Air Campaign - Yom Kippur War

 This is a new title in the Osprey Air Campaign series covering the Yom Kippur War by Shlomo Aloni. The Arab-Israeli conflict was my first dabble into modern wargaming; this war has all the critical elements of that conflict. However, I haven't read much about the air campaign, so this title looks interesting.

The Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War, was fought between a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria against Israel from October 6 to October 25, 1973. The war began on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israeli forces in the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights, territories Israel had captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. Egypt aimed to reclaim the Sinai, while Syria aimed to retake the Golan Heights.

Initially, the Arab forces made significant gains, catching Israel off guard. However, after several days of fighting, Israel regrouped and launched counteroffensives. By the end of the war, Israel had pushed deep into Egyptian and Syrian territories, but a ceasefire brokered by the United States and the Soviet Union brought the fighting to an end. Despite Israel's eventual military success, the war was seen as a psychological and strategic blow, leading to significant changes in its defence policies.

I had assumed that Israeli airpower was all-pervading. However, the author points out that after the war, Israel’s Deputy Chief of Staff stated that the ILAF had destroyed less than 100 tanks. Years later, a claim emerged that out of the 1,500 tanks examined postwar to ascertain the cause of damage/destruction, not one was hit from the air. Likewise, the Israeli prewar plans to completely destroy the enemy’s air forces and air defence forces had failed.

While the Israeli Air Force was outnumbered on paper, they had a qualitative advantage, particularly with the F4 Phantom called Kurnasse in Israeli service. However, air warfare had moved on considerably since the 1967 War, and the Arabs had hardened bunkers and surface-to-air missile systems. This required a different approach and a significant change in plans. 

The author concludes, "The ILAF may not have produced images of victory as it did in the June 1967 War. The ILAF may not have performed as well as may have been expected from prewar investments and promises. Nevertheless, the ILAF shaped the October 1973 War. The ILAF drove Egypt and Syria to develop their air defenses into formidable forces, therefore diverting funding from offensive ground forces."

The book provides all you would expect from this series: a breakdown of each side's capabilities, objectives, and campaign—well illustrated with quality maps and artwork. However, it was the analysis that I found most interesting and new—to me, at least.

I have a few 1/200-scale aircraft to complement the ground forces. I'm not quite ready to invest in the air war, but if you are, this book has everything you need.

Balefire

The latest in my Nigel Traitor re-reading project is Balefire. This was an early (1958) stand-alone novel rather than the usual historical series. It focuses on one character without any link to the major players of the period.

The story begins with our hero, Simon Armstrong, a modest Border laird, wounded on the battlefield of Flodden in 1513. He was fighting dismounted with a pike, neither a favoured fighting method for a borderer. He is picked up for ransom by a Hexham steward, Able Ridley, and taken back to his home near the priory town in England. The Prior of Hexham turned a blind eye to this, given that the order was to take no prisoners because Simon offered an additional ransom to pay to the Prior. 

Simon is well looked after by Ridley's daughters and something of a romance follows. When Ridley and his men go off with another English invasion, Simon flees to warn his family and friends. Hence, the title, which refers to the beacons in place to warn of invasion.

The main hook for the story is the action at Hornshole. A group from Hexham Priory camped overnight at Hornshole, near Hawick, where they were challenged and defeated by a group of Hawick Callants (young lads under 16) who were not at Flodden. They stole their pennon and returned to the town victorious. Since then, a replica of this flag has been carried by a young unmarried male (the Cornet) during the annual Common Riding celebrations in the town.

The story has an interesting twist following this event, but I won't spoil it. It is perhaps not one of Tranter's best for me, as I prefer big-picture history, but it is well told.

For the wargamer, this is classic Border Wars territory.

War and Peace in the Age of Napoleon

I have spent the last three days indulging in all matters Napoleonic in York. The War and Peace in the Age of Napoleon conference was organised jointly on behalf of the Napoleonic and Revolutionary War Graves Charity and the War Studies programme at York St John University. It is hard to think of a better city, outwith the Balkans of course (😂), for a history conference, and the university is also an excellent venue.

