Origins Game Fair 2024 – featuring the Wargame HQ with the Armchair Dragoons – will be held 19-23 June, 2024 ~~ More Info here
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History and Tall Tales / Re: This Day in History
« Last post by besilarius on Yesterday at 11:20:23 PM »946 King Edmund I "the Elder" of England (939-946), murdered at 24, by bandit chief Leofa, who was in turn killed by the royal guards
1789 The Duke of York, Colonel of the Coldstream Guards, refuses to return fire though slightly wounded in a duel with Lt Col Charles Lenox, of his regiment
1835. Duke of Wellington once claimed that he had joined Crockford’s, a snooty club, in order to be able to blackball the Marquess of Douro, his son.
1816 until the end of the German Empire, at a formal mess every June 18th, the officers of the Prussian 25th Infantry would each solemnly take a cigar from a little silver plate engraved with the “N” monogram and the imperial bees while the band played the regimental march, to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo, where their predecessors had captured Napoleon’s carriage
1901, six years after he had joined the 4th Hussars, that Winston Churchill managed to finish paying for his initial set of uniforms and equipment.
1940 the Royal Navy began evacuating British and French troops from Dunkirk
1941 HMS 'Ark Royal' a/c damage battleship 'Bismarck'
1944. USS England (DE 635) sinks its fifth Japanese submarine in a week, (RO 108), 110 miles northeast of Manus.
1946 US Patent filed for the H-Bomb
1789 The Duke of York, Colonel of the Coldstream Guards, refuses to return fire though slightly wounded in a duel with Lt Col Charles Lenox, of his regiment
1835. Duke of Wellington once claimed that he had joined Crockford’s, a snooty club, in order to be able to blackball the Marquess of Douro, his son.
1816 until the end of the German Empire, at a formal mess every June 18th, the officers of the Prussian 25th Infantry would each solemnly take a cigar from a little silver plate engraved with the “N” monogram and the imperial bees while the band played the regimental march, to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo, where their predecessors had captured Napoleon’s carriage
1901, six years after he had joined the 4th Hussars, that Winston Churchill managed to finish paying for his initial set of uniforms and equipment.
1940 the Royal Navy began evacuating British and French troops from Dunkirk
1941 HMS 'Ark Royal' a/c damage battleship 'Bismarck'
1944. USS England (DE 635) sinks its fifth Japanese submarine in a week, (RO 108), 110 miles northeast of Manus.
1946 US Patent filed for the H-Bomb
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History and Tall Tales / Re: This Day in History
« Last post by Staggerwing on Yesterday at 12:03:47 PM »Quote
1945. Two of the most prominent world leaders in World War II were known among the Navajo as "Mustache Smeller" and "Gourd Chin," that is, Hitler and Mussolini.
I still find it remarkable that the Germans and Japanese were not able to scour their universities for someone who could understand Navaho, or at least find some language guides. The Code Talkers must have used codes and random word substitutions in addition to their native language.
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History and Tall Tales / Re: This Day in History
« Last post by besilarius on May 25, 2024, 10:33:47 PM »567 BC King Servius Tullius of Rome celebrated a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans
1690 one adult Frenchman in ten was in the army, as were one in three "gentlemen."
1768. James Cook promoted to Lieutenant and given command of the bark, HMS Endeavour
1889 Gunther Lutjens, German admiral, kia 1941 in the 'Bismarck'
1913 Afred Redl, Austian staff officer and traitor, suicide at 49 -Austro-Hungarian officer, by 1901 he headed the army’s espionage and counter-espionage office, and uncovered several foreign agents. In 1907, needing money, Redl began selling mobilization plans, details about new weapons, plans of frontier defenses, and so forth to Russian intelligence. He continued to do so after his promotion to colonel and transfer to duty as chief-of-staff of the VIII Army Corps in Prague. The corps was part of the Austro-Hungarian strategic reserve, and thus Redl had access to plans for war with Serbia or Russia or both. In 1913 German intelligence uncovered his activities and passed the information on to their allies. Amazingly, rather than interrogate Redl, the arresting officers permitted him to commit suicide. Although Chief-of-the-General Staff Franz Conrad von Hotzendorf expressed outrage over this, he apparently was not displeased, perhaps because his own son had been among the many officers who – unwittingly or not – had supplied Redl with useful information. One of the most financially successful spies in history, Redl, a colonel with an annual salary of 14,000 kronen, left an estate worth about 75,000 kronen, more than Conrad’s assets, and today equal to perhaps as $7,500,000. This included a house in Vienna, a luxury three bedroom apartment in Prague, three horses, and a Daimler limo (itself costing kr 19,000), as well as “. . . wardrobes . . . stuffed with uniforms and the softest batiste shirts, ninety-five of them . . . sixty-two pairs of gloves”, not to mention jewelry, objects d’arte, and more. He also had about kr 30,000 in debts. Redl seems to have inspired the roguish “Colonel Count Alfred Renard”, played by Maurice Chevalier in the 1929 Paramount romantic comedy The Love Parade.
