IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 21.

THE RETURN OF PEACE.

Following the UNION withdrawal from China in March 1871 the UNION armies returned to their bases leaving only a couple of cavalry brigades on the border. These brigades commenced regular long range sweeps into China to ensure the Chinese made no attempts to rebuild or reoccupy the border regions.  The Chinese started a long period of self analysis to try to understand why their armies had been so comprehensively defeated, how the army could be rebuilt and reequipped, how they could reclaim their southern territories and in particular, how to gain revenge on the hated UNION.

In the UNION after the celebrations had ended, the army sought to learn the lessons of the war. One of the first was that heavy artillery should be concentrated into separate brigades. It was decided to form artillery brigades within each army. These brigades would have the existing four heavy battalions supplemented by four new field battalions together with the necessary supporting services.
Another area for improvement was in QM transport capacity. During the preparations for the battle of Harbin, the existing QM transport companies had been hard pressed to stockpile artillery ammunition while continuing to maintain the armies. It was decided to create QM transport battalions on the basis of one for each army. These units would be under the direct control of the army commander and would enable abnormal supply activities to be carried out without jeopardisng  day to day supply operations. Work started on all these reorganisations during the summer of 1871. It was also decided to increase the number of infantry platoons from two per company to three.  These substantial increases in manpower would take some time to complete. Recruitment into the army was increased immediately.

With such an increase in the size of the army together with the clear national realisation that the UNION was surrounded by enemies caused an enhancement in the movement of the UNION and its people towards a militaristic society. Much emphasis was still put on to the civil development of the country and industry and commerce increased substantially, but service in the army became even more a moral duty amongst young men. The existence of the Army Support Service provided continuity of employment for ex soldiers making the choice of a military career even more attractive.

In Mexico the terrorist threat had diminished substantially as UNION search and destroy missions continued unabated. Although there seemed no end in sight to anti terror operations, the army viewed such activities as a good training opportunity and the Mexican government remained very happy with a continuing UNION army presence in their country. Mexico continued to pay for UNION support by the export of raw materials and the UNION gave a number of small contracts to Mexican business for various minor articles that could be made more cheaply than in the UNION while always preserving such manufacturing capabilities in the UNION. All transactions were paid for in gold as UNION currency had no value outside the UNION and the UNION had no means to earn foreign currency.

In mid 1872 the British approached the UNION via Mexico seeking port facilities in the far south of the UNION . This area was about half way between Britain and its colony of Australia. For a long time the British had sought such facilities but the UNION had always previously rejected these approaches. On this occasion the UNION government wondered if in fact such an arrangement might now be beneficial. The UNION was not a sea going nation and the only port as such on the south coast was the small fishing village of Miami. Clearly the existing facilities of Miami would be insufficient for the British but maybe a deal could be done whereby the British would pay for the necessary development. It was also recognised that although Mexico provided a good link to the rest of Tian, other nations knew full well that Mexico was a UNION ally and therefore Mexico had limited access to international strategic thinking. It was thought that development of a relationship with Britain may be useful in this regard on the world stage and in particular in securing access to foreign currency.

Contact was made with Britain and they were invited to send a delegation to the UNION via Mexico. The British delegation arrived in Mexico City on 1st October 1872.

BOOK REVIEW. DUEL UNDER THE STARS

The Memoir Of A Luftwaffe Night Pilot In World War ll.

This is a new book purchased from The Works for only £3. The book describes the authors wartime experiences as a night fighter pilot  on both Eastern and Western fronts. Interestingly he does not describe either his childhood or his politics, indeed he makes no real comment on the Nazi regime. His only motivation appears to be to defend his homeland to the best of his ability. He was quite successful in that ambition shooting down 18 Allied bombers and lots of Russian planes.

The story however is more about a young man engaged in a desperate, frightening activity using obsolescent aircraft in a duel with increasingly sophisticated allied bombers bristling with machine guns. The air battles were not as one sided as is usually thought. The descriptions of day to day life are very interesting but the air to air combats are truly fascinating. There is an excellent chapter describing the authors experiences when forced to land in Switzerland after suffering battle damage. He was amazed at, and enjoyed, before being repatriated, the abundance of things that wartime Germany no longer possessed.

