Bannockburn - the game

I am pleasantly surprised to be ahead of schedule for a show with no last minute painting. Well another unit of knights but that really is it.

These are a few odds and ends. Some Crusader longbowmen that have been gathering dust and you can never have too many of them in an English army. Although they are not likely to see much action at the Bannockburn game with all those eager knights getting the way!

In front of them are some casualty markers with a clever number mechanism courtesy of Warbases. Excellent firm this, always prepared to produce what you want at a very reasonable price.

I have also drafted the handout for our participation game at Carronade. An historical explanation of the first day of Bannockburn and the rules we intend to use. Just a draft these as we will be testing them at the club next Sunday. Looks like a fun game and so, if you are going to Carronade, stop by and see if you can achieve what Edward II couldn't - can you break the schiltrons?

Hereward: The Devil's Army

This is the second in the series written by James Wilde about Hereward who led an English revolt against the Norman conquest from the Fen country in East Anglia.

This isn't a revolt, or for that matter a region of England, I know a lot about. So I can't vouch for how far the author deviates from the history. However, it's a good story well told with all the essential elements of a good historical novel.

Our hero battles with Normans from a relatively safe base in the Fens, somewhat more treacherous than they are today. There is treachery, romance and even a temporary alliance with a Danish army. We also get to see the other side of the hill through the eyes of an English collaborator in the Norman camp.

I enjoyed the first in this series, but for some reason found the second a little harder going. Not sure why as it has good reviews and it may be that I read it sporadically without really devouring the characters. It would make a good skirmish game using Saga rules.

More Scots

Two more Schiltrons of Scot's spearmen for the Bannockburn project. One more left to base and that will be enough for our Carronade participation game. Still some bits and pieces to do, including more longbowmen and knights. However,  for once I feel actually ahead of schedule and might actually get some gaming in over the Easter break.

I'll be giving them a run out at the club tomorrow against the Teutonic Knights.

A bit of a mix of figures. Certainly Claymore Castings, plus Black Tree, Curteys and Front Rank from memory. The big flags are from Flags of War and the Earl of Lennox is from CitadelSix. A new firm to me. The foil banners work well, but I am not convinced by transfers for flags. The shield artwork is first rate, slightly spoilt by poor quality transfers that chip very easily. But they plug a gap in this period.

Salute 2014

My annual trek down to London yesterday for Salute and some footie in the afternoon. A vital three points for Fulham made my day!

The queue on arrival was mega but as I had an advance ticket it progressed quickly. Nice freebie figure this year that I might for once actually paint.

The trader fest was impressive with more alternative universes than I could imagine. I assume there is a market for all this, or I hope so as the effort, artwork and models are impressive, even if it isn't my thing.

I suppose my abiding memory of this year's Salute is the smell of MDF. It was everywhere with buildings and bases to models. I am not a big fan of MDF buildings, not enough depth for me, although I accept the upper end of the genre are pretty good.

A very good range of games and here are those that caught my eye.

 

Carlist Wars - Lots of very nice Perry's figures.

Punic wars in I think 54mm

Victorian steampunk

Quartarmain quest

WW2 Keren

This was an impressive MDF village

Painting competition

Demo for the new SAGA supplement. Problem with the printer meant not on sale. I picked up the dice though.

WW1

And again this time in Belgium.

Dien Bien Phu

 

Posted with Blogsy

Opening shots of World War One

My Easter update of Balkan Military History is now complete with a feature article on the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia - 'The Opening Shots of WW1'.

The first shots of the war were fired at Serbia and the people of Serbia paid a huge price for the murder of the Archduke Ferdinand. Suffering the highest casualties of any nation in the Great War.

The early war campaigns have received very little attention in English language histories of the war and I point to what reading there is including Andrej Mitrovic's book, 'Serbia's Great War'. Today's Independent newspaper has a particularly gruesome set of pictures of Austro-Hungarian atrocities during the war.

I am planning to expand my 28mm armies for the early campaign and some figures have arrived from Tiger Miniatures and Old Glory. Early war Austrian's are a bit of a challenge at present with Renegade Miniatures out of action, but I will be keeping an eye open at Salute this Saturday. Looking forward to the show, followed by an absolutely vital home game for Fulham at the Cottage.

