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TTAASSKK FFOORRCCEE 114444 The Official Newsletter of Model Warship Combat, Inc. www.mwci.org Fall-2003 CALENDAR OF MWC EVENTS November 22-23, 2003 Trotwood Turkey Shoot II Trotwood Park, Oviedo, Florida Site Host: Rick King (See BOD addresses for contact info) July 18-23, 2004 MWC National Championship Rolla, Missouri Site Host: Kevin Hovis (See BOD addresses for contact info) The MWC 2003 Early Birds Late Announcement! The 2003 Early Bird Drawings, for early admissions for the club and for Nats, were done on time. The Combat Director Ted: That’s not a sink. My pump’s so good the announcement is very late. The winner of the Prize from Battler’s Connection level of the pond rises faster than my hull does.. for the early club entrance is Ron Horbul Photo by Mike Melton’s Brother from Minnesota. The winner of the prize because the experience levels favored from Swampworks for the Early Nats Nats 2003 the Allied fleet. Fee is Don Cole from Florida. Both Sunday: The ship testing went winners received the hull of their choice. The many questions and well, there were no sinks during speed complexities of balance trials. That evening, there was a bit of The 2003 Nats is in discussion on what the size of the the books. Every various split fleets would be. The day had excellent admirals had pledged to have balanced Dana’s new little cruiser. battling. fleets but then the definition of what was THE FLEETS: ‘balanced’ caused a disagreement. It OKAY, what’s that in our scale? The Axis was the smaller fleet this year, was decided that if the difference in the According to NJM Campbells like they are in most years. There were number of ships between a fleet’s A and article “Washington’s Cherrytrees” in 20 captains conning 19 battleships or B fleet was three or less, that qualified as Warship No 1, “an important matter battlecruisers, and one cruiser as their balanced. which needed improvement in British main ships, with a total of 108 units. Monday: The battling on Monday ships was the capacity of the pumps, as The Allies had 22 captains conning 20 is very important, as it usually sets the those in the Baden could dispose of 8100 battleships and 2 cruisers as their main tone for the whole week. The Axis fleet tons per hour outside the main ships, with a total of 111.5 units. was trying a different strategy. As they machinery compartments, as against Despite the closeness of these numbers, had a fairly large contingent of smaller only 4450 tons per hour in the Hood….” the Axis were feeling like underdogs WWI battleships, they chose to group Page 201 these ships into one fleet. Their fast the non-pumping ship slid under the battleships all went to the other fleet. It waves. The Axis gave a bonzai cheer. was their hope that by keeping their “We aim to please,” said Ted just before MWC OFFICERS and fleets grouped by similar speeds and his head went under and his straw hat Board of Directors turning abilities that they would be better floated off, as he recovered his ship from able to maneuver as a cohesive unit and the bottom. Before the sortie was over, President—Larry Dahl be able to frustrate the mixed Allied his wingman, Bob Hoernemann, who’d fleets. However, due to a frequency promised to ‘follow his wingman 1486 Oakdale Ave. West St. Paul, MN 55118 conflict, one of the fast Axis battleships everywhere’, had his Warspite follow 651-450-0275 sailed with the slow fleet, and was him to the bottom. These sinks were [email protected] accompanied by the lone Axis cruiser. balanced by the loss of Rick King’s Fleet Battle 1: The Axis slow fleet Scharnhorst in the first sortie, and Jeff V.P.—Patrick Clarke started off facing the tough nuts of the Lide’s Kirishima in the second. Jeff was 304 Regensburg Lane Allied A fleet. They lost three ships in given partial credit for his own sink, as College Station, TX the first sortie. Tim Krakowski lost he zoned in on punishing Grant Dahl’s I- 979-680-8283 radio control on his Fuso and she started boat. Grant was shooting back but Jeff [email protected] circling and getting blasted by triples was mauling him, but Jeff forgot to Secretary—Kevin Hovis until Tim declared his ship sunk. Jeff watch his own waterline and turn on his Lipp’s Baden went dead in the water and pump until it was too late to recover. 