Sunday Afternoon - The Last Man
Standing.
The last battle of the AusBG national meetings has traditionally
been "To the Death" with combat continuing until there was just
one side's vessels on the pond. This time, the "Last Man Standing"
battle took on a twist.
There were no sides.
This was a surprise to the participants and throughout the battle
there was a scramble to form temporary pacts. Never-the-less the
battle was a great success as ship after ship met its doom until
there was just one left standing. The "Last Man Standing" had
been decided.
The Best Go First - The Sinking
Of The USS Houston And The USS South Dakota
None of the skippers were prepared for the late rule change
and when the battle started forces were generally deployed as
Axis and Allied fleets. The carnage was immense as vessels openned
up on whoever was nearest.
Within moments HMS Invincible had to withdraw with a bad gas
line, Strasbourg was dead in the water, USS Houston and USS South
Dakota were both mauled and Graf Spee had sunk. It seemed like
just the blink of an eye, but it must have been several minutes.
The action was so intense that nobody had time to think about
tactics.
When it became obvious that USS Houston was in deep trouble,
action slowed as the skippers drank in a sight rarely seen, USS
Houston settling. Still struggling forward, USS Houston slowly
rolled to port and went down by the stern.
Just as Houston disappeared, Steve's brother Ant arrived with
USS South Dakota, stopped a few feet from the wreck of his brother's
boat and then sank moments later.
Click on a thumbnail to see the full sized picture.
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| Littorio engages the wounded USS Houston. |
Pumping hard, Houston continues to settle. |
Houston rolls to port. |
further. |
| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
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| further. |
Bouyancy gone, she starts her plunge stern
first to the bottom. |
Now just her bow remains. |
She is gone. |
| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
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| Ant's USS South Dakota arrives just as his
brother's ship disappears. |
Much to everyone's surprise she immediately
sinks. |
A few seconds more and both the Burden brothers
are gone. |
The 2 best skippers eliminated early. |
| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
The "Mick Dundee" Must
Die !
Once the USS Houston and USS South Dakota has sunk battle resumed
at a furious pace, but it soon became obvious that no-one wanted
to take on the Iowa class battleship "Mick Dundee". Unless something
was done, the Mick Dundee would wait till there was just one opponent
left, then sink her and claim victory.
Quickly an alliance was formed between the three other warship
skippers with vessels still operational. The "Mick Dundee" must
die !
Mark Raisbeck's Indiana, Glendon Pryor's Littorio and Richard
Simpson's Alabama converged on the Mick Dundee and a feeding frenzy
developed. After a few mintues it was obvious the Mick Dundee
was outmatched and she ran for port pumping hard. The crowd jeered.
She stayed in port just long enought to re-align her guns and,
accompanied this time by cheers and applause, the Mick Dundee
re-emerged moments later to meet her fate.
She went down by the Bowning Sea's pump intake, the 3rd vessel
to sink in that position in the two days of battle.
Click on a thumbnail to see the full sized picture.
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| Littorio engages the Margaret Anne while
Indiana engages the disabled Strasbourg. |
Left well alone, Mick Dundee passes the wreck
of the South Dakota. |
Indiana engages Littorio, neither willing
to take on the Mick Dundee by themselves. |
Littorio also passes the wreck of the South
Dakota. |
| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
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| Together the three Newcastle skippers take
on the Mick Dundee. |
That hurt !
USS Alabama fires into the stern of the Mick Dundee. |
Mick Dundee runs for port, pumping hard fore
and aft. |
Turrets re-aligned she sorties forth, right
into the fire of the USS Alabama. |
| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
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| Mick Dundee is disabled, no power, no guns. |
Slowly she settles and drifts down onto the
dam pump inlet pipe, as water stars to flow into 'B' turret. |
Down she goes, pirate flag flying. |
United, the team from Newcastle have triumphed
over the "Mick Dundee" |
| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Brain |
Photo: Kirwan |
The Slaughter
Of The Merchant Ships
With the defeat of the Mick Dundee, the three warship skippers
remaining turned their attention to the merchants that still infested
the pond. Determined that one of the armed vessels would be the
"Last Man Standing" the three skippers set off in pursuit of the
merchant swarm.
