Nugget 381

The editor sent me the latest issue of THE NUGGET on Monday and I sent it to the printer (Macauley Scott Printing Company, Welling, Kent) on Tuesday morning. I hope to collect it later this week and post it out to members of Wargame Developments next weekend.

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IMPORTANT: Please note that this is the ninth (and last) issue of THE NUGGET to be published for the 2025-2026 subscription year.

If you wish to subscribe for the 2025-2026 subscription year and have not yet done so, please request a PayPal invoice or the bank transfer information from the Treasurer or follow the instructions on the relevant page of the website.

Air-conditioning, Bank Holidays, half-term, decorating, and wargaming

One of the things that some Americans complain about when they visit the UK is the lack of air-conditioning. Now, for most of the year the UK never seems to get hot enough to warrant the wholesale use of air-conditioning (the average summer temperature reaches a maximum of 19°C/14°F in July) but every so often it does get hot, especially when the temperature exceeds the average by some margin.

For example, what has been described as a 'heat wave' hit our part of the UK last Friday, and by midday on Monday it was 30°C/85°F, By 2.00pm it was 33°C/91°F ... and the best thing that we could have done was to keep the curtains and blinds closed, switch on our tower fans, and do as little as possible. What made this more unusual that normal was the fact that last weekend was a Bank Holiday and this week is a school halft-term holiday ... both of which can usually be a guarantee of poor weather!

This would have normally resulted in most people – including Sue and I – just slowing down and trying to keep cool ... but we had already decided to redecorate our main bedroom and replace the furniture. Now, to do this, first we have to empty our spare bedroom (i.e. pack up all the clothes and pass the furniture onto Emmaus a charity that supports the homeless) so that we can then move everything from our main bedroom into it. In other words, the whole operation is a sort of 'Towers of Hanoi' puzzle.

Except for the furniture, everything that was in the spare bedroom has been crated up and moved upstairs to our former home office, with the inevitable overspill being stored in my toy/wargame room. The latter has therefore impacted on my ability to do any wargaming up there. Mind you, it's so hot in the room at present that I doubt that I could have done much in that room anyway! (The room is in our loft conversion and has both a black roof and enough insulation to keep it warm in cold weather ... which makes it very hot during the current 'heat wave'.)

The plan is to get everything back to normal by the middle of July, so until then, I'll probably be writing about the hobby rather than doing much actual wargaming ... unless – of course – I can come up with a cunning plan to bring my tabletop battles downstairs ...

Even more naval books!

After I had written my recent blog post about by collection of naval books, I felt sure that I had not included all the books on my shelves ... and then I found some more! These included:

• The Osprey-like EL CRUCERO REINA REGENTE Y SU HUNDIMIENTO EL 9 DE MARZO DE 1896 by Joaquín Gil Hondubilla.

• William Eugene Warner's WARSHIPS OF THE CHINCHA ISLAND WARW (1864-1866): SPAIN'S LAST IMPERIAL ADVENTURE and WARSHIPS AT THE BATTLE OF RIACHUELO.

• Four of Louis Davison's WATERLINE SHIPMODELOR'S PLANBOOK SERIES, including 1. UNITED STATES DESTROYERS. 2. UNITED STATES DESTROYERS, 3. UNITED STATES BATTLESHIPS, and 4. UNITED STATES MONITORS AND CONFEDERATE RAMS.

• Ing. Prasky's 1:100th-scale MODELLBAU-UND TYPENPLAN of the Austro-Hungarian river monitors MAROS & LEITHA and TEMES & BODROG.

• Five issues of the WARSHIP PROFILE series, 23. HMS FURIOUS AIRCRAFT CARRIER 1917-1948 PART 1: THE FIRST EIGHT YEARS (by Commander C A Jenkins OBE RN), 35. HMS EAGLE (by David Brown), 36. UNITED STATES MONITORS OF THE CIVIL WAR (by Commander William J Cracknell USN), 39. USS MISSISSIPPI (BB23)/GREEK KILKIS (by Karl Lautenschläger), and 40. HER NETHERLANDS MAJESTY'S SHIP DE RUYTER (by F C van Oosten).

• THE CHINESE STEAM NAVY 1862-1945 by Richard N J Wright.

The plan books are particularly useful, and I can imagine some of the people who took part in Fletcher Pratt's naval wargame using the ones in Louis Davidson's books to build their 1:600th-scale waterline models.

