Balkan Wargamer

Fiat CR.42

2012-01-23T17:36:00.000Z

New addition to the Italian forces for the Mediterranean campaigns is a flight of Fiat CR.42 aircraft. Also useful for the Spanish Civil War as it looks similar to the earlier CR.32, the mainstay of the Nationalist air force.

The models are from the Flames of War range and are 1/144 scale, slightly smaller than the ground forces. I was delighted when these came out, as I struggled to find this aircraft in model form at a scale suitable for use with 15mm figures. While it is a bit fiddly and delicate, that is probably inevitable with biplanes using struts.

Unlike the models the earlier CR.32 was a very robust aircraft, well suited for flying in Spain off semi-prepared airfields. Being made of wood, it was also easier to repair than the more modern I-16 or Bf 109s. Some 225 aircraft were operational at the end of the conflict and some 50 of these were rebuilt using scrapped components. The Osprey Fiat CR.32 Aces of the Spanish Civil War tells the full story.

The CR.42 Falco (Falcon) entered service in May 1939. By the end of the war some 1800 were built and it also saw service in the Hungarian, Belgium and Swedish air forces. It fought in all the Mediterranean campaigns and although obsolete, it performed well due to its impressive manoeuvrability. More details of the plane in the Balkans can be found in Christopher Shores book Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete 1940-41.

VBCW - Flags and Facists

2012-01-18T17:49:00.002Z

The Clydeside Brigade is looking good with the latest arrivals adding to their strength. Fascists beware! However, something was missing - flags.

In steps Iain, a new club member at GDWS who runs Flags of War a supplier of 28mm wargames flags. As you can see below the Clydeside Brigade now has it's very own flag and company level ones as well. Many thanks Iain!

I don't claim any objectivity when it comes to the 1930's, hence my choice of unit. However, they need someone to fight other than the Scottish Government forces. So Moseley's British Union of Fascists have crossed the border. Lets hope my red dice roll well!

The Afrika Reich

2012-01-16T22:14:00.000Z

Just finished my first Kindle book, Afrika Reich by Guy Saville. I didn't think I would like an electronic book reader, but I was wrong. Love having a huge library at my fingertips to download in seconds. It won't replace reference books, but I anticipate using it for most of my fiction reading.
Anyway, Afrika Reich is a bit of post WW2 alternative history. Britain made peace with Hitler after Dunkirk and the subsequent treaty gave Germany its pre-WW1 colonies back. They took over the former French and Belgium ones as well. They exploited the continent and the SS applied an African version of Lebensraum.

The book is really a thriller with a former soldier and mercenary hired to assassinate the SS commander in the German Congo. Plenty of twists and turns and fast paced action as they are chased across Africa by the SS after the assassination goes wrong.

It would make an interesting idea for a wargames campaign with an updated Afrika Korps and 8th Army fighting it out in Rhodesia and South Africa. Stop me now!

1812: Alternative history

2012-01-15T22:20:00.000Z

This weekend was was our annual Double Header at GDWS. An opportunity to play big games that take too long to fit into the normal Sunday afternoon session.

My contribution was an alternative 1812 scenario as this is the 200th anniversary of Napoleon's invasion of Russia. As Napoleon started his advance the allies put together a coalition of British, Ottoman and Russian troops that advanced through the Balkans into the Ukraine to threaten Napoleons right flank.

The rules were Principles of War Napoleonic in 15mm. The allied force consisted of an Ottoman 'Corps' of 2 horse and 3 foot commands; A British Corps of 3 Infantry and 2 cavalry divisions; and a Russian Corps of the same size. Plus an advance guard of Tartars. Napoleon sent a blocking force of the Austrian detached Corps; a Saxon and a Polish corps together with a cavalry corps.

It will be obvious that these armies are strong in cavalry. That was intentional, as the plan was to force a major cavalry battle on the Saturday with the infantry arriving on the Sunday. It all worked out to plan with a huge swirling cavalry clash, narrowly won by the Allies. However, the infantry couldn't exploit the victory on Sunday with the 'French' hanging on, blocking the exits to Napoleon's line of march.

Really fun game with lots of interest through some 13 hours of gaming.

Other games organised during the weekend included Sudan in 28mm, Eastern Front WW2 in 20mm, Boer War in 6mm and a FoG competition in the Biblical period.

Hungarian Army 1848-1849

2012-01-15T21:17:00.002Z

This is a new booklet from Partizan Press on the Hungarian Army during the year of revolutions as it sought to break away from the Hapsburg Empire. Written by Ralph Weaver, the Secretary and driving force behind the Continental Wars Society and their very useful newsletter The Foreign Correspondent.

There is a very short introduction to the uprising before we get into the meat of the work, the Organisation, equipment and uniforms of the Hungarian army. The key elements included the National Guard, the national army or Honved, the regular army units that came over to the uprising and finally, the irregular and foreign units. Each section describes the organisation and uniforms with line drawings supplement by Ron Poulter's fine colour plates.

I saw some excellent paintings of this army in Budapest last year.

This army, with its colourful uniforms just cries out to be modelled on the wargames table. I have the Austrian army of the period, so I need to think about the Hungarians. The regular army is simple enough because they started the conflict with the Austrian uniform, so it just needs some colour changes. For the Honved, I think some Italian uniforms of the period might be capable of conversion as could some ACW figures. Plenty of Hussars and the foreign legions generally follow their home nation uniforms. So it might not be too difficult after all. Put it on the project list for later in the year.

A good history of the uprising is The Lawful Revolution by Istvan Deak.

VBCW - Clydeside Brigade recruits

2012-01-08T19:14:00.000Z

The New Year brings some new recruits to the Clydeside Brigade.

First we have a shipyard rifle platoon. They have taken the Covenanters as their inspiration, hence the blue bunnets.

Then we have some more workers militia.

These figures are mostly from the Musketeers Miniatures range.

VBCW - Duchess Hussars

2012-01-07T14:29:00.000Z

A bit of an indulgence this but I couldn't resist these figures and A Very British Civil War was just the excuse.

May I present the Duchess of Argyll's Hussars. Historically the great lords in Scotland all had their own private army. That all came to an end with the Jacobite rebellions etc. Although there remains one legal private army in Scotland, the only one in Europe, at Blair Atholl. The Atholl Highlanders number around 100 men and are today a ceremonial tourist attraction at the estate.

Back to the VBCW. With revolutionary activity all around the great, and not so great, lords started to recruit private armies once again. The problem being manpower. The clearances and other economic change meant the landowners no longer had large numbers of tenants to call upon for military service. The Duchess of Argyll came up with a solution. She recruited her friends and their staff into an all female hussar unit. Anyway that’s my story!

The figures are from the Hinterland Miniatures range. They do a wide range of figures and support weapons on this theme. Visit the gallery section to see how collectors across the world have used these fine castings.

Seelowe Nord

2012-01-07T11:51:00.000Z

My post-Xmas reading was Andy Johnson's Seelowe Nord: The Germans are Coming. This is a fictional account of the German invasion of Britain in 1940. The difference is that the author treats the landings in Kent as a diversion for the main effort on the Yorkshire coast.

He doesn't pass on the obvious challenges such an invasion would cause for the German planners. A long sea route with limited fighter air cover, while the British have the advantage of interior lines. And of course it all comes to a sticky end!

The author's approach is also interesting. We are given many views of the invasion from different levels in short chapters. The strategic view from Churchill and the Chief of Staffs, with Alanbrooke the key command figure. And on the German side the High Command. At the operational level we get German paras, UBoat commanders, pilots and others. For the Brits, Home Guards, naval units, resistance and later, armoured units for the counterattack.

I won't spoil the story but it is very well told, extensively researched and few distractions from the action that is relentless. I am pretty familiar with this coast having walked it, but I suspect others would benefit from a map or two. Other than that minor gripe I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I look forward to reading more from this author.

It also caused me to look out my well thumbed copy of Peter Fleming's 1957 book Invasion 1940. A good starting point for anyone wanting to know more about the period. As a wargamer I did a campaign many years ago simulating German attacks on Scotland post invasion and this book has many possibilities for a similar campaign. The Flames of War Blitzkreig supplement has all you need. Now where are the Battlefront and Peter Pig catalogues..........

Russo-Turkish War 1806-12

2012-01-03T12:20:00.000Z

Happy new year! I suspect one prominent military history anniversary this year will be Napoleon's invasion of Russia.

Of course I am always looking for the Balkan angle and therefore I have published an introduction to the Russo-Turkish War of 1806-12 on the Balkan History website. The ending of this conflict enabled the Tsar to redeploy forces from the Balkans to face Napoleon's armies.

The Russian army in the final stages of the war was brilliantly led by Kutuzov. He defeated much larger Ottoman forces, most notably at the Battle of Ruse in June 1811. You can also see elements of the strategy he later used to defeat Napoleon during that terrible Russian winter.

I recently gamed the battle in 15mm using Principles of War rules. The Russian's formed up into two lines of Regimental squares with cavalry in reserve. The Ottoman cavalry actually managed to break some squares down during the battle, but sadly not on the tabletop.

Dark Age skirmish

2011-12-30T17:13:00.000Z

My post Christmas gaming, other than a multi-player Napoleonic Principles of War game, has focused on Dark Age skirmishing.

Firstly, with 700pt WAB games to try out our 2011 WAB tournament rules. These appear to play well and I have selected three scenarios for the year with two games a session. My test games involved Bulgars v Vikings and provided several interesting encounters. Despite the production problems, WAB 2 plays well and the small point options give a quick and enjoyable game.

Secondly, I have been trying SAGA. For those not familiar with this new set of rules from Gripping Beast it covers the Viking Age and at present there are battle boards for Vikings, Anglo Danish, Normans and Welsh. A force can include Hearthguard or retainers, Warriors, Levies and the Warlord. You make up small 'armies' using a simple points system. No complicated army lists here.

The game mechanics are simple with just four measurements and straightforward combat and shooting mechanisms. The more skilled the troop type, the more attack dice you get and the better the armour the more difficult to kill. The subtlety comes with the battle boards that control orders and special abilities. You roll special dice and allocate them to actions (rest, move, shoot) or abilities that strengthen your attacks or defence. It requires some planning to work out what you want to do and how your opponent is likely to respond.

Everything is clearly laid out in full colour with plenty of eye candy. Helpful summaries at the end of each section and plenty of worked examples. After just one game we were working off the quick reference sheet. But be warned, while the game mechanisms are simple, this is a lot more subtle than it at first appears and you really need to focus on the orders stage and make best use of the actions and abilities on your battleboard.

Overall I enjoyed these rules that allow a quick and fun evening game.

Normans catch a Viking raiding force!

Englishman in the Russian Ranks

2011-12-26T15:50:00.000Z

This the remarkable story of John Morse, told in his own words, an Englishman caught in Germany at the outset of WW1.

He was on business in what was then the Eastern border of Germany (modern day Poland) when Germany was about to declare war on the Entente Powers. His story starts with him slipping through German lines during their initial crossing of the Russian border. He eventually finds the Russian army and stays on to fight the Germans. In the 19th Century he would have been described as a gentleman volunteer, although I doubt the Russian army would recognise the concept. He fought with a Cossack unit, an artillery battery and several infantry units for almost a year before being captured, then escaping, before making his way back to England.

His observations of the war in the East, while very English of the period, are fascinating. He gives great descriptions of small and large scale actions, the impact of fortifications and artillery as well as the much more fluid nature of the war in this sector. While not a professional writer, the book is still a good read and an essential source for anyone interested in the period.

Bellini Card

2011-12-12T17:46:00.000Z

Crime fiction is not my usual genre, but when the setting is 19th Century Istanbul and the author is a historian of the period, I am interested. The Bellini Card is the third in Jason Goodwin's series about the Ottoman detective Yashim.

