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Recent Posts
1
Pre-Gunpowder / Re: HISPANIA wargame on Gamefound
« Last post by DracoIdeas on Today at 05:09:21 AM »Last hours to get Hispania!
New update published on Gamefound:
https://gamefound.com/en/projects/draco-ideas/hispania/updates/15
Thanks for the support!!
New update published on Gamefound:
https://gamefound.com/en/projects/draco-ideas/hispania/updates/15
Thanks for the support!!
2
History and Tall Tales / Re: This Day in History
« Last post by besilarius on Yesterday at 10:00:18 PM »1213 King John surrenders England and Ireland to Pope Innocent III, who then grants them to him as fiefs of the papacy
1575. Fighting in Spanish service, the Italian condottiero Giovan Luigi Vitelli (1519-1575), known as "Chiappino", campaigned successfully against the Turks, the French, and the Dutch, and was "equally distinguished for his courage, his cruelty, and his corpulence," being so fat, in fact, that his "protuberant stomach was always supported by a sash suspended from his neck."
1638 cannoneer Gerrit Jansen was fatally stabbed by Jan Gysbertsen in front of Fort Amsterdam, in NYC's first recorded murder
1718. Brit James Puckle receives a patent for a repeating firearm - the first "machine gun"
1883. Austro-Hungary, Germany, and Italy formed the "Triple Alliance". During the late nineteenth century, Italy joined Germany and Austria-Hungary in a defensive arrangement that came to be known as the “Triple Alliance.” Now this seemed like a good idea at the time. Italy had two potential major enemies. One was France. Since France was also Germany’s principal enemy, an alliance with the Second Reich would be mutually beneficial. Italy’s other potential enemy was Austria-Hungary. It would thus seem strange that Italy would form an alliance with Austria-Hungary. But there was method to the madness, on several fronts. Austria-Hungary’s great enemy was Russia, allied with France, and thus also an enemy of Germany. So German chancellor Otto von Bismarck arranged the Triple Alliance to keep Italy off Austria-Hungary’s back in the event of a war with Russia, by insuring that the “Dual Monarchy” would keep the peace with Italy, and at the same time Italy would have a powerful ally in the event of war with France.
Of course, as Lord Palmerston once said, “Nations have neither permanent friends nor permanent enemies, only their interests are permanent.” As time passed, friends and foes can change.
In 1902 Italy and France concluded a secret agreement that made hostilities between the two countries extremely unlikely, resolving various issues to the mutual satisfaction of both countries. But due to some bureaucratic turf wars, the French Foreign Minister neglected to inform the War Minister. As a result, for the next seven years the French Army continued to assume that in the event of a war with Germany, Italy would be an enemy as well, and continued to plan to deploy several corps on the Alpine frontier. This curious oversight continued until 1909, when someone finally tipped off the War Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Italian Foreign Minster made precisely the same mistake, failing to notify the War Minister that a conflict with France was highly unlikely. This had even worse consequences, for the error was never corrected. As a result, the Italian Army continued to plan on the assumption that it would support Germany in a war against France, only to be blindsided when Italy issued a declaration of neutrality on August 3, 1914.
And if that was a shock, consider how it went down in Vienna and Berlin, where the general staffs were keeping rail lines open to move Italian troops to the Rhine.
1934. John Keegan, British military historian ("The Face of Battle", etc.), d. 2012
1944. Eisenhower & Montgomery brief George VI & Churchill on the D-Day plan
1949. , the average height of Cretan recruits for the Greek Army was 5’4”, which, based on an examination of skeletal remains, was a full inch shorter than the average Greek man during the Fifth Century BC.
1575. Fighting in Spanish service, the Italian condottiero Giovan Luigi Vitelli (1519-1575), known as "Chiappino", campaigned successfully against the Turks, the French, and the Dutch, and was "equally distinguished for his courage, his cruelty, and his corpulence," being so fat, in fact, that his "protuberant stomach was always supported by a sash suspended from his neck."