A missing comment on a recent blog post

I recently wrote review of the recently published WARSHIP 2026 annual. One of my regular blog readers – Toby Ewin – wrote a detailed comment about the article about the capture of SMS Magdeburg's naval code books ... that Blogger somehow deleted before I could approve it. He has now sent it to me again, and I have reproduced it below:

In connection with a posting you made a few days back about WARSHIP 2026. I drew your attention to Stephen McLaughlin's article about SMS Magdeburg and its famous codebook. I added (and have told Steve) that among the secret German documents which the Russians retrieved and shared with us, was the manuscript write-up of a 1913 German Navy wargame, conducted under the auspices of Germany's Torpedo Research Establishment (TVK). The write-up was the work of the game's umpire, Captain Julius Maerker, who lost his life in December 1914 when he was captain of SMS Gneisenau at the Battle of the Falkland Islands.

SMS Magdeburg.

Andy Boyd's epic book on British naval intelligence mentions that several of the captured German documents from Magdeburg were the subjects of Naval Intelligence reports from the Admiralty, but that he could not locate the report about the wargame. I too have not found the NID report, but – with help from the late great Australian naval historian James Goldrick - I have found the original document (at TNA, still in a file cover bearing the Cyrillic stamp of the Russian Naval General Staff).

In due course I hope to publish a translation of the German write-up; the game covers an encounter between German coastal forces and a more powerful British force, and there are similarities with the real-life First Battle of Heligoland Bight of August 1914.

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Toby Ewin is Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Laughton Naval History & Maritime Strategy Unit, King's College London. He has a particular interest in naval history before and during the First World War, especially the Black Sea conflict and Anglo-Russian naval relations. He is also doing extensive research into the use of wargaming by navies in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and he has written comprehensively about his research. For example, THE ROYAL NAVY'S FIRST WARGAMES, 1900-1915 (MORS Journal of Wargaming) and his presentation at CONNECTIONS UK 2025.

The Timeless Traveller: This week's update

I was unable to take part in this week's session but one of the other players (Ben, who in the game is Bumble the Stormshifter) wrote a summary of events.

The action starts in the barracks, where Munch (the Songweaver) and Johnny-Baptise (the Cheat) were currently locked in the cells whilst Nordian confronted two of the guards. Johnny-Baptiste attempted to lockpick the cell door with their dagger, failing once but then succeeding on the second attempt. Whilst this was happening, Munch realised their bracelet had turned green and he used his ability to teleport to a candle in the main barrack's room.

Munch watches Johnny-Baptiste pick to cell's lock with his knife.

The remaining guards had become suspicious and began speaking Abyssal to each other. Munch created a sheet of ice under one of the guards who was moving towards the weapon's rack, causing him to fall and he advanced towards Nordian. Nordian grappled with the fallen guard and had his eat bitten in the process. Johnny-Baptiste, who by now had got from the cells to the main barrack's room, stabbed the guard and killed him.

In the meantime, Bumble was in the hallway with four Hooded Men who were trying to get into Elandra's room. By some miracle, Bumble managed to persuade them to leave by claiming to be one of them and deceiving them by telling them that the high priestess was waiting for them to ambush the passengers in the ship's Dining Hall and that the cult already has the Dark Titan Book that they needed. They left and Bumble escorted Elandra safely to his room.

Vale (the Shepherd), Callistra (the Hunter), and Menkare (the Shadowmancer) questioned Thinkertop in his room. He obnoxiously hovered above them for dominance on hts golden disk. He revealed that he had used the time turner many times during his life to gain wealth and fame and this last use was planned for his retirement. Upon being told the fate of the ship, Thinkertop did not express any feelings of wore or care and decided to just let the party until then. Vale read his mind quickly and discovered a flash of a dream or memory of a kid sliding in gold with a slight innocence on his face. A potential deal was made between Thinkertop and Silmenins (Gods). Thinkertop's assistant was shocked by all this and was fired by Thinkertop for questioning his actions before he walked away into a portal. The assistant agreed to accompany the party for the time being.

Thinkertop being questioned.

Callistra headed to the barracks to assist Munch and Johnny-Baptiste. They were looting the room and Munch found a dagger – which he handed to Johnny-Baptiste – some gold, and a scroll written in Celestial that was in a pouch. Nordian agreed that Thinkertop was useless and agreed to help the group along with his trusty guard friend, Leonard. Munch wind whispered to Vale and Mankare to tell them to meet them in Bumble’s room, and they replied by sending a servant to confirm the message was received.

Now that everyone – including Nordian, Leonard, the twins, Elandra, and Thinkertop's assistant – was gathered in Bumble’s room, they discovered that everyone was now able to use their magic powers. Elandra translated the celestial scroll and it revealed the importance of a dagger for the ritual events. Vale mindread a servant which revealed a flash of a burning tree in the garden of the ship when they were asked how to free the servants/wisps. The party then took time to discuss plan of action. Elandra also translated a passage from the Dark Titan Book which the party were trying to decipher.

The council-of-war in Bumble's room.

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Paolo – the game master – also wrote a poem about events.