There were dozens of presentations covering all aspects of the Napoleonic wars, something for everyone. The delegates were a mix of academics and enthusiasts, all with a wealth of knowledge. An excellent example was on the first day with a panel session covering re-enacting and wargaming. The wargaming session covered the history of the hobby pre-kriegspiel and discussed the balance between simulation and playability.

Rosslyn Macphail talked about discovering a trunk in the attic belonging to her relative, Captain John Orr, a foot soldier who later helped shape military education in Scotland. She found his diary inside, which gave an interesting insight into his service in the Peninsular War. What an amazing find!

If, like me, you like the obscure aspects of the conflict, sessions on Japan during the Napoleonic Wars, Russia's attempts to open a closed frontier, and Napoleon’s ambitions in the East would leave you well satisfied. 

It was not all warfare; the panel session on Radicals, Violence, and Loyalism across the British sphere of influence covered a range of subversive activities in Britain. This was followed by a fascinating keynote speech from Professor Alan Forrest, Memorialising War, Commemorating Empire? The Napoleonic Wars in French Cultural Memory. He actually covered memory more widely than France.

My presentation covered command decisions in the Adriatic. I attempted to show how junior officers would make military and even diplomatic decisions in a complex and fast-moving political environment. They negotiated with semi-autonomous local warlords, allies and enemies whose loyalties were not always transparent. These were borderlands far from the seat of power and created challenges for the states trying to control them.

The conference also included the AGM of the Napoleonic and Revolutionary War Graves Charity, which, in a short period, has done some amazing work restoring the graves of Napoleonic veterans. I would urge you to check out their website and consider joining.

I have only mentioned a few of the presentations I attended. It's an annual event, and it is worth looking out for next year's conference.

No prizes for guessing which conference I was at, although there was an army chaplain on my panel!

DBA Revisited

 A visiting friend is big into the ancient and medieval rules De Bellis Antiquitatis (DBA). I have a copy of the latest version (V.3) but have rarely played with them since they came out. I used to play DBM, but like others, it didn't feel much like any ancient battle I have read about, and we all moved on. However, a post-dinner game beckoned, so I decided to dust them down.

They are an elegantly simple set of rules, played with just 12 elements, which means a game can be set up quickly and played in about 90 minutes. However, I had forgotten just how badly they are written and presented. Phil Barker is a brilliantly innovative rules writer, but the presentation is far short of modern standards. So, I struggled with several sections of the rules but got there with the help of another pal who plays on the DBA circuit and a couple of YouTube videos. I recommend downloading the excellent Society of Ancients quick reference sheet. I see on the Facebook page that a new edition is planned to not change the rules but to improve the presentation.

The other attraction of playing DBA was an excuse to dust down the many 15mm ancient and medieval armies I have, which are, needless to say, mostly from the Balkans.

I started chronologically with my Assyrians and Greeks. I painted up the Assyrians after seeing the British Museum special exhibition, but they have yet to see much action.

This was followed by an unlikely and successful Assyrian invasion of Rome.

The Romans haven't had much luck on my tabletop, as in the next game, the Ancient Britons crashed through them. Blades are powerful but brittle against warbands.

The terrain rules are important in DBA, mainly if you are the defender. The Slavs only appear on a few wargame tables because you need a lot of rough terrain to give them a chance. I lost my general, which didn't help, but the rules gave the poor old Slavs a fighting chance.

The Bulgars got some decent terrain for their fight against the Byzantines next. However, it was not enough to avoid a trip to Specsavers!

The Ostrogoths had more success against the sneaky Byzantines.

After my trip down south, we returned to DBA for the midweek game. This year is the centennial anniversary of the end of the Serbian-Bulgarian War of 924 - OK, pretty obscure even for me! The Bulgars won this time as they did historically.

Having enjoyed our games of DBA, I thought we might try out DBA Renaissance. There are a couple of versions knocking around, but I went with Stephen O'Leary's adaptation, published some time ago in Wargames Illustrated. My bedtime reading was Tranter’s Rough Wooing, which involved Henry VIII sending his minions to burn the Scottish Borders. Not this time, he was sent back to think again!

