Coastal Terrain

Making Good Use of the Things That We Find

 

The missus ordered a flat pack cabinet thingy recently and it came with so much polystyrene packaging that I felt compelled to try and make use of some of it. These modular terrain pieces were a bit of a learning experience and are not what you'd call durable, but given that they only a took a weekend to make, including drying time, and cost virtually nothing, I don't much care if they fall to bits in a few months time.

Doing these spurred me on to finish up some of the Brigade Models buildings that I've had sitting around for a while. They're about 1/1000 scale but mostly seem to look fine when placed against 1/2400 ships.

All the sections laid out.

A Spanish squadron of galleys and galleons raids the English coast.

The Henry Grace a Dieu leading a small English squardon with St Mawes castle in the background.

Tudor village.

Southsea Castle. Yes, it is facing the wrong way. Oops.

17th/18th century star fort.

Busy shipping lanes! Late 19th Century merchant ships.

An 1870s large merchant steamer near rocky shoals. The lighthouse is by Figurehead and is true 1/2400.

19th Century (specifically ACW) gun batteries in earthworks on a headland. The batteries are Tumbling Dice 1/2400. I did these ages ago and based them on 2mm MDF, so they look a bit clunky. I may get some more at some point and base them on plastic card so they sit better.

At a pinch, if you squint a bit, the island pieces work ok as Pacific islands in 1/6000.

Sir Monty Drake, on seeing the Spanish fleet approaching, decides there is plenty of time to finish his game of bowls. And maybe have a bit of a nap.

Merchants, Small Ships & Markers

Merchant Ships

I had a blast painting these, particularly the small ships. I think they're some of Tumbling Dice's best sculpts.

East Indiaman and two large fluyts

Hoekers

Yachts

Small Merchants. I might get some more of these - they'll make good fireships.

Zeeland Sloops

Cromsters

Markers

While I was waiting for stuff to dry I got on with making up some more generic markers. I'm always running out of them, so I did all the remaining ones I had. I'm almost certainly going to need more, but Warbases are closed for the moment due to this ghastly plague business, so it'll have to wait for now.

First up, some wake markers to replace the ones I had. These are 20mm square with rounded corners. They can be used to mark when a ship has moved, and if it has turned:

I've got a bunch of cheap sticky numbers to put on them to indicate speed, for use with my hex conversion of Dahlgren & Columbiad. Not lovely, but they'll do for now till I replace them with some decent Letrasets:

Then some more general double sided markers. The oblong ones are great for broadside reloading:

And finally a test paint of one of the casualty marker discs from Warbases. These will be used for aircraft formations to indicate either altitude or number of flights/aircraft etc.:

Ships for the War of the Pacific - Part 2 Peru

Huáscar & Independencia

ASV61 Huáscar & Independencia

Not much to say here - plenty of info easily available on these. I removed the Huáscar's rig and replaced the mainmast only. The foremast was removed in July 1879.

Manco Capac & Atahualpa

Atahualpa

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMonitor_Manco_C%25C3%25A1pac

Closest match is ASV51 USS Monitor.

ASV51 USS Monitor

Some beautiful models of Peruvian ironclads here: http://ericknavasmodelismonaval.blogspot.com/2016/01/bap-manco-capac.html


Victoria & Loa

Loa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAP_Victoria

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FLoa_(goleta)

ASV51 USS Monitor & ASV56 CSS Texas

Another ASV51 for the Victoria - you get 3 in a pack so that's handy.
For the Loa I went with CSS Texas (ASV56, comes in a pack with Virginia). It's not a great visual match, but it's a casemate ironclad and it's about the right size. The other option would be CSS Albemarle (ASV60, in a pack with CSS Manassas):

Left: CSS Texas Right: CSS Albemarle

In fact looking at it with fresh eyes, I think the Albemarle is a better match all round.

Unión

Unión

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FUni%C3%B3n_(corbeta)&sandbox=1

ASV11

ASV11 again. I have no idea why I painted the hull white. I might apply a wash to knock it back to grey.

Talisman
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTalism%C3%A1n_(transporte)&sandbox=1
An iron hulled merchant steamer, 170' long built by Blackwood & Gordon. I can't find any pictures of her, but my guess is she probably looked a bit like these (same builder, similar sizes):

Tasman 1873

Wellington 1863

I don't think there's anything really suitable in the TD range. It might be possible to do a bit of radical surgery on ASV15. Here's one with the masts replaced in the original schooner rig, which could just as easily be made 2 masted with a new funnel placed amidships:

ASV15, rig removed and replaced with wire

Not ideal though. I'll wait to see what Hallmark's merchant steamer looks like.

Pilcomayo

 

Pilcomayo

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCa%C3%B1onera_Pilcomayo&sandbox=1

Another ASV15 for this one. Shame about the rig, I might try and replace it, but I can probably live with it and life is short.

ASV15

Again, not sure what I was thinking with that paint scheme!

Chalaco, Limeña, Oroya

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FChalaco_(transporte)&sandbox=1

https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime%25C3%25B1a_(transporte)&xid=17259,15700023,15700186,15700190,15700259,15700271,15700302&usg=ALkJrhiJOTl2c1FwF6yZ7jBWJLYUpKI1hw

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FOroya_(transporte)

These were all iron hulled paddle steamers bought at various different times from the Pacific Steam Navigation Company. After a bit of searching on clydeships.co.uk, I think this might be the Chalaco:

Quito - was this the ship bought from the PSNC and renamed Chalaco?

