IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 33.

 THE DEFENSE OF TEHRAN.

Soon after the initial invasion of Iran, UNION command had realised that the cavalry forces available to 5th army in particular were insufficient. Therefore the cavalry brigades of 1st and 7th armies had been ordered to Iran. They arrived at the front before Tehran on 6th December as the UNION army took up assault positions only seven miles from the outskirts of the city. The three UNION cavalry brigades were instructed to move around the western edge of Tehran and intercept the huge columns of refugees leaving the city. Their instructions were to harry the refugees along their way and seek out and destroy any armed fighters found. Also around this time the government of Syria decided to move their army and Guard towards the frontier with a view to an attack on the western flank of the UNION invasion. In Iraq the government, shocked at the destruction of the Iranian army in October, ordered their army to move to the border with Iran and prepare to defend against a UNION invasion.

In Tehran Suleiman faced an impossible task. At least half of his untrained but fanatical army refused to accept his orders and moved out of the city to face the UNION forces with a view to launching an attack. The rest of his fighters he ordered to dig in inside the city. He concluded that house to house fighting offered more chance of success than meeting the UNION army in the field. However his efforts to deploy his forces were hampered by the literally millions of refugees pouring into the city from the south and the millions more, including the government and religious leaders,  leaving the city towards the north. Rather than being able to prepare defensive positions in the city he found his fighters acting as traffic marshals trying to control vast crowds of people pouring through the city streets.

On the morning of 10th December UNION heavy artillery started to bombard the city. As the heavy shells fell on streets crowed with refugees, destroying buildings and causing huge casualties the situation in Tehran rapidly descended into chaos. In the afternoon when UNION field artillery began to pound the southern edge of the city the situation deteriorated even further. Huge crowds of refugees to the south of the city rushed into the city centre into a nightmare of collapsing and burning buildings and streets strewn with rubble and dead. Overnight the artillery barrage continued without a break. As refugees rushed to escape the city towards the north, many of the fighters in the city by design or accident joined up in the exodus.

During the whole of the following day the same scenes were repeated as shells fell throughout the city which was now burning fiercely. Suleiman realised he could not defend the city and decided to abandon it. He left with those of his fighters as he could muster during the night. By morning of 12th December the city was a blazing wreak. All those who were still alive had left with only stragglers remaining trying to shelter in cellars. To the south of the city the large force of fighters facing the UNION army had watched in horror as their capital city was destroyed behind them. Now on the morning of 12th they had had enough and in their anger and hatred launched an uncoordinated but fierce assault on the UNION positions.

They were met with a hurricane of heavy weapons and rifle fire and point blank field gun discharges. Within an hour the attack had collapsed and the survivors had fled into the remains of the city leaving almost 30,000 dead and wounded on the field. UNION casualties were 16 wounded. UNION commanders decided that any advance into the city would be far too dangerous so held their positions and ordered the artillery bombardment to continue for the rest of the day and overnight.

The bombardment ceased at dawn on 13th December. UNION troops again held their positions all day but on the morning of 14th patrols began a very cautious advance into the city. As they moved in orders were issued to dispatch any wounded Iranian fighters found from the assault of the 12th. When they entered the city they found it deserted of any living thing. Buildings were continuously collapsing and fires still raged. Command decided it was still too dangerous so withdrew the troops. It was decided the army would move round the city to the west and commence an advance towards Iraq. Pioneer battalions were left outside the city to move in and complete the total destruction of the city as soon as they considered it safe to do so.

In the meantime UNION cavalry had moved around the city and had swept along the road from the city towards Iraq causing mayhem among the millions of refugees fleeing north.

BOOK REVIEW : GERMAN MILITARY SYMBOLS.

 In anticipation of Christmas I recently ordered a number of books from Naval Military Press.  I have purchased from these people before and selected almost a dozen books from the latest list. Mostly these are very well priced, the average being only £3. Most of the books  were handed out to family to wrap for me as Christmas presents but I managed to get two of the books immediately, this is the first.

The book is a reprint of a US Army manual of German military symbols as used in World War Two. The contents are basically tactical markings as used on maps, vehicles and hardware. Of particular interest to me were the vehicle markings. I recall many years ago searching for information on German tactical signs but finding very little. The best source back in the 70's was transfers made by Almarks, long since gone way although I still have a number of sets of their transfers unused.

As you might expect, the German system of markings was very logical. Starting from basic symbols for artillery for example, other marks are added to represent the various different types like flak, anti tank etc. There is little narrative beyond a basic introduction but the lists of signs are very interesting.

Overall an excellent reference book for German tactical signs.

UPDATE.

