The Italian Army in the Balkans

This is a new book by Massimiliano Afiero for Helion on the Italian army in the Balkans. As the title implies, the focus is on the Italian army's operations in the Greek campaign. It doesn't cover the Greeks to any significant degree, and there is probably less than I expected regarding organisation and tactics. However, this is the most detailed account of Italian operations I have read since Mario Cervi's Hollow Legions. I recommend Pier Paolo Battistelli's Osprey Campaign 358 for a broader overview. My article on the campaign Blunder in the Mountains was also published in the SOTCW Journal.

If you think it looks expensive at £35, it is a hardback, printed on photo quality paper for the wealth of photos and colour plates.

The Italian invasion of Greece began on October 28, 1940, when Mussolini's forces attacked Greece from Albania, which Italy had invaded earlier that year. On this day, Greece celebrates Ohi Day (Greek: "Όχι", meaning "No"), commemorating its refusal to surrender or allow Italian forces to enter its country. The Italians encountered strong resistance from the Greek Army. The Greek forces, aided by terrain, repelled the initial Italian attacks. By November 1940, Greek forces, under the command of General Alexander Papagos, mounted a successful counteroffensive. They pushed the Italians back into Albania, capturing significant portions of Italian-held territory. By early 1941, Greek forces had advanced deep into Albania, while Italy struggled to sustain its campaign. This setback for Mussolini was embarrassing and highlighted Italy's military weaknesses. The Italians lost around 20,000 dead, and the Greeks 13,408. 

The book also covers the later stages of the campaign when Hitler came to the rescue with Operation Marita. This started with the invasion of Yugoslavia, and the Italians aided this by attacking from Albania and their outposts on the Dalmatian coast. A particular favourite of mine is the attempted breakout from Zadar (Zara), which we used for a participation game in 2019.  Mussolini had abandoned earlier plans to invade Yugoslavia under pressure from Hitler, another what-if I must return to.

This book covers each campaign stage and how the Italians responded to each setback. Much of the fighting occurred in the mountains during winter, with brutal conditions even for the trained Alpini divisions. The author extensively uses the medal citations to illustrate the troops' bravery. It is a cliche, but these were truly lions led by donkeys. It is profusely illustrated with wartime photos, most of which I haven't seen before. If you are interested in this campaign, you will find this book an invaluable addition to your library.

I have the Italian and Greek armies in 28mm and 15mm and the Yugoslavs in 28mm. I have also visited several of the battlefields in Greece and Albania. Mountain fighting is quite challenging to replicate on the tabletop, but in the larger scales at least, we only need to model the points of contact.

Italian infantry in 28mm.

Alexander's Legacy - To the Strongest

 No, this isn't another blog about my go-to set of ancient wargames rules. This is the opening book in a series by Robert Fabbri on the Wars of the Successors (Diadochi), my library pick for this month. The title is taken from a phrase reportedly uttered by Alexander the Great on his deathbed, signifying that his empire should go to the most capable, not to a designated heir. 

Most of us could probably name the best known of the Successors, Ptolemy, Seleucus and Antigonus One-Eye. However, these were not the only initial contenders, and it is this initial struggle that is covered by the book. The leading player in this book is Perdiccas (spelt Perdikkas in this book) – Alexander’s top general and regent (Fabbri calls him the half-chosen because he received Alexander's ring), initially ruling in the name of Philip III and Alexander IV. Philip III Arrhidaeus, Alexander’s half-brother, was mentally impaired and was made a figurehead king. Alexander IV was Alexander’s posthumous son with Roxana. He was too young to rule, leading to a regency.

Perdiccas' aim was to keep the empire together. However, most other generals had an eye (pun intended!) for creating their own kingdoms. In particular, Ptolemy took Egypt and founded the Ptolemaic Dynasty, which ruled until Cleopatra VII. He hijacked Alexander's coffin and defeated Perdiccas's attempt to recover it. Perdiccas was assassinated after the battle, probably by Seleucus, one of Perdiccas's commanders, who later took Babylon.

