Cold War Commander - Greek/Turkish border

Recent events in Turkey reminded me to dust down my 1/300th micro armour collection of modern Turkish forces, together with the Greeks, for a fictional (I hope) clash on the border. 

Greek-Turkish rivalries are long standing, and despite both being NATO members, they maintain significant forces on the common border. There have been many attempts to resolve their outstanding differences in the Aegean and Cyprus, but with limited progress.

It has been argued (Heraclides 2011) that this lack of progress is because various incompatible conflicts are but the tip of the iceberg. The real reasons for the impasse, the essence of the rivalry, are the historical memories and traumas, real or imagined that are part and parcel of their national narratives, together with their respective collective identities which are built on slighting and demonising each other.

The next question was, what rules should I use? My rules of choice for the modern period has been Modern Spearhead. It's a good system, even if the movement mechanism is a bit clunky. A game at a pals introduced me to Cold War Commander, the modern version of Blitzkrieg Commander. I bought a PDF version of both rules, but lost them when I thought iBooks backed up on the Cloud - warning, it doesn't! You can't buy a set at present because Pendraken have bought them and are planning to update them (sadly a delayed project), but I borrowed my pals spare copy.

Cold War Commander is a fast play system, with some fairly simple mechanisms that can be picked up quickly. Each command (typically a battalion) has a command value and you can move, fire etc by rolling below that value. When you get close, an initiative stage allows one move without an order. Each base (typically representing a platoon) has movement and firing stats on army lists in the rules. You roll a number of dice for hits and armoured units have a saving throw. Lots of abstractions, but the game flows quickly and I like them.

Onto the game. This is the table with the Greek armoured battlegroup nearest and the Turkish equivalents crossing the river. The objective is the small town. 

The Turkish infantry win the race for the town, but their supporting tank units are a bit slow.

This enables the Greek infantry to capture the town supported fully by their own tanks. Both sides had artillery and air support, but they didn't dominate.

I enjoyed this game, which has rekindled my interest in the period.

Sharp Practice 2: Austro-Turkish Wars - Peterwardein 1716

This month is the 300th anniversary of the Battle of Peterwardein in 1716. The Austrian's, led by Prince Eugene, defeated the Ottoman Turks. The Fortress of Peterwardein (Petrovaradin) is on the Danube, opposite the modern Serbian city of Novi Sad.

GDWS did a big display game of this battle at Claymore in 2006, as part of a series we called Eugene in the Balkans. With Sharp Practice 2 I thought I would dust down some of the figures and scenery.

Here is the table with part of the fortress on the left and the Ottoman siege works on the right.

Sipahis supported by light cavalry attacking an Austrian formation in the centre.

Janissaries and Arnaut skirmishers on the left engage with another Austrian infantry formation supported by Croats.

And on the right Austrian Dragoons and Croat Hussars engage more Ottoman cavalry.

The Sipahis as impact cavalry were too strong for the Austrian dragoons, although they lost too many casualties to successfully follow up into the Croats. The Jannisaries were defeated by the Austrian foot as were the Sipahis in the centre. All this seemed about right, albeit its only one game.

How to classify Ottoman units is a challenge in most Horse and Musket rules, particularly Jannisaries. I made them regular, but not controlled volleys and aggressive as well as ignoring the no bayonets rule, because of their swords.

My army lists are set out below and I would welcome any thoughts from other players. Thanks.

 This is a link to Serbian TV coverage (starts at 3:12) of the exhibition prepared for the centenary. Nice diorama as well.

2017 War with Russia

My holiday fiction reading was '2017 War with Russia' by General Sir Richard Shirreff. He is a former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander at NATO. 

The book argues that under President Putin, Russia has charted a dangerous course that may lead to a clash with NATO. He is encouraged by the failure to stand strong in the face of Russian aggression and the cuts in NATO's conventional military capacity. It tells the story of how, thanks to a series of misjudgements and policy blunders, NATO and the West stumble into a catastrophic war with Russia. UK Defence cuts come in for particular criticism.

The scenario is a Russian invasion of the Baltic states on the pretext of defending the Russian minority population, as in the Ukraine. NATO fails to deter the attack due to political dithering and it is left to local forces to continue a guerrilla war. The counterattack is eventually pulled together and they choose to attack the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, to effectively barter it for the Baltic states. The attack is led by US units, assisted by a cyber attack from the UK.