Most of this book is set in Venice 1840. Yashim and his friend the Polish Ambassador set about recovering the missing portrait of Sultan Mehmet. Venice in 1840 is no longer the great city of the Renaissance. After Napoleon captured the city, followed by Austrian occupation, trade and wealth by pass the city. But there is plenty of intrigue and local politics as they pursue the painting.

I won't spoil the story, but as you would expect from this author the tale has some basis in fact. The former British Ambassador to the Porte, who retired to Venice, acquired the painting of Mehmet II by Bellini in 1865 when it was left on his doorstep! His widow donated the painting to the National Gallery in London.

I have enjoyed this series and if you like crime fiction you won't be disappointed.

More Black Powder

2011-12-12T10:12:00.000Z

We had an opportunity at the club last week to expand our understanding of the Black Powder rules using the Last Argument of Kings supplement.

This time a match up between Russians and Austrians circa 1710. Four brigades a side. On the Austrian right a cavalry brigade with a unit of cuirassiers and two units of dragoons, facing a Russian brigade with horse grenadiers and dragoons. In the centre (see picture below) two brigades of line infantry and grenadiers faced off. On the far left a brigade of Croats (foot and horse) faced a similar brigade of Cossacks.

The battle started with the Austrian cavalry charging right across the table while the infantry, somewhat more reluctantly, plodded towards the Russian line. The Croats didn't budge an inch. The cuirassiers made short work of the horse grenadiers although the dragoon battle was more even. By the time the Austrian infantry got to effective range the cuirassiers were threatening the Russian infantry flank and started to roll up the Russian line. The Croats eventually got moving, but the Cossacks hardly moved the whole battle and some desultory skirmishing was all that happened on the left.

I thought the rules played well. The 'first fire' special rule for foot worked well for this period and the firefight was a decent battle of attrition. The cavalry contest could have gone either way. The Croat v Cossack skirmish was just what you might of expected and the Black Powder command rules come into there own here. Overall, enjoyable and pretty good simulation of warfare in the period. More plus marks for Black Powder.

The figures above are mostly Front Rank for the Austrians and Reiver Miniatures for the Russians.

Burning Empires

2011-11-26T22:56:00.000Z

My somewhat belated copy of Burning Empires turned up this week. This is the latest Flames of War supplement covering the early war in the Med.

My primary interest is that it covers the Italian invasion of Greece and the German Balkan Blitzkrieg. Nice to have some official army lists for the period. The supplement also covers the Allied invasion of the French Levant and raiding actions across the desert war area.

The format is the usual FoW style. Well laid out army lists, short history, special rules and a useful painting guide. In essence everything you need to get your army on the tabletop. And I will - sometime!

The Black Hole

2011-11-22T21:18:00.000Z

Busy, busy at present at work so my reading and gaming schedule is slipping somewhat. However, I have just finished The Black Hole by Jan Dalley.

In 1756 the Nawab of Bengal captured the East India Company's base at Calcutta. Generations of British schoolchildren have been taught that 143 people were then looked in a cell 18ft by 14ft and by the following morning only 23 survived. So the legend of the Black Hole of Calcutta was born and served as the bedrock story of British rule in India.

Thankfully it is almost certainly largely a myth. There is little doubt that some prisoners died, but no where near the numbers quoted in the unreliable and contradictory eye witness accounts. Not least because the room simply could not have held the numbers claimed.

The author does not simply debunk the myth. He explains the basis of the hugely profitable trade between Britain and India that was controlled by the East India Company. The events leading up to the siege and the battle itself. Calcutta was quickly recaptured by Clive who went on to win the Battle of Plassey. It was at this time that the British changed from an aggressive trading partner in India to a colonial master.

This is a well written tale of commercial exploitation and incompetence that none the less led to the creation of a key part of the British Empire. Another excuse to get the sepoys and Mughals on the tabletop.

The Pillars of Rome

2011-10-31T16:55:00.000Z

Having really enjoyed Jack Ludlow's Conquest trilogy I decided to try his Republic trilogy, starting with The Pillars of Rome.

This is set in the post Punic Wars Roman Republic. Two young boys of noble birth get a glimpse into the future when they visit an oracle. Then we fast forward 30 years and the same boys are now senators. One made his name as a soldier in the Macedonian wars and the other as a wily politician. The scene moves from Rome to Spain and Illyria engaging families and their allies in the events and plots of the period.

The strength of the tale is the understanding of the power structures of Republican Rome. The factions and role of senators being different to the more familiar Imperial Rome. This does slow the pace of the story somewhat and involves a number of sub-plots that requires some skill in knitting them together.

I didn't enjoy this as much as the Conquest trilogy, but it is still a good read and I will probably persevere with the trilogy.

Over the Top

2011-10-30T12:26:00.000Z

Just scanned the arrival of the Great War supplement 'Over the Top'. Half price at present from Warhammer Historical.

This supplement primarily covers trench warfare in WW1. Not the most attractive gaming option but Alex Buchel has developed a very playable game using the excellent GW rules. He starts with an historical overview before setting out a whole batch of new rules and what he calls 'grand manoevres'. These add in heavy artillery barrages and some special troop types together with fortifications for defenders and stratagems for attackers. These are built into the points options so you can opt for bigger fortifications at the cost of troops.

There are new missions that are set in the context of actual battleground operations throughout the war. Followed by new army lists for the major combatants. All of this is generously illustrated with good figures and great scenery.

The supplement only covers the Western Front. So I will have to give some thought to how this could be applied to the Salonika campaign. Doiran is an obvious scenario choice. I also use these rules for A Very British Civil War and parts of the supplement will be useful for that.

Polish Renaissance

2011-10-23T21:14:00.000+01:00

First time out for my FoGR Polish army today in the GDWS competition. And very well they did too with a 25-0 win. Aided it has to be said with some early devastating artillery fire and very poor dice work from my opponent.

This was one of my favourite DBR armies utilising the war wagons and firepower infantry on one side and charging Winged Hussars on the other. FoGR puts an end to that tactic as the battle wagons (as they are now classified) are far less manoeuvrable. But they can still help block off a flank, allowing a concentration of cavalry elsewhere on the table. Winning the initiative and getting a nice empty steppe helps.

It was also a sad day for all the members of GDWS. One of our longest serving members Iain Forrest passed away suddenly yesterday. Iain was a great guy to play with and will be missed by everyone. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.

Wars against Napoleon

2011-10-08T21:39:00.000+01:00

This is a book for the Napoleon buff. If you think Napoleon has been harshly treated by history you will love this book. The sub title is "Debunking the Myth of the Napoleonic Wars". The authors, Michel Franceschi and Ben Weider take on the role of historical spin doctors for the great man.

They take the reader through each stage of the Napoleonic wars to show that Napoleon was a builder in love with peace and an enemy of war. His strategy was to build defensive alliances to protect France and each conflict was forced upon him. The usual culprit was Perfidious Albion.

There is no doubt that, in English speaking history at least, insufficient credit is given to the positive aspects of Napoleon's rule. The laws, infrastructure, education and economy of France were revolutionised by Napoleon and his legacy can still be seen in France today. The case for Napoleon the peacemaker is less convincing. However, he certainly wasn't the only villain in Europe and the reactionary regimes certainly conspired in most conflicts.

So on balance the authors make a good case for Napoleon, even if they stretch their case on a few occasions. A good balancing work.

The Ismaili Assassins

2011-10-02T13:06:00.000+01:00

Just finished James Waterson's The Ismaili Assassins. This is the story of a religious sect based in the Middle East that waged war primarily through assassination.

I picked the book up some months ago having heard of them, but without any real understanding of their role during the medieval era. The author explains the religious and social context before setting out their impact on the empires of the period. They were largely successful in the early period and in their conflict with the disunited Seljuk's. However, as the initial fervour declined they became less effective before finally picking an unwinnable fight with the Mongols. Interestingly, I didn't know that the sect's modern day successors include the Aga Khan.

This is not a light read by any means, but worth the effort to dispel some myths and learn more about them.

Hellfire & Back

2011-09-26T22:20:00.000+01:00

This is the latest Flames of War supplement covering the early war battles in North Africa. Usual FoW format with high quality production values, well laid out organisational charts and some fine eye candy.

I largely bought it for the stats for my Greek campaign, only to learn that a further supplement is due out next month that will specifically cover this and other 'fringe' campaigns around the Med. Look forward to that.

Then it occurred to me that while I don't have 15mm figures for the desert, I do have lots of 1/200 figures based for Spearhead. So Italian and British tank companies duly assembled and onto the table. It made a short and sharp battle with the Italians coming out on top. I will try some Afrika Corps next. Using 1/200 opens up some other campaigns as well.

FoW has somewhat rebuilt the reputation of Italian troops in WW2, at least from a British perspective. My recent reading has been on this subject including Iron Arm, the story of the mechanisation of Mussolini's army 1920 to 1940. Creating a mechanised army in a non mechanised society was beyond the capability of Italian industry and the army. Non the less an armoured force was developed and at one stage arguably led the world. This book takes the reader through all the stages.

Wellesley in India

2011-09-26T15:08:00.000+01:00

The Black Powder supplement Last Argument of Kings got its first run out on Sunday. We did a Wellesley in India scenario using the colonial India data from the supplement.

The opposing forces:

British

Unit	Size	Type	Weapon	H to Hand	Shoot	Morale	Stamina	Special
Wellesley (9)
Dragoons	Small	Reg. Cav	Sword	4	1	3+	3	Ferocious Charge, Valiant, Marauders
Dragoons	Small	Reg. Cav	Sword	4	1	3+	3	Ferocious Charge, Valiant, Marauders
Sepoy Btn	Small	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	4+	3	First Fire

1st Foot Brigade (8)
Line Regt	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	3+	3	First Fire, Reliable, Steady
Sepoy Regt	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	4+	3	First Fire
		Artillery	Smoothbore	1	3-2-1	4+	2
2nd Foot Brigade (8)
Line Regt	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	3+	3	First Fire, Reliable, Steady
Sepoy Regt	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	4+	3	First Fire
		Artillery	Smoothbore	1	3-2-1	4+	2

Native Prince
Unit	Size	Type	Weapon	H to Hand	Shoot	Morale	Stamina	Special
Nawab (7)
Bodyguard	Small	Reg. Cavalry	Sword	6	3	5+	3	Lancers
		Artillery	Smoothbore	1	3-2-1	4+	2
		Artillery	Smoothbore	1	3-2-1	4+	2
		Rockets		1	2	4+	2

Ist Brigade (7)
French' Battalion	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	4+	3	Reliable
Native Infantry	Standard	Irr. Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	5+	?	Untested, warband
Native Infantry	Standard	Irr. Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	5+	3	Unreliable, warband
Native skirmishers	Small	Irr. Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	2	5+	2	Skirmish

2nd Brigade (7)
Sepoy Battalion	Standard 18	Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	4+	3	Reliable
Native Infantry	Standard	Irr. Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	3	5+	3	Bloodthirsty, warband
Native skirmishers	Small	Irr. Infantry	Smoothbore Musket	6	2	5+	2	Skirmish

Right Wing Cavalry (6)
Native Horse	Standard	Cavalry	Sword	6	1	5+	3	Warband,
Native Horse	Standard	Cavalry	Sword	6	1	5+	3	Warband, Wavering

Right Wing Cavalry (6)
Native Horse	Standard	Cavalry	Sword	6	1	5+	3	Warband,
Native Horse	Standard	Cavalry	Sword	6	1	5+	3	Warband, Wavering

The native cavalry started the battle with a bold sweep on the left that was eventually fought off by the dragoons. The British infantry advanced and engaged the native infantry. Superior fire power won through but it took some time. The right flank cavalry battle was less decisive.

