Chaos reigns.

To the North two dreadnoughts pound each other side by side as a merchant slips by behind. Only one of the dreadnoughts and possibly neither will be going home as they both send rounds flying through the other’s armour and water pours in the gaping wounds.

To the East, unnoticed, a single battleship sits in a choke point ambushing and sinking each enemy merchant that tries to get past. The merchant’s cries for help unheard in the din.

To the West a cruiser races to intercept another convoy, forcing the ships into wild evasive action and slowing them down so a lumbering battleship can catch up and bring its heavy guns to bear.

Ships sink, others collide, warships thrust themselves between their merchants and the enemy who are trying to attack them, convoys scatter.

Turrets jam, guns run out of ammo, rudders come adrift, motors seize, pumps fail, electrical systems crash.

Ships sink, others run into minefields and are trapped, some beach themselves, others run for home with their decks awash.

Clausewitz’s saying “All war is simple, but the simple is most difficult” is proved once again.

SILENCE FALLS.

Sunk vessels are recovered, all are patched, scores are tallied and a winner for this round of battle is declared. The skippers of each side huddle to discuss what happened during the hour long battle, what worked, what didn’t - what to do differently when combat is rejoined.

Half an hour later a whistle blows and the cannon open fire again as the next round of battle commences.

Welcome to combat at a national meeting of the Australian Battle Group –where 1/144th scale Dreadnought era warships and merchants (skinned in balsa and armed with CO2 powered cannon firing ball bearings at 180 km/h) do battle in ponds across Australia.

YES Its legal in every state and territory

YES its chaos

YES ITS FUN