Visit to the Great War at Meaux

I managed to squeeze in a visit to the relatively new World War 1 museum  at Meaux whilst on a family holiday during school half term.

The museum is not surprisingly more French in its views of both the background and progression of the war.

The recovery of Alsace Lorraine being far more prominent than plucky little Belgium.

Here are some photos of what they have on display.

Battleground Show

Hi

Spent a very enjoyable day out at the Battleground Show this weekend.  The new venue is very good with easy access    made simpler with clear directions including photos showing the route to the show. There was plenty of parking available.

Once inside the show was well laid out with good lighting which made for better photos than many other sport hall venues.

There were plenty of traders and a good selection of both demo and participation games on offer. My son Max played Witchfinder General no less than 3 times.

It was also a pleasure to meet up with fellow AMGers Graham, Robbie, Colin, Dave and Andy.  There were 4 games that caught my eye.  

For my first photo here is a rather nice Frederick the Great vignette painted by Dave Jarvies.

Firstly my favourite game, not surprisingly as it was Old School, was the one put on by the Lancaster Cellarmen and used Spencer Smith, RSM and few Holger Erikkson figures to recreate the classic look.

Robbie and the rest of the Indpendent Wargamers put on a colourful Italian Wars game using Black Powder Pike and Shot rules.

 

After the colour of the Italian Wars there was the slightly more drab, except the French that is, of this interesting game put on by the Tyneside Wargames club with their grand scale representation of the covering France and Belgium in 1914.

The rules used where home grown and used 10mm figures.

And finally a Napoleonic game in 54mm

 

Holiday Snaps

I went to France with the wife and kids and in between visiting Paris and Euro Disney I managed to take in a couple of military sites.

Firstly I visited the battlefield of Fontenoy. A battle I have fought on a number of occasions but never visited.

There is a factory which limits what can be seen but there is a small board by the local cemetery.

There are also a couple of plaques on the cemetery wall.

The village of Fontenoy today. From the this photo you can see that the French positions that ran from Fontenoy to the Bois D'Eu was on slightly higher ground than  the British. Enough perhaps to give the French a tactical advantage.

More Renovation and Refurbishment

Hi

It's been a couple of months since I did a spot of R&R.  Well here are a couple more of my Prussian units that have been given a basing makeover.

The basing is very traditional in its look and is very much a through back to the way Peter Gilder did his. I blame John Ray for putting glororios pictures in the book 'A Military Gentlemen' and Phil Olleys blog. http://philswarcabinet.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/the-prussians-are-coming.html?m=1.

First up Grenadier Battalion 29/31. I painted these figures about 15 years ago.   

I certainly don't paint eyes on 28mm figures now. Figures by Foundry bought in the days I could afford them.

Second up a unit of Elite Prussians I bought years ago at Vapnartak showin the Merchants Hall at York.

The Great War in 10mm

Hi

I have been interested in the Great War for many years as certainly goes back to the early  1970s when I had Airfix armies.  In 1978  I collected and painted Peter Laing 15mm armies for the period.

I do now have quiet a few 28mm figures for both the early war years as well as for later trench games. 

But recently I have been basing up some 10mm figures as well as adding a few 12mm kalistra Germans. Which is kind of full circle as they are at least as big, if not bigger, than the Peter Laing ones I had all those years ago.

Anyway here are a few photos of some of my Russians and Germans.

A Kallistra German MG next to a Pendraken one.

The Kallistra Germans are bigger than Pendrakens Russians side by side. On the table the size difference is less noticeable. 

Battle Maps

As a youngster back in the 60s I was given a number of gifts by US folks visiting my father. Among these was a book the 'American Heritage Pictorial Atlas of United States History' and my first board war game Battle Cry also by American Heritage. 

The book included some very nice Battle Maps by artist David Greenspan and these iconic images had a huge influence on me and no doubt influenced me to start collecting plastic ACW figures.

As a eleven year old I remember drawing my own battles influenced by these battle maps. It was not long afterwards that I got  a copy of 'Charge'.

Here are some photos of these maps showing of the American War of Independence and Civil War.

The images show parts of the maps for Trenton, Bemis Heights, Cowpens and Burnside Bridge at Sharpsburg.

The full set of ACW maps where also published in a Bruce Catton book the Picture History of the Civil War. My son who is 8 also loves these pictures and is developing a keen interest in history.

Battle of La Rothiere

A group of the Ilkley Old Schoolers got together today to refight the Battle of La Rothiere using  Lasalle by Sam Mustafa.  The Battle was fought on 1st Feb 1814 on as a snow covered battlefield.

I  not sure how many figures we had on the table however in all there must have been in excess of 1500 once all the reinforcements had arrived.

Most of the figures used were from Ian's extensive Napoleonic collection with the rest from Kens and Tims collections.

We have only used Lasalle for a few smaller games and we are looking to use them for our Plancenoit game we plan to take to Triples next year. The game worked very well.

We managed to finish the game in about 5 hours. Here are few photos of the action.

A unit of Lancers on Patrol in the early morning light.

As the morning mist clears the French see masses of Russians assembling close to La Rothiere.

 

A French General decides to see for himself.

General Maxmillian surveys the battlefield around La Rothiere.

The table was set up on a L shape - the view lolling towards Morvilliers at the far end of the table.

Did I mention that it had snowed and the battle was to see persistsnt snow showers all day. This made hampered musketry for both sides.

Even with a battle about to start an affair of honour had to settled. Brigadier General Briggson and the Chevalier de Schuch exchange pistol shots. Both survive although I am not sure the Lady in question will be playing after dinner charades soon with these two again.

The Austrians launch an attack at Morvilliers. Although initially successful the Austrians are only able to take 2 of the 3 town sections allowing the French to reinforce this sector with a Young Guard division.

Austrian artillery pound the village.

Meanwhile the Russians launch attack after attack against La Rothiere. Each attempt is beaten back.

The Young Guard arrives to support the defense. 

The Russians re organise and launch a final attack which is easily beaten back as the French launch a counter attack that throws the Russians back on disorder.

French Artillery are particularly effective against the massed Russians.

The Wurtemburgers arrive but with the light fading the French claim victory.

Victory to the French. Vice L'Emperor

But at a high cost.