1638 cannoneer Gerrit Jansen was fatally stabbed by Jan Gysbertsen in front of Fort Amsterdam, in NYC's first recorded murder
1718. Brit James Puckle receives a patent for a repeating firearm - the first "machine gun"
1883. Austro-Hungary, Germany, and Italy formed the "Triple Alliance". During the late nineteenth century, Italy joined Germany and Austria-Hungary in a defensive arrangement that came to be known as the “Triple Alliance.” Now this seemed like a good idea at the time. Italy had two potential major enemies. One was France. Since France was also Germany’s principal enemy, an alliance with the Second Reich would be mutually beneficial. Italy’s other potential enemy was Austria-Hungary. It would thus seem strange that Italy would form an alliance with Austria-Hungary. But there was method to the madness, on several fronts. Austria-Hungary’s great enemy was Russia, allied with France, and thus also an enemy of Germany. So German chancellor Otto von Bismarck arranged the Triple Alliance to keep Italy off Austria-Hungary’s back in the event of a war with Russia, by insuring that the “Dual Monarchy” would keep the peace with Italy, and at the same time Italy would have a powerful ally in the event of war with France.
Of course, as Lord Palmerston once said, “Nations have neither permanent friends nor permanent enemies, only their interests are permanent.” As time passed, friends and foes can change.
In 1902 Italy and France concluded a secret agreement that made hostilities between the two countries extremely unlikely, resolving various issues to the mutual satisfaction of both countries. But due to some bureaucratic turf wars, the French Foreign Minister neglected to inform the War Minister. As a result, for the next seven years the French Army continued to assume that in the event of a war with Germany, Italy would be an enemy as well, and continued to plan to deploy several corps on the Alpine frontier. This curious oversight continued until 1909, when someone finally tipped off the War Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Italian Foreign Minster made precisely the same mistake, failing to notify the War Minister that a conflict with France was highly unlikely. This had even worse consequences, for the error was never corrected. As a result, the Italian Army continued to plan on the assumption that it would support Germany in a war against France, only to be blindsided when Italy issued a declaration of neutrality on August 3, 1914.
And if that was a shock, consider how it went down in Vienna and Berlin, where the general staffs were keeping rail lines open to move Italian troops to the Rhine.
1934. John Keegan, British military historian ("The Face of Battle", etc.), d. 2012
1944. Eisenhower & Montgomery brief George VI & Churchill on the D-Day plan
1949. , the average height of Cretan recruits for the Greek Army was 5’4”, which, based on an examination of skeletal remains, was a full inch shorter than the average Greek man during the Fifth Century BC.
3
History and Tall Tales / Re: This Day in History
« Last post by besilarius on Yesterday at 01:37:07 PM »202 BC. Marcus Servilius Geminus Pulex, who served as Roman Consul in 202 B.C., had during his military career answered 23 challenges to single combat by enemy soldiers, each time coming away the victor.
200 BC. Merculalia, the festival of Mercury, the god of commerce. On this day, merchants would sprinkle water from the well of Porta Capaeno onto their vehicles or ships for good luck.
1747. First Battle of Cape Finisterre. 14 British ships of the line under Admiral George Anson attack a French 30-ship convoy commanded by Admiral de la Jonquière and capture 4 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 7 merchantmen, in a five-hour battle in the Bay of Biscay.
1797. Admiral Sir Adam Duncan quelled a mutiny in HMS 'Adamant'. men of HMS Adamant, a 50-gun ship, were particularly restive. As a result, they had been honored by several visits from the admiral, though these had done little to alay the unrest for long. Then, on May 14, 1797, mutinous disorders occurred in Adamant.
Apprised of the incident, Duncan promptly had himself rowed over to the troublesome vessel.� Boarding Adamant, he ordered the ship's company mustered. The men, still bound by the shreds of discipline, complied, and Duncan addressed them from the quarterdeck,
My lads, I am not in the smallest degree apprehensive of any violent measures you may have in contemplation; and though I assure you I would much rather acquire your love than incur your fear, I will with my own hand put to death the first man who shall display the slightest signs of rebellious conduct.
