Armies in North Russia and Siberia 1918–20

This new Osprey MAA by Phoebus Athanassiou examines the intervention forces that operated in North Russia and Siberia during the Russian Civil War. North Russia and Siberia hosted tens of thousands of Allied troops, predominantly Japanese, Czech, American, British, French and Italian.

The Allies also provided huge amounts of supplies and equipment to the various White armies. Britain alone spent £4bn to equip up to 200,000 men. All wasted, by late 1920, Allied forces had been evacuated from their bridgeheads in North Russia and Siberia, and most of the White armies had been defeated. This book outlines the interventions, and if you want a more detailed description, I would recommend Anna Reid's book A Nasty Little War. 

Many of the Allied troops involved were not happy to be there, and the intervention was equally unpopular at home. There were even mutinies among the Allied troops, including the Quebec members of the 259th Battalion, Canadian Rifles, and 13th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment). Conditions on the ground were gruelling, with supply shortages, constant rain (in autumn 1918 and spring 1919) and intense cold (during the winter months) making the lives of the Allied troops miserable. There are many period photographs, which give an impression of how bad it was.

The strength of the book is in the description of the troops. There was more than a brigade of British and Canadian troops in North Russia. The main Commonwealth contributor to the war effort on the Siberian front was Canada, which also dispatched a Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force of over 4,000 men to Vladivostok. There were also Royal Navy and RAF contingents. The latter had to operate from dirt strips. As with most of the intervention forces, they were equipped as in WW1.

Canadian troops in Russia

The USA provided an infantry regiment and support units in North Russia, and a brigade-sized (8,800) contingent in Siberia. The US troops had a limited mandate and sought to maintain a degree of neutrality. In contrast, the Japanese were enthusiastic interventionists, building on their victories in the Russo-Japanese War. Elements of eleven infantry divisions were deployed, totalling 73,400 men at the height of the intervention. They had fully transitioned into the khaki uniforms by this period.

Smaller contributions included the French, with 2410 in North Russia and 1,159 in Siberia. I do like a Balkan link, and there was a small Serb detachment with the French of two officers and 17 men. They would be equipped like the French. Italy provided a battalion in North Russia and around 2,500 men in Siberia. The Czechoslovak Legion has been covered in another Osprey title, and totalled two divisions of former PoWs, mostly equipped in adapted Russian uniforms.

The Whites and Reds were organised into a bewildering array of armies, some with less-than-clear political affiliations. The author does a decent job of outlining this, and the wide-ranging uniforms and equipment. Distinguishing between belligerents and civilians was often challenging, as the period photographs highlight. The Red Army had a more unified command structure and greater unity of purpose than its fragmented White adversaries, which may help to explain its triumph over them.

The Allied intervention, despite the huge resources, may have weakened the White armies by creating a dependency which distracted them from building local support. The longer-term consequence was the trauma that the Allied interventions left behind them in Russia, long after those who had witnessed them were alive to tell their story. This trauma may explain Russian perceptions of the West, throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. It certainly complicated relations between Stalin and Churchill during World War II.

For the wargamer, if you have WW1 armies, then you probably have all you need to take some of these actions onto the tabletop. The lovely colour plates in this book may persuade you to go further.

 

My British WW1 artillery in 28mm. They might have worn coats in Russia!

Securing the Narrow sea

This is Steve Dunn's story of the Dover Patrol 1914-18. I read a bit about the Dover Patrol when writing my book on HMS Ambuscade because the WW1 destroyer of that name briefly served there. I relied on Admiral Bacon's book The Dover Patrol 1915-17, and the papers and ships' logs in the National Archives and the Greenwich Museum library. I must have missed this 2017 book, or ignored it, as it doesn't mention the ship. Nonetheless, it is a comprehensive study of the Dover Patrol from its inception to the end of the war.

The Dover Patrol formed a discrete unit of the Royal Navy based at Dover and Dunkirk for the duration of the First World War. Its primary task was to prevent enemy German shipping, chiefly submarines, from entering the English Channel en route to the Atlantic Ocean and the allied shipping lanes. Its roles also included protecting the supply and troop transport convoys from Britain to France and bombarding the German positions in Belgium.