The story is told at the strategic level through the NATO commanders and the political leaders. In parallel, there is a tactical story of a Mercian Regiment officer stranded in Lativa on a training mission and a Spetsnaz officer.

The political message is predictable from a former General with arguably only a limited grasp of the wider political context of defence cuts. However, whatever view you take of the politics, this is a good story, well told. Certainly a must read for modern wargamers. 

Sharp Practice 2 - Peninsular War

My second game of Sharp Practice 2 was in traditional Sharp territory - the Peninsular War.

Two 70 point armies. The 'French' were actually mostly Polish, Italian and Irish troops against a British force. Both sides had three leaders.

This is the tabletop after the deployment moves, British on the right.

The first clash was a cavalry battle between Polish Lancers and British Light Dragoons. The Brits won, but next move got canistered by the Polish artillery and fled.

The main Polish advance is met by skirmishing rifles and controlled volleys from the British line with artillery support. They didn't get very far.

On the left flank the Italians advanced through a wood and gave the Rifles and Highlanders a hard time. Score draw this one by the time the French morale had collapsed.

Good game, but now I am beginning to get a grasp of the rules, I need a better QRF. Too much flicking through pages.

1914 Serbia Must Die

I am not a huge fan of board wargames, but I am inevitably drawn to one covering a Balkan subject. So, I was parted with my cash at Claymore for '1914 Serbien muss sterbien (Serbia must die)'. This was the jingoistic jingle shouted throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the outbreak of war.

For £36 you get a very nice map of northern Serbia and the surrounding regions (modern day Croatia and Bosnia), counters for the units at divisional level with some brigades and regiments, as well as supply and other game markers. 

The playbook offers four scenarios. An introductory scenario for the August 1914 Battle of the Macva, followed by the grand campaign and finally the Serbian counterattack over the Drina. The fourth scenario is an alternative history in which Russia does not intervene and the Empire is allowed a short punitive war with a significant numerical superiority.

Regular boardgamers will no doubt be familiar with the game mechanics of this type of game. For those who are not, it’s very hard going. The sample of play in the playbook is helpful, but you are still left with some overly complex mechanics which make for very slow play. However, I concede that it is a very good way of understanding the campaign. There is a decent bibliography, to which I would add Max Hastings' ‘Catastrophe: Europe Goes to War’, for a sense of the chaotic Austrian advance. I summarise the opening shots here, with some pictures of tabletop models.

I would have bought this game just for the map and counters - using them for a campaign that fights the battles on the tabletop. Otherwise, it’s one for the specialist boardgamers and a headache for everyone else.

Battle of Evesham 1265

Heading back from a trip to my Mum’s we stopped off at Evesham, site of the decisive battle of the Second Baron’s War on 4 August 1265.

After the Battle of Lewes in 1264, Simon de Montfort held King Henry III and was the effective ruler of England. However, Henry’s son Edward escaped and gathered an army that challenged Montfort at Evesham.

Edward and the Royalists took position on the high ground just north of the town. Montfort was probably outnumbered two to one, so he decided to concentrate his forces hoping to drive a wedge through the centre of the Royalist line. However, the attack lost momentum and the flanks of the royal army closed in on Montfort's troops, massacring them.

Most of the baronial rebels were killed on the battlefield rather than taken prisoner and ransomed, setting a precedent that reached its conclusion in the Wars of the Roses. Montfort and one of his sons died fighting and King Henry was rescued.

The war petered out with a negotiated settlement that allowed rebel barons to buy their property back.

The battlefield is largely farmland and woods today and is marked by a battlefield trail and information boards, as well as an obelisk and a tower. The town has a small museum with a room dedicated to the battle, next to a largely ruined abbey. It also has a very well stocked model soldier shop!

I haven't gamed the battle, but we did a display game that featured Montfort's equally ferocious dad, another Simon, at the Battle of Muret 1213. For further reading I would recommend John Sadler's book on the Second Barons' War.

One of the monuments

An information board at the battlewell site

Looking down from the Royalist position

Claymore 2016

It was the Claymore show in Edinburgh today. A good collection of traders and a balance between display and participation games.