Duncan paused, and then asked if there was anyone present who wished to dispute his authority, or that of the ship's officers.
A voice rang out, "I do," and a seaman stepped out of the assembled ranks to stand before the Admiral.
Hardly had the man stepped forward than Duncan reached down, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him into the air. Holding him at arm's length, Duncan walked over to the ship's bulwark.� As he dangled the man over the side, Duncan turned to the rest of the ship's company and said, "Lads, look at this fellow, he who dares to deprive me of the command of the fleet."
With that, the mutiny dissolved in laughter, and HMS Adamant was shortly deemed to be one of the most reliable ships in the fleet.
1781. Major-General Abram Petrovich Gannibal, c. 86, African slave who became a general under Peter the Great, great-great-grandfather of Alexander Pushkin
1853, Commander Charles E. Wilmot, the rather eccentric skipper of HMS Harlequin dressed his boat crew up as harlequins, that is as clowns.
1860. Battle of Calatafimini: "Here we make Italy, or we die!" - Garibaldi
1940. Nazis bomb Rotterdam: rumor and propaganda inflate the number of deaths (c. 800) to 30,000, prompting The Netherlands to surrender
1941. Fearing that the Germans might capture Moscow,, Stalin secretly ordered Lenin’s body removed from Moscow and sent to a secure location several hundred miles east.
200 BC. Merculalia, the festival of Mercury, the god of commerce. On this day, merchants would sprinkle water from the well of Porta Capaeno onto their vehicles or ships for good luck.
1747. First Battle of Cape Finisterre. 14 British ships of the line under Admiral George Anson attack a French 30-ship convoy commanded by Admiral de la Jonquière and capture 4 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 7 merchantmen, in a five-hour battle in the Bay of Biscay.
1797. Admiral Sir Adam Duncan quelled a mutiny in HMS 'Adamant'. men of HMS Adamant, a 50-gun ship, were particularly restive. As a result, they had been honored by several visits from the admiral, though these had done little to alay the unrest for long. Then, on May 14, 1797, mutinous disorders occurred in Adamant.
Apprised of the incident, Duncan promptly had himself rowed over to the troublesome vessel.� Boarding Adamant, he ordered the ship's company mustered. The men, still bound by the shreds of discipline, complied, and Duncan addressed them from the quarterdeck,
My lads, I am not in the smallest degree apprehensive of any violent measures you may have in contemplation; and though I assure you I would much rather acquire your love than incur your fear, I will with my own hand put to death the first man who shall display the slightest signs of rebellious conduct.
Duncan paused, and then asked if there was anyone present who wished to dispute his authority, or that of the ship's officers.
A voice rang out, "I do," and a seaman stepped out of the assembled ranks to stand before the Admiral.
Hardly had the man stepped forward than Duncan reached down, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him into the air. Holding him at arm's length, Duncan walked over to the ship's bulwark.� As he dangled the man over the side, Duncan turned to the rest of the ship's company and said, "Lads, look at this fellow, he who dares to deprive me of the command of the fleet."
With that, the mutiny dissolved in laughter, and HMS Adamant was shortly deemed to be one of the most reliable ships in the fleet.
1781. Major-General Abram Petrovich Gannibal, c. 86, African slave who became a general under Peter the Great, great-great-grandfather of Alexander Pushkin
1853, Commander Charles E. Wilmot, the rather eccentric skipper of HMS Harlequin dressed his boat crew up as harlequins, that is as clowns.
1860. Battle of Calatafimini: "Here we make Italy, or we die!" - Garibaldi
1940. Nazis bomb Rotterdam: rumor and propaganda inflate the number of deaths (c. 800) to 30,000, prompting The Netherlands to surrender
1941. Fearing that the Germans might capture Moscow,, Stalin secretly ordered Lenin’s body removed from Moscow and sent to a secure location several hundred miles east.
