Herne Bay, Barnes Wallis, and the 'Bouncing Bomb'

By the time you read this blog entry, my father-in-law's bungalow in Herne Bay will have been sold ... and we will not need to go back again unless we want to. As a result I decided to make a special effort to take some photographs of a statue that stands at the eastern end of the seafront ... a statue of Barnes Wallis.

Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, CBE, FRS, RDI, FRAeS was born on 26th September 1887 in Ripey, Derbyshire. He was educated at Christ's Hospital in Horsham, and when he left school at the age of seventeen he started work as an apprentice engineer at Thames Engineering Works at Blackheath, South East London. He then transferred his apprenticeship to J. Samuel White's, a shipbuilders based in Cowes, Isle of Wight. Although he originally trained as a marine engineer and achieved a degree in engineering at the University of London, he moved to Vickers just before World War I so that he could work on airship and aircraft design.

He first came to prominence during the building of the R100 airship, and his geodetic framework designs for aircraft fuselages and wings were used in the building of the Vickers Wellesley and Wellington bombers. However it was his design for the 'bouncing bomb' that was used by the RAF in Operation Chastise (the famous 'Dambuster' raids) to attack the dams of the Ruhr Valley that he was probably most well-known for.

So why is there a statue of Barnes Wallis in Herne Bay?

The answer is quite simple ... it is just along the coast from Reculver, where the trials of the 'bouncing bomb' took place.

Too hot to wargame?

My toy/wargames room is in the loft conversion that was done about eight years ago. It faces south-west and has a wonderful view across London. It is also insulated to the building standards that were (and I think still are) in force ... which means that it is nice a cosy during cold weather ... and bl**dy hot when the weather gets warm!

For the past two days it has just been too hot to wargame in there, even with both of the windows open, the blinds down, and the 18-inch electric fan going full belt! All of the above manage to keep the temperature lower than it might be, but after about five minutes I am soaked in sweat and beginning to feel very uncomfortable. Trying to wargame or even do any modelling in there is just impossible, and is likely to remain so until the unseasonably hot weather passes.

So what have I done instead of wargaming? Well I have been doing quite a bit of reading, some writing, but – most importantly – some thinking, especially about my MEMOIR OF BATTLE (MOB) and MEMOIR OF MODERN BATTLE (MOMBAT) rules. I think that the former are on the edge of being finished (just a few minor tweaks remain to be made), and once I am happy with the way that they work I will apply the lessons I have learned to MEMOIR OF MODERN BATTLE.

So I may not have been able to wargame for the past few days, but I have been doing what a lot of wargamers seem to spend a lot of time doing instead … I have been thinking about wargaming!

Broadside 2012!

I recently found out that due to circumstances beyond my control, I will not be able to attend BROADSIDE 2012 this year.

THIS IS A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT FOR ME!

BROADSIDE is a very new wargames show, run by the Milton Hundred Wargames Club.

I went last year ... and was very impressed by what I saw ... which is why I am so disappointed that I won't be able to go this year.

I understand that this year the show is being sponsored by Pen & Sword Books and that it will be taking place on Sunday 10th June 2012 at the Swallows Leisure Centre, Central Avenue, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 4NT, from 10am to 4pm.

The cost of entry is only £3.00 PLUS non-wargaming partners and children under 16 get in for free when accompanied by a paying adult ... which can't be bad can it?

The list of traders is quite impressive (37 to date), as is the number of clubs that have agreed to attend (14 clubs running 26 games).

One thing that I was particularly pleased to see was the involvement of people like Pen & Sword Books (the show's sponsors) ...

...and Armourfast.

The latter is running a 'Make and Take a Tank' table where children can build a model tank FOR FREE ... and then use their tank in a game!

I think that regular blog readers will have realised by now that this is one wargames show that I am very sorry to have to miss ... and I encourage any of you who can to pay it a visit.

