoy intercept with 1 large blind and 4 small; perfect. Visibility was 2 miles with one squall. The wind was whipping however with Balfour 5 so small boats would have to make a check to go full speed. Still as the CO said, "The war can't wait for perfect conditions for you to go hunting Hampton."
The Flotilla set up looking for trouble. 1 small blind going towards a squall at 2,000 yrds. [ each hex 100 yrds.]
I used the spotting rules from Crueler Seas. The spotting rules from Coastal Patrol are fine I am just use to mine. Nothing is seen as the first blind enters the squall.
After 2 minutes another blind is on the board...
A look out on Hampton's boat call out "A Raum boat 40 degrees off to port!" "Well done lad!" A Raum boat is probably part of the convoy but which part? When in doubt lets get ahead and sit and wait. Lt Hampton orders the flotilla to increase speed to 20 knots [ each hex of speed is 5 knots] and execute a 45 degree to starboard. Here is a mechanic that I didn't think I would like but I do. When you activate each boat you roll 2d6 and this determines how many orders you can issue your crew. A "10" didn't give Lt Phillips enough to both increase speed and turn so Hampton's signals were initially misunderstood by Phillips. Simple!
You just can't get good help these days!
The Raum boat's crew scanning the blackness
about 8 minutes into the "action". Hampton is traveling twice as fast as the convoy. He plans to go past the "pimple" and turn to port.
" Raum boat coming towards us Sir. Appears to be increasing speed." The Germans have radioed the Flotilla's postion. The first blind moves towards the British.
As Lt Hampton is mulling over his options the night is shattered by 20mm guns firering about half a mile away!
Suddenly his helmsman yells, "She isn't responding Sir."
The state of the battle. Lt Hampton encounters the starboard Raum boat. The merchants are in the squall. The convoy SO decides this threat is real. He orders the port guard to stern and his ship to starboard.
As Hampton's boat careens to starboard he signals Phillips to stick to the original plan.
As Lt Phillips comes to grips with his new reality he hears, " Minesweeper 30 degrees to port 1.5 miles"
A battle rages between small boats. This is what coastal action is all about. The farthest Raum boat has engine damage and Lt Phillips boat's rudder gets stuck to port!
14 minutes into the action. The merchants are out of the squall and remain unspotted. The minesweeper is coming around and engaging Lt Smithers as are both Raum boats now. Lt Hampton's rudder is fixed and he is making for the presumed convoy. Lt. Phillips is still working to repair his ship. His ship has had 2 flotation hits so is at risk for flooding.
Lt Smithers running threw a gaunlet of fire. [ splash is from the MS 4 inch gun.] "Keep pushing lads. There has to be freighters up a head somewhere."
Another view of Smithers.
"Eureka! Dead ahead. Big as your girlfriend's arse!" "Prepare torpedoes we haven't much time and we aren't going around again."
Torpedoes away at 500 yards! Wait for it...
Huzzah for LT Smithers and the king!
Lt Hampton launches 700 yards away.
16 minutes into the action. Lt Hampton has just launched and is preparing to turn away. Lt Phillips [ next to him] boat has 3 flotation hits so is in danger of flooding. That said he doesn't want to return with torpedoes. Lt Smithers boat has just had her engine hit and can only make 15 knots so there won't be a fast get away for him.
Hampton's fish miss as the freighter turns. A smaller VP boat turns up behind the freighters and begins shooting. Lt Phillips sees the raum boats coming for him and wants to disengage. The VP boat will have to do as a target.
As Hampton makes his turn Phillips fires, "Torpedoes away! Let's get out of here." As the waiting for an explosion turns to minutes they realize they have missed. [ I use my torpedo rules from Crueler Sea which I do prefer and are solitaire friendly.]
Now the hunters flee with angry raum boats going toe to toe.
Suddenly a huge hole is created in the front of Lt Phillips boat. The front immediatly begins to flood.
The german SO on the minesweeper. "Karl, schnaps to the crew of "A" turret. That was a great shot."
Phillips slows his boat and prays the water can be slowed.
Lt Smithers with his newly repaired engine moves around the stricken boat. No thought of picking up passangers with Raum Boats nipping at their heels.
Lts Hampton and Smithers make good their escape into the night leaving 1 freighter burning. They report the freighter sunk and Lt Phillips boat MIA presumed sunk. But wait...
Lt Phillips manages to nurse his sinking craft into the squall while the raum boats are chasing his mates. It does sink towards morning but brave air sea rescue manage to recover them! [ In Flotilla Forward there is a 50% chance that your crew is recovered. I know, unrealistic but it does make for better stories!]
In addition the freighter is only badly damaged. It is towed into port by morning. Rats.
The Flotilla's reputation goes up by 1 and Smither's boat is repaired.
Great game that played fast. My thoughts on Coastal Patrol?
Pros
A fast combat system that is somewhat realistic. It is unique in that you don't track damage level per se. Your boat will succumb [ maybe] to "critical hits". The best part is guns below 40mm are grouped into 1 roll so combat is fast. I thought I would hate this lack of granularity but it keeps the game from bogging down.
It shows level of crew experience in a brilliantly simple way. Rolling for how many actions per boat often doesn't make a difference as it shouldn't. Naval crews are all trained to sail and fight. But occasionally it will show up and when it does it is brilliant.
Con
A fast combat system that is somewhat realistic. While fast the critical hits appear to often for my taste. For example in my beta game I had 2 rudder hits and 6 captains killed between the 4 boats. In addition it seems very hard to sink ships. Now I grant you I have only played 3 games so these are early observations. I will be tweaking the combat table to better distribute the hits. In addition I think allowing all ships to sustain 6 flotation/fire hits may be a bit high. I think I will have really small ships get 3, small ships 4 and large ships 6.
Overall
James has achieved his goal of a fast playing game between coastal forces that is somewhat realistic. To have a game play fast and be pretty realistic is hard to achieve and James has done it. The combat system can be easily tweaked which is what I am in the process of doing. For rules found in a magazine it is certainly a very good game. I plan to continue to play it. It is available in the Too Fat Lardies summer 2011 special. In there you will also find a bonus scenario for Platoon Forward; scenario R which is a meeting engagement between two mobile forces.
Enjoy
Joe