My Austrian Hussars and Infantry in early war colourful splendour!

English and Welsh Longbowmen

When I started the army list for our Bannockburn participation game I realised that I didn't have enough longbowmen. I am a big fan of Front Rank figures and their offerings, if perhaps a little too well equipped for Bannockburn, were an easy decision.

Painting these made a change from Scots spearmen and I was delighted that the bows are part of the casting. Having wrestled with gluing a mace on the figure I am painting for Thomas Randolph for several evenings, this was a real pleasure! Skulking at the back of this unit are two English command figures. On the right is Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and to his right is a more generic figure that I will probably use for Robert Clifford. The church will become St Ninian's Kirk and comes from Caliver's Battlefield Buildings range.

English and Welsh longbowmen were an important part of English armies of the period, even if they hadn't reached the fame that they would achieve in the Hundred Years War. The technology and training were the same, but English commanders were not. At Bannockburn they forgot the lessons of Falkirk and charged the spearmen before allowing the longbowmen to soften up the schiltrons. Clifford, De Bohun and Valence were all at Falkirk, but it appears they had forgotten the lessons. 

Noble arrogance is the common explanation for ignoring the socially inferior foot soldiers, before impetuously charging unsupported. It's possible, but that doesn't explain Falkirk or an equally important battle in 1295, when the Earl of Warwick defeated Welsh spearmen at Maes Madoc with a well coordinated attack by archers and knights. There was a time gap, so they could have forgotten the lessons of these actions and Edward's army at Bannockburn was large, but of poor quality. 

A more credible explanation in my view is that the English knights camped on the Carse without their archers because they expected Bruce to withdraw. His advance on the second day of the battle left the English archers on the fringe of the action, rather than coordinated with the knights. 

This is a bit of a problem for war gamers refighting Bannockburn because an English commander knows how to win. This therefore requires some scenario planning to make it difficult for the English commander to use too much historical hindsight.

On the subject of archers, the Scots are often portrayed as being armed with lighter hunting bows. However, we know that the Scots also used the longbow, importing them via the Hanseatic ports. Their inferiority was down to smaller numbers.

Islesmen at Bannockburn

The latest unit to join my Scots army for Bannockburn is a unit of isles men led by Angus Og MacDonald. 

We are pretty sure that islesmen and highlanders from the west coast fought at Bannockburn in Robert the Bruce’s division. However, we have little idea if they fought with their traditional weapons or were trained to fight with the spear like the lowland Scots. So I have compromised with spears in the front ranks and the two-handed Lochaber axe in the back rows. The figures are from Claymore Castings range and the flag is produced by Flags of War.

The Kingdom of the Isles during this period had been brought into the mainstream realm of Scotland well before Bannockburn. However, they were far from united in the Bruce cause. In broad terms the MacDonalds supported Bruce, while the MacDougalls supported Baliol. I stress in broad terms because there is strong evidence that members of both clans fought on both sides. 

Angus Og himself was, like Bruce, an adherent of Edward !st. until 1206. It is likely that his shift in allegiance had more to do with the traditional feud with the MacDougalls, than the patriotic motives ascribed in the poems of the period. Angus Og gained from the alliance as the tide swung in favour of Bruce, including his Argyll campaign that shattered the power of the MacDougalls in 1307. He was rewarded with grants of land in Lochaber, Morvern and Ardnamurchan in 1314. His son and successor also gained Mull and Tiree. 

Andrew McDonald’s ‘The Kingdom of the Isles’ is a good read if you want to know more about the western seaboard of Scotland during this period.

It certainly made a change from painting lowland spearmen!

Wars of Spanish American Independence 1809-29

As a break from the Bannockburn project I have been reading ‘Wars of Spanish American Independence 1809-29’ by John Fletcher. 

This is in the Osprey essential histories series that aims to give a broad overview of particular conflicts. This subject is a real challenge for the format, as the wars of liberation ranged over a huge geographical area and also lasted some 20 years. 

The author’s approach has been to set the conflict in the context of the Napoleonic wars and Spain’s decline that had huge implications for its overseas empire in south and central America. The nature of the colonial empire with its ‘caste’ system and the importance of trade in developing the resistance to Spanish rule.