The rules played well and gave a pretty accurate feel for the period. Artillery isn't very effective at long range, and don't bother with rockets - they killed more friendly troops than the enemy! By beefing up the dragoons with special rules they were able to disperse the native cavalry, but it wasn't a foregone conclusion. The infantry battles were more closely fought affairs.

VBCW - The People's Armies

2011-09-18T22:05:00.000+01:00

Picked up a nice booklet on the Very British Civil War theme called The People's Armies. This is available from Solway Miniatures.

This booklet describes the various Worker's Defence Corps, largely based on trade unions, that sprung up around the country to resist Moseley's Blackshirts. My own Clydeside Brigade fits in with this idea very well. Plus Anarchists and the Communist People's Assault Columns.

The text covers the type of unit together with their weapons and uniforms. Poorly equipped compared with government forces some French and Russian equipment started to arrive together with some foreign volunteers. Similar to the Spanish Civil War.

The booklet has some nice photies of available models and excellent 'Osprey' style colour plates by Peter Barfield. The naval figure is particularly good and an order has been dispatched to 1st Corps who do a suitable figure. These will make a new platoon to add to the Clydeside Brigade. All very Battleship Potemkin!

The Last Argument of Kings

2011-09-13T20:11:00.000+01:00

Just finished working my way through the first Black Powder supplement The Last Argument of Kings.

Pete Brown has done a lovely job with this supplement covering the main conflicts of the 18th Century, in Europe and the colonies. After a general introduction each section gives an overview of the conflict, some detail on the armies together with army lists and special rules. Finally a battle scenario together with an ORBAT.

And of course no rule set would be complete today without eye candy. This supplement has it in buckets. I know some gamers criticise this trend, but I simply don't agree. Well painted and displayed wargame figures should inspire the reader. Several members at my club are looking to try new periods based on this.

I am planning to use two sections as soon as possible. Storm on the Danube covers the Ottoman conflicts with the Austrians. I also plan to dust down my Mughals for Plassey and other battles in India.

Hail Caesar

2011-09-11T21:57:00.000+01:00

Played my first game of the new ancient rules, Hail Caesar today. We have been playing Black Powder for some time and the mechanisms are similar. So the learning curve was not too steep.

I brought an Ottoman army with a foot division based on Janissaries and two flank divisions of cavalry. My opponent brought a Wallachian army. Although the rules don't have a cut off date, there aren't many troop types for the medieval period, so you need to improvise.

The game was very enjoyable and like Black Powder full of uncertainty in the movement phase. My left flank stubbornly refused to move for the whole game. Other divisions charged across the table and got into contact quickly. What we really like is the simple mechanisms and the absence of micro measurement and other complexities that complicate other systems.

We really do have a glut of good rule systems at present. All have their strong features and I expect we will play most of them for now.

Sworn Sword

2011-09-04T21:16:00.000+01:00

New historical fiction authors appear to be pouring off the shelves recently. As regular readers of this bog will know I am fascinated by the Normans, so spotting a novel based on the period is a guaranteed buy for me.

Sworn Sword is the first novel by James Aitcheson. Based on the period after 1066, it covers the northern rebellion against Norman rule. Durham is captured and York besieged, before William comes north with an army to relieve the siege.

In that historical context our hero, Tancred, not only gets involved in every battle, but also a sub plot involving the hidden body of King Harold. The battle scenes are excellent, covering the typical clash of mounted Norman knights against spear armed foot in shieldwall formation well. I enjoyed this and I hope to read more by this author.

Very British Civil War starts

2011-08-30T22:42:00.000+01:00

Got the new units onto the tabletop for the first time today.

The scenario involved a Clydeside Brigade attack on a Scottish Government outpost garrisoned by a Territorial Company. The workers militia were tasked with this assault while the Communist Company advanced on the right flank to protect the attack from the expected relieving force of regulars.

The militia attack soon ground to a halt. Insufficient troops and firepower to get through the sandbag defences. The Territorial's rifle fire was pretty impressive, just wished I could roll as many 5 and 6's in competition games! The regular company then arrived very quickly and dispatched a platoon of the Communists. However, the second platoon fought them off and the action ended in a stalemate.

I used Warhammer Great War rules and they worked very well. Once I remembered the key elements the game moved quickly. The one irritating aspect of these rules is that they are badly presented. Key rules are hidden away and the reference sheet is possibly the worst I have ever seen. Whole sections are simply missing. Must see if someone has done a decent one, if not, add to the must do list.

I don't think I have mentioned the trucks before. They come from Simon at Solway Miniatures. He does a great range of conversions.

Rif Raf: 28mm Greeks

2011-08-28T22:37:00.000+01:00

I have been working my way through some review packs of David Burns new range of figures for the Greek army of WW2 in 28mm. And very nice they are too. In fact too nice as the last thing I want is another scale for this conflict!

These are well proportioned figures, perhaps slightly smaller than some ranges, but will fit in. There were two types of helmet in general use, the British Mk1 pattern that was gradually being replaced by a model similar to the Italian helmet. This range has gone for the latter. The right decision in my view because the Greek army uniform was similar to the British, so other types can be represented by British ranges, at least in the smaller scales.

Some examples from the range below. Painted examples are on the Rif Raf site done by David himself. They really do look the part. Highly recommended.

Clydeside Battalion

2011-08-28T11:11:00.000+01:00

The next unit for my Very British Civil War project is the Clydeside Battalion.

These are better trained troops financed and organised by the Communist Party to stiffen the ranks of the workers militias. Not quite regulars, but very committed to the cause and more likely to stand up to any fascist or regular army units they may come up against. Red Clydeside rises again!

Honour and the Sword

2011-08-25T10:02:00.000+01:00

My latest historical fiction reading has been Honour and the Sword by A.L. Berridge.

This is the author's first novel and takes place in a French village during the Thirty Years War. Not the usual setting for historical fiction and that is probably what attracted me.

The essence of the story is the Spanish invasion and occupation of the village. The young son of the local noblemen becomes the focus of resistance to Spanish rule. There are a number of acts of resistance leading to the liberation of the village with some belated assistance from the French army.

The characters are developed well on both the French and Spanish side. Operating a resistance force within the social structures of French society of the period is very well presented.Not exactly a full bloodied action adventure but there is plenty to keep the reader interested and the author has done her research on the tactics and equipment of the period.

The story is told as a series of interviews after the event. I am not sure about this format. For me it breaks up the narrative and can be repetitious. As a consequence I had to force myself through what is a long tale anyway. Not sure it quite lives up to the 'fast paced' hype on the cover, but something a bit different.

Blood on the Snow

2011-08-22T21:55:00.000+01:00

Just finished reading Blood on the Snow: The Carpathian Winter War of 1915 by Graydon Tunstall.

I thought I knew a bit about most WW1 campaigns in SE Europe, but I was not aware of this one. It was fought mostly between Austro-Hungarian and Russian troops in the Carpathian Mountains during winter. I have walked part of these mountains in the summer, the idea of fighting through them in winter is just mind boggling.

But that is exactly what two, million man armies did during the winter of 1915. The campaign was predicated on the need to relieve the Austro-Hungarian garrison of Przemysl consisting of some 135,000 men. The A-H CinC, Conrad, inexplicably decided to launch three offensives through the mountains with troops that were not equipped or trained to fight in such terrain. Supplies of everything were totally inadequate. The Russian's, commanded by Ivanov, were only slightly better prepared. The casualties far exceeded the size of garrison they were attempting to relieve and the A-H army was fatally weakened for the rest of the war.

Words just do not do justice to the horrors of this campaign. Troops lasted on average 5-6 weeks before being killed, wounded, captured or committing suicide. Battles in snow two metres high along the Carpathian ridges and into the valleys.

The author has extensively researched the campaign, mostly from the A-H perspective. Eye witness accounts add much to the archive material.

This is probably not a book for the general reader. The author assumes a degree of knowledge of the area and each offensive is dealt with in great detail. The maps could also have been better. One for the specialist, but a campaign that fully deserves to be told.

Scotland's Festival of History

2011-08-21T21:07:00.000+01:00

Popped down to Lanark today for Scotland's Festival of History. This is a two day living history event with a wide range of re-enactors and a supporting cast of stalls.

This is an excellent family day out with lots going on. Big thanks to the different societies who clearly put a huge effort into getting their uniforms and equipment just right.

Workers Militia

2011-08-14T21:13:00.000+01:00

Just completed the first unit for my Very British Civil War project. For those not familiar with the concept it is an alternative historical take on the events of 1936-38. Civil war grips Britain with a range of armies seeking control.

My units will mainly be Clydeside Workers Militias, formed to defend Glasgow and the West of Scotland against the Fascists.

A range of figures including Musketeer and Anglian.

Claymore

2011-08-06T22:12:00.000+01:00

It was the Claymore show in Edinburgh today. As well organised as ever by the Edinburgh club in a fine venue. Even the weather was cooler, a boon if your game is in the atrium.

We took a Peninsular War skirmish game, Carry on Bohlsup, using the Sharpe Practice rules. This is a fun set that you shouldn't take too seriously. Generally they play well although I think movement and action is a little too random. It plays better when you remove the Tiffin card. This means that the cards determine the order of action but still ensure that every 'Big Man' moves each turn.

There was a good range of traders and display games. Numbers seemed reasonable and the Bring & Buy looked particularly busy.

This was an interesting Polish renaissance game in I presume 40mm.

And this Scots ECW game also caught my eye.

The Vikings

2011-08-05T11:25:00.000+01:00

A bit of film nostalgia. The Vikings is a film starring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and Ernest Borgnine and based on the novel The Viking by Edison Marshall. It claimed to be based on legendary material from the sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok and his sons. The film used great locations in Norway although Aella's castle was the real Fort de la Latte in north-east Brittany.

This was one of those films that make the partners of military history buffs groan. You know the scenario. A night out at the cinema, your turn to choose, so of course it's an historical film. What do you do? Yes, you moan that the medieval armour isn't right, the tanks weren't even built in WW2 etc. I once loudly complained during Braveheart, when my partner swooned at the seduction of the English Princess by Wallace, that given their historical ages he would have been arrested today as a paedophile. Not the most popular comment at at the first showing of the film in Scotland!

Well this film had all the faults you can imagine. Medieval castles, 12thC armour, horned Viking helmets and much more nonsense. Still a good tale and what do I know, because it was a great box office success.

This film came to mind when I was in France visiting the castle they used in the film. Fort de la Latte is on the Brittany coast west of St Malo. Incidentally another very well preserved set of fortifications. Whatever the historical failings of the film this is a well preserved 13th Century castle in a great setting. Well worth a visit, although hopefully not on a day as wet as the one we had. I can also recommend the fishing village of Erquy, a little further along the coast, if you like fish for dinner. The scallops were excellent.

1877 Russians

2011-08-04T15:10:00.000+01:00

Next unit off the bench for the 1877 Russo-Turkish War are the Russians. More figures from the 28mm range by Outpost Miniatures.

It's almost a year since i got teased into this project at last year's Claymore. This year's show is on Saturday so I suspect some more metal will be purchased. We will be displaying a 28mm Sharpe Practice skirmish game called Carry on Bohlsup. Some fine figures and scenery to go with a fun game.

The Fort

2011-08-02T11:47:00.000+01:00

Second half of my holiday reading was Bernard Cornwell's The Fort. Cornwell is of course the benchmark for historical fiction and he doesn't disappoint with this book.

