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Sydney / Canberra Combined Meeting,
Canberra, March 24th 2002


Ant and Steve Burden at the March Meeting.

More ships make for more fun so, late in 2001 Ant Burden suggested we try to have a regular series of larger meetings. The result was the "combat circuit" with multi-squadron meetings to be held on a rotating basis between Canberra, Newcastle and Sydney. This battle was the first of these meetings with Bowning, Sydney and Canberra getting together at the Canberra battlesite for a day of battle.

The meeting was also the last that Ant and Steve Burden would be attending for a while. Tired of their current ships they were temporarily retiring to build new vessels. As a result, the two best ships in the AusBG (USS South Dakota and USS Houston) were up for sale. For his farewell battle, skippering the USS Houston, Steve Burden treated us all to the most aggressive display of cruiser handling we are ever likely to see.

The meeting took place on a very pleasant and sunny day with just a whisper of wind.

Attending were:

USS South Dakota (American South Dakota class BB)

USS Houston (American Northamption class CA)

VNS Strasbourg (Vichy French Dunkerque class BB)

VNS Richelieu (Vichy French Richelieu class BB)

IJNS Mogami (Japanese Mogami class CA - running unarmed that day)

Unfortunately, Bob Booth (Bowning) had been called away by work at the last minute and was unable to attend.

The running of the Merchants

Canberra sometimes runs their merchant ships without escort, first one side then the other sails their merchants while the enemy warships try to sink them. None of the other groups follow this practice. I am told Canberra don't do this anymore, but this is one of the times they did.

USS Ashtabula runs the gauntlet


"Run Rabbit Run". USS Ashtabula leads two French battleships on a merry chase.

After the usual delays in getting started, the Allied merchant, USS Ashtabula, was sent out to sea by herself to try and survive for 15 minutes against Jean Bart, Richelieu and Strasbourg. At 22 knots and steering like a tanker, USS Ashtabula led the three French battleships on a merry chase all around the pond; the Ashtabula desperately trying to manoeuvre away while the French battleships ruthlessly used their vastly superior speed (the slowest was 29 knots, seven knots faster than Ashtabula) to hammer shot after shot into the plucky tanker. Ashtabula's forward radio mast was shot off, then her mid-section superstructure was shot off repeatedly and eventually left to drag alongside (and provide some protection), large holes were opened up high in her rear superstructure and the front of her funnel was smashed in, but she continued on, pumping occasionally.


	USS Ashtabula takes a hit

Half-way through the engagement I handed the controls to Ant Burden and fired up my new digital video camera (frames grabbed from that video have been used to illustrate this article). Ant threw Ashtabula across the pond while I counted down the minutes and then seconds until her ordeal would be over.

At 14 minutes (one minute to go until it was over), Bill's Strasbourg came alongside Ashtabula and turned with her as she did a loop, the higher speed and larger turning circle of the French battleship allowing her to keep pace with Ashtabula. Salvo after salvo struck home as Ashtabula's pump sprayed water all over the attacking battleship. Suddenly, to an astonished cry from Brian Evans of "He's going! You got him! You got him! ... Well done Bill!", her pipe deck went under and she sank quickly. First on an even keel, then nosediving to the bottom when her superstructure went under. There were 15 seconds left on the clock. Not a bad effort from a single, unarmed tanker with her engines wired to full forward (due to a busted forward/reverse switch) against three battleships.

Fatally wounded by VNS Strasbourg, USS Ashtabula sinks with 15 seconds left on the clock

The Japanese convoy ships take their turn

The annihilation of Ashtabula complete, the Axis convoy vessels set sail for their trial by fire. IJNS's Mogami and Mamiya Maru were hunted by USS Houston, USS Alabama and USS South Dakota. IJNS Mogami had not had time for her weapons to be fitted but amused herself with simulated 37 knot firing passes against the Allied warships. She paid the price for such activities and the 'crack' of hits striking home on Mogami said she would not last long. She lasted longer than Mamiya though, as the 20,000 ton Japanese freighter was sandwiched by South Dakota and Alabama and pounded under. Both Japanese vessels were on the bottom within 7 minutes and 30 seconds of the "Open Fire" call.

Now for the main event.

The Main Event

Alabama's battle plan

Now for the big one, the one hour, no patching, warship stoush. The battle would be a near repeat of the September 2001 ABC TV demo battle, with three French battleships going up against two US battleships and a US Heavy Cruiser. Last time it was a total victory for the Axis, losing just Strasbourg before sinking the entire Allied force. This time Alabama was prepared to be fighting outnumbered in a drawn-out battle. Extensive work had been done on her water channeling to prevent her bow sinking when she started to take on water (which upset the aim of her rear cannon) and her rear cannon had been sighted in and locked into position. Outnumbered, Alabama would try and turn away then attack with the rear cannon while taking enemy fire on her solid stern.


