Battle of Lake Tanganyika

 Supplemental

However I manage to game these engagements, I figure that I’ll need some ‘splooshes’. If I use the rules Steamer Wars then you need splash suppression markers.

26 December 1915, the German steam launch Kingani puts oil on the firewood in her furnace to increase her speed as she zigzags away from her pursuers. As her only armament is a forward facing 6 pounder, and she was attempting to get away, the crew could only engage the British with rifles.

9 February 1916, H.M.S. Mimi turns to avoid the shells of the Hedwig von Wissmann.

The splooshes are 3D printed. The file is designed to produce 3cm tall markers especially for Cruel Seas. I simply scaled them up to various sizes in the slicer software so they look right next to my 28mm models.

The printed items undercoated white.

Washed with blue Contrast paint. I applied the paint around the bottom and pulled it up with water.

Dry brushed white and gloss varnished. Cheap and easy! And hopefully effective?

Hopefully I’ll figure out how to game these engagements in 28mm without needing a football pitch! The Hedwig von Wissmann was 6 miles away when her crew realised that the approaching vessels were enemy ‘warships’.

And it’s never just one thing on the go…

3D printed mangrove trees ready to post off to Andy at Last Valley to work his magic. It wasn’t until the last 6 or so that I figured out how to print these without problems. Hence the ‘seconds’ covered in glue and greenstuff modelling putty!

Finally I can get back to painting Kikuyu and Masai. Really need some shows to put on some demo and participation games using all the new toys I’ve printed, built and painted during the lockdowns.

Take care :-)

Chris

"Epic Project" update.

I had a full day's painting session yesterday,and completed 2 full sprues,one Union and one Confederate-I am quite pleased with the result.taking into considerstion that I haven't the skill to paint fine detail onto figures,and invariably just paint over them!-I did find that I had a considerable learning curve to overcome,but sorted it out in the end.One minor "gripe" is that the flags provided,in my opinion, are too small,so I went onto the "Warflags" site,down-loaded their 28mm flags,and as per instructions,reduced them to 62%,and they look fine.......................

On each sprue are 100 infantry,one mounted officer and a gun c/w 4 gunners-not too bad eh?

The regiments-Warlord use 5 companies to a regiment,but I'm using each company as a regiment,giving me 60 regiments per side!!-we will be able to field massive  games when all complete,remembering that Brian has also bought the same amount ! plus he has a Brigade of Zouaves-that's another 15 regiments!!!!-In the photo you can see the "new" flags that I down-loaded.

Flocked and ready for battle-only another 22 sprues to go!!

 

"Epic" new project.

I bought(using contactless payment!) this month's Wargames Illustrated,and in it I saw this advert,from Warlord Games...................

I was "hooked", over 2500 figures plus extras-you can't go wrong!!-I 'phoned Warlord Games and ordered the set,but was told that the price quoted in WI was wrong,plus they had a price increase on the 11th July!-however the guy I spoke to said that because it was my Birthday,and he hated to hear a grown man cry over the phone,he would give me a discount-oh happy day!!

To cut a long story short,the set arrived today,and I am delighted.

The box and its contents-figures,flags,MDF barn,rule book and scenario book,bases and even 6 dice,all neatly packaged.

Just like Christmas-only better! I had been on the internet and viewed a couple of videos,so knew what to expect,even looked at a couple of reviews from people who must whinge for a living! I am totally satisfied with the whole thing.

To show the size of the figures-they are a "slim" 15mm,and I worked out the cost at 4.165p per figure-amazing!

One "sprue" of each,Feds and Rebs,under-coated and ready to be painted tomorrow,plus a detail of the Officer figure.I think my enthusiasm for this project must have inspired Brian and Graham,who both 'phoned me and said they are ordering figures too-I can see us putting on Gettysburg on a one-to-one basis at this rate!! I will,of course, keep you up to date with my progress.

 

Battle of Falkirk 1746.

First of all apologies for the "enforced" silence on the blog front-bloody computer!!

We played last night but no photo's taken-why?-I don't know!! however I played the battle of Falkirk,1746, a few weeks ago(just to use my new "Redcoats" from Warrior Miniatures) as a wargame rather than a re-fight,and what an entertaining game it turned out to be-history repeating itself too!.

Top photo shows the dispositions I used,gathered from a couple of sources,and bottom shows the Clans awaiting the "English" army.

Top photo shows the whole table,bottom shows the view on the "English" left flank(including the infamous bog,which hampered the English Dragoons retreat(actually a "rout")

The Dragoons attack the MacDonalds,one squadron was successful,the other wasn't, resulting in the whole lot retreating back down the hill! followed by a screaming horde of wild highlanders!