Set during the American Revolution it is based on the little known Penobscot Expedition of July 1779. A modest British force supported by three sloops lands on the Massachusetts coast and establish a fort. The idea was to provide a haven for loyalists and a naval base. The rebels launched a counter expedition largely made up of militia troops supported by a large naval force. The British position was strong and the American naval advantage was not able to be fully deployed. The land campaign was also badly executed. The British relief naval force ended the siege and the consequent naval action was the worst naval disaster in US history before Pearl Harbour.

The campaign is interesting because of some famous participants. John Moore was a Lieutenant in 1779 and this was his first action. The founder of the famed Light Division certainly learned lessons in this campaign that must have influenced his later reforms. On the US side, Paul Revere of the Lexington ride fame was a Colonel of militia artillery. He was much later lionised by Longfellow, but in this campaign he was court martialled and his actions probably deserved greater retribution.

This is a one off book, not part of a series. Unusually for Cornwell there is not one heroic figure that the story is built around. Instead he takes in all the characters to tell the story, with of course the license that the writer of historical fiction has with facts and narrative. Great read.

Brittany - Fougeres

2011-07-29T14:18:00.000+01:00

I spent my summer holiday in Brittany. Not an area I know well, but one with a rich history.

Brittany gets its name from the settlement of Britons from Wales and the west country who established themselves in the area during two migrations during the 9th Century. They fought off the Franks and established an independent state. Brittany during the Middle Ages is the story of fending off attempts to incorporate the Duchy into France. The French eventually triumphed in 1488.

We stayed in the Breton Marches, the borderland with France. It has several well preserved castles. The best is Fougeres. Established in the 11th Century it was developed over the next four centuries into an impressive fortification that is largely intact today. Well worth a visit.

The Lion Awakes

2011-07-28T18:47:00.000+01:00

First on my holiday reading list has been Robert Low's new book 'The Lion Awakes'. He is the author of the Oathsworn series of Viking novels. His new 'Kingdom' series covers Scotland at the end of the 13th Century, both the internal conflicts and external wars with England.

In the best tradition of the historical novel the main character is a fictitious minor noble who is close to the main events. This volume starts in 1297 with Edward ruling Scotland and Wallace leading the rebellion, together with the internal Bruce - Balliol civil war. The Battle of Stirling Bridge is central to the book that ends with the Battle of Falkirk in July 1298.

Anyone covering this period is bound to be compared with Nigel Tranter and his treatment of both Wallace and Bruce. Tranter had a more romantic style that generally portrayed his heroes in a positive light. Low goes for a more gritty, warts and all presentation that has ruffled a few feathers. The reality is that our sources for the period are limited and therefore the historical novelist has plenty of interpretative scope.

I declare an interest in that the author is a member of our wargames society and I am a big fan of his style. He is a journalist by profession and that shines through. He loves to tell the story and one of his Viking novels lacked pace by getting distracted with too much saga story telling. But that isn't a problem here. You get a real feel for the period and what it was like to live and fight in those difficult times. The internal politics of Scotland in this period is fully brought out, so for those who view the period as a nationalist England v Scotland issue will be sorely disappointed. Braveheart this isn't. Highly recommended.

Outpost Turks in 28mm

2011-07-13T21:05:00.000+01:00

In December I posted pictures of the Bulgarian Legion in 28mm from a new range by Outpost Miniatures. These are for the Russo-Turkish War of 1877.

As I said then I first saw them at the Claymore show last summer, when their stall was next to our display game. There is a mouthwatering vignette with their display. I resisted them most of the day because I have this army in 15mm. However, one my my pals, in the finest tradition of the drug dealer, sucked me in by buying me a couple of packs.

I also said I wasn't going to buy full size armies. So far so good as the project is limited to the Shipka Pass battle between the Advanced Guard and the Turks. The next stage is therefore some opponents for the Bulgars in the shape of these very nice Turkish figures. Russians next.....

Armies of the Balkan Wars

2011-07-11T22:40:00.000+01:00

The latest Osprey (MAA 466) covers the Armies of the Balkan Wars 1912-13.

This book does what it says on the cover. Just a short potted history of the campaign and then a description of the armies and their equipment. As usual with this series the strength is in the colour plates and the photos. Both are excellent.

This is a big subject to cover in one book. There are a number of countries involved and the armies were large and diverse. But for those simply looking for a short introduction and a painting guide, this is the publication for you.

If you want a history of the campaigns, I would recommend Richard Hall The Balkan Wars and for the Ottomans, Defeat in Detail by Edward Erickson. For more detail on the armies consult Alexander Vachkov, The Balkan War 1912-13 that has more colour plates and detail on the equipment deployed.

On His Majesty's Service

2011-07-10T11:17:00.000+01:00

I picked up a copy of Alan Mallinson's latest book On His Majesty's Service, primarily because it appeared to cover the 1829 Russo-Turkish War in the Balkans.

After struggling through the first 100 pages, I remembered why I hadn't bought his books recently. This is an author who has a very detailed understanding of cavalry regiments and the society they operated in during the period. The problem is that he feels the need to share that detail with the reader. So the first hundred pages takes us through a fairly tedious round of social engagements typical of a upper class officer of the time. This is supposed to be historical fiction and as such should have action and a fast paced narrative. Sadly this book has neither.

The book improves when we eventually get to the Balkans, although the research is a little less detailed here. In fairness, this is not a well covered conflict in any language. In the best traditions of historical fiction our hero manages to be everywhere that matters and it does give a reasonable flavour of the conflict and in particular the problems faced by an Ottoman army in transition.

Overall, not my favourite author and not recommended.

Warriors

2011-07-02T11:06:00.000+01:00

This is the second in Jack Ludlow's trilogy covering the great story of the Normans in the South.

The scene is 11th Century Italy, with Norman mercenaries arriving to be hired by Lombard and Byzantine lords. Too many young knights in Normandy to be supported on too little land, so the younger sons seek their fortune in a divided Italy.

The story is built around the de Hautevilles. Tancred in Normandy trying to do his best for his many sons. William goes south and becomes first a Captain in an established band before striking out on his own. Eventually he rises to his own fiefdom in Apulia, supporting a rebellion against the weakening power of the Byzantine Empire. This book ends with the Battle of Civitate where the Normans defeat the Pope who is trying to curb their growing power. Yet cleverly they ally themselves with the Pope and set the scene for the next stage of the Norman expansion in the South. The leader then will be Robert de Hauteville, known as Guiscard.

For a factual history you can do no better than J.J.Norwich's 'Normans in the South'. The actual history reads like a novel because it is the most amazing story. But Jack Ludlow is a great writer of historical fiction. This book has it all, intrigue, treachery, action and passion. Historical fiction at its very best. Highly recommended.

Three Elegies for Kosovo

2011-06-29T21:15:00.000+01:00

The 28 June was the anniversary of the first Battle of Kosovo in 1389. On the Field of Blackbirds the Christian army of Serbs, Albanians, Bosnian and Walachian troops were defeated by the Ottoman army of Sultan Murad.

There are few reliable contemporary records of the battle and this has been compounded by the religious and nationalistic significance the battle has been given by the Serbs. The Ottoman forces were split into the usual three sections. The centre commanded by Murad himself with the foot; the right by his son Bayezit with the European Sipahi cavalry; the left by his other son Yakub with the Anatolian cavalry. The core of the Ottoman army consisted of Turkish troops although there would have been contributions from Greek, Bulgarian and Serbian vassals.

Prince Lazar's army included a core of Serbian troops including his son-in-law Vuk Brankovich together with the Bosnian leader Ban Tvrtko and other contingents including Croats, Wallachians and Albanians. The Serbs occupied the right wing and the allies on the left with Vukovic commanding the reserves.
The conduct of the battle is clouded by contrary claims. Ottoman historians claim the Serbian charge on the centre was disrupted by baggage camels while Bayezit's right wing broke the flank and rolled up the Serbian forces. Serbian historians claim Vuk Brankovich abandoned the field at a critical moment exposing Lazar's flank, leading to the Prince's capture. Sultan Murad died in or after the battle in any one of several claims including by another Serbian hero Milos Obilic who stabbed him whilst kneeling in submission. Lazar was beheaded along with other Serbian leaders.

What is certain that although the battle was an Ottoman victory the Sultan's elder son Yakub also died in the battle and therefore Bayezit had to establish the succession by returning to Anatolia. Serbia lost more ground, most leaders becoming Ottoman vassals (including Lazar's son and Brankovich), but did not finally lose its independence until 1459.

My reading for the anniversary was Ismail Kadare's Three Elegies for Kosovo. Three short stories about the battle and events that surrounded it. Kadare is a great writer and he offers a different take on this symbolic battle.

The Serbian army is my current FoG army in our club competition. I fear I am no more successful in using it than Prince Lazar. However, at least I get to keep my head!

Gusar light cavalry

Balkans in the journals

2011-06-15T21:47:00.000+01:00

Lots of Balkan interest in the wargame and military society journals this month.

The latest edition of the New Mosquito has several excellent articles on the WW1 Salonika campaign including a description of the actions involving the Derbyshire Yeomanry on the Struma front. Another on the actions of a RHA battery plus the work of the Kossovo Day Committee in the UK during WW1. The anniversary of this battle is later this month.

The lead article in this month's Slingshot covers the reign and Balkan campaigns of the Roman Emperor Decius AD249-251. He fought the Goths, fairly incompetently, including the defeat at Abrittus in AD251. He squandered the first real elite Roman cavalry army.

Arquebusier has a piece on the Olaschin campaign of 1696. Friedrich Augustus, Elector of Saxony commanding the Imperial army was defeated by the Ottomans. Another of his less than successful encounters.

Finally The Foreign Correspondent has a translation by Richard Brooks of a visit to the battlefield of Grivitza 1877. The author accompanied the Russian army on this campaign.

Bumper editions for the Balkan historian and many thanks to those authors who contributed articles to these non-commercial publications.

Dobro Pole 1918

2011-06-08T22:13:00.000+01:00

My latest reading has been Balkan Breakthrough: The Battle of Dobro Pole 1918 by Richard Hall.

Dobro Pole is not likely to be on many WW1 battle lists. However, it should be as it was arguably one of the most decisive Entente victories of the war.

Dobro Pole was a key Bulgarian defensive position in Macedonia. By September 1918 the Macedonian front was largely held by Bulgarian forces following the withdrawal of German units to the Western Front. The Bulgarian army was poorly supplied and morale was low. The Entente forces saw an opportunity to achieve a breakthrough and launched an attack with Mainly French and Serbian troops. The attack was successful and the Bulgarian retreat turned into a rout with large numbers of troops heading for home. There were insufficient competent troops to mount a counter attack and reinforcing Austrian and German troops arrived too late. The defeat quickly led to the collapse of the entire front and Bulgaria's withdrawal from the war.

This book covers the background to the war in the Balkans and the campaign in the run up to the battle. The actual battle is covered in just a couple of chapters. The real value of this study is that it views the conflict from a Bulgarian perspective. This is a well written study of the battle that that led to the collapse of the Central Powers in the Balkans and hastened the end of the war.

Spies of the Balkans

2011-06-07T22:29:00.000+01:00

Long drive down to Devon and back was an opportunity to listen to the unabridged version (9.5hrs) of Alan Furst's book Spies of the Balkans.

This is an historical spy novel based in Salonika in 1940. The lead character is a special police officer who handles sensitive cases. As war grows nearer he becomes involved in the events that will lead to the Italian invasion and then the German occupation of Greece. In between he helps run an escape route for Jews fleeing Germany and his travels take him all over the Balkans.

The author weaves the history of the period into the story like an historical novel and puts elements of the detective thriller in as well. It was a great listen and really made the miles fly past. Recommended.

