Well that was quick

Finally, I got around to playing Camposanto. I played the game without any special scenario tweaks to Twilight of the Soldier Kings, other than to treat the armies as single 'wings' with army/wing morale being necessary at 50% of units lost. The game took about 45 minutes.

After 2 turns, the Austro-Piedmontese are advancing slowly to contact. The cavalry are keeping pace with the infantry to have the extra support when contact is made. An Austrian foot unit on their right is taking hits from Spanish gunfire. The second line of Spanish infantry are marching to their right flank to prevent them being outflanked.

A couple more turns in, the cavalry has clashed and after resisting manfully, the Spanish are routed, a brigade of Piedmontese infantry having swung into the combat to led more support. The main infantry lines are engaged in firefights. The allies artillery battery on that flank has been beaten by counter-battery fire, suffering a loss in two successive turns it has been removed from play. In the infantry battle on the allied right wing, the Austrian brigade has been destroyed. First blood to the Spanish!

Two brigades of Austrians bear down on the Spanish Guards. Off to the right (just out of shot) the Swiss (in Piedmontese) have routed the Spanish Castilian brigade.

After 9 turns the allied cavalry is in contact with the Spanish 2nd line infantry on the far right of the picture. The Austrian Pandours are engaging the left wing of the Spanish line to stop them from helping the right wing. An allied has turned to their right and is bearing down on the Walloon Guards. The Swiss and main Austrian infantry force are closing in on the Spanish in the centre.

Next turn both the Spanish and the Walloon Guards have been defeated, as have the infantry on the Spanish far right.

Another view of the same turn. It's all over for the Spanish. A comprehensive defeat.

Reflections:

10 turns is a brief game for me with TOTSK, but the size of forces was small. The sides were fairly balanced, with the Spanish having more infantry but fewer cavalry and artillery. I think the mistake I made with the Spanish was to move the second line to the right so there was effectively only one line of infantry in the middle. There was little support for the first line who were therefore more likely to lose morale tests. Of course there were two units on the Spanish left who were pinned by the Austrian light troops, and not able to help much. The allied units in the main area of action were all supported. A benefit of their 'oblique attack' (the Austrian FM Traun's plan).

I've packed the game away now as the Kriegskabine will be used by the offspring for a last gathering before one goes to study Colouring-In. Will I run it again? Hmmmm! Maybe, but I'm not feeling it at the moment.

Another ‘Churchill’s Spaniards’ Talk

The author, Séan Scullion, is doing another talk on his book. This time at the Royal Engineers Museum on Saturday 14th September.

If you’re within reach of Gillingham, I would recommend it:

https://www.re-museum.co.uk/

Camposanto set-up

I haven't had chance to get the game played yet. It's ready to go though:

View from behind the Spanish position. The town of Camposanto in the middle of the Spanish position. The main Austro-Piedmontese force on the opposite side, with their light troops on the left. The table is 100x60cm.

View from behind the Austro-Piedmontese centre. Flags are hand-painted, some of which I admit to being proud of, especially the double-headed eagle on the left.

Allied cavalry (left) wing

Allied right wing 

Centre of the Spanish line. Part of the Guardias Españolas brigade on the left, then Brigade Castille, and off to the right (their left) the Guardias Vallonas

Spanish right wing.

Churchill's Spaniards

On Friday I had the double pleasure of a talk at the National Army Museum and a meet up with the Ragged Coated Soldier (aka David in Suffolk) over lunchtime.

The talk was by the author of a new book published by Helion and written by Royal Engineers officer who grew up in Spain, Séan Scullion. The subject was fascinating, even moving in parts, and was delivered with humour and modesty by the author.  There were a number of family members of the Spanish veterans in attendance, who had been key to helping provide information in addition to official archives. The subject concerned about 1200 Spanish exiles who served in the British Army (i.e. excluding RN and RAF). They were mostly (all?) either ex-Republican fighters in the Spanish Civil War, or the older ones of the niños vascos (Basque Children - evacuated from Spain). 

Their routes into the British Army were many and varied, including many trials along the way. Just one example: a Spanish unit that had fought under the French in Norway in 1940, were due to be shipped back to France when France was virtually knocked out of the war. Hundreds of Spaniards refused to embark whereupon their French commanders threatened to decimate them, until the British stepped in and agreed to 'take them on'. The Spaniards wanted to stay with the British in order to continue the fight against fascism.

This is really just the small tip of the large iceberg of Spanish exiles after the SCW. Approximately 400,000 went to France alone (including some of those that ended up in British uniform). They were first regarded as a problem by the French in 1939, (themselves being badly politically split), then found useful when war approached, then back to being problematic when France collapsed in 1940. Many found their way to North Africa and French Middle East, as well as Mexico. 10,000 women and children were later rounded up by the Vichy French and sent to a concentration camp in Germany where most of them died.

