These are very similar to the the scouts previously posted on, but then most WW2 figures are similar because of the uniforms I guess!
This figurte shows the “German style” helmet initially used early in the war.
I still have not worked out how to pain the cap badges properly and may just paint them over. Drat these old eyes that cannot do a lot of fine line painting any more even with a 5 “O” brush!
I will work something out soon!
This number 364 in the Osprey Campaign series is similar to most. It provides a good overview of what was a very complex campaign covering the most strategic of the islands in the Dutch East Indies. The map below shows just how methodical the Japanese plans were.
Above all it was a conquest for oil, rubber and other natural resources, but above all for oil.
Imperial Japan’s campaigns of conquest in late 1941/early 1942 were launched in order to achieve self-sufficiency for the Japanese people, chiefly in the precious commodity of oil. The Netherlands (or Dutch) East Indies formed one of Japan’s primary targets, on account of its abundant rubber plantations and oilfields.
The Japanese despatched an enormous naval task force to support the amphibious landings over the vast terrain of the Netherlands East Indies. The combined-arms offensive was divided into three groups: western, centre and eastern. The isolated airfields and oilfields were, however, picked off one by one by the Japanese, in the rush to secure the major islands before major Allied reinforcements arrived.
I enjoyed reading this Campaign book. I had very narrow knowledge of the overall campaign and the publication provided me with enough of an overview for me to fill the gaps.
The NEI forces were hampered by a conquered homeland and with major allies that had different strategic objectives than they had. It as also a very one sided affair with Dutch using outmoded tactical doctrine and equipment and an Order of battle that consisted of large numbers of locally raised troops who were not interested in supporting the Dutch. In short it was a modern well equipped, well lead and well motivated force against a disaffected Militia.
Dutch counter attack at the Plaju refinery
Like all militia forces some fought very bravely and others did not. An Australian military observer commented that “the Dutch will indeed fight but they do not have the training to be effective” (my paraphrase).
The book is excellent for what it purports to be (an introduction to the campaign) and it is well worth the money. If you are after a detailed commentary this is not the purchase for you. Let me know if you find one as I have been unable to.
The party, but you can use any suitable figures of your own.
Major en Second Jean-Paul Bounet (Commanding Officer 2nd demi-Brigade)
Sergent-Major Marcel Le Tonnelier (Grenadier 25th demi-Brigade)
Sergent Florient Cormier (Sapper 88th demi-Brigade)
Caporal Godefroy Duclos (Infantryman 9th demi-Brigade)
Caporal Jules Leger (Infantryman 88th demi-Brigade)
Father Severus Surius (Papal Delegate of the Holy Office of the Inquisition)
Clarisse Robineau (Vivandier)
With the 21st Demi Brigade until her husband, Sergent Mathieu Robineau, went missing at the Pyramids of Giza. Since then she has been searching for him in vain.
Neb Nefer (Egyptian Scholar & Archeologist)
Neb Nefer was seconded to Commission des Sciences et des Arts, and assisted French officer Pierre-François Bouchard with the discovery of the Rosetta Stone. He is a recluse, but essential for the parties success as he can read hieroglyphs and is an expert in Egyptian mythology.
The baggage train:
Campaign Map
Scenario 1: The Desert Patrol
Several weeks ago a patrol was sent on a routine desert patrol but never returned. The only survivor from a second patrol sent to investigate was rescued in a gibbering mess, and all that could be obtained from him was “monstre, grand monstre”! Along with several other parties you have been sent to investigate this “big monster” and to determine what happened to both patrols. The events have been calculated as occurring near the First Dynasty Mastaba of “Ka-Phra- Ankh”
Just before dusk on the second day you arrive at the Mastaba to find it strewn with torn bodies but all else is quiet. The Mastaba has been recently opened but is empty having been robbed by grave robbers in the Second Dynasty period, over four thousand years ago.
As there is a well and it is now too dark to accurately examine the Mustaba or the bodies you decide to camp overnight.
During the night your men hear strange howling noises within close proximity to the camp, but piquets do not see anything. In the morning you have been awoken to the sounds of your camels moaning and bawling. The cameleers are also shouting and pointing to the camp perimeter.
You need to deal with the disturbance and search the bodies and the mastaba.The camel train is your lifeline and if any Bast warriors move into contact with it, then it is lost, the mission will be delayed, you will need to return to base, and no information can be gained.