Verse I

Beneath the lantern’s golden light,
Two voices walked as one,
Soft as rain through summer leaves,
Bright beneath the sun.

They spoke in half-remembered songs,
In harmony entwined,
Until the sea of silence came,
And left one voice behind.

Verse II

Now empty halls remember still
The footsteps side by side,
Yet every word the survivor speaks
Breaks where her sister died.

The music falters in her throat,
The final note undone,
For half a soul still walks the deck,
And half is lost beneath the sun.

Final Verse

So raise no cheer for fleeting gold,
Nor trust the smiling tide,
For even stars that shine as one
May still be torn aside.

And somewhere past the breaking waves,
Where silent waters weep,
One sister calls into the dark
— And one remains to keep.

My collection of naval books

My recent blog post about my collection of WARSHIP annuals and some of the other naval books that I own sparked some interest in my collection of naval books ... so I took some photographs of the relevant bookshelves in my toy/wargame room.

These shelves carry many reference books that I could not do without, including:

• Thirteen volumes from Conway's ANATOMY OF THE SHIP series.
• John Jordan's WARSHIPS AFTER WASHINGTON and WARSHIPS AFTER LONDON.
• Three volumes of David K Brown's THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF BRITISH WARSHIPS.
• NAVAL WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR ONE (by Norman Friedman) and NAVAL WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR TWO (by John and N J M Campbell).
• Both volumes of Eric Gröner's and Peter Mickel's GERMAN WARSHIPS 1815-1945.
• Norman Friedman's US BATTLESHIPS, US AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, US CRUISERS, and US DESTROYERS.
• Dr Oscar Parke's BRITISH BATTLESHIPS and BRITISH DESTROYERS.
• David K Brown's WARRIOR TO DREADNOUGHT, THE GRAND FLEET, and RODNEY TO VANGUARD.
• The three volumes of WARSHIPS OF THE SOVIET FLEETS 1939-1945 by Przemyslaw Budzbon, Jan Radziemski, and Marek Twardowski.
• OTTOMAN STEAM NAVY 1828-1923 by Bernd Langensiepen.

• R A Burt's BRITISH BATTELSHIPS 1889-1904, BRITISH BATTLESHIPS OF WORLD WAR ONE, and BRITISH BATTLESHIPS 1919-1945.
• JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS 1969-70.
• Norman Friedman's US NAVAL WEAPONS.
• The four volumes of CONWAY'S ALL THE WORLD'S FIGHTING SHIPS (1860-1905, 1906-1921, 1922-1946, and 1947-1995).

• Twelve volumes of small naval reference books published by Ian Allan.

• Norman Friedman's BRITISH BATTLESHIPS OF THE VICTORIAN ERA and BRITISH CRUISERS OF THE VICTORIAN ERA.
• Two more naval reference books published by Ian Allan.
• THE WINDFALL BATTLESHIPS by Aidan Dodson.

I also have numerous Osprey paperback books that deal with naval topics, most of which seem to have been written by Angus Konstam:

• WARSHIPS OF THE WAR OF THE PACIFIC 1879-83: SOUTH AMERICA'S IRONCLAD NAVAL CAMPAIGN.
• BRITISH GUNBOATS OF VICTORIA'S EMPIRE.
• WARSHIP OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR.
• EUROPEAN IRONCLADS 1860-75.
• BRITISH IRONCLADS 1860-75.
• NILE RIVER GUNBOATS 1882-1918.
• GUNBOATS OF WORLD WAR 1.
• SOUTH AMERICAN BATTLESHIPS 1908-59 (by Mark Lardas).
• OTTOMAN NAVY WARSHIPS 1914-18 (by Ryan K Noppen).
• KRIEGSMARINE COASTAL FORCES (by Gordon Williamson).

I also discovered (in a separate cupboard) three further volumes of JANE'S FIGHTING SHIPS for 1914, 1944-45, and 1950-51.

Arithmetic on the Frontier: A poem by Rudyard Kipling

The title of John Sly's article in the recently published issue of SOLDIERS OF THE QUEEN made me re-read Kipling's poem, the text of which follows.

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A great and glorious thing it is
To learn, for seven years or so,
The Lord knows what of that and this,
Ere reckoned fit to face the foe—
The flying bullet down the Pass,
That whistles clear: "All flesh is grass."

Three hundred pounds per annum spent
On making brain and body meeter
For all the murderous intent
Comprised in "villainous saltpetre".
And after?—Ask the Yusufzaies
What comes of all our 'ologies.

A scrimmage in a Border Station—
A canter down some dark defile—
Two thousand pounds of education
Drops to a ten-rupee jezail—
The Crammer's boast, the Squadron's pride,
Shot like a rabbit in a ride!

