Arctic Airmen

 Given the thousands of books written about the Second World War, you might think there is nothing new to write about. However, I picked this up at a second-hand bookshop in Sedburgh last month. It is written by a navigator (Ernest Schofield) who flew Catalina flying-boat missions to Spitsbergen and North Russia. 

The Arctic was never an obvious interest to the RAF until Russia joined the war and the northern sea routes became important. Recce flights were challenging until the Catalina flying-boat became available. Nine RAF Coastal Command squadrons and 12 additional overseas squadrons used the aircraft for maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare, and rescue missions, totalling over 600 aircraft. 

Bases in the Arctic were even more challenging. However, Norway has developed Spitsbergen as a coal mine and had workers used to operating there. The Germans also wanted to operate there, mainly for weather stations. This book covers how the Coastal Command undertook the recce missions and supported the base.

They flew from Sullom Voe, today a bustling oil rig depot, but it was pretty bleak in 1942. Maps were limited, and the pilots had to get naval charts while keeping the missions secret. Navigation over ice flows and the magnetic conditions near the North Pole added to the challenges. Fuel range was at its maximum, and there would be no rescue boats if it went wrong.

The landing at Spitsbergen did not start well. The two ships with their 80 minimally trained Norwegian soldiers were spotted by a Ju88, which brought four Focke-Wulf Kondors down on them, sinking them both. About 60 survived, though they lost much of their equipment and radios. Landing the Catalina on water with ice flows was tricky, and bringing in vital supplies was difficult, as they communicated with Aldis lamps. The Norwegians created two bases, and a small German base was within range, although it was not equipped for offensive operations, which were left to the Luftwaffe. The Germans lost aircraft trying to land at their base.

The book also covers support for the Russian convoys, including operating from North Russia at a Russian Naval Air Service base at Lake Lakhta. Another pretty bleak posting. They did spot one U-boat, but it managed to crash-dive, and the Catalinas weren't equipped with depth charges anyway. The plane was badly damaged in an attack by a Ju-88, and the plane's captain was killed.

I'm not usually a great fan of aerial warfare books, but this is well written and is an interesting story of combat operations in some of the remotest parts of the world.

Spanish galleons

 A rare treat this week in terms of museums, when the Galeón Andalucía visited the Port of Ayr. This replica Spanish galleon, run by the not-for-profit organisation Nao Victoria Foundation, was built in 2009 and is manned by Spanish Navy cadets.

The Spanish galleon was a large sailing ship used by Spain during the 17th century for trade, exploration, and warfare. Built mainly from strong oak, galleons had several masts, large square sails, and high raised decks at the front and back. They were designed to carry valuable cargo such as gold, silver, spices, and other goods between Spain and its colonies. Galleons were also heavily armed to protect themselves from pirates and enemy ships. These ships played an important role in the Spanish Empire and were a key part of Spain’s naval power during the 17th century.

The ship carries a fine collection of cannons, with an explanation of the different types and the cannonballs they fired.

I was surprised by how many crew and passengers it could hold. It could hold 150 people, including 60 crew, along with animals and food to feed them. That averages 1.5 m² per person. That's pretty crowded, unless you were the captain who had decent quarters.

The ship is an excellent floating museum and has received good reviews from everyone who has visited. I didn't think I had used galleons on the wargames table, but then I remembered a box I recently moved that has some rather battered small-scale galleon models. I can't remember why I got them, but I suspect it was back in DBR days when you had smaller-scale ships on the table.

Greek-Americans during the Balkan Wars

 This is Peter Giakoumis's research into Americans of Greek origin who returned to Greece to fight in the Greek military during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13. The author's approach is somewhat unusual: the book is less an analysis of the subject and more a collection of newspaper reports. These are at least contemporary, although they inevitably have some challenges. US newspapers report what they see: Greek Americans gathering and supporting the war. There is also the question of bias. US newspapers uniformly broadly supported the Greek position and make no real effort to look objectively at the struggle. That doesn't make it without value, but it has to be read in that context.