Top photo shows the view from behind the Scots line,with the "English" advancing up the slope,in the actual battle it had started to snow at this point,rendering the muskets useless,so I only allowed the "English" one shot before the clans met them in a terrible charge-bottom photo!!

This shows the Scots attack on the "English" right flank-a small ravine protected the English,and they fared a  little better than their centre and right-the Scots had a few Dragoons of their own and I allowed them to out-flank the regular troops later on.

Top shows the general view across the table at about move number 7-bottom shows the out-flanking move about to take place and the "English" troops retiring(it's good being retired!) by this stage it was apparent that the Scots would be victorious,but I played on for another couple of moves.....................

The mayhem continues-it looks as though the "English" are about to be surrounded!

Yes,well and truly done for!!-it must be said that the "English" did have a few wins in the vast melee,and it wasn't as one-sided as the historical battle.I enjoyed this game,and of course it was good to get my new figures onto the board-what next I wonder??

H.M.S. Fifi

Yet another post about the obscure!

The battle of Lake Tanganyika is told exceptionally well in a few books; The Phantom Flotilla by Shankland and Mimi And Toutou Go Forth by Foden cover the events in entertaining detail. Fact is stranger than fiction…Spicer-Simson is a character any fiction writer would be proud of…

Talking with my neighbour about my current painting (more Masai and Kikuyu) we got onto the subject of the battle of Lake Tanganyika. I showed him the Old Glory model I have of Mimi and it made me really think that I need Toutou. In 1915 the Admiralty dispatched 2 Thornycroft motor launches to tackle the German gunboat Hedwig von Wissmann which dominated the strategically important Lake Tanganyika in Africa. Treat yourself to a great read and buy one of those books!

Anyway, eBay seller Actual Size Miniatures had the very model. So I picked up his Mimi/Toutou along with some other nice pieces

Mimi and Toutou 

Old Glory model on the left. New eBay purchase on the right. The seller, Bill contacted me and asked if there was anything I’d like to see added to his range. Well Fifi would be nice. Never thought he’d take me up on it… but he did!

As well as the Hedwig von Wissmann, the Germans had a couple of other vessels on Lake Tanganyika. One was the Kingani. Yes I said that I asked for Fifi; Kingani was captured in action on Boxing Day 1915 and renamed H.M.S. Fifi. Quick as a flash, Bill designed and built Fifi and sent me one of the test models for free! Wowsers!!!

The German vessel Kingani mounted a single 6 pounder gun

After its capture, the British patched it up and armed it with a 12 pounder! The gun was 12 feet long while the ship was only 45 feet long. The gun could only be fired directly forward for fear of capsizing Fifi and in the subsequent battle against the Hedwig, the British discovered that firing the gun stopped the ship dead in the water!

When can a gun be too big?!

As you can see the kit allows for both the Kingani and Fifi to be represented. The British crews are also from Actual Size Miniatures. I highly recommend that you check out Actual Size Miniatures on eBay. Something for everyone!

I have bought some rules called Steamer Wars. These are written with the battle of Lake Tanganyika in mind. They’re designed for 1:600 scale models though. I’m gonna need a bigger table…

Take care

Chris

1745 Cavalry.

I received 14 cavalry figures the other day,and set about painting them as fast as I could,just in case I am called to go into Hospital within the near future!!

 Tp photo shows the whole lot finished and put onto their movement bases,bottom shows a detail of the Officer/General figure-these are lovely figures which my painting does no justice to whatsoever.

Flocked and ready to do battle!-note the different sword arm positions.

The Barrier 60AD

We had a good game on Sunday night,Brits against Romans-the "usual" banter,colour and excitement that Ancient games bring-wonderful stuff!

The scenario and table before any movement-Brian and I were the British clans,whilst Dave and Graham were the Roman defenders.

Attack,Attack,Attack!! the first two melees were very even,then both Graham and Dave started to throw "frightful" dice and the British clambered over the wall/barrier,their little tin voices shouting war cries and oaths!!(this,of course, didn't last long as the Romans put their reserves into the fray!)

The open flank,defended by Graham,caused the Romans a bit of concern,and it looked for a while that I might gain the position and roll up the whole Roman army!!!-but I was taking alot of casualties,and Graham was handling his cavalry,in particular, very well-this was going to be tight.

Two shots of the victorious British tribes,sweeping the Romans from the central hill and gaining a foothold over the barrier-this looks too good to last(and it was!)-note Dave's reserves advancing on Brians "knackered" troops!!!!

Top photo shows Brian's troops being pushed back over the barrier,bottom photo shows Graham halting my troops in their tracks-I was losing casualties and officers galore,and couldn't make any headway,but I still had gained the central hill/position,so we called it a draw!!

Another good game,well played lads,and get well soon Paul.