Antigonus controlled Asia Minor and also aimed to unify Alexander’s empire. He allied with Antipater, the aged but respected regent of Macedonia who initially controlled Europe. Other secondary characters include Eumenes, who was a Greek and, therefore, not a contender, but he was a wily operator (Fabbri calls him 'the sly'), along with Alexander's mother Olympias and his half-sister Ada.

This book ends with the assassination of Perdiccas, so the later battles are yet to come. Fabbri sticks fairly closely to the history, introducing just a few extra characters and, of course, the dialogue. Each chapter focuses on one of the characters while maintaining a chronological narrative. The chapters are short, which suits me perfectly as this is my bedtime reading. I enjoyed this treatment of a classic piece of ancient history and will probably read more in the series.

My Macedonian phalanx in 28mm

Arnhem Black Tuesday

 Although the Second World War is one of my favourite periods, I am less interested in the later war and the North West Europe campaign in particular. So, this new book by Al Murray would not have been on my reading list had a pal at the club not lent me his copy and recommended it.

I have visited Arnhem, although my understanding of the battle is probably heavily influenced by the film  A Bridge Too Far. The recent death of the actor Gene Hackman, who played Major General Stanisław Sosabowski, was in my mind as I read the chapter of the Polish Brigade. He played the part brilliantly, accurately reflecting the Pole's scepticism of the operation. I didn't know that there was a plan to parachute the brigade into Warsaw to support the uprising. As it turns out, it probably wouldn't have made any difference, and as the Home Army had grown to 700,000 by this stage of the war, their insertion into Poland would not have been a significant reinforcement.

It was that level of detail and discovering things about the battle I didn't know that I enjoyed most about this book. It takes the reader through each stage of action, largely chronologically, while describing the actions each battalion fought in. It relies heavily on the war diaries of the units concerned, which I know from my own research can be frustrating at times. 

One of the battalions at Arnhem was the 2nd South Staffs. They were in the air landing brigade brought in on gliders. I visited their excellent regimental museum a few weeks ago, and they have a section on Arnhem. 

Sean Connery played the divisional commander Roy Urquhart in the film. I hadn't appreciated that he had no airborne experience, although, as Murray highlights, this was a very difficult battle to control from any divisional HQ. Nonetheless, he needed to communicate who should take over from him more clearly, as getting cut off in such a fast-moving battle without stable front lines in a built-up area could have been anticipated. The division was also a patched-up unit, with no time to build command cohesion. Why Lieutenant General Browning (Dirk Bogarde) had to be there is still a mystery. His tactical Headquarters used 38 gliders, which could have been better used for troops and equipment.

The lack of artillery was a significant issue with the plan, particularly as this was an essential part of British doctrine at this stage of the war. I hadn't appreciated that a battery of 17pdr ATGs was brought in on gliders. Mortar bombs and similar caused 75% of British casualties in WW2, and the Germans made full use of these skills in Arnhem. Medical provision was state of the art with no less than three field surgeries. Supply was less well organised, and the famous film scene of canisters being dropped behind enemy lines happened. There was also a canister of red berets when I suspect more ammunition would have been the troop's priority.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected. It also shows that there is something new to learn from even the best known history.

Midgard Heroic Battles

My first reaction to the 'new guy on the block' ruleset was, do I really need another set of ancient/fantasy rules? Is there really going to be anything here that I can't get from Dragon Rampant et al? However, after watching several games using the rules at Hammerhead, I gave in and bought a copy, plus markers and movement trays from Warbases.

It wasn't cheap, at £30, but the production quality is excellent, and it even has an index! Unlike Saga, which has a similar feel, you don't need special dice; the markers are optional. I was going to get the measuring sticks and tokens from TFL, but I do object to £5+ postage. I'll pick them up at Salute if I go down.

