'The German Army at Cambrai', Jack Sheldon

Jack Sheldon (British Army, Retired) has done a lot to redress the balance of historical perspective on the events of the First World War. His command of the German language, combined with thirty five years of military service and an astute analytical mind, have allowed him to delve into the extant German military records of the time to offer the missing German perspective on the events of the time.

This account of the Battle of Cambrai in 1917 is comprehensive in its use of primary source documents ranging from personal accounts and letters to unit war diaries and official histories as it chronicles the battle. Gone is much of the 'mystique' of the battle as it might have been portrayed in our largely anglo-centric accounts. Now we have a superbly masterminded attack in which the British army shows its ability to employ new technologies to break the western front deadlock. We also see a superb effort by the German commanders to engineer a massive counter attack in a limited space of time as they struggle to muster the forces and logistical support to stabilise the front line and try to take back territory.

In the German post battle analyses we see the basis for the German spring offensives of 1918. We also see the lie to the claims of incompetence laid against the British High Command for in their counter attacks we see German troops too taking terrible casualties in their counter offensives.

Of particular interest are the descriptions of troops in the counter attack. There is in post combat accounts frequent reference to short and long tactical bounds, and the use of smoke screens, as both British and German troops go into the assault. These are not the pointless assaults of which popular literature is so full (perhaps best epitomised by Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder as if this were a reputable historical source), infantry marching across no man's land shoulders hunched against machine gun bullets as if walking into a rain storm. Death favoured no side as dreadful casualties mounted for Britain and German alike.

Sheldon's account is refreshing, lacking as it does in jingoism and emotional bias, based as it is on clear evidence. In all of his books Sheldon adds balance to what has for decades been a one sided debate that has pandered to what we would want to believe.

No war is nice, no war is clean. In war, men and women die. Sheldon's accounts ensure that our views of the First World War are better informed than they have been.

When does washing make things dirtier?

When you are applying a 'wash' to AFVs. A few more of the ex Gerard vehicles, two Pzkw IVs, two Czech 38t's and a Czech 35t. These had two black washes applied, and were then lined out with a light grey. The Czech tanks were (I think) only used in Rommel's 7th Panzer Division in France in 1940, and weren't mixed with Pzkw IIIs. The Pzkw IVs [provide the heavy tanks for the armoured regiments.

The 35t

Pzkw IV

A little progress at a time. It's term break next week, so maybe I'll accelerate activity, and even get these guys onto a table for some games. No promises, mind you.

Settling in to the 20mm France 1940 project

It was the Christchurch annual Bring and Buy last weekend and yes I did spend a little. Well VERY little actually. I picked up this 1/72 scale Pzkw II from Tony. Yep that was all.. no seriously, with all that goodness available there.. that was ALL I bought. But I needed (yes NEEDED) it for the 1940 France project using the Spearhead rules. With the 6mm army for the same theatre/period pretty much done, it was time to turn the attention back to the 20mm version so that Nick and I can enjoy some more Spearhead 'gaming goodness.

The PzII as purchased

The same Pzkw II repainted for France 1940

And the two kids posing together. Lovely looking family, aren't they

Now here is that Kubelwagon I began on the 12 hour paint-a-thon. It'll make a nice artillery observer stand.

You may also recall the Pzkw IIIs and IVs that I bought from Gerard. I decided to add my own little bit of flavour to these, so I first gave them a wash with Citadel's Nuln Oil wash. This turned out to be a bad move. There appeared to be a chemical reaction between the base paint and the wash. I'd seen this the week before when I applied the Nuln oil to Tamiya German Grey, but I'd forgotten this when I gave the tanks a wash (yep, a slow learner). This meant that I had to touch them up, and then give them a wash using watered down black paint. They were finished with a simple and crude lining out using a dark grey.

The five Pzkw IIIs completed and ready for table top action. I may yet give them all a base.

One of the Pzkw IIIs in detail

6mm vehicles - quick 'runs on the board'

Had these undercoated, with bases ready to go, for several weeks, so it seemed a good idea to get some more quick painting 'runs on the board' by finishing them tonight. These are the 6mm British vehicles for the 1940 British army.