The Balkan Wars were initiated by the Balkan League, a coalition of Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Montenegro.  They wanted to expand their territories at the expense of the weakening Ottoman Empire, which still controlled much of the Balkans. They also wanted to gain territory populated by their own ethnic or religious groups. The First Balkan War was an outright victory for the League, which drove the Ottomans out of most of Europe. However, ethnic nationalism is rarely tidy, and the coalition fell apart over areas where two or more nations had populations. Bulgaria was particularly incensed over areas like Macedonia and started the Second Balkan War. They were defeated, and this also allowed the Ottomans to recover some of the ground in Thrace that they lost to the Bulgarians. Ethnic cleansing was a consequence, and the methods of warfare pre-dated much of what would happen in 1914.

At the end of the 19th century, Greece was in economic chaos, and the state was in financial ruin. This was not helped by a failed war against the Ottomans in 1897. As a consequence, many Greeks emigrated to the USA and established well-organised communities, including the Greek Orthodox Church, societies and newspapers. This provided an important source of income to families back in Greece, around $3-4m per year. As the Greek state prepared for war, it called on reservists who had emigrated to return to the army and navy. This wasn't a general call for men; the Greek military wanted trained soldiers, although many turned up without prior experience. The exact numbers who returned aren't known, but estimates range from 45,000 to 57,000. Some claim this could have been up to one-third of the army. They fought in their own units and in line regiments, and a few Greeks serving the US military were given leave to return.

Just as important was the financial support from the Greek community in the USA. They collected donations for military equipment, medicine, food and support for soldiers and their families. The author also covers some of the Philhellenes, who contributed to the Greek military during the conflict.

There is no doubt that Greeks in America made a significant contribution to the outcome. Many left established jobs, mostly at their own cost, to fight in a war that resulted in nearly 10,000 Greek soldiers being killed and another 28,000 wounded. Their bravery and commitment were beyond doubt, as many had no real obligation to return and fight.

This book covers a subject that hasn't been covered in any detail before. The research into US newspapers is also impressive. The difficulty for the reader is that these reports are not analysed for themes or, indeed, accuracy. There isn't a narrative flow, which makes it a challenging read. Excellent as a source of data, but not an approach for the general reader.

Some of my 28mm Greek infantry of the period. 

Kadesh 1286 BC

 This new Osprey by Anthony Spalinger is a bit outside my normal scope, but I got sucked in after visiting the wonderful British Museum exhibition about the Assyrians, and built an army in 15mm. This book covers the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II's invasion of Syria, contested by the Hittite king Muwatalli II near the city of Kadesh in modern Syria. Dates for the battle are contested.

Ramesses II marched into Syria with a large Egyptian army divided into several divisions. He received false information suggesting that the Hittite army was far away. In reality, Muwatalli had hidden his forces nearby. The Hittites launched a surprise attack on the Egyptian Ra division, badly disrupting the Egyptians. Ramesses rallied his remaining troops and counterattacked, preventing the Egyptian army from being destroyed. The battle ended without a clear decisive victory. Both sides claimed success, and the Egyptians portrayed Ramesses as a heroic victor in inscriptions and temple reliefs.

This book is in the Campaign series, which starts with a brief background and then the commanders. Ramesses II was an experienced commander, having fought off the Sea Peoples. Muwatalli appears to have had less experience but was trained for war at an early age. This is probably the shortest commander chapter I have seen in this series, as we don't know much about other commanders. The author takes us through the historical sources, pictorial and written. 

Next, we have the opposing forces. The Egyptians probably had around 20,000 to 25,000 men in four divisions, although we don't know the breakdown between troop types, which would have included chariots, archers and infantry. The Hittites were a coalition of forces, and we have lots of names, but their roles are unclear. The possible manoeuvres are described, in an effort to untangle the sources. Chariots had three crew members and were a mobile platform for firing rather than battle chariots. As you would expect, the book includes fine maps and colour plates, as well as pictures of the remaining pictorial evidence. 

