Late Roman Campaign- the Battle of Corpiscanum

Well here it is, the first battle in our fictional Late Roman campaign. On Saturday the army of Sillius Soddus, Comes of Asienus Superior, attacked the Visigoths under their king, Wodewic, who had been laying siege to the town of Corpiscanum. Nigel is Sillius Soddus, and Paul and Dave had his back. Neil as Wodewic had Conrad and John on his side of the table. Both generals were free to chose their armies from the appropriate Army lists for Sword and Spear. (I’m not a lover of army lists, and there a things I don’t agree with in this set, but some flexibility has been allowed for this campaign). The Goths were outnumbered by 20 percent which going to make it interesting- I like slightly asymmetrical games. In total there were about 1800 points across both armies. 

As might be expected there are lots of photos. To make it easier to follow, and write, after a couple of introductory pictures I’ve split the narrative and accompanying photographs into (from the Roman pov) left wing, right wing and centre. More or less anyway.....

The Romans are on the right, the Visigoths the left.

In time honoured tradition the opposing commanders  engage in single combat armed only with  measuring devices! Nigel’s Roman one may have been longer but was more wobbly and needed two hands.

The other end of the Goth battle line. Conrad's forces were only facing light cavalry and a few light infantry to start with but he couldn't get his men to move.

The Roman centre advancing on the Goths.

Massed Roman artillery. Very effective while it had a target.

 behind them Nigel's reserve, four Legio Palatina. 

And now to events on the Roman left wing. Paul and John both advanced with their cavalry. It was a see-saw combat for most of the game but some unlucky dice rolls on Paul’s part resulted in all his cavalry, 2 units of cataphracts, three of heavy cavalry and one of light cavalry being destroyed or driven from the field and Paul’s commander was killed. The Goths took some heavy losses but by the end of the game were swinging round to attack the Roman centre from the flank. 

An example of the rubbish dice rolling on this wing!

In the centre the Visigoths had a mass of infantry (iirc about six or seven large units of warriors) facing ten Roman legions of varying quality. When the troops made contact with each other it was pretty brutal. The Visigoth infantry is a one-shot weapon really, and if they take losses before a melee they loose their ‘impact’ status which could otherwise make short work of whoever was facing them; even Romans. That’s where the Roman throwing weapons evened up the odds, but it was only Roman legions that were forced to retreat or were broken, the entire first line being swept away. The Visigoths hung on throughout the game and despite the best efforts of Dave in charge of the Roman centre they held grimly on, effectively pinning the enemy centre while the Roman flanks were both turned. The Roman war machines caused some early losses but were soon unable to see anything to shoot at. A potential breakthrough by the Romans, led by their valiant commander Sillius Soddus was broken up and Sillius was killed.

On the other flank the Visigoths were slow to move but made good progress when they did as they were initially only facing light cavalry and light infantry. Despite being harried mercilessly by Roman light cavalry the foot warriors and heavy cavalry managed to sweep round the flank of the Roman line, drawing off troops from the centre.

Well it was certainly not a game without excitement and a certain level of confusion. The Visigoths were outnumbered but thanks to some good fortune on their part and bad fortune on the part of the Romans they managed a quite convincing if almost Pyrrhic, victory.  As ever Sword and Spear proved well able to handle a large game such as this. There are two, if not three, battles to fight before this campaign turn can finish, the first of which will take place in a couple of weeks time.

The Anglo-Spanish War, Volume 2: Jamaica 1655-1660

It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was writing a review of volume 1 on this subject. The Anglo-Spanish War 1655-1660, Volume 2: War in Jamaica picks up where the first volume left off with the English occupation of Jamaica after their bungled attempt on Hispaniola and takes us through the next five years of conflict on the island, the rest of the Caribbean and indeed the world, concluding with the Restoration and transition of Jamaica into a Crown colony.

This is No. 74 in Helion’s seemingly never-ending production line of excellent books in the Century of the Soldier series, and it is every bit as good as volume 1, and at over 300 pages is BIG, but reading it was an education and a pleasure. Apart from the vague notion that the English took the island off the Spanish and that Errol Flynn in his persona of Captain Blood may well have been knocking around at the time the detail of how we (the people of Britain) expanded our colonial ‘empire’ in the West Indies in the mid-seventeenth century by means other than simply working towards some ultimate ‘Grand Design’ (beyond Cromwell’s vision of rampaging across the Caribbean taking Spanish territories at will),which is essentially how it all panned out.

Anyway, the book is divided into two main parts plus three appendices. Part 1 covers the campaign in Jamaica, split into chapters on the campaigns of 1655-56, 1657-58 and 1658-1660. Despite suffering appalling losses from disease the British were well led and regularly reinforced, whereas the Spanish were rent by divisions among their commanders and were surprisingly badly supported by their other Caribbean or American colonies or their homeland. The account of the campaigns is well written, easy to follow and packed full of fascinating detail, with admirals and generals I have largely never heard of, all supported by new and contemporary maps and, my favourite bits as ever, contemporary quotes liberally dotted throughout the text which always add a little ‘something’ to the narrative. The book contains eight colour plates, each of contemporary maps of the island which I found fascinating.

