20,000 hits!

It was only 2 months ago that WWS celebrated 10,000 hits and that milestone doubled this week to 20,000! I guess all that Chrstmas holiday time gave everyone a chance to do extra surfing :-)

I'm still rather stunned at the amount of traffic flowing through here and I'll take it as a sign that the team here are doing a good job - Huzzah and Thanks to All!

Tooth and Claw scenario

Jim at the Lost World Safari group writes:

For all potential Tooth and Claw gamers...The latest edition of WI has a scenario for Toth and Claw by Chris Peers titled "Into The Jaws of Death":

http://wargamesillustrated.net/shop.asp?sid=0&ssid=0&cid=0&id=428

I haven't had a chance to read through it yet but it looks pretty good, being designed as an introductory game for several players. I'll post a review once I've had a chance to read the scenario through properly.

Thanks Jim!

Garnet Joseph Wolseley

"La Coloniale" of the silly buggers Brigade at 15mmVSF Blog, has entered this stirling chap in the esteemed White Wine Sauce Hall of Esteemed Gentlemen!

You can read his biography at that blogsite here:

http://vsf15mm.blogspot.com/2008/01/garnet-joseph-wolseley.html

Victorian Era Naval Reference

While searching around for information on Admirals Hewett and Cowan, I came across this excellent resource. While its not a full record, it lists the history of various Victorian era Royal Naval vessels and their Captains.

http://www.pdavis.nl/Background.htm#BIO

20,000 Leagues under the Sea

I know this isnt the first film version of Verne's aquanef classic (which incidentally has never been publically released) but this version (1hr 39mins) does includes the first underwater filming. Its a very liberal interpretation of both 20,000 Leagues and its sequel Mysterious Island.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8365304564615414619

The Lost World

A copy of the 1925 film - complete and available for free download - a great find by Mssr Vanvlak!
1 hr and 8 min of nostalgic fun:

Explorer Professor Challenger is taking quite a beating in the London press thanks to his claim that living dinosaurs exist in the far reaches of the Amazon. Newspaper reporter Edward Malone learns that this claim originates from a diary given to him by fellow explorer Maple White's daughter, Paula. Malone's paper funds an expedition to rescue Maple White, who has been marooned at the top of a high plateau. Joined by renowned hunter John Roxton, and others, the group goes to South America, where they do indeed find a plateau inhabited by pre-historic creatures, one of which they even manage to bring back to London with them.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8853771651097696497

Vice Admiral Sir Nathan Hewett

Further investigation into some 'Fighting Admirals' of the Victorian era has revealed this man:

Vice-Admiral Sir William Nathan Wrighte Hewett VC KCB KCSI
b.1834, entered RN 1848, d. 1888

Aged 20 and but 8 years after entering the Royal Navy, William Hewett was awarded the Victoria Cross for services during the Crimea War.

In 1854, he was serving as Acting Mate on HMS Beagle but was commanding a Naval Brigade detachment manning a Lancaster Battery at Sebastopol. being threatened by the enemy. Through a misunderstanding he was ordered to spike his gun and retreat. The lieutenant, however, took on himself the responsibility of disregarding the order, shouting 'Retire? Retire and be damned! Fire!' He then pulled down the parapet of the battery and with the assistance of some soldiers, slewed his gun round and poured on the advancing enemy a most destructive and effectual fire until the Russians retreated. For this exploit and for further great bravery during the battle of Inkerman, that he received the Victoria Cross.

A slightly different account of his actions:

Among all the acts exhibiting gallantry, coolness, and judgment, one performed by Mr N.W. Hewett, then acting mate of HMS Beagle, stands conspicuous.

On the 26th of October 1854, the day after the battle of Balaclava, he was in charge of the right Lancaster battery before Sebastopol, with a party of bluejackets under him, when the Russians made a desperate sortie from the walls against Sir De Lacy Evans’ division. The advance of the Russians placed the gun in great jeopardy; and their assault was so vigorous that their skirmishers had got within 300 yards of the battery, and were pouring in a sharp fire from their Minié rifles. By some misapprehension the word was passed to spike the gun and retreat; but Mr Hewett, taking upon himself to disregard what he heard, answered, “That order did not come from Captain Lushington, and till he directs us to desert the gun, we’ll not move.” This proceeding was hazardous, for at the time the gun was in an ineffectual position, in consequence of the enemy advancing on its flank. With the assistance, however, of the seamen with him, and of some soldiers who came to his aid, he got round the gun into position; then, blowing away the parapet of the battery, he opened on the advancing column of the Russians so effective a fire, that they were completely staggered, and their progress was stopped. Seconded by his companions, whom his spirit animated, again and again he discharged his death-dealing gun, till the enemy gave way and retreated.