Table Set-up:
The scenario should be played on a three feet by three feet table. The Mastaba is to be placed in the centre of the table. A small well should be placed nearby and six clue markers (dead bodies) placed randomly from the centre of the Mastaba. Use a scatter die and 2D6 to determine their placement. The table should be littered with some rocks, small ruins and a few small sand dunes.
Your baggage camel should be placed within six inches of the well and your parties figures all within six inches of the baggage.
Clue marker Table:
When the Mastaba has been searched roll a D10 and remember this number for the rest of the campaign.
Special Rules:
Place one team of eight bast Warriors (bandits) on a randomly determined table edge. Should the Bast warriors reach a clue marker (body) before the search parties it should be removed and the next clue card taken from the pack.
Bast warriors should move to any enemy in this priority order:
The will shoot if they armed with a ranged weapon within range or else move as quickly into close combat as possible.
Rewards:
Figures will score the following bonus experience points;
Each month I plan to write at least one new scenario and play it through. The campaign is planned for six scenarios:
I am looking forward to this project and to see the story and the characters develop.
No not Diana and her girl friends but rather this one:
With Book Depository closing down in a few months I took the opportunity to look for some cheap buys. Fortunately I checked their prices against Amazon and found they were cheaper there. Two days later they were delivered on Easter Saturday morning just in time for my morning cuppa and before the rain, which sadly meant the gardening was out of the question, So sad!
These books look at the various actions of the New guinea campaign in more detail than the broader studies I have on the shelf at the moment.
I am particularly looking forward to Phillip Bradley’s book “D-Day New Guinea” on the Battle for lae, which was in many ways a rehearsal for the invasion of France, and was the first successful amphibious landing combined with large scale airborne support of the war.
I was looking forward to reading this book as it documents the changes the Australian forces made from being desert fighters to jungle fighters. Regular readers would be aware that I am reasonably familiar with the changes made by Australian High Command re-develop to the Australian Jungle Division, its equipment equipment, training, and tactics. This is the only piece of modern research on the topic that I am aware of.
I was not disappointed with the author who has done an excellent piece of research
Jungle Warriors examines the extraordinary changes the Australian Army underwent over the course of the Second World War. It explores how the 2nd AIF evolved from fighting European and desert wars, in open country and often with large numbers of troops, to master the very close warfare of jungle combat. It investigates the extraordinary array of changes to weapons, equipment, tactics and training. It also reveals the painful lessons learnt and the inadequate planning that resulted in the unnecessary deaths of so many Australian men.
Australians are acknowledged as being among the best, if not the best, jungle fighters in the world. So how did the Australian Army transform itself from a military force totally unprepared for conflict of any kind in 1939 into a professional, experienced and highly skilled jungle warfare force by 1945? This book follows the changes that eventually led to the development of the Australian Jungle Divisions and describes the changes in training that were required to move from veteran desert fighters to veteran jungle fighters.
Jungle Warriors examines these extraordinary changes the Australian Army underwent over the course of the Second World War. It explores how the 2nd AIF evolved from fighting European and desert wars, in open country and often with large numbers of troops, to master the very close warfare of jungle combat. It investigates the extraordinary array of changes to weapons, equipment, tactics and training. It also reveals the painful lessons learnt and the inadequate planning that resulted in the disasters that wasted so many lives.
The above has been paraphrased from the publisher.
Following the story from the training camps in Australia on to the battlefields of North Africa and the Mediterranean to Milne Bay, Kokoda, and final victory in Borneo, Bougainville and New Guinea, I found this book a very detailed account, well written and researched, and very easy read
What I really liked was that because of the excellent referencing, when my ideas were challenged I was able to check the sources that Threfall used to make up my own mind.
An excellent piece of modern research.
The written word is unfortunately let down by the production that is “cheap” at best, and with paper, layout, and photo quality that I would have expected Amazon to have bone better.
Similar to paperback “texts” one was used to in the 70’s, but with a flashy cover.
Some time ago I posted on the Eureka Miniatures new range of WW2. I do not intend to speak about the range as a complete review was provided in that post.
The one thing I was not sure of was if the figures were as good as they looked in the photos. Indeed they are. The SMG barrels that continually broke off with the Australians have been made stronger and are no longer an issue. i give them a rating of:
Like most armies the Nationalist Chinese employed small groups of scouts to provide intel and harass the enemy.
