Blather, Waffle and Poppycock!

[flamingpig0]

The best warcry EVER!

From the most convincing depiction of Roman Britain
put on TV

[Last Hussar]

I'll take that as a 'no' then... 

[fsn]

Gentlemen. I am in a quandary again.

I have on the go four project in status "paint": Napoleonic Swedes, Napoleonic Ottoman, Marlburian and Covenanters for the 2nd Bishops' War.

I have in the sidelines, Royalists from the 2nd Bishops' War and FV432s to top up the Cold War Brits. These are purchased but remain unpainted.

This means I have a gap in my purchase programme, and am contemplating what to fill it with.

• Ancient Indians This was top of the list about a year ago, until someone said that the range was due a revamp.
• Romano-Britons AKA King Arthur. I'd have to do a corresponding Early Saxon army and I'm not feeling it.
• Parliamentarian Again possible, but since I haven't played a Bishops' War game yet, this may be premature (Also, may be a bit fed up of painting C17 by the time I've got through the Scots and the Royalists) 
• Napoleonic French I've looked at this again. My problem is that I like French cavalry, but not the infantry. I've drawn up an OOB which is quite heavily biased towards the cavalry, and dammit I'm tempted;
• Napoleonic Portuguese My problem with the Portuguese is that I feel they need to be mixed with British. They are tempting, but I'm doing a blue clad Napoleonic army at the moment ... but their flags are very cool.
• Napoleonic Spanish I'm not great with White Uniforms.
• Napoleonic Saxons Ditto - but with very interesting cavalry. 
• Napoleonic Italians Ditto.
• Napoleonic Something Else I'm quite tempted to look into a smaller German state.
• Little Wars A sort of late C19 affaire that HG Wells would recognise.
• Russo-Japanese Possible. However, I feel this is a company level game, 100-150 figures at most.
• 1929 I looked at the possibility of UK-France kicking off, Vickers 6 tonners vs Char 2Cs. Give me a Carden-Lloyd and a Lewis Gunner in a cap, and I'll take the plunge.
• Sci Fi Definitely going to do this at some time, but it's not out yet.
• Amazons Ditto.

Decisions, decisions. 

I think it's between the Indians, the Napoleonic French, and the Russo-Japanese.

[fred.]

These 3 speak to me

• Little Wars A sort of late C19 affaire that HG Wells would recognise. 
• Russo-Japanese Possible. However, I feel this is a company level game, 100-150 figures at most. 
• 1929 I looked at the possibility of UK-France kicking off, Vickers 6 tonners vs Char 2Cs. Give me a Carden-Lloyd and a Lewis Gunner in a cap, and I'll take the plunge.

I've just done lots of the RJW Russians - very nice figures. Not sure why you are seeing it as company level actions. But I'm using my figures for WWI so not really looked at RJW in any detail.

[Orcs]

What about A Very British Civil War?

[fsn]

I've just done lots of the RJW Russians - very nice figures. Not sure why you are seeing it as company level actions. But I'm using my figures for WWI so not really looked at RJW in any detail.

I see it as company level the same way as I see WWI as company level. I don't know why, but battalions of 24 in WWI just doesn't look right to me. Maybe it's when formal lines went out of fashion? I have an arbitrary date of 1900 after which everything is platoon/company level. 

I like the idea of the Chocolate Box war. Highlanders in scarlet tunics, pipes skirling; Zouaves and Cuirassiers marching together; white clad Austrian grenadiers and dashing hussars (I hate Hussars); stolid Prussians and the Czar's finest! I quite fancy doing this with fairly small units, maybe 30 infantry? Couple of brigades of 3 bttns each, plus a cavalry brigade, an artillery battery or two and a special unit. 250 figures per side? 

Brits would be Highlanders from the Indian Mutiny; Guards from the Crimea ... do I try for Home Service Helmet or a shako?           

What about A Very British Civil War?

I did think about it. I was modelling it on the Experimental Mechanised Force, and who can but love another opportunity to have a go at the French? AVBCW has too many factions for my liking - besides I need a Carden LLoyd carrier and a Lewis Gunner in a peaked cap.  However 1929 does have the advantage of having something other than bloomin' cavalry.   

[toxicpixie]

You don't have to go "official" for AVBCW - we didn't. Just assume Albertines/Parliamentarians, Edwardian/Nazis, and maybe a Red Fsction, with the Moderates/Trade Unionists/Social Democrats with Anarchist/Communists/Soviets bubbling inside?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Don't forget the Peaky Blinders/who knows what side they're on.

