Fast and Loose

 The latest in my Nigel Tranter project is out of the ordinary. It was one of his early novels, written in 1951, and instead of covering a broad sweep of Scottish history, it focuses on the events of one small clan in north west Scotland, in the early years of the 18th century.

Tranter bases his story around the eldest son of the clan chief of MacColl, coming back from a grand tour of Europe, although confusingly the cover says he was a hostage at the King's court. Having been robbed, he and his foster brother capture a boat in Dunbarton to get them home. They arrive to find his younger brother Cormac has locked up his father and taken over the clan, and his beloved. The story revolves around the measures he takes to win back the clan.

Tranter usually sticks pretty close to the history, sometimes inventing characters to narrate the story. However, he has invented a whole new history for the MacColls. The place names in the book don't exist, and he has placed them much further north than their traditional territory around Loch Fyne. The MacColls are probably a sept of the MacDonalds (Coll being a popular MacDonald first name) and, like many smaller clans, were squeezed out by the Campbells. After being almost wiped out in the 17th century, they settled in Appin and fought in the 1745 rising as part of the Appin Regiment. One-third of those killed in the regiment had the surname MacColl.

I won't spoil the plot, as this is almost totally fiction. Tranter paints a more realistic picture of clan life and the fighting capabilities of the average member than popular myth. The young MacColl has many challenges in gathering the forces needed to win back his birthright, and his journey takes him across northern Scotland, with Tranter's remarkable ability to describe the scenery. It all makes a cracking read. 

Some of my better-equipped Highlanders of the period

The Jacobite Rising of 1715 and the Murray Family

 For some reason, I have always been more interested in the early Jacobite uprisings than the better-known '45, with Bonnie Prince Charlie et al. This book by Rosalind Anderson was in the Naval and Military sale, and it tied in well with my current stage in the Nigel Tranter project.

The Murray family played a key role in the Jacobite rebellions, although in 1715, they had a foot in both camps. The Duke of Atholl stayed loyal to the Hanoverian Succession, but his sons did not. Contrary to popular myth, the Jacobite rebellions were not Catholic v Protestant affairs. The majority of rebels were, in fact, Episcopalians. The Murrays are a good example of this.

If you are looking for a narrative history of the 1715 rebellion, this book is not it. The author's focus is on the family and their relationships with each other. The author had access to their contemporary letters, or at least those that have survived. Blair Atholl Castle is one of Scotland's best preserved castles and is well worth a visit, just off the A9 if you are heading north. The Duke of Atholl still has his Atholl Highlanders based at the castle, the only legal private army in Europe.

The evidence from these letters clearly paints a picture of the sons acting independently rather than a planned family strategy to keep a foot in both camps. Having spent some time myself trying to decipher 18th-century handwriting in archives, this is an impressive piece of research. The problem is that many of the exchanges are really not that interesting. However, they do show the influence of the women in the family, something that is not always apparent in 18th-century history.

The last few chapters cover the action in the 1715 rebellion and the Battle of Sheriffmuir. The one common factor in all the rebellions was the weather. Every rising was cursed by the weather, which impacted the arrival, or not, of French ships. There was a similar issue with Spanish troops in the 1719 rising, which ended in the Battle of Glen Shiel.

This is an interesting piece of family history, and worth a read if you are planning a visit. However, for a history of the 1715 and 1719 risings, I would look elsewhere. Stuart Reid's, Sheriffmuir 1715, is a good starting point.

Some of my 28mm forces of the period.

Russian 18th Century Army project

Another project finished, or as near finished as any wargame army ever is. I have been building Russian forces (I have the Ottomans) for the Russo-Ottoman wars of the second half of the 18th century, and now have enough to call a halt. I am also expanding my 8mm Ottomans to match my Adler Austrian and Russian armies for the same conflict. That is also nearly done, with just the Levend to base. 

For the 1768 war, the Russian army looked like its Seven Years' War force. I have based them individually, with movement trays from Warbases, so they work for my main rules for the period, Black Powder, Lust for Glory and Rebels and Patriots.

The infantry are from the Claymore Castings and Foundry ranges. Grenadiers and line infantry with artillery and battalion guns. The flags are from GMB. I would have liked some Jagers, but no one does them yet.

For the 1787 war, there would still have been tricorne infantry, but in the south, they primarily wore the Potemkin uniforms. These did away with powdered hair and had a distinctive helmet. I got these from North Star, although it looks as if I got the last of their stock. The flags are from Flags of War.