Merchant after merchant sank until there was just the unarmed
battleship "HMS Lion" left, but while this was happening the USS
Alabama started to list and her motors started to cut in and out.
Eventually Alabama's skipper could wait no longer for the final
fight and opened fire on the Littorio once more.
The final fight to the death had begun. Lion fled while the last
three armed vessels fought a genuine three way duel.
The Margaret Anne is Hunted Down. (Click on a thumbnail to see
the full sized picture)
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| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Kirwan |
SS Scorpion Goes Next. (Click on a thumbnail to see the full sized
picture)
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| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Kirwan |
VNS Algiers Is Eliminated. (Click on a thumbnail to see the full
sized picture)
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| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Kirwan |
Photo: Kirwan |
The Boys From Newcastle
Fight It Out
The battle was now between Littorio, Alabama and Indiana, Lion
was ignored by all three warships as they tore into each other.
Littorio ran out of ammo and retired to replenish, Alabama took
the opportunity to do the same and called in Indiana as well,
even though Alabama had to lend Indiana ammo. Once replenished
it was back into battle and the three-way free-for-all continued.
Indiana had a nastly list but Mark had forgotten to put the flow
limiter into his borrowed pump and, pumping a mightly stream,
was extremely hard to sink.
To keep Alabama's motors turning her skipper had had to trim
the servo control right forward, now this was his undoing as Alabama
ran in towards the bank. She was thrown into reverse, but with
the new trim on the controls reverse was not available and she
rammed the bank at speed, stuck fast and slowly sank.
Now there were just two armed warships on the pond
The duel continued. Many a salvo were exchanged until both ships
were pumping, then Indiana turned across Littorio's bow and was
collected amidships. With her list, Indiana had just millimetres
of freeboard to starboard and this plus her lack of barbettes
were her undoing. She rolled just a bit, water lapped over X turret's
rim and in 2 seconds she was gone. The crowd roared its approval.
Now there was just a Lion to trap.
Click on a thumbnail to see the full sized picture.
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| Alabama engages Indiana as they pass at speed. |
Littorio misses Alabama as Alabama closes
the range. |
Alabama's shot falls short as she and Littorio
pass. |
Littorio runs from Alabama. |
| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
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| Alabama and Indiana spin around each other. |
What a splash. Alabama fires into the water
by Indiana's stern. |
Alabama and Littorio pound each other side
by side. |
Alabama mistimes a turn, runs aground and
slowly sinks. |
| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
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| Indiana's pump is keeping her afloat as water
floods in through numerous holes. |
Indiana shows her severe list to starboard,
she has at most 10mm of freeboard to starboard. |
Indiana shows her port side. Her waterline
amidships is at least 20mm above the water. |
In a moment it is all over. Littorio after
ram sinking Indiana, Indiana's buoy deploying next to Littorio's
bow. |
| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Kirwan |
Photo: Kirwan |
Photo: Simpson |
The Pursuit Of HMS Lion
All have fallen and now Littorio just needs to sink the last
"merchant" left (HMS Lion) to claim the "Last Man Standing" title.
Michael Raue, Lion's skipper is not going to give up easily and
the pursuit is on.
It seems hopeless but Michael struggles to keep Lion in play
for as long as possible and he her runs across the Bowning Sea.
Lion has her problems, she has lost two of her four props and
can only limp along but Michael is determined to make Littorio
work for Lion's scalp.
Littorio finally corners Lion and pushes her into the the H-39
(out for testing) but Littorio's pump has stopped and her guns
have entanged themselves. She can no longer shoot and is settling
rapidly.
Littorio sinks while she is being recovered
Click on a thumbnail to see the full sized picture.
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| Littorio engages Lion. |
Littorio corners HMS Lion. She has pushed
Lion backwards into H-39 |
Just at the point of victory Littorio is
in trouble and is declared lost. |
She sinks while being recovered. |
| Photo: Kirwan |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
The Last Man Standing
Was HMS Lion.
Unarmed, missing two props, with no pump, and with a huge hole
in her bow, HMS Lion has survived and triumphed as the "Last Man
Standing".
Take a bow, Captain Michael Raue of HMS Lion.
Click on a thumbnail to see the full sized picture.
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| The damage to Lion's bow. |
HMS Lion, the "Last Man Standing" |
| Photo: Simpson |
Photo: Simpson |
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