Reviews - April 2010

Reviews - April 2010 This month includes The Covenanter Encyclopaedia, Poelcapelle 1917 - A Trail On Wrecked Tanks, The Illustrated Guide to Armageddon - Britain’s Cold War, the new version of Koenig Krieg, Scottish Arms and Armour, and helping the resurgence of 28mm WWI gaming we have Scarab Miniatures new French infantry.

The Covenanter Encyclopaedia by Dane Love (Fort Publishing) RRP: £20 It is always interesting to see which areas of British history are neglected (or purposefully avoided) by writers. The Scottish Covenanters are one such area, and a big one at that. Despite the fact that Presbyterian insurgency rumbled on in Scotland for half a century beginning with a series of riots in 1637, the subject has been comparatively neglected. It is an extraordinary story – one of respectable citizens and firebrand preachers taking up arms against the state in the cause of religion and – as they saw it – freedom. Their reputation is decidedly mixed: on the one hand they have been admired (by parliamentarians and radicals like Burns) as popular, anti-establishment and democratic. On the other hand, they have been condemned (by royalists, Jacobites, High Tories) as intolerant, sour-faced fanatics. As always, the truth is rather more complicated; the Covenanter risings divided families just as they divided Scotland. Dane Love explores the subject in the format of an ‘A to Z’, illustrated with images of memorials, portraiture and associated paraphernalia.

There is much here which readers will find thought-provoking and, depending on whether you are a royalist or a Whig in your sympathies, things to disagree with. This book would be useful for those exploring Covenanter sites in Scotland, and also for genealogists and military historians. Love has done well to produce a readable book on the Covenanting era, shedding further light on one of the most bitter and divisive periods in Scottish history. ~ Fergus Cannan.

Poelcapelle 1917 A Trail On Wrecked Tanks by Robert Baccarne, translated by Hilda Baccarne. Privately published, 2008. No ISBN number. This book looks at the combat experiences of the tanks and their crews that went into action around the Belgian borough of Langemarck-Poelkapelle during July to October 1917 and the continuing effects, in the aftermath of the war, on the local community’s decision to mount one of the many tank remains as a memorial in the village centre. The book opens with the first 25 pages dealing with background context of the state of the war by 1917, the development of the tank as a weapon to overcome the conditions of trench warfare, and an order of battle for the Tank Corps, both in general terms and the specific battalions which operated in the St. Juliaan/Langemarck/Poelkapelle sector and the British Army Corps to which the tanks were attached.

For those already have a detailed knowledge of the development of the tank and the Western Front OOB there is nothing here that they won’t already know, but if not it will provide some useful background information. Indeed even for those who ‘know’ the information contained in this section it will be of use in providing it all in one place rather than scattered across several books. The next fifty pages or so are then devoted to a narrative of the attacks, and the differing endings for each individual tank taking part in them. This is of great interest to wargamers as many of the attacks are illustrated with maps (drawn by Jeroen Huyghelier)  showing not only where the tanks were coming from, going to and actually ending up, but also the locations of trenches and gun emplacements that fought (in many cases successfully) against them. One such attack is that on the Kerselaar Crossroads with 11 tanks preceding the infantry on the morning of the 19th August 1917. This advanced the front line 270m at a cost several magnitudes lower than the anticipated cost if they infantry had attacked without the tank support. Each of the tank’s final position is noted alongside their name on the accompanying map and it is possible to see how several were ambushed and caught in enfilade by the gun positions placed either side of the road along which they were advancing. The amount of detail given is such that wargamers could easily recreate the whole attack on the tabletop – the only problem possibly being the lack of a German OOB. Despite the plethora of information suitable for wargame scenarios the most interesting part of the book for me was the final section that focussed on the post-war erection of the tank Damon II in the centre of Poelkapelle, the tourist industry that grew up around it (there is a fascinating photo of some British tourists on the tank surrounded by young children that the author has taken the time to attach name captions to each of the children), the removal of the tank by the Germans in 1941, and the real sense of loss to the community that the author manages to articulate; a loss that may in some way be assuaged by the planned reconstruction using locally produced material of a replica of Damon II  - the framework of which was complete and displayed for the first time in October of 2008 and for which the tracks are now being made. The book is well illustrated throughout, with many maps drawn by the author and others, period photos and postcards (of which the ones taken post-war will be of most interest to those searching for new images of tanks), technical drawings and paintings. The paintings of tanks in action and the diagram of the internal layout of a tank and crew being particularly illustrative and evocative of the situation the crews found themselves in when they went into action. Overall the book has lots to offer wargamers searching for scenarios for The Great War, Through The Mud and The Blood, and other rules. It also shows how even after almost 95 years how the actions of tanks in World War I are still having a profound impact on one small area of Belgium and its inhabitants. Recommended. The book can be obtained for €20 from Robert Baccarne, Langemartstraat 22, Poelkapelle, Belgium, (info@baccarne.be for further information on payment).

