The Swan of the East (II)

For the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Cocos – Australia's first naval victory where HMAS Sydney intercepted and sank the notorious raider SMS Emden on 9th November 1914 – I commemorated the historic engagement with three events:

• An early morning 'light' version of the battle with my 7 year old lad
• A re-enactment (of sorts) of the engagement in 1:2400 scale
• A 'what if' refight of the duel straying from the historical outcomes a little!

Emden vs. Sydney (i): a fun 'light'version

Father (Sydney - mid right hand side) and son (Emden, bottom left)  face off

We quickly came to grips and the young guy's dice rolling won the day for him!

Emden vs Sydney (ii): historical outcome

For the actual time of the anniversary, I programmed my phone with the main stages of the duel (using Cocos Island times GMT + 6:30) and followed the action on the table.

Emden vs Sydney: The re-match!

Finally, late on the evening of 9th November I allowed myself to stray away from the historical, and conduct a re-fight between these old foes!

The opening salvo from HMAS Sydney falls short!

The second salvo from Sydney falls short - the range finders need a strong cup of tea.

Sydney's gunners find their target - they straddle the Emden, no hits.

Emden seeking to close distance on Sydney to bring her guns into range. 

Emden's salvo falls short, Sydney's gunnery starts to tell on the Emden.

SMS Emden had taken heavy damage and lost a few guns firing into her port arc.

A momentary lapse in the accuracy of Glossop's guns allow von Muller to draw into close range.

Nearly crippled, SMS Emden is locked into this fight. To fall away from the action would only mean the end with Sydney's guns able to pound her from beyond Emden's maximum range.

Von Muller steers the Emden in close for what might be the final broadside as both Captains order torpedo attacks (both ineffectual). All of Emden's guns firing into the port arc were disabled in this clash.

In a rare stroke of luck in this game, von Muller gets the initiative and  steers behind the Sydney - crossing the T, launching a final torpedo and firing a furious salvo from her untouched starboard arc. The German gunnery is deadly accurate pounding the Sydney. Sydney replies with her aft gun - a single hit at this stage will sink the Emden.

Disaster! Emden's torpedo strikes home and, along with the furious broadside, tips the balance. Sydney explodes in a sheet of flame and slips beneath the waves. Her single gun missing the near crippled Emden! von Muller - snatches victory, from the jaws of defeat!

So what does this jaw-dropping conclusion to a tense duel really mean for von Muller? His ship was critically damaged. With few (if any) safe havens in the Indian Ocean, his days of harassing trade are done. On news of the loss of the Sydney, one can only assume a second ship would have been dispatched to finish the Emden off. 

Perhaps von Muller's last act would have been to return to Direction Island and finish the task of destroying this important communication hub. If that were the case, the Emden's campaign in the east could still only be seen as a major success for the Imperial German Navy.

Wrecked telegraph station, Direction Island.

'What if's' aside, the real purpose of this game was to pause and acknowledge the terrible sacrifices on both sides that brought to an end this glorious chapter in naval history in the far east.

Crew of the HMAS Sydney after the battle with SMS Emden

SMS Emden's wounded under cover on the deck of the Sydney 

The final fate of SMS Emden, viewed from the deck of HMAS Sydney

A terrible end - SMS Emden beached in the surf on North Keeling Island

With thanks to: http://sydneyemden100.com.au/gallery#M247-06_SMS_Emden

 Vale!

The Swan of the East (I)

I have been kitting up for some naval gaming in the Pacific and Southern Atlantic theatres.  In historical terms this will include von Spee's dash across the Pacific and the engagements at Coronel (1 November 1914) and the Falklands (8 December 1914).

But first its my old favourite – the Battle of Cocos. HMS Sydney vs. SMS Emden. 9th November is not far away, but this will be one commemoration I'm ready for!

Planned layout of the HMAS Sydney vs SMS Emden clash at Cocos Islands

HMS Sydney sights the smoke trail from the Emden

HMAS Sydney is spotted - Müller order a full head of steam and the SMS Emden leaves it's shore party behind and makes of open water.

Sydney closing to a distance of 9,500 yards (8,700 m)where they set a parallel course to the Emden and open fire to deadly effect. 

North Keeling Island - the final resting place of the Emden

German 18th Division - Battle of the Frontiers

The clock seems to have stopped ticking on the 1st of August 1914, here.