The author describes the various stages of the battle, which went back and forth between both sides. The conclusion is that the Hittites were pushed off the battlefield but were not dislodged, remaining in control of Kadesh. The second day's fighting is unclear, other than that the Hittites came again, there was some fighting, probably at a lower level, and peace of sorts was agreed. Nothing had changed strategically, and the Hittites, while unable to defeat the Egyptians, also retained control of Kadesh. The conflict continued into the future, but Egyptian imperialism into Syria had failed.

If all of this sounds complicated and unclear - well, it is. The author has done his best with the available sources and explained his conclusions. If chariots are your thing, then this is essential reading.

I haven't got either army, but I do have a rather nice 15mm Assyrian army, with decent-sized chariots.

Bane of Bernicia

 My bedtime reading is Matthew Harrfy's latest book (number 11) in his Bernicia Chronicles series. This follows the story of Beobrand, a fighting warlord with his Black Shield followers. After his excursion to Europe in the last book, he is back home defending his land from the Picts.

While this is historical fiction, Bernicia is not a fantasy setting. The Anglo-Saxon territory of Bernicia was approximately equivalent to the modern English counties of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and Durham, as well as the Scottish counties of Berwickshire and East Lothian, stretching from the Forth to the Tees. It also controlled Deira during this period.

This book takes place during the rule of King Oswiu (642-670). At this stage, he is struggling to hold back Penda, the pagan King of the Mercians. Peace is bought through marriages, but Penda is pushing to open the door to greater control. Oswiu's son Ealhfrith married Penda's daughter Cyneburh, while his daughter Ealhflæd married Penda's son Peada. Oswiu gets a better write-up in the limited historical documents, probably because of his support for Christianity, than Harrfy gives him. However, these were tough times, and Kings had to be ruthless. 

Beobrand's land is to the north of the kingdom, facing the Picts. They had lost the land he held and wanted it back. They raided the territory constantly.

I won't spoil the plot, but as you would expect, there is plenty of action, including the usual climactic battle. However, there is a bit more retrospection in this book, as Beobrand is getting older. The author reminded me that he is not that old, in his 30s, but Beobrand does mention his age quite often. Thankfully, there will be more books, and there is plenty of history to come. Oswiu goes on to become the dominant king in England, and although Beobrand has a habit of going his own way, Oswiu will need his battle skills to get there.

I have been testing Pillage as a skirmish game, and this book is a great basis for those skirmish rules. We did a skirmish game against the Picts this week.

The Battle of Znaim 1809

 This is John Gill's detailed study of the final battle of the 1809 campaign between France and Austria. I have gamed it a couple of times, largely because it appeals to me for the key role my favourite French Marshal, Marmont, plays. It also tends to get forgotten, as many histories end the campaign at Wagram. 

The Battle of Znaim (Znojmo) was fought on 10–11 July 1809, between Napoleon Bonaparte’s French army and the Austrian army under Archduke Charles. It followed the major French victory at the Battle of Wagram (5–6 July 1809). Austria was retreating toward Bohemia, while Napoleon pursued it, albeit slowly at first. The fighting began on 10 July and continued into the next day. The Austrians made a determined defensive stand, particularly around the town and nearby crossings of the Thaya River. Neither side achieved a decisive battlefield victory. However, the Austrian position was increasingly threatened, and Archduke Charles requested an armistice. The armistice effectively ended major fighting in the War of the Fifth Coalition. It led to the Treaty of Schönbrunn in October 1809, under which Austria made substantial territorial concessions to Napoleon. These included Austrian territories in the Balkans that Marmont governed.

I tend to read more strategic studies of the Napoleonic Wars, so it was a change to read a largely tactical study of a single battle. Gill writes very well, and there are many more maps than you usually get, which enables the reader to follow the flow of the movements up to the battle itself.

