My method of making profile mountains

The following information was originally part of my Colonial Wargaming website, but was removed when it got too large for the ISP I was then using. Somehow I never got round to adding it to my new website.

Stage 1: Using a pencil, draw three mountain profiles on to the sheet of thin plywood (see diagram). The large profile will form the back of the mountain, the middle profile will form the upper foothills, and the small profile will form the lower foothills of the mountain. Using the modelling knife, non-slip modelling ruler, and the cutting mat, carefully cut out the three profiles.

Stage 2: The middle profile is placed face down (i.e. with the back of the profile uppermost) on to your modelling area. Using the razor saw, cut the balsa wood into suitable lengths and glue them with the white glue on to the back of the middle profile (see diagram). It is recommended that some form of weight is carefully placed on the whole assembly, and that it is left there until the glue has dried. This should avoid any possibility of the wood warping during the drying process.

Stage 3: The same process is then applied to the small profile.

Stage 4: The large profile is placed face up on to your modelling area. Using white glue, the middle profile is then glued on to the large profile, and then the small profile is glued on to the middle profile (see diagram). Care must be taken to ensure that the bottom edges of each profile are level with one another. It is recommended that some form of weight is carefully placed on the whole assembly, and that it is left there until the glue has dried. This should avoid any possibility of the wood warping during the drying process.

Stage 5: The completed assembly should now be glued with white glue to a base made from the thin plywood left over after the profiles were cut from the original sheet of plywood. It is recommended that some form of weight is carefully placed on the whole assembly, and that it is left there until the glue has dried. This should avoid any possibility of the wood warping during the drying process.

Stage 6: The brown wrapping paper is now torn into small, randomly-shaped pieces (about 3" to 4" [75 mm to 100 mm] along their edges), screwed up, and flattened out. Using slightly watered-down white glue, these are then glued all over the vertical and horizontal surfaces of the mountain. This seals the surface of the wood, strengthens the glued joints, and gives the surface an uneven, rocky appearance. Once the glue has thoroughly dried, any loose bits of paper are trimmed off, and patches of scenic scatter material are glued (using slightly watered-down white glue) over the vertical surfaces of the mountain to enhance the rocky appearance of these surfaces. After the glue has dried, any loose scenic scatter material is brushed off.

Stage 7: The mountain is now ready to be painted and/or flocked.

Modified Morschauser ‘19th Century' Wargames Rules

I have scanned in the latest draft of my adaptation of Joseph Morschauser’s ‘Modern’ Period Rules for the 19th century era, and I have uploaded the rules to the Wargames Miscellany blog. As you will see, I have made several small but important changes.

These rules have not been written specifically for colonial wargaming, but with a few minor changes they should be very suitable. The sort of changes I envisage incorporate ideas from Joseph Morschauser's 'Frontier' Rules, which were designed for colonial conflicts. For example Native Infantry and Cavalry Units had different 'Battle Power' ratings (what I term Close Combat Power) that made them less effective in Close Combat.

Once I have play-tested the basic 19th century rules, I will adapt them so that they can be used for colonial wargames.

Modified Morschauser ‘19th Century' Wargames Rules

I have finally managed to scan in the first draft of my adaptation of Joseph Morschauser's 'Modern' Period Rules for the 19th century era, and I have uploaded the rules to the Wargames Miscellany blog.

The rules have not yet been play-tested, but I hope to begin this process in the very near future.

A version of Morschauser's rules for the late 19th century

Although they are not quite aimed at purely colonial conflicts, I have begun work on a version of my adaptation of Morschauser's 'Modern' Period Wargames Rules for the latter part of the 19th century.

I will adding a draft of these rules to my Wargaming Miscellany blog later today. Once I have play-tested them I will adapted them to include colonial armies as well.

Vanished Armies

Yesterday's post included a copy of VANISHED ARMIES - A RECORD OF MILITARY UNIFORM OBSERVED AND DRAWN IN VARIOUS EUROPEAN COUNTRIES DURING THE YEARS 1908 TO 1914. This is a collection of water coloured drawings and notes made by A E Haswell Miller whilst he was travelling around Europe in the years leading up to the First World War.

The book costs £20.00 and has been edited by John Mollo. It was published a few months back by Shire Publications Ltd (ISBN 978 0 74780 739 1).