There are some Mk I Matildas, some A9s, A10s, and one extra A13 to offer a couple of armoured options for the British. Specifically I can do a couple of armoured regiment options, and also an independent armoured brigade with the Matildas.

The vehicles on the painting board

One of the A9s

The ever glorious Matilda Mk I

A10s

That saw some quick runs on the board with that side of the project completed. Now to the 20mm armour that has been sitting partially finished.

Another Saturday of small battles

First Saturday after the great 12 hour paint-a-thon, and the College boys had a HotT game and a 40K game going on.

The HotT game saw the greeblie army taking on my own Spiders. This was the first game with the completed greeblies on painted bases.

It was a Greeblie victory.

Meantime two new recruits were introduced to 40K with small tau forces.

It's all good fun.

Warhammer 40K - in which my own incompetence is punished

Well, it's been a while but I finally got together with Adrian for a game. We chose Warhammer 40K. Why? We don't think the rules system is that flash but it is workable, and we love pushing the gorgeous miniature around the table. We have reverted to 4th edition, and are very happy with the games we get from the system.

I opted to field my Lost and the Damned army, while Adrian chose his Tau.

The scenario saw us set up in opposite table quarters, with control of quarters as the defining victory condition. Adrian managed to score first move, and the L&tD casualties kicked off straight away.

Some of Adrian's gorgeous Tau army.. a Hammerhead.

My Chaos Space Marines and Chaos Dreadnought advanced on my right flank, looking to take the table quarter to their front.

On my left I locked my flank with the ruins in the table centre, and pushed forward on my left looking for cover in a forest.

End of turn 1

Turn 2 and casualties were mounting rapidly

My mutants made it to the ruins in the quarter on my right.

My push on my far left was rapidly whittled down with Tau fire

The Tau right flank facing my left

Not a lot left of my left after another turn of Tau fire

My Defiler missed most of its shots, in my 3rd turn taking down a Tau hammerhead, but all too late.

By the end of turn 3 it was all over. My Traitor Thunderhawk Gun ship had failed to pass a reserve roll, and so never appeared, depriving me of some essential firepower.

Mind you, as we sat and dissected the game afterwards I realised I'd misread my own army lists and had failed to use two further Traitor squads. So I'd effectively had 1100 points against Adrian's 1500 points. Adrian had repeatedly said he couldn't understand how he'd managed to outnumber me so much. Good reason.. incompetence on my part.

But when it was all said and done, we'd pushed some cool figures around the table, and had a good yarn in which we'd solved a significant number of the world's problems.

12 hour paint-a-thon conclusion

Well, it's done. We didn't quite make the 12 hours, even we two adults flagged after 11 hours and packed up. So was it successful?

Not sure really. One of the boys completed his Greeblie HotT army, but none on the others managed this. They took on too much for a start. I ought to have advised them to start with a dozen figures and got them to finish those. The sense of accomplishment might have been far greater.
We'll see what their attitudes are like next week.

For my part, I completed the Sdkfz 222, and the Vickers Mk VI. The Sdkfz 232 is almost complete, but I face the lace-like radio antenna array with some trepidation. The PzI is partly done, but trying to assemble it in the time available was optimistic. The running  gear needed time for the glue to harden properly  (it is too finely moulded and brittle to take chances with) so that has been set aside for a while before I recommence work. I discovered that there was a Kubelwagon with the 222 kit (an added bonus), but again I had to leave that to allow glue to harden. However it will do nicely as an artillery observer element in the 1940 German army.

The Matilda II was base coated ready for assembly, but there it sits.

So, over all I think it was worthwhile. I learnt a few things (like how much pizza 14 and 15 year old boys can eat), but I need to get the boys to 'chunk' their projects much much more (in the same way that I teach them to 'chunk' content for learning .. and I thought I;'d done that with their painting plans). Obvious really, you'd think I should have known that.

I think we'll repeat the exercise next year. And now, a wine and some sleep.