Austrian Imperial Armoury

The Imperial Armoury in Vienna houses an extensive collection of arms and armour. Located within the Hofburg Palace complex, the collection includes suits of armour worn by knights, ceremonial armour of emperors and kings, and weaponry ranging from swords and firearms to cannons.

The collection is on the top floor of the Weltsmuseum. The floor below has an eclectic collection of items the Hapsburgs collected worldwide. Many were collected by Maximilian, whose travels ended up on the Mexican throne and a sticky end!

The collection is vast, so I will give a flavour. I was naturally attracted to the Ottoman equipment, which reflects the almost continuous conflict with the Hapsburgs. 

However, it is the armour collection that attracts most visitors. My absolute favourite is the Skanderbeg helm and sword.

There are also some of the strangest pieces of armour I have seen.

I assumed this was Teutonic, but the catalogue says it was made for Albert of Prankh in the 15thC.

This is the advert picture to draw you in.

One of several halls full of armour.

This is wedding armour. I pity his wife!

Not sure if he is bragging or just pleased to see his enemies!

They also have muskets and handguns.

The catalogue picks out 100 items and is a work of art in its own right. Overall, a museum not to be missed if you are in Vienna.

The Battle of Aspern-Essling 1809

I am in Vienna this week. It is not my first visit, but my wife has never been. There are lots of Balkan links, of course, but one battlefield I have never visited is Aspern-Essling. It was fought on 21-22 May 1809, during the War of the Fifth Coalition. I wasn't originally planning to go because the volunteer museums are only open on Sundays. However, the previous day's visit had worn my wife's sprained ankle, so I got a morning pass.

Aspern and Essling were two small villages on the banks of the Danube River near Vienna. Napoleon chose this area for his river crossing, led by Marshal Jean Lannes. They initially faced stiff Austrian resistance but managed to secure a foothold on the far bank. Archduke Charles responded, launching a series of fierce counterattacks to dislodge the French from their positions. The terrain, which included marshes and small villages, posed challenges for both sides. Control of critical positions, such as the villages of Aspern and Essling, shifted repeatedly during the battle. While the battle ended inconclusively, Napoleon withdrew his forces to the original side of the Danube, conceding a rare tactical defeat.

I re-read David Chandler's battle description and brought his maps. However, this was an opportunity to try the new travel guide app Guidl. Charles Esdaile has done a guided tour of this battle, and it was very useful. The app is free, but you pay to download each tour, which is £6.99. For that, you get an overview of the battle and several audio segments you can listen to at critical points on the battlefield. You will also need Google Maps to get about. In my case, by walking and bus. The app is a bit clunky, but Charles clearly explains what happened at each spot and describes the commanders engaged.

So, I caught the train to Aspern, which is over the Danube in today's Vienna suburbs. Then, I took a bus to St Martin's Church, which was on the French left flank. This was a key strong point in the battle and has several monuments, along with a small museum.

I walked towards the old main street, which formed part of the defences. There are still some older houses, and the locals haven't forgotten Napoleon😂.

Next, a short bus ride takes you to Essling. First, out to the open fields of the Marchfeld, scene of Bessieres cavalry charges. The street is named after one of the Austrian commanders.

My final stop was the granary in Essling, which formed the right flank of the French position. It is the one building that survived and is easy to spot. The guide goes on to the river crossings, but I needed to head back to our flat for the afternoon museum visits.

 I have refought this battle a few times on the tabletop. It is an interesting tactical challenge, as the French need a bridgehead but are outnumbered at least four to one.

It would have been a better visit with the museums. So, if you have the option, go on a Sunday. However, walking the battlefield is still valuable, and I will enjoy the next game all the more.

The previous day, we visited the Belvedere Palace, which has the classic Napoleon crossing the Alps painting. It's historical nonsense, as he actually crossed the Alps on a mule (a realistic painting is in Liverpool's Walker Gallery), but it's a great painting. The Hofburg also has a fine statue of Archduke Charles. The Austrians do like statues; the city is littered with them.

Montrose - The Captain General

 This is the second book in Nigel Tranter's version of the Montrose story. It covers his later victories in the civil wars, including Kilsyth. Then, the defeat at Philipaugh, followed by exile and the final ill-fated campaign that led to the scaffold in Edinburgh.

As with the first book, Tranter has not overly focused on the well-known Civil War campaign. He devotes considerable space to Montrose's travels across Europe, seeking to build support for the Royalist cause. Then, the less well-known final campaign, when he landed with a core of mercenaries on Orkney and invaded the mainland. Charles II had made the fatal mistake of entering into negotiations with the Covenanter leadership, which ultimately undermined Montrose, as none of the clans would risk all on a doomed cause. Heavily outnumbered, his small force was destroyed at Carbisdale. 

