Victory in the Pacific

For my son Will's birthday, we celebrated by playing (or trying to play) a favourite from long ago, Avalon Hill's "Victory in the Pacific", a true classic.

Although Will, Cate, John and I played this classic endlessly when they were children (trying for 6's, 6's, 6's) we made the classic mistake, forgetting that the US fleet can sustain double damage in the Pearl Harbour raid. That's why Will looked so unhappy and I, erroneously, looked quite pleased.

This is just one of those games that you never sell, never replace.

HMS Pickle (1799)

Here is my new Langton Miniatures 1:1200 scale model of the Tops'l Schooner HMS Pickle. She carried 8 x 12 pounder carronades and a crew of 40. I have converted the model for use in "Sails of Glory" to carry dispatches, transfer the Admiral's flag, etc. 

Under the command of Lt. John Richards Lapenotière, Pickle performed valuable tasks at Trafalgar, not possible for the much larger Ships of the Line. 

She rescued survivors, towed dismasted vessels and was selected to take the dispatches: “Sir, we have gained a great victory. But we have lost Lord Nelson.”

This model was painted and lightly rigged by myself. I'm no Master Modeler and rarely show images of any of my own work. However, encouraged by my friend Jeff Lower (a real artist) I was encouraged to show what I have been able to do.

Here Pickle is compared with much larger rated vessels in the Ares Sails of Glory fleet.

I hope this shows that Langton 1:1200 models, at least the smaller unrated vessels, can be used alongside the 1:1000 scale SOG models. This opens lots of possibilities for customizing the fleet.

My next experiment in, terms of SOG compatibility, will be to see what can be done with Langton frigates, next time by a real Master.

HMS Euryalus: finished

HMS Euryalus (1803) has now been completed by Master Modeler Julián Fenández de Sevilla of  Model J Ship. As you see, I requested a detachable base so the frigate may also be used in a modified game of Sails of Glory.

This Apollo-class 36-gun frigate was present at Trafalgar, 1805.

I am happy to recommend the service of Julián and  Model J Ship. Ordering via his excellent web site, communication and speed of completion were all excellent. A very professional operation.

HMS Euryalus was commanded by Captain Henry Blackwood at Trafalgar.

HMS Euryalus in 1:1200

I have just commissioned "Model J Ship" of Alicante, Spain, to build, paint and rig a Langton Miniatures 1:1200 scale ship miniature of the 36 gun Apollo class frigate HMS Euryalus 1803. 

My interest in Napoleonic ships, inspired by Ares Games "Sails of Glory, has led me on a quest to acquire some really fine models. I am excited to discover the work of master modeler Julián at Model J Ships. His website is very impressive:

http://modeljship.com/en/

Sample Frigate Action-HMS Phoenix, 36

Julián's Facebook site is also loaded with excellent images of his work, all based on Rod Langton's metal models.

I am hoping to use these 1:1200 models in Sails of Glory games, even though the latter uses a larger scale of 1:1000. I like the Ares out-of-the-box models very much, but my collector's instinct drives me to find the best professional models in the slightly smaller but more typical 1:1200 scale.

After having experimented with these models, I am quite certain they are way beyond my skills.

6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, 1863: Preview

Here is a sample figure for my latest ACW commission, the  6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Iron Brigade, at Gettysburg. The figure is by Forgotten Glorious in 28mm, the painting by Leuthen Studios. The Regiment should be finished shortly. Comments and suggestions are most welcome.

  

Royal Galley of John of Austria at Lepanto, 1571

The Royal galley of John of Austria, Real, was built at the Drassanes Reials de Barcelona (the Barcelona Royal Shipyard).  This galley was his flagship at the Battle of Lepanto 1571. There is a magnificent reproduction of this galley at the Barcelona Maritime Museum.

El Port de Barcelona

The "MUSEU MARÍTIM DE BARCELONA" is housed in the old Barcelona Royal Shipyard. The shipyard itself is a series of galley "sheds" built of stone in the 16th Century. The buildings were added to and modified over many centuries from 1285 until 1749. The shipyard built galleys for the Aragonese Armada. 

The following photos are of an impressive diorama of the Port de Barcelona in the 14th Century.