Over the past two weeks I have had very little modelling time. I have spent some time writing blog posts but it seems that normal domestic activities have taken most of my time. I can report however that the final heavy weapons upgrade has been completed. I now have only one batch of 36 GS wagons to build and a final 192 Pioneer soldiers to paint until all my armies are complete to current organisational tables.

I have identified some new potential organisational changes that could lead to further upgrades. One of these is the introduction of the rank of corporal in infantry, pioneer and field police  battalions which would create a need to paint up to 1500 more soldiers !!!!!!!!.  However I have not made any definite decisions on any of these changes as yet.

I have now found a location for a new display unit which would enable me to build a fourth army. However I  need my wife's approval especially as a bookcase needs to be rebuilt to provide the space for the new display unit. I will be seeking that permission over the Christmas period.

In the meantime, thank you to all those who read my blog and especially those who take the time to comment. I really enjoy the feedback which is often thought provoking and always interesting. 

Merry Christmas to all and may 2021 be a much better year for everyone.

BOOK REVIEW: STANLEY SPENCER'S GREAT WAR DIARY 1915-1918

 

Yet another book from my library. The author joined up in 1915 as a private soldier and served in the front line with distinction from late 1915 until 1917 when he went home to be commissioned. He returned to France in early 1918 and served as an infantry officer until being demobilized in 1919.

This is an excellent record of a good soldiers service. He gives some of the best descriptions of life in the trenches I have ever read. Quite how the soldiers coped with the appalling conditions is almost beyond belief. The author had so many close shaves it is amazing he survived but I suspect many others had similar experiences. 

If you want to really understand what it was like in the trenches, this is the book for you.

IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 32.

 IRAN STRIKES BACK.

In early November 1885 a small force of mostly Iranian regular soldiers led by a Colonel Suleiman was moving carefully to the east of the main road to Tehran foraging for supplies among the deserted villages in the area. They had escaped the slaughter of the battle in October and now sought a suitable target for a revenge strike against UNION supply lines. Suleiman knew that the small amount of  ammunition they had would give them only one or two opportunities for battle so he had to select a target very carefully. The main road was crowded with UNION supply columns and patrolled by UNION field police. In addition UNION Pioneers were sweeping north destroying villages, cutting down trees and blowing up wells in the rear of the UNION front line.  They were accompanied by large numbers of Mexican cowboys who rounded up livestock and drove the herds south, even Mexico would gain revenge on Iran. None of these offered a good attack option. As they moved further north Suleiman noted that some of the columns were pulling off the road, forming camps and then convoys of wagons from the north arrived and supplies were transferred. These camps were clearly "refilling points" for the wagons of front line units.

Just after dawn on 26th November Suleiman's force located a large UNION supply park just being established about a mile from the main road. Wagons started arriving about mid morning from the north to collect supplies. He decided to attack at lunch time. His force of almost 1,000 carefully surrounded the UNION camp and at noon the attack began. The UNION force consisted of two Quartermaster Transport companies together with about 40 wagons from various battalions of the 20th Infantry brigade. In total about 800 UNION soldiers were present.

The first volley of gunfire caused heavy casualties among the UNION soldiers who were busy loading wagons. Chaos and confusion reigned as UNION soldiers rushed to take cover, grab their rifles and return fire on the largely unseen enemy. After several minutes of heavy firing Suleiman's troops started to rush the wagons. Vicious hand to hand fighting broke out in a number of locations around the camp. Soon the battle became a series of confused individual fights around and among the wagons with horses being shot and trying to get away and dragging wagons around, men shouting and screaming. and smoke from wagons catching fire . Gradually UNION resistance faded as more and more fell. After about an hour it was all over. The Iranians maintained the practice now usual in the war of taking no prisoners. The wounded were killed where they lay although none were mutilated, that being the practice of Republican Guards rather than regulars. Some 807 UNION dead were subsequently recovered together with 442 Iranian dead.

Suleiman ordered his troops to dispatch those of their own wounded who could not march, ransack the wagons for supplies especially arms and ammunition and then around 4pm they marched away to the north east. A UNION field police patrol along the main road saw smoke rising from the burning wagons around the same time. They cautiously advanced along the side road to arrive on the battlefield only a matter of minutes after Suleiman's soldiers had moved away. Immediately word was sent to Command of the massacre. The field police platoon followed Suleiman's trail until nightfall then returned to the scene of the massacre. By then a Pioneer battalion had arrived together with UNION medical teams. The dead were buried and Quartermaster units arrived to secure those vehicles not burned and such horses as remained alive.