The cavalry will work for both wars, although they abandoned the cuirass in 1787, and dragoons were renamed Carabiniers, to reflect the heavier horses issued based on Seven Years' War experience. The Don Cossacks were becoming more regular, but plenty of irregular types as well. These mostly come from the Foundry and Crusader ranges.

There will be plenty on how the armies were organised in my latest book, which covers both wars and the interregnum. There is also a wargaming annexe with a few scenarios. We have a cover, which I am very pleased with. No release date yet, hopefully a couple of months at the most.

Wellington and the British Army's Indian Campaigns 1798-1805

 This is Martin Howard's study of the Indian campaigns during the Napoleonic Wars, with a focus on Wellesley and Lake's campaigns. In 2008/09, I ran a series of GDWS show games based on Mughal India (including an article in Wargames Illustrated), stretching the period to Clive. I have dabbled with extending the period to the Wellesleys, and this book has all I need. Yes, the use of 'Wellington' in the title is wrong, but I suspect that was a marketing preference.

The author starts with a look at British forces in India, a mix of European and native infantry. The East India Company recruited Europeans into their regiments, including French prisoners of war, as the British government wanted to limit the deployment of line regiments. Even 42% of the 'English' regiments were Irish and 24% Scots. There is enough detail in the book, and some colour paintings to get the wargamer started.

The next chapter covers the opposing forces, including the Mysore army of Tipu Sultan. They were huge, but of very mixed quality. They included a tiny European contingent, probably not exceeding 100. The organisation of regular troops was influenced by French practice. The other main opponent was the Maratha confederacy, which actually covered several different rulers, with the British playing divide and rule. The political skills of Wellesley's brother are touched on, but this book is primarily a military history. The strongest was probably Daulat Rao Sindia, who had European officers to command his regular units, and they provided more vigorous opposition.

The various campaigns are covered in detail. Some are well-known, like Gawilghur, Seringhamtam and Assaye, but others have been largely forgotten. In one of those historical turning points, Wellesley was nearly killed when his ship struck a reef in August 1798. The Peninsular and Waterloo without Wellington is a fascinating what-if of history. Wellesley takes much of the credit for British success in India, but this book emphasises the role of General Lake, who has largely been ignored.  He played a central role in the Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805), fighting against Scindia and his French-trained army, as well as against Holkar later in the war. Actions included the Battle of Aligarh (September 1803), the capture of Delhi (September 1803), and the Battle of Laswari (November 1803). His only failure was at the Siege of Bharatpur (1805). Lake was a fighting general, respected by his men, and his obscurity is undeserved.

The strongest section of the book is the chapters on how the army fought. There is only one Sepoy memoir, and even that is contested. Still, the author breaks down the tactics used by infantry, cavalry and artillery. He looks at what motivated sepoys to help the British conquer India, which includes consideration of recruitment and regimental pride, as well as regular pay and pensions. This was the period when the British started to develop the military races theory, which favoured Rajputs and Pathans because they were taller, of paler skin and of a higher caste.

This is an excellent study of the period. The wargamer will probably still need the Osprey MAA 453 for the uniform details and colour plates.

Some of my 28mm Sepoys

The always colourful Indian cavalry in 28mm

The Patriot

The latest in my Nigel Tranter project is his novel about Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun (1655-1716). Fletcher is best known for his opposition to the Treaty of Union in 1707, but he had a fascinating backstory before then. I suspect that Tranter enjoyed writing this book more than most, as he was a passionate supporter of Home Rule for Scotland.

Saltoun is in East Lothian, not far from Tranter's home. He was born into a relatively affluent landowning family and was well educated in Scotland and in Europe. He entered politics in 1678 when he was elected as the Commissioner for Haddingtonshire to the Scottish Parliament. Unlike his peers, he rarely moved with the political winds and quickly made enemies of the powerful. He strongly opposed arbitrary actions on the part of the Church or state. In 1683, after being charged (falsely) with plotting against the King, Fletcher fled Scotland to join with English opponents of King Charles (and then James II) in the Netherlands. 

It was there that he met James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, and commanded the cavalry in the Monmouth Rebellion. He shot a local leader of the rebellion, and Monmouth had to dismiss him, which turned out to be a fortunate escape. He escaped to Spain, where he was imprisoned at the request of the English government. However, he escaped and joined the Imperialist army fighting the Ottomans in Hungary. Sadly, we don't know much about this period in his life, and Tranter glosses over it. I, of course, love a Scottish/Balkan connection!