A story is current that he actually did receive an order to abandon the gun, and that afterwards, while he was reflecting what might be the consequences of having disobeyed it, his commanding officer inquired,
“Mr Hewett, were you not ordered to spike that gun and retreat?”
“I was, sir.”
“And you chose to disregard the order, and fight the gun?”
“I did, sir; but I am sorry if—”
“Well, then, you are promoted.”
Sir Stephen Lushington brought Mr Hewett’s conduct before the commander-in-chief, and he received from the Admiralty, as a reward, his lieutenancy, which he so well merited. At the battle of Inkermann his bravery was again conspicuous, and he was soon afterwards appointed to the command of the Beagle gunboat in the Sea of Azov.

He was promoted to Commander on 13th Sep 1858, Captain on 14th Nov 1862 and Rear-Admiral on 14th Nov 1862, spending much of his career at sea commanding a number of RN vessels, including some of the first ironclad warships. He also commanded the Naval Brigade in actions in West Africa, Egypt and the Sudan, gaining in the process a reputation as the Navy's finest exponent of Combined Operations.

Sir William Hewett rose to the rank of Vice Admiral in 1884 before retiring from the Navy in 1888 and died the same year.

Vice-Admiral Hewett was awarded the following medals:
Victoria Cross
Knight Commander of the Bath
Crimean War Medal
Turkish Crimean Medal
Crimean Medal 'Al Valore'
India General Service Medal
Ashanti Medal 1873–74
Egypt Medal 1882
Khedive Star 1882
Order of Mejidieh 4th
Class Legion of Honour 5th Class

Nile Gunboats

I recently found this site, which goes nicely with both the "How to build a Nile Gunboat" article I posted a little while ago (look in the Modelling Hints category) and yesterday's entry regarding Admiral Cowan.

This site has a number of great fact and figs on the Nile gunboat flotilla, the men who served in them, and the wars in which they served - enjoy!

http://www.melik.org.uk/gunboats.htm

Admiral Sir Walter Cowan

A true fighting naval officer I have recently been reading about is worthy of much admiration, and I am pleased to share with you my research into a man who is simply inspirational. So much so that I have started a new article category for him: Gentlemen of Renown and Infamy. If you have one of your own to suggest, I would greatly welcome your submission.

Admiral Sir Walter Henry "Titch" Cowan, 1st Baronet, KCB, DSO and bar, MVO

b.1871, joined the RN in 1884 (aged 13), d.1956

Early years - served in verious expeditions in West Africa, commanded the gunboat HMS SULTAN during the Battle of Omdurman and the whole gunboat squadron during the Fashoda Incident with the French during which he was awarded the DSO. Cowan then went south to participate in the Second Boer War, saw extensive sea service as a Destroyer Captain afterwards and then service the the Battlecruiser force during WW1 (including the Battle of Jutland where his ship was heavily damaged) during which he was known to be one of "the most offensively minded of the Grand-Fleet officers."

In his great book "The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval Command", Andrew Gordon writes:

"Walter Cowan, Captain of the [Lion class battlecruiser] Princess Royal, had been a close friend of [Admiral] Beatty's from both midshipman and Nile-gunboat days. He was a ferocious midget who loved war so much that he spent his leave periods in the trenches in France and wept when the Armistice was announced. "

It was also said that he "was the only Officer in the Grand Fleet that was sorry the war was over"

Gordon continues: "He became the scourge of the Bolsheviks in the Baltic in 1919 [As a Rear-Admiral he commanded a Light Cruiser Squadron from his flagship Delhi and sank 2 Russian Battleships and 1 destroyer], and ended his naval career as Admiral of the Fleet.[not quite true, but he was a full Admiral]"

Cowan came out of retirement in 1940, accepting demotion to the rank of Commander, to join an Indian armoured regiment in North Africa. He was captured by the Italians when he personally attacked a tank by himself armed with only a revolver! Subsequently released by the Italians on humanitarian grounds he joined the Commandos as a Naval liasion officer, aged 72. He saw further action in clandestine actions in Italy and the Med from 1943 where he won a second DSO in 1944 (more than 40 years after earning his first one) before retiring once more.