Despite a good, solid start to this project, German mobilisation has languished for a couple of months – family, work and a return to study have more than filled my waking hours.

However, I'm pleased to report some progress. In a flurry of recent activity two regiments of the German 18th Division have rolled into the marshalling area.

Alas, just some quick iPhone shots ...

I'm onto artillery next, have a bit of a break from the infantry.

One of the benefits of a return to study at my old university is I get to visit a great antiquarian bookshop that was once a regular haunt of mine - Bradstreet's Books.

I managed to pick up an interesting title: John Laffin, Panorama of the Western Front.

From Amazon:
In 1916 the French illustrator Georges Malfroy decided to produce a series of panoramic views of the entire western front from the english channel to the Swiss border. It was designed to give people an idea of where their children/loved ones were fighting and so they could make sense of the names mentioned in newspapers. He put together his illustrations from topographical survey maps, ariel photos and extensive personal travels to different areas of the front
(http://www.amazon.com/Panorama-Western-Front-John-Laffin/dp/1856279014)

Not a bad little volume - I know there is a collection of ariel photographs of the Western Front been published recently, just out of my price range at the moment. I

The Old Contemptibles at Mons

The build up for my upcomming Great War Spearhead II (GWSH II) scenario has reached it's first milestone with the completion of the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) OOB for the Battle of Mons (23 August 1914), their first major engagement of the Great War.

The BEF under Sir John French fielded 70,000 troops and 300 guns at the Battle of Mons but faced General Alexander von Kluck's First Army – 160,000 troops with 600 guns. The BEF were charged with holding their line so the French Fifth Army under General Charles Lanrezac, on the right of the British line, could fall back.

Courtesy of: In the footsteps 

The GWSH II scenario focusses on the actions on the right of the BEF's line with elements of the 7th Brigade and the 8th Brigade attempting to hold the salient around the city of Mons against the German IX Corps – represented by two brigades of the 17th Division and the four brigades of the 18th Division. The BEF were dug in along the line of the Mons–Condé Canal with the Germans advancing across open ground to the north.

The German Attack at Nimy Bridge on 23rd August 1914. Courtesy of: In the footsteps 

Below are the completed BEF units based on 30mm x 30mm squares. They are 6mm Irregular Miniatures. While the miniatures lack a bit of clarity in their castings, once painted up I think they look good. As has been said elsewhere, gaming this period in 6mm is more about the terrain than the figures. They have been surprisingly easy and quick to paint. I've tried to put a little extra effort into basing the figures.

Two battalions of the 7th Brigade, BEF

8th Brigade of the BEF

BEF Engineers (not required for the scenario, but I couldn't resist getting a few for later use)

The heavy guns of the BEF – 2 Batteries of Howitzers
(should be 4.5" howitzers – but I only have these 60 pounder's at present)

One of the two 18 pounder Field Gun Regiments supporting the BEF.

Brigade HQ

Detail of the Old Contemptibles – each base is a company of infantry or a machine gun platoon

Also, I've started work on a generic terrain mat for the WWI gaming. I'm using a canvas painter's drop sheet coated in brown latex caulking compound coated in various colours of flocking.

The next step is to start work on the German IX Corps!

Mayan Temple for Pulp adventures - complete!

It's amazing the motivation posting work in progress pictures on forums give me when completing projects. A few days after deciding to make a Mayan-style temple for Pulp Alley adventures to come, I have managed to completed it (although some final painting will be completed/details will be added in time).

I'm quite pleased with the result and am grateful for the useful advice I've received on TMP and Pulp Alley Forums.
The painting was largely inspired by this thread on painting stonework on TMP.
Details to come include:

• crafting a sacrificial alter to sit on the summit of the temple
• some more shading on the stairs
• a little dry brushing to knock back the colours used to highlight different tones among the stones
• possibly one final wash to help define the shadows a little more
• adding some moss/lichen to increase the 'lost ruin in the jungle' look

The next project is some trees for the jungle setting.

Mayan temple pt 2

After some great advice on  TMP and Pulp Alley forum about possible approaches to texturing the
surface of the Mayan-style temple, I have settled on building up a clockwork texture using thin card 'stone slabs' glued on and then covered with tissue paper brushed in diluted PVA glue.

