The French Connection - Part One and Two

Plenty of useful detail and some wonderful photographs - with these two and my copies of Janes and Conways I reckon I have all the information I am likely to need!

Following on from recent acquisition of the splendid title about French warships up to 1914 (on the right of the picture) I have finally added what will be the accompanying volume that looks not only at the ships but also the operations of the French Navy during the Great War. These two titles will be invaluable as I raise my 1:2400th French force for use with the planned ‘alternative Madasahatta’ set up, currently on the project list. 

This will be nowhere near as large as my 1:3000th French Navy of yesteryear and I am being careful to confine myself to ships that served primarily on Colonial style duties. This will mean cruisers and some older or obsolete heavier vessels. I have the makings of a list of those models I need and will now be able to fine tune it - at this stage I reckon around a dozen models in all.

Yeah, right…..!!!!

In the Air and on the Sea

Carriers, assorted other naval hardware and plenty of aircraft - what’s not to like?

The aircraft counters - there are quite a few less than Flat Top!

The great counter punch out continues! After having completed Bismarck and Submarine I turned my attention to the pair of Avalon Hill Smithsonian series games - Guadalcanal and Midway, both designed by S. Craig Taylor Jr and released in the early 1990s.

Guadalcanal was originally covered via Flat Top whilst Midway was originally CV which of course used the same system as Flat Top (although it was an updated version of the original Flat Top).

I never thought I would say this but at first glance I reckon that the two Smithsonian offerings may well be an evolved and better option for my gaming in this period than using Flat Top or CV, in the much the same way as Mustangs (the WW2 aerial game from the series) proved to be a similar step up from the earlier Air Force/Dauntless/Expansion Set series. Much as the earlier games will always feature in my inventory one has to move with the times and besides, these are more solo friendly or rather they have a much smaller table footprint!

In each case the counter count is a lot less compared to the 800 of the original Flat Top, 1,200 for the Avalon Hill version and even more for CV. Again, this is better as it means a quicker set and take down.

I have a whole pile of other games that will need counters punched, labels applied, cards sleeved and even miniatures to paint but for now ‘punching and bagging’ is the order of the day - and I must say that I am rather enjoying getting these ready for action and will look forward to getting them to the table.

Part of the French contingent of my WW1 collection - nothing major, 4 x SPAD 13 (only two here) and a pair of BR 14s. 

I did not plan to build a French contingent for my WW1 aerial collection - in fact originally the French models I owned were offloaded - but almost by a process of osmosis (a pair of SPADs were included in a job lot I acquired) I now have a representative selection for 1918. This means that for the Allies I have sixteen single seat fighters - four each of SPAD 13, SE5, Camel and Snipe. The pair of BR 14s join pairs of RE8, DH4s and Bristol Fighters.

I would love to tackle the 1916/1917 period but sadly the models, when you can get them, are usually really expensive. One could make use of non ‘official’ models but these would of course not have the appropriate manoeuvre  deck nor the specific base.

I must admit that I am enjoying all these ‘gaming administrative issues’ and am sure it will get me back to the tabletop sooner rather than later!

Grid Based (mostly) Naval Goodness

The game on the left is next for the ‘punching and sorting’ phase whilst Submarine is now ready for action - I may have to revisit The Cruel Sea for additional inspiration….

A boot sale bargain - not my usual area of interest but for 50p I could not really turn it down!

As part of my ‘front loading for retirement’ I managed to track down a number of board games from my, well, board game era - and these included the two you see above. Submarine is a detailed tactical level ‘submarine versus a convoy’ style game and was a great favourite of mine from ‘back in the day’. The RN and the Kriegsmarine feature, along with the US and Japan as well as Italy, France and Russia. the rules are very much of the time - the game was originally published by Battleline and was designed by Steve Peek (who worked alongside S. Craig Taylor Jr of Flat Top fame).

Bismarck needs little introduction from me and this version is the second edition published by Avalon Hill. The search system is very good and the game features most of the major vessels for the early war period with a tactical system that covers basic, intermediate and advanced options - the latter uses a tabletop rather than a grid. A couple of expansions were produced - one covering the operation against the Graf Spee and another which covered the ‘pre Bismarck’ period so Scharnhorst and Gneisenau took centre stage against assorted elements of the Home Fleet. All good fun and eminently gameable as relatively few models are needed.