This is an excellent book, it shows that German pilots could be very human as well as ruthless. It also gives a very different  perspective on the results of the allied bombing campaign and how that served to motivate German pilots to continue to fight right up to the end. Overall a very human story by an author it is impossible not to like.

UPDATE

Although we seem to have been getting out and about this past week I have still managed to get some good modelling time. The Pioneer upgrade is complete and I just need to shelve the soldiers. The mixed upgrade of mostly Horse Artillery soldiers is progressing well and only needs varnishing now.
The light GS trailers are finished and have been issued to field artillery battalions. The batch of limbers have been constructed and just need the horse mounting blocks trimming before painting can start as seen below.

As you may have seen I have now posted the photo of the Union wagon train at Brandy Station, a great photo. I have also this week finally got round to setting up a battle photo shoot of an Infantry battalion. It took a lot of time to set up 380 soldiers but the results look good. I took a lot of pictures and now need to select the best and create the post which I will do over the next week.

IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 20

  THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CHINESE ARMY.

As UNION infantry advanced towards Chinese positions on the morning of 1st November 1870 an eerie silence greeted them. Although smoke rolled across the country no fire was received from the Chinese. As the Chinese entrenchments were reached UNION troops found nothing but total destruction. The Chinese trenches had been leveled and only dead Chinese soldiers were present. As UNION troops continued advancing through the Chinese defences a few wounded Chinese soldiers were found, wounded not only physically but also mentally deranged by the awful bombardment to which they had been subjected. The same reports came into UNION command from all fronts. Medical teams were ordered forward to assist the Chinese survivors as the advance continued. By mid afternoon it became clear that the Chinese army of over 300,000 had been destroyed. Harbin had been leveled, only piles of brick showings the fate of the town and its civilian and military inhabitants.

In the north UNION cavalry had taken up blocking positions astride the railway some 35 miles north of Harbin. Over the next few days they reported a  steady flow of Chinese soldiers coming up from Harbin. All were shell shocked and incapable of fighting so were taken prisoner and escorted south for medical treatment. In total only 30,000 Chinese soldiers, mostly wounded, were taken prisoner by UNION forces south of Harbin. In the north, some 100,000 Chinese were taken prisoner and another 25,000 wounded soldiers were  found in the devastated Chinese positions. In total some 155,000 Chinese were captured meaning the remaining 150,000 had been killed. The Chinese defeat was overwhelming. UNION Pioneers started the digging and filling of mass graves .

In Peking the government frantically sought information from their General to no avail. It was not until word reached them via France that the UNION was seeking agreement to repatriate Chinese prisoners that they realised the extent of their defeat. At the end of November arrangements were made for the return of the prisoners who were taken by wagon trains to the end of the railway line about 35 miles north of Harbin and loaded on Chinese trains under UNION cavalry supervision. On this occasion all wounded were repatriated. The war was clearly over.

As soon as the Chinese prisoners had been returned the UNION withdrawal commenced. In accordance with the original plan and with Harbin and the railway north for many miles already destroyed,  UNION railway contractors now began the systematic dismantling of the Chinese railway as UNION troops retired south. UNION cavalry ranged far and wide carrying out a scorched earth campaign. Crops, buildings , trees and bridges were destroyed. The local peasant population were given provisions and sent north. The human suffering was great but UNION security took precedence. The long march out of China continued for months until the border was finally reached by the cavalry rearguards in March 1871. During the later stages of the withdrawal many displaced Chinese peasants followed the UNION troops as trekking north was just not practical. By the time the border was reached some 20,000 Chinese peasants were scattered along the border, their villages destroyed and crops burned.

Public opinion in the UNION demanded that something be done to help these refugees. After lengthy negotiations via France , during which time military rations were provided to the refugees, agreement was finally reached to repatriate them via France. This was effected by loading them on trains for the long journey to France.

The war against China had been won. The Chinese countryside from the border to Harbin 1000 miles away had been depopulated and devastated and the Chinese army destroyed. The UNION could look forward to a period of peace and prosperity. The Chinese could only look forward to revenge.

BATTLE PHOTO SHOOT. BRANDY STATION WAGON TRAIN.

     

After taxing my digital skills to their utmost I at last have been able upload this photo onto my blog, it has been very hard work !!!!!