Part 2 contains chapters on the Jamaica garrison, maritime affairs, and Jamaica as a colony. As with part 1 these chapters are full of detail, and the problems of maintains garrison (that is, trying to keep ahead of the horrendous mortality rate of soldiers based in Jamaica), naval operations, whether official or conducted by privateers, against the Spanish and the trials and tribulations of maintaining the colony through increased trade, sugar cane production, religion, an interesting section on the effects of alcohol, and trying to encourage more settlers, throughout the entire period.

Finally we get three appendices. The first provides us with a complete order of battle for the naval and land forces in the summer of 1655, the second covers the island of Tortuga and a glimpse into the lives and operations of the privateers and pirates, and the last on the English occupation of the Cayman Islands.

Overall then, this is an excellent, well researched (using a vast array of primary and secondary sources) companion to volume 1, and does a great job shedding light on a campaign not often the subject of such in depth research.

The Perfect Militia. The Stuart Trained Bands

As promised, a review of one of the Helion books I acquired a couple of weeks ago. 

This is book number 75 from Helion in their remarkable ‘Century of the Soldier’ series This is an in-depth study of The Trained Bands in England and Wales in the period 1603-1642, that is, up to the end of the Bishop’s War but NOT the Civil Wars. I knew next to nothing on the subject but I am pleasantly surprised at its content. The book is an absolute mine of fascinating information covering what must be every aspect of the Trained Bands, including commentary on the officers and men, their equipment , organisation, how they were mustered, how they served, their drill, the roles of the various civil and military officers, uniforms or lack thereof and colours. An eye opener for me was that for some reason I had never thought about the existence of cavalry amongst the ranks of the Trained Bands. Interesting too is the explanation of the often difficult relationship between the Trained Bands and the King, and the debate about their effectiveness, or more probably not, as a force for dealing with civil unrest or invasion. Perhaps thankfully they were not put to the test.

The book contains no less than nine interesting appendices. Of particular interest is the one detailing the training manuals for Derbyshire and Hampshire, the former appearing far more comprehensive, including as it does quite detailed and informative notes on the roles and responsibilities of the officers, non-commissioned officers and the drummer within the company. The final appendix brought a smile to my face, it being the reproduction of a letter purportedly reporting a sighting fairies drilling in the countryside. Perfectly normal occurrence I’m sure.

As ever a well written and informative book on an overlooked and very English institution, with some nice black and white illustrations. A fascinating book and a must for seventeenth century buffs.

Late Roman Campaign #II

We started this campaign a few weeks ago and have now completed turn II. Mixed amount of activity has been displayed by the players, which is fine, but evens did ratchet up a notch when I threw for the monthly random event (under National Lottery-like security). Richard had the dubious honour of his troops electing him as emperor, pinning the proverbial target on his back.

I’ve produced a little newsletter for the players so thought I’d include Issue I, Mensis Martius, of the Asienus Gladiator, here. Click on the pictures to enlarge them further.

We have the first battle of the campaign on Saturday so I shall write it up here when it’s over.

The Ethiopian-Adal War 1529-43

 

I had a vague idea that the Portuguese were involved militarily in Ethiopia in the sixteenth century, but beyond that it was all a complete mystery to me. Not quite so now, as this is a subject that the author clearly has a pretty comprehensive understanding of, and having read the book now I feel suitably enlightened. Books on the Ethiopian-Adal War of 1529-53 are not something one comes across very often (if ever before now)in English, so the fact that the author has presented such a readable and educational work based on largely Portuguese and Ethiopian sources is beyond amazing!

Adal was a Muslim Sultanate, it’s borders corresponding with the territory of modern-day Somalia. In 1529 they invaded Christian Ethiopia, and little by little the Ethiopians were driven back and on the verge of defeat, until the Portuguese (already with a presence in the Indian Ocean) stepped in to support their fellow Christians in the war against Islam and the Ottoman Empire with a small army that punched well above its weight in the battles to come.

In addition to an interesting account of the key players, the armies, campaigns and battles, we get a good bit of background into the region and it’s diverse peoples. It is clearly well researched and illustrated throughout with maps and contemporary illustrations.

For something a little different I can recommend this book highly, and I guess it has a fair bit of wargaming potential for those who like to collect figures and game the the more fringe conflicts.

All at Sea

I went to the club in Durham for the first time since before the COVID lockdown last week. Richard was putting on a Black Seas game, using British and American ships for the War of 1812. I’ve always been interested in naval wargaming but have previously found the rules gave me a headache due to their complexity.

Here’s a few photos of the game, with American privateers and USN brigs trying to break out of the Chesapeake, covered by a swarm of gunboats and a frigate. The inshore squadron from the Royal Navy comprised a frigate, several sloops or brigs and in the distance bearing down on the action to cut off our escape a 74 gun ship of the line!