Marmont and Massena led the pursuit after Wagram as their troops were fresher. Marmont commanded the Army of Dalmatia, which sounds impressive, but was actually only two weak divisions (8,322 infantry and 259 cavalry). They may have been fresh at Wagram, but they had marched a huge distance from Dalmatia, fighting several actions. Napoleon gave him the 2nd Bavarian Division (5,461 infantry and 566 cavalry), and most importantly, Montbrun's Light Cavalry Division, which had three brigades and 4,400 troopers. With this force, he crossed the river and pinned the Austrian left, giving Napoleon time to arrive. Clever limited assaults and effective use of terrain kept Charles guessing about how many men he had, forcing him to detach troops to defend a flank rather than make his planned retreat. 

The Austrians were not broken after Wagram and were generally in good order. Napoleon also needed to recover his losses, and he wasn't sure where Charles was planning to go. This led to a genuine meeting engagement, something the Austrians were never very good at, and Charles wanted to avoid. Strategically, historians often fail to recognise the importance of the Russians, who were technically allied to the French, but didn't intend to intervene. However, Charles didn't know that, as being caught between both armies would have been disastrous. Peace, even with heavy territorial losses, was better than the destruction of the Habsburg state.

This is a really interesting battle, brilliantly described by John Gill. Highly recommended.

Some of my Army of Dalmatia

Some of my Austrians, albeit for the 1812 campaign.

Pillage

The skirmish game, Pillage, is very popular at my wargames club.  I have resisted the temptation, taking the view that I have plenty of skirmish games for the Dark Ages or Early Medieval: Lion Rampant, Saga, etc. However, these are really small battles, and I can see the merit in a genuine skirmish-level game that can be played quickly. So, after an introductory game at the club, I picked up a copy at Claymore, and we pitched in last night for the midweek game. 

  As the name suggests, this is a game about raiding, using 10 to 20 figures, more if you want. The aim is to pillage the village, which will be defended by the villagers or other armed forces. The booklet is pitched at the Viking years, but there are free downloads for other eastern European armies, and a generic list which can be used more widely. You will need plenty of scenery to make it a more interesting tactical game, and some pillage, like animals, is useful. It is a D6 game, and you can use any figures you want. Victrix sell it in the UK, and they have all you need if you don't have suitable figures.

The basic rules are very simple. You roll for initiative every turn, then move one of your three types of warrior: light, some armour and full armour, plus cavalry. Movement is in any direction, with a bonus for charging, and the usual terrain rules slowing you up. I liked the swimming rules!

Shooting and combat are a simple hit number depending on the weapon and armour, followed by a defence roll. Most figures have one life, but chieftains have three. There are a few factors around ranges and weapons, and the number of shots, but nothing that you can't remember. You will be on the QRF very quickly. There are a few extras if you want them about supporting figures with a spear, defending obstacles, multiple combats, but again pretty straightforward. Once you have lost your chieftain, or 50% of your figures, you have to start morale tests.

You don't need to use the pillage rules, but it adds another level to the game. You can start searching buildings during the game and carry them off the table. Tricky if you haven't killed off the enemy, but perfectly possible. 

There are army lists for the main factions, with plenty of options for weapons and armour. Each faction has a special ability, although why Anglo-Saxons ignore fog is beyond me! You can tell a Frenchman wrote these rules😂. You can also buy some special figures like berserkers and huscarls, and equipment like banners and warhorns. The rules are well laid out, with little need to scuttle back and forth, and helpful graphics, not just eye candy. Decent value for the £26.00 I paid. All in all. Highly recommended.

My bedtime reading is the latest book in Matthew Harffy's Bernicia series. This is pre-Viking, but with similar troop types. In our game, the Picts are invading Bernicia (roughly Northumberland). The Picts won the game, although they did lose their chieftain. We will try some Balkan armies next.