Given the limited options available, there's a choice of two models for these. ASV12 is probably a better size but has three masts instead of two. ASV16 is too small, but has a more appropriate rig:

Left: ASV16              Right: ASV12

I'd intended to use ASV12, but the more I look at it the less happy I am about the rig. I think the plan will be to attempt some drastic conversion work, and if that fails just use ASV16 and pray the Naval Wargames Police don't come for me in the night.

Gunboats

I've been using ASV13 "Screw Gunboat x3" for the Peruvian harbour defence boats, but I might check out Hallmark's range as well.

Torpedo Boats

ASV90 & ASV91 I don't know which boats belong to which packs, sorry.

A pack each of ASV90 "Spar Torpedo Boats & Davids x6" and ASV91 "HMS Lightning & 2nd Class Torpedo Boats x6" pretty much covers the small stuff for both sides. If you want to be absolutely sure a 2nd pack of ASV91 might be necessary for all the Chilean boats. You can even use one of the "Davids" as the Peruvian submersible Toro - you won't ever use it because it's treated in an abstract way in the rules, but fun to have nevertheless.

By the way, let me know if you have any trouble with those Google Translate links - I've just noticed they don't seem to work on my ipad.

Ships for the War of the Pacific - Part 1 Chile

I've recently returned to a project that's been on the back burner for a while: The War of the Pacific 1879-84 using Dahlgren & Columbiad with the War of the Pacific supplement. The hurdle was trying to find information on the various ships, and then finding suitable substitutes in the Tumbling Dice 1/2400 range.

Recently there seems to be a bit of a surge, or at least a simmering, of interest in the period, and I've been struggling with a mammoth Dutch Wars project, so perhaps it's time to take a break from that and take another run at la Guerra del Pacifico.

I've gone round and round in circles, and have about 30 tabs open in my browser, mostly in Spanish, and there are still bits I'm none the wiser about! Lot's of fudging, guessing and handwaving here, so don't take any of this as gospel, and particularly don't count on my paint schemes - many of these are generic placeholders till I work out what I'm doing.

Chile

Blanco Encalada & Almirante Cochrane

Code: ASV62. I replaced the sails with yards and furled sails, but I wish I'd cut down the masts, or replaced them, and added shrouds. I might have another go at these one day.

O'Higgins & Chacabuco

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_corvette_O%27Higgins_(1866)

These are wooden hulled screw corvettes. Don't be fooled by TD's descriptions - "ASV15 Screw Corvette x2" are actually smaller ships with a schooner rig. "ASV11 Screw Sloop x1" is more what I'd consider a corvette.

ASV11 "Screw Sloop"

Code: ASV11. On the left is a rather brutal attempt at mast surgery to try and depict the ship under steam. The one on the right is the model as it comes.

Abtao

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_corvette_Abtao
Another corvette, built about the same time.
Code: ASV11

Esmeralda

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_corvette_Esmeralda
Tricky one this. Just over half the displacement of the Abtao, but only a few feet shorter. I think the least bad fit would be another ASV11, but could also be ASV15 maybe?


Magallanes

ASV15 "Screw Corvette"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_corvette_Magallanes_(1873)
An iron hulled gunboat 200' long. I'm using ASV15.

Covadonga

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FGoleta_Covadonga
I'm going with another ASV15 for this one, although she's quite a bit smaller than the Magallanes. The other option would be to use the "ASV13 Screw Gunboat x3", but I'm keeping those to be the Peruvian harbour defence boats.

Toltén

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FVapor_Tolt%25C3%25A9n
A French built paddle steamer with an iron hull. I've written in my notes 130' long, but I can't actually remember where I got that figure from! There's a choice of 3 different sized paddle steamers in the TD range:

From left to right: ASV14 Paddle Gunboat, ASV16 Paddle Corvette, ASV12 Paddle Sloop

Assuming that 130' length is correct, the model would be somewhere between ASV14 and ASV16 - about 16mm. I've gone with the ASV14, with some of my brutal mast hacking. ASV16 might be a better size to be honest, but the funnel's in the wrong place. I'm not sure I care enough to do the conversion!

Angamos

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTransporte_Angamos

Here's where it gets tricky. An iron hulled steamer with the funnel set back, and a bloody great 8" Armstrong pivot. The photo above is the only one I can find, but she pops up in a watercolour in Rudolf de Lisle's diary:

It looks like she has a wheelhouse amidships and the gun mounted just forward, with the sides cut away to allow the gun to fire. 235' long makes her about 30mm in scale. I can't find anything in the TD range that is even close. I'm stumped, any ideas anyone?

Amazonas, Rimac and Loa

Amazonas

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTransporte_Amazonas

Rimac or Loa?

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.armada.cl%2Farmada%2Ftradicion-e-historia%2Funidades-historicas%2Fr%2Ftransporte-rimac%2F2014-02-14%2F104847.html
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.armada.cl%2Farmada%2Ftradicion-e-historia%2Funidades-historicas%2Fl%2Fvapor-loa-1%2F2014-02-14%2F103930.html

I've lumped these three together because, although they had different armament, they all appear to be a very similar British merchant steamer design, about 290' long (37mm in scale). Rimac and Loa always seem to crop up on the web as the same photo. The only ship in the TD range that comes even vaguely close is ASV22 Merchant Steamer Great Britain:

...but no. Way too long at about 44mm, and with a few too many masts! I guess you could try hacking off all those masts, but the sails are moulded to the hull, so that's a lot of hacking and I'm not sure you'd be left with anything pretty. Stumped again.

I think I might take a look at Hallmark's 1/2400 range for the Lissa period. They do a merchant steamer which might be a better fit, and they also have a few corvettes and gunboats that might be worth looking at.