Spanish Civil War: Day-by-Day: 23rd December 1938 – 26th January 1939

THE BATTLE FOR BARCELONA

Having cut the Republic into two the Nationalists now launched an offensive against Catalonia. The attack on the forces defending the Republican front-line was made by six Nationalist armies on a front that stretched from the Pyrenees to South of the River Ebro. It proved too much for the already exhausted Republicans. They retreated towards Barcelona and, once Borjas Blancas was captured on 4th January, the retreat became a rout. Tarragona surrendered on 14th January and by 24th January the Nationalists were within 3 miles of Barcelona. At this point the Government, led by Juan Negrin, fled to Gerona. The Republican troops in Barcelona continued to maintain a token resistance until 26th January, when the city finally surrendered.

The Portable Napoleonic Wargame: There's more good news and bad news

One of the joys of coming back from a cruise is the pile of post waiting to be dealt with ... especially if it contains a package of books and a wargame magazine.

One of the downsides of coming back from a cruise is the pile of post waiting to be dealt with ... especially if it contains a package of printed proof copies of your latest book.

The good news is that the books look good in almost every aspect, and I could easily release the paperback edition for publication today. The bad news is that the photographs in the hardback edition seem to have come out several shades darker than they have in the paperback edition, and in certain circumstances it is almost impossible to make out what they illustrate.

This difference in print quality is partially due to the fact that the paperback version is printed on white paper whilst the hardback edition is printed on cream paper. It is also down to the different printing processes used.

I therefore have a dilemma. I have several options:

1. Release both editions for publication now, and hope that the purchasers of the hardback edition don't object to the darker photographs;
2. Release the paperback edition now whilst I try to correct the problems with the hardback edition;
3. Try to sort of the problem with the hardback edition so that I can release both editions at the same time.

My personal choice is to do 3. That way publication of the book will not be done in a piecemeal fashion and all the editions (including the PDF edition) will become available on the same day. The delay will be minimal ... and would have occurred with the hardback edition anyway if I try to correct the problem.

Back in time for Christmas

Sue and I have just returned home from a cruise to Gibraltar, Spain, and Portugal.

We had a great time visiting Gibraltar, Cartagena, Ibiza, Valencia, Cadiz, and Lisbon (a nice mix of places we haven't visited before and ones we know well) ... but now we are back just in time for Christmas. I expect to be rather busy for the next few days, but with luck I should be able to write a blog entry about our cruise before Christmas.

The Toulon Naval Museum: Modern warships

Daphné (Submarine: 1964 – 1989)

This was the lead ship of the Daphné-class of diesel-electric patrol submarines that were built in France between 1958 and 1970 for the French Navy and for export to other countries. (Vessels of this class were exported to Pakistan, Portugal, South Africa, and Spain.)

Forbin (Anti-Aircraft Frigate: 2005 – ?)

Forbin is one of two Horizon-class anti-aircraft frigates that have been built for the French Navy. (The other is Chevalier Paul.)

Two ship of the same design have been built for the Italian Navy (Andrea Doria and Caio Duilio).

Charles de Gaulle (Nuclear-powered Aircraft Carrier: 1994 – ?)

Although launched in 1994, she was not fully operational until; 2001 due to problems with her propellers. Her flight deck also had to be extended so that she could operate E-2C Hawkeye AEW aircraft.

She has recently undergone a midlife upgrade which will enable her to remain in service until a replacement has been built.

The Toulon Naval Museum: Twentieth century warships

Provence (Battleship: 1913 – 1942)

One of the three Bretagne-class battleships built for the French Navy. She was damaged by the British at Mers el Kebir and scuttled in Toulon in November 1942 when the Germans attempted to seize the French fleet.

Dunkerque (Fast Battleship/Battle Cruiser: 1937 – 1942)

Dunkerque and her sister-ship Strasbourg were built in the 1930s to counter the German Deutschland-class pocket battleships/armoured ships. They were both damaged at Mers el Kebir and subsequently scuttled at Toulon.

Richelieu (Battleship: 1939 – 1968)

The leadship of what was going to be a class of four battleships (two were never completed).