[fsn]

You don't have to go "official" for AVBCW - we didn't. Just assume Albertines/Parliamentarians, Edwardian/Nazis, and maybe a Red Faction, with the Moderates/Trade Unionists/Social Democrats with Anarchist/Communists/Soviets bubbling inside?

Oh yes. Thank you. That makes it so simple. 

[fsn]

Don't forget the Peaky Blinders/who knows what side they're on.

Peaky Blinders I could do, using the Home Guard (and probably something from the SCW*) but I really, really need a Lewis Gunner in a cap and a Carden Lloyd carrier
 




*If there's a C20 fight that you can't proxy something from the SCW into, I can't find it. 

[toxicpixie]

Oh yes. Thank you. That makes it so simple. 

Pleasure!

Just do "your bit" - pick two forces, make 'em. No one else local enough to count

[Orcs]

Spanish civil war ?

[fsn]

I'm not a fan of Civil Wars. Except the American one. 

Having a go at the French though ...

[Orcs]

I'm not a fan of Civil Wars. Except the American one. 

Having a go at the French though ...

Henry Vlll invasion of France
Operation Torch

[fsn]

Henry Vlll invasion of France

Dammit! I was looking at the Elizabethan range. Can't resist a morion.

Operation Torch

That one I did after reading ...


Madagascar or Syria now   

[fsn]

Madagascar would be a good excuse to get the Tetrarch tank.

[pierre the shy]

Dammit! I was looking at the Elizabethan range. Can't resist a morion.
That one I did after reading ...


Madagascar or Syria now 

Not sure about the title of that book fsn......it was not just England's last war against the French (and to be trifling why have a Union Jack if its only the English?    ).   

Operation Exporter (the attack on Vichy Syria) is a very interesting campaign if for no other reason than the sheer number of unique units that took part in it, and thats just from the Allied side:

From Wikipedia we find the following:

Commander-in-Chief[1] Middle East Command: General Sir Archibald Wavell
General Officer Commanding Palestine and Trans-Jordan: General Sir H. Maitland Wilson
South Syria and Lebanon – Australian I Corps (from 18 June)
Australian troops from the 2/14th Infantry Battalion

General Officer Commanding I Corps: Lieutenant-General John Lavarack

    Australian 7th Division – Major-General John Lavarack (until 18 June) then Major-General Arthur "Tubby" Allen
        Divisional Troops
            6th Division Cavalry
            9th Division Cavalry
            2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion
            The Royal Scots Greys and The Staffordshire Yeomanry (composite mechanised regiment detached from British 1st Cavalry Division)
            One squadron, The Royals (detached from 1st Cavalry Division )
            C battalion Special Service Brigade (commandos based in Cyprus for seaborne landings)[2]
        Artillery (Brigadier F. H. Berryman)
            2/4th Field Regiment
            2/5th Field Regiment
            2/6th Field Regiment
            2/2nd Anti-tank Regiment
            57 Light Anti-aircraft Regiment
        21st Australian Brigade (Brigadier J E S Stevens)
            2/14th Infantry Battalion
            2/16th Infantry Battalion
            2/27th Infantry Battalion
        25th Australian Brigade (Brigadier A. R. Baxter-Cox until 22 June, Brigadier E.C.P. Plant thereafter))
            2/25th Infantry Battalion
            2/31st Infantry Battalion
            2/33rd Infantry Battalion
        17th Australian Brigade (from 28 June) (Brigadier S. G. Savige)
            2/3rd Infantry Battalion
            2/5th Infantry Battalion
            2/2nd Pioneer Battalion
    'Gentforce' (command activated 12 June until 18 June) – Major-General P L Legentilhomme (wounded 12 June and succeeded by Brigadier W. L. Lloyd until 18 June)
    British 6th Infantry Division (activated 18 June) – Major-General J. F. Evetts
        British 16th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier C. E. N. Lomax) from 20 June
            2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment
            2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
            2nd Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment
        British 23rd Infantry Brigade (Brigadier A. Galloway) from 29 June
            1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
            Czechoslovak 11th Infantry Battalion[3]
            4th Battalion, Border Regiment
        5th Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier W L Lloyd) (Lieut.-Col. L. B. Jones of 4/6th Rajputana Rifles while Lloyd commanded Gentforce)[4]
            1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
            3/1st Punjab Regiment
            4/6th Rajputana Rifles
            18th Field Company Bombay Sappers and Miners[5]
            1st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
    1st Free French Light Division – Major-General Paul Legentilhomme
        1st Free French Brigade (Colonel Cazaud)
            1st Battalion of Foreign Legion
            1 March Battalion
            3 March Battalion
        2nd Free French Brigade (Colonel Genin)
            1st Battalion of Marine infantry
            2 March Battalion
            4 March Battalion
        1st battalion of Naval Fusiliers[6]
        1st Moroccan Spahis group of squadron
        1st battery field artillery (4 75 mm guns)
        1st company of tanks (9 H39 tanks)
    Circassian Cavalry group of squadrons (453 troops) (Colonel Collet)