The photo is the one I saw on the TV series The Civil War and which Ion of Archduke Piccolo blog identified for me. It was taken in 1863 at Brandy Station and show a Union wagon train which has just arrived and has been corralled to facilitate protection from Confederate cavalry attack.

I find this photo absolutely amazing in respect of the sheer numbers of wagons involved bearing in mind that this is just a single train from dozens if not hundreds in service on both sides. I think it demonstrates clearly the ability of the humble wagon to deliver the logistical needs of huge armies.
By my best count there at least 300 wagons in the shot, each containing at least 2 tons of cargo, an astounding amount by any standards. That said, that on the retreat from Gettysburg, the Confederate wagon trains alone totaled around 4000 wagons and occupied over 30 miles of road. Also remember that all those wagons were more or less hand made. Although some parts like wheels were mass produced,  the bulk of the construction was still carried out by individual craftsmen, the production line did not come into use for wagons until the 1870s.

I know I am a logistics geek but I dare you not to be impressed by this photograph too.

UPDATE

In this weeks update I have again to report that I have made only limited progress. With lock down easing yet more we have been out and about  quite a lot.
I have now completed the painting of the field police upgrade and only the varnishing remains to be done. I have also just started a mixed upgrade group. This comprises some new soldiers for horse artillery regiments, additional QM sergeants for infantry battalions and new QM men for field artillery battalions. This upgrade represents a number of minor changes to personnel levels in these units.
The batch of new light GS trailers are almost finished with only the wheels needing painting. I plan to start building a batch of limbers shortly. All these vehicles are intended for field artillery battalions and will accompany the observation trailers which will be built soon.
A new milestone was reached this week in that I now have 50,108 soldiers in service with my armies. The authorised strength of the armies is 51,696 so not much further to go before I have to decide what I do next. There may yet be a few more organisational changes to be made but essentially I will have to build a new display unit for another army if my hobby is to continue in it's present form.  The big problem is finding the wall space for another display unit. I currently have no idea where that space is to be found.
Finally, some readers will recall that I mentioned in my book post about Wagons For The Santa Fe Trail that I had seen a photo of a huge wagon train from the Civil War on TV. Well Ion of Archduke Piccolo blog has found that photo for me. Many Thanks Ion, I now have a copy on my email.

BOOK REVIEW. WAGONS FOR THE SANTA FE TRAIL.

This is a new book to me although originally published in 2000. It describes the wagons and their makers as used to supply the Western frontier especially Santa Fe from 1822 to 1880.

The book is the result of many years research into wagons types, manufacturers and the history generally of the wagon trains supplying the outposts of civilisation in the West of the USA. In that regard it really is a masterpiece. Everything you could want is here including construction techniques, wagon factories and makers and the evolution of wagons over the years.

This book once again proves that the humble wagon was capable of moving enormous quantities of supplies over huge distances. The sheer numbers involved in supplying the West are staggering in terms of wagons used, tons of supplies carried and the miles traveled.

Overall an excellent book and recommended for those interested in this aspect of the Old West as well as those interested in 19th century logistics generally, like me !!!!!

Just as an aside, I have been watching the Civil War series on TV. It has been on many times over the years but I always seem to see something new. Last night there was a photo of a military wagon train drawn up by a river. The number of wagons must have been in the hundreds at least. Such an impressive shot, I would love to find that picture, I must do a bit of research.

IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 19.

  THE LONG MARCH INTO CHINA AND PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE.

Following their victory in Mukden the Chinese army slowly retreated towards Harbin. Some troops were carried north by returning empty supply trains while the Generals looked for opportunities to inflict further defeats on the UNION. The UNION forces followed the Chinese ever north at a respectful distance using their cavalry to maintain the immediate pursuit while remaining constantly on guard against a Chinese ambush. The march towards Harbin, almost 850 miles away, took some 9 weeks.

On 17th October 1870 the UNION army was only 35 miles from Harbin. Cavalry were some twenty miles closer watching the Chinese forces constructing fortifications about 10 miles south of Harbin. It seemed clear that the Chinese retreat had ended and they were preparing to give battle.

In fact the Chinese retreat had been stopped on the direct orders of the Government in Peking. Although pleased with the victory at Mukden, they could not tolerate the seemingly endless retreat in the face of the hated UNION army. The Chinese General in command knew full well the likely result of a stand against UNION firepower and his own fate in such circumstances. He opted to remove himself from command with a bullet to the head. The government dispatched the senior political general to assume command and carry out their orders.