The respective armies are given a brief overview with Spanish regulars and militia fighting an array of colourful troop types from cowboy Gauchos and Llaneros to freed negro slaves. The fighting is summarised in the chronology and by region and it is probably here that the restricted space is most challenging.

This is a very interesting conflict and I hope this introduction encourages greater interest in it. There are a number of excellent histories and the author’s own series of booklets provide everything the war gamer needs. There are limited ranges of suitable figures in 15mm and 28mm. In fact more than when I did the army of San Martin and his crossing of Andes for a series of GDWS display games. I covered these campaigns in an article in Wargames Illustrated in 2007.

Spanish Line Regiment Don Carlos

Gauchos

Bannockburn

In this 700th anniversary year we can expect a string of publications on this battle. I have just finished reading David Cornell's new book 'Bannockburn - The Triumph of Robert the Bruce'.

This is the author's first book, although he spent several years studying the Anglo-Scottish wars while completing his Ph.D. at Durham University.

The first third of the book describes the Scottish wars and the the internal power struggles in Scotland in the period before 1314. This is important, not only for context, but as an explanation as to why Robert the Bruce decided to take the highly risky strategy of a pitched battle with the English army and their Scottish allies. The internal politics of England are also covered. This also partly explains Edward's urgency to cross the Bannockburn at the end of the first day of the battle. A move that forced him to fight on ground that was far from suitable for knights.

Given the sparsity of sources for the battle itself, there is little that's new in this book. The author largely goes with the modern view of the battle site, with the second day being fought either on the Carse or the Dryfield, someway to the East of the traditional site. He does make a credible case for Moray's advance guard being further forward in the Torwood itself, but accepts it is purely conjecture.

Finally, the book covers the aftermath of the battle and the long struggle before a lasting peace treaty was signed.

While there is little new in this book, it is very well written. Some may not like the style that has elements of historical fiction writing, but I think it adds to the readability. Highly recommended.

The first Schiltron

The first Scots schiltron makes it off the painting bench for the Bannockburn project.

These are Black Tree Design figures. Quite a lot of flash on these figures, often in those annoying places you only spot, after you have started painting! None the less the detail is excellent, making painting very straightforward. The spears are moulded on, a big plus for me as I have boxes of figures with spears I am constantly gluing back on. Yes, I do glue before painting, but wear and tear on the wargames table wins out every time.

The spears look a little short for Scots, but I take the view that there would have been a range of spear lengths in the Scots army. I certainly don't go along with the pike classification option in one popular ruleset. However, I am getting prepared for the inevitable punter at the first wargames show, who will tell me, with absolute certainty, that I have got some aspect wrong. The fact that our sources for what the army actually wore and fought with are virtually non existent, won't put them off!

Given the number of figures needed, I decided to open the tin of army painter quick shade that has been sitting in a draw unopened for a year or two. I have been using inks or GW Devlon Mud wash for most of my recent painting.

I'm fairly pleased with the result, certainly a lot quicker than the two or three stage method I usually adopt. I use a brush application as I tried dipping some older figures and the effect was a bit OTT. Although it has breathed some new life into some of my earlier, more basic painting efforts.

WW1 and the Battle of Cer Mountain

Other than Bannockburn, the other major anniversary this year is the start of World War 1 and that is clearly of Balkan interest.

The spark that started the war was of course the assignation of the Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo. It has become a fashionable during this anniversary to debate who is to blame for the war. I would argue that this is pointless as the causes are multiple and complex and can’t be placed at the door of one country or incident. Having said that, Serbia clearly has some responsibility given their involvement in the assignation, so Serbian government plans to erect a statue to Princip in Belgrade is at best in bad taste. The incident that led to the death of more than 10 million soldiers is nothing to celebrate and I doubt if many of their families will see the 'injustice' in Princip not having a monument.

While the Austro-Hungarian priority ought to have been defeating the Russians, they split their forces and invaded Serbia. The bombardment of Belgrade is fairly well known, but the main Austrian forces were in Bosnia and invaded from the West crossing the Sava and Drina rivers. The decisive battle was around Cer Mountain where a numerically inferior Serbian army routed the Austrians. Often just a footnote in histories of WW1, Max Hastings covers this campaign well in his new book ‘Catastrophe’. 

