naval war college. rules for the conduct of the war games.pdf

NOT FOR GENHRAL 01STRIBUTION.

NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, NEWPORT, R. I.

RULES

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FOR THE

CONDUCT OF THE WAR GAMES. ..

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1901. (I

W.ASIIINGTON;

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NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, NEWPORT, R. I.

RULES FOR THE

CONDUCT OF THE WAR GAMES.

1901.

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c: o vrn:-01r.:o· PRINTINC: OffJCI':.

. 1901.

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Il CONTENTS. SECTIOX !.-General description of the Duel, or Single-Ship Game. Rules. Si-:CTIOX II.-General description of the E'leet Tactical Game. Meli.Se. Rules. SECT1ox III.-General description of the Strategic Game. Rules and tables. SECTION IV.-Blank pages Cor criticism a.ucl suggestions. Offi· cers are requested to enler therein cri ticisms of tho gmnes ancl of the methocli; of playing them, and any suggestions for their improYement. (3)

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RULES FOR THE WAR GAMES. SECTION I '.l'HE l>UE L OR SI NGLE-SHIP GAME.

The Duel is played by two ship commanders Detail of and an Arbitrator. The commanders plot the Players. tracks of their own ships, keep tally for their batteries, and measure gun fire. The Arbitrator decides all questions that may arise. His decision is absolute for the moment; all criticism and discussion is to be reserved until the close of the game. The scale track curves show the wake of a Scale battle ship turning with ~he helm hard over; Track they are marked at various points of the curve Cur ves. with the corresponding times from the begin ning of the turn. Special cur ves are provided, showing the track of a ba.ttle ship when the h elm is shifted from hard over one way to hard over the other way; this is marked at various points on the cur ve, with the corresponding times from the moment of shifting the helm, and for the distance made good during the first move after straightening out. These markings vary with the speed. Small transparent cards are used to deter- Relative mine the r elatiYe bearing of an opponent. Bearing. Disputed questions of bearing ar e at once determined by the Arbitrator. The score wands are marked with gun-fire Gun-fir e values for every weight of fire from a single Score (5)

Wands.

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pair of 8-iuch guns to a full broadside, and for ever y range up to 2,000 yards. The lesser values on the score wand are those wh ere the striking angle is less than 45 ° ; the greater, where the striking· angle is g reater than 45°. Speed The rapidity of gun fire is considered to be a.s of foUows : 12-inch guns may fir e every tMee minFire. utes; 8-inch guns every two minutes; r apidfi re battery fir es four times every minute. Two speeds are permitted; "standard speed," Speed of wl1ich is shown upon the track curve used, and Ships. "slow speed," which is half of sta.ndard speed. A ship may at any time change speed or stop, but shall be governed in t.hese movements by the following rules: F rom " standard " to " slow," and vice versa, takes effect the next move after. From "standard" to " stop," and vice vena, takes effect six moves after. From "slow" to "stop'', and vice versa, takes effect the next move after. Ramming. Large-sea.le cardboard curves are provided, for the purpose of aiding the Arbitrator in making decision when collision takes place. In ramming, a stem to stem blow makes a "draw." To win, the stem of one ship 1nust strike th e side or stern of the other. TorpeFour torpedoes ar e all owed to each ship ; does. two on a side, with arcs of tr ain from bow to quarter. T he "torpedo card" and special dice are used in connection with them . Torpedo T he face of the torpedo card is arranged in Cards "zones of chance." This card is ruled ver tiand cally by " five-second " lines, from 0 seconds Dice. t o 35 seconds; horizontally, in lines for each "point" of imvact, from the striking angle of 0 points t o an angle of 8 points.

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A player wishing to fire a torpedo will designate the position at the mmnent of firing, expressed in seconds from the beginning of the move, and the arc of train of the tube, either to port 01· starboard, r eckoned in "points" from right ahead. rrhen the line drl'l.wn on the gam e board froin this designated position to the target shows the a ngle of impact. in "points." P loiLiug on the t.orpedo cartl with tho angle of impact in points, and the time of firing in seconds, will indicate t.he "zone of chance" ·within which the shot falls. T he die is then il1 rown with the chance offered by this found zone, to deter· mine whether the shot. is successful. To begin the game, each player wr ites upon his score card two moves, of