Mike Wolfe

So was the Brewster Buffalo at Midway.  Everybody says how bad the aircraft was and yet they fail to mention that VMF-221 was composed of mostly green pilots, fresh out of training with little operational experience.  Throw in the little fact that they were outnumbered and facing veteran Japanese fighter pilots with extensive combat experience i…[Read more]

I agree with the US Navy replacing the TBD with the TBF as the Devastator being obsolete.  That said, how much of the TBD’s problem at Midway was due to the fact that they went in without fighter escort.  I seem to recall the Kates also took heavy losses from American fighters when attacking without fighter cover as well.  By the time of Mi…[Read more]

Here are some other pics from the first day.

Two Italian torpedo boats attempt to head off the American Elco and Higgins boats, only to have one lose 33 hull points for it’s troubles.

I also noticed some problems with the ship stats in the rulebook:
1)  Fletcher class destroyers:  The game gives her five 4″ guns.  The last American destroyer class to have 4″ guns(http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_4-50_mk9.php)  were the Clemsons that were built from 1919 to 1921.  These were the ships transferred to the Royal Navy and know…[Read more]

I picked up Cruel Seas just as Covid was heating when I saw in my Local Hobby Shop, in Marietta, Georgia, and thought it would be a good game for the students at the Middle School where I teach.  The kids loved it and I do enjoy seeing the 6th and 7th graders playing it.  That said, being a history teacher and model builder with AMS (Advanced M…[Read more]

Hello Ian:

It was good to hear from you.  As a fellow Alexander Kent/Douglas Reeman fan, I was thinking about converting some of the “Wooden Ships and Iron Men” scenarios to Black Seas games.  How would you feel about bringing “A King’s Officer, The Battles of Richard Bolitho” to light?   The first scenario comes from “In Gallant Company”, tit…[Read more]

Hello:

I’m Mike and I just picked up copies of Black Seas and Cruel Seas starter kits from my local hobby shop last Saturday.  While new to both games, I am not new to wargaming, having cut my teeth on Avalon Hill’s “Wooden Ships & Iron Men” and “Advanced Squad Leader”.  It was an article in Avalon Hill’s in-house magazine4 “The General” that t…[Read more]