1914 Marshal of France Jean Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny (1889-1952), who commanded the Free French First Army during World War II, was severely injured in a mounted skirmish with some German cavalrymen, becoming thereby probably the last person of note in the twentieth century who had the experience of having been wounded by a sword.
1945. Two of the most prominent world leaders in World War II were known among the Navajo as "Mustache Smeller" and "Gourd Chin," that is, Hitler and Mussolini.
1690 one adult Frenchman in ten was in the army, as were one in three "gentlemen."
1768. James Cook promoted to Lieutenant and given command of the bark, HMS Endeavour
1889 Gunther Lutjens, German admiral, kia 1941 in the 'Bismarck'
1913 Afred Redl, Austian staff officer and traitor, suicide at 49 -Austro-Hungarian officer, by 1901 he headed the army’s espionage and counter-espionage office, and uncovered several foreign agents. In 1907, needing money, Redl began selling mobilization plans, details about new weapons, plans of frontier defenses, and so forth to Russian intelligence. He continued to do so after his promotion to colonel and transfer to duty as chief-of-staff of the VIII Army Corps in Prague. The corps was part of the Austro-Hungarian strategic reserve, and thus Redl had access to plans for war with Serbia or Russia or both. In 1913 German intelligence uncovered his activities and passed the information on to their allies. Amazingly, rather than interrogate Redl, the arresting officers permitted him to commit suicide. Although Chief-of-the-General Staff Franz Conrad von Hotzendorf expressed outrage over this, he apparently was not displeased, perhaps because his own son had been among the many officers who – unwittingly or not – had supplied Redl with useful information. One of the most financially successful spies in history, Redl, a colonel with an annual salary of 14,000 kronen, left an estate worth about 75,000 kronen, more than Conrad’s assets, and today equal to perhaps as $7,500,000. This included a house in Vienna, a luxury three bedroom apartment in Prague, three horses, and a Daimler limo (itself costing kr 19,000), as well as “. . . wardrobes . . . stuffed with uniforms and the softest batiste shirts, ninety-five of them . . . sixty-two pairs of gloves”, not to mention jewelry, objects d’arte, and more. He also had about kr 30,000 in debts. Redl seems to have inspired the roguish “Colonel Count Alfred Renard”, played by Maurice Chevalier in the 1929 Paramount romantic comedy The Love Parade.
1914 Marshal of France Jean Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny (1889-1952), who commanded the Free French First Army during World War II, was severely injured in a mounted skirmish with some German cavalrymen, becoming thereby probably the last person of note in the twentieth century who had the experience of having been wounded by a sword.
1945. Two of the most prominent world leaders in World War II were known among the Navajo as "Mustache Smeller" and "Gourd Chin," that is, Hitler and Mussolini.
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History and Tall Tales / Re: This Day in History
« Last post by besilarius on May 24, 2024, 09:14:33 PM »1689. Parliament guarantees freedom of religion, for Protestants
1701. Don José Sarmiento y Valladares, who served as the Vice-Roy of New Spain from 1696 to 1701, was the husband of María Jerónima Moctezuma y Jofre de Loaiza, the third Countess de Moctezuma, a several times great-granddaughter of the Aztec Emperor Motecuhzoma II Xocoyotzin.
1779. Black Prince, owned by Irish and French smugglers, is commissed as an American privateer through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin.
1861. Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth, 11th NY, having pulled down a Confederate flag, was murdered in Alexandria, Va., at 24, by irate Rebel James W. Jackson, who was promptly shot & bayonetted at c. 38 by irate Yank Francis E. Brownell
1939. When the Royal Navy took the Canadian liner Montcalm into service as an armed merchant cruiser they renamed her HMS Wolfe, thus commemorating the general who defeated Montcalm on the. Plains of Abraham.
1939. The McCann Momsen Rescue Chamber saves 33 sailors from the sunken 'Squalus' (SS-192), the only time the device has ever been used
1941 HMS 'Hood' was sunk by the KMS 'Bismarck' in the Battle of the Denmark Straits, 1,416 killed, 3 survivors.
1701. Don José Sarmiento y Valladares, who served as the Vice-Roy of New Spain from 1696 to 1701, was the husband of María Jerónima Moctezuma y Jofre de Loaiza, the third Countess de Moctezuma, a several times great-granddaughter of the Aztec Emperor Motecuhzoma II Xocoyotzin.
1779. Black Prince, owned by Irish and French smugglers, is commissed as an American privateer through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin.
1861. Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth, 11th NY, having pulled down a Confederate flag, was murdered in Alexandria, Va., at 24, by irate Rebel James W. Jackson, who was promptly shot & bayonetted at c. 38 by irate Yank Francis E. Brownell
1939. When the Royal Navy took the Canadian liner Montcalm into service as an armed merchant cruiser they renamed her HMS Wolfe, thus commemorating the general who defeated Montcalm on the. Plains of Abraham.