We did a participation game, a lot more effort than our more usual display format, but worth it. We had a steady flow of gamers for our 28mm game, Pancho Villa and the Gold Train. The outcome was two all, so the scenario was at least balanced. Very pleased to be in the Gym Hall as the Atrium can get very hot.

I only had time for one tour around the other games and traders, but these are the games that caught my eye.

Another nice Bolt Action game with good scenery.

The buildings in this game, Littleness Designs I think, were very nice.

The Falkirk club's massive Boxer Rebellion game.

ECW battle of York in 1644.

First time I have seen Cannae done in a way that shows off Hannibal's double envelopment so well.

This sc-fi game wins the prize for busiest table!

Custer's last stand always makes a good participation game

SAGA showing off their forthcoming battle rules, Swordpoint.

The Lardies on a similar mission with Sharp Practice

Kirriemuir with another big ancients game, Gaugamela.

Arnhem from the Aberdeen folks.

Spearhead Tobruk from Glasgow Tradeston.

And finally, League of Augsburg.

Numbers seemed pretty good and thanks to the South East Scotland club for putting the show on.

Crimea - A History

My holiday non-fiction reading has been Neil Kent's, 'Crimea - A History'.

For Brits at least, our understanding of the Crimea goes little further than the Crimean War. Battlefields such as Alma, Inkerman and Sevastopol in the peninsular, appear as street names in just about every city in the UK - not to mention the Balaclava helmets that many of us still wore as kids in winter.

This year the Crimea hit the headlines again, with the Russian 'invasion' of the Crimea and its de-facto separation from Ukraine. Today the ethnic majority is most certainly Russian, the excuse for Putin's invasion, but it has not always been so.

The Greeks were one of the earliest to colonise the Crimea, followed by invasions from the Scythian's, Huns, Mongols and others. The Tartars were vital allies/subjects of the Ottoman Empire and spearheaded most of their assaults on Christian Europe. Russia used the Cossacks, primarily as a buffer against the Tartars, although even then there were significant Armenian and Jewish populations. It was only in the Soviet period that the Tartars were ethnically cleansed from the region and large numbers of Russians moved in. It was Khrushchev who gifted Crimea to the Ukraine in 1954.

Neil Kent has written a concise and very readable history of the region. Well worth a read.

Pancho Villa and the Gold Train

Less than a week to go before Claymore and it's time to test the game. Well a cut down version.

The scenario puts the participants in command of a force of Villistas on the outskirts of a small town in Northern Mexico. The locals say a train carrying a valuable cargo, thought to be gold bullion, has derailed in the town. A small force of Federales have arrived to defend it before a repair team and reinforcements arrive.

So, time is of the essence, the Villistas can't hang around bombarding the town they need to find the bast way into the town with the least risk. Or perhaps the traditional Pancho Villa frontal charge is the best tactic!

The Federales sandbag the town perimeter.

Advancing Villistas making best use of cover, while another squad works it way around the flank

The Villistas launch an air attack - and miss! Throwing 75mm shells out of the cockpit is a tricky exercise!

The rules are a cut down version of Bolt Action and work well for the period. Simple to grasp, with just enough command uncertainty to keep the game interesting.

On the painting front another unit of Villista cavalry is being based. That just leaves a few odds and sods for the 'traditional' eve of show painting. The nice new battle mat is from the Tiny Wargames range - rubber backed 'Arid'.

Aircraft in the Mexican Revolution

The use of aircraft was one of a number of military innovations in the Mexican revolution.

Soon after the revolution broke out, US based exhibition pilots were persuaded to use their aircraft in reconnaissance roles, including, the soon to become famous Frenchman, Roland Garros. The first serious application of airpower was by the Huerta regime, who sent 31 officers to France in 1913 and ordered 20 new Bleriot monoplanes.

Pancho Villa's army used a variety of obsolete types including three Wright Model Bs and two other Wright types. Needless to say models of these are a bit of a challenge and even if they exist, I certainly didn't fancy building them - all those struts! So the compromise is a 1/72 scale die cast model of the Wright Flyer, from the Postage Stamp range.

