I have been an active naval wargamer for many years, having been brought up on my father's reminiscences of his time in the Far East during WW2 and treated to many visits to Portsmouth Navy Days during my imperssionable years. My first rules to be seen in print were called 'Schnellboot', and were published by SDD. They covered WW2 coastal forces actions. These were later revised and reissued through Felix Enterprises as 'Action Stations!', and were expanded to cover the period 1914-1953. Since then I have, through Felix Enterprises (now-defunct), published several more sets, including 'Iron and Fire' (ironclads and ACW), 'Form Line of Battle 2' (Age of Sail). Felix Enterprises closed down in August 1999, so I've had to find a new publisher. As a result, A&A Game Engineering republished the rules, plus my new pre-dreadnought rules (entitled title 'Fire When Ready, Gridley') and modern coastal rules ('Bulldogs Away'), from February 2000.
A new page filled with links to naval wargames rules that are freely available online. If you are aware of any other sets that are out there, or if you would like me to add a link to your set of rules please drop me a line .
Links to My Naval Wargaming Pages
Action Stations! - My first published rules, covering coastal forces actions from WW1 to Korea
Bulldogs Away! - NEW My latest rules, covering modern fast attack craft
Schnell Rules for Schnell Boote - fast play WW2 coastal forces rules
Form Line of Battle - a fast play set of Napoleonic naval rules. The third edition has just been published. These page includes new and optional rules for the current and previous edition of the rules, and will include scenarios and other useful stuff as it develops.
Iron and Fire- my own rules for the American Civil War and Ironclad periods.
Fire When Ready, Gridley! - my new set of pre-dreadnought rules covering the period 1880 to 1906 and beyond.
General Quarters - the 'standard' WW1 and WW2 naval rules, and the infamous "Modern General Quarters" variant!.
Shipwreck - My page devoted to these new nodern naval rules from Vandering Publications
Pieces of Eight - Rules for pirate actions on land and sea from Peter Pig. New rules and other "stuff"
Victory at Sea - Suggested amendments and additions to Mongoose Publishing's new WW2 fast play naval rules.
Nauta - A set of ancient naval rules by Daniele Varelli, now hosted here (and probably elsewhere)
Scenarios and Campaign Settings
Disputed Territory - (PDF file, 388k). A modern naval campaign set in the waters between Indonesia and Australia, written by Mal Wright. This scenario was published in "Battlefleet" and later in its current form in Harpoon Naval Review '97 (reproduced here with the kind permission of Dave Scheuler at Clash of Arms and Mal Wright)
Northern Waters - another modern naval mini campaign bty Mal Wright [pdf file, 257k]
Yellow Coast - Wargaming the naval side of the Opium Wars.
The Dutch Wars - wargaming the three Dutch wars using "Form Line of Battle" (more DW stuff soon!)
The Battle of the Nile - Refight Aboukir Bay using FLoB
Note: There are several WW2 campaign packs on the General Quarters page.
I have been a member of the Naval Wargames Society (and before that the 'Battleship Club) for over six years, editing their journal 'Battlefleet' for the last three years. The revised NWS website, created by Bill Madison, is up and running. Visit it here.
The page devoted to the Wessex Branch of the NWS , for which I am the coordinator, an also be found here.
The Bristol Wargames Club
Thoroughly nice chaps and organisers of the "Reveille" wargames show. Click HERE for a link to the show's website and the general club site.
Naval Wargaming Manufacturers and Publishers Sites
A&A Game Engineering - Purveyors of fine wargames rules (and an excellent painting service!)
Clash of Arms - Publishers of Harpoon, Command at Sea and Fear God and Dread Nought
Langton Miniatures - website for this illustrious supplier of naval wargaming materiel!
Navwar - extensive ranges in 1/1200, 1/3000 and 1/300, many periods
PT Dockyard - Fine 1/600 scale resin models of coastal forces small (and not too small) craft
Skytrex - more extensive ranges in 1/1200, 1/3000 and 1/300, again many periods covered, also 1/600 Coastal.
Vandering Publications - naval (and other) rules from Barrow in Furness!
War Times Journal - Excellent 1/3000 Pre-Dreadnought models for several nationalities, and the range is being actively expanded.
Links to Other Naval Resources
Here are links to some useful naval warfare and wargaming sites.
Naval Art
National Maritime Art Collection -
Ancient
Naumachiae - A review of Rod Langton's excellent ancient naval rules.
Age of Sail
The Inshore Squadron - Mark Barker's excellent new site, with Clear for Action in mind, well worth a look for anyone interested in Age of Sail.
Kamperduin Refought - the adventures of the Naval Wargames Society in the Netherlands
HMS Surprise - a frigate simulator for Windows 95/98 (useful links too!)
The Dutch Wars - a new site by Geert-Jan Kruijff
The Naval History of Great Britain - Naval history of Great Britain 1793 - 1827 by William James published 1837
American Civil War
Ironclads - Larry Enoch's gaming pages including his collection of 1/600 scratch built ironclads and other naval bits and pieces.
Index of Civil War Naval Forces, Confederate and Union Ships
Transition/Ironclad/Pre-dreadnought
The Russo Japanese War - homepage for the Russo-Japanese War Research Society
Navies in Transition - Phil Russell's site, providing an online resource for the period of naval transition from wooden walls through ironclads and pre-dreadnoughts to the great War (1837 to 1914).
The Virtual Proving Ground - The technology of naval war in the late 19th and early 20th century. A new site, expanding rapidly.
Peruvian Naval Campaigns of the 19th Century - An excellent online reference
WW1 / WW2
The Naval Encyclopaedia - data on various naval aspects of WW1 and WW2 . Good links as well.
Germany's High Sea Fleet in the World War - Admiral Scheer's book, available onlinefrom WTJ
Nihon Kaigun - the Japanese Navy in WW2
USS Enterprise- The most decorated carrier in WW2
The PT Boat Page - devoted to the "mosquito fleet"
Post 1945
Royal Navy Homepage
The Falklands Conflict '82
Royal Australian Navy Homepage
General
All The World's Battlecruisers and Battleships - an excellent general naval warfare site, by Bob Henneman
Cap'n Dave's Naval Wargame Page - Dave Spurlock's naval wargames site
The Friedrich Files - An interesting collection of warship photos
The Naval Historical Center - "preserving, analyzing and interpreting its hard-earned experience and history for the Navy and the American people"
Lou Coatney's Homepage - loads of good naval stuff including excellent cardstock model ships
Maritime History - Great general source and many more links
Online Map Creation - great for generating campaign maps, just input the lat and long of the campaign area and away you go!
The Russian Navy
Maritime History and Naval Heritage Homepage
The Information Seaway
Nautical Research Guild - Ship Models & Nautical History
Miniature Wargaming Free Wargames Resources
Sci Fi and Fantasy
Yes, there are even sci fi and fantasy naval wargames out there!
Aquazone - an interesting set of submarine rules....
Man o War - The SFSFW page devoted to one of Games Workshop's Finest efforts!
Man o War - The System 17 page