Wargame Magazines

2011-05-29T11:07:00.000+01:00

Caught up with my growing pile of wargame magazines this weekend. I hope the great choice we now have reflects a healthy and viable hobby rather than the economics of publishing. Perhaps it is both.

Wargames Illustrated has long been my favourite. Good use of photies and a good balance between historical and gaming articles. It has come in for a fair degree of criticism since being taken over by Flames of War. However, in fairness there is plenty of non FoW material in every issue.

I gave up on Miniature Wargames some years ago. It started to look very dated and tired and I found little of interest. Under new direction it has certainly improved. Not sure if they are not trying to reach too wide an audience with the computer and fantasy sections. A risk that they appeal to no one enough.

Very pleased to see Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy back with an English language version. I like the themed issue format and they have a strong historical focus that appeals to me. Strong presentation has always been a feature of this magazine.

At the risk of contradicting myself I still enjoy the Battlegames format. It may not have the presentational strength of the others but it is strong on content. Maybe I am just nostalgic about my early wargame experiences.

Not sure about Recon but I have persevered. I want to see plenty of reviews in my wargame magazines but I am not convinced that it justifies this as the main content. Some of the reviews are also a bit eclectic for my taste.

Let's also not forget the wide range of society publications. I take Slingshot, Arquebusier, Hobilar and the Foreign Correspondent to name just a few. These don't tend to be up to the presentational standard of the commercial offerings, but often have great content.

Overall, I think we are well served as historical gamers by our magazines. I hope they all flourish.

FoG R - new army lists

2011-05-17T22:27:00.000+01:00

I have just taken delivery of two new army lists for FoG Renaissance.

The first is Colonies and Conquest. This covers the spread of gunpowder weapons in Asia, both in the states and the European colonists. Not my normal territory, but I bought it for the Mughals and their opponents. An opportunity to dust down my army again as the list ties in well with those I developed for WAB.

The second is Duty and Glory. This covers the period from the end of the Thirty Years War to the end of the 17th Century. A period dominated by the Sun King, Louis XIV. My interests are more in Eastern Europe during this period. Venetian, Austrian, Polish and Hungarian lists attract me.

No one can doubt that FoG is properly supported with these quality offerings.

Silver Eagle

2011-05-13T18:57:00.000+01:00

Just finished the latest in the Forgotten Legion series - The Silver Eagle by Ben Kane.

The story covers Roman troops captured at Carrhae who are enlisted by the Parthians as border troops. There is a parallel story covering the sister of one of the leading characters back in Rome. The backdrop is Caesar and the Roman civil war.

This is well researched historical fiction with lots of detail about Roman life and the legions. A storyline that is both interesting and credible - just. Recommended.

Carronade

2011-05-13T18:22:00.000+01:00

At the Carronade show in Falkirk last Saturday. As usual, it was well organised by the Falkirk lads with a good range of games and traders. The venue is excellent, just a pity it wasn't as well supported by the public. I suspect a sign of the straightened times we live in.

At GDWS we brough a 28mm display game Somerled's Last Stand 1164. Somerled, King of Argyll and Lord of the Isles died at the Battle of Bargarran (sometimes called Knock or Inchinnan) in 1164. The battle was fought somewhere close to the site of the current Glasgow Airport. His Islesmen, Manx and Irish allies were defeated by a Norman/Scots army led by the High Steward, Walter Fitz-Alan. We actually know very little about the battle or the forces involved, so this wargame is somewhat conjectural.

None the less a good excuse to put large numbers of our Norman and Viking collections on the tabletop, supplemented by some Scots spearmen and various hairy types to make up the numbers. I see that pictures of the figures are making there way around the web and it was good to talk about them with fellow gamers and visitors.

There were a range of other excellent games including a fine Viking raid participation game from the Kirriemuir club. Plenty of Very British Civil War including the dockside game I first saw at Dumfries. Inspired me to buy a few trucks from Simon at Solway Miniatures for my own VBCW project and some evil fascists from Reiver Miniatures. Good day out all round.

Scots Spearmen

2011-05-08T09:13:00.000+01:00

Despite best laid plans it was still the night before the Carronade show when I finished off the last units.

Last two Scots spearmen units are published below. They did rather well in the game, holding off hordes of Irish and Viking troops on the left flank.

Engines of War

2011-04-13T22:30:00.000+01:00

Unlike my last review of The Berlin-Baghdad Express my latest read Engines of War by Christian Wolmar is a proper blend of railways and military history. The author is a prolific writer and broadcaster on railways and that is his real focus with this study.

He shows how railways transformed the nature of war in the 19th Century with chapters covering the main conflicts of the period. The railways enabled large armies to be transported considerable distances and equally importantly, suppliedthem to the level modern weaponry required.

For a period of about 100 years from the Crimean War to the Korean War, trains and railways were inseparable from war. Whilst railways have generally been a force for good, we also have to remember that without them industrial scale carnage would equally have been impossible.

I had previously read John Westwood's Railways at War and this author pays tribute to that book. However, this is a better organised and more readable study of an aspect of military history that has received little attention. Recommended.

Scots skirmishers

2011-04-03T12:03:00.000+01:00

A few skirmishers for the early feudal Scots. I know the early tartan is unproven, but the odd figure makes it look like a Scots army.

These lads are from the Gripping Beast range.

Berlin to Baghdad Express

2011-03-27T22:30:00.000+01:00

Just finished Sean McMeekin's book The Berlin-Baghdad Express - The Ottoman Empire and Germany's Bid for World Power, 1898-1918.

If a railway enthusiast picked this up he or she would be sorely disappointed. There is actually very little about how this amazing line was constructed. It is still the backbone of the railway system across large swathes of the Middle East.

Instead this is a book about Imperial Germany's attempts to harness the power of Islam against the British Empire. It catalogues the many schemes dreamt up in Berlin, at huge cost, with very little success. Spies, guns and gold tried to stir up Jihad across the Middle East, Persia and Afghanistan.

It's a great story, told fairly well, with more than a few topical references that also shed more than a little light on the current challenges in the region.

The Scots are coming

2011-03-27T22:14:00.000+01:00

Very busy at work and starting to panic as Carronade beckons and our Lord of the Isles display still needs plenty of Scots. Can't let the Norman's steal the limelight.

Finished some really nice Characters today. Love the guy with his hands in the air - no idea why, but who cares!

Plus some solid looking Thanes.

The skirmishers are nearly done. Then the spearmen. Oh and those nice, but fiddly banners.

Fields of Death

2011-03-08T23:10:00.000Z

Just finished reading 'Fields of Death' the last installment of Simon Scarrow's Napoleonic quartet. This series takes the lives of Napoleon and Wellington and run through the Napoleonic wars as viewed by them.

Perhaps a strange choice of personalities to pick as they never met in battle until Waterloo. Although in this fictional series they meet twice. None the less two very different personalities are explored fully.

This final installment covers a long period. From the Danube campaign of 1809 to Waterloo. I was expecting two volumes to cover this period. Scarrow is of course an excellent writer of historical fiction. I just felt that he attempted too much with this volume.

Russo-Japanese War

2011-02-27T20:17:00.000Z

A new member at the club expressed an interest in playing 19th Century Principles of War today. This was a good opportunity to dust down my armies for the Russo-Japanese War 1904/05.

For those not familiar with this conflict it was the first major war of the 20th century. The main cause was the rival ambitions of Russia and Japan over Manchuria and Korea. The major theatres of operations were Southern Manchuria, together with naval action in the seas around Korea and Japan. The Russians sought a warm water port on the Pacific as Vladivostok was only operational during the summer and Port Arthur would be operational all year. The surprise Japanese victory transformed the balance of power in East Asia, resulting in a reassessment of Japan's recent entry onto the world stage. The embarrassing string of Russian defeats undermined the Tsarist government, and proved a major cause of the Russian Revolution of 1905.

I first 'discovered' this conflict over 30 years ago when I was given a copy of The Tide at Sunrise by Denis and Peggy Warner. This is an excellent study of the war although a more recent study and probably easier to source is Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear by Richard Connaughton. There is also a useful Osprey essential histories. Of course the real inspiration is the marvellous TV series, Reilly Ace of Spies and the episodes that concentrate the siege of Port Arthur.

The starter for the Japanese army was the old Lancashire Games range that I first collected for the Boxer Rebellion. By modern standards these are not good figures. For the Russian's I had a good selection of Minifigs. I picked up the figures below at Salute a few years ago. They came in 50 figure bags but I can't recall the company who made them. I haven't seen them since but I hope the molds are still around as the animation is superb for 15mm.

PoW is a good ruleset for this conflict. It correctly puts the Russian player in the difficult command position of controlling a sluggish force with poor fire discipline. I got away with it today, through a combination of a crowded table in terms of terrain and my opponents poor initiative dice. This led him into a piecemeal attack on my best units, without the opportunity to manoeuvre around me. An enjoyable game done and dusted in just over three hours.

British forces in Greece

2011-02-27T12:08:00.000Z

Slow progress on the painting and gaming front recently; work does get in the way of the hobby!. More done than I think but limited to short bursts.

Anyway, the British allies for the Greeks are now finished and the sun is even shining so, temperature apart, you might even think we are up the Pindos Mountains.

Greece WW2

2011-02-12T17:51:00.006Z

Just finished FoW rebasing the Greeks of WW2. The Italian Greek campaign of 1940 is one of the more interesting and underplayed conflicts of WW2. A totally inadequate Italian army blundered into the mountains of north-west Greece, where it was defeated, thrown back into Albania, only to be rescued by the German invasion of Greece the following year. The common perception of this campaign is of a massive Italian army being held off by valiant, outnumbered Greek forces. Valiant they certainly were, however, the opposing forces were actually fairly evenly balanced.

I wrote a short history of the campaign for the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers Journal a number of years ago and an updated version is on the Balkan History history site. I have also visited the main battlefields in Greece and Albania, some high up in the mountains. It gives a very different perspective of the campaign.

Next stage is to rebase the Brits as allies.

Carthaginian Warrior

2011-02-12T10:17:00.000Z

I have enjoyed my latest Osprey, Carthaginian Warrior 264-146BC. As I have mentioned before this was my first wargame army and I have a soft spot for them. Made my first visit to the site of the city a few years ago.

This is in the Warrior series so the focus is on the men who fought for Carthage through a series of wars, most famously of course, the Punic wars against Rome. The unusual feature of Carthaginian armies was that they were almost all mercenaries or at least levies from subject tribes. This makes the achievements of Hannibal particular very special in my view. His leadership skills must have been amazing.

This study by Nic Fields takes the reader through the recruitment, equipment and experience on campaign and in battle. Good narrative supplemented by glorious artwork from Steve Noon. Recommended.

Italian WW2

2011-02-06T23:00:00.000Z

Finished rebasing my WW2 Italians for Flames of War. I can use some of the units to supplement the Nationalists for the Spanish Civil War project. But the main reason I collected them was for the campaign against Greece in 1940. So I am now rebasing the Greeks and the Brits as well. Not my favourite task as it takes me away from real painting - but they were all originally based for Rapid Fire (individual bases), so needs must.

Plus, I have finished this month's update of Balkan Military History. The feature article is on Pyrrhus of Epirus and his army, inspired by Jeff Champions book. A good general history of one of the ancient world's greatest battlefield commanders.

Empire of the Moghul

2011-01-29T13:18:00.000Z

Brothers at War is the second book in the Empire of the Moghul series by Alex Rutherford. This follows on from the story of the dynasty's founder, Babur, in the first book. His eldest son Humayun takes over but has to face the rivalry of his three half brothers who want the empire to be split up between them.