On returning to the Netherlands, he joined the forces of  William of Orange, and returned to Scotland in 1688. However, his alliance with William faded when it became clear William II (as he was in Scotland) was only interested in using the country to help fight foreign wars. Fletcher's views on the limitations of monarchy didn't go down any better with William than they had with Charles or James. He was a promoter of the Darien Scheme, which sought to establish a Scottish colony in Panama. However, by practically ruining the Scottish elite, the Darien scheme increased support for Union with England, bolstered by offers of money to Scots who would support it. He didn't pen the famous words, "Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation", but he would agree with the meaning. As would Tranter.

Fletcher turned from politics after the Union and devoted the rest of his life to farming and agricultural development. He died unmarried in Paris in September 1716. His last words were 'Lord have mercy on my poor country that is so barbarously oppressed'.

Fletcher was an intellectual, so perhaps not the stuff of gripping historical fiction. However, he was not adverse to using the sword, and this story has some action and plenty of plots. The reader is left with admiration for a man of principle, in an era when political principles were rare. 

Some of my English infantry of the period

Yugoslavia 1941-44

 We are being spoiled by Osprey on the subject of Balkan partisan operations. This book by Pier Paolo Battistelli covers anti-partisan operations in Yugoslavia after the German invasion. Unlike the MAA on Greek partisans, this is a campaign guide that focuses on the operations.

As usual, we get a brief introduction and chronology. Then the opposing commanders. German commanders were regularly rotated, much to their relief, I suspect. Austrian officers were often deployed to the Balkans, and some studies suggest they were more likely to engage in war crimes. For example, Redulic was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment. However, none came close to the atrocities committed by Croatian fascists, including Slavko Kvaternik. The Italians were less brutal, but not very competent. The partisan commanders are also covered, including the Chetnik leader Mihailovic, who inexplicably has been the subject of revisionist histories that seek to play down his collaboration. Finally, there is Tito, who was eventually backed by the Allies because his units actually fought the Axis occupation forces.

The next chapter covers the opposing forces. The Germans increasingly made use of local troops or White Russians to avoid taking combat units from active fronts. Ethnic Germans were preferred in units such as the SS Prince Eugene Division. They also recruited Muslim troops into the SS Handschar Division, on the basis that anyone who gave them a gun to resist Croatian attacks was acceptable. The Italians also deployed second-line units, who generally performed poorly. The Croatian Ustaše units effectively drove recruits to the partisans with their atrocities, much to the horror of German commanders who regularly complained to Berlin. To little effect. The Partisan structure had to be flexible, but by the end of the war had grown into something approaching a conventional army. The author has made a very good attempt at an order of battle. I have lots of books on this subject, and this is no easy task.

The opposing plans and campaigns cover the primary anti-partisan operations. This is where the Campaign series is strongest, with lovely, clear maps and colour plates. The use of French armour was a particular feature. The detailed maps over two pages help the reader to understand the rugged terrain. I have driven through large parts of Bosnia, and you are immediately drawn to the challenges of fighting up and down river valleys. The island campaigns in the Adriatic were particularly challenging for the Germans, who had limited naval forces. The campaigns concluded with the Red Army arriving in the Balkans, joining with the partisans to liberate the country. This was also a civil war, and many collaborationists died in mass executions.

While partisan operations played a limited strategic role in the war, they did tie down significant numbers of Axis troops, as even the avowedly anti-communist Churchill recognised based on ULTRA intercepts. On that basis, the author is unjustifiably dismissive of their contribution in his conclusion. There are few neutrals in this debate! However, this remains an excellent military history of the campaigns.

Partisans around the campfire from my 28mm collection

Partisan Warfare in Greece 1941-44

 A new Osprey on a Balkan theme is a no-brainer for me. This is a rare, little-explored corner of the Second World War, as well, by Phoebus Atanassiou.

A brief introduction sets the scene following the Greek campaign and the occupation of Greece by German, Italian and Bulgarian troops. Germany's primary interest was less about Greece itself, but instead defending the Romanian oilfields from the Allied bombing. The Axis Powers divided Greece into three occupation zones. Germany controlled the most strategically important areas; Bulgaria occupied (and annexed) eastern Macedonia, western Thrace and the islands of Thassos and Samothraki; and Italy took over the remainder of the Greek mainland, eastern Crete (Lasithi prefecture), and the south Aegean Sea and Ionian Sea islands.

