Molti Nemici, Molto Onore -Regia Marina Gruppo Due

 "Many enemies, much honour."

The second batch of Italian ships has been launched and finished their shake down cruise. This group included a pair of super detailed Lee McColl 3d designs printed for me by the Mad Padre. These are proper Condotierri class light cruisers.

As you can see there are very fine masts, which I'm sure will break off, thin delicate gun barrels reminiscent of the metal GHQ models and freaking port holes!

Nailed it!

I managed to do a pretty good job copying the camouflage scheme in my Osprey Italian Cruisers of World War Two, which happened to be the Luigi Cardona. A name I'd already given to one of the Capitani Romani ships in the first group of Italian ships.

There's an obvious difference in size between the two classes

So I decided I would relabel the models and give the Capitani Romani ships the proper names of the two ships that actually saw any fighting before Mussolini was overthrown and Italy surrendered. They are essentially destroyer leaders rather than cruisers, and were designed in 1939 to match the French heavy destroyers. With four twin 5.5" gun turrets I'll treat them much like the British Dido class.

Ready to attack allied convoys

This group also includes six destroyers. Five Navigatoris and the stray Soldati to fix the last group's mix up. 

And six escort destroyers/frigates/torpedo boats. Five Spica class and one Orsa class (another bagging mix up....sigh). Of course I had to include the Lupo. But the Regia Marina had a lot of these little ships.

Brett and Dan came over to blood my new ships and try my idea for a scenario I'd like to run at KEGSCon in September. An Italian convoy of seven merchant ships, escorted by three Spicas and one Soldati has to exit the top left corner. Royal Navy enters the table top left table edge. Reinforcing Italian squadrons enter top right and bottom right corners.

Early casualties from long range torpedo launches.

Escorts lay a smoke screen but two of the Spicas are smashed by gunfire.

Turn end, the smoke screen ends and more carnage. Another escort is blown out of the water

It doesn't go all one way. The Zara gets a magazine hit on HMS Orion.

And then gets reduced to a flaming, water logged hulk by HMS Sheffield

Cruisers getting in among the convoy. Sailors wondering how far they can swim right about now.

British destroyers kill my other heavy cruiser

Ships exploding everywhere....

End game. The Italians have one light cruiser and four destroyers left. All the ships with smoke on them are floating wrecks. The British have lost a light cruiser and have a couple of damaged destroyers.

It was fun to get the models in a game and try my ideas out. The guys gave me some good feedback on the scenario to noodle about with. Ideally I'd like a game that could handle four to six players, which means it has to be on the big size. Maybe I'll reverse and have the Italians attacking a British convoy to Malta instead? Make it a night action? Or get my aircraft painted? 

So many options.