BOOK REVIEW: FIELD GUNS IN FRANCE.

 This is a book from my library. It was written by a regular army officer who went to France in 1915 in command of an 18 lb field gun battery. He remained in command of various batteries throughout the war before being gassed in summer 1918.

The author had an unusual attitude to war which meant his chief pleasure was to "snipe" German troops in the front lines with his battery. His view was that the more Germans he killed the better. It was almost like a form of sport, scoring as many hits as possible. In fact he actually kept a "game book" of German soldiers he personally killed. A rather cold blooded approach some may think but I guess he was just being perhaps more honest about his role as a professional soldier than usual.

Overall a good book with lots of interesting details about life in a gun battery from the perspective of the commanding officer.

UPDATE.

Well once again not much to report this week. For some reason we seen to have been very busy doing walks and shopping, which is strange as most shops are shut !!!!! As a result I again have not had much modelling time. The artillery observation wagons have been built and initial priming has been done. I have also applied the uniform colour to the final heavy weapons companies needed to complete the upgrading of my infantry battalions. The cavalry upgrade remains unfinished.

I have today however drafted three more chapters of my Imagi-nations saga as well as six more book reviews so after a long day at the computer screen I now have square eyes !!!!!! If you read last weeks update please let me have your comments on the little video we did, was it of interest and would others be worthwhile ?????

IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 29.

 A LONG PERIOD OF PEACE.

From 1876 till 1884 the UNION was at peace. The economy boomed and living standards rose with each passing year. The only conflict was in Mexico where rebels continued to make sporadic raids on isolated settlements near the border with Iran. UNION troops maintained anti terrorist operations in these areas occasionally catching gangs of mainly Iranian fighters which usually resulted in a short fight with no prisoners.

During this period the UNION army had completed a number of organisational changes to bring the army to the structure we find today. This included the creation of heavy weapons companies in all infantry battalions with just one heavy weapons battalion being retained in each army under Army Command direct control. In addition artillery brigades had been abolished. The field artillery battalions had been allocated to infantry brigades while the heavy artillery battalions had been retained as Army Command controlled units. War experience had resulted in the design, construction and issue of new artillery guns and rifles and several vehicle types had also been either replaced or upgraded during these years. Another innovation was the creation of the 10th Reserve Army. Previously  reservists had only been used to replace casualties but with the years of peace the number of reservists available had increased to the extent that sufficient surplus men were available to man a whole army. Although this army would only be called up in a serious situation, all the weapons, equipment and vehicles for the whole army were manufactured and put into a huge store at Rock Island Arsenal.

The port of Miami had grown considerably over the years as more and more British merchant ships called. In July 1882 British warships also started using the port as a base of operations. A large timber trade operated using Canadian wood brought south by train for export to Australia. In addition Mexican coal was imported by train to Miami for the use of British ships. Although the UNION only earned railway transport fees they were happy to support the Mexican and Canadian economies. It had long been UNION policy that UNION made products and raw materials would never be exported for strategic reasons. However the emergence of the UNION into the wider TIAN community created demands for trade that that were best met by facilitating trade between the UNION'S various allies and friends.

In that respect the question of trade with Ukraine had also been addressed. The people of Ukraine had long requested the establishment of trading links with the UNION. They said that transport routes to Russia from the Ukrainian population centres around Kiev were far more difficult than the routes to the UNION. Although the UNION had refused, under the terms of the peace with Russia, to build a railway between Richmond and Kiev, they had cooperated in developing the road between those two cities to the highest possible standards. As a result Ukrainian food products, iron ore and coal was regularly transported by wagon to Richmond with usually either British or Mexican products making the return journey. Much of these Ukrainian materials ended up as supplies for British ships in Miami. 

The Russians had indicated their extreme unhappiness with these developments but were quite unable to offer any alternative. However the Russian government was convinced that this growing trade would over time lead to a move by the UNION to annex Ukraine. This concern was exacerbated in March 1883 by the establishment of a UNION sponsored and staffed agricultural school in Kiev following requests by the Ukrainian government. The Russians were fearful of UNION military strength but realised that if they ever wanted to recover Ukraine or at the least preserve an independent buffer state they would have to consider another war, perhaps an ally could be found to help in making this idea more palatable.

In China the government had , following the war, engaged in rebuilding their armies. Chinese industry was even more under developed than in Russia so like that nation, it was very hard to construct sufficient weapons to equip the army. However the Chinese burned with a hatred of the UNION and saw the recovery of their devastated southern territory as an essential goal, and the sooner the better.