The book you see was a cheeky boot sale bargain from this morning. Not my usual ‘bag’ but I will read it and would happily pass on to anyone with a deeper interest in the period.

On that note I will Finnish….. :-)

Either End of the Spectrum

Strategic in the top row, tactical in the bottom. One could make a very good case for a system that sits between the two levels - I like to think of that as being operational.

I am sure that many gamers of a certain vintage have dabbled at some point along their gaming journey in WW2. This could be land, sea or air or any permutation of the same and in all. Manner of mediums - figures, models, boardgames, tactical, operational or strategic - as a war it has it all. Like many periods where there is a multitude of theatres etc I am sure that most gamers have their own particular favourites. Mine are many and varied but this post is concentrating on just three of them!

The war in the desert, the Eastern Front and the Blitzkrieg era offer much in the way of variety and for me also have that strategic element which I find particularly fascinating. 

Of the games you see in the picture above the left and middle of the top row are the latest additions to the collection and I was really pleased to get copies of these two (unpunched as well!) as the system used makes for some cracking games with a truly strategic and period feel.

Overarching all of the above is the potential for the aerial dimension and maybe even naval but there is sufficient variety already to keep me occupied for some time to come. 

Using a common system across games in a series is also very helpful!

A Naval Wargaming Miscellany*

*With apologies to Bob Cordery for borrowing part of his blog title!

Shown for completeness - volume one and the newly acquired volume two of the German Capital Ships and Raiders series

It is a bit of mixed bag this post as there are a few periods being covered - it just seemed tidier to roll them all into one!

First of all is the book section. I am delighted to have been able to score volume two of the  German Capital Ships and Raiders of WW2 series - highlights of this volume include the Channel Dash, operations against the Tirpitz, Barents Sea and the North Cape - and the Malta Convoys title was a 50p charity shop find! I have owned Six Frigates previously but this was one of the titles that vanished into the Bermuda Triangle a few years back - at least I think it must have asI do not remember selling it!

Warlord Black Seas 1:700th scale galleys - large and small. These and the Xebecs below feature in the Black Seas Holdfast supplement and form part of a cunning plan….

The Xebecs involve rather more work than the Galleys - they require sails for one thing - but for all that they are lovely looking models

I mentioned in my last post about the two types of ship above and my recent acquisition of a bundle of Black Seas stuff. These would be the first Black Seas models I will assemble and there is a rationale behind this. They have a limited amount of rigging which will be easier for me to cut my teeth on before going full on ‘age of sail modeller’ on the more conventional vessels of the period! For the planned 1st Barbary War of 1801 to 1805 I will not need many models being well supplied with frigates, sloops, brigs and schooners. I do not have any of the big US frigates but that would be easily rectified (and currently is being so).

This will not see the light of day for a while, simply because Developing the Portable Ironclads Wargame is back in the frame, but it will certainly be a different type of Napoleonic era age of sail game. Besides, it is about time I tackled some grown up modelling!

Of Wind and Water - Revisiting the Age of Sail

The rule book and supplement that includes rules for using Xebecs and Galleys and a whole host of other stuff besides.

I was rather taken with the idea of Warlord Games age of sail game Black Seas when it was released and even acquired a few bits and pieces for it but for a variety of reasons it never really got going - a fact of which was probably due to timing as I was then knee deep in MDF ironclads and similar!

I am keen to revisit the period at some point but had always planned to eventually scratch build the models - I had perfected the construction technique with the ACW frigates and sloops - although this project was some way down the batting order so to speak.

Anyways, to cut a long story short, I was recently gifted a selection of Black Seas kit - the base game plus extras, including a signed hardback edition of the rules - and so I once again find myself on the horns of a dilemma. Do I pass this on and stick with original plan or do I embrace Warlord Games?

The answer is that is was very nearly the former but I have now settled on the latter - for one small reason.

The Shores of Tripoli? We know a song about that….

