Cruel Seas

Cruel Seas Close Quarters - 781010003

While gigantic warships stalk the open oceans, engaging enemies over the horizon with their titanic weapons, much smaller craft hug the coastal waters, protecting the land against raids and invasion. Such naval combat was often quick, brutal and decisive...

Marinefahrprahm F-Lighter - 785112007

The F-lighter was originally a converted tank landing craft that was being developed for the Kriegsmarine. Up armoured, shallow drafted and equipped with 88mm guns and flak guns, the F-lighter were small silhouette targets that proved very tricky to...

US Costal Cutter Sub Chaser - 785111011

Submarine chasers were used for destroying German U-boats that were stationed off the coast of the United States (some 67 German U-boats were sunk). In the Pacific Theatre, submarine chasers were used for amphibious landings, courier and escort duty...

British Fairmile D Class MTB 624 - 785101003

The Fairmile company produced a mass production vessel, which had good seagoing qualities and was used also for mine laying. The Fairmile B followed this, 398 being built in the UK, and 180 more in the Commonwealth, an impressive total. They showed their...

IJN T-14 Class MTB - 785012006

The T-14 was the most numerous of the three torpedo boats used by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Despite this, they were still few in number compared to the Allied MTBs. It could carry two torpedoes, one 25mm gun, depth charges and could make 33 knots...

Soviet D-3 MTB's - 785011005

The D-3 class was built in wood, and carrying torpedoes openly on deck could attain speeds of 32 knots(59 km/h, 37 mph). Later boats in the series had improved engines increasing operating speeds to 48 knots (89 km/h, 55 mph)! Although not many D-3s...

Soviet Bronekater - 785011004

A most peculiar type of riverine and estuary craft was also developed by the Russians. This was the 1124 and 1125 class of armoured rivercraft or Bronekater. These shallow draught craft, drawing only 2-foot of water, could penetrate river systems and...

Imperial Japanese Navy Fleet

Between the wars Japan reassessed its position with its navy, building the world’s first purpose-built aircraft carrier, the Hosho in 1921 and inventing its deadly fast and powerful type 93 24’’ oxygen fuelled torpedoes. They also decided that as their...

Italian Regio Marina Fleet

The Regia Marina was confident, had indisputably the most handsome ships in the world and referred to the troubled waters of the Mediterranean as Mare nostrum(our sea). By the start of the war, as well as capital ships, it fielded 59 destroyers and 67...

German Kriegsmarine Fleet

Kaiser Wilhelm’s vision, indeed obsession, with building a vast fleet of dreadnoughts came to nought during the Great War. He knew that his excellent fleet could not risk significant battles with the Royal Navy, it was a one-shot weapon. The lighter...

Soviet Navy Fleet

Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR (VMF) – i.e. The Military Maritime Fleet of the USSR, or the ‘Red Fleet’ for short. The Russian Armed forces of WWII are an interesting blend of extraordinary innovation and technical achievement, and extraordinary inexperience...

Cruel Seas US Navy Fleet

By 1941 there were 29 total PT’s total in the US Navy, by December ’43 there were 29 squadrons. Indeed, by the end of the war the small ships, PT’s LCI etc. numbered 7,000 craft of 80 types. Many Early PT boats had up to 4 torpedoes and 2 twin .50 Cal...

British Royal Navy Fleet

Great Britain never built a vessel as fast or as deadly as the E-boats, instead, fielding many types of MTB and motor gunboats. After a slow start, the Royal Navy helped by construction in the USA, Canada and India, built an extraordinary catalogue of...

Kriegsmarine S-boat Flotilla

The Schnellboat or ‘E Boat’ as the British Admiralty called them, E for enemy, was a truly formidable beast, in many ways incomparable in detail to the other nation’s boats. In sheer size alone, the E boat was much, much bigger. Allied boats tended to be...

Cruel Seas US Navy PT Boat Flotilla

On December 7th, 1941, the US Navy could only boast 3 squadrons of motor torpedo boats, or PT boats (patrol torpedo) as they were named. PT squadron 1 was based on Pearl Harbor and the 12 boats opened fire on the incoming Japanese bombers, claiming 2...

Royal Navy Vosper MTB Flotilla

At the outbreak of war, Britain had 3 formed MTB flotillas, precious few to cover the world’s largest empire. But with judicious use of what were pre-war civilian boatyards and the huge resources of their empire and help from the USA, the Coastal Forces...

Cruel Seas Starter Set

The Cruel Seas Starter Set contains everything you need to command your flotilla in this fast-paced 1/300th scale tabletop game. The Cruel Seas boxed game, ‘Strike Fast, Strike Hard!’, contains: A4 softback rulebook A4 quick start guide with painting...

Cruel Seas Rulebook

In Cruel Seas, you take on the role of a naval crew manning their fragile coastal craft as they head out day and night to take on both the sea and the enemy. Command your flotilla of small ships as they head out to attack a convoy, drop off Commandoes...