I have the armies in 15mm, based for Great War Spearhead rules and these allow big battles to be fought. I have also been experimenting with Bolt Action and the picture below shows a small scale action with four sections of Austrian infantry supported by cavalry and artillery attacking Serbian positions. These rules worked well, and I will experiment further with 28mm figures.

Bannockburn 1314

This year is the 700th anniversary of Robert the Bruce’s (or De Brus when I am winding up Nationalist pals!) great victory at Bannockburn on 23/24 June 1314. It makes a change for me doing a project based on a battlefield that I can visit easily, rather than some obscure part of the Balkans.

Obviously, this will be a big anniversary here in Scotland. The visitor centre and the Bruce statue is undergoing a major refurbishment (with state of the art 3D experience) and there will be a range of events. The archeologists have also been busy and are due to publish a new report prior to the anniversary date. I suspect it will be a popular display game on the Scottish wargame show circuit and GDWS will add to that with our planned game, based on the less well known first day of the battle. We are aiming for the Carronade show at Falkirk on 10 May. Very appropriate as the English army marched through Falkirk the day before the battle.

As always we start with the research. Despite the many books written on the Scottish wars and the battle itself, the primary sources are very limited and confusing. There is even controversy over where the battle was fought. The traditional site for the main action on the second day, as set out by Oman and others, is now regarded as unlikely in favour of the Carse further to the East. Just as well as the archeologists will struggle to get beneath the housing scheme. We do not protect our battlefield sites well!

I have started with Peter Armstrong’s Osprey Campaign book, not least for the excellent maps and drawings. Osprey’s MAA 151 is also helpful, as always primarily for the colour plates and illustrations. Aryeh Neusbacher’s book is well written and nicely illustrated, but the content has been criticised. Not least by Chris Brown’s book that analyses the sources in some depth and, to my mind at least, provides the most credible description of the battle so far. There are a couple of new books out, and no doubt more to come, that I haven’t got round to reading yet.

Fortunately for us, the first day of the battle is less contentious. The advance guard of the English army, commanded by the Earls of Hereford and Gloucester charge Robert the Bruce’s schiltron at the ‘entry’ to the New Park, a wooded hunting park in those days. They are repulsed after a fierce fight and this is where the famous single combat between Bruce and de Bohun takes place. 

Meanwhile, Clifford’s force takes a more easterly route skirting the New Park, it is thought, along ‘The Way’, through the Wood of Balquhiderock towards St Ninian’s Kirk. Moray’s schiltron may not have seen them until quite late due to the wood and he advanced to intercept. There are two possible sites for this clash, but either way the English were repulsed and the bulk of the force is likely to have returned to the main body of the army that was arriving late afternoon and evening.

I use the word ‘English’ army as a generalisation. Our modern understanding of national sentiment should not be transplanted to medieval times. The English army included many Scots. Not just the Balliol/Comyn faction that Bruce had usurped for the throne, but many notables from south-east Scotland who sided with the English King. 

The next step is building the armies, in 28mm of course. We have done a number of feudal battles in recent years so some figures will transfer easily. The story that a unit of Templars fought for Bruce is almost certainly fantasy, but its a good story and a few of those we painted for the Battle of Muret last year might sneak into the line! The main painting task is the Scottish schiltrons. I have one unit, but others will be added from Old Glory, Claymore Castings, Front Rank, Black Tree and Curtey’s to give plenty of variety.

Scenery is quite straightforward with woods and burns (streams) being the dominate characteristics of the site, as well as St Ninian’s Kirk.

Anyway, less talk and more painting is needed if this project is going to get off the ground!

Flames of War - Chinese Nationalist WW2

My initial Chinese army for WW2 is now complete and ready for the tabletop. They are based for Flames of War.

By the 1930's the Chinese army fighting the Japanese was reasonably well organised. It had two basic uniforms; grey/blue padded for the winter and light khaki for the summer. As the war went on supply became more difficult and uniforms would have become faded. Helmets and caps came in many shapes including the German 1935 model, reflecting the German advisors and other equipment.

I have gone for the grey uniform, with a number of variations in shade and colour, largely to differentiate them from other armies. The figures are from the Eureka range, but be warned they are not cheap. There are three sections of infantry, rather too well supplied with support weapons. Two mountain guns, a 37mm ATG, HMGs and Mortars. When I return to this project, more infantry will be needed.