Germany had been able to rebuild their army more quickly than China and Russia but realised that they had to become much stronger to take on the UNION army again if they ever wanted to recover what they saw as their stolen lands in the west of the old Federation. To that end conscription had been expanded to create over the years a huge pool of trained manpower. It would soon be time to test this new German army.

In the Arab countries north of Mexico the religious fundamentalism pervasive in those nations had become ever more extreme over the years and had focused on the UNION as the arch enemy. This was mainly due to the UNION's success in thwarting Arab efforts to subvert Mexico. With no real industry the Arabs had historically bought weapons from China. However the Chinese  had nothing to spare after the war as everything they could produce was being used to re-arm themselves. Britain, France and even Germany still refused to sell the Arabs weapons, however Russia saw an opportunity to at least cause difficulties for the UNION so in 1880 started supplying weapons, ammunition and explosives  to the Arabs in large quantities,  at the expense of arming their own troops. These munitions were shipped to  Mombasa in Africa and taken by caravan into the Arab countries, a slow journey meaning it took some years to accumulate a sufficient stockpile.

By early 1885 the Arabs were ready to initiate a Holy war in Mexico.

UPDATE.

I did not do an update last week, just too busy although I am not sure what with !!!!! I have managed some modelling time but not too much. I did complete the batch of ammunition wagons but the cavalry upgrade is still outstanding. However I have started construction of a batch of artillery observation wagons.

 As an experiment I have included below a short video my wife made which I hope will be of interest. It has been a real struggle to get the video small enough to fit on blogger. If this is of interest I may do more just to keep the blog fresh and give another dimension to my posts. Please let me have your comments.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW : FLAK 88. OWNERS WORKSHOP MANUAL.

 As I have mentioned before I often buy books in The Works as they are so cheap. I have seen this book before but dismissed it as a gimmick and not a serious book. However on my last visit I actually picked up the book and had a look. prompted by the fact that, like so many others I made lots of the Airfix 88 gun kits as a boy. Was I surprised !!!! The book is excellent.

Most of the content is based on post war US Army analysis and inspection of the gun using captured examples. Also used are translations of the original technical manuals. The result is a highly detailed examination of this very important and hugely successful weapon. There is a good history of the gun's development, it's tactical use and the development of the 88 from its original anti aircraft role into a tank buster  and use in tanks like the Tiger and Panther.

The technical chapters are fascinating including even the daily maintenance tasks required of the crew.  The gun was a typical example of German engineering, superbly made but probably too complex and therefore expensive and hard to make in quantity, a problem affecting the majority of German military vehicles and equipment through out the war.

Other interesting items include the fact that the vast majority of these guns were used as flak to protect German cities and factories during the war. Not surprising when you consider that's what the gun was designed for, however its use as an anti tank gun is so well known that you would be forgiven for thinking they were common on the battlefield which was not the case at all. It was only in the last few months of the war that flak batteries were sent to the eastern front to stem the Russian advances. Unfortunately by then the crews were not trained in anti tank warfare and both guns and crews did not survive long against the Russians.

Overall an excellent book on a super weapon and highly recommended to students of German military equipment.

BOOK REVIEW : RUSSIAN SOLDIER VERSUS JAPANESE SOLDER.

 This book caught my eye on a recent visit to Waterstones. I do not buy new books in regular bookshops usually as they are too expensive. However this one was on offer.  

I have several books on this conflict and although the general narrative on the war is ok it stops well before the end of the war, missing out entirely for example, the battle of Mukden, the largest land battle ever at the time. However the purpose of the book is to describe the actual soldiers so I guess that is understandable to some extent.

The book covers well not only the training and equipment of the infantry on both sides but also the social conditions of the two nations and its effect on the personal characteristics of the soldiers. However once again the remit of the title is rigidly enforced with very little on the artillery for example. 

Overall an interesting book but certainly not a good history of the war and useful only if you are particularly interested in the soldiers themselves, in other words you get exactly what it says in the title.

BOOK REVIEW : 1915. THE DEATH OF INNOCENCE.

 Another book from my library. As most readers will be aware this is by Lyn MacDonald who is I think the best author of First World War books. I have all her published books and they not only give a good general history but the human element illustrated by the use of personal experiences and diaries of those who were there is exceptional.

This book covers a strange year and the sub title is very apt. 1915 was the bridge between the original expectations of war in 1914 and the brutal conditions that applied from 1916 onwards. Every battle in 1915 was expected to bring about a breakthrough and a return to open warfare. By the end of the year strategy had changed to a war of attrition and successes measured in yards of ground gained.