There are 2 books dedicaed to his service which would be fascinating reading:

• Lionel George Dawson, Sound of the guns, being an account of the wars and service of Admiral Sir Walter Cowan (Pen-in-hand, Oxford, 1949);
• Geoffrey Bennett, Cowan's war: the story of British naval operations in the Baltic, 1918-1920 (Collins, London, 1964) - reprinted in 2002 as "Freeing the Baltic" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Freeing-Baltic-Geoffrey-Bennett/dp/184341001X)
  
  His Service biography is:

Naval cadet 1884; Benin, Nigeria 1887; Cdr, HMS REDBREAST, Red Sea 1893-1895; HMS BARROSA, Cape Station 1895; Brass River and Mwele Expeditions 1897; commanding gunboat flotilla, Nile during Sudan operations 1898; Aide-de-camp to Gen Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Viscount Kitchener of Khartoum and Naval Aide-de-camp to FM Sir Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts of Kandahar, Pretoria and Waterford, during South African War 1901; World War I 1914-1918; HMS ZEALANDIA, Grand Fleet 1914; Capt, HMS PRINCESS ROYAL 1915-1917; Battle of Jutland 1916; commanding 1 Light Cruiser Sqn of the Grand Fleet 1917-1920; Baltic Force 1919-1920; Battle Cruiser Sqn, Atlantic Fleet 1921-1922; Commanding Officer, Coast of Scotland 1925-1926; Commander-in-Chief North America and West Indies Station 1926-1928; retired 1931; Commando Forces, World War II 1939-1945; liaison officer with Commando Bde, Eastern Mediterranean 1941; attached to Indian Regt, Western Desert 1941-1942; captured at Bir Hakeim 1942; repatriated 1943, Cdo forces 1943-45

King Solomon's Mines

by Rider Haggard
Published 1885

Wikipedia reports that "The book was first published in September 1885 amid considerable fanfare, with billboards and posters around London announcing "The Most Amazing Book Ever Written". It became an immediate best seller. By the late 19th century explorers were uncovering lost civilizations around the world, such as Egypt's Valley of the Kings, and the empire of Assyria. Africa remained largely unexplored and King Solomon's Mines, the first novel of African adventure published in English, captured the public's imagination."

It was also the best selling book of 1885 and is arguably the first of the "Lost World" genre of fiction. I love the book's dedication, which reads:

This faithful but unpretending recordof a remarkable adventureis hereby respectfully dedicatedby the narrator,ALLAN QUATERMAIN,to all the big and little boys who read it.

And of course any novel with a Naval Officer named "Captain Good" cant be bad at all!

http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au/words/authors/H/HaggardRider/prose/kingsolomonmines/index.html

Sketchmap of the route to King Solomon’s Mines

Aeronef terrain on the cheap

http://www.boardgamedesign.com/pages/goshopping.htm#HOUSES

They are technically Monopoly™ houses and hotels, but with the right paint job, I suspect they'd make good ground targets and table decoration.

Electric Blockhaus

Another treasure direct from the Vanvlak archives!


Its always reminded me of a mobile steampunk version of the Rebel batteries on Hoth, in "The Empire Strikes Back". Mssr V scratchbuilt this little beauty about 2 years ago from gosh-knows-what components...

Boys Own Adventure!

A new VSF blog has popped up on the horizon:

Having claimed this heretofore blank space of the Web, forestalling the odious French, ghastly Huns and dastardly Russians, I welcome you to Boys' Own Adventure! Under the aegis of the Union Jack, and the protection of the Queen Empress it affords, on these pages you will be able to absorb the mores and morals of yesteryear when all that was needed to subjugate the globe to Commerce and Civilisation was a stiff upper lip, handsome moustaches, a pith helmet and the occasional recourse to one's .455 Mk. IV Webley. Huzzah!

Here you will find information on literature, films, games and more which all bear the stamp of Boys' Own. "But, hold on, Sir," I hear you cry, "just what is Boys' Own? What its characteristics? Whence its origins? Wherefore its heyday?"

That, dear Reader, is the subject of another post...

And it must be a top-hole kind of place because there is a link to Yours in a White Wine Sauce under the banner 'The Right Sort of Chaps" - guess it takes one to know one eh?

http://boys-own.blogspot.com/

Vanvlak Industries financial report

It wasnt like this in the Sudan you know...

...or maybe it was, now I think about it!

The silly buggers over at the VSF and 15mm Wargaming Blog (http://vsf15mm.blogspot.com/) posted a great link the other day, and I have been perusing it with great interest.

http://sudan1883.blogspot.com/

Lots of great stuff there for the colonial and VSF gamer. I particularly like the recent emphasis on the Royal Marines, who often seem to be get sidelined for those smart looking chaps in their redcoats.

Thankyou Gentlemen!