Battlefleet 1900 Scenario: Dash to Chifu

Location Coast of China, south of Port Arthur. December 9, 1904.

Background By early December 1904, the Japanese siege of the Russian harbor at Port Arthur
was nearing its end. A few days earlier the Russians had finally lost their grip on Hill 203, and
with that loss the Japanese Army was able to begin shelling the Russian Pacific Fleet at its
narrow anchorage within the bay. Of all the Russian ships present, only the battleship Sevastopol
was able to consider making a run for freedom. Her commander Captain von Essen had no
intention of letting his ship be captured under any condition, and on the morning of the 9th he
brought Sevastopol into the roadstead outside of Port Arthur and anchored her in preparation for
a possible dash to Chifu (Cheefoo). It was considered far better to be interned in a neutral harbor
than be captured, for the ship and crew would again be available to the Russian fleet after the
war.

The Japanese were acutely aware that one Russian battleship remained mobile, and naval high
command in Tokyo made it clear that under no circumstances should Sevasopol be allowed to
escape into internment. Unfortunately for Admiral Togo, many of his ships had returned to Japan
for badly needed refitting. This was due to the slow but steady approach of the Russian Baltic
Fleet half-way around the world. They did not want to let Sevastopol get away, but the Japanese
also knew that they could not afford to run any risks against the second Russian fleet. As a result,
a relatively small number of warships are available for interception of Sevastopol.
Russian Order of Battle
Battleship Sevastopol
Japanese Order of Battle
Third Cruiser Division (Admiral Dewa): Cruisers Yakumo, Takasago, Otowa

Scenario rules Sevastopol has only one barrel in her forward turret, only two of her secondary
armament on each side of the ship, and no tertiary boat guns. She begins the game with all of her
DC boxes checked off (no DC dice). Players can gather by the state of Sevastopol, which was the
most prepared ship at Port Arthur, that the rest of the squadron was in poor condition even before
their sinking by land-based howitzers.

Recommended optional rules
Night Fighting Rules
Seaway Rules: Stormy


Setup Sevastopol begins game on north side of board on a southerly heading. Japanese 3rd
Cruiser Division begins game on the southest side of the board on a northeasterly heading.
Closest setup proximity: 2 Nautical Miles

Reinforcement Die Rolls (1D6)
Japanese Battle Division (Togo): Battleship Mikasa. Cruisers Kasuga, Nishiin. Roll once
at the start of turn two and each turn thereafter. On any die roll result of 6, the division
arrives on northeast edge of board during movement phase.
Japanese Sixth Cruiser Division: Cruisers Chiydoa, Idzumi. Roll once at the start of turn
three and each turn thereafter. On any die roll of 5 or 6 the division arrives on southeast
edge of board.
Two Russian Destroyers: Roll before setup. Include with Sevastopol on a die roll of 3
through 6. If weather is unfavorable to small vessels, players should reduce the odds of
the destroyers coming along.

Victory Conditions
The Russians must run to the south or southeast until Japanese give up trying to stop
them. The Japanese must force the Russians to turn around and abandon their attempt to
pass to the south. Note that this does not mean the southern edge of the board, it means
southward movement in general.