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.

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

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.

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.

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.