The final section of the book covers his short captivity in Edinburgh and subsequent execution. This is a pretty tragic read, dealing with the sad end of a loyal servant of the Crown who had the misfortune to serve two incompetent Stewart monarchs. His reputation was recovered at the Restoration, with his arch-enemy, Archibald Campbell, taking his place in Edinburgh jail.

I have concurrently been reading Edward Cowan's biography of Montrose. Tranter has kept close to the history, and Cowan also devotes more space to Montrose's early life and later travels. Montrose had a stellar reputation as a soldier across Europe and could have commanded at least one of the major armies on the continent. He should have done!

I have several books on the classic Montrose campaigns but not a full biography. This is excellent and has broadened my knowledge and admiration for this remarkable historical figure.

My 15mm Montrose army is now finished, and I have been playing games of For King and Parliament using the new supplements.

The Pakistan Navy

 I have reached the last stage of my research into HMS Ambuscade for the book that should be out this summer. My summary of the ships is on the Clyde Naval Heritage website, which plans to bring the Type 21 frigate back to the Clyde. The book's final section covers the period when Ambuscade was sold to Pakistan in 1993 and renamed PNS Tariq. This name comes from Tariq bin Ziyad, the commander who led the Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Spain in 711–718 A.D.

I have read and reviewed several books on the Indo-Pakistan conflicts, but these include very little about the Pakistan Navy. There were very few naval operations in the 1965 war, more in 1971. Files in the National Archives gave me the sale details and a few journal articles helped. Commodore Ranjit Rai's book Warring Navies: India and Pakistan is pretty good on naval operations, although the focus is on the Indian Navy and lacks complete objectivity.

There is a very entertaining book of Pakistan Navy naval anecdotes written by Rear Admiral Mian Zahir Shah, Bubbles of Water. I was greatly helped because the first commander of PNS Tariq, Captain Muhammad Anwar, wrote his memoirs. He is also a Trustee of Clyde Naval Heritage and generously gave me some of his time. I usually write about long-dead people, so interviewing a veteran was an honour and a new experience. The book is an excellent read, covering his extensive naval service and also, sadly, how he became the victim of internal navy politics.

The Pakistan Navy inherited a small number of ships at Partition, supplemented in the early years by former Royal Navy warships. As Britain withdrew from the East, the USA became the primary provider of vessels. The French supplied four Daphne-class submarines, later augmented by two Agosta-class submarines. They also provided the Dassault Mirage 5 and the maritime variant of the Exocet missile. 

In 1986, the Pakistan Navy expressed an interest in buying new Type 21 frigates from Britain. This came to nothing, but the discussions were reopened in 1992 when the Pakistan Navy sought replacements for their eight leased US frigates. The US refused to extend the lease because the Pakistani government was unwilling to sign up to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. They went on to buy all six remaining Type 21 frigates, including HMS Ambuscade, which were scheduled for decommissioning by the Royal Navy. 

The naval base in Karachi refitted the ships, and PNS Tariq became the squadron's flagship. She served in the Gulf and the Mediterranean and was deployed on a search-and-rescue mission to the Maldives, where she rescued 377 tourists. PNS Tariq was decommissioned on 5 August 2023 after 30 years of service.

For wargaming purposes, I have plans to expand my land forces to the sea and land battles of the Indo-Pakistan wars. Just too many projects and not enough time at present.

Clyde Naval Heritage has launched its fundraising campaign to bring PNS Tariq back to the Clyde. You can support the project in various ways. Details are on this webpage.

The Faded Map

 My library pick this month was Alistair Moffat's look at the lost kingdoms of Scotland during the late Roman, Dark Ages, and early medieval periods. They are 'lost' because we know very little about them. What we do know is based on a handful of unreliable written sources and archaeology. 

The problem with writing about lost kingdoms is that without sources, you either have to give extensive context or speculate extensively. Moffat mainly goes for the former. This book was written in 2010, and there have been some developments since then. The History Hit podcast 'Gone Medieval' recently covered these.

The main lost kingdom in the east of Scotland is Bernicia. The Kingdom of Bernicia emerged in the early 6th century in the region that roughly corresponds to present-day Northumberland and County Durham in England. Moffat argues that it also covered much of lowland Scotland and for a period further north. Bernicia's history is closely intertwined with that of its southern neighbour, the Kingdom of Deira. Together, they formed the powerful kingdom of Northumbria when they were united in the late 7th century. 