This worthy rushed south. On arrival his assistants indicated that with the whole army concentrated in a solid block on a front of only fifty miles south  of Harbin, they were at serious risk of being outflanked and attacked from the rear. The new general immediately gave orders for about half of his forces to refuse the eastern flank in a northerly direction for about 30 miles. This was considered sufficient to protect from an out flanking maneuver by the UNION. The whole Chinese army now engaged in extensive construction of defensive works all along their southern and eastern front,  but still observed by UNION cavalry. UNION command issued instructions for Army Group B to move to the east and advance north to match the Chinese lines whilst remaining out of sight but within artillery range. Army Group A moved to within five miles of the Chinese southern front. Huge volumes of artillery ammunition were rushed forward to  all UNION positions and stockpiled. All was set for a UNION attack on 29th October.

On the appointed day 24 battalions of UNION heavy artillery, now organised into ad hoc brigades, opened long range fire on Harbin from the south while in the east the bombardment fell on the railway line going north from Harbin. On both fronts a total of 48 battalions of field artillery commenced fire on the Chinese defensive positions. The UNION bombardment continued non stop for three days and nights. Exhausted UNION gunners worked in relays to maintain the relentless assault on the Chinese in what was easily the heaviest artillery barrage ever seen  at that time. Chinese artillery, hopelessly out ranged and unable to reach UNION positions, was destroyed along with the rest of the Chinese army under an inferno of explosions.

On 1st November the UNION artillery barrage slowly subsided and UNION infantry began to advance on all fronts while cavalry brigades moved far to the north to block Chinese communications.

BATTLE PHOTO SHOOT. CAVALRY.

Here is the second post in this new series, this time focusing on 9th Cavalry regiment, one of 18 such regiments in my armies. I really will try to improve the background next time !!!!

The above picture shows the regiment drawn up with the four squadrons facing the enemy, the command group in the centre and the regimental wagon lines in the rear.

One of the squadrons with officers and NCO's in front.

The command group, the Colonel, adjutant, RSM and flag bearers.

The wagon lines. Only two wheeled vehicles are used in Cavalry regiments to enable good cross country performance. The soldiers of the supporting services travel  on the vehicles.

 The regimental aid post ready for casualties and the signals trailer receiving orders.

The field kitchen and water trailer ready to provide breakfast.

And a final flank shot of the regiment ready for action. I hope these photos give a better appreciation of the war-gaming potential of my armies as well as a visual understanding of their sheer size measured against the two by two foot board used as a base.

UPDATE

Once again only a moderately productive week. The infantry battalion upgrade has been completed and the soldiers now await issue. I have started the field police upgrade in that the uniform paint colour has been applied. Next steps will be rank and arm of service colours. I have also started a batch of 36 light GS trailers. The bodies are made and tilts have been added along with poles.  Next steps are to add wheels and towing hooks as these vehicles are intended for field artillery battalions to tow the observation trailers, which are yet to be made.
This week has, as predicted, been spent in going out more now that lock down has been eased. The coming week will no doubt be similar. The big high light last week for me was to get a haircut after four months !!!! Quite a relief I can say.
Some may recall that I posted a photo shoot of an artillery battalion a while ago. I have now completed a shoot of a cavalry regiment. I have not managed to find or create any sort of background so the shoot again took place on a blank two foot square board. However I still think it shows the unit off well so will publish the photos later this week.

BOOK REVIEW. AN UNAPPRECIATED FIELD OF ENDEAVOUR.

I have had this book since publication in 2017. Recently Mark at MANOFTIN blog mentioned it to me as something I may find of interest. Thanks Mark. However it made me look again at the book and I thought it worth reviewing.

The book is an exhaustive record of  British Army logistics in the First World War. It is very well researched and full of wonderful details. It does tend to focus a bit more more on the bigger picture rather than the front line practicalities however it demonstrates clearly the effort made by Britain in the war and illustrates the enormous costs involved.

