Fort Warrnambool, Victoria

‘1884 Field Artillery Gun overlooking the sea on Cannon hill, Warrnambool’,
Libraries Australia ID 49408382 

Warrnambool Fort, also known as Warrnambool Garrison and Flagstaff Hill, was a new site built as part of a wider state upgrade in Victoria's coastal defences in the late 19th century.  The original coastal defence battery in Warrnambool was an earthen emplacement for Smooth Bore gun on Cannon Hill, about one Kilometre west of the new battery at Flagstaff Hill.

The original battery on Cannon Hill, from the Warnambool and District Historical Society. It shows a (probable) 32pdr smoothbore muzzle loading gun in the 1860s.  Compare with the photo above.

In 1877, Royal Engineer Officers, Major General Sir William Jervois and Lieutenant Colonel Peter Scratchley, published their report with the basis for coastal defence for the next thirty years in New Zealand and Australia. On Friday 4th February 1887, it was reported in the Warrnambool Standard , that tenders were let by the Public Works Department for the construction of a two gun battery at Warrnambool.

Two 80-pdr RML guns were part of a consignment of twenty-six guns sent to Australia in December 1866. These two guns were mounted in the new fortification in 1887, and the original guns from Cannon Hill were re-sited to the new battery location at the same time.  In front of each gun is a semi circular concrete wall with a mound of earth separating each emplacement from in front and to the sides, protecting the neighbouring gun crews from any potential explosions. Built into the fort in between each gun emplacement is infantry parapet allowing them to defend the Fort from ground attack with small arms fire. By November of that year, the 80 pounders were being used for live fire training.

"A target was moored out to sea at a range of about 960 yards. Major Helpman fired the first shot which proved to be a well-directed one as the shell struck the target shattering it into fragments. The concussion from the firing of the guns caused the whole of the ruby glass in the lower lighthouse to be broken."

The original wooden carriages (which can be seen on site) were replaced by iron garrison carriages in 1888. In 1898 a further upgrade saw an Armstrong 5-inch Breach loading gun on a hydro-pneumatic (disappearing) mounting - effective round approx 5000 yards - was installed between the two existing 80-pdr RML gun emplacements. 

In 1910 the Fort was decommissioned, the original 80pdrs relocated a displays to Cannon Hill (see first pic in this post), and the 5-inch gun was sent to the Suez Canal(!)  Two mobile 4.7-inch naval guns where then used to arm the local artillery battery but were employed mostly at Lake Gilear firing range until the battery was dissolved upon outbreak of WW1.

The 80pdrs were returned to Flagstaff Hill in 1973 and the site, badly overgrown by now, was fully reconditioned as a heritage project. On the 100th anniversary of the Fort the 80pdr guns underwent a full overhaul and renovation of Australia Army apprentices. Fort Warrambool was one of three defensive works built in the area in the 1880s. The other batteries were Portland Battery and Port Fairy Battery. A brief summary of the Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Portland Batteries and volunteer units serving them, prepared by David McGinness, can be downloaded here.

Local volunteers conduct a (blank) firing at Fort Warranmbool, 2013.

The Battery's 1887 fit of 2 x 80 pounder guns as seen today at the Flagstaff Hill Fort:

Mounting for the 5 inch BL gun, between the 80 pdrs

 

https://www.naa.gov.au/blog/colonial-victorias-unsung-defender

VSF One Man Dirigible

This screw powered one man dirigible is a VSF delight to battle foes in the Back of Beyond, over the Red Planet or as some sort of diesel punk version of the Gyro Captain from Mad Max 2! I found this kit in the depths of the Man Cave where had lurked since purchase. The Flight bonus round gave me the impetus to give it the attention it so richly deserves.

The model is a resin and metal casting from Tobsen Miniatures in Germany, who do some fantastically crazy and wacky stuff: https://shop.tobsen77.com/en/  (https://www.facebook.com/Tobsen77.de/) He also sells the characterful pilot figure and the customer service is excellent (including overseas postage & handling). Maxim gun and the backpack/ammo pouches are from my spares box.

The countersunk magnet in the base made for a very neat connection

I spent an overly long time trying to be clever by magnetising the base for easier storage, to reduce damage and so I can use the flying base for a multitude of other models.  I had mixed results but at least it is serviceable and (mostly) stable.  Probably a good height for lighter plastic models but I'll make some shorter tubing for metal contraptions like this one.

So lots of fun and this model is highly recommended!

Merry Christmas!

The Fighting Retreat to Dusters' Drift

Our Colonial game this week was a LOT of fun!  It saw a British Column, led by the 3rd Foot & Mouth Regiment (Major Backsight commanding) conducting a fighting retreat to the small logistics base at Dusters' Drift. Opposing them were the Impis of Zulu noble Oomagooglies (the Zulu King's cousin twice removed, on his mother' side).

