Sunday, March 13

Classic FM Hall of Fame 2016 vote...

...while you wait for the game report (which is wholly dependant on me finding some time to actually play the damn thing.. ), you may (and may not) be interested in my vote in this years Classic FM "Hall of Fame" [clicky]..  for those of you who fancy it, pop over and put in your three favourite classical pieces..who knows you may even win a prize...

In first place, a piece of music I have raved about in the past [clicky] "Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of the Alhambra)" by Francisco Tárrega. Last time I gave a version by John Williams (exquisite) this time by way of a change this is Ana Vidovic ...  many players have a tendency to race the piece, and she doesn't... she's also (as the Legatus would say) "splendid" in the looks department.. 


Second, Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" from the 'Vesperae solemnes de confessore, KV 339' ...  just to show that there is no right way to arrive at classical music*, I first heard this in an episode of Inspector Morse..  I love it...  at our wedding, the current Mrs Steve the Wargamer walked down the aisle to a version of this played on the organ - I think this version is monumental, but by way of contrast I would also recommend those by Emma Kirkby and also by Katherine Jenkins...


* ...to prove it I can only offer in evidence that my enjoyment of opera, yes, opera , came from Malcolm McLaren, and yes again, he of the Sex Pistols..

Third - this is the most peaceful and mentally easing piece of music I think I have ever heard (though Thomas Tallis is also to be recommended)...  and this is just the most beautiful rendition of it (by the choir of New College, Oxford)... darken the room, find a comfortable chair, get a glass/mug/cup of your favourite concoction and lose yourself...


Friday, March 11

"One Hour Wargames" - Scenario 7 - "Flank Attack (2)" - Set up

March, and only just getting round to the first game - outrageous...   DG and I were supposed to play this between Christmas and New Year!

So a return to the truly excellent "One Hour Wargames" book, and the next scenario in our leisurely run through each of the scenario's in the back of the book - the challenge was issued and DG accepted...

So the following game was played out on the standard 4' square table I usually use for the scenario's and as we had enjoyed scenario #4 ("Take the High Ground" [clicky]), we decided to make this an American Civil war outing as well.

Last time we used the rules straight out of the book (all two pages of them !), but after the game DG and I had a very enjoyable exchange of emails making changes, suggesting additions, modifying and generally titivating and after 3 releases we now have our version if Neil's rules which will be used for this game...

Forces were random - 6 units again (as per the previous scenario's) all units start on table, but with the added scenario complication that they are not all in the right place as far as the defending Union player is concerned. I used the same modified the random table we used in the last game:

Infantry
Musket
Infantry
Rifle
Zouaves Artillery Cavalry
1
4
-
1
1
-
2
4
-
-
1
1
3
4
1*
1
-
-
4
4
1*
-
1
-
5
4
1*
-
-
1
6
3
-
1
1
1

*Roll again 1/2/3 = Inf Musket, 4/5/6 = Zouave

For this game DG rolled 4, I rolled 3, with both DG and my modified rolls  coming up "Infantry Musket"..

So I have 5 Infantry regiments, and a regiment of Zouaves, DG has 5 infantry regiments and a battery of artillery.

We then diced for attacker/defender - winner to decide what he wanted to be... I threw a 6 (!), DG threw 2, so I decided to defend - I didn't fancy advancing in the face of DG's emplaced artillery battery, and as the rules require either move or fire I'm hoping that I can keep DG on the hop....

As per the above, the scenario posits the situation that a Union force (me) has deployed on a large hill waiting for an attack from their front, but are attacked by a Confederate force (DG) from their left flank (four units), while also being pinned frontally (remaining two units). Choice of army is therefore key for both attacker and defender, hence you might modify your decision based on what you throw on the random table. The winning objectives are tough - if I have "exclusive occupation" of the large hill at the end of the game then I win, any other result and it is DG's win.

In the following - the large hill where I will deploy is obvious, the Confederate flank deployment area is marked by the white pins (it has a wood in the bottom left corner of it)...   two further Confederate units deploy at the bottom facing north (ie. the top of the table).. 


So on to the game.. Saturday or Sunday hopefully... promises to be fun!

Wednesday, March 9

Camel Corps in the Sudan

...the period is slightly late, but Ralphus [clicky] put up this cracking video he'd found on YouTube of Egyptian Camel Corps patrolling in the Sudan around or about 1900 - so just 10 years after Omdurman..

It's interesting to see how the camels were loaded  especially the one's carrying what looks like ready use ammunition, but also that the camels all appear to be similar in colour and that colour quite light...  food for thought...


..  amazing!