The Fleet

Some 1/2400th scale sailing ships.  A bit fiddly to paint, but they have come up okay (otherwise I wouldn't be posting images of them).

Next task is to perfect some labels and some flags/pennants.  Then to see them on the table top!

Trafalgar The Biography of a Battle by Roy Adkins

I held off reading this until we had finished the game.  It also continues my Peninsula themed reading at the moment.

I enjoyed this book.  The background to the battle and particularly the conditions at sea were most interesting.  It was fascinating to find that being a seaman, as horrid as it was, was in some cases a better life than being a farm labourer.  Officers were very much in a class of their own, both in dress, life on board and what was expected of them (for example not laying down when under fire unlike the rest of the crew were ordered to do).  Once combat was engaged command would be extremely difficult, even assuming you still had a mast to run up some flags and the smoke cleared so your order could be seen by its intended target.

A large number of first-hand accounts were quoted in the book giving it an authentic voice.  Maybe this accounted for a bit of the pro-British bias I detected.  This battle is credited with cementing the British Empire, disrupting trade with which was very much one of Napoleon's strategic objectives.  After the battle there was a subsequent shift to harassing trade, possibly akin to piracy, by the French and what the British had done so successfully to hasten the end of the Spanish and Portuguese empires (my opinion).

The impact of the death of Nelson on the British public is covered in detail (maybe a bit too much).  It was interesting to read about how the other participants fared.  For instance, the Spanish officers were all promoted, and the sailors given triple pay for the battle.  The French admiral on the other hand met with a suspicious death...

One thing I really did like was how I could relate to this book having recently refought the battle

More Wildcatters

The VPs for collecting Wildcatters in this game seems to be a sound strategy for winning, but that said, it is a tricky thing to achieve.  Excellent game.

Richard was yellow, I was blue, Jeff was green and Russell red.

Pre-Islamic Arabs versus New Kingdom Egyptians

It was to be camels versus chariots as my Arabs (Yemenites to be precise) take on Dave's Egyptians.

The Egyptians out scouted the Arabs and deployed on a hill with woods on a flank.

The Arabs surge forward.

The Arabs have the upper hand and feel confident.

The Egyptians use Decisive Initiative and destroy the Arab centre.

It's all over.

Only as their morale broke were the Arabs finally able to rout two of the Egyptian units.

As they say:

A Quick Game
Is
 A Good Game

Shanghai Trader

Classic game first released in 1986.

Richard had the British concession, Russell Japan, Jeff Germany, Stefan US, Simon Russia and I had the French concession (or should I say French Connection).

Naturally I secured the French Club with the nice little earner in the Bastille Day Bash, but with little else.  Simon embarked on a Customs Swindle as well as running the Lido Nightclub.  Richard had the Currency trader but ran into trouble with some Russian thugs.  Jeff had control of the racetrack, which was a good earner for him, although I did win twice.  Russell had control of significant infrastructure and Stefan had the shipping company.

I had a lucky escape from the brothels of Old China Town, but Simon fell victim to the Terror of the Tongs who fleeced him for $100,000!

Stefan made an early escape pursed by the Lido courtesan, quickly followed by Jeff and Russell.  All were well supported by bodyguards and survived a few assassination attempts.  I then got to the airport but had to wait till the very last turn to get a flight out, just as the little red books were being printed. While at the airport I dodged a few bullets but thought best to hire some assassins to remove the remaining competition.  That put paid to Simon and Richard but left blood on my hands which I quickly washed off.

On the surviving concession holders checking their International Bank Accounts, Jeff had $250,000, Russell $350,000, I had $400,000 and Stefan $450,000.

The Almeria Infantry Regiment

Somehow, I had these figures and needing some Spanish infantry I thought it would be good to paint them up.  Rather than create a "perfect" unit, I decided to paint all the figures I had (hence two command stands, one of which is configured for taking a casualty marker).

It is amazing what you can do with a wash.  It has really brought out the detail and given these figures life.

Puerto Rico - twice

Last week I was fortunate to play the deluxe version of this game with Richard.

First game (and very first game for Richard).

I scored 55 (17 in tokens, 23 for buildings and 15 in bonuses).

Richard scored 40 (22 for tokens, 13 for buildings and 5 bonuses)

Second game and I scored 58.

(22 for tokens, 28 in buildings and 8 for bonuses).

Richard amassed an impressive 62,

mainly in tokens (40) but with 12 for buildings and 10 for bonuses.

Napoleon's Grand Armee of 1813 by Scott Bowden

Not really a book, more a collection or roll call of facts and figures, still it did make an interesting read and reference source.

I did learn the important term: Strategic Consumption. The losses an army takes outside battle, just from being there, marching about and going hungry.

Trafalgar Part Two

Wednesday saw the completion of this epic undertaking.

The Weather Column has started to engage the Van and Centre squadrons of the Combined Fleet.

The Van has attempted to turnaround so as to take part in the battle 

(not something they did historically).

It has resulted in them entangling with the Centre

something that was bound to cause confusion.

The situation at the end of turn 7.

Collingwood has effectively destroyed the Rear Squadron of the Combined Fleet.

The Squadron of Observation (very top right) has completed its 360 degree turn

 but is now having trouble catching up.

I think by ordering the 360 degree turn Villeneuve was aiming to time their engagement so they would fall upon Collingwood's rear.

As it was they were to live up to their name and mainly observed the action. 

Nelson is in the act of crossing the head of the Combined Fleet and is busy picking off enemy ships using concentrated fire.

The Van and Centre are becoming increasing intermingled and blocking effective maneuver and fire.

End of Turn 8.

Collingwood is now coming up on the rear of the tangled Van and Centre squadrons.

A seagull's eye view.

While the lack of labels makes for a beautiful looking game,

it makes it a total bugger to play, only made worse by the intermingling.

The Combined Fleet has lost four or five ships.

Nelson's squadron has made its first kill.

End of turn 9.

End of Turn 9 as seen from the other side.

The Van and Centre are starting to take telling hits across numerous ships.

Their return fire is fairly ineffective.

We did try a boarding action, but it was fiasco. 

Much better to blast away.

End of turn 10 and end of the game.

One of the Combined Fleet's ships had caught fire, 

failed to put the fire out and it had spread to the magazine.

BOOM!!!

A hush fell over the battle bringing proceedings for that turn to a close.

A perfect ending.

The big 130-gun Santissima Trinidad in big trouble.

The Victory powering on to glory.

The explosion.

Last shot of the table from the other side for balance.

As before here is the AAR from James, less big picture, but way more detailed:

The Chauvinistic Blog: Trafalgar part the second

KGL Infantry

There are one or two non-Essex figures in this unit, but the Essex figures are ones that I have had since the 1990s if not earlier.  Finished now and constructed so I can make a variety of Napoleon's Battles brigade units - 2x16, 1x20, 1x24 or 1x28.  Spare figures made it easy to make up casualty bases.

Serenissima

Short of time and still exhausted after completing the big Trafalgar game I just managed to watch a how to video on this game before setting off to Richard's to play it with him, Simon and Russell.

Turned out I had watched a how to for the latest version of this game, not the first edition that we would be playing.

I think the idea of the game exceeds the game play.  Later editions might change this.  

I was the Ottomans, Simon Venice, Russel Genoa and Richard Spain.

De Gaulle - Part One

I'd seen a previous movie on De Gaulle in 2012 at the French Film Festival here in Perth, Western Australia. It covered the critical six weeks in May/June 1940 plus back story to De Gaulle's family. I found it to be a very moving film due to the scenes with his family fleeing as refugees with a handicapped daughter.  This new film, while not associated as far as I know, effectively takes off from were that movie finished.  

The political twists were amazing and also how De Gaulle was able to bounce back after various setbacks.  There was much I didn't know and while I am sure there was a good deal of artistic licence (which generally makes for an engaging movie after all) I consider it an excellent war movie, up there with anything the Americans have produced.  

One thing I found interesting was only one passing reference to the Russians and nothing that I can recall about the Italians.  The major battle depicted, Bir Hakem, certainly involved, on my follow up research, significant action against Italian forces.

I am looking forward to part two.

The Pacific

Disclaimer: I have just found a heap of posts that got left/lost as drafts.  This one was from sometime in 2021 I think. 

I had purchased the deluxe (it came in a tin) DVD boxed set a good many years ago after thoroughly enjoying Band of Brothers.  So I knew I had something to look forward to if I was ever laid up.  Thankfully the opportunity has only recently arisen, when I was in need of some convalescence after some hi-tech medical intervention to tune up my heart (AF ablation - highly recommended if you have an irregular heartbeat and advancing years.  Get in before it becomes an issue and you have to compete in with Covid clogged emergency departments.)

It then became a race against time to finish the series before I went away on some r&r (which seemed to be in keeping with the pace of the series and perhaps deployment in the Pacific Theatre).

Not as good as BoB as I found it muddy in both ability to follow dialogue (wish I had used subtitles) and to recognise who was who (as in combat one marine looked very much like the next).  By halfway through I had started to understand what was happening (and it also helped that I knew a little about the Pacific campaign).  Certainly brings home the horror and senseless destruction.  A quality production, although I was conscious that it had been filmed in Australia and that knowledge, rather than any visual flaw, kept springing to mind.

As it neared to a conclusion I found myself wishing that it had been a proper documentary with non fictional characters.  I was totally surprised when the end credits popped up showing the actors and the real person they were based on and a small note about that person subsequent life.  Thankfully most of the marines who survived went on to lead decent lives.

Palestine 36

An excellent movie in its own right and covering a generally forgotten bit of history - the early Palestinian fight against the loss of their homeland.  Very much focussed on the British presence and actions.

What really impressed me was what I can only assume was existing photos and newsreels from the period that had been coloured and enhanced and skillfully blended to give a real sense of it being 1936/37 in Palestine.

Portuguese Cacadores

Another unit completed.  Perhaps not the best pose for wargames figures, but they sure look like they mean business.  I've been wondering what to do with these figures (I have quite a few more in this pose) and I thought the late war British in Belgic shakos would make fine early war Cacadores.

Not that it shows up much, but I painted a variety of trouser colours

 to show they had been on campaign for a while.

The two figures on the casualty base are from the Old Glory British casualty set.