1939. The McCann Momsen Rescue Chamber saves 33 sailors from the sunken 'Squalus' (SS-192), the only time the device has ever been used
1941 HMS 'Hood' was sunk by the KMS 'Bismarck' in the Battle of the Denmark Straits, 1,416 killed, 3 survivors.
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The Modern World / Re: Last Hundred Yards V5
« Last post by bob48 on May 24, 2024, 06:16:56 PM »This is an incredible series. To say I'm enthusiastic about it is somewhat of an understatement.
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RPGs & Adventure Gaming / Ruins of Symbaroum
« Last post by bayonetbrant on May 24, 2024, 04:44:39 PM »Ruins of Symbaroum the Free League 5e way
For those who are tired of all the corporate shenanigans from Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro these days there are fortunately alternative publishers who care about players and their games. April 30 saw the release of two new products for the Ruins of Symbaroum 5e setting from Free League Publishing.
https://www.armchairdragoons.com/articles/symbaroum5e/
For those who are tired of all the corporate shenanigans from Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro these days there are fortunately alternative publishers who care about players and their games. April 30 saw the release of two new products for the Ruins of Symbaroum 5e setting from Free League Publishing.
https://www.armchairdragoons.com/articles/symbaroum5e/
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Intel Dump / Re: Consolidated Games-on-Sale Thread
« Last post by bayonetbrant on May 24, 2024, 03:31:59 PM »crazy Talisman sale here, all add-ons to the free based game through Steam
https://www.humblebundle.com/games/talisman-complete-collection-returns?partner=tabletopbellhop
https://www.humblebundle.com/games/talisman-complete-collection-returns?partner=tabletopbellhop
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Intel Dump / Re: Wargame Design Studio News Thread + Latest Sale Titles
« Last post by rahamy on May 24, 2024, 09:36:28 AM »Today's post brings you updates to the Modern Campaigns Asian titles as well as the three Panzer Campaigns Asian titles. This round brings these five games up to the 4.04 standard.
https://wargameds.com/blogs/news/asia-week-modern-campaigns-panzer-campaigns-4-04-updates
https://wargameds.com/blogs/news/asia-week-modern-campaigns-panzer-campaigns-4-04-updates
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History and Tall Tales / Re: This Day in History
« Last post by besilarius on May 23, 2024, 11:09:56 PM »878 Battle of Edington: King Alfred the Great of Wessex defeats the Danes, imposing peace
1430. The Burgundians capture Joan of Arc, for the English
1792. George Rodney died
1896 the daily ration for a common soldier in the Argentine Army included 3.3 pounds of fresh beef and 1.8 pounds of other comestibles, plus 4.4 pounds of firewood, with which the troops were presumably supposed to barbecue all that beef.
1934 Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (23) and Clyde Barrow (24), ambushed by police after a three year killing spree
1939. USS Squalus (SS 192) suffers a catastrophic main induction valve failure during a test dive off the New Hampshire coast and is partially flooded, killing 26 crew members.
1944. USS England (DE 635) sinks a Japanese submarine near New Ireland, sinking five submarines in a week
1945. During World War II the prostitute population of Fayetteville, North Carolina, site of Fort Bragg, rose from a “normal” level of about 200 to occasional peaks of some 5,000, as the number of troops stationed there rose and fell.
Although the Soviet Union had 289 submarines in commission during World War II, they were only able to sink only 128 enemy vessels, in the process losing 110 of their number, perhaps the worst loss-to-kill ratio in the history of submarine warfare
1430. The Burgundians capture Joan of Arc, for the English
1792. George Rodney died
1896 the daily ration for a common soldier in the Argentine Army included 3.3 pounds of fresh beef and 1.8 pounds of other comestibles, plus 4.4 pounds of firewood, with which the troops were presumably supposed to barbecue all that beef.
1934 Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (23) and Clyde Barrow (24), ambushed by police after a three year killing spree
1939. USS Squalus (SS 192) suffers a catastrophic main induction valve failure during a test dive off the New Hampshire coast and is partially flooded, killing 26 crew members.
1944. USS England (DE 635) sinks a Japanese submarine near New Ireland, sinking five submarines in a week
1945. During World War II the prostitute population of Fayetteville, North Carolina, site of Fort Bragg, rose from a “normal” level of about 200 to occasional peaks of some 5,000, as the number of troops stationed there rose and fell.
Although the Soviet Union had 289 submarines in commission during World War II, they were only able to sink only 128 enemy vessels, in the process losing 110 of their number, perhaps the worst loss-to-kill ratio in the history of submarine warfare
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Intel Dump / Re: New Column - #TBT / Throwback Thursday!
« Last post by bayonetbrant on May 23, 2024, 10:38:05 AM »#TBT ~ The Gamemaster Series
No, the 1980s saw something of a rebirth, a spark if you will, that lit off a keg of potential that would influence not just wargames but the board gaming hobby as a whole, arguably: the Milton Bradley Gamemaster Series.
https://www.armchairdragoons.com/articles/tbt/tbt-gmseries/
No, the 1980s saw something of a rebirth, a spark if you will, that lit off a keg of potential that would influence not just wargames but the board gaming hobby as a whole, arguably: the Milton Bradley Gamemaster Series.
https://www.armchairdragoons.com/articles/tbt/tbt-gmseries/