4
Conventions, Clubs, and Events / Re: Origins 2024 ––– JUNE 19-23 (Columbus, OH)
« Last post by bayonetbrant on Yesterday at 10:40:41 AM »Origins 2024 Countdown! The Wargame HQ Gaming Event Details
Starting our weekly Origins previews as we count down to the convention, here's a deep dive into the "holy crap that's a lot of wargames" agenda we're bringing to Origins in 2024.
https://wp.me/pae4WL-996
Starting our weekly Origins previews as we count down to the convention, here's a deep dive into the "holy crap that's a lot of wargames" agenda we're bringing to Origins in 2024.
https://wp.me/pae4WL-996
5
History and Tall Tales / Re: This Day in History
« Last post by besilarius on May 14, 2024, 05:23:23 PM »1364. The principal reason the Florentines won the Battle of Cascina on July 28, was because they surprised their Pisan enemies while most of them were bathing in the River Arno and bereft of arms, not to mention clothing..
1619. Johan Van Olden Barneveldt, 72, Dutch statesman, beheaded by the Calvinists for advocating religious freedom
1801. Tripoli declares war on the United States for not increasing the annual tribute paid as protection money to prevent raids on its ships. Within less than a week, a squadron under Commodore Richard Dale (John Paul Jones' first lieutenant) sets sail to protect American interests and arrives July 1 at Gibraltar.
1846 the US declared war on Mexico, ten days after fighting had begun
1871. horsed armies, for every three animals used as mounts or to haul artillery or supplies, two additional ones are needed each week to transport fodder.
1912. Kaiser Wilhelm II was so fond of uniforms that whenever he went to see Wagner's opera The Flying Dutchman he always wore his uniform as a Grand Admiral of the Imperial German Navy.
1940 Churchill promised "blood, toil, tears, and sweat."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=80_HXIHa724&pp=ygUtd2luc3RvbiBjaHVyY2hpbGwgYmxvb2QgdG9pbCB0ZWFycyBhbmQgc3dlYXQg
1943. Axis troops in Tunisia surrender, ending the African Campaign
1973. During the Vietnam War the U.S. Army officially reported 4,643 helicopters lost in action: a further 6,000 were so severely damaged as to required extensive rebuilding.
1619. Johan Van Olden Barneveldt, 72, Dutch statesman, beheaded by the Calvinists for advocating religious freedom
1801. Tripoli declares war on the United States for not increasing the annual tribute paid as protection money to prevent raids on its ships. Within less than a week, a squadron under Commodore Richard Dale (John Paul Jones' first lieutenant) sets sail to protect American interests and arrives July 1 at Gibraltar.
1846 the US declared war on Mexico, ten days after fighting had begun
1871. horsed armies, for every three animals used as mounts or to haul artillery or supplies, two additional ones are needed each week to transport fodder.
1912. Kaiser Wilhelm II was so fond of uniforms that whenever he went to see Wagner's opera The Flying Dutchman he always wore his uniform as a Grand Admiral of the Imperial German Navy.
1940 Churchill promised "blood, toil, tears, and sweat."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=80_HXIHa724&pp=ygUtd2luc3RvbiBjaHVyY2hpbGwgYmxvb2QgdG9pbCB0ZWFycyBhbmQgc3dlYXQg
1943. Axis troops in Tunisia surrender, ending the African Campaign
1973. During the Vietnam War the U.S. Army officially reported 4,643 helicopters lost in action: a further 6,000 were so severely damaged as to required extensive rebuilding.
6
Intel Dump / Re: Tuesday Newsday! Weekly dump of wargaming news
« Last post by bayonetbrant on May 14, 2024, 04:01:10 PM »Golden Geeks, Minis Pre-Orders, & more ~ #TuesdayNewsday
Stay in the loop with our comprehensive roundup of hobby (and practitioner!) wargaming headlines every #TuesdayNewsday
https://www.armchairdragoons.com/news/tn051424/
this week's new releases:
Stay in the loop with our comprehensive roundup of hobby (and practitioner!) wargaming headlines every #TuesdayNewsday
https://www.armchairdragoons.com/news/tn051424/
this