The unit types are generic, with no more complexity than necessary. The focus is on heroes that come in four levels. I used to play a lot of Warhammer Ancient Battles (WAB), and it does have a similar feel. The profiles have the usual factors based on the number of dice to be thrown. Yes, this is another buckets of dice set, which are popular. The key difference is that 'reputation' is all, and the loss of units and the actions of heroes determines the outcome of the game. The victory points token system is like To the Strongest, although you can gain as well as lose them.

I like the simplicity of the command tests required to take most actions. One or two fails with no long list of factors. Similarly, shooting and combat are generally based on a roll of 5 or 6. The turn sequence is IGUG, with an interesting tweak around shooting for skirmishers. Heroes can influence actions, including combat, by expending 'mighty deeds' tokens each turn. This is powerful but not overwhelming. 

Movement is in two actions, which might not happen depending on a dice roll and stamina levels. It felt a bit clunky and untidy at the start, but a 'get in' rule tidies up the battle line when units make contact. Heroes can do single combat, which again reminded me of WAB. Melee has primary, secondary and supporting units, which is a bit like Hail Caesar and encourages a proper battle line. I have a low tolerance for ancient rules that have units spread around the battlefield. Factors are kept to a minimum, which again is welcome. Units and heroes can also have special traits, which again will be familiar to Hail Caesar players, although I have a terrible habit of forgetting to use them!

There are some extra rules for fantasy games using flyers and sorcery. We didn't use them, but they look pretty standard. The rest of the book provides basic scenarios and force lists for classic fantasy and heroic encounters. There is also a chapter that helps players to develop their own lists. We didn't use the QRS, but it looks comprehensive, and after a few games, it's probably all you need.

So, on to the tabletop. We decided on a reasonably small encounter with just one hero and 160 points a side. Arthurian Britons v Saxon raiders. This takes me back to a fun Arthurian WAB campaign we ran at the club many moons ago. My Arthurian cavalry was not quite the battle-winning unit that I had expected it to be. They were dispatched quickly, and the spearmen saved the day. We quickly picked up the rules with very few queries, which indicates that the rules have been adequately play-tested. Overall, for games where heroes should play a key role, these are very good and we will play more.

The initial line up.

The left wing cavalry didn't last long .

A similar story on the right, with the Saxon slingers on the hill proving resilient.

But my war leader and the spears came up and saved the day in the centre.

South Atlantic 1982

 This is a new title from the Osprey Air Campaign series by Angus Konstam, which examines the carrier campaign in the Falklands War. While there are lots of books on this conflict, many were written shortly after the war, so a new examination is always worthwhile. My interest in the Falklands resulted from my book on HMS Ambuscade, which took part in the campaign.

After a brief introduction, we get a breakdown of the Argentinian and British air capabilities. The Argentine Air Force had numbers and bases. However, it was equipped to fight a war against Chile rather than a carrier strike force. It only had two refuelling tankers, which seriously limited the capabilities of its short-range aircraft, like the A4 Skyhawk. The main strike aircraft included Mirage IIIs, Daggers and the Skyhawks. More modern aircraft were on order, including the Super-Etendard with the Exocet anti-ship missile, but only four were operational and had one missile each. The effectiveness of this system was demonstrated by a 50% hit ratio. Most attacks were with bombs, and only a few naval pilots were trained to attack ships.

The British strike force was built around two small carriers, Hermes and Invincible. They had 20 sea Harriers, and RAF pilots supplemented the Fleet Air Arm crews. 14 RAF GR3 Harriers would join the task force, primarily for ground attack roles. The Sea Harriers were vital as the Royal Navy warship's air defence missile systems (Sea Cat and Sea Slug) were obsolete. The replacement Sea Wolf and Sea Dart were installed on some ships, but the Sea Dart was less effective against low-flying targets.

The main chapters cover the campaign objectives and the air battles. The Argentinian armed forces did not expect the British response, and their defence plan can best be described as improvised. The main air battles are explained with diagrams, maps and colour plates. 