	USS South Dakota sinks four minutes into the battle

Battle commenced and appeared to be going to plan for the Allies, with Alabama being able to use her rear cannon quite effectively, but the situation went pear-shaped four minutes in as USS South Dakota took several salvos to her waterline and sank abruptly. Ant Burden had not got around to fitting her pump (nor to mentioning this to his own side!).

Now it was three Axis battleships vs Alabama and Houston.


Brian Evans' Vichy French Battleship "Jean Bart" suffers from water in the servos again..

Steve Burden threw caution to the winds and launched an all-out attack on Jean Bart and then Strasbourg while Alabama continued to turn away and engage with her rear cannon. Surprised by Houston's aggressiveness the Axis turned away and then Brian Evans raised his regular cry of "Who is on my channel? Jean Bart is not responding!". As per usual no one else was using his channel; water had reached the servos and Jean Bart circled out of control, then her quarter deck went under and down she went. Her pump had failed and within two minutes of the loss of South Dakota it was two French BBs vs Alabama and Houston.


	USS Houston sinks after going out of control and reversing back into the middle of the pond

Encouraged, but still severely outclassed in terms of firepower, Alabama and Houston fought on. Alabama continued to pound the French bows with her rear cannon while Houston launched slashing attack after slashing attack. Eventually, the inevitable happened, a French salvo connected with the brave cruiser and then it was Alabama vs Richelieu and Strasbourg.

We were now ten minutes into the battle and three ships had sunk.


Alabama mistimes her dodge and collects a salvo from VNS Strasbourg

I replenished Alabama's empty rear cannon and settled in to methodically wear down the opposition. Slow but manoeuvrable, Alabama turned away and turned away, each time sending one or more salvos into the opposition. Every so often Alabama would not manage to out manoeuvre the two French battleships and a shot would come in on a vulnerable quarter but it was not enough. Though the French came gamely on, Strasbourg started to settle by the bow. Bill declared her "sunk" and took her out. Flying out to New Zealand the next morning, Bill did not want to spend the evening drying out his guns and pulled her out of the water with less than an inch of freeboard forward.

Now it was one on one, Alabama vs Richelieu. Since being purchased by Dave in September 2000, Richelieu had never been sunk despite being one of the most active vessels in the battlegroup. In the same time frame Alabama had been sunk eight times, several times by the Richelieu. Both vessels were pulled from the water for gas and ammo, neither was patched and as each skipper inspected the other's vessel they could see that underwater damage was about even. Alabama had a huge hole in her bow, but it was high up and would not matter unless she started to get very low in the water.


	USS Alabama manoeuvres to take Richelieu's fire on her solid fibreglass stern

After the sunken vessels were recovered, Richelieu and Alabama launched for the final act in the drama. Both started pumping immediately and each circled for advantage. With her superior gun power, speed and buoyancy reserve, Richelieu sought to make firing runs past Alabama while Alabama sought to evade and use her manoeuvrability to present her stern to Richelieu, then pound her starboard side (when Richelieu takes on enough water she lists to starboard). Each skipper tried to exploit the advantages of their respective vessels but both were also determined to engage. Time after time Richelieu tried to bring her eight 1/4" forward cannon into play, time and again Alabama presented her stern and engaged with her rear cannon.


VNS Richelieu rushes for port, her starboard railing nearly underwater

A great cry went up from the crowd as Richelieu passed directly behind Alabama and her broadside went right under the American ship's stern, the blast lifting Alabama's stern entirely out of the water for a split second. All waited to see what would happen, but Alabama's rudders and props were not damaged and she powered on.

Then it happened. Slowly at first, Richelieu started to list. She started to list to starboard, the side where Alabama had been concentrating her fire. The list got more and more extreme until Richelieu's starboard railing was just about under water. Seeing what was happening Dave muttered "This is pointless" as the list had made his forward guns useless and Richelieu was hopelessly out-manoeuvred by Alabama. Bringing Richelieu about he took one last shot with his stern cannon then exclaimed "I'm bringing her in. I declare her sunk". Disappointed that Richelieu would not actually sink, Alabama sheered off from blocking Richelieu's return to port and watched her turn towards home. A great smile broke upon my face as Richelieu continued her turn to Dave's exclamation of "I've lost control" and Richelieu, her servos flooded, sailed out into the pond to pose for the cameras. Her stern dipped down, her bow pointed up and she sank for the first time in more than a year.

Just lovely and worth the 7 hours of driving to just be there.

Interestingly, post battle damage analysis showed that Houston had done sterling work in setting Richelieu up for the sinking, with Dave attributing 46 of the 74 holes in Richelieu's hull to 3/16" ball bearings. (Only Houston had 3/16" cannon on the Allied side). I have trouble telling them apart in many cases, but I presume Dave is now an expert in picking a 3/16" broadside after a year of battling Steve.

An amazing performance from Houston and a clear pointer to what can be done by a skipper who knows his stuff. Now for some target practice for Alabama and her skipper.

Dave had sailed Richelieu for more than a year without getting sunk. Sunday March 24th, 2002 his luck ran out.