More Pre-Megablitz Memories

The wargame that proved to be the final catalyst in the development of MEGABLITZ took place one Saturday morning in Chris Willey's basement. A scenario set during the German invasion of France was set up, and a modified version of Chris Kemp's NOT QUITE MECHANISED (NQM) was used.

The game was interesting ... but over lunch we all decided that there were a few changes that needed to be made. In particular we all felt that a unit's tactical intent/order state needed to be factored into the combat system ... and within a matter of minutes the SMART order system was devised, as was a combat resolution chart (or as it came to be called, the Combat Matrix).
The rest is – as they say – history.

Here are some of the photographs taken in Chris Willey's basement that day. They are not the best quality in the World ... but they give you some idea of how the battle progressed.

British Battleships 1919 - 1945

I was in the local branch of Waterstone's bookshop last week and saw that they had a copy of the newly revised edition of R A Burt's BRITISH BATTLESHIPS 1919 - 1945 (Seaforth Publishing [2012] ISBN 978 1 84832 130 4) on sale. I had quite a long look through it ... and decided that although it was a book that would be an ideal addition to my collection, I thought that the cover price of £45.00 was a bit steep for me.

Over the weekend I was idly browsing through the Internet ... and found out that the book was on sale at a discounted price that was close to half what Waterstone's had wanted for the book. I hesitated ... for all of about a second before I ordered it.

The book was delivered at lunchtime today and I have spent a very pleasant few hours reading the opening chapters of the book. It is worth noting that besides containing detailed chapters that cover the design and service histories of the battleships that were in service with the Royal Navy during the inter-war period and Second World War, there is also a very interesting chapter that covers the design and development of the various aircraft carriers used by the Royal Navy between the Wars.

I understand that a new edition of R A Burt's book about British Battleships during the First World War is due to be published later this year, and I have already pre-ordered a copy.

Well, my bookshelves would have looked unbalanced if I hadn't, wouldn't they?

Pre-Megablitz Memories

Before Tim Gow began the process of designing his MEGABLITZ rule system, Tim, Chris Willey, and I tried wargaming with Chris Kemp's NOT QUITE MECHANISED (NQM) to see if we could use the rules without needing Chris Kemp to explain how the various elements of his rules worked.

This battle was set up in what was then the Table Tennis room at Knuston Hall during a COW (Conference of Wargamers) session when we were all free. The scenario involved a Soviet attack on Finnish positions during the Winter War, and from what I can remember Chris Willey provided all the Finnish troops whilst Tim and I provided the Soviet ones.

The game took place so long ago that I only have the vaguest memories of how the battle unfolded, but what did emerge was the fact that we all felt that NQM worked best when Chris Kemp was available to explain the nuances of some of the rules ... and that we also felt that we could enhance them with a little bit of additional effort on our part.

I did take some photographs of the battle ... using a 35mm Practika SLR camera (this was so long ago that it was pre-digital camera ... and some!). I found the box containing these photographs (along with a lot of other that I will share with my regular blog readers over the forthcoming weeks) during my recent sort-out ... and here is a selection of them.

Can you guess where it is?

I spent late yesterday afternoon and part of the evening in one of the best Art Deco buildings in London. Its decor is so well preserved that it is used as a film and TV location (as well as a social venue) throughout the year.

I always enjoy visiting this building (despite being in the centre of London it is always so quiet!) and the following photographs do not do its exterior and interior full justice.

By the way, can any of you guess where it is?

No prizes will be given if you can name the building ... except that you will have proved yourself very knowledgeable about one of the best kept 'secrets' in London!

PS. To anyone who was with me yesterday, your 'answers' do not count!

Wargames Illustrated Special: Great Wargames

Whilst I was on my way to the bank, I popped into the nearby branch of WHSmith. Whilst I was casually looking through the various magazines that were on sale I saw a copy of WARGAMES ILLUSTRATED SPECIAL: GREAT WARGAMES on sale ... and against my better judgement, I bought a copy.