As a consequence they fail to unite when the Empire is threatened by a rebellion and Humayun is driven from India to seek support from the Shah of Persia. With military support from the Shah he recaptures Babur's original base in Afganistan from his brothers. When the warring factions in India break apart he grasps the opportunity to recapture the Moghul lands and reestablish their rule. The irony is that after this epic struggle he falls down the steps of his observatory and dies. Such is fate!

I raved at the first of this series and I cannot fail to do the same for the second. The history itself is of course truly epic and Alex Rutherford brings it to life with great story telling skills. I cannot recommend this series too strongly. Time to get my 28mm Moghuls out of the box ......

Albanich

2011-01-23T10:39:00.000Z

I popped down to Dumfries yesterday for Albanich the first Scottish wargames show of the year.

This is a small local show that none the less attracts a good range of traders. I picked up a number of smaller items I needed. I had bought a very nice Spanish/Italian 15mm building at a show last year, very suitable for my SCW project. Some more would be good but I forgot who did them. And there they were, sold by Rif Raf Miniatures, so a village of them is taking shape. I also got some nice entrenchments for FoW along with grass tufts and some more bases from the excellent Warbases. Warlord Games had their latest and Aventine Miniatures had some very nice Republican Romans and Indians with some fabulous elephants.

The theme of the show was A Very British Civil War (AVBCW). This is produced by Simon Douglas at Solway Crafts who organises the show. For those not familiar with the concept it is an alternative historical outline of events of 1936-38 that begins with a decision by Edward not to abdicate. They have produced some excellent source materials, flags etc and you use whatever rules you like.

I have been attracted to the concept but have resisted. However, yesterday I gave in and bought the books. You can use Great War Warhammer rules for this and a number of my WW1 figures will be suitable for starters. I suspect a worker militias will be my starting point.

There were a number of well presented games on this theme to tempt anyone in, certainly someone as weak willed as me! Below is a snap of the South East Scotland game. The terrain surface is teddy bear fur. Cheap and robust according to the Edinburgh lads.

Again this was a good show, well worth the journey.

Open Days

2011-01-16T20:55:00.000Z

Glasgow and District Wargames Society held its annual double header and open days this weekend. This is the opportunity to play big games that take longer than the normal afternoon. We also open the doors to any member of the public who wants to find out a bit more about wargaming and what the society has to offer.

I was primarily involved in testing the scenario Somerled's Last Stand that will be our main demo game this year. A big 5000pt WAB game based on Somerled's last battle at Bargarran in 1164. We learnt quite a bit about WAB 2 rules and how it impacts on fighting a battle in difficult terrain. We concluded that we probably made the terrain too difficult as it made the light infantry Islemen very difficult to beat and the outcome was a resounding victory for them. If that had been the historical outcome we would probably be speaking Gaelic not English today!

The above are my Iselsmen with the big man on the hill representing Somerled's right hand man Saor McNeil. They sent several units of Norman knights packing.

There was also a FoG competition using smaller 650pt armies on a 5' x 3' table. This provided quick games. There was also a big WW1 game using PoW, Blitzkrieg action in France from the WW2 boys and a couple of Fire & Fury games. George Dick's 15mm Arthurian army (see below) is one of my favourites.

Pyrrhus of Epirus

2011-01-13T22:12:00.000Z

Just finished Jeff Champion's book on Pyrrhus of Epirus. His claim to fame is that he defeated the Romans in two major battles and was rated by Hannibal as the second greatest general after Alexander. His name lives on with the phrase 'Pyrrhic victory'.

The author starts with an overview of the Eastern Mediterranean in the 3rd Century BC and of Epirus itself. At this time the state was a loose combination of tribes with the King's role primarily that of war leader. Epirus covered large parts of modern North Western Greece and Southern Albania.

Pyrrhus spent much of his youth in exile. This was the period of the Successors and war between them was the norm, dragging in other states. He developed into an brave and capable commander before returning to Epirus as King. He probably inherited a modern Macedonian style of army based on the pike armed phalanx supported by cavalry and elephants.

The rest of the book takes us through his main campaigns. Firstly his conflicts with neighbouring Macedonia and then, at the invitation of the Southern Italian states, with Rome. His famous 'Pyrrhic victories' at Heraclea and Asculum are covered in detail. He then campaigned in Sicily against Carthage before returning to Italy, this time to lose against the Romans at Beneventum. His final campaigns were in Greece, culminating in his death in battle against Argos and the Spartans.

A fitting end for a King who was almost continually at war. Whilst he was undoubtedly a great battlefield commander his strategic outcomes were poor. Too many campaigns were not seen through to the end and his diplomatic skills in maintaining allies were weak, even allowing for the shifting alliances of the period.

This is a book I would highly recommend. The author has a good writing style and effectively deals with the limited sources in way that retains readability for the general reader. I have spent some time in the Epirus region and it is well worth a visit with plenty of sites of interest for the historian.

Russia's Balkan Entanglements

2011-01-06T22:39:00.000Z

Another gift from Santa was Barbara Jelavich's tome on Russia's Balkan Entanglements 1806-1914.

This is a primarily a diplomatic history of Russia's 19th Century engagements in the Balkans. Starting with the Napoleonic wars and ending with WW1 and the subsequent collapse of both the Austro-Hungarian and Russian Imperial Empires. The period included no less than five wars with the Ottoman Empire from which Russia gained minimal territorial advantage at considerable expense. The author concludes that emotional commitments played a significant part in driving Russian policy. The irony is that an autocratic regime supported, what we would today call liberation struggles, at an economic cost that contributed to its own downfall.

I was about to say that the military operations are given cursory attention. However, that would be overstating the case. They are barely mentioned. Whilst this is not a military history, a reader not familiar with these conflicts would struggle to follow events.

This is not an easy read, not least because the author quotes primary documents at length. It does give a detailed understanding of both the internal Russian considerations and the diplomatic exchanges between the Great Powers. The author also threads the theme of the motives for Russian engagement throughout the book. The analysis is excellent, if the presentation is a little turgid.

One for the real Balkan enthusiast now it is available at a reasonable price in paperback. Not for the general reader.

Cross and Crescent in the Balkans

2011-01-03T11:38:00.000Z

Santa was very good to me in the books department. The first to be read was David Nicolle's Cross and Crescent in the Balkans.

This is the story of the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. He covers the early history of the Ottomans and the chaotic world at the time. The decline of Byzantium, divided Islam and distracted European states all contributed to the extraordinary rise of this dynasty from a small tribe to superpower status.

This is not a simple narrative military history. The author gives a fair amount of social history that puts the Ottomans in context and explains their resilience. Not least the loyalty of Christian vassals in the Balkans. He also gives some detail of the Ottoman military and administrative system as well as their remarkable comeback after the defeat by Timur at Ankara in 1402.

The military history is outlined and expanded with a somewhat selective treatment of the major campaigns. The Crusade of Nikopol and the Siege of Constantinople get several chapters each. However, the battle of Maritsa plus the first and second battles of Kossova are virtually ignored. This is a bit disappointing as this prolific author has written detailed accounts of Nikopolis and Constantinople in the Osprey campaign series.

With that exception this is still a good overview of the period, written in the David Nicolle's very readable style.

Punic Wars

2011-01-01T23:48:00.000Z

Happy New Year! May your dice always roll 6. Well for most rules anyway.

It is traditional at this time of year to review projects and plans for the coming year. My main project will be Lord of the Isles as this will be our main display game for this year. Mostly Scots spearmen outstanding. I will no doubt add the odd unit to the WW1 Salonika campaign armies as particular figures catch my eye. I am also enjoying my first few games of Flames of War, so I anticipate some expansion of my Spanish Civil War armies and rebasing the Greeks and Italians. As for actual gaming there will be the club FoG, FoGR and WAB competitions. Plus I want to play more Black Powder, Warhammer Great War and FoW. That should be more than enough to keep me busy!

Just completed the monthly update for Balkan Military History. The main new piece is in the outside the Balkans section with my 28mm Punic Wars armies. The Carthaginians were my first proper wargames army, although I was somewhat shocked to calculate that this was some 40 years ago.

Those Garrison figures have long been sold off and replaced with a bit of a mixture of figures and units gradually picked up or painted when the mood took me over the last ten years or so.

These Spanish foot are some of the best.

and these Libiyan spearmen are not bad. Later additions from the 1st Corps range I think.

I suppose we have to show some miserable Romans as well........

Spanish Civil War using FoW

2010-12-29T15:56:00.000Z

Thank goodness for the Xmas holidays and a chance to get some figures onto the tabletop.

Had my first serious effort at playing Flames of War using my new Spanish Civil War armies. A fairly simple scenario to start with. The International Brigade attacking a Nationalist held village, right out of Ken Loach's film. Land and Freedom for those not familiar with his SCW film.

The attack started with the T26 platoon supported by infantry advancing on the centre. The aim was to pin down the fascists while the remaining infantry platoons attacked the flanks. However, the T26's were quickly knocked out by the Italian ATGs and artillery and the infantry went to ground, so offering little distraction. The right flank did reach the hill and I therefore tried out the assault rules. But the Nationalists were too strong. Heavy Machine Guns are very effective!

I really like the rules. The mechanisms work well, fairly simple once you work through the sections in the right order. The SCW has few of the later complications so I haven't had to tackle many of the annexes. I am playing a larger game at the club on Sunday so we will see how that goes.

Austrian WW1 Hussars

2010-12-26T16:41:00.000Z

Bit of a fill in job this. I picked these Hussars up from the Geordies at Under the Bed Enterprises in the Summer to strengthen the Austrians for my Salonika project. These figures from their Reiver Castings range, are a bit more slender than many 28mm, but others would say more proportional. Either way I like them.

I went for early war uniforms albeit with the grey linen shako covers. Probably stretching it a bit, even for early 1916, but the later uniforms are very drab and a bit of colour was needed. These lads wouldn't look out of place on a Napoleonic battlefield!

There were 16 Hussar regiments at the outset of the war. However, remounts became scarce as the war progressed and a number of regiments were dismounted. I used the fine colour plate in the Osprey MAA 392 as my reference.

Somerled

2010-12-24T16:59:00.001Z

A bit more work completed on the Lord of the Isles project.

I have re-read Andrew McDonald's book on the subject. This is a more academic study that discusses the sources for what we know of Somerled and his life. The sum total is not very much. A bit disappointing in one respect, but for the wargame point of view it gives a bit more license!

On the Bargarran battle scenario I am planning, he concludes that the cause of the conflict was probably conservative opposition to the expanding Anglo-Norman fiefs in the West of Scotland. Their Lords, knights and castles would have been viewed with increasing unease by Somerled and other rulers on the western seaboard. He therefore views the battle as a pre-emptive strike against the expanding Stewarts.

This author argues for two possible sites for the battle. Landing at Renfrew and a battle at Knock. Or a landing at Greenock and a battle at Inchinnan. However, there is no firm evidence for either but we know the broad area.

On the figure front I now have a Somerled. Of course we have no idea what he looked like, so I have gone for the Gripping Beast representation of Ragnar Lothbrok, with some conversion.

British in Egypt

2010-12-20T21:20:00.000Z

And the final units (for now at least) for the British in Egypt project. I now have a balanced force for Black Powder. The Highlanders are plastic Victrix rebased from a purchase on EBay. The Generals and artillery are Front Rank.

You would never guess I photographed these outside in several inches of snow!

Kosovo 1448

2010-12-19T17:07:00.000Z

There is an excellent article in this month's Wargames Illustrated by John Bianchi on the second, and less well known, Battle of Kossovo in 1448. John is the primary author of the WAB supplement Vlad the Impaler that I, and fellow WAB players at GDWS, gave some modest assistance with.