Having mastered the rules, I have enjoyed the games we have played. They work really well for a quick evening game. The system is simple but with plenty of subtlety in the gameplay. 

Rough Wooing

 The final book in Nigel Tranter's trilogy covering the rule of James V deals with the conflict with Henry VIII of England, known as the Rough Wooing. Tranter continues to tell the story through David Lindsay, The Lord Lyon.

The book starts in the final years of James V's rule. He died in 1542, aged only 30, and his final years also involved war with Henry VIII and the maintenance of the French alliance. After his first French wife died, he remarried the competent Mary of Guise, mother of their only surviving child, Mary Queen of Scots. The war was a mixed success, with the Scots winning at Haddon Rig but losing at Solway Moss. 

The Rough Wooing proper was sparked after James' death, leaving his infant daughter, Mary, as the heir to the Scottish throne. At the same time, Henry VIII of England, engaged in religious and political conflicts with various European powers, saw an opportunity to influence Scotland through a marriage alliance. In 1543, Henry VIII sought to secure this alliance through the Treaty of Greenwich, which proposed Mary's marriage to his son Edward. However, the treaty was unpopular in Scotland, where there was strong resistance to the idea of English domination. The Scottish Parliament ultimately rejected the treaty, leading to a breakdown in relations between the two countries.

There were three main battles and plenty of border skirmishing, although Tranter only covered some incidentally, as Lindsay was only sometimes present.

• The Burning of Edinburgh (1544): The English, under the command of the Earl of Hertford (later Duke of Somerset), launched a devastating raid on Edinburgh, burning much of the city and surrounding areas in an attempt to force the Scots to submit.
• The Battle of Ancrum Moor (1545): A significant Scottish victory during the Rough Wooing, where a Scottish force defeated an English army, boosting Scottish morale and resistance.
• The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh (1547) was fought on the banks of the River Esk near Musselburgh, Scotland. It was the last pitched battle between Scotland and England before the Union of the Crowns, and the Scots suffered a disastrous defeat.
• The Siege of Haddington (1548): English forces captured and fortified the town of Haddington but faced a prolonged and costly siege by the Scots, who were supported by French troops sent by Mary of Guise, the Queen Regent of Scotland.

The Rough Wooing ultimately failed to achieve its primary objective. Despite the intense pressure and destruction wrought by the English, the Scots refused to agree to Mary and Edward's marriage. Instead, in 1548, at the end of the book, Mary was sent to France to marry the Dauphin Francis, solidifying an alliance between Scotland and France against England. The Rough Wooing concluded with the Treaty of Norham in 1551, effectively ending the hostilities. Henry VIII had also died by this time.

This book contains more action, as well as internal disputes and religious reform that dominated the period. The Rough Wooing is not well-known, but this book, although fiction, sticks closely to history.

For the wargamer, Border Wars works well for skirmishing. I have been trying out DBA Renaissance for the larger battles, which provides an excellent quick game. The midweek game saw a narrow victory for the Scots. English firepower forced the Scots off the hill, but the pikes managed to defeat both the English cavalry and the billmen.

The Changing face of the World's Navies

 Writing the HMS Ambuscade book interested me in the broader development of navies since the Second World War. This book by Bruce Watson chronologically takes the reader through the period, examining the events that shaped changes to the organisation of navies and warship design. It was written in the early 1990s, just as the Cold War ended.

For each period, the author highlights the influential factors and political and military events before looking at how the major and later minor navies of the world responded.

The Cold War began in the post-war period from 1945-50, but the Soviet Union had not developed a blue sea navy, so the USA and, to a lesser extent, Britain still ruled the waves. The aircraft carrier was the physical embodiment of that power projection. The Korean War was a turning point, and the USA developed nuclear-powered warships capable of staying at sea for extended periods. The Soviet Union started to re-evaluate its naval strategy after 1953, recognising that defending Soviet interests required something more than a coastal navy.