The magazine contains photographs of various wargames that have been featured on the pages of WARGAMES ILLUSTRATED, and although some of the historical periods covered are not ones that particularly interest me, the visual appeal was just too much for me to resist.

The periods and topic covered are:

Ancient

• The Antonine Wall

Dark Ages

• The Battle of Clontarf, 1040.
• The Battle of Pine Wood Tèvar, 1150.

Medieval

• The Battle of Verneuil, 1424.
• The Battle of Tewkesbury, 1471.

English Civil War

• The Alternative Battle Of Worcester, 1651.

Pirates

• Pirates of Durham.

Napoleonic

• The Battle of Corunna, 1809.
• Reynier’s Assault: The Battle of Bussaco, 1810.
• The Rise of The Spanish City Of Vincentino!
• The Battle of Borodino, 1812.
• The Battle of Leipzig, 1813.
• The Battle of Waterloo, 1815.

Crimea

• The Charge of The Light Brigade, Hell Ride, 1854.

American Civil War

• The Bloody Crucible of Courage.
• The Battle of Gaines Mill, 1862.

Nineteenth Century

• The Battle of Problus Heights, 1866.
• The Battle of Fröschweiler-Wörth, 1870.

Colonial

• Somewhere in The Sudan.
• Wilkinson’s Campaign Against The Slavers.

World War One

• Gallipoli, 1915-16.
• No Quiet on The Western Front.
• The Big Push.

Twentieth Century

• The Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935-36.

World War Two

• Eight Armies in Normandy.
• A Bridge Too Far.

Vietnam

• Vietnam.

I must admit that I have spent a pleasant hour or so looking thought this special issue of the magazine, and although I cannot see myself emulating any of the wargames that can be seen on its pages, I can appreciate the skill and work that has gone into producing them.

A Punitive Expedition

Having made a few minor changes to my MEMOIR OF BATTLE (MOB) rules, I decided to play-test the latest draft using a scenario that pitted a European-style colonial army against a larger Native irregular army.

Scenario
A tax collector operating in Southern Zubia had been ambushed and killed, and his head returned to the Provincial Governor. The latter knew that the local situation was volatile, and asked that troops be sent from the north to 'punish' the tribes that had killed the Government Official.

The Khedive of Zubia had little option but to accede to this request as a refusal to do so would be regarded as a sign of weakness ... and this might have given the Sultan of Fezia all the excuse he needed to remove the Khedive. A force was therefore assembled under the command of an ex-Captain of the Britannic Army, Bimbashi Hector Bumble.

Bumble's 'army' comprised:

• Four Infantry Battalions
• A Cavalry Regiment
• An Artillery Battery
• A supply column

Despite being described in a local Zubian newspaper as being 'probably the best military units in the service of the Khedive' (and as the 'sweepings of the jails' in the foreign press) all of the units were poorly trained and under strength.

The journey south was uneventful, and despite fears that many of the soldiers would desert (something that was prevented by chaining the recruits together!), the newly-named Bumble Punitive Expeditionary Force was soon assembled in the capital of the Southern Province and ready to move against the rebellious natives who had killed the tax collector.

Turn 1
The Punitive Expedition marched unhindered across the desert towards the area where the tax collector had been killed. Locally recruited guides led the Expeditionary Force towards the village of Jebel-al-Kutallah, the supposed home of the natives responsible for the murder. The Expeditionary Force approached the village down a valley through a range of rugged hills that separated the village from the desert. Bimbashi Bumble ordered his Cavalry to scout ahead of the main body of the Punitive Expeditionary Force in order to ensure that no ambush had been set and that the advance would be unhindered.

This proved to be a wise decision.

Bimbashi Bumble's Punitive Expeditionary Force on the march.

The Punitive Expeditionary Force advances into the valley leading towards the village of Jebel-al-Kutallah.

Turn 2
The Cavalry moved ahead of the main body of the Punitive Expeditionary Force. The latter's advance was slowed by the restricted speed of the Artillery and the need to keep the Force together.