Unlike in the first battle of 1389, the Serbian leadership remained loyal to the Ottomans and it was left to the Hungarian's led by Janos Hunyadi, with Wallachian support, to do battle on the Field of Blackbirds. The plan was to join up with the Albanian leader Scanderbeg, but the Ottomans moved quickly to bring the Hungarians to battle before the Albanians arrived. They were only a day's march away. Despite being outnumbered Hunyadi nearly pulled off a famous victory. However, it was Sultan Murad who triumphed and the Christian cause in the Balkans was on the defensive for the next 250 years.

The battlefield today, not surprisingly as the monuments were built by Serbia, focus on the earlier battle. But you can still get a good view of where the action took place as can be seen from the pictures on Balkan Military History.

John's article is well illustrated with 28mm figures from a number of ranges including the fine Kingmaker war wagons that represent the wagonburg in the Hungarian centre. He also presents a scenario for WAB that I look forward to trying out soon. We have done the slightly later Vaslui 1475 as a display game. It was fought in the fog, in case your wondering!

Siege

2010-12-18T15:03:00.000Z

This is the first novel from Jack Hight and is based on the siege of Constantinople in 1453.

The book weaves the story of Sultan Mehmed, Longo the Genoese commander of the city's defences and some love interest with the Princess Sofia. The author keeps fairly close to the historical events whilst developing the characters in the best traditions of historical fiction.

He also adds to the history a range of plots and conspiracies that make the story much more than a retelling of the famous siege, epic though that was in its own right.

This is a great read and I look forward to more by this author. His current project is a trilogy about Saladin.

British in Egypt

2010-12-11T17:48:00.001Z

Working hard to finish a few projects before Xmas so I can do some gaming rather than painting.

The British in Egypt army is close to completion, or at least a balanced force. The latest addition is a regiment of Light Dragoons and a unit of riflemen. I picked up most of the rifles at a show and the rest are Front Rank along with the cavalry. Artillery, Generals and few more Highlanders still on the workbench.

Viking vignette

2010-12-09T20:19:00.000Z

Done a bit more on the Vikings for the Lord of the Isles project.

Firstly I have read Magnus Magnusson's book Vikings!. I picked up my copy from my local Oxfam bookshop for £2.99, that really is a bargain! This is a sympathetic study as you might expect from an Icelander, validly pointing that they got a bad press from Saxon monks. Dark Age spin doctors it would appear. It is a well illustrated book and very strong on archaeological evidence in particular.

Inspired, I have finished one of Gripping Beasts stunning vignettes. Nor sure Magnus would approve of this. Obviously the boys at the Beast have been taken in by the spin doctors!

Maida 1806

2010-12-07T19:24:00.001Z

I have been working through my reserve book pile in anticipation of an xmas restocking, he says with a broad hint to the nearest and dearest. The Battle of Maida 1806 - Fifteen Minutes of Glory by Richard Hopton is a book I bought some time ago. It covers Sir John Stuart's British victory in southern Italy over a French army commanded by General Regnier.

The year is 1806 and the Third Coalition is falling apart after Napoleon's victories at Ulm and Austerlitz. The British are forced to abandon southern Italy, the mainland portion of King Ferdinand II's Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Napoleon's brother Joseph is installed as King and Ferdinand and the British retreat to Sicily.

Taking Sicily is a much more difficult task for the French. The roads to the launch ports for an invasion through Calabria are almost non-existent and the French are harassed by the Calabrians. The Royal Navy rules the waves following Trafalgar. With his base reasonably secure Sir John Stuart decides on a spoiling expedition and lands near Maida in the Bay of St Euphemia with a small army of around 4000 men.

General Regnier gathers his somewhat larger force together on the high ground above the Bay. As Stuart decides to advance, Regnier, who had a poor opinion of British troops following his contact with them in Egypt, also decided to attack and came down to the plain. His best Brigade was shot up by disciplined musketry and artillery and the others lost heart. The British had no cavalry to effectively follow up but still mopped up the French garrisons in Calabria.

So a famous if modest victory, indeed the only victory that year, achieved for once by the army. Sicily was secured as a British base in the Med. Despite this the battle is not well known, unless you live in Maida Vale!

The book is well written and gives a full background to the battle and the consequences. The battle itself is interesting in so far as it is likely that the French fought in line and were still beaten by disciplined British firepower. A prelude to the successes of the Peninsular War.

Bulgarian Legion

2010-12-05T21:22:00.000Z

Latest figures off the workbench are not from one of my current projects. They are 28mm Bulgarian Legion figures from the Russo-Turkish War.

These are from a new range by Outpost Miniatures. I first saw them at the Claymore show in the summer, when their stall was next to our display game. There is a mouthwatering vignette with their display. I resisted them most of the day because I have this army in 15mm. However, one my my pals, in the finest tradition of the drug dealer, sucked me in by buying me a couple of packs.

I have based them as skirmish figures because I am not going to build full size armies. Famous last words!

Bulgaria at this time was part of the Ottoman Empire and the Bulgarian Legion were volunteers fighting with the Russians to liberate their country.The Legion consisted of six rifle battalions and was attached to General Gourko's flying column, tasked with capturing and holding the Shipka Pass. In an epic battle they succeeded although with heavy losses.

Siege of Khartoum

2010-12-03T21:38:00.003Z

Plenty of train journeys this week because of the weather that enabled me to finish the latest John Wilcox novel, Siege of Khartoum.

This is in the Simon Fonthill series. Fonthill is an unusual Victorian character who manages to be at most of the late nineteenth century colonial campaigns, as all good heroes are of course. Unusual because the author has given his hero plenty of 21st Century values. Respecting the role of women, natives etc. If a bit incongruous it makes easier reading for a modern audience.

So here he is trying to reach Gordon in Khartoum before the Mahdi closes in. He gets captured and is rescued by his fiance and a Sudanese warrior, who are the real heroes of the book. Not quite the Four Feathers, and to put it mildly stretching credibility, but a good read none the less.

It was all a bit predictable but saved by Wilcox's pacy style. As one reviewer put it "Boy's Own stuff".

I sold my 15mm Dervish and British armies earlier this year so I wasn't tempted back to the period with this book. Mind you the Perry's do some very nice 28mm .............

More Nationalists

2010-12-01T21:12:00.000Z

These will be the last of the Nationalists, for now at least.

First we have the regular Moroccan infantry. These troops formed the backbone of the Nationalist army. Volunteer troops recruited from Berber hill tribes they were hardy and courageous soldiers.

And then a few Nationalist cavalry.

Roll on Xmas, when hopefully I will find some time to learn and adapt the rules and get these armies onto the tabletop.

India's China War

2010-11-27T20:18:00.000Z

My interest is easily aroused when it comes to obscure conflicts. Whilst browsing through a second hand bookshop last year, I came across Neville Maxwell's weighty tome on the 1962 Sino/Indian conflict. It sat in my reading pile until recently.

For those not familiar with this war between the two largest countries in the world a brief summary. India's border with China runs from the Himalayas through the Karakorum Mountains - probably the highest border in the world. The precise border line had never been agreed and diplomatic attempts to settle the dispute failed after the 1960 summit between Nehru and Chou En-Lai.

In 1961 India adopted the 'forward policy' that involved a direct military challenge to China and led to the border war the following year. However, the Indian army was ill equipped for fighting a war at 16,000ft+. Lightly armed, poorly supplied troops, most in their cotton summer uniforms were sent in penny packets to confront around three Chinese divisions. When the Chinese counter attacked these units were caught in isolated positions. Heavily outnumbered they fought bravely, often to the last man, against properly equipped Chinese units, but the outcome was never in doubt. The Indian army was shattered and routed to the plains of NE India.

The book gives a very detailed account of the diplomacy and Indian internal politics that led to the conflict. The main interest for the military historian, the war itself, gets lighter treatment. The absurd Indian command structure and the frequent leadership changes in key units is described in detail, but the actual fighting could have done with a few more maps and diagrams. Whilst the book is very balanced, the author did not have access to the same level of papers for the Chinese side.

For the wargamer this conflict presents a few challenges in terms of terrain. However, for figures Korean War Chinese would probably be fine and the Indian army doesn't appear to have moved on much from WW2.

Overall this book is hard going, but if you want a detailed understanding of this conflict, this is the book for you.

Nationalists take shape

2010-11-21T20:58:00.000Z

Nationalists finally off the bench. Mostly a rebasing job as I picked up a job lot at a bring and buy over a year ago. Supplemented by more figures from Peter Pig. I have plenty of Italians so I don't need that many Spaniards.

The core of the Nationalist army was the African Army stationed in Spanish Morroco. Apart from the Moors there was the Spanish Foreign Legion that actually only allowed 10% of foreigners in its personnel. A number of regulars joined the Nationalists to strengthen these well trained regular troops.

The Nationalists could also call upon two groups of militia. The Carlists based in Navarre, strong monarchists who opposed any form of democracy and the Fascist Falange.

So, first we have regular Nationalist infantry:

and then the Carlists in their distinct red caps.

Operation Mercury

2010-11-14T16:55:00.001Z

Holiday weekend in my part of the world is an opportunity to catch up with some reading and painting.

Finished off John Sadler's study of the fall of Crete 1941, Operation Mercury. I thought Alan Clarke's classic study of this campaign was a good read, but this is better. The author sets out the background to the campaign and the use of parachute and air landing troops. He then focuses on the key actions around Maleme airfield.

I hadn't really appreciated what a close run thing this campaign was. Even allowing for Axis total air superiority, better organisation and greater tactical awareness of how to tackle parachute landing, could have resulted in an allied victory. The allied troops fought well despite the poor direction from higher levels and where more than a match for the Fallschirmjager. One of the key issues was the lack of radios at company and battalion level.

Recommended read.

Last of the Republicans

2010-11-14T11:54:00.000Z

Finished the last (for now at least!) of the Republican units for the Spanish Civil War project. The infantry represent the Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the International Brigade. The cavalry are regular Republicans.

This means I have to start on the Nationalists. I don't pretend to be objective as far as this conflict is concerned, but there needs to be an opposing army.

NO PASARAN!

Viking Hirdmen

2010-11-12T16:47:00.000Z

Picked up some very nice Viking Hirdmen for my Lord of the Isles project.

These are Gripping Beast plastics and the first I have seen. I didn't assemble or paint them so I can't comment on the difficulty or otherwise of the task, something I have found onerous with other plastics. However, I can say that the detail is excellent and they look great.

Having done the research, I am starting to put together the metal (and plastic) for this project. Viking types for the Isles are straightforward but I have been swithering about the Scots. Settled for a mixture of Gripping Beast and Crusader for the first units. These will be supplemented by units from mine and others collections of Normans and I suspect some other dark age types to swell the numbers.

No final decision on the battle for the first demo game, but the current favourite is Bargarran. This is where Somerled died in battle with the Normans in 1164. The site is close to Glasgow Airport. Sources for the battle are very limited so we will have some flexibility in terms of the troops we field.

Spanish Civil War

2010-11-07T20:45:00.000Z

I actually got some painting done in the last few weeks. Even an hour the odd evening helps, although I find 15mm quick but hard work after 28mm. Something to do with age and eyesight I expect!

The fruits of this effort are more Republican units for my Spanish Civil War project. Mostly Peter Pig figures based for FoW.

Republican Militia

Anti Tank Guns

Republican Regular Infantry

Military Attache in the Balkans

2010-11-01T15:17:00.000Z

Just finished the memoirs of Colonel Napier who was the British military attache to Bulgaria in the run up to WW1.

This is a detailed study of the diplomatic efforts to bring Bulgaria into the war on the side of the Entente. He travelled extensively across the Balkans during this period so you get a good understanding of the position in all the Balkan states.