Another eminently suitable board game for solo play now in the collection

Xebecs and Galleys and a cracking board game about the First Barbary War (1801 to 1805) fought between the young US Navy and the Barbary Corsairs, followed by the Bombardment of Algiers in 1816 by the Royal Navy, served to fire up the creative juices (the butterfly is highly delighted with this turn of events for sure!) and so a swift trawl through eBay secured some additional models (the aforementioned Xebecs and Galleys) so I now have pretty everything I need to have a crack at this rather different Napoleonic era naval war. It also has the advantage of being relatively small scale which is just as well given that rigging will be involved!

The Shores of Tripoli refers to the involvement of the US Marines in the conflict and the line appears in the famous Marine Hymn.

From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.

Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.

Boot Sale Bargain - At Last!

This has got carnage written all over it!

Cue the Conan soundtrack album - or maybe not!

Despite the erratic nature of the weather recently - wind, rain and blue skies, usually in quick succession and in no particular order - Laurel, holly and I popped out for a short while to the local-ish boot sale for a few hours. As expected it was quite sparse in terms of sellers and none of us were expecting any great bargains.

Until I saw the above that is!

This is a tongue in cheek game of back stabbing, stealing treasure and (hopefully) killing assorted monsters and is described as being a dungeon crawl without the role playing stuff. I am all for fun games, if not down right silly even, as they are a nice change from the more serious games we routinely play.

The game is complete and to be honest looks barely used and cost me the princely sum of £4 which is a small price to play for the laughs this will generate.

One for the family at Christmas as well - it will make a change from Monopoly (and the ‘frank exchanges of opinion’ that usually ensue!) - as it is designed for three to six players.

Boot sale pickings have been very slim of late so this was a most welcome way to break the dry spell. I may even look out some of the other Munchkin titles. Just for a laugh naturally!

WW1 In East Africa

When I saw this advertised there was only ever going to be one outcome….

The back of the box

One of the inspirations for the famous Madasahatta campaign organised by Eric Knowles, in which both Bob Cordery and myself took part in (Bob published the campaign journal, complete with the full back story and a biography of Eric following his death), was the campaign conducted in East Africa by the German commander Paul Von Lettow Vorbeck.

I have a soft spot for many aspects of this campaign - the operations on Lake Tanganyika as well as the hunt for the Konigsberg for example - and given that is it quite low level in terms of the numbers involved (although not the area of operations!) it would translate into a Portable Wargame style set up, complete with a naval dimension.

The game itself features a mounted map board - always a bonus - along with the associated charts etc for initial deployments and reinforcement schedules. A nice touch is that all the key naval vessels get their own counter (including Mimi and Tou Tou!) and also the salvaged guns of the Konigsberg! The rules are quite straightforward and are contained in a 16 page booklet. All in all then, it is an easy game to play and one that is crying out to be used as the basis for the figures/models based table top set up.

I do not have any figures for the period - the block armies would suffice - but I do have a selection of models for some of the naval protagonists as part of the planned Madasahatta: The Sequel, set up.

For the present though, I shall go back to Battle for the Bundu for some extra inspiration!

Returned, Relaxed, Refreshed and Recharged!

The view from the terrace

Our home for the week - very spacious and powered chair friendly

Paella night - it tasted as good as it looked!

One of the two tour minibuses…. 

Another view - the coast is over to the right

Despite the sign the water was perfectly drinkable - greasy as a mountain stream in fact (we were around 1800 feet above sea level)

Laurel and I have just returned from a week in the Andalusian mountains, around an hour from Málaga, and so I am feeling all of the above! It was the first time we have been abroad since our Cuban trip in 2019 and also since Laurel’s surgery in 2022. I am happy to say that, aside from some confusion in Malaga airport on our return, the trip went really well and whilst there were no trips to anything of historical interest we are planing to return next year and with a trip to the Alhambra Palace, possibly Cordoba as well.

As an accessible venue our small hotel was perfect (there were only 6 guest including us!) and the owners and staff did everything they could to make us welcome and keep us well fed. 

For Laurel and I it was very much a trial run - she was nervous about coping with the travel - but I am delighted to say that it all went swimmingly! 

Being knee deep in the heart of what was Moorish Spain certainly served to reignite my interest in the period of El CID and also the events leading up to the fall of Granada in 1492. From a wider perspective my old standby of the Barbary Corsairs has also quietly crept up on me - more of which later.

It is good to be back and we are already planning for next year.

In the meantime though, my next post will outline a few plans and ideas that have taken a more definite shape.