My one criticism is not of content but of layout. It is not uncommon to have footnotes at the bottom of pages to enlarge on or reference a point in the narrative. In this book that concept reaches extraordinary proportions. On most of the pages the footnotes cover half or more of the actual page. It is like reading two books at once. In fact it can be hard to follow the narrative because the eye is drawn to the footnotes and the thread is lost. Now the footnotes are fascinating and highly informative but there must be a better way, perhaps the narrative just needs to be expanded to incorporate more detail rather than leave it down below. That would make the book easier to read for sure.

That point aside, this is an excellent book and well worth reading if you want an understanding of logistics in WW1.

IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 18.

A UNION DISASTER.

At dawn on 11 August 1870 UNION troops launched an unauthorised assault on the Chinese town of Mukden. As artillery fire pounded the town, UNION infantry advanced to the edge of the built up area. As they started entering the town they came under rifle fire from hidden snipers. As the waves of UNION troops started to pile up in the first few buildings they suddenly came under heavy cannon fire from both flanks where the Chinese had hidden their artillery in orchards. Almost immediately thousands of Chinese troops arose from other hidden positions both in the town and the orchards and flooded over the UNION forces in overwhelming numbers. Desperate hand to hand fighting started while  Major General Custer watched in disbelief as his soldiers disappeared under waves of Chinese troops. Immediately he personally led the infantry battalions of the other brigade to the rescue.

The fighting raged for over three hours while the UNION command tried to grasp what was happening from the confused and desperate messages coming in from the two brigades. By 11 am the fighting died down as the Chinese forces left Mukden to rejoin their main army as it continued marching north. In the meantime UNION cavalry had been ordered to leave the now redundant rendezvous and move south to investigate what was going on in that town.

The artillery,  supporting and command battalions of both of Custer's'brigades were still in position one mile east of Mukden. Of the ten infantry battalions of the two brigades there was no sign other than a light trickle of walking wounded returning from the town. A single cavalry regiment was ordered to advance on the town carefully and report. The scene they found was disastrous. Immediately both brigades medical battalions were ordered forward with both Pioneer battalions. One cavalry brigade was ordered to follow up the withdrawing Chinese.

Both within and round the edges of Mukden a dreadful sight met the incoming Pioneer and Medical units. The battlefield in every direction was covered with UNION and Chinese bodies in huge numbers. Work commenced to save the wounded. A report was submitted to UNION command a few hours later. It reported that of the five infantry battalions of the first brigade not a single man survived. It was clear the Chinese had killed any wounded they found. Of the second five infantry battalions just 112 men had been found unwounded and barricaded in a row of houses along with over 300 wounded. All the rest were found dead including Custer. Total UNION casualties were almost 10,000. Over 13,000 dead Chinese were counted. No Chinese wounded were found but many of the dead had head wounds leading to the conclusion the Chinese had killed those  too badly injured to walk away.

UNION command recognised that the Chinese had laid a deadly trap and Custer had fallen into it. The retreating Chinese were delighted with their victory, a new way of defeating the UNION had been found,  the ambush tactics negated UNION fire power and enabled the Chinese to use their huge numbers successfully.   A lesson for both sides.

The Chinese withdrawal continued towards Harbin while UNION forces slowly followed preceded by cavalry. The remnants of the two shattered brigades were withdrawn to their bases back in the UNION and replaced by new brigades from 2nd army. Both sides planned their next moves.

UPDATE

This week I have only been moderately productive on the modelling front. With the easing of lock down we have ventured out on a couple of days other than for walks and this will no doubt continue over the coming weeks.

The batch of GS wagons has been finished and the vehicles issued. The infantry battalion is still in hand, another couple of painting operations are needed to complete. I have also prepared the screws needed to upgrade the Field Police battalions as mentioned some time ago.

On another matter, I have experienced an upsurge of interest in my blog recently. I am delighted to report I now have four followers and three email followers. I am so grateful for this interest and support. The downside of Blogspot is that it is very hard to actually identify who my followers are, if you are one ...thanks. If you have any requests for posts on particular matters, please let me know. I will endeavor to make my blog as interesting as possible to all.

The big excitement for me in the coming week is a haircut booked for Wednesday !!!!!! The last one was early March, my hair has not been this long since the 70s, cant wait.

BOOK REVIEW. UP AMONG THE PANDIES.