A Villista innovation was a mobile aerodrome train. It could carry planes on flat cars, together with workshop vans and coaches for ground crew and pilots. They also used planes as bombers, throwing 75mm shells with fins to the ground. I doubt this was particularly effective, but too good not to use in our game!

Finally, some more conventional weaponry for the Federales, in the form of a 75mm gun. I don't think they will need AA guns!

Pancho Villa - man and myth

The start of my summer break is an opportunity to finish the Pancho Villa project. More a gallop to the finish line for Claymore, rather than the leisurely stroll I had planned.

The latest additions are the commanders. I have used the Old Glory personality pack, but I have painted them as generic command figures. 

First up is of course Pancho Villa. “Pancho Villa,” people whispered at the beginning of the 20th century, "can march 100 miles without stopping, live 100 days without food, go 100 nights without sleep, and kill 100 men without remorse."

Was he a revolutionary or just a bandit? Probably a bit of both, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt and plump for mostly revolutionary. In his best revolutionary rhetoric he said:

“My sole ambition is to rid Mexico of the class that has oppressed her and given the people a chance to know what real liberty means. And if I could bring that about today by giving up my life, I would do it gladly.”

He was born around 1878, as Doroteo Arango Arámbula, into abject poverty in Rancho de la Coyotada, an insignificant village of no more than six houses, inside the hacienda of Santa Isabel de Berros, in the state of Durango. Mexico at the time was a hugely unequal country with large landowners supported by an almost feudal peasant class. Foreign companies dominated the economy. While the stories vary, he probably killed his sister's potential rapist and fled to the mountains where he became a successful bandit leader - adopting the name Pancho Villa.

He was persuaded by a supporter of Madero to join the revolution. Madero became president but was later killed in a coup that brought Huerta to power. During this period Villa organised his Division of the North, which by 1914 had grown to 50,000 men. By December 1914, allied with Zapata, they entered Mexico City and installed their own president. 

The subsequent Carranza government repeatedly defeated him on open battles and Villa was forced to return to his northern mountains. He lost the support of the USA, which led to the famous raid on Columbus, New Mexico in 1916 - the last successful invasion of the USA. The subsequent punitive expedition failed to capture Villa. 

In 1920 Carranza was killed bringing another Huerta (Adolf) to power. He agreed that Villa could retire to a farm with his remaining men. The Mexican Revolution was over. However, in 1923 he was assassinated in his local town of Parral, probably on the orders of the new President Obregon, because he thought Villa was planning a political return.

Like all popular heroes, Pancho Villa continues to live in hundreds of corridos, songs, books, movies, legends and even ghost stories about him. The truth is more prosaic, but everyone likes a good story!

Of course, every good story needs a bad guy. So here is my wicked Federales commander.

For further reading a good short history is, Pancho Villa: The Life and Legacy of the Famous Mexican Revolutionary by Gustavo Vázquez Lozano. The American journalist John Reed wrote a book about his time in Mexico, Insurgent Mexico, that included his time with Villa. It's a bit of a ramble, but does give a real flavour of the period. Both are available very cheaply as e-books.

The Birdcage

My latest reading has been Clive Aslet's novel 'The Birdcage'. Perhaps not my usual genre, but I was drawn to it because it takes place in Salonika during World War One. The Birdcage was the name given to the armed camp surrounding the city that served as a base for allied troops.

The novel is a bit of a curates egg. There are a number of plots and characters, few of which seem to join up into a theme. However, it does give an authentic flavour of what the polyglot city was like during this period. We have a spy theme, the women's hospital, a balloon unit and all the daily routines. Possibly the best chapters deal with the Serbian battles in the mountains, north of Salonika.

For those familiar with this period of the Macedonian Campaign, the history doesn't seem quite right. It deals with the Serbian offensive, but not the British and French advance out of the Birdcage. I suppose this is the novelists licence, but needless to say, I found it irritating. Especially when the author has obviously done a lot of research in memoirs, letters etc.

I wouldn't recommend it, but if your interested in this period, it is worth a quick read.

Mexican Revolution and trains

I have always had a soft spot for trains, so an opportunity to mix them in with wargaming is too good to miss. Our GDWS participation game at Claymore this year revolves around a derailed gold train that the Villistas have to capture.