In 1914, the bombardment of German positions in Belgium took priority. The ships available to the Patrol were not well-equipped to act as floating artillery, as the Grand Fleet was based in Orkney. Some older battleships, cruisers and monitors were deployed to supplement the period's lightly armed destroyers, but they were vulnerable to German submarines. Once the Germans captured the Belgian ports, they created submarine bases, and losses mounted. 

Nearly 81,000 tons of shipping were lost in March 1915, and U-boats were slipping through the Dover Straits at will. This failure led to the dismissal of the first commander, Rear Admiral Horace Hood, although his wanting to sack Churchill's brother-in-law may have been a contributing factor. He was replaced by Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon, who commanded until early 1918. Various methods were used to create a barrage across the channel, with mixed success. Nets deeper than 40ft rarely survived the Channel tides, and the gaps were plugged with mines. Lots of drifters or small trawlers were used to maintain the barrage, but the Germans frequently found a way through or over the barrage. 

Mine warfare was in its infancy, and they often came adrift and sank British ships. The Germans floated their own mines into the Channel to add to losses. By 1917, Bacon had around 20 destroyers, four monitors, six minesweepers and eight submarines, along with auxiliary vessels, but many more were in the dockyards for repairs. Dover was also not an ideal port as a base. By the end of 1917, 39,000 of the newer contact mines had been laid. 

This chart is from Bacon's book.

The book covers the many naval actions around the barrage, fought mainly by destroyers and submarines. They also bombarded the ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend, followed by the famous raids. These raids were promoted by the last commander, Acting Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Keyes. He divided opinion, with some welcoming his more aggressive tactics, while others thought him self-centred and a trophy hunter. By July 1918, he had 41 ships at his disposal.

The Dover patrol became a jack-of-all-trades. Bacon believed hunting submarines was 'almost useless and hopeless', although the Patrol managed to sink 22. However, the German navy never managed to disrupt the supply chain between Britain and France, and not a single soldier was lost in transit. That included 12 million soldier movements, 2094 troopship movements, and 3875 hospital ship movements. U-boats were forced to travel all around the UK, although the barrage was only fully impenetrable by the summer of 1918. The Patrol lost eight of the 84 destroyers that served there, and 2,000 men died, 6 per cent of all naval losses. These were mostly amateur sailors and fishermen. They are remembered in various memorials, including this one at Dover.

For wargamers, there are many small ship actions that can be refought on the tabletop, particularly using destroyers. Jutland is fine, but it was the only major fleet action, and the naval war in WW1 was really about blockade and the smaller warships.

My modest collection of WW1 naval models in action. 

Taken to Testify

 One of the reasons for my recent visit to Valjevo in western Serbia was the Scottish link during the First World War. The Scottish Women's Hospital, rejected by the British army, established field hospitals in this and nearby towns to treat the wounded and those suffering from disease after the Austro-Hungarian invasion. However, they were not the only outside medical support the Serbian state received during the conflict.

In the local museum, I picked up a book, Taken to Testify, which tells the story of Dr Arius van Tienhoven's photographs taken from the Balkan battlefields between 1912 and 1916. 

Dr Van Tienhoven was a Dutch Red Cross surgeon who documented war crimes against civilians in Serbia during the Balkan Wars and the First World War. During his deployments from 1912 to 1916, he took hundreds of harrowing photographs and meticulous journal entries that served as primary evidence of atrocities. His wartime diaries were later published, notably as De gruwelen van den oorlog in Servië (The Horrors of War in Serbia), and subsequently formed the basis for this book by the historian Vladimir Krivošejev.

The photographs in the book are indeed harrowing, but also portray aspects of the war you rarely see. The centre of Valjavo has changed considerably over the years, but you can see elements in the surviving buildings. Most of his photographs are preserved in the original albums by the ⁠Koninklijke Bibliotheek.

Like many of the medical staff from across Europe who went to Serbia, he contracted Typhus. He survived and went on to have an outstanding medical career; many others did not. 

Dr Van Tienhoven and his team in Serbia

Retreating Serbian troops and civilians

He took pictures of dozens of raped, tortured and killed civilians. To the left of Van Tienhoven stands the captured Austrian major Josef Balzarick. He was accused of being responsible for the atrocities. Shortly after this picture was taken, he committed suicide.