Next morning the UNION 19th Pioneer battalion was on the trail of Suleiman's force. Over the coming days the pursuit continued until 4th December when the UNION troops fell into a carefully laid ambush. Once again the initial volleys caused considerable losses among the Pioneers but they soon formed defensive positions and their superior firepower began to tell.  Suleiman broke off the battle and continued his withdrawal again dispatching his badly wounded. The rest of the day the Pioneers tended to their 47 wounded and buried 29 dead as well as 42 dead Iranians. On 6th December the pursuit resumed. By then Suleiman was coming close to the UNION front line which was then less than 30 miles from Tehran. He realised that the best route would be to move to the east of the city, around the outskirts and enter the city from the north.

This strategy he carried out and his force of now only 460 entered the city on 8th December. The  UNION Pioneers stopped their pursuit as they came level with the UNION front line. Suleiman was greeted as a hero. His exploits were seen as a great victory against the hated UNION and he was promoted general on the spot and given command of the defense of Tehran. That done the government left the city joining the flood of refugees fleeing towards Iraq.

The exhausted Suleiman now faced the greatest challenge possible. With some 90,000 mostly untrained militia he was expected to holds Tehran against the most powerful army ever seen in Tian.

BOOK REVIEW: AMATEUR GUNNERS.

 

Yet another book from my library. As the regular reader of these reviews will have noticed, I have been reading a lot of books recently about artillery in the First World War. I do find that from time to time I get fixed on a particular subject and tend to read a number of books on that matter.

The author joined up in 1916 and was posted as a very "green" second lieutenant to a newly raised gun battery. The battery served in France, Macedonia and Palestine before returning to France still together as a battery in 1918. By then the author was a captain and he and his battery of amateurs were hardened professional gunners.

The book is in the form of an edited diary and is a very good record of service with lots of interesting information on life in a gun battery. However at the end of the book the writer gives a number of essays on various aspects of artillery matters including for example, the relative merits of horses and mules. These essays are exceedingly interesting and are an excellent reference source.

Another highly recommended book.

IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 31.

 THE INVASION OF IRAN.

Following the Iranian invasion of Mexico in Spring of 1885 the UNION government decided to launch a retaliatory invasion of Iran. The instructions to the UNION army were to destroy the Iranian army and Republican Guard and devastate the infrastructure of Iran to ensure that Iran would be unable to initiate any military activities for many years. This strategy would include the forceful removal of the civilian population from the southern part of the country, the most agriculturally productive area with the majority of the population outside Tehran.

The date of the invasion was set for 1st October 1885. UNION army command decided to use a full army for the invasion with an additional army to follow up and take positions to the west facing the border between Iran and Syria to prevent that nation coming to the aid of its brothers. The 5th army was given the task of launching the invasion with 6th army from Fort Laramie providing the follow up force. During the summer a railhead was built just below the border on the railway between Mexico City and Acapulco. The 5th army objective was to advance to the Iranian capital Tehran destroying all armed resistance and driving the civilian population before it. UNION Pioneers would follow the advancing troops destroying all infrastructure, in effect creating a scorched earth. On reaching Tehran, that city would be devastated by massed artillery fire before troops would enter the city to complete the destruction. The armies would then withdraw leaving Iran in ruins. As the distance from the new railhead to Tehran was only 500 miles no supply railway would be built, UNION forces would rely on wagon transport throughout the campaign.

After the return of their troops from Mexico the Iranian government waited for the expected UNION retaliation. As time passed without any UNION response the Iranians became increasingly uneasy. Vague reports came in of a UNION military build up in Mexico but at no time did Iran ever expect the invasion that crashed over the border on 1st October. Vast columns of UNION troops swept into Iran along a one hundred mile front.  The civilian population had been moved away from the border regions back in Spring but only about ten miles. By the end of the first day UNION troops were seizing Iranian villages, forcing the people to pack up and driving them north without mercy. Small groups of Republican Guards guarding these villages were wiped out, no prisoners were being taken.

By 8th October UNION forces were 120 miles inside Iran and showing no signs of stopping. The Republican Guard and regular army were ordered south to stop the UNION onslaught. Regular army generals urged caution knowing full well that without heavy weapons they could not take on the mighty UNION army in a pitched battle. They urged instead the use of ambushes and hit and run tactics as so well used in Mexico. However the Iranian leadership demanded they attack the UNION army head on. On 12th October the combined regular army and Republican Guard, some 55,000 strong, dug in across the main road from Mexico about 270 miles south of Tehran. UNION cavalry watched the Iranians deploying and , after reporting to Command, the whole cavalry brigade moved to the east and, out of sight of the Iranians, moved behind the Iranian positions.