Bearn (Aircraft carrier: 1923 – 1967)

Originally a Normandie-class battleship, she was completed as an aircraft carrier. She saw little active service as an aircraft carrier, and remained in the Caribbean after the fall of France. She was later handed over to the Free French and modernised so that she could be used as an aircraft transport.

Mogador (Destroyer: 1937 – 1942)

One of two Mogador-class large, fast destroyers designed to work as scouts with the Dunkerque-class fast battleships. She and her sister – Volta – were damaged at Mers el Kebir and scuttled in Toulon in November 1942.

Le Terrible (Destroyer: 1933 – 1962)

One of a class of eight large destroyers (the Fantasque-class) built for the French Navy during the 1930s. Most survived the Second World War and remained in service until the 1960s.

Casablanca (Submarine: 1936 – 1947)

One of thirty-one Redoutable-class submarines built between 1924 and 1937 for the French Navy. Only five (including Casablanca) survived the Second World War.

Bougainville-class (Despatch Boat/Colonial Gunboat: 1932 – 1959)

A class of eight ships designed to patrol and protect French overseas colonies.

The Toulon Naval Museum: Pre-dreadnoughts

Liberté (Pre-dreadnought Battleship: 1902 – 1911)

The Liberté was the lead ship of a class of four pre-dreadnought battleships. She sank as a result of an internal explosion in 1911. Her sister-ships remained in service until the middle of the 1920s.

Portuau (Armoured Cruiser: 1895 – 1929)

Jeanne d’Arc (Armoured Cruiser: 1900 – 1933)

She was the French Navy’s training ship from 1919 until 1928, when she was replaced by a newer ship bearing the same name.

The Toulon Naval Museum: Ironclads

The first seagoing ironclad was built by the French, and thereafter the nature of naval warfare changed dramatically.

Gloire (Armoured Frigate: 1859 – 1883)

The world's first seagoing ironclad. She had a wooden hull, unlike HMS Warrior, the Royal Navy's first ironclad.

Flandre (Armoured Frigate: 1864 – 1887)

Flandre was one of ten Provence-class ironclads built during the 1860s.

Gymnote (Submarine: 1898 – 1908)

Gymnote was one of the first electric-powered submarines and the first to be equipped with torpedoes that could be fired. She was subsequently re-built in 1890 to improve her capabilities.

Canon de 19 Model 1870

This gun had a calibre of 194mm/7.6-inches.

Maxim Nordenfelt Machine Gun

The Toulon Naval Museum: Early steamships and nineteenth century light craft

The French Navy adopted steam power early in the nineteenth century, and the museum has several models of early steamships on display.

Sphinx (Paddle Despatch Boat: 1829 – 1845)

Tibre (Paddle Despatch Boat: c1850)

She was originally part of the navy of the Papal States.

Napoleon (90-gun Steam Ship-of-the-Line: 1850 – 1876)

L'Inconstant (Despatch Boat: 1882 – 1927)

L'Éclaireur (3rd-class Cruiser/1st-class Despatch Boat: 1877 – 1902)

They museum also has a number of models of smaller nineteenth century warships of show.

Brig-of-War (20-gun Brig: c1830)

Chaloupe (Light Inshore Gunboat: c1862)

The Toulon Naval Museum: Sailing ship models

Amongst its collection of ship models, the museum has some interesting examples of ships from the age of sail.

Toulonnaise (6-gun Schooner: 1823 – 1843)

Phénix (60-gun Ship-of-the-Line: 1692 – 1714)

Sultane (26-gun Frigate: 1765 – 1793)

Duquesne (74-gun Ship-of-the-line: 1788 – 1805)

Dauphine (Galley: 1690 – 1715)

Rivoli (74-gun Ship-of-the-Line: 1810 – 1812)

Flore (40-gun Frigate: 1803 – 1840)

There are also models that show some of the work undertaken by the naval dockyard.

Careening a ship

Using a sheerlegs hulk to step a mast

The No.1 Dry-dock

This latter model reminded me of the opening scene of the film of LES MISÉRABLES, when Jean Valjean and the other prisoners pull the hull of a storm-damaged ship into a dry-dock for repair during a storm.