Forty-plus years on allows an objective analysis of an air campaign neither side planned to fight. The air campaign was officially dubbed a ‘conflict’, but for those who took part, it was a war in every sense. While the Argentinians could operate from established airfields, the Royal Navy had to operate from two relatively small carriers. The fighting was characterized by several other unusual factors. These included the geographical constraints of the distance between Argentina and the Falklands and the radius of action of the British Harriers. Both imposed limits on flying time in the operational area. The real star was the Sea Harrier. Its high success rate in air-to-air combat made it the stand-out aircraft of the campaign. In all, 22 Argentinian planes were shot down by Sea Harriers, 18 of these using Sidewinders. No Sea Harriers were lost in air-to-air combat. Despite this, the Argentinian pilots displayed great courage and still managed to sink British warships.

If you are interested in modern air warfare, you will learn a lot about the mechanics, even if it was a long way from the conflict the pilots were trained for.

Past Master

 This is the third in Nigel Tranter's Master of Gray Trilogy. Patrick, Master of Gray (1559–1612), was a Scottish nobleman and politician who played a notable, though often controversial, role during the reign of James VI of Scotland.

The story moves on to the later stages of James VI's rule in Scotland before he gained the English throne. Patrick, you may recall, had yet again been banished, but he devises a new way of getting back into James' good books by uncovering a Catholic plot to unseat him. Tranter goes for the line that Patrick inspired the rebellion, only to undermine it. 

The best part of the book is the fighting on the western seaboard and Ireland when the McDonalds went off to support Irish rebels. Tranter always describes this part of Scotland very well.

There was one last apparent internal attempt to kill James in August 1600, when he was apparently assaulted by Alexander Ruthven at Gowrie House, the seat of the Ruthvens. Ruthven was run through by James's page, John Ramsay, and the Earl of Gowrie was killed in the ensuing fracas; there were few surviving witnesses. Given James's history with the Ruthvens and the fact that he owed them a great deal of money, his account of the circumstances was not universally believed.

The book ends with Elizabeth's death when she finally names James as her successor. Sadly for Patrick, James decides he has yet again had enough of him and that there would be suitable rogues in London to replace him. This must have been a blow as succession was Patrick's main policy aim. We know that Patrick became the 6th Lord Gray on his father's death in 1609, three years before he died in 1612.

While this is not the most exciting period of Scottish history, the story is excellent, with plenty of plots and turns to keep the reader engaged.

I picked up some 28mm figures suitable for the period, perhaps a little earlier, at the bring and buy at Hammerhead. They will undoubtedly work for games of Border Wars.

Avro Heritage Museum

 I had a spare morning between Hammerhead and Old Trafford for the FA Cup game (yes, I am a happy Fulham fan), so, I went to the Avro Heritage Museum at Woodford, near Stockport. This is a new museum on the site of the former BAE (Avro) factory, most of which is now a sprawling housing estate, although with plenty of aircraft related street names.

It is not a large museum with lots of exhibits, and the focus is on information boards telling the history of the site and the aircraft made there.  The one exception is the Vulcan. That made two in two days for me, having been to Newark the day before.

They have several cockpits and do cockpit tours. I did the Lancaster one and the young guide who did the tour was excellent. I hadn't appreciated that the Lancaster only had one pilot position, although other crew members might have been trained to fly it in emergencies. 4,400 Lancasters were assembled at Woodford.

This is the radio operator's seat

Of particular interest to me was the Avro York, the largest RAF transport of the Second World War. This was Churchill's plane (Ascalon) used to ferry him around the theatres of war. This included his conference with the Turkish President near Adana that I covered in my book on Turkey in WW2.

I was also interested in the adaptions they made to aircraft for the Falklands War, which I covered in my book on HMS Ambuscade. These included converting Nimrods and Vulcans into tankers, and giving Nimrods Sidewinder AAMs.

They also cover all the early WW1 and inter-war aircraft, if that is your thing.

It is well worth a visit if you are in the area.