Circassian troops with a French officer
Northern Syria

Elements of Iraqforce:
Advancing on the Euphrates

    10th Indian Infantry Division – Major-General W J Slim
        13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
        157th Field Regiment RA
        21st Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier C.J. Weld)
            2/10th Gurkha Rifles
            2/4th Gurkha Rifles
            4/13th Frontier Force Rifles
        25th Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier R Mountain)
            1/5th Mahratta Light Infantry
            2/11th Sikh Regiment
            3/9th Jat Regiment
            2/8th Gurkha Rifles (detached from 20th Indian Infantry Brigade)

In northern Iraq and the "Duck's Bill" region of Syria

Under command of HQ British Troops Iraq: Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Quinan

    20th Indian Infantry Brigade (detached from 10th Indian Infantry Division) (Brigadier D Powell)
        2/7th Gurkha Rifles
        3/11th Sikh Regiment
    17th Indian Infantry Brigade (detached from 8th Indian Infantry Division) (Brigadier Douglas Gracey)
        1/12th Frontier Force Regiment
        5/13th Frontier Force Rifles

In central Syria

    Habforce commanded by Major-General J.G.W. Clark
        British 4th Cavalry Brigade of the British 1st Cavalry Division (Brigadier J.J. Kingstone until 24 June, Brigadier J G E Tiarks from 29 June[7])
            Household Cavalry Regiment
            North Somerset Yeomanry
            Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
        1st Battalion of the Essex Regiment
        Arab Legion Mechanised Regiment
        237th Battery, Royal Artillery (60th Field Regiment)
        An Australian battery of 2-pounder anti-tank guns (detached from the 2/1st Anti-Tank Regiment[8])
        169th Light Anti-aircraft Battery

Thats quite an array of forces, including the last "true" cavalry brigade in the British Army IIRC.

[fsn]

Authors Note:
"Readers may well wonder why this book is not called Britain's Last War Against France. After all, large numbers of Scots, Welsh and Irish found themselves fighting against the Vichy French. Its title does not reflect any animus against the Union on my part. Far from it. But for the French, perhaps because over the centuries they sometimes acquired Celtic allies, the old enemy is almost always 'the English'. Sometimes - usually when they are very angry with us or we are allied with the Americans or both - we become 'the Anglo-Saxons'. Only rarely in their eyes, are we 'the British', a people with who they tend to have a more neutral relationship. CS"

Syria is an interesting campaign - typical shoestring operation for that time. Thanks for the OOB, I've stashed that. Easier terrain than Madagascar, and I dont have any WWII Middle East. Add a Grant or two and 1941 Desert is possible too.

In other news, I've largely given up on the Chocolate Box War. Couldn't find a decent proxy for bearskin clad Guardsmen. Greatcoat in the Crimea, but I wanted bright Scarlet.

 

[pierre the shy]

Ok thanks for the explanation fsn 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Authors Note:
"Readers may well wonder why this book is not called Britain's Last War Against France. After all, large numbers of Scots, Welsh and Irish found themselves fighting against the Vichy French. Its title does not reflect any animus against the Union on my part. Far from it. But for the French, perhaps because over the centuries they sometimes acquired Celtic allies, the old enemy is almost always 'the English'. Sometimes - usually when they are very angry with us or we are allied with the Americans or both - we become 'the Anglo-Saxons'. Only rarely in their eyes, are we 'the British', a people with who they tend to have a more neutral relationship. CS"

Syria is an interesting campaign - typical shoestring operation for that time. Thanks for the OOB, I've stashed that. Easier terrain than Madagascar, and I dont have any WWII Middle East. Add a Grant or two and 1941 Desert is possible too.

In other news, I've largely given up on the Chocolate Box War. Couldn't find a decent proxy for bearskin clad Guardsmen. Greatcoat in the Crimea, but I wanted bright Scarlet.

 

1864 Danish Guards in Busby