What are you currently reading ?

[kipt]

Finished "The German High Command at War: Hindenburg and Ludendorf Conduct World War I" by Robert B. Asprey.  A good author.

Discusses the whole war in the West and East (with side trips to Turkey and Italy) with Hindenburg and Ludendorf as the main characters.  Hindenburg comes off as a figurehead while Ludendorf is overbearing, nervous and the brains behind the actions.

A long book, 487 pages of text, but it keeps up the interest throughout.  Recommended for the German High Command point of view.

[Panzer-Kalle]

Operation "Seelöwe" just started! 10 division of the German Wehrmacht had landed at England!

They have published a panel of books called "Alternativer Beobachter" (alternative Observer). In this books the result of military operation went the other way and the German unexpected win.

Not a real friend of such fogery of history but I was curious how Seelöwe should work. So I bought this book!

A major of German Army High Command had a plan of attack:

We land at the western coast at "BRISTOl"!! With every warship of German Kriegsmarine full loaded with troops.

Could this work?

Cheers Kalle

[Raider4]

We land at the western coast at "BRISTOl"!! With every warship of German Kriegsmarine full loaded with troops.

Could this work?

No chance.

Long way round to go, even leaving from the French Channel or Atlantic ports. The Severn is very tidal, so there'd be a very limited time to offload troops, and Bristol is not even on the coast.

The RN is so much stronger than the Kriegsmarine it's laughable, and the RAF would hassle them all the way on that long journey.

[Gwydion]

How many men can you get on the warships of the Kriegsmarine? I presume this excludes the barges and stops the force being tied to <5knots?

And how do you resupply?

If you got them ashore I think you've basically abandoned them there.

So - no, not a workable plan I'm afraid.

Oh, and Hi! Kalle!
Haven't spoken to you in years - back on the old BKC forum. I used to really enjoy your quizzes. Hope you are well.
G

[Steve J]

Funnily enough I just finished reading 'Paddy Griffith's Wargaming Operation Sealion' this morning. In short, not a cat in hell's chance that the Germans could have landed there in any meaningful way. The book is well worth getting for anyone interested in this 'what if?' operation.

[hammurabi70]

Operation "Seelöwe" just started! 10 division of the German Wehrmacht had landed at England!

They have published a panel of books called "Alternativer Beobachter" (alternative Observer). In this books the result of military operation went the other way and the German unexpected win.

Not a real friend of such fogery of history but I was curious how Seelöwe should work. So I bought this book!

A major of German Army High Command had a plan of attack:

We land at the western coast at "BRISTOl"!! With every warship of German Kriegsmarine full loaded with troops.

Could this work?

Cheers Kalle

Herr Schempp appears to have read too much Harry Turtledove and details of Operation Weserubung before a heavy night of drinking vodka shots with President Putin; I note that many of his reviewers on Amazon (in German) state this is beyond reasonable disbelief.

In March 1941 some of the ships he wants to use have yet to finish repairs from the Norweigan campaign.  In 1940 they could not lift two divisions into Norway and docked one, later two, companies of tanks.  These did prove very effective as the Norwegians had no anti-tank weapons.  With an inadequate fleet he wants to sail past 50 plus cruisers and destroyers specifically on anti-invasion duties and land 10 divisions in Bristol, an awkward port compared to these easy Norweigan deep water ports or even Hull and the east coast English ports. He lands over 200 tanks and presumably artillery as well; what freighters will he use for this?  The British had 13 divisions, including 3 armoured but in this instance they are reduced to 250,000 effectives and crumble without offering more than light resistance.  Churchill would no doubt have died of apoplexy in such circumstances.

I think the events at Narvik and Stalingrad give a more reasonable view on what might have transpired.  In Norway the Germans achieved air superiority quickly and could resupply through Southern Norweigan ports.  At Bristol any captured runway would have suffered intense interdiction from the RAF.  The Royal Navy might not have stopped the arrival but departure by sea would have been problematic, ending the life of the German fleet, and resupply from the sea impossible.

Not a viable strategy; there are reasons why French fleets have been interested in western coast ports and German fleets the east coast.

[T13A]

Hi

Just finished (for the second time) Mark Urban's 'Fusiliers', about the 23rd Foot, Royal Welch Fusiliers journey through the American War of Independence, Excellent account of how a typical British regiment evolved its tactics through the conflict. I particularly enjoyed the way he followed several members of the reigiment through that time and what happened to them afterwards. Recommended.