The Cavalry scouts ahead of the main body of Bimbashi Bumble's Punitive Expeditionary Force.

Turn 3
The Cavalry continued to scout up the valley, and the rest of the Punitive Expeditionary Force followed behind as fast as it could.

The Cavalry begin to scout the head of the valley.

At this point, the trap was sprung! A group of previously unseen band of Native Cavalry charged the Zubian Cavalry ...

... who suffered casualties and retreated ...

... but not far enough! A second band of Native Cavalry charged into the fleeing Zubians ...

... who suffered even more casualties.

Whilst this was taking place at the head of the valley, the main body of the Punitive Expeditionary Force was attacked. A band of spear-armed Natives charged over a small hill that formed part of the valley wall ...

... and into the leading Zubian Infantry Regiment on the left-hand side of the Punitive Expeditionary Force. The impetus of the Native Infantry charge caused the poor quality Zubian Infantry Regiment to collapse and they were wiped out to a man!

On the other side of the valley a band of rifle-armed Native Infantry emerged from a side valley and opened fire on the leading right-hand Zubian Infantry Regiment ...

... causing it to lose one-third of its strength.

At this point Bimbashi Bumble's Punitive Expeditionary Force had reached its Exhaustion Point, and was unable to take any further aggressive action ... not that this was an option that the Bimbashi was contemplating as he saw his troops dying around him.

Turn 4
Everything now hinged on whether or not the Zubians would have the initiative this turn. The dice was cast ... and they did not!

One of the bands of Native Cavalry pursued the remnants of the retreating Zubian Cavalry Regiment ...

... and cut them to pieces!

The other band of Native Cavalry charged down the valley and engaged the under-strength Zubian Artillery Battery ...

... which they wiped out!

The band of spear-armed Native Infantry charged the second Zubian Infantry Regiment of the left of the Punitive Expeditionary Force ...

... and totally destroyed it!

On the other side of the valley the band of rifle-armed Native Infantry fired at the rearmost Zubian Infantry Regiment on the right-hand side of the Punitive Expeditionary Force ...

... and caused 33% casualties!

Two bands of Native Camelry now appeared at the head of the valley ...

... and a further band of spear-armed Native Infantry joined the first band on the Punitive Expeditionary Force's left flank.

The leading Zubian Infantry Regiment fired at the band of Native Cavalry that had destroyed the Zubian Artillery battery, and inflicted some telling casualties upon it.

The other Zubian Infantry Regiment deployed so that it could engage the nearby band of rifle-armed Native Infantry ...

... upon which they inflicted 25% casualties.

Turn 5
The Zubians gained the initiative, and attempted to retreat back towards the desert.

Unfortunately they could not outrun their pursuers. The leading band of Native Cavalry attacked the Punitive Expeditionary Force's supply column ...

... and wiped it out.

The band of rifle-armed Native Infantry fired at the nearest retreating Zubian Infantry Regiment ...

... and wiped it out.

The spear-armed band of Native Infantry caught up with Bimbashi Bumble and his headquarters ...

... and slaughtered the Bimbashi and every single member of his staff!

The remaining Native troops advanced down the valley to engage what remained of the Punitive Expeditionary Force ...

... who were wiped out before the end of the next turn.

Only a few survivors made it back to Zubian-controlled territory, and when their stories were published, there was rioting on the streets of Zubia's capital. There were calls for the removal of the Khedive, and what was left of Zubia's Army threatened to revolt unless their honour was restored.

Conclusions
Had the circumstances not made it irrelevant, the Exhaustion Point rule would have stopped Zubian aggressive action at a very early stage of the battle. The changes to the combat system that penalises Poorer quality units did have a major effect upon the ability of the Zubians to survive attacks ... and it is possible that this might have made the whole thing a bit too one-sided. I certainly think that it needs further play-testing, especially in a battle where one or both sides field at least one Elite Unit.