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!

Northern Serbia

I left Valjevo to spend the last couple of days in northern Serbia. Before leaving, I spent the morning at the National Museum Valjevo, which, unsurprisingly, focuses on WW1, given that the city played a central role in the early Austrian offensives.

This is General Živojin Mišić's office, and there is a fine modern statue of him in the city centre. He commanded the First Serbian army in the Battle of Kolubara, an astonishing Serbian victory when they were on the last-ditch defensive line. 

The museum also remembers the Scottish Women's Hospital, based in the town. 

I drove around the Kolubara battlefield on my way north. Not a lot to see unless you count the bridge over the river that was used in the film Kelly's Heroes. You would not drive a tank over it today!

Next was Petrovaradin, the largest Vauban-style fortress in the Balkans and the site of Prince Eugene's victory over the Ottomans in 1716. We did this as a display game at Claymore in 2006, and still have both armies. There have been some improvements since my last visit, particularly at the museum, but there must be many tunnels below to explore.

I spent today in Belgrade. I have been several times, but will never tire of the Kalemegdan fortress and the military museum.

The museum itself is excellent, covering all of Serbia's military history.  It is supplemented by an astonishing collection of tanks and artillery outside. The pre-war Yugoslav army had some obscure weaponry, to which you can add all the types the Axis brought to the Balkans. 

Not many Polish tankettes around

There must be around 100 pieces of artillery from early bombards to the modern period. I'll put more on the website, but the collection is outstanding.

105mm Horska Houfnice

75/27 Deport

Breda 20mm

After browsing the bookshops, I went to the National Museum, which was under refurbishment on my last visit.

A very useful section on the early Serbian states for a current project, and some useful historical paintings.

This is either poorly proportioned, or this is a fat Hussar on a horse too small for him!

My only disappointment was not visiting the CWGC cemetery, which closes at 4pm. They don't usually close, but I suspect they are worried about graffiti and the like.

PS.

I did get into the cemetery the following morning on my way to the airport. There is a code for the padlock on the GWGC website. The cemetery is immaculate, as they usually are. 481 soldiers, sailors and aircrew are buried here. 355 from the UK, but others from the Commonwealth and other allies, including Poland. Most are aircrew shot down over Yugoslavia, but they include 77 soldiers and 56 sailors killed in raiding operations on the Dalmatian coast.

Polish aircrew

My local regiment, the Highland Light Infantry, was the defence battalion on Vis.