As with all of this authors books, this is a very good read and is highly recommend.

IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 28

 THE AFTERMATH OF THE WAR FOR THE FEDERATION.

Following the defeat of Germany and the armistice on 11th November 1875 the UNION had secured full control of the whole of the Federation. Exhausted UNION forces were strung out along the border with Germany while the supply services rushed to provide temporary accommodation for the troops to shelter during the oncoming winter. In Seattle UNION troops took over the old German barracks amid a sullen and angry largely German civilian population. In the east UNION armies were camped in and around Boston although in that city they were greeted as the bringers of freedom.

Having learned how difficult it was to campaign without adequate railways in the vastness of the Federation the UNION gave a very high priority throughout the winter to railway construction. This had continued on the lines to Seattle and Boston with completion of both in March. Immediately reconstruction of the line between those two cities commenced. 

During the winter the UNION encouraged the Federation's existing civilian authorities to continue with normal activities. In the Boston area this policy worked well and involved the continuation of regular railway commerce with Canada. Around Seattle the usual services with Germany had ceased and complaints were frequent to UNION military command that various goods were becoming scarce and with the German markets for local food stuffs closed the economy was failing. Although UNION quartermasters purchased large quantities of goods the economic problems added to the tensions with the civilian population and caused frequent riots in the city which the UNION army had to suppress in the absence of an adequate police force, many of whom, being German, had fled with the retreating German army. However the use of UNION troops to reestablish order tended to exacerbate the whole situation.

Over the winter the UNION government grappled with the question of to what extent the army should be enlarged especially in light of how much the army had been strained to meet the demands of fighting such a strong enemy as Germany while maintaining sufficient forces to deter Russia and China. It was decided to create two new armies. 9th army would be located at a new base called  Fort Fetterman near Seattle and Fort Benning outside Boston would accommodate the new 8th army. Additionally the Government gave much thought as to how to incorporate the Federation into the UNION given the hostile population around Seattle. The conclusion was that the peace and stability of the UNION could not be maintained with such an antagonistic people within the country. It was decided to initiate a policy of ethnic cleansing as the only way of securing long term peace and security.

In Spring 1876 construction of the two new army bases commenced. The UNION armies then in the Federation were returned to their bases after absences of a year or more and 5th army from Fort Bridger near Tucson was moved to the Federation. One brigade was based in Boston while the bulk of the army moved to encampments near the German border with one brigade  stationed in Seattle to maintain law and order. 

The ethnic cleansing policy decided on by the government was based on the principle of encouraging the disaffected population around Seattle to return to Germany by using economic incentives rather than force. Accordingly it was proclaimed that the UNION government would purchase at market rates plus ten percent all the property of those who wished to move to Germany together with a lump sum payment in gold for each person who wished to move. Free transportation would also be provided. The British secured the agreement of the Germans mainly on the basis of the wealth that the returning settlers would bring with them to Germany. In addition an agreement was secured by the British with Canada for them to accept any Federation citizens who would prefer to move to that country in exchange for UNION agreement to the establishment of a Canadian embassy in Rio Diego next door to the new British embassy.  As a result of negotiations with local authorities in Seattle the property purchase premium was increased to 20%. 

The uptake of these generous terms was far greater than the UNION government expected. All together some 28% of the population of the Federation accepted the offer. This compared favorably with the independence referendum where 27% had voted against joining the UNION. During the rest of 1876 over half a million people moved mainly to Germany using trains to the border but with a large percentage going to Canada by through train to Vancouver. 

By early 1877 Seattle had become almost a ghost town with only a few inhabitants left. The UNION government now encouraged UNION citizens to move north by selling the properties it had purchased at knock down prices. At the same time UNION citizenship was granted automatically to all former citizens of the Federation from 1st January and recruitment to the UNION army was opened to these new citizens. In order to provide the large number of officers and NCO's for the new armies, soldiers currently serving in the existing armies who were marked qualified  were offered promotions into the new armies. With almost a quarter of suitable young men already opting to serve in the army it was not until late 1878 that the new armies were at full establishment. Army commanders were pleased to note that volunteers from the old Federation had come forward at a similar rate to their comrades from the south. Those volunteers however had been posted to armies south of the border just to be on the safe side.