Cheers Paul

[kipt]

Finished "Unceasing Fury: Texans at the Battle of Chickamauga, September 18-20, 1862" by Scott L. Mingus Sr. and Joseph L. Owen.  Lots of combat narratives by the soldiers that fought there.  Chickamauga through the experiences of the different Texas units.  Flows nicely and one does get a sense of "Unceasing Fury".

My only quibble is the use of 'grape and canister'.  Understandable when used by the participants, but it is also used by the authors.  I doubt any grape was used by the field guns of either side, only canister or double canister.

[fsn]

What I'm not reading but should be is:


Purchased on Amazon in February with a publication date of June 15th. Now showing as "not in stock. Helion site says "in Autumn 2022 releases." 

So my cunning plan for Nap Danes, Nap Ottomans, Nap Spanish, Ancient Indians is now Nap Danes, Arab-Israeli, Nap Spanish, Ancient Indians with the Nap Ottomans somewhere.

I know Pendraken are going to release the Amazons, just to further muck up my schedule. 

[kipt]

Finished a short little book "Zouaves: The First and The Bravest" by Michael J. McAfee.

No colored pictures but an interesting history.  I bought it primarily for the ACW zouaves but it has more history than that. Quite a few zouave companies in regiments uniformed normally.

Still, it has good uniform descriptions and many photographs.

[sultanbev]

What I'm not reading but should be is:


Purchased on Amazon in February with a publication date of June 15th. Now showing as "not in stock. Helion site says "in Autumn 2022 releases." 

Yes, am awaiting that one too, to see if he picks up all the units I have found out about, or adds anything new.

If you want something Ottoman to read in the interim, I still have a few copies of Tangiers to Tehran, a wargamers guide to Napoleonic Arab armies c1780-1825 left, no colour but 100 line drawings, maps, OOBs and potted histories of each nation. £20 UK post included.

[flamingpig0]

[pierre the shy]

FP - Shouldn't that last post be in the joke section?     

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

I rather suspect it was serious.

[kustenjaeger]

1. Key to the Sinai - the battles for Abu Agelia in the 1956 and 1967 wars, George Gawrych

Partly prompted by the new Arab-Israeli releases (albeit for 1973) I wanted to read something focused on a particular action.

Very interesting especially the good performance by the outnumbered Egyptian defenders in 1956 and the different (and flawed) command control in 1967.

2. Love Loyalty - the close and perilous siege of Basing House during the English Civil War, William Embleton.

Basing House is not that far from where I live.  It was even closer to where I grew up and my father grew up closer still in the 1930s and could remember tunnels that were accessible to young boys!  Looking at the barn still marked by ECW shot is quite impressive. 

Edward

[Raider4]

Just finished the five books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Sad the sixth book is still not available (11 years and counting).

[flamingpig0]

Just finished the five books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Sad the sixth book is still not available (11 years and counting).

Are you aware of Joe Abercrombie's"First Law Trilogy" ?

[Raider4]

Are you aware of Joe Abercrombie's"First Law Trilogy" ?

I am, and have read the first. Enjoyed it.

[kipt]

Finished "Engels As Military Critic" with an introduction by W.O. Henderson and W. H. Chaloner. Engels, as well as a partner with Marx on his theories, had an interest in things military. He had the nickname of "The General" from his political associates.

He wrote articles for both English papers and for the New York Daily Tribune. This book has his articles on the volunteer movement in England (10 articles), the History of the rifle (9 articles), the French Army (8 articles), the Civil war in America (2 articles), the Schleswig-Holstein War, 1864 (1 article) and the Seven weeks War, 1866 (5 articles).  In these last, Engels does not give Prussia much chance against the Austrians as he follows it week to week.  And as the war goes on his view obviously changes, attributing the Prussian victory to the speed of advance and the needle gun, as well as Austrian blunders.

Very interesting.

[kipt]

Finished the "Gettysburg Magazine" January 2022 Issue 68.

Published twice per year here are some of the articles(out of 10 total);

The Events and Actions of Battery B, 1st New York Light Artillery, on July 2, 1863.
Confusion over the 2nd Connecticut Light Battery: Here's What it Really Did at Gettysburg.
Fifteen Men per Monument: The 27th Connecticut at Gettysburg.
"His Information Was Always Accurate and Reliable": John S. Moseby and the Beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign.

Always interesting articles.