The Illustrated Guide to Armageddon Britain’s Cold War by Bob Clarke, Amberley Books RRP: £19.99. As the book points out Britain’s Cold War began in 1945 after the fall of Nazi Germany.  Europe divided itself in to two spheres of influence, the east under the Soviets (Warsaw Pact) and the west under NATO. Although Bob Clarke’s book is not an in-depth study, and is mainly aimed at those who remember growing up in the cold war era, its 96 pages does however give a good incite into events leading up to an almost confrontation in Europe.

The book provides details on Britain’s defences, the public, the bunkers and planned zones of control in an event of nuclear strike, and why American forces established themselves in the UK.   The Foreword for me sums up the cold wars attitude if conflict had come. ’Captain Lad, lets suppose  you successfully reach your target and find it to be a large smoking hole.  What are you going to do?’  There was only one correct answer: ’I’ll make it a bigger smoking hole, Sir.’ An interesting chapter is devoted to Britain’s bunkers, considered by many to be just government ’bolt holes’ whilst the rest of the population suffered on the surface.  But were these bunkers fit for purpose?  I’ll leave that for you to discover.  There are some excellent photographs showing aircraft types, bunkers, including a detailed sketch of an under ground monitoring post, internal shots of bunker rooms, civil defence vehicles etc.   For those of you interested in modern warfare, post 1945, then this book would be an interesting read.  But is the book of any use to wargamers?  For those of you planning a WW III type campaign then yes the book would be useful, and of course the many photographs of bunkers can help with laying out the wargames terrain and equipment.  I do not know if I would stretch to paying almost £20 for this book, but if I had then I’d certainly have found it fascinating.  Paperback, sized 24.5cm x 22.5cm.    ~ Stephen Maggs.

Koenig Krieg Version 3 Original rules by Barry Gray, updated by Drew Birkmyre and Ken Cole of Siege Work Studios Reviewed by Scott Elaurant RRP: AU$70 Fans of the Horse and Musket period and the Seven Years War in particular will already be familiar with Koenig Krieg, which has been popular for almost thirty years.  Barry Gray wrote the original game, combining a neat initiative based movement system with simple six sided dice mechanics for a fast, fun game.  Siege Work Studios recently bought the rights to it and have now reissued the game in this new 3rd Edition rulebook. Players of the original KK game will recognise the system but otherwise this new edition is completely rewritten.  The game is now published in an all new 136-page rulebook with lavish colour graphics.  It is a very high quality production with numerous photos of nicely painted miniatures and clear diagrams showing how the game mechanics work.  The rules are in clear simple English with a good index, and the illustrations make the movement, fire and melee mechanics very obvious.  A lot of effort in the new book has gone into a new set of army lists that set out how players may select their army using historically realistic multiples of brigades.

The Prussian, British Austrian, Russian and French army lists are included for mid 18th Century. There is a point system and a battle point system making this set well suited to organised competitions. The overall style is very reminiscent of recent miniatures rules with OB style army lists such as Flames of War. Of course the acid question is, how do they play?  Happily the answer seems to be, very well.  Each turn proceeds through four phases: Command and Control; March & Volley, Close Combat and Army Morale.  Players roll to see who has the initiative.  The initiative player may then opt to move one of their brigades or make their opponent do so.  Players proceed in this manner until all brigades are moved.  The uncertainty over who will have the next move adds tension and forces players to plan ahead and hold reserves.  After movement and fire comes charges and melee, which is luck dependent and very bloody. Players test army morale when their number of brigades with over 50% casualties exceeds a certain proportion of their total army.  This can see games decided very quickly if you are careless.  National characteristics are handled via special rules for each nation.  For example British infantry gain +1 to hit on each dice in volley fire. Compared to my hazy memory of the original game, shooting and artillery have been toned down a bit leaving a nice balance between marching, fire and melee.  Artillery range is longer than before, though it is less deadly.  There are still no orders or bookkeeping so speed of play is brisk.  Players simply place chits to indicate which brigades have already moved.  I played my first game with 1500 points of Prussians (about six brigades) against a British Army in less than 2 ½ hours.  My lack of skill in managing the initiative saw the British whip my Prussians, yet I thoroughly enjoyed the game.  Next time I’ll take a general with a higher initiative rating with the Prussians!  What was I thinking? If I had to make a small criticism I would like to see a clarification of the rule for shooting between gaps in lines.  A house rule we suggested was that only a number of bases equal to the width of a gap may shoot through a gap.  The rules could also use a summary sheet included in the book.  Those minor quirks aside, this edition seems to play very smoothly and is well balanced; suggesting a lot of play testing has been done.  Perhaps the only disadvantage Koenig Krieg 3rd Edition faces is the rising value of the Australian dollar.  At $70 Australian they will not be cheap in the US and UK, although you do get a nice quality product.  The rules are supported via a website at www.koenigkrieg.com  A Swedish army list is available there, along with various other player-aid downloads including the rules summary sheet I had been seeking.  Presumably future additions will include the British and French in North America and India.  Troop ratings are already given for them, though not army lists. Overall I would highly recommend this set of rules to anyone with an interest in the Seven Years War, or those seeking a fun game generally.  They have motivated me to paint up some new figures.  Any chance of a Napoleonic version?  To avoid any conflict I should declare that I know several of the play testers, though I was not involved with Siege Works Studios or the development of this game in any way. ~ Scott Elaurant.