  I've done something a bit different and stitched together a video of the after action dispatches!
 

"We come on the orders of the Great White Queen!"

My Imperial Force

As promised, here is the British and Boer forces for the Zulu war.  The British Cavalry bore the worst of the damage to their lances and swords but otherwise this whole thing is a testament to the wonderful Testors' dullcoat - and always use two coats! The lad helped me build this - my first wargaming video. Its a but self indulgent but it was fun to make For those who prefer stills, here are the key ones.

24th Foot: The Thin Red Line

The 60th Rifles

Stout lads of the Naval Brigade - with Gatling Gun!

Fire support of the Royal Artillery

Breach loading 9pdr - note the VC on the right most figure (painted on during a game in which this gun, down to the last man, held off and then broke the last Zulu Regiment to claim the day!)

British Cavalry - 17th Lancers and Hussars

Boer Irregulars

Hoping to get them onto a table for some action shortly!

Lord Chelmsford and the senior staff

"Zulus Sah! Fousands of 'em!"

Massed warriors (around 350 of them)- how a Zulu Impi should look!

This is a post some 24 years in the making. Some time ago I quite enjoyed Colonial gaming and the Zulu War was my conflict of choice.  Some mates and I put together armies in 15mm and had a great time.  Early in 1994 I had a major life change and the figs were packed away.  I've since moved house some 18 times and the figs have remained unopened; the awful noises that came from the box made me shy away.  Then last week when there was interest at the club about doing some Colonial gaming and I realised I (might) have all the figures.  Depending on how they fared at least. Here is what greeted me once I plucked up the courage to open the Zulu Box...

The Horror... The Horror...

And after 23 years this was the sum total of damage - other than bent spears and knoberries which needed reshaping

The vast majority of these figs, if not all, are from Essex 15mm colonial range

Usuthu!!!

I love the warrior in the bottom right corner wearing a captured British flag as a trophy!

And if one of going to cross the Buffalo River into Zululand, you need some terrain to fight over right?

Semblance of a small veldt hamlet named after an Irishman

British tentage and a Kraal

Next Up: The British and their Boer allies.

Nemo's War 2nd Ed Arrives!

A year without a post here at the blog? Goodness me, what was I thinking? Entombed in a submersible vehicle with a mysterious Captain of unknown origin I was. Lucky I have now resurfaced with the arrival of Nemo's War 2nd Edition - and worth waiting for it was too!

I'll do a full review in due course but first impressions are: WoW! The opponents are fantastic and this game has gotten the warranted lavish attention it deserves. Its clear from the multiple victory conditions, difficulty levels, upgrade options, counter mix and large card deck that this game has lots of replayability too.  Games are reported to last 1 to 1.5 hrs in length.

Non KS backers will appreciate that the vast majority of rewards were realised in upgrades to the core game, so with the loss of only two token bags you get everything else. One particularly nice addition is the plastic Nautilus model instead of a counter.  Pics of some very nicely painted ones are appearing at BGG and with only the one model to do it wont take as long as your other wargaming forces!

And finally, I really liked the attention put into the ship counter mix.  The Warships are all historical with accurate silhouettes etc, building a greater level of enjoyment than generic Frigate/Cruiser etc. And I was thrilled to see a certain Victorian Monitor make an appearance!

And finally, this new edition has a co-op version allowing it be be expended from solo play up to 4 players. Haven't tried it yet but it sounds interesting - I love coop games.

So first impressions are: Well worth the wait! And there are already rumours of booster packs being developed by the authors with additional cards, motivations and crew counters...

EDIT: A rumour no longer - play testing has already commenced!
https://www.victorypointgames.com/news/nemo-booster-packs-playtesting/

Naval Hotchkiss revolving cannon

I have previously posted about the Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon (here) design along with pics of a nice museum piece.  Yesterday I came across a nice example of a Naval version on a pedestal mounting at the Royal Australian Navy's Heritage Collection at the Garden Island naval base, in Sydney.

Sail Trek

In the spirit of Steam Trek (here) - well worth a giggle!

Melbourne's Sea Forts that never were

Proposed but never built, based on the Channel forts off Portsmouth, UK. 

Would have made fascinating additions to the Victorian defensive network.

From: http://www.mhhv.org.au/?p=1741

In 1859 (and with the "Russian Scare" of the Crimean War still fresh in the minds of the Australian colonies), Britain was swept with an anti-French fever whipped up by the Press as a result of the construction of the French warship La Gloire, the first armoured steam warship to be built.

In the same year the Palmerston government was forced by public opinion to set up a Royal Commission to review the defences of the United Kingdom. When the Commission reported in 1860 it recommended sweeping improvements to the defences of the Royal Dockyards at the enormous cost, in those days, of £11 million.