On the morning of 13th October the UNION army of around 57,000 came into battle formation in front of the Iranian positions. At noon the UNION artillery opened a massive bombardment on the Iranians. The barrage, from 16 battalions of field and heavy artillery,  continued for three hours by which time the Iranian positions had been obliterated and  half their troops were dead or wounded with the other half shell shocked and incapable of resistance. UNION infantry swept over the Iranian positions during the late afternoon. Some groups of Iranians fought to the last man, but UNION infantry, taking no prisoners as ordered, soon reached the small Iranian baggage train which was quickly destroyed. Most Iranians who were able to flee north soon ran into the cavalry blocking force and were wiped out, very few actually manged to escape the battlefield.

However, on the far eastern flank of the Iranian positions, a regular army colonel, realising the situation was hopeless, withdrew his command of about 1,000 men, mostly regulars, and moved quickly east then south behind the advancing UNION troops. Although he had expected to be defeated, even he was surprised by the power of the UNION army. He decided for the sake of his country he had to strike a counter blow and the UNION supply wagon trains to the south perhaps offered that opportunity. Leading his men slowly south mainly by night he searched for a target.

UNION casualties were 147 dead and 257 wounded while they buried over 50,000 Iranian dead on the battlefield during the following days as they prepared to resume the march north. In Tehran panic broke out within the government and leading members of society. The hated UNION had somehow wiped out their whole army and would clearly soon continue their advance on Tehran. The government called for all males of fighting age to gather to defend the nation. Aid was requested from the other Arab nations who rushed to help. During the rest of October and early in November around 90,000 men were collected to defend Tehran. Arming this mass however exhausted the stocks of weapons in the whole Arab world. In addition the humanitarian situation in Iran was rapidly deteriorating as thousands of refugees flooded into Tehran from the south. Food stocks began to run out despite the arrival of extra supplies from Syria and Iraq. The government had little choice but to force the refugees to continue to move north towards Iraq in search of safety.

Early in November UNION forces resumed the march to Tehran. Far to the south a small Iranian force, living on what little they could forage, watched heavily loaded UNION wagon trains moving north.

BOOK REVIEW: BRITISH ARTILLERY 1914-19

 Another book from my library. This is a good basic reference book which covers the British Army's guns during the First World War. 

The one thing that strikes me is the number of each gun actually manufactured. Every student of the war  is familiar with the concept of massed batteries, usually  with guns axle to axle firing endless bombardments. However the number of guns built is much lower than I expected. For example only 10,400 of the standard 18 lb were ever made. In comparison, the German 88mm flak, which I reviewed recently, had over 20,000 examples made, and that was by no means a standard field gun which were presumably made in even greater numbers. 

Overall an excellent text book, my only criticism being the very limited references to the limbers and ammunition wagons that accompanied every gun.

UPDATE.

 My wife and I have never subscribed to any form of social media for a number of reasons. One of them is that the airwaves seem to have a lot of strange people who's only pleasure is to fire off abusive rants rather than engage in sensible conversation.

I have to report that unfortunately my blog has attracted the attention of such a creature. I will not engage with this "person" and can only contrast their ridiculous tirade with the highly intelligent, well reasoned and valid comments from Archduke Piccolo that arrived the following day. AP had reservations about something I had written and took me to task but in a very agreeable manner. I hope he is happy with my response. I am always delighted to engage with those who have a different opinion or view than me, that's one way in which we learn. 

There is no place on this blog for the abusive ravings of a moron but there will always be a welcome for intelligent, reasoned and good willed comment whether it is positive or negative.

That said, this week has again not produced much modelling time. All I have managed to do in finally complete the cavalry upgrade and paint arm of service and rank insignia on the last heavy weapons upgrade batch.

IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 30.

 WAR WITH THE ARABS.

At the beginning of 1885  Iran,  supported by their brothers in Iraq and Syria, had decided the time was right to launch a full scale offensive in Mexico to bring that country into the Arab world. All of the Arab nations had small, poorly equip but surprisingly well trained regular armies. Each nation also possessed a large body of poorly trained but fanatical religious fundamentalists known as Republican Guards. The Iranian group had been for many years the driving force in the endless terrorist operations in Mexico. The Arab strategy until now had been to launch repeated small scale attacks to wear down UNION resolve thereby causing public opinion in the UNION to lose the will to continue the fight. After many years it was clear this approach had failed so the new strategy was to launch a full scale nationwide assault that would encourage the Mexican people to rise up against the UNION occupiers.