I enjoyed the game, especially as our side (the Americans) managed a win, despite a couple of ships (including my frigate) striking their colours, although the RN also lost a couple of ships as well. Three of our ships escaped. My frigate took possession of the RN frigate which had struck, only for my frigate to strike the next turn. I don’t know how that would pan out.

I think it’s best to suspend belief and ignore what you might know or think you know about the war at sea during the Napoleonic era but once you’ve done that the actual game is good fun. The 74 had a broadside not much more than the frigates or brigs, two of which slipped past without suffering any damage, which is obviously wrong but hey! I might even buy myself a ship.

The ships are all Warlord models from Richard’s collection.

“We came, We saw, God conquered” - The relief of Vienna 12 September 1683

So wrote King Jan III Sobieski of Poland in his letter to the Pope after the siege of Vienna was lifted with the defeat of the Ottomans at the battle of Khalenberg on 12 September 1683. The last game here at the Burrow on Saturday was an attempted recreation of this important victory which saved Christendom from the Turk. This wasn’t the first time I’d run this game but in the intervening four or so years I’d acquired lots more Ottomans, a few more Poles and several squadrons of Imperial Cuirassier types. I had been planning to do this game as a demo at the Battleground show in Stockton on 20 November but I’d been forced to withdraw due to my spinal problems and the chronic pain this gives me in the realisation, much to my wife’s relief, that I really can’t expect to run a massive demo game when I can barely walk. The practice/rehearsal game was all set up at home and the guys were coming round so battle was joined. 

Conrad, Neil and Richard were the forces of Christendom while Paul, Mike and I were the dastardly, er no, dashing Turks. The Christian army had spent the best part of the last 48 hours moving into position through the Vienna Woods, a vast thickly wooded area riven with steep ravines, meeting little opposition, until they emerged looking down onto the Ottoman camp and the siege lines surrounding Vienna. The battlefield was covered in vineyards and mostly burnt down small villages and hamlets, some of which had been fortified, and the main camp was protected by a long earthwork called the ‘Turkenkranz’. The photos are more or less in order but I can neither guarantee that, nor claim that it makes much difference anyway. Just enjoy the spectacle!

Janissaries occupied the burnt out village on the Ottoman right.

The Ottoman right,.

The Poles emerge from the Vienna woods!

The Ottoman centre and the Turkenkranz earthworks.

The allied left under Charles of Lorraine (Neil)

I thought it best to attack the Poles as soon as they appeared on the table. 

                                                   

The Poles surge forward

Richard's cuirassiers in the centre getting stomped!

The ottoman centre, and in the background the massed allied attack on our right.

These irregulars just had to go and charge a squadron of Saxon cuirassiers! 

Amazingly they only bounced and the cuirassiers were  already shaken so couldn't follow up.

Janissaries in the ruined village on the Ottoman right.

The Ottomans on the right were successfully holding off the combined infantry attacks from 

 a right Bertie Basset of Austrians, Brandenburgers, Saxons, Hanoverians et al!

Spahi ready to pounce on the allied attack. They never did!

The allied attack in the centre got nowhere and ultimately the central division was broken.

The allied attack against the Ottoman left.

The allied infantry were breaking like waves on the shore!

Richard in the allied centre had by now lost two of his brigades, leaving only a small  command representing Lubomirksi's auxiliary corps which was paid for directly from Imperial funds and were equipped as Western-style cuirassiers. The Turks in the centre advanced from behind their earthworks to engage b both enemy flanks.

Richard's cavalry attacking the Ottoman left before it was forced to pull back shaken.

Allied infantry assaulting the Ottoman positions in the centre.

Balkan irregulars about to be ridden down!

The Ottomans held on to the village on their right wing all day.

The Poles on the allied right piling on the pressure.

The hussars and pancerni were unstoppable!

There were 14 regiments of Polish cavalry on the right wing and they overwhelmed the much weaker Ottoman command facing them. It was a splendid sight, even if it was a brown kaftan moment!

Obligatory cute puppy shot. Toffee was a secret Ottoman at heart as she ran off with and tried to eat a few Polish infantry that had been left within reach!

The length of the battlefield from the Ottoman right.

The shots below are out of sequence but I've left them in just to add to the spectacle of what was an excellent game,

So, by 3:30 it was all over. The allies had lost their centre and their left was going nowhere, but the Ottoman left had been comprehensively steamrollered by the Poles, who were poised to roll up our flank, which they would have managed to do easily enough.....maybe?  The Ottomans were by no means destroyed but were declared the marginal losers of the battle. Much like the real affair, it wasn't a crushing allied victory but Vienna was saved his time as well. Last time we fought the battle the allies were less successful. 

The game was a tremendous spectacle and I was able to field Poles, Ottomans and my late seventeenth century armies. Everyone had a great game, although historically I reckon the Ottoman commanders will all have an appointment with a bow string while our collars size is checked!

I reckon the Polish hussars were too effective, even though I'd made them not quite as tough as in the 'Pike and Shot' book. Of course we were using Black Powder with my own stats and amendments (so more like Pike and Powder, or Black Shotte). Maybe I need to buy some more pancerni or reduce the number of hussars? Nah!