The Second Battle of Iquique Game Report

The Second Battle of Iquique Game Report

 

This turned out to be an enjoyable, if frustrating game but with a very historical outcome and some exciting moments. The first two turns saw the Huascar and Magellanes steaming toward each other to close the range, the first shots fired at 14“ by the Huascar splashing harmlessly into the sea. The Magellanes replied with her 64pdr smoothbore bowchaser, only for the shock of the recoil to sever a steam line, cutting her speed down by two points. 
In Turn Three the action was at close range, with the two warships circling each other to get in their guns into a firing arc, the first blast from the Huascar scoring a hit and inflicting light damage, once again cutting the feed to the boilers and slowing down the Magellanes by a further point of speed. The Chilean corvette managed to out manoeuvre her opponent, however, with the engine room crew fixing the leak in time for a renewed gunnery attack in Turn Four.
In Turn Four the action continued at close range, the Huascar and Magellanes both failing to score a hit. with the -1 to Gunnery Factors due to low visibility playing havoc when combined with repeated low dice rolls. The two ships were fairly evenly matched, with the Huascar’s armour countered by Magellanes manoeuvrability. In an attempt to end the impasse, the Huascar now rammed the Chilean corvette in the stern, but even this failed as both ships glanced off preventing a boarding action.
Turn Six announced the entry of the Almirante Cochrane, which steamed onto the table at a leisurely 5cm per phase due to the fouling in her hull. The Huascar now attempted to withdraw and was chased along by the Magellanes, which managed to hit the Peruvian ironclad with harassing fire but failed to penetrate her armour. The Chilean ironclad meanwhile turned to fire a broadside from her main battery at extreme range but this splashed harmlessly in Huascar’s wake.
I decided at the end of Turn Eight that the Chileans abandoned the chase, allowing the Huascar to steam away to the north in the direction of Pisagua. This was a probable decision, as a gun burst on the Magellanes in Turn Seven cut her already weak Port and Starboard Gunnery Factor down to only 1, leaving her unable to damage the retreating ironclad. At the same time, the Almirante Cochrane was slipping further out of range as she just couldn’t keep up due to her marginally lower speed.
At the end of the scenario, the Huascar escaped to fight another day, while the Magellanes had suffered light damage, a disabled 64pdr smoothbore and some leaky pipework. The Almirante Cochrane was undamaged but didn’t exactly cover herself in glory, unlike Captain Latorre who managed to tie down the Huascar long enough for the Chilean squadron to turn up. This is almost exactly what actually happened, so I’m happy with the scenario even if it wasn’t as decisive as I would have liked.
I think this counts as a draw!
(apologies for the rubbish photos – crap phone)

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Autor: Jim Jackaman / Jim’s Wargames Workbench

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