This is the last of the books I bought from Naval Military Press. For those who wonder what Pandies are I will explain. That is the generic name for Sepoy mutineers during the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58. One of the first mutineers was named Pandy hence the nickname.

This book is a reprint of a volume written in 1859 by a Lieutenant who sailed to India with the relief forces after the outbreak of the Mutiny. Given the sailing time in those days he arrived towards the end of the uprising and only took part in one battle.

The book is very typical of the era in that the author spends about 80% of the content describing scenery, sunsets and places in lengthy, flowery prose. I think many of this time period liked to demonstrate their level of education and sophistication in this way. I am afraid I find reading five pages about palanquins for example,  dull and pointless and something to be endured in order to read the real substance of the book.

As mentioned, the author only took part in one battle but he gives excellent descriptions of the action as he saw it. The only other really interesting elements to me in the book are the passages about his travel out to India and camp life in general. 

Although only 20% of the book is worthwhile reading to me,  I have to admit that if you want highly detailed descriptions of life in India at this time, and you can cope with the use of ten words where only one would suffice, this is an excellent book.

IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 17.

  THE FIRST MAJOR BATTLE OF THE INVASION OF CHINA.

On the morning of 10th August 1870 the Chinese and UNION armies, with a combined strength of over 615,000, found themselves only 5 miles apart about 850 miles south east of Harbin, just over 150 miles north west of the border. 

Using reconnaissance information from UNION cavalry, who now retired to the far western edge of the battlefield,  heavy artillery battalions commenced a steady bombardment of the oncoming Chinese forces while the UNION armies spread out into battle formation. As both sides inched closer together, UNION field artillery also started sending heavy barrages into the Chinese masses. Chinese artillery was at that time still out of range despite Chinese efforts to move their artillery to the vanguard of their army. The leading elements of the two armies finally came to within a mile of each other and both sides edged to the east and west seeking an opportunity to out flank the other. UNION artillery was  now inflicting very heavy losses on the Chinese army but Chinese artillery had  finally came within range of the UNION positions. As soon as they opened fire however , they were subjected to  ferocious counter battery fire which inflicted huge losses. 

UNION commanders had already decided not to launch infantry assaults on the Chinese until the artillery fire had broken Chinese cohesion. UNION infantry and heavy weapons now came into action with heavy long range fire on the leading elements of the Chinese army. The Chinese commander , if he had ever had any doubt as to UNION firepower, could see clearly that his army was already beginning to melt away under the fierce UNION bombardment. He decided that launching an attack would only result in huge casualties with little prospect of success. He therefore ordered his troops to commence a slow withdrawal whilst his officers desperately sought other strategies for victory.

As the Chinese slowly withdrew, taking their wounded and even burying the dead, UNION generals were elated with such a cheap victory. It was ordered that UNION forces , in battle formation, would follow the Chinese till dusk at which time the cavalry would take over the pursuit. Dusk came and the UNION armies halted for the night, the Chinese however continued marching. UNION cavalry moved from the west to follow the Chinese . They soon reported that Chinese troops covering the western flank had moved into a small town and seemed to have halted for the night. There seemed to be an opportunity to out flank the Chinese if UNION infantry could by pass this town during the night. This could enable an assault on the unguarded Chinese flank sometime next day perhaps causing the whole Chinese position to collapse.

The UNION commanding general gave orders for two infantry brigades to by-pass the Chinese held town during the night, link up with the cavalry and launch a combined assault on the Chinese flank in the morning. The UNION major general commanding the two brigades , by the name of Custer, had orders to link up with the cavalry army of six brigades and subordinate himself to the lieutenant general commanding that force. As his troops got underway, however, Custer decided that with only 15 miles to march to reach the agreed rendezvous with the cavalry , his troops could actually attack the Chinese held town and secure a victory which he considered would greatly boost UNION moral.

He decided to launch his attack on the town with just one brigade. His troops formed up to attack at dawn. Unknown to him, the Chinese had set a trap for just such an occurrence. The Chinese troops in the town, who were far more numerous than the UNION cavalry had reported, knowing they had been under UNION cavalry surveillance, had moved out of the town after dark and had then entrenched in a semi circle around the town with the open side facing east, exactly the direction from which any UNION attack would come. At dawn the UNION infantry brigade opened an artillery bombardment on the town and the infantry assault began.