Carronade 2026

 I went to the Carronade show in Falkirk today. This was held in a new venue, Falkirk High School. This is a large modern school building with three good-sized halls and other rooms. The halls were well-lit and allowed plenty of room between the games. It was a real joy not to constantly bump into the visitors as you are running a game. The car parking was reasonable, never enough of course, but no worse than the old venue and schools are not designed to cater for large numbers of cars. I understand that public transport at the weekend isn't great, but friends who came by bus got there OK. One downside was the absence of catering, but this was signalled well in advance, so most folk brought sandwiches. The phone signal was poor, although I personally had no problems. Overall, I think the venue was an improvement.

There were 38 traders present. Not many of the big names, but this leaves room for smaller firms that you don't see at other shows. I was busy running a game all day, so I didn't get around much or visit the extensive flea market. However, there was no shortage of visitors carrying bags of goodies.

Twenty-eight clubs came and put on a mix of display and participation games. A few from south of the border, but a good turnout from Scottish clubs. The standard of games was very high. I was running the GDWS participation game, the battle of Banja Luka 1737, using Lust for Glory rules. There was a steady stream of visitors keen to discuss both the period and the rules. Many await their publication eagerly. We played the game twice, and the Ottomans won both times. A historical outcome as well. To the Strongest players picked up the rules quickly, and young players were quickly correcting me. In my defence, we are on version 30!

Other than the games around me, I only had a brief opportunity to visit the other halls. So, my apologies for this less-than-comprehensive selection. I would have liked to spend more time chatting.

Given the date, D-Day games were not in short supply. This was Sainte Mere Eglise, by the Dumfries club, with a very fine church model. Bolt Action.

This picture does not do justice to Ian's (Flags of War) wonderful take on the Battle of Falkirk Muir 1746 in 28mm, using his lovely figures and, of course, flags.

More D-Day with Pegasus Bridge, using Fireball rules, which I have never heard of before. Gourock club.

Battle of Pondicherry 1761, from the Cumbria club.

Another picture that doesn't do justice to the massive Cannae game in 28mm from the Westerhope club using their own rules.

If there were a prize for the best-named club, The Grumpy Goblins from Kilmarnock would win it. This is Stargrave using 35mm figures.

Yes, more D-Day, this time on a massive scale by the Glasgow Warhogs.

Zulu Wars in 28mm.

As tank battles go, they don't get bigger than the Battle of Prokhorovka. Tyneside club using Spearhead rules in 10mm.

The Glasgow Veterans Hub, using the ACW Warlord's epic figures, in large numbers.

Glasgow Tradeston, moving from the Clyde to the Nile with this Egyptian v Sea Peoples game. 

As always, a big thank you to the Falkirk club. They are always there to help, and it takes a lot of work to put on a big show like this.

Baptism of Fire

I do like an obscure conflict, and they don't come more obscure than this border scrap between Slovakia and Hungary over Sub-Carpathia in 1939. Casaba B Stenge has written a history of the modest-sized air war for Helion Books. This was a birthday present from my daughter, following a not-too-subtle hint, and much rolling of the eyes!

Both Hungary and Slovakia had very inexperienced and newly formed air forces. Slovakia was a new puppet state created by Hitler out of the former Czechoslovakia, and Hungary was much depleted after World War I. Hungarian pilots were a bit more experienced, although the Slovak Air Force had inherited some better Czech aircraft.

The author has combed the archives for an impressive amount of detail on the handful of air actions fought during the conflict. A few air combat actions and ground-attack sorties had a limited impact on the ground war. The biggest action was the Hungarian air raid on the Slovak airfield at Spisska Nova Ves. As you would expect in this series, it is profusely illustrated and has lovely colour plates of the main aircraft types. The Hungarians used the Fiat CR. 32s as their main fighter, and the Junkers Ju 86 for bombing operations. Heinkel He 70 and He 46s for reconnaissance. The Slovaks had the Avia B-534 fighter and Letov S-328 reconnaissance aircraft.

The Slovaks did not inherit a fair share of the Czechoslovak Air Force, as Hitler stole over 1,000 combat aircraft. They had only 82 combat-ready aircraft in 1939. They had even fewer pilots as the Czechoslovak Air Force had a disproportionately small number of ethic Slovaks. They had virtually no leaders. They managed a few ground-attack successes, but hadn't much of a clue when it came to dog-fighting. As a consequence, they suffered heavy casualties.

The Hungarians had developed a secret air force before they broke away from the post-WW1 constraints. Their reconnaissance units performed well, and the bombers carried out the war's only successful operation. Despite the CR. 32 being inferior to the Avia, they more than held their own, due to superior flying skills.