Railroads played an important role in the Mexican Revolution. They were vital to logistics and much of the fighting took place close to the lines. Trains with sandbagged flat cars would move ahead of the freight trains and cavalry would provide flank guards. 

Federal armies were particularly tied to railroads and they could be outmanoeuvred by more mobile opponents. However, in 1914, Pancho Villa moved his whole 16,000 strong Division del Norte south by rail. He also had a well provisioned hospital train that could deal with 1400 casualties. 

I am on a bit of a roll with the painting with 90mins a night allocated to the task. So, the latest addition is another squad of Federales. These are from the Old Glory range.

Then a squad of Villistas, again from Old Glory, this time in the US brown khaki that many wore.

And finally the box car that holds the gold. After much searching I found a reasonably priced O Gauge US van that looks close enough to the pictures I have. A bit of dry brushing and there it is. I am sure there will be a train spotter at the show who will tell me there is a rivet out of place!

Prince Rupert - The Last Cavalier

My latest reading has been Charles Spencer's biography of Prince Rupert.

I had a vague understanding of Prince Rupert's early years, having read Frank Kitson's biography. Although I note that was 18 years ago, so a new version is justified. His father's disasterous involvement in the Thirty Years War and the loss of the family lands, led Rupert into a military career from an early age. While he learned the basics, he also ended up a prisoner of the Emperor for three years.

The outbreak of the English Civil War found Rupert with his uncle King Charles. Although this wasn't a forgone conclusion - his older brother declared for Parliament in recognition of their support for the Palatine cause on the continent. Rupert became the Royalist General of Horse and his tactics, derived mainly from those of Gustavus Adolphus, gave the cavaliers an edge in the early battles. It was the discipline of Cromwell's Ironsides that turned the tide, most notably at Rupert's greatest failure, the Battle of Marston Moor.

The author made a deliberate decision only to use a third of the book on the Civil War period. This means we get an extensive description of the post-war period that I knew nothing about and was ignored by Kitson. Rupert became a admiral and commanded a flotilla, in what were little more than piratical operations to fund the Royalist cause in exile. They took him around Europe and the West Indies.

On the restoration of Charles II, Rupert was again given a naval role and fought in all three of the Anglo-Dutch Wars. He also established the Hudson Bay Company and he was the Constable of Windsor Castle, responsible for several of the halls we can see today. His interest in science and medicine was legendary.

If you are looking for a study of Prince Rupert's role in the Civil War, this isn't it. Instead we have a much more rounded picture of an exceptional character. Really good read.

More Villistas

Back from my Balkan travels and it's time to get down to some serious painting. When a show is months away, you think, plenty of time to paint up the armies. But then time moves on and before you know it the lead mountain is as high as ever and Claymore is less than two months away.

So, first off Pancho needs his bodyguard, the Dorados or 'Golden Ones'. He had three squadrons of 100 men each in this unit. Famed for their wild cavalry charges, they had a rifle, two pistols and two horses each. These are from the Outpost Miniatures  range.

Then some more foot figures. These are irregulars attached to Villa's, Division del Norte. They are mostly from the Foundry range. A little early for this conflict, but they look a suitably villainous bunch!

A Land Divided

My holiday. fiction read has been K.M.Ashman's 'A Land Divided' the first in the 'Blood of Kings' series about early medieval Wales.

The setting is post-Norman Conquest in 1081. Wales is divided into a number of Kingdoms, frequently at war with each other and the Normans based in the border marches. 

The focus of the book is an attempt by Gruffydd, in alliance with Rhys ap Tewdwr, to recover the throne of Gwynedd held by Trahern. With the aid of largely mercenary forces hired in Ireland he defeats Trahern and two armies allied with him,  Caradog ap Gruffydd of Gwent (South East Wales) and Meilyr ap Rhiwallon of Powys, (Mid Wales) at the battle of Mynydd Carn. The Welsh alliance is funded by the Normans.

There are several sub-plots, with a range of strong characters. Strong battle scenes, treachery etc. All you would expect from good historical fiction. And an unexpected twist at the end that I won't spoil.

This is a period I knew little about and offers an alternative set of scenarios for Norman armies. I will read more in this series.