The Suez Crisis caused a reconsideration of sea power needs, not least in Britain with its withdrawal from Asia (East of Suez policy). Battleships and heavy cruisers were becoming obsolete, and general-purpose ships displaced specialist warships. Between 1967 and 1979, the British made the questionable decision to go in for Polaris submarines and a ballistic nuclear missile force. This was at the cost of other warship programmes, with the author arguing that 'British leaders had lost the understanding of the true value of naval power'. This was also the period of growing tension between Greece and Turkey, as Greece, in particular, came to believe that the Soviet threat against them was exaggerated. After the 1964 and 1967 Cyprus crises, Turkey started to look elsewhere than the USA for its warships and began the development of its own warship-building capacity.  

Meanwhile, the Soviet Union experienced its golden era based on Admiral Gorshkov's doctrine, as set out in 'Sea Power of the State.' New Soviet designs came off the slipways while the USA suffered from its post-Vietnam hangover, which wasn't reversed until the Reagan years. Britain's naval cuts were ruthlessly exposed by the Falklands War, where only good training and leadership plugged the gaps in the Royal Navy's capacity to recapture the islands. 

The Cold War ended because the Soviet economy could not keep up with the USA's rebuilding of its fleets, bringing the Superpower era to an end. The author's forward-looking conclusions highlight the role of smaller navies enabled by small-boat missile technology. He also recognised China's growing role in the Pacific, although he could not have foreseen the scale of Chinese shipbuilding or the impact of drone warfare.

This is a really well-argued and structured book, which is essential reading if you are interested in this period. It is out of print, but secondhand copies can be picked up cheaply.

I have been using Naval Command rules for modern naval actions on the tabletop. I found other systems far too complex. So far, I have used them for Cyprus conflict what-ifs and a brief dabble in the Falklands. However, writing about the Pakistan Navy in the Ambuscade book reignited my interest in the Indo-Pakistan wars.

Hellenic Air Force attacks on a Turkish convoy heading to Cyprus.

HMS Ambuscade

 My new book, HMS Ambuscade: From 1746 to the Present Day, is launched today. It is unusual for me not to have any Balkan links in a book; believe me, I looked hard!

The last Ambuscade (a Type 21 frigate) was sold to Pakistan in 1993 and renamed PNS Tariq. I got involved when, in 2023, the Pakistan Navy kindly agreed to donate the ship to the charity Clyde Naval Heritage, and I joined the Advisory Board. The charity aims to bring her back to the Clyde, where she was built, within a museum focusing on the Falklands War. That project inspires this book, and all the profits will be donated to Clyde Naval Heritage.

The project faces a couple of challenges at present. The ship is berthed at the Karachi naval base, and we have a ship-lifting firm prepared to bring her home. However, the only viable route is through the Suez Canal, which is effectively blocked by the current conflict. We must also raise significant funds to pay for the journey once the route opens. You can read more about the project on the charity's website.

The book traces the history of all Royal Navy ships bearing that name since the first frigate was captured from the French in 1746. While not a Royal Navy ship, there was an earlier British fighting ship named Ambuscade. She was a privateer authorised by the British government to attack enemy ships during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). 

There were five substantive Ambuscades, although matters were more complex during the Napoleonic Wars when one Dutch and two French warships were renamed Ambuscade after being captured by the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy’s first steam-powered frigate was laid down in 1830 and was initially named Ambuscade. However, it was renamed HMS Amphion when launched in 1846.

HMS Ambuscade is probably not one of the most famous or recognisable names in the long history of the Royal Navy. As the ships bearing that name were primarily frigates, they were the fleet's workhorses rather than the ships of the line or battleships that tend to dominate naval history. From the age of sail to the Second World War, Ambuscades protected the convoys that provided the sinews of war. Had these essential supply chains been broken, military reverses would have followed. Ambuscades also took economic warfare to the enemy, capturing merchant ships and blockading their ports. The strategic importance of ships like the Ambuscades in protecting Britain's maritime trade cannot be overstated.

I have included the technical data you would expect in naval history, although lightly, as this book is aimed at the general reader. However, the focus is the story of the ships and the men who crewed HMS Ambuscade over nearly three centuries. While we know more about the captains than the crew, they are interesting, and I enjoyed the research.

If you are interested in this book, there is a dedicated web page that includes a presentation by me on it. You can get it through your local bookshop, but if you buy online, please do so on the web page, as that generates more revenue for the charity.