British and Chinese river naval action

Some time ago Jack made me 3 Dapper Class Gunboats and some Junks.  Bob and I decided to try a game using them.  It was a bit of an experiment in terms of what each side should have by way of forces.

The scenario was a British punitive raid up river to take out a rebellious Chinese fort and supporting naval force.  The British figures were made up of Jacklex sailors and a unit of Rose Miniatures redcoats.  The Chinese are Orion Boxer Rebellion figures and some metal figures which I think were B&B Miniatures.

The British flotilla approaches and the Chinese Junks emerge from the tributary river.

One Junk was moored to the jetty and immediately tried to move off.

We discovered that we had under powered the British guns as they failed to blast the Chinese out of the water as expected.

Bob watches on as the Junk with fled the jetty at the start of the game ran aground.

British sailors and infantry are launched to tackle the Chinese forces.

Boxer Infantry prepare to repel the British. Their musketry was poor and the better armed British sailors and drove them off with a well aimed volley.

The Chinese Imperial forces in the fort came under bombardment from the British ships taking regular hits without being able to respond.

The naval fight with the Junks continued with one Junk being demasted and others turning tail as their morale faltered.

The game looked good and the models Jack made excellent but the rules we used and tried to adept didn't work. They were meant for early/mid 19th century ships but not for steam or the types of guns the British ships carried.

The Jacklex fleet

For those of you who know the name 'Jacklex' from the range of 20mm colonial and ACW figures, you might like to know that Jack Alexander, the creator of the Jacklex range is still going strong.  He is into building 54mm scale ships at the moment, having finished a represenation of the HMS Warrior complete with 54mm crew and an impressive Chinese Junk he is now building HMS Cressy a 4 funnel cruiser sunk in WW1.

Before he did all this Bob and I persuaded him to make some 20mm models.  These represent the Dapper Class gunboats launched at the time of the Crimean War and still in use towards the end of the 19th century.  He also made a number of Chinese Junks.  We are preparing for a game where the Gunboats are to make an attack up river to take out a Chinese fort protected by a number of armed Junks.  More on that in a later battle report.

3 Dapper Class gunboats ready for action

2 mortars ready for bombardment

 Jacklex 20mm sailors

Jacklex sailors ready for action