These have been painted for the Burma campaign of 1942 to 1945. The Chinese Expeditionary Force in Burma was forced to retreat with the British into India. Part of the force (X Force) was placed under the American Command of General Stillwell and equipped by the Americans at British expense. These were used to attack Northern Burma. An additional force (Y Force) that was used to attack Yunnan causing the Japanese to split their forces.
These are some figures sent to me as samples from Eureka Miniatures so that I could see how they painted up and were worth purchasing the 40 other figures I would need to make a small force. I think the results of this first small group means I will lash out on enough to complete the force in due course.
The Chinese Uniform colours vary from bright blue, to light khaki, to jungle green, and everything in between. I have chosen an undercoat of Tamiya TS3 with a light cream dry brush, followed by a brown wash for the uniform and equipment and a green wash over the leggings.
Officers generally had red leather equipment but this also varied.
This will provide an on-table difference to the Jungle Greens of the other allies and is different enough from the Japanese to not cause a problem.
Is this correct – probably not totally, but I can point you to plenty of photos that agree and just as many that don’t. On this point I am not going to enter into any large scale debate because the truth as to what any particular Chinese unit was wearing at any point in time during this campaign is anyone’s guess. They were certainly wearing this uniform in roughly these colours on the retreat to India.
For my scouts I have used SMG’s because they would have been my choice, but mainly because these were the samples that were sent!
The figures are good sculpts and paint up very quickly with good effect using my wargaming standard approach.
For those interested, Eureka Miniatures have the early forces fighting the Japanese in China that were equipped and trained by the Germans. It gives you an opportunity to use early-war German equipment, artillery and tanks against the Japanese.
The Chinese also used early war French, Italian, British, Russian, American, and captured Japanese equipment providing a very eclectic force if you desire.
I have another squad of Scouts the same, and a Company Lieutenant and his team that I will paint up in between other things.
Australian High Command originally thought they would need less engineers than in North African. This proved to be the reverse. With the dense jungle roads need to be cleared, made, and bridges built. The specialist equipment of the engineers was also required to reduce enemy dug-in positions.
Engineers clearing a village
Flamer in action. Note the aerial stand to hold the flame off the ground.
Close combat ensues.
Clearing the jungle surrounds
Japanese retreating.
Bren Gunner and “bomber”. I use this figure to designate which units are carrying anti-tank grenades.
Take this!
Hold those reinforcements!
I had forgotten that this little team needed to be done as well as the Engineers and the Papuans. This is a duplicate of the Platoon leader with rifles instead of SMG’s to give me the choice with the army list.
The figures are the Warlord Games Australian Command blister. I do like the pose and look on the figure below, with his steely look.
This one looks almost resigned or aware with the fairies.
Tomorrow the Engineers,
On the first day of 1942, Gilbert Roberts, a 41-year-old retired British naval officer turned game designer, arrived at Derby House, in Liverpool, for his inaugural meeting with his new boss, Sir Percy Noble.
Gilbert Roberts
The admiral was greying but still youthful, and wore his authority with, as one observer put it, “naturalness.” That day, however, Noble was in a hostile mood.
Participants looking through “peep holes” which gave a realisitic view of what a ship would see.
“I thought the Admiralty were sending me a captain,” he said. Noble explained that he had been instructed to give Roberts the entire top floor of Derby House, comprising eight rooms. There, using wargames, Roberts and his team of Wrens, young members of the Women’s Royal Naval Service, were to get to work on the problem of the U-boats which had, for the past three years, sunk millions of tons of essential food and fuel making its way from the east coast of America via merchant ships.
Wrens plotting the convoy and U-Boat manoeuvrers.
The U-boats, it seemed, had developed an effective tactic that had, to date, evaded the Allied navy, tasked with repelling their attacks. Roberts and the Wrens planned to use wargames to identify this tactic.
Noble – 52 with a headful of hair and a trim waistline — was well liked and respected by his staff, whose opinions he would often seek regardless of their rank or seniority. Still, he couldn’t quite mask his scepticism toward Roberts’ enterprise.
Simon Parkin reveals how a group of young women neutralised German U-boat attacks during the battle of the Atlantic – by playing a game with chalk, canvas and string.