I think some of my efforts to lay the tissue paper over the 'slabs' of cardboard are a little sub standard, but in general I'm liking the texture. Of course, the immediate benefits of this approach is that it is cheap and I can get moving on it strait away.

The question will be whether to undercoat and dry-brush, or to use some sort of texture over the tissue paper. The advantage of another layer is it will make the surface more durable, but I may end up losing some of the effect I've created.

Another pice of advice I received was to seal/reinforce the edges of the corrugated cardboard with thin strips of card glued on. It's a little too late for the edges of the bottom two levels, but I will try this on the steps and possibly the upper level.

Some other products mentioned by fellow wargamers that I will be looking at for future projects such as this will be:

• Mod Podge
• Durham's Water Putty
• Miniwax Wood Hardner
• Fleck stone

Scratch built Mayan temple - of sorts!

My pulp adventures need more locations - I fancy a steamy jungle ruin.

The aim here is to produce a cheap, useful bit of terrain without it spending months on the craft table like all my other projects do.

I am loosely basing this (very loosely) on the Tikal Temple II in Northern Guatemala.

Ok, I confess I was originally planning on the standard Mayan temple with the staircase on each face but I could see the job bogging down if I had to make four staircases! So a quick web search found the temple at Tikal, and Bob's your uncle!

So, the basic structure (sans stairs) has been constructed our of heavy corrugated cardboard. I'm pondering how to manage the summit shrine - partly because I've not allowed enough space - but in the mean time am wanting to get the main exterior finish sorted.

Here's how it looks at the moment:

28mm miniature to give a sense of scale.

I've contemplated covering it with tissue paper soaked in PVA glue to give it a uniform, rough finish, then dry brush and add a bit of vegetation. However, it would be good to get a bit of a stonework feel to the surface. The question is how?

The role of this bit of terrain is just to be a serviceable bit of pulp terrain - so it does not need a refined finish. The other criteria, is to continue with the 'no cost' strategy!

I'll post more pictures as it progresses.

70 years

For twenty-two years as a war correspondent, Capa was a witness to the twentieth century's most momentous events: the Spanish Civil War, the London blitz, World War II, the birth of Israel, and the war in Indochina; he died after stepping on a mine while covering this last conflict. Capa could just as easily have perished on D-Day when he made this unforgettable photograph while wading ashore in Normandy with one of the first landings of soldiers on Omaha Beach. Capa made seventy-nine photographs of the first hours of the invasion. Tragically, a careless lab assistant ruined all but seven negatives, the only photographic record of the first wave.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1987.1100.501

With a broad sweep of the eye - 2mm wargaming

A casual review of my blog posts over the past few years will easily identify me as a wargamer who starts many projects, but finish few. I've learned over the years to accept who I am, rather than fight it! So, without apology, I introduce my new wargaming fascination - 2mm!

I recall years ago standing in Eureka Miniatures and being handed a Irregular Miniatures 2mm Tercio. At the time I was a dedicated 15mm gamer and thought, 'no... Never!' Too small, too blocky, no details ... never say 'never'!

RBG 10 Tercio, painted by James Chester from http://www.irregularminiatures.co.uk/

Now, after reading many TMP threads (3mm or rice, painting 2mm, who makes them etc.) on small scales miniatures in the past few weeks, lets get some stuff out of the way:

• Yes, they are really small but you can paint them without an electron microscope;
• Yes, I agree that 2mm is a way to field armies for large engagements without having paint for months (possibly years at my pace!);
• No, I don't want to play with counters (although defend the right of those who wish to!);
• No, I may not as well be painting grains of rice ... yadda, yadda.

What has drawn me to this scale is threefold:

1.  I'm attracted to the idea of recreating the look of those classic, grand scale battle scenes we see in contemporary accounts - I think the first case of this was seeing the image below of the Battle of Naseby.

Preparation for the Battle of Naseby, fought on the 14th June 1645
published in The History and Antiquities of Naseby by John Mastin, 1792

2.  I want to experiment with making terrain for this scale – it brings together elements of cartography (which I enjoy) with my interest in modelling terrain for wargaming. I'm inspired by people' using the 'terrain cloth' style and think this is the way to go for 2mm.

From https://www.flickr.com/photos/36331979@N00/ - obviously not for 2mm, but you get the idea.

There are some great resources and eye candy on the web (not always for 2mm, but relevant) at locations such as (to name but a few):

• The excellent SteelonSand Blog which I just keep going back to for a number of projects - in this case the 2mm web resources and a series of 2mm projects including Colonial and ECW;
• Depot de la Guerre - handcrafted terrain for miniature wargames;
• Tiny Tin Troops - including a great resource for Irregular's 2mm terrain;
• Nik's wargame wiki - 2mm terrain and his Franco-Prussian War 2mm
• Fighting Fantasist - some nice Thirty Years War 2mm; and
• (2018 update) a great article on painting 2mm by Sydney Roundwood.

3.  They are relatively cheap – great for those times where your wargaming budget is a bit light on!

So, as you can see, many have gone before me, and much air has been expended on debating the merits of this extremity of small scale wargaming.

Now for my own humble offering. Well, it's early days ...

My first 2mm project will focus on a brigade level scenario for the First Battle of Bull Run.

I am currently working on the Confederate forces - the Irregular Miniatures Confederate Army Pack provide for 15 brigades of infantry, so that should come close to providing what I need.

Some links for OOB's online (and I'm sure there are many more):

• First Bull Run: 
• National Parks Service: Union OOB and Confederate OOB;
• Civil War: Union OOB and Confederate OOB;
• Then there's Wikipedia: Union OOB and Confederate OOB.

The plan is to, where possible, customise each stand to reflect the individual brigades and hopefully add some 'colour' by representing some of the state militia uniforms present. There will be some poetic license taken, for instance I'll have all of the 1st Louisiana Battalion in the Tiger Rifles uniform - I can't resist!

Learning to paint 2mm is a new and interesting challenge. I have based my initial attempts on the method used by SteelonSand. Once I get a method sorted I'll post it here.

For now, my ham-fisted first steps - I can see this scale will take a while to get used to:

Here's the Irregular Army pack mounted, with undercoat and dry brushing of
basic uniform colour underway

Confederates (from the rear) in a light grey with some different hats/pants picked out. 

Tiger Rifles with main colours blocked in

My initial experience suggests the importance of using some crisp, vibrant colours rather than the muted tones we are often seek on larger scale figures. The importance of painting the face is not lost on me - that really gives the blocks some charter. I've read elsewhere that most of the Irregular horse and musket infantry are holding their guns at the port - initially I was thinking this was a bed roll across their chest - an opportunity for a bit of detail there.

As for those hard core types talking about painting the lace on the Zouave's jackets and the drums, I'm not there yet! Maybe a I need a stronger magnifying glass!

'What rules will I use?', I hear you ask. The jury is still out. I'm considering Polemos OTC/COE but I already have a 6mm ACW project on the back burner for that ruleset (yes, another long term project).  Although, I have been considering using Polemos with a reduced base size. I've been looking at some of the free rules discussed, but nothing jumps out at me yet. I have also been considering DBACW - but I need a rest from DBx. Yep, no idea yet. Any suggestions welcome!

Pulp Alley character cards

'We are nostalgic for the old and the analog'

Despite the many and various joys of the digital age for this aged researcher, one cannot help but feel nostalgic for the intensely tactile experience of searching the card file catalogue in a library. The feel, the smell, the frustration of the missing card!

As my first Pulp Alley leagues are nearly off the painting table, my mind has turned to charter cards and league rosters! While searching for images that could be used for the card, I happened across this groovy Catalogue Card Generator created by John Blyberg.

With very little effort, some 'atmospheric' charter cards can be pieced together (the photo is added later by me). These are two of the League Leaders for my upcoming Pulp Alley adventure – 'On to Port Said!'

Way too late for Christmas, but ...

Happy New Year bloggers,

I know this is sensationally late for Christmas but just happened across this video of The Royal Guardsmen performing their Snoopy/Red Baron songs on a new blog I'm following (The Woolshed Wargamer) and couldn't help posting - not high culture, but oh the nostalgia!

I recall having the single with:

A1: Snoopy Vs The Red Baron

A2: The Return Of The Red Baron

B1: Airplane Song (My Airplane)

B2: Snoopy's Christmas

Just back from summer hols - will extract the digit and get some wargaming posts going soon.