Very British Civil War starts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.