No proposition Euclid wrote
No formulae the text-books know,
Will turn the bullet from your coat,
Or ward the tulwar's downward blow.
Strike hard who cares—shoot straight who can—
The odds are on the cheaper man.

One sword-knot stolen from the camp
Will pay for all the school expenses
Of any Kurrum Valley scamp
Who knows no word of moods and tenses,
But, being blessed with perfect sight,
Picks off our messmates left and right.

With home-bred hordes the hillsides teem.
The troopships bring us one by one,
At vast expense of time and steam,
To slay Afridis where they run.
The "captives of our bow and spear"
Are cheap, alas! as we are dear.

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This poem was published in 1886 and yet it still has a resonance today. The recent war in Afghanistan may now be over, and the bullet would probably now come from a Kalashnikov rather than a jezail, but the essence of the poem remains true. It reminds us that the complexities of what is in effect modern colonial warfare requires local knowledge and an ability to adapt in the light of practical experience rather than relying on a textbook approach that overvaules overwhelming firepower and sophisticated and expensive technology.

Soldiers of the Queen (SOTQ) Issue 194

The latest issue of the Victorian Military Society's SOTQ (Soldiers of the Queen) was delivered on Saturday, and I have spent some of the time since reading each of the articles in it.

The articles included in this issue are:

• The Army and the Periodic Press by Prof Ian F W Beckett
• A Soldier of the Queen and the Imperial Tour of India 1875-1876 by David Howell
• Commissions by the Back Door by Dr Roger Salmon
• 'Arithmetic on the Frontier' by John Sly
• Book Reviews by Andy Smith
• Obituary: Meurig Giles Morgan Jones by Dan Allen
• Officers of the Victorian Military Society
• Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria Tuesday 1st July 2025 to Sunday 1st November 2026 at the National Army Museum.

Another excellent collection of articles, and it is very difficult to select a single one as being more interesting that another. That said, I can see myself returning to and re-reading both Professor Beckett's article about the Army and the press and Dr Salmon's article about the commissioning of officers via the back door.

The annual cost of membership of the Victorian Military Society is:

• UK: £30.00
• Overseas: £40.00 [except for Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore: £43.00])

My opinion remains that this magazine and the membership of the Victorian Military Society is well worth the cost of the annual subscription.

Hannay

Until I reached my teen years, I really wasn't one for reading fiction. Then, thanks to a Canadian-born English teacher, I 'discovered' C S Forester, and I began to appreciate a good story in book format!

(By the way, the book that he made us read was THE SHIP, which was Forester's fictionalised account of the Battle of Sirte, and which featured as its main characters the crew of the cruiser HMS Artemis.)

I happened to mention my enjoyment of Forester's books to a librarian ... and they suggested that I ought to try several other authors, including Rudyard Kipling and John Buchan. I followed this advice ... and I was soon hooked! In particular, I enjoyed the latter author's stories that featured Richard Hannay, later Major-General Sir Richard Hannay KCB DSO OBE and his cronies:

• Mary Lamington, later Lady Mary Hannay
• Ludovic 'Sandy' Gustavus Arbuthnot, later 16th Lord Clanroyden
• Barbara, Lady Clanroyden
• Sir Archie Roylance
• Janet, Lady Roylance
• John Scantlebury Blenkiron
• Peter Pienaar

I began with THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS, which I had seen on film in two versions:

• Alfred Hitchcocks 1935 version, which starred Robert Donat.
• Ralph Thomas' 1959 version, which starred Kenneth More.

However, the film version of the story that - in my opinion - keeps closest to the original story, is the 1978 version, which starred Robert Powell.

Robert Powell as Richard Hannay.

Not only that, but it proved so popular that it resulted in a spin-off television series that was simply named Hannay.

By coincidence, the latter is currently being televised by the Talking Pictures TV Freeview channel, and I have been watching them. There are two series and the episodes are as follows:

• Series 1
• The Fellowship of the Black Stone
• A Point of Honour 
• Voyage into Fear
• Death With Due Notice
• Act of Riot
• The Hazard of the Die
• Series 2
• Coup de Grace
• The Terrors of the Earth
• Double Jeopardy
• The Good Samaritan
• That Rough Music
• The Confidence Man
• Say The Bells of Shoreditch

The stories are not based on anything written by John Buchan, but they are very much in their mould, and are set in the period immediately before the outbreak of the Great War. (i.e. the Belle Époque). There is one recurring villain in both series, Count Von Schwabing, who is played with great gusto by Gavin Richards ... who is probably better known for the role of Captain Alberto Bertorelli in the Second World War comedy, 'ALLO, 'ALLO.

Desperta Ferro: A further video review

Further to my blog post review of the back issues of the Spanish-language military history DESPERTA FERRO that I bought online from their website, I have now produced a video version of that review.

It can be seen here.