The book covers the uniforms of the following countries:

• Great Britain (25 plates; 243 drawing)
• The German Empire (16 plates; 161 drawings)
• France (8 plates; 77 drawings)
• Austria-Hungary (10 plates: 97 drawings)
• Belgium (2 plates; 21 drawings)
• Holland (4 plates; 35 drawings)
• Italy (6 plates; 58 drawings)
• Portugal (1 plate; 3 drawings)
• Russia (2 plates; 10 drawings)
• Spain (6 plates; 37 drawings)
• Sweden (1 plate; 9 drawings)

Although the drawings are mainly of dress uniforms worn by European troops there are some colonial uniforms in the collection including:

British Empire

• Strathcona's Horse (Canada)
• Royal Canadian Regiment
• New Zealand Mounted Rifles
• Kaffarian Rifles (South Africa)
• Kimberley Regiment (South Africa)
• Cape Mounted Rifles (South Africa)
• Imperial Light Horse (South Africa)
• 48th Highlanders (Canada)
• Australian Light Horse
• Alberta Horse (Canada)
• New Zealand Infantry
• 72nd Highlanders (Canada)
• 5th Royal Scots (Canada)
• Australian Forces
• Canterbury Mounted Rifles (New Zealand)
• Prince Alfred's Guards (South Africa)
• Canadian Field Artillery
• 58th Vaughan's Rifles [Frontier Force] (India)

German Empire

• German South-West Africa Schutztruppe
• German East Africa Schutztruppe
• German West Africa Schutztruppe

France

• Spahis
• Zouaves
• Chasseurs d'Afrique
• Tirailleurs Algeriens
• Foreign Legion

Holland

• Colonial Troops
• West Indies Service Corps
• Marines
• Royal Dutch East India Army

Spain

• Colonial Infantry

A version of Morschauser's Rules for the Colonial Era is on the distant horizon

If you are a regular reader of my main blog you will be aware that I have been spending a lot of time recently working on a version of Joseph Morschauser's 'Modern' Period Wargames Rules.

The original idea was to do this so that I could then try to recreate the rules he used to fight his famous colonial wargames but, as so often happens, I have got myself involved in developing my own version of his rules.

This process is now moving towards a conclusion, and when it gets there I think that it should not take me too long to write a version of Morschauser's Wargames Rules for the Colonial Era. When I do I will report my progress here as well as on my main blog.

Recent book acquisitions

I have already mentioned Osprey's book about the ARMIES OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY 1750 – 1850 by Stuart Reid and Gerry Embleton (Men-at-Arms series No. 453) on my main blog Wargaming Miscellany.

I have now had the opportunity to read the book, and although it is not a period of colonial history that I know much about or have wargamed very often, it was very good.

Its chapters include:

• Background
• Chronology
• The Early Years
Madras – Bengal – Bombay
• Crown and Company
The Cornwallis reorganisation plan, 1780s – officers' grievances, 1790s – Europeanization of the officer corps
The Great Mutiny
• European Infantry
The battalions, 1748 - 62
Uniforms
• Native Infantry
Battalions and uniforms: Bengal – Madras – Bombay
The Sepoy Line
• Cavalry
Madras – Bengal – Bombay
• Artillery & Engineers
• Plate Commentaries

The other book I recently acquired was given to me by my old friend Tony Hawkins. It is entitled A REVIEW OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN OF 1879 and is was written by Adrian Greaves and Ian Knight.

The title is a little misleading as it is not so much a history of the Zulu War, but more a series of biographies of the officers who died. As such it is an invaluable source of information to anyone who wants to know about the sort of man who became an officer in the British Army during the middle of Queen Victoria's reign.

Problem with my Colonial wargaming website solved

I received an email today from the company that hosts my Colonial Wargaming website. It informed me of my new password, and as a result I have been able to upload the latest update.

The latter is not very large – just the addition of the details about ROOSEVELT'S ROUGH RIDERS – but as work progresses with the latest draft of WHEN EMPIRES CLASH! – COLONIAL WARS (the new working title of the Colonial variant) it is nice to know that I can update my website as and when I need to.

Problems with my Colonial Wargaming website

I have just paid the annual renewal fee to the company that hosts my Colonial Wargaming website, but when I went to log on to it today to add an update, I was refused access as my password in no longer valid! I suspect that they have sent a new password to me in the post, but that their letter is 'lost' in the mountain of mail that has yet to be delivered.

The website is still there and functioning ... I just can't update it at present! So, whilst my service provider sorts the problem out, I am going to begin work on a redraft of the Colonial wargaming version of WHEN EMPIRES CLASH!

Osprey Warrior 138 - Roosevelt's Rough Riders

I managed to visit a local bookshop after work yesterday and was able to buy a copy of the recently published ROOSEVELT'S ROUGH RIDERS. It is volume 138 in Osprey's WARRIOR series (ISBN 978 1 84603 383 4), and cost £11.99 ($18.95).

I have several books about the Spanish-American War and this is a worthy addition to my collection. Besides giving an easy-to-read account of the actions that the regiment took part in, it also covers its origins, what life was like in camp before and during the campaign in Cuba, and what happened to some of its members after the regiment was disbanded.

As one would expect from an Osprey book, it is well illustrated with both photographs and colour illustrations.