By early 1878 the population of the old Federation had almost returned to its original number as a result of migration from the south. UNION federal buildings had been established in both Seattle and Boston bringing government services to those places. The UNION marshal service had recruited local police forces in both cities and provided suitable training.The railways connecting Seattle to Chicago and Boston to Lincoln as well as the line between Seattle and Boston had all been completed. Local trade between Boston and Canada by rail had continued although at a reduced level due to UNION made products now becoming available in Boston. In Seattle trade was developing via the new railway to the south as the new population established itself. A military railhead had been built using the old German railway from Seattle to Cologne about 40 miles from the German border in case of a need for a military campaign against Germany in the future and UNION cavalry were patrolling the border with Germany without incident.

In the far south the British sponsored port construction in Miami had been completed and British ships had started to call on the long voyages to and from Australia bringing new income and employment opportunities. It had been found necessary to secure the city to ensure British sailors remained in their prescribed areas only and the marshal service had established a strong presence to police those restrictions. The new British and Canadian embassies had been opened and although their diplomats worked under considerable restrictions as to travelling within the UNION a new trading opportunity had been identified for the export of Canadian timber to Australia via UNION railways to Miami. 

In Mexico anti terrorist operations continued but at a much lower level than in previous years. In Ukraine UNION cavalry continued to patrol towards the Russian border and south to Kiev occasionally sighting Russian patrols on the same mission. Ukrainian traders in Kiev regularly petitioned to trade with the UNION saying it was too far to use Russian markets, a question that would need to be addressed soon. On the border with China UNION cavalry patrolled far into the south of that country without incident with no sign of any Chinese attempt to reclaim the border lands.

Overall the UNION was enjoying another period of considerable economic growth and prosperity while an ever more powerful army guarded the nation against its many enemies.

UPDATE.

 I am pleased to report that this past week I have managed a reasonable amount of modelling time now the work in the house has been completed. I have a couple of small jobs left that I will do this coming week.

On the modelling front I have today completed the final infantry battalion. The batch of ammunition wagons is almost finished and the final cavalry upgrade is close to being done too. In fact I only have about 800 soldiers left to paint and about 60 wagons and trailers to build before the last of my three armies is finished. The site for another display unit for a fourth army has been identified and once I have my wife's agreement I can start construction in the workshop. It will also require me to build a new bookcase  to replace an existing unit to make the space needed but nothing I can't do over the next few months.

Today has been very quiet in the house as my wife is on a sponsored 11 hour silence for the Poppy Appeal. As I write she has done over 5 hours since starting at 11am. Normally she is a Poppy seller  but as collecting has been cancelled by the virus she decided to try to raise some money by being silent for 11 hours. Now many of you will think how good is that !!!!!!! but of course like most things it has a downside too. I have also ended up being silent all day !!!!!!! I of course could talk to her but I have been afraid to in case she forgets and answers !!!!!!!

Anyway its been an interesting day. Just in case anyone thinks this is a worthwhile cause and wants to support us please go to Just Giving and look for Tina Adams, poppy appeal silence.

BOOK REVIEW : DOUGLAS HAIG. WAR DIARIES AND LETTERS.

 I am not sure why I choose to re-read this particular book from my library, however it is very interesting. As you might expect of any book about Haig it attempts to analyse the man to determine if he was a good general or a "donkey leading lions". This author is clearly of the former persuasion.

As ever the truth is somewhere in the middle. Haig was clearly as good a general as any in the British Army at the time and a good deal better than many. The author tries to show that Haig did his best by using his diaries and letters to show that he was thoughtful and caring of the soldiers lives. His strategies were clearly thought through and represented the best military thinking available within the training and experience of the era. Generals on both sides were faced with totally new military challenges. Although it can be said that the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-5 offered a good insight into the conditions that would apply to conflict early in the century, the fact is that it would have taken an exceptionally foresighted general to not only recognise what was going to happen but to create a better strategy than those actually used by Haig and his generals.

The book also clearly illustrates the impact of politicians, especially Lloyd George, on the conduct of the war. There can be no doubt that he was responsible indirectly for many British casualties because of his interference in military matters. That he thought he had a better understanding of military matters than his generals is without doubt. Unfortunately Haig was not equipped intellectually to handle a politician of Lloyd Georges abilities, neither was Robertson for that matter.

A good book that shows Haig , I think, did his best. Whether that was good enough is another matter. I have always thought that the biggest loss to the British Army in 1914 was the death of Greirson. If he had lived I believe he would have become GOC of the BEF and it is fascinating to speculate on how he would have commanded. I wish there was a book about that man as from what I have read, he was very gifted.