2295 Highway J Fredericktown, MO 63645 also got blasted and prop washed until “OH NO!!” was the cry as the 573-783-8381 she vanished. Luis Gomez’s cruiser Kirishima’s stern went under. [email protected] went down with light damage. Two At the end of the battle, the Axis more Axis were sunk in the second seemed to control the waves, as the Treasurer--Ted Brogden sortie. Four Allied fast boats hounded Allies were out of ammo. Brian Lamb’s 1703 Quail Valley John Bruder’s Vittorio Veneto, until she Colorado was the subject of a lengthy Iowa Park, TX 76367 sank, and Alan Oster’s Konig sank near chase as the dreadnought was pumping 940-592-5066 the far shore with high damage. No one steadily. She was a proved to be a tough [email protected] sank on the Allied side, as Lars didn’t nut, and the subject of a speed test Chris Au make this battle. The Allies won this afterwards, but passed both trials easily. battle easily, 21,665 to 8315. The Axis fleet scored enough to take 20461 Northville Place, Apt. 2219 Northville, MI 48167 The Axis fast fleet did much better the battle, at 13,010 to 8450, but not against the Allied B fleet, which was no enough to make up the difference in the slouch either. The first sortie started combined score. Joel Goodman with the Contest Director, an Allied Monday Afternoon: 210 Zeblin Road member, losing radio control and his Allied A fleet vs. Axis Fast Fleet. Atlanta, GA 30342 ship sailed for minutes in a circle before This battle started with the usual Stern to 404-943-1894 [email protected] Dana Graham 30039 Avenida Celestial Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275 310-541-8477 [email protected] Chris Grossaint 6384 S.Dexter St. Littleton, CO 80121 303-694-1607 [email protected] or [email protected] Richard King 157 Canal St. Sanford, FL 32773 407-322-7750 [email protected] Mark Roe 1115 Shenandoah, Clawson, MI 48017 248-435-0680 A good sink deserves a ‘tip of the hat’. Photo by Chris Pearce Page 202 Stern faceoff, which held up for a few series of splashes flying twice the height both very close. Someone started minutes before the formations broke up. of his superstructure singing, “Auf Wiedersehen” as the hard About half of the Axis captains moved to The Allies won this battle 16940 to pumping Baden got very low in the the far side of the pond. Charley and 9125. water but just then Fluegel’s timer Tony Stephens stayed on the near shore sounded and Fluegel said, “No Thanks,” and faced off with the Au brothers, Allied B fleet vs Axis Slow fleet. and reached down and tapped his ship. among others, like Mike Melton’s The Axis Slow Fleet suffered from The Allies won this battle 11,445 to Arizona. Lars’ Bellerophon wandered in attrition in this battle. After fielding 9 8315. and got chewed up and took a nasty list, ships in the mornings battle, they were Tuesday: but was able to escape without pursuit. down to six at the start of the afternoon. The Allies would flip-flop their The first sortie ended with the Axis John Bruder had gone to the fast fleet fleets on Tuesday and Thursday, but as trying to entice the Allies to the far side, due to the lone frequency conflict. Alan the makeup of the fleets remained the and being refused. Oster and Luis Gomez’s ships were on same, we’ll refer to them as they were The second sortie was much the the bench. Jeff Lipp’s lightly damaged designated on Monday. As for the Axis, same. The group of Axis captains on the Baden went down early in the first sortie, they slightly modified their fleets. David far side grew slightly. Charley and Tony with Ted Brogden’s “It’s not the QE it’s Asman took his WWI AC Scharnhorst to Stephens stayed on the near shore and the Valiant!” standing alongside. Tim the fast fleet, while Mike Tanzillo battled their Nagatos against the Au Krakowski’s Fuso was shook loose from (Scharnhorst) and Bryan Finster brothers again. Meanwhile the the small Axis fold, and the small Axis (Nagato) went to join the slow fleet. Scharnhorsts and the other fast Jap ships contingent started chanting “Fuso come Fleet Battle 3: The Allied A fleet tried to entice the Allied ships to fight on back. Fuso come back.” Fuso faced off with the fast Axis again. They the far side at the Axis’ feet. After Tony eventually returned. Meanwhile the got a gift early on when Lars’ and Charley’s Nagatos sank, the Allies other Axis fought the defensive battle in Bellerophon started sailing in circles played with the idea, as ships darted in a small, self-supporting group. As the with a faulty battery. Driven into shore, and out, but no serious sorties were ammo ran low, the Fuso was separated the impotent dreadnought was soon attempted.