Scottish Arms and Armour by Fergus Cannan, Shire Publications.  ISBN: 978 0 747780 698 1 Scottish Arms and Armour by Fergus Cannan runs to 118 pages and has a plethora of illustrations, ranging from photos through drawings and paintings to maps, showing the development of arms and armour both manufactured in Scotland and brought in from outside.  There is also an extensive bibliography though perhaps a bit academic in tone for a book of this scale. The author (who is an occasional contributor to Wargames Illustrated) is a curator of the Victoria and Albert Museum and clearly knows his period and material.  Scottish Arms and Armour is obviously a labour of love for Cannan and he marshals his evidence and arguments to try and show that Scotland was neither peripheral nor backward in relation to mainland Europe and on occasions lead other countries in developments. The book covers the development and usage of weaponry and armour in Scotland, concentrating firmly on weaponry, primarily from pre-history to the eighteenth century with a short chapter covering the later period.  Cannan covers his subject in thematic chapters rather than strictly chronologically, with chapters for example on the development of highland armourers and smiths, and their place in society.

There are others covering the casting of guns in the 16th century when Scotland took to artillery more than most other countries, through to the pike and shot era, where arms were mainly assembled from parts brought in from Germany and the trade of “lorimer” or gun assembler flourished, and the lessons learned in European wars were brought home. Scottish Arms and Armour is part social history as well as thematic history and sets out the changes in Scottish society as well as the developments in warfare.  This helps to show how Scotland interacted with Europe, for example in the Thirty Years War, and also chronicles the changes in Scottish demographics and politics.  What is missing is much discussion of the change from the clan system to a more urban society and how this affected the population and army.  There are elements of misty eyed Highland romanticism in the book and it does not treat the subject matter evenly.  Scotland was, and is, geographically peripheral to Europe and did often lag behind developments elsewhere.  We were lauding highland smiths in song while mainland Europe was producing arms in industrial quantities for the Thirty Years War for example.  The majority of the book is taken up with the Middle Ages and the highlands, which is understandable as the author is a medievalist of highland stock, but there is a reasonable coverage of the whole period.  While Scottish Arms and Armour is a comprehensive guide to the subject matter it is perhaps a bit slim to be definitive, but it is very good on certain areas.  Despite the wealth of information there is not much here for the wargamer; the target market would appear to be historians or collectors of weaponry.  It is an interesting read none the less and is a good general overview of the subject.

28mm World War One French Scarab Miniatures Scarab Miniatures now have a range of French available in their Great War category. The range so far comprises 11 packs, with more to follow. The sculpts are by Robi Baker and average 29mm sole of foot to eye, although some are shorter and I have been informed this is deliberate to allow for human anatomy difference. They should be compatible with figures from Renegade and Great War Miniatures.

The castings are very clean and have slightly exaggerated detail and characterisation which makes them a joy to paint. Standard infantry packs are 6 figures priced at £7.40 a pack but the contents and prices of the more specialist packs varies. The packs so far are: High Command, Officers & NCO’s, Infantry Advancing, Infantry Charging and with Grenades, Chauchat Teams, Single Chauchat Team, HMG Hotchkiss, VB Rifle Grenade Launchers, Light Mortar 58mm, French 37mm Trench Gun  and a Communications Team. A 75mm Field Gun will soon be available with both a late war and early war gun team.

Rob Broom, head honcho of Scarab, has an excellent selection of troop types here, with all the necessary differing specialists needed to field an accurate 1:1 ratio Platoon and its immediate support. The French Infantry had at least three differing Platoon organisations 1916-18 and you can field any of them, this attention to detail is often lacking in other ranges.

The troops are mainly in Adrian Helmets and Greatcoats and carrying full marching order or assault rolls. Although some specialists are in light order with kepi or bonnet du police. All the detail is here, spare boots on the side of packs, gasmask tins, the odd figure with a squad mess tin or canvas bucket on his pack, superb! Some of the specialists packs contain things like separate rifles on the ground and stacks of equipment; the high command has a barrel and box with a wine bottle and glasses on top, and the Communications team has a pigeon basket with note pad and pencil, these little touches add tremendously to finished bases.

The weapons are well designed and good research is obvious here as well with The Chauchat (show-shah) gunners and VB Launcher chaps’ having the corresponding pouches on their equipment, and handling the weapons convincingly. The infantry are armed with the Lebel Rifle with bayonet fixed.

Overall an excellent range, I have already purchased more and added more to my wants list, also available are Austro Hungarians and Italians, previously reviewed in WI, with British, Germans (including the Rommel Detachment) and Russians in the pipeline. Top Stuff. ~ Andy Sykes.