The faceless exterior of Derby House today belies its former importance: within its reinforced core sat the command centre from which Britain’s war against the U-boats in the Atlantic was orchestrated.
The Battle of the Atlantic Command Center
One of the first scenarios that Roberts investigated using his new wargame was the battle of Convoy HG 76. This was a multi-day contest involving 32 merchant ships, 24 escorts and 12 U-boats. It was considered a great Allied victory because five U-boats were sank (though the Allies only knew of three at the time) and 30 merchant ships made it home safely. Assisted by WRENs Jean Laidlaw and Janet Okell, they replayed the historical situation hoping to understand Allied commander Captain Frederick John “Johnnie” Walker’s anti-submarine maneuver ‘Buttercup’.
The Buttercup maneuver involved, “on the order Buttercup… all of the escort ships would turn outward from the convoy. They would accelerate to full speed while letting loose star shells. If a U-boat was sighted, Walker would then mount a dogged pursuit, often ordering up to six of the nine ships in his [escort] group to stay with the vessel until it was destroyed.
What confused Roberts and the WRENS was that the Allied merchant Annavore was torpedoed while in the center of the convoy. As he and the WRENs replayed the scenario they could not duplicate reality unless the U-boat had entered the columns of the convoy from behind. And it must have done so on the surface, where it was able to travel at a faster speed than the ships. By approaching from astern, where the lookouts rarely checked, the U-boat would be able to slip inside the convoy undetected, fire at close range, then submerge in order to get away.
Using the scenario of when the escorts actually sank a U-boat using the Buttercup manoeuvrer it was determined that they had succeeded by only accidentally hitting a U-boat that was joining the attack on the convoy and not the actual U-boat who had made the attack that they were pursuing.
In other words, Walker’s Buttercup manoeuvrer was, in fact, the opposite of what was required.
The ‘Raspberry Manoeuvrer’, created from numerous runs of ‘The Game’ was determined to be an effective anti-submarine tactic. Here it is drawn by Admiral Usborne, and taken from the book. This new manoeuvrer was called “Raspberry,” by Wren Ladlaw as a ‘raspberry‘ to Hitler.
U-boat losses quadrupled almost immediately. As you can see from the above drawing, upon discovery of a U-boat or a torpedo hit, the escorts draw closer to the convoy, not the opposite as in Walker’s Buttercup manoeuvrer. When Roberts and the WRENs ran a scenario for commander Noble and his staff, they were so impressed that he immediately sent a message to Churchill, “The first investigations have shown a cardinal error in anti-U-boat tactics. A new, immediate and concerted counter-attack will be signalled to the fleet within twenty-four hours.”
This was of course not the sole reason for the drastic turn around as advances in technology also played a huge part. It does show, however, how our hobby is an excellent tool, used with the appropriate knowledge of game theory, to aid essential learning. Something which I have been trying to introduce into my profession for decades without much success!
An excellent book that I almost completed in one sitting. The history was something I knew nothing about and no doubt it is the best book I have read in a long time. If you don’t have it buy it.
I received mine in 36 hours from Amazon.
PS Thanks to Dr. Wayne J. Cosshall CEO Techno Magickal Pty. Ltd., and uber Battletech geek from Axes and Ales wargaming club who put me on to this one.
The Australian Jungle Divisions infantry squads normally have 4 Owen guns, a Bren Gun and 5 rifles. From a gaming perspective I have found that I need a little bit more flexibility in my troop selections to balance points and to work within the tactics I have planned for the section.
In the Tank Platoon I have three Australian Infantry Squads, a Scout squad, and a Papuan infantry section. The Papuan unit is excellent for forward deployment and scouting and allows you to “push back” your opponents deployment. As such it is a waste of their skill to have them as a fire support unit towards the rear of your deployment.
The Jungle Division forces have 50% of the firepower tied up with short range. As such I have purchased an additional NCO with rifle and four riflemen for each section, giving me total flexibility.
They can also be combined into squads of ten if I need more sections for a larger scenario.
A section with ten rifles or with nine rifles and a Bren Gun increases their range to 24″ and makes them an excellent defensive unit.
With these done I now have only the Tank Platoon’s Engineers (12 figures) and the Papuan section (16 figures) to complete the project. Fortunately they are mostly finished and they shouldn’t take too long.