One result of the recommendations of the Commission was the construction of four sea forts to defend the Solent, the stretch of water between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth. These were large circular forts, one sited on a spit of land off the Isle of Wight and the other three on shoal banks in the Solent. All were built of stone and partly clad with iron and all mounted some of the largest rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns, 12.5-in 38 ton guns. At the same time a further fort was approved for the defence of Plymouth harbour. Known as the Breakwater Fort it was slightly smaller than the Solent forts and a revised, though abortive, design in 1866 included a pair of two-gun turrets on the roof of the fort.

The concept of mounting guns in turrets on coast defence forts was a very new one in the 1860s. Captain Cowper Coles RN had patented an iron revolving turret for two ‘heavy’ RML guns in 1859 and proposed the design of a number of turret ships for the Royal Navy. It was, therefore, a logical progression for British military engineers to suggest the mounting of turrets on coast defence forts.

These five forts were the only sea forts to be constructed by British military engineers. However, what is not generally known is that two similar sea forts and a tower with a turret for two guns were proposed for the defence of Melbourne in the 1860s though these were never constructed.

The turret for two 16-in RML guns mounted on the Admiralty Pier at Dover

Melbourne Sea Forts

The Crimean War and the construction of the French armoured steam warship La Gloire produced war scares not only in Britain but also in the Australian colonies. The defences of Melbourne were rudimentary at this time with the main defences being an earth battery for nine 68-pounder smooth-bore guns at Williamstown and a battery of  six guns at Sandridge.

In 1859 the Victoria government requested advice on the fortification of Melbourne from the War Office in London and in August 1860 Captain Peter Scratchley arrived with the specific task of reviewing the existing defences and advising on what additional defences were required. Scratchley’s recommendations included four batteries at the Heads at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. In addition, he recommended the construction of five batteries at Sandridge and Williamstown to be reinforced by a floating battery and a wooden sea fort raised on piles in Hobson’s Bay. Despite a scare of war with the United States in 1861 only Scratchley’s proposals for the batteries for the close defence of Melbourne in Hobson’s Bay were completed in 1863 together with a battery at Shortland’s Bluff to defend the entrance to Port Phillip Bay.

Captain Scratchley returned to England in 1863 but plans for improving the defences of Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay continued with proposals in 1865 for the construction of towers at Point Nepean and Point Lonsdale to support HMVS Cerberus, the construction of which had recently been authorised. The Point Nepean tower was designed to carry a turret for two 23 ton RML guns (12-in Mk I). The cost of the tower was estimated at £10,000 with a further £10,000 for the turret and £8,000 for the armament making a grand total of £28,000 for the completed tower. (1). It is, perhaps, not surprising, therefore, that the construction of these towers was never authorised by the government of Victoria.

A design for a sea fort mounting five turrets

In London in 1867 the Defence Committee, under the chairmanship of Admiral Grey together with Rear Admiral Cooper Key and Lieutenant Colonel Jervois, reviewed further proposals for the defence of Melbourne and concurred with a report of the Fortifications Committee that two sea forts should be built for the defence of Port Phillip Bay. The forts were to be constructed in the water on a line between Point Gellibrand and Point Ormond, a distance of approximately 6,000 yards (5,538 metres), in order to provide a line of defence that was sufficiently advanced to protect  Melbourne and its shipping from long-range guns. These forts were to be similar in design to the Breakwater Fort in Plymouth harbour but smaller in size.

One fort was to be sited on a shoal 500 yards (460 metres) from Point Gellibrand and this was to be an iron casemated fort mounting 10 x 9-in 12 ton RML guns in two tiers of casemates with 2 x 10-in 18 ton RML guns in a single turret. The second fort was to be sited in 4 ½ fathoms of water 2,000 yards (1,846 metres) from the Point Gellibrand fort. The second fort was to be more heavily armed mounting 12 x 9-in 12 ton RML guns in two tiers of casemates and 4 x 10-in 18 ton RML guns in two turrets.

The cost of the fort off Point Gellibrand was estimated at £75,000 for the foundations and iron casemates; £10,000 for the turret; £25,000 for the 9-in guns; and £7,000 for the 10-in guns. The total cost coming to £117,000. The cost of the deep-water fort was even more with an estimate of £145,000 for the foundations and iron casemates; £20,000 for the two turrets; £30,000 for the 9-in guns; and £14,000 for the 10-in guns. The total cost coming to the astronomical sum, for that time, of £209,000. (2.)

The proposals for the construction of the two sea forts came at a time when Britain was reviewing its Imperial defence policy and instituting a requirement that the dominions and colonies should contribute towards their own defence. At this time Britain was also considering the withdrawal of the Imperial garrisons from Canada and the Australian colonies and had passed an act of Parliament permitting the creation of official naval forces in the colonies. Having just authorised the construction of HMVS Cerberus the government of Victoria was not inclined to fund the construction of these expensive fortifications and so the project lapsed.

- See more at: http://www.mhhv.org.au/?p=1741#sthash.RgFMlBw3.dpuf