The conflict was short-lived and ultimately pointless. It did provide a vital Polish-Hungarian border, through which some 60,000 Polish soldiers escaped to the West in 1939. The Hungarian Air Force paid a price for this in the form of limited deliveries of German aircraft. Hitler was not happy. The Soviet Union took a slice of the contested region at the end of WW2. The Hungarian aggression poisoned relations between what would become allies on the Eastern Front. There is even a suggestion that a Slovak pilot might have deliberately shot at a Hungarian aeroplane in Ukraine during 1941.

The air action was very limited, and it takes a lot of detail to make a book out of this. However, it includes some interesting early war aircraft types, which is always a plus for me.

Napoleonic Open Day

My wargame club, GDWS, runs an annual Napoleonic Open Day, funded by a bequest from a former club member who was a serious fan of the Napoleonic period. We mostly run Napoleonic games, invite other clubs, and make it open to the public to encourage interest in the hobby. It is an opportunity to play longer games as the hall is open all day.

I ran the big 28mm game on a 12 x 6 table based on the interesting French 1814 campaign. A surprise to many in the club, as it wasn't in the Balkans! However, there was a link, as the French commander was Marmont, the Balkan Marshal, and the Austrians had several regiments of Grenzers. The Austrians, with a Russian division, were defending a river line, and Marmont's job was to destroy them. Part of Napoleon's interior lines strategy in this campaign. He didn't quite destroy them, but did manage to roll up the Austrian right flank. The rules were Black Powder.

Then we had Eylau in 1807, fought in the snow. The Scottish weather was unseasonably (well, maybe not😏) wet, but not quite that bad. Nevertheless, the guys put on a good version of the battle using Blucher rules.

Next up was Sagunto 1811 using the Empire Bataille rules. Suchet's French army against the Spanish commanded by Blake during the Peninsular War. Nice to see a Spanish army on the tabletop.

Then the Soldiers of Napoleon rules using the 18mm WoFun miniatures, which look pretty good in this scale. 

Finally, Black Seas, which, as ever, had a happy band of participants. They make what used to be a complicated period to game very simple. 

Hopefully, there was something for everyone, and I was particularly pleased about the range of different rules played.

Most of us will be meeting up again next Saturday at the Carronade show in Falkirk. We will be putting on a participation game based on the Battle of Banja Luka in 1737, using Lust for Glory rules. Back to the actual Balkans!

The Highest Throne

 This is a new supplement for Warlord Games' Pike and Shotte rules for the 16th and 17th centuries. I don't play with these rules much, but a supplement on the Ottomans is a no-brainer purchase at £25. It is down as a pre-order on the website, but I picked up a copy at Partizan, with a nice model of Kara Mustafa. Written by Luke Alvin, this is clearly a labour of love, and he has done a good job.

The core of the book includes an introduction to the Ottomans and their adversaries during the Renaissance period. I'm more of an old-school George Gush fan, so I prefer to refer to this period as the Renaissance rather than 'early modern.' The book covers all the significant opponents, including the Poles, Habsburgs, Spain, Venice, the Hospitallers, and Hungary, as well as the less obvious inclusion of the Portuguese. Each chapter provides a historical overview and highlights some of the key figures from that era, as well as crucial army lists. While I might have some minor disagreements about certain details, this isn't meant to be a competition set of rules, so you can easily tweak them to fit your own preferences. The Ottomans are notoriously difficult to integrate into any set of rules due to their wide variety of troop types. I particularly appreciate the 'Why Collect' section, which aims to inspire gamers to build their collections.

The book includes 12 scenarios, five of which focus on the siege of Malta. There are rules for siege warfare, which can be tricky to simulate on the tabletop but were an essential aspect of Renaissance warfare. Additionally, there are some beautifully illustrated colour flags.

Feeling inspired, we decided to use these rules for a midweek game featuring the Ottomans against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, utilising 15mm figures. Since the rules are not drastically different from Black Powder, we were able to pick them up quickly and with little trouble.

The Ottoman left wing smashed the Polish right, while the action on the left was more balanced. The infantry centres ground towards each other. However, by the time they reached firing range, the Ottoman cavalry was turning into the Polish flank, and from there it was game over. Short and sharp, but worked well. I might be a bit biased, commanding the Ottomans!