He describes in some detail his meetings with politicians and military leaders in these countries and the reader gets a good understanding of the factors that resulted in the decisions each country took. He is fairly critical of British foreign policy towards Bulgaria and clearly believed that a firmer line could have brought them into the allied camp.

In the end he was captured by a German submarine when leaving Greece on a passenger boat and spent the rest of the war in a prison camp before being exchanged. He then returned as the military attache to Sophia.

Not a light read this but well worth the effort for anyone interested in the Balkans during WW1.

Battle for Budapest

2010-10-29T23:18:00.001+01:00

On returning from Budapest I was pleased to see the main feature in this month's Wargames Illustrated is the Siege of Budapest in early 1945.

The battle was one of the longest (102 days) and most costly city sieges of WW2, coming second only to Stalingrad in terms of human trauma. Nearly a million civilians were in the city when the Soviets attacked and few were evacuated.

Wargames Illustrated focuses on a couple of interesting units involved in the siege and the preliminary battles on the Hungarian plain. The 13 Panzerdivision Feldherrnhalle had its origins in the SA or Brown Shirts. After their leadership was eliminated in the 1934 Night of the Long Knives the SA regained some standing in the Nazi organisation and formed the basis for this division in October 1944. It was the key German unit in the defence of the city.

Another article looks at the Hungarian assault gun forces. In addition to German equipment they had the locally manufactured Zrinyi Assault Howitzer and Turan tanks. These were formed into eight assault gun battalions in support of Hungarian infantry.

For a detailed history of the siege I would recommend 'Battle for Budapest' by Krisztian Ungvary, published by Tauris. This author had access to German and Soviet archives and takes the reader through the battle week by week.

In the Citadel museum in Budapest there is a large collection of photographs of the city during and after the siege. It is amazing how well the city has been reconstructed given the damage. The picture below was taken in the museum that is situated in the anti-aircraft control bunker.

Viking Art of War

2010-10-26T15:38:00.000+01:00

I have just finished reading Paddy Griffiths 'The Viking Art of War'. As always with this fine historian he gives the reader much more than a narrative history. In this book he explains who the Vikings were, the causes of their expansion and how they used their strategic mobility. He then sets out their strategy, battle tactics, army composition and arms and armour.

Sadly he debunks many Viking myths like the Berserkers and Jomsvikings. Recognising that the historical sources are limited for this period, he none the less sets out a more credible explanation of Viking strategy and tactics than the well known popular images. He does this by applying modern military thinking to challenges the Vikings faced.

The Vikings were not the supermen of myth. In fact they probably lost more battles than they won. This is not surprising when you consider that they fought in a similar way, with similar weapons as their opponents. They brought few if any technological developments, even their ships were only a modest improvement on existing naval architecture. They were effective in small raids when the opposition was not organised to resist them and on the fringes of Europe. They also fought amongst themselves as often as their neighbours. National organisation was at best a loose control and they rarely organised into the 'great armies' that did have a major impact on the history of France and England in particular. They were effectively countered by states that used fortifications and the strategic mobility of mounted troops.

What they did possess was exceptional energy and enthusiasm and whilst they have left a small historical footprint, their achievements were significant. Vikings fought as far away as the Middle East, travelling vast distances in modest sailing boats by modern standards. They excelled at deception and surprise and their strategic mobility caused the great empires of the period huge problems. In the places they occupied, rather than simply raided, they assimilated quickly into the local population. Most famously of course they morphed into the Normans, who themselves ranged far and wide.

Great book and highly recommended.

FoG Renaissance in Action

2010-10-24T23:14:00.000+01:00

First run out today with FoG Renaissance. Of the first army book I could field Austrian Imperial and Translyvanian armies.

The dice gave me the Austrians. Good solid infantry centre with strong cavalry wings of Kurassiers and Hussars. My equally green opponent diced for the Translyvanians led by Bethlen Gabor. Weaker infantry but an array of traditional lancers, armoured cavalry together with mercenary Kurassiers.

The rules encourage historical deployment and we both stuck to this. The light cavalry skirmished on the wings whilst we got to grips with the often subtle differences with the ancients FoG rules. Commanded shot between my Kurassiers worked well against the Szekler and Viteji cavalry. Artillery doesn't move after deployment but was useful in softening up before the infantry got into range. Some poor dice from my opponent at critical moments didn't help and the Austrians swept to victory.

Enjoyed the game and the rules appear to work well. A picture of the statue of Gabor below from my recent trip to Budapest.

Raven - Blood Eye

2010-10-18T21:17:00.000+01:00

A bit more historical fiction in line with my current Viking/Lord of the Isles project. A new author for me is Giles Kristian and the first of his Viking trilogy, Raven: Blood Eye.

The historical setting is the early Viking raids on Wessex. Longships raid a village and our lead character ends up with the Norse warriors. They then get involved in a raid on Mercia on behalf of a Wessex Ealdorman, with a sub plot involving a sortie over Offa's Dyke into Wales.

This is classic historical fiction. Plenty of violent action and treachery as you would expect from a Viking band, together with a pacy narrative. Very similar style to Robert Low. Looking forward to the next installment that is to be set in France.

Budapest

2010-10-13T22:02:00.001+01:00

Just got back from a trip to the Hungarian capital Budapest.

Lovely city for a short break. The mighty Danube separates Buda with its castle district from the much flatter Pest with its fine buildings and museums.

All the details of what to see can be viewed on the Balkan History website.

Highlights include the Military History Museum with its collection of uniforms, paintings and equipment. It is housed in former barracks in the far corner of the castle district. The National Museum in central Pest is much stronger on the earlier periods with good collections of arms and armour. Both museums have plenty of English translations and small but useful shops that sell good value booklets.

Other sights include Gellert Hill named after the unfortunate Bishop, who got rolled down the hill that dominates the city, in a barrel of nails. The Citadel on top houses a small museum of the WW2 battle for the city. Finally don't miss the Heroes' Square with its monuments to the nation's major historical figures.

In the evening I would recommend the stunning 19th Century cafe/restaurants with their tasty traditional cusine and full bodied Hungarian wines.

Me and the inevitable Hussar outside the military museum.

Lord of the Isles

2010-10-09T11:17:00.000+01:00

Finished a bit more background reading for the Lord of the Isles project. First off as always I turn to Nigel Tranter and his fictional account of Somerled the Mighty. Great historical fiction that attempts to keep close to the historical sources. This is one of his best and must be at least my third re-read of this.

For those not familiar with the story, Somerled inherited his father's thanedom in Argyll in the 12th Century. He cleared it and much of the Hebrides of Viking occupation and raiding, establishing a powerful state on Scotland's western seaboard. Many of the classic castles that you can see today on this coast were built by Somerled. He was assassinated before the Battle of Inchinnan 1164 and his Kingdom was split between his three sons. The current Prince of Wales retains the title of Lord of the Isles.

For background reading I have also finished 'Kingship and Unity - Scotland 1000-1306' by G.W.S Barrow. More of a social and economic history this but useful for a broader understanding of the period.

FoG Renaissance

2010-09-27T15:38:00.000+01:00

Start of the new club year and the first round of the FoG competition yesterday. My Byzantines did not do well last year but surprised me with a comfortable win over an Alexandrian Macedonian army. I managed to avoid all those long pointed sticks and won the key cavalry battles, with it has to be said, some generous luck with the dice.

Received my copy of the new FoG Renaissance rules last week together with the first army book. A couple of members were giving them a go on Sunday. So far everyones impression is favourable. The mechanisms are not too far removed from the ancients and the changes appear to be designed to encourage historical formations.

So I am looking forward to dusting down my 15mm renaissance armies that haven't been used since we stopped playing DBR. The first army book hasn't got much Balkan interest, with the exception of the Hungarian/Transylvanian army. This appears to have a bit of everything in it so should make a change from the pike and shot armies. I am planning a trip to Budapest soon, so some time in the army museum will be useful.

Spanish Civil War tanks

2010-09-18T21:44:00.001+01:00

Just finished the new Osprey Vanguard 170 'Spanish Civil War Tanks' by that No.1 tankie, Steven Zaloga.

He gives a good overview of tanks and the operations they supported throughout the war on both sides. Italian tankettes and Pkw1 for the Nationalists and largely Soviet T26 for the Republicans. There were also a number of home produced tanks that I hadn't seen before.

As always with this series this book has many excellent photies and colour plates by Tony Bryan. I need to touch up my collection after looking at these plates.

The author concludes that the conflict was not really the proving ground for Blitzkrieg. Similarly the Russians did not really learn the lessons. This was mainly due to the small scale of tank deployment in Spain, together with poor tactics.

I also re-read an earlier article by this author on Soviet tank operations in the Journal of Slavic Military Studies (Sept 1999). He reached similar conclusions whilst recognising that the war did have important consequences for tank technology. In particular the need for gun armed tanks and better armour to counter the contemporary anti-tank guns.

Altogether a good read and helpful in developing my SCW project.

David the Prince

2010-09-16T21:12:00.000+01:00

Early thoughts about a new project for next year's shows have focused on something Scottish. A surprising change for a Glasgow wargaming club!

Several members have very fine collections of 28mm Vikings and Normans so my research starts around the 11th and 12th centuries.

When it comes to Scottish history my personal starting point is always Nigel Tranter. I think I have just about every book he wrote. His books may mostly be fiction but they are rooted in his knowledge of Scottish history and they are a great read. I seem to recall a radio interview with him just before he died when he described how he wrote his books when out walking. Don't know how he did that but his walks must have been inspirational.

So my train reading for this week has been his 1980 book David the Prince. The story of King David, the Prince who never expected to be King but succeeded his brother in 1124. Before succeeding, he was an Anglo Norman nobleman in England gaining favour through his brother-in-law, Henry 1 of England. He was the great modernising King and brought a number of his Norman pals to Scotland including the du Brus, later to be better known as Bruce.

Now, what do my army lists say about his army........

South American Wars of Liberation

2010-09-13T21:43:00.000+01:00

Dusted down my 28mm armies for the South American Wars of Liberation at the club yesterday. This was a first run out for these armies using Black Powder.

This was the largely Argentinian army of San Martin during the invasion of Spanish held Chile. The game played really well with Black Powder. A cavalry battle on the left flank flowed back and forwards whilst the infantry fought over a village. The buildings are Grand Manner - real substantial 28mm buildings these.

I built up these armies for a series of display games a few years ago and they featured in Wargames Illustrated. You can see more of the figures and find out more about the campaign at my website.

Mistra

2010-09-08T22:47:00.000+01:00

I have finished reading on the train tonight 'Lost Capital of Byzantium' by Stephen Runciman.

This is a history of the hilltop city in the Peloponnese that was once, the capital of the region. Mistra is close to ancient Sparta, however, it was the Franks who after their conquest in the 13th Century who built a castle on the hill. After the defeat of the Franks the city prospered under Byzantine rule and became a centre of learning and the arts. It also prospered under Ottoman rule but was finally destroyed in the Greek War of Independence.

This book tells a great narrative history of the city and its role in the events of its time. Written by one the finest historians of the Byzantine period.

Fiat CR.32 Aces

2010-09-02T23:10:00.000+01:00

A couple of train journeys help to catch up with some reading. My latest is the new Osprey, 'Fiat CR.32 Aces of the Spanish Civil War' by Alfredo Logoluso.

The Fiat CR.32 bi-plane fighter had a poor reputation in WW2. However, it was the mainstay of the Nationalist air force and their Italian allies in the Spanish Civil War. It performed well, even against more modern Soviet monoplane fighters, like the Rata. The top ace was a Spaniard, Castano, with 40 confirmed kills.

The book gives a description of the campaigns the plane fought in and the top pilots. Together with the usual fine collection of photies and colour plates. I just need to find some models now for my SCW project.