Despite the best efforts of the Allies, there wasn't a unified resistance in Greece. Two broad coalitions dominated partisan warfare in Greece. ELAS was the military arm of EAM, a KKE-dominated loose coalition of pre-war left-wing political parties, all but uprooted in by the repressive regime of Ioannis Metaxas. It moved to the left during the war, dominated by the Communist Party. On the right stood EDES (later renamed EOEA), the brainchild of a group of Athens-based Republican-minded political and military figures. It moved away from liberal politics and became pro-monarchist. Britain supported the monarchist government in exile, but recognised that ELAS was the most effective force on the ground. Both sides fought each other as well as the Axis.

The author describes how both groups were organised. They were much closer to the Yugoslav model than resistance groups in France, with military structures and permanent units. Weapons and uniforms were sourced from the former Greek army stocks, supplemented by Allied air drops, and whatever could be captured from Axis depots. The Italian surrender in 1943 was very helpful in this regard. However, ammunition was always limited. An interesting development was ELAS's small naval fleet, which makes Cruel Seas scenarios possible. Overall, ELAS had around 67,000 men under arms. EDES was much smaller, growing to around 5,000 by the summer of 1943, and 12,000 in 1944. EDES had an effective truce with the Germans in 1943-44. The Allied military mission in Greece fielded no more than 400 men.

The occupation forces are also covered. The success of Allied diversionary operations meant that larger German forces were kept in Greece than needed - 100,000 in 1944. However, other than a core of veterans, they were typically second-line units. The ORBAT is dominated by fortress and jager units, without the usual heavy weapons. The Italian forces were generally poor, and suffered from low morale. Bulgaria annexed their occupation region and enforced the Bulgarisation of the population. Unlike the Italians they actively deported the Jewish population. Bulgaria deployed around 70,000 troops, mostly reservists. The Greek puppet government was allowed to recruit collaborationist units, and nine security battalions were organised by the end of the war.

As you would expect from this series, there are lots of period photographs and colour plates of the main troop types. A very useful addition to the series and plenty of scope for small scale skirmishes on the table-top as well as larger scale anti-partisan sweeps.

Some of my 28mm Bulgarian troops.

Claymore 2025

 Yesterday was the second of the big Scottish wargame shows. Claymore is held in Edinburgh College's Granton Campus. Public transport is not brilliant, but it is a large venue, with good car parking, catering, and you can avoid the city centre, always a plus during the Edinburgh Fringe!

The GDWS participation game was 'Coming, Suvorov', based on the Battle of Rymnik 1789, fought in modern Romania during the Russo/Austro-Ottoman War of 1787-92. We have been playtesting the Lust for Glory rules written by Simon Miller, and got some helpful feedback from players who were not familiar with his medieval and ECW variants. The eagle-eyed will notice the terrain was a lot flatter than that implied by the map I used in the handout. While it's a good diagram showing the direction the armies moved, it incorrectly suggests mountainous terrain. Having visited the battlefield in April, the terrain can best be described as rolling, although with some gullies, which were important in the battle.

And we won a wee prize. Very chuffed.

The problem with running a participation game is that you don't get to spend much time looking at other games. I also bought very little, other than some scenic items. During a quick sortie, these games caught my eye, in no particular order.

Samurai games are popular at shows this year. There were at least two, and the siege buildings were very impressive. It includes a memory of Derek Hodge, a past Claymore organiser, who sadly passed away last year.

Nearby, in the main hall, my pals at South Ayrshire Gamers were using Midgard for the Battle of Doon Valley, an Irish mythology game.

The guys at Glasgow Phoenix with two Mumakils, in their Lord of the Rings game.

Vietnam make popular participation games, even if finding your units can be tricky.

A rugged Peninsular War battle, using a set of rules I hadn't seen before.

In the Atrium, which was thankfully not too hot, amphibious games always look good.

My apologies to this game, as I'm not sure what it is, but the village is excellent.

The Durham guys always do striking big games. This is no exception.

More 30 Years' War from Glasgow Tradeston.

A small, but perfectly formed naval action

The Gothenburgers like a quirky game, and this Wild West game, with proper toys, meets the criteria.

Finally, back in the main hall, TSS were running a Balkan game (how dare they!), based on Dioran 1913. This is the 2nd Balkan War, rather than the better-known WW1 battles there. They used Bloody Big battles, which work well for this conflict.

As always, thanks to the South East Scotland Wargaming Club for the enormous amount of work that goes into a show like this. An excellent day out.