From:PeterD Spanish American War Merchant Ships (12 points)

A collection of merchantmen and transports for my first post this week.  These are all from the excellent Tumbling Dice 1:2400 scale Age of Battleships range.  The US Navy used a lot of merchant men for its war effort against Spain.  Some were bought and incorporated into the US Navy (as Armed Merchant cruisers, transports or Armed yachts) but most were just hired out for the duration.

Leonidas of the Charlie ("Affirmative") line and Pompey of the Echo ("I am altering to starboard") line.  Sounds like these to have things worked out nicely.

 

I've not tried to represent any particular ships here but did them up as fairly generic vessels which I gave names selected from actual ships used  in 1898.  I went for classical names to make them useable serving for a bunch of fleets, and because I was born on the Ides of March.

Alexander of the Juliet ("I am on fire") line and Caesar of the Lima ("Stop Immediately") line.  Doesn't look good for the first but the second seems likely to keep clear of trouble.

For identification, I gave each ship a flag selected from among the International maritime signal flags.  These all have meanings beyond their alphabetic use and I'm sure than Admiral Paul will confirm what each is indicating.  I have seen pins based on theses flags and their meaning  meant to worn on nights drinking at the sailing club, where they take on whole new meanings.

Sorry for the bad photo.  Hector of the Delta ("I am having trouble manouvering") Line and Brutus of the Foxtrot ("I am disabled and require assistance") line.  This one likely won't end well.  Good thing that there's no vessels from the Bravo ("I am carrying dangerous goods") line nearby.  Hector is a side wheeler and I have found photos of similar vessels serving in 1898 (heck some served at Dunkirk in 1940).

The US Navy needed a big fleet of transports because of the wide scope of its operations, including:

• Maintaining coal supply at it's Caribbean bases of Key West and Miami
• Blockades of Spanish ports in Cuba and Puerto Rico.
• Amphibious landings on Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam
• Setting up a forward coaling base at Guantanamo once they got troops ashore.
• Keeping its Asiatic squadron and land forces supplied from across the Pacific (Dewey had no base before Manilla).

That's a long list of achievements for a Navy fighting its first overseas war, even without worrying about an enemy fleet.

That is 6 ships at 2 points a hull for a total of 12.  I am going to group these merchants with my US Navy ships posted earlier to claim another squirrel point.

From DaveD , my first substitute minion task , I am pleased to see one from Peter . Lovely little collection of transport you have there l must say . I like the back story on the ship names .  That a tidy little 12 points for you sir .