One of the most notable rulers of Bernicia was King Æthelfrith, who reigned from around 593 to 616. Æthelfrith was known for his military prowess and expansionist policies. He was responsible for defeating the British kingdom of Gododdin at the Battle of Degsastan in 603 and the subsequent annexation of the region known as the Old North. After the death of Æthelfrith, Bernicia was briefly ruled by Edwin of Deira (killed at the Battle of Hatfield Chase 633) but later reverted to independent rule under Æthelfrith's sons. Eventually, the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira were united under King Oswiu in 654, forming the Kingdom of Northumbria. Bernicia's influence continued throughout the Northumbrian period, which lasted until the Viking invasions of the 9th century.

In the west, Strathclyde existed as an independent kingdom for several centuries, coexisting alongside Northumbria, Dalriada and Rheged. During its height, Strathclyde played a significant role in the politics and warfare of northern Britain. It was often a buffer state between the expanding kingdoms of the Angles and the Scots, and its kings were involved in conflicts with both. However, with the rise of the Kingdom of Scotland under Kenneth MacAlpin and his successors, Strathclyde gradually came under increasing pressure. By the 11th century, it had effectively been absorbed into Scotland, although remnants of its distinct culture and identity persisted for some time. Tim Clarkson's 'Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age' covers this later period well.

The benefit of this study is that it's focused on the lost kingdoms of Scotland. The problem is that just narrows down what we don't know. New archaeological findings certainly help, but the absence of historical sources will always limit our understanding of this period. Still, it gives free rein to excellent historical fiction writers like Matthew Harffy!

One of my 28mm Saxon command stands

Lord Byron and Newstead Abbey

 On my way to the football yesterday, I visited Lord Byron's home at Newstead Abbey, just north of the city. It is a fine site with extensive gardens, and while Byron was forced to sell the property, the focus of the exhibits within the house itself is understandably on its most famous resident. 

Byron is most famous as a romantic poet, but my primary interest is his role during the Greek War of Independence and his earlier visit to the Balkans. This included his meeting with Ali Pasha, which provided a valuable primary source I used in my book, The Frontier Sea.

In 1823, Byron travelled to Greece to offer his support. He used his funds to finance the Greek cause and became involved in the conflict. He arrived in Greece in 1824 and settled in the town of Missolonghi, which was a centre of the Greek resistance. Byron contributed not only financially but also personally to the cause. He organised funds, supplies, and medical aid for the Greek forces. He even formed his own military unit, which he equipped and trained at his own expense. Despite his lack of military experience, Byron was determined to fight alongside the Greeks. However, his efforts were cut short when he fell ill with a fever and died on April 19, 1824, at the age of 36.

His Balkan connections are reflected in a few exhibits in the house. 

This is the helmet he had designed for the conflict and was laid on his coffin.

The military jacket worn by Byron in Greece.

This helmet was made for Byron's friend Count Pietro Gamba. The legend on the plate features 'Hellas' in Greek characters.

The house itself is worth a visit. There are plenty of portraits.

Byron's library

His bedroom, which saw plenty of 'action' with both sexes.

His study

Even if the house doesn't interest you, the grounds alone make a pleasant afternoon walk. 

Royal Lancers Museum

Today's visits included another of those wonderful small regimental museums that we should nurture—along with the volunteers who keep them going. Today's was the Royal Lancers Museum in Nottinghamshire, near Sherwood Forest. It's in what I assume used to be the stables of the nearby Hall, now a hotel. There is also a nice cafe (fantastic Bakewell tart) and a few shops.

That's a Conqueror heavy tank outside.

They also have a Ferret armoured car. These exhibits reflect the cavalry regiments covered by the museum, which dates back to the 16th and 17th Light Dragoons. Although the first unit was raised by the owner of the Hall during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, the Kingston Light Horse.

You have to see the Tarleton helmet to appreciate how cumbersome it must have been to wear it.

The regiments mainly consisted of light cavalry that converted to lance in the 19th century. They fought in most of the colonial conflicts.

Zulu Wars

Boer War

Sudan. This was recaptured at Omdurman.

The two world wars and beyond are also covered. One of the regiments is the Sherwood Rangers, the subject of James Holland's book Band of Brothers. They make good use of model kits and dioramas.

This is only a small museum, but it's worth a look if you are in the area.

On my way back to the hotel, I stopped off at Conisborough Castle. It is the best-preserved 12th-century keep in England. The views are worth the climb up the stairs, although someone did ask me if there was a lift!