Some of the Spanish ended up in 2SAS via Middle East Commando, and service in Crete in 1941. One bore the fabulous name of Francesco Geronimo, though he changed it to 'Frank Williams'. 'Williams!' doesn't have the same ring to it as 'Geronimo' when jumping out of a plane! A number of Spaniards who were captured, and were advised by their British Medical Officer to claim to be Gibraltarians to avoid being singled out for 'special treatment' by their captors.

David and I had a really good chat over lunch in the museum's cafeteria afterwards before I headed off back to work. By the way, if you're ever planning to spend time there, beware that mobile signals are very poor inside!

Here are some links and pictures from the display boards at the museum:

After the War, those who settled in Britain, formed their own ex-servicemen's association (see the pics in the Helion link below). This was active at least into the 1970s. One photo of a parade by the Spanish ex-Servicemen's Association, shown at the talk, included one Luis Gabriel Portillo....father of British ex-Conservative minister and railway enthusiast, Michael Portillo. (See top right of the top picture above)

https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/churchills-spaniards-continuing-the-fight-in-the-british-army-1939-46.php

Introduction to the niños vascos

The Basque Children Association

Trip to Emilia-Romagna

A trip back in time that is. To 1743. The Battle of Camposanto was fought by the Spanish & Neapolitans and the Austro-Piedmontese in the War of the Austrian Succession. Camposanto is a town a dozen miles north east of Modena and 20 north west of Bologna in northern Italy. Wiki gives a handy overview, but I'm also drawing on an old book written in the 1920s by Spenser Wilkinson called the Defence of Piedmont, 1742-1748.

It's a small battle by the standards of most of the historical battles I've gamed solo, but I wanted to blood the Piedmontese and Spanish armies (not counting the Italian campaign I did early in the year). Wiki says the armies were 12-14000 each. Nafziger has handy orders of battle here: https://usacac.army.mil/sites/default/files/documents/carl/nafziger/743BAA.pdf

By my reckoning the totals were:-

Spanish-Neapolitans: 13 squadrons and 37 battalions. Wiki gives 12 guns but Nafziger is silent on the matter.

Austro-Piedmontese: 23 squadrons, 27 battalions and 17 guns (Wiki says 25).

The context for the battle was that de Gages in command of the Spanish had orders to attack the Austrians and their allies. Order which de Gages seemed a bit reluctant to follow. With an attempt to keep his movement secret, de Gages left Bologna and made for Camposanto where he threw up bridges, crossed to the north bank of the Panaro river, and headed west towards Modena. Near Bomporto he discovered the Austro-Piedmontese ensconced in a strong position with flanks protected by the Panaro and another watercourse, the Cavo Fiumicello. The Spanish retreated back to Camposanto where de Gages gave orders for the baggage train to cross the river, preparatory to a retreat back to Bologna. The canny Austrian, Traun made the move on the north side of the Fiumicello, allowing him to circle round the Spanish position in order to attack from the north so de Gages army would fight with a river at its back. When de Gages discovered that the Austro-Piedmontese, had followed him, his retreat was blocked by chaos amongst the baggage train.  The Spanish would have to stand and fight whilst the baggage crossed the river. 

The area of operations, shown on a modern map.

The Spanish position described a shallow trapezoid with the river at the long side, and the town in the middle of that side. The Austro-Piedmontese attacked the right side of the Spanish position (pinning the left with light troops) but the Spanish responded with vigour and even had the upper hand in the early encounters. Gradually the Spanish were ground down but night came early (it was early February) and the fight fizzled out in a stalemate. At 3500 the Spanish losses were nearly twice those of their enemy, but they had held off the attacks. To that extent de Gages could claim success as it had bought time for the baggage to cross the river, and in the night the soldiers followed. He spun this as a victory in his report to Madrid (helped no doubt by some captured colours) and promotions followed for de Gages and his senior officers. Traun too reported a victory, after all when he advanced to continue the action the next morning the Spanish had gone. The Spanish stayed at Bologna until late March, but short of supplies and suffering from disease, they retreated to Rimini where they remained until the campaign season re-opened.

Map downloaded from the Royal Collections (it's a goldmine for old maps!). Rather nice and with lots of detail, only not showing the bends in the river seen on modern maps. Now the river shape may have changed in the last 281 years, but usually rivers are straightened not the opposite (ignoring 're-wilding').