It was also decided that the Iranian regular army would spearhead the operations. For years that body had requested involvement in action in Mexico but had always been ignored in favour of the Guards. The army generals were now told they could have their chance. The army carefully planned the assaults and included contingents of the Syrian and Iraqi armies to give the required numbers. All assaults would be followed up by large masses of Guards however the strategy was to avoid any pitched battles with UNION troops given their overwhelming superiority in firepower.

On 21 March 1885 the invasion began with 27 small battalions of regular soldiers crossing the border along its full length. Each battalion was followed by a large force of Guards and had a town or village as its objective whilst avoiding the six heavily fortified UNION army outposts scattered in the border region, each of which contained an artillery battery and  three infantry companies. Over the next few days reports flowed into UNION command  from many places as the Iranians seized their objectives. Early on 25 March just as orders were being issued for a UNION response, every single UNION outpost came under heavy sniper fire from all sides in a well coordinated series of assaults. It was clear to UNION command this was far more than just another terrorist attack.

With over half the UNION forces in Mexico pinned down in six different outposts it was clear that task forces would need to be organised to sweep though the border region relieving each outpost and reoccupying the captured towns and villages. The three infantry battalions available in Mexico City , 49th, 52nd and 60th, were deemed sufficient to carry out this task and were set in motion on the morning of 30 March each taking a different area of operations. Over the next week the UNION battalions moved towards the border region under frequent sniper fire. During that week every UNION outpost suffered at least one mass assault by fanatical Republican Guards. Although all outposts were able to repel these attacks it was clear they were facing a numerous and determined enemy and relief was needed sooner rather than later. UNION reinforcements were needed.

On 2nd April the 19th UNION infantry brigade entrained at  Fort Bridger for Mexico with instructions to move swiftly towards the border area and relive the UNION outposts. On the morning of 4th April the UNION 52nd infantry battalion moving into the border region marched into a well organised Iranian regular army ambush. By the end of three hours fierce fighting the battalion had suffered 50% casualties and the ambushers had successfully disengaged with minimal losses. On the very next day about 20 miles south west the same thing happened to 60th infantry battalion although with only 30% casualties. After these disasters, the three battalions were ordered to withdraw to the railway for a return to Mexico City it being clear that the Arab forces were too strong for single battalions to fight successfully.

On 7th April 18th infantry brigade was also ordered to Mexico from Fort Bridger. UNION strategy would now be to use full brigade sized formations to sweep through the invaded areas. Next day, as 19th brigade was nearing the first UNION outpost to be relived, communication was lost with the outpost. About two hours later the leading elements of the brigade entered the outpost to find it had fallen. The area around the outpost was strewn with dead Arabs while inside the UNION garrison was found wiped out. However about 30 UNION soldiers were found together in a line clearly shot by some form of firing squad. Additionally each man had been mutilated. After securing the compound the brigade started a forced march to the other outposts.

Four of the remaining outposts were successfully relieved by 19th brigade but the last, reached on 18th April, was found to have already fallen to the Iranians. Once again it was clear that a number of UNION soldiers had been captured and then executed and mutilated. Around this time the 18th brigade had reached the first  Mexican town targeted for recapture. The Iranians had clearly withdrawn as the UNION forces approached. However a scene of carnage was discovered as the UNION troops moved through the town. It seemed that most of the population had been massacred in the town square. A few survivors were found hiding who described how the Iranians had brought all the people together and demanded they take up arms against the UNION and their own government. When the people refused the Revolutionary Guards started firing into the crowd  killing as many as they could as people fled in panic. It was only the approach of UNION troops that stopped the massacre.

As UNION troops advanced throughout the border region the same scenes greeted them in every town and village. In each case the Iranians had fallen back towards the border leaving massacred civilian populations. In those places with either the usual nominal Mexican army  or police forces,  the survivors of the garrisons had been executed and mutilated. The Iranians and their allies had found that far from being interested in revolution the Mexicans had been universally supportive of their government and the UNION and the benefits that came to them from being allies of the UNION. 

In Tehran and the other Arab capitals there was much rejoicing . Although their crusade had failed they were very happy with their military victories over the hated UNION troops. The Iranian soldiers and Guards were welcomed back as they streamed back over the border loaded with vast quantities of looted goods from Mexican towns. As a precaution against UNION retaliation, the border regions of Iran were cleared of civilians and troops to minimise the impact of the expected  UNION artillery bombardments while the Arab leaders congratulated themselves and discussed their next adventure.

As UNION forces took up positions near the Iranian border the UNION government considered what form of retaliation should be meted out to Iran. After absorbing all the reports of Iranian massacres of both UNION troops and Mexican civilians they decided that Iran should be wiped off the face of Tian.

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.