Dynasties on the Danube

This was the title of our big game at the GDWS double header this weekend. Early 18th Century using around 600, 28mm figures and Black Powder rules.

The scenario was based in 1719. Austria, Russia and Poland have come together in a new Holy Alliance to expel the Ottomans from the Balkans. They mobilise in Belgrade and advance south. The Ottomans are ready for them and block the route. Let battle commence.

A Croat Brigade is the Austrian advance guard and they seek to expel an Ottoman advance guard from a village that controls one of the river crossings. However, they get bogged down giving the main Ottoman army time to deploy. The Russians arrive on the Ottoman right and force the river against a Wallachian Brigade and the Ottoman right wing cavalry. The Tartars arrive next to harass the Russians, but are sent packing by the somewhat tardy arrival of the Polish army. Meanwhile the Austrian army is largely destroyed by the Ottoman left and centre. Score draw to the Ottomans.

Very enjoyable game, three players a side on Saturday and two a side on Sunday. As always with Black Powder, lots of fun!

The full table, with the Ottomans at far left facing the Austrians. Russians in foreground trying to force the river.

The Russian army

Russian Grenadiers lead the bridge assault 

Ottoman centre with the Janissaries and artillery and left wing cavalry

Austrians attacking the village.

National Archives - First World War 100

A news item on the BBC the other morning caught my eye describing how the National Archives are putting war diaries on the web as part of their First World War 100 project. If you haven't had a chance to delve here I can highly recommend it.

The war diaries are themselves interesting as hand written records of the daily actions of units in the front line. The idea is to get us to do the classification and many people have clearly already been taking part.

There is a much more on the site including access to a lot of other documents. I was searching for materials on the Salonica campaign and came across this wonderful memo from the First Sea Lord, Jellicoe telling the War Cabinet, in gloriously pompous tones, of the need to withdraw troops in May 1917. Somehow the typewriter gives the words more feeling than seeing them reproduced in a book. You can almost hear Jellicoe dictating them to a secretary.

There are also General Milne's (He commanded the British Army) regular reports of his and the allies actions to the War Office.

There are also podcasts and film clips. I particularly liked this one of Franco's attack on Barcelona in 1939. The artillery far from being spaced out in WW2 style is firing from a column formation.

The National Archives are certainly providing a great resource.

Dacian Wars

I got one of my recent projects onto the tabletop yesterday at the club - Dacian Wars.

Two 300 point Hail Caesar armies organised into two divisions on either side. I haven't played a lot of Hail Caesar recently, so it was good to get back to the system that I think works really well for ancient battles. Unlike FoG and some other systems you rarely get individual units charging around the table, or even some of the Napoleonic style manoeuvring. You do what I suspect actual ancient commanders did. Devise your battle plan, hope your subordinates stick to it and possibly intervene personally with a reserve or at a critical moment.

Hail Caesar rules mechanisms largely force that with the proximity rule in particular. There is still a fun element with the order system that delivers the uncertainty of subordinates not doing what you want.

In this game, the Roman left division charged across the table while his left flank blundered and almost marched off the table. Sadly for my Dacian's, they recovered before I could take advantage, largely because one of my units blundered as well. The key with any warrior army like the Dacian's is to burst through in the first round. Fighting against tough veteran legionaires you are going to come unstuck if it becomes a slugging match, and so it proved.

Good game and gets me in the mood to start the research into the Bannockburn project, not to mention the growing pile of metal Scots spearmen!

Malaya 1942

Last game of the holidays before returning to work tomorrow.

First outing for my new 28mm British and Japanese forces for the Malayan campaign of 1942. These are 28mm figures - Japanese are Warlord and the Brits are Perry's. The rules are Bolt Action.

By no means a finished project, but enough for a good game. The Japanese right wing crossed the stream and captured the village as the tank and the other infantry section pinned the Brits down on the road. I do like the special Banzai rule. It doesn't give the Japanese any 'supermen' close combat factors, it just keeps them fighting until virtually wiped out.

Nomonhan Incident

I have at last managed to get two 1500 point Flames of War armies on the tabletop for the Nomonham Incident.

In 1932, the Japanese occupied Manchuria, giving them a 3000 mile frontier with the Soviet Union. Between 1931 and 1939 there were many border clashes, the largest in May 1939 at Nomonham. The Japanese eventually engaged two divisions with supporting army units, totalling some 30,000 men. The Soviet counterattack, led by Marshall Zhukov, involved 77,000 troops including two rifle divisions and two tank brigades.

The title 'incident' implies a mere skirmish. However, the Japanese admitted to 17,000 casualties and the Soviets 16,000, as well as 196 tanks and 133 armoured cars. That's a battle at any time in history. Strategically, it encouraged the Japanese to look south for the next stage in their expansion and the Pacific War was the consequence.

For those interested in giving this a go, I have reviewed a couple of books and the Flames of War supplement 'Rising Sun' is excellent. It also covers the Finnish War.

A few photos from my tabletop clash. Waves of Russian tanks and infantry attack both sides of a small village. If it looks unbalanced, that's because the Japanese are all veteran, while the Russians are conscripts. The Russian steamroller won through on this occasion.

The models are from the Battlefront, Peter Pig and Plastic Soldier ranges. You will find a number of reviews of these figures in posts throughout last year.

A late addition was my xmas painting of these two very nice Battlefront Russian 122mm howitzers.

Happy New Year!

A lot of stories about liver disease in today's Scottish media that I didn't appreciate after last night's excess, but a break in the rain meant I got out for a walk and cleared my head. It's been a good holiday break with some reading, gaming and painting done. Of course this means that I may get too over optimistic about what can be achieved in 2014!

Firstly, the projects.

As always some finishing off to do:

• The Nomonham project is almost complete. I based two Russian 122mm guns this morning and that gives me all I need. There is still a box of Japanese infantry that needs attention at some stage as the Japanese will need some reinforcements.
• Malaya 1942 - still needs some heavy weapons, particularly for the Brits, and an order has been dispatched to Warlord for these.
• Yugoslavia WW2 - just needs some Italian heavy weapons, again en route from Warlord.

Then some new projects:

• Chinese for the Sino-Japanese War. The Eureka figures are superb, if ridiculously pricey.
• Scots for Bannockburn. The anniversary is the big event in Scotland and I suspect you won't be able to move for display games at Scottish shows this year. I have been collecting spearmen from several ranges, although not entirely happy with any of them.

On the subject of display games, a few other members have stepped up this year with projects, so my focus is something related to Bannockburn. The challenge will be to find a different angle.

The other big anniversary is of course the outbreak of WW1. As it kicked off in the Balkans, I may do something Austrian and Serbian at one of the shows. I certainly plan to highlight this part of the war and may even add a figure or two to my collection. Credit to Max Hastings, who has given this more coverage than it usually gets in his book 'Catastrophe', my current reading.

On reading, I am still working my way through the reading pile I purchased at Hay-on-Wye, but there is so much good new stuff coming out I may still be looking at it next year.

I have highlighted a few other anniversaries in the month's update on Balkan Military History. Hard to believe I have been editing this website for 17 years! Chaldiran is one that particularly caught my eye as an interesting action. Plus the Ottoman/Venetian war of 1714, when the Turks recaptured the Peloponnese.

Well, all that should keep me busy. All the best for 2014 and good luck with your own projects.

The Pagan Lord

Second on my holiday reading list has been Bernard Cornwell’s latest epic, ‘The Pagan Lord’.

This is the latest in the Warrior Chronicles, telling the story of Uthred, the pagan warlord, who was brought up by the Danes, but fights for the Saxons. This is the seventh instalment in the series and covers the period after Alfred’s death up to the historical battle of Teotanheale in 910. The Danes are still pressing the Saxon kingdoms and Uthred is as usual in trouble with the church he despises. He is banished, tries to capture his birth right fortress at Bebbenburg, and when that fails, comes back to save the Saxon’s yet again.

If this all sounds a bit familiar, it does have to be said that the formula is getting a bit worn. A bit like Uthred himself, who is getting on a bit. You might think, time to ride off to Valhalla with sword in hand and you would probably be right.

However, the problem with this critique is that it is still a great yarn. Absolutely compelling reading that you just can’t put down. Cornwell is simply the master storyteller and while the formula is getting a bit repetitive, there is enough of a gap between titles for the reader to recover. Bring on the finale!