Modern map of the battlefield area. Traun crossed the Doggaro from the north. Looking at Wilkinson's map (below) the Spanish line seems to have started somewhere inside the modern town (possibly near the station), and ended near Case Bruciate.

On this map there appears to be a crossing point on the Panaro just west of the Spanish line, as there is a road both sides which seems to cross the river. Maybe a ford. The southern leg of the road isn't shown on the modern map, but opposite Passo Sant'Anna there is a collection of buildings by the river which might be a clue. Notice how this shows the Austro-Piedmontese starting slightly further west than the French map.

One of the other reasons for choosing Camposanto is because, using Twilight of the Soldier Kings, I can fit it on this thing.

At 60x100cm this is big enough for Camposanto (3000 x 5000 yards at scale). I recently bought a pack of 3 for £35 from Lidl, giving a total area 180x100cm or approx 6ft by 3ft in old money. It folds away and the height is adjustable up to 95cm if I recall correctly, so it should reduce back ache! And it is all much lighter than the kitchen cabinet boards I have been using. The downside is it's a bit wobbly so no leaning on it.

I should be able to get the game on over the weekend.

Stocktake and the Confusing State of German States

After finishing the texturing and flocking of the bases this afternoon, I stuck the new troops' bases on magnetic strip for the Grand Boxing. I cleaned out a spare Ferrero Rocher box as the home for the Saxons. Every other contingent had their own box already. Looking a bit forlorn (7 bases in a box that can hold 21 bases*) I decanted the 4 Bavarian infantry bases and the sole Reicsharmee grenadier base from an Austrian box. This is now the 'German States Allied to Austrian/France' box.

I rooted out the various odds and sods, including the unpainted recent acquisitions and put them all together. It's easier to see what I have left and what other units I can make up.

On an administrative roll, I decided to do a stocktake of my SYW/WAS collection and update my spreadsheet. I have 11 different armies or contingents. Ranging from the Austrians at 93 bases (counting generals and artillery) and Prussians (91) down to the aforementioned Saxons, Bavarians and Reichstruppen. Others, in order of size are French (75), Russian (58), Spanish (27), Piedmontese (26), British (21), Hanoverian (18), and a siege/baggage train (17). The grand total is 438 bases, or 6638 figures give or take. Or 42 field guns, 1174 cav, 5116 inf, of which 4008 are musketeers (i.e. tricorn wearing close order infantry). 

In terms of game BMUs (brigades) this equates to:

• Cavalry: 61.5
• Infantry: 109.5
• Artillery: 21

The total number of figures is slightly above what I estimated: always a pleasing position to be in after a stocktake! Completing this job also clarified where gaps exist and therefore what I should paint the unpainted figures as.

Beyond that, there is plenty for future consideration. Armies that are not represented at all or are grossly under-represented are the Dutch (WAS), Swedes, the Reichsarmee, Britain's other German allies, and France and Austria's other German allies**. Then there are, potentially, the Italian states allied to Spain in the WAS. But even I baulk at the Portuguese, because the Guerra Fantástica was a bit too short.

* Note on the Saxons: This is probably sufficient for the whole of the infantry force in the SYW which fought with the French. These were re-formed from Saxon POWs who were impressed into the Prussian Army as whole regiments, and who later deserted en mass. Most of the cavalry who were taken as POWs were incorporated into existing Prussian cavalry regiments, so mass desertion wasn't so easy. Those that did were incorporated in Saxon foot grenadier units serving with the French. One horse regiment (the Karabiniergarde) and 3 Cheveauxlegers cavalry regiments escaped capture by the Prussians because they were based in Poland at the time of the Saxon surrender in 1756. These all served with the Austrians in the SYW. I might do these regiments later. That would be it for the SYW, but I'd need a lot more for the WAS.

** Note on the Other German Allies: Allied to the British in the SYW, as well as King George II's Hanoverian troops, were Hessen-Kassel, Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and Schaumberg-Lippe. On the other side, as well as the Saxon infantry, the French were seconded by the Palatinate and the Austrians by Bavaria and Württemberg. This is over-and-above the troops those states contributed to the Reichsarmee, and some Reichsarmee units embedded with the Austrians in the Silesian theatre. Confusing isn't it?

All states in the Holy Roman Empire were obliged to supply a number of troops to the Reichsarmee according to pre-set tables. Some states had additional troops, over and above the scale mandated for the Reichsarmee,  which they then hired out to the major powers. The service performed by the Hessians in British pay is quite widely known of. Less familiar are the Palatinate and Würtemberg contingents who served with the French and Austrians respectively, during the SYW. Oddly, the Bavarians and Würtembergers were paid for by the French but served with the Austrians. The level of commitment to the Franco-Austrian cause was variable to say the least.