Sunday 28 February 2010

Colonial Wargaming website update

I have added details of some of my recent acquisitions to the Books pages of the Inspiration section of my Colonial Wargaming website.

I have also updated the Links page in the same section to take into account the demise of yet another dedicated Colonial wargames website.

Wednesday 10 February 2010

The Great War in West Africa

One of the books I was given as a birthday present this year is a facsimile of Brigadier General E Howard Gorges's book THE GREAT WAR IN WEST AFRICA (The Naval & Military Press Ltd [2004] ISBN 1 845741 15 3).

The book contains chapters that cover the following topics:
  • Chapter I: Soldiering on the “Coast” in the pre-war days – Sierra Leone – Freetown – The West African Regiment (W.A.R.) – The G.O.C. – the elements at play – Order to mobilise
  • Chapter II: The Governor and the C.-in-. – The garrison – The railway – Armament – The West India Regiment – The West African Regiment and its officers – “Digging In” – Pidgin or Trade English – Togoland – German proposals for neutrality in Africa – Invasion of Togoland – Franco-British co-operation – Conquest and surrender of Togoland
  • Chapter III: The Cameroons – Brief history – Boundaries – The country – The climate – Towns and communications – Products and industry – Fauna – Inhabitants
  • Chapter IV: The inception of the Cameroon Expeditionary Force – the situation in Nigeria – First step towards an offensive – A cruiser ordered to Duala – Allied conference of 15th August 1914 – Movements of H.M.S. “Cumberland” – More German neutrality intrigues – Military forces in West Africa in 1914
  • Chapter V: Naval operations off the Cameroon coast – The “Cumberland’s” reconnaissance – The Nigerian flotilla – Description of Duala neighbourhood – Proposed base in Ambas Bay – operations in Ambas Bay – base established off Suellaba
  • Chapter VI: German preparations at Duala – Native disaffection – Terrorism – Naval activity 10th to 12th September – The “Nachtigal” episode – Torpedo attack on the “Dwarf” – Sinking of the “Nachtigal” – Further boat reconnaissance – Clearance and buoyage of the main channel 0- Military operations on the Nigerian frontier
  • Chapter VII: Formation of the Expeditionary Force – Its concentration at Suellaba – Operation in the Lungasi River – Surrender of Duala – Situation following the surrender – Clearing the neighbourhood
  • Chapter VIII: Continuance of amphibious operations – Capture of Jabassi, Edea, Victoria and Buea
  • Chapter IX: Operations along the Northern Railway – Advance from railhead to Dschang – Capture of Dschang Fort – Withdrawal from Dschang – Germans attack the French at Edea – Revival of enemy activity in the Bare District
  • Chapter X: Situation in march 1915 – naval activity – Brigadier General Cunliffe’s operations in Northern Cameroons ending with the capture of Ngaundere – General Dobell’s first advance against Yaunde – Jottings from the Northern Railway: heavy rains impede operations in the south – Attempt to reduce Mora – Conference at Duala
  • Chapter XI: Situation in October 1915 – Converging columns move towards Yaunde – General Dobell’s operations – Through the Sanaganyong Forest – General Cunliffe’s drive from the north – Capture of Banyo Mountain – Occupation of Fumban
  • Chapter XII: Fall of Yaunde – Situation mid-January 1916 – Germans escape into neutral territory – Capitulation of Mora – A medical memoir – Some acknowledgements and observations – “Thy kingdom is divided” – Valedictory
  • Appendix I: Naval forces – Cameroons, 1914-1916
  • Appendix II: Officers serving with the West African Regiment, July 1914
  • Appendix III: Officers serving with the West African Regiment, 1915
  • Appendix IV: First order of battle – General Dobell’s force and detail of the British Contingent, September 1914

Friday 5 February 2010

Colonial Wargaming website update

After nearly five months I finally got round to updating my Colonial Wargaming website. Mind you, all I managed to do was to rename the old WHAT IS NEW? page to become WHAT WAS NEW IN 2009? and to create a new WHAT IS NEW? page.

The problem with the website has been twofold. Firstly, my blogging has rather taken precedence over updating my websites. Secondly, Microsoft have replaced FrontPage (the program I used to use to create my web pages) with Expression Web, and I have yet to get to grips with the latter. I am sure that once I have, I will be able to keep my websites up-to-date.

Tuesday 2 February 2010

Modified Morschauser ‘19th Century’ Wargames Rules

The latest draft of these rules is now available in PDF format from the RED HEX WARGAMES website. The rules cover Colonial and European warfare from approximately 1875 to 1900.

The new draft includes all the changes outlined in my earlier blog entry, and will be play-tested as soon as possible.