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When
I got to the ship's side, there seemed to be quite a fair crowd, and they
didn't appear to be very anxious to take to the water. I called out to
them, "Come on you chaps, who's coming for a swim?" Someone answered, "She
will float for a long time yet," but something, I don't pretend to know
what it was, seemed to be urging me to get away, so I clambered over the
slimy bilge keel and fell off into the water, followed I should think by
about five more men. I struck away from the ship as hard as I could and
must have covered nearly fifty yards when there was a big smash, and
stopping and looking round, the air seemed to be full of fragments and
flying pieces.
A large piece seemed to be right above my head, and acting on impulse, I
dipped under to avoid being struck, and stayed under as long as I could,
and then came to the top again, and coming behind me I heard a rush of
water, which looked very like surf breaking on a beach and I realized it
was the suction or backwash from the ship which had just gone. I hardly
had time to fill my lungs with air when it was on me. I felt it was no use
struggling against it, so I let myself go for a moment or two, then I
struck out, but I felt it was a losing game and remarked to myself,
"What's the use of you struggling, you're done," and I actually ceased my
efforts to reach the top, when a small voice seemed to say, "Dig out."
P.O. Ernest Francis, HMS Queen Mary
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Download the FREE demo version of Grand Fleets:
These files are made
available for personal use only; please do not make numerous printouts, or
pass the files to third parties. If your friends want copies, tell them to
come here and get their own!
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Grand Fleets is a
comprehensive miniatures game of dreadnought-era naval warfare. In
addition to rules for everything from ships to aeroplanes, Zeppelins to
submarines, the rulebook includes:
- Data cards for over 120 ships, plus
guidelines for converting any ship of the period to game values;
- Eight scenarios encompassing conflicts
from the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 through the opening salvoes of World
War Two, including several variants;
- Fifteen pages of weapon data, covering
all major gun and torpedo models in use through 1939, over 200
aeroplanes, and more than 20 airships; and
- Optional rules for flotillas,
night-fighting, smokescreens, and more!
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It was approachable, and the authors give formulas and guidance on how to convert ships from later periods (WWII) if the player so chooses. All in all, this seems to be a good starter WWI/WWII naval game.
--Tyrel Lohr
Damn you,
Daniel! I had no interest in
pre-WW2 Naval combat, but [the demo] convinced me to buy Grand
Fleets. Now I'm sitting here ordering new minis. Thanks... thanks
a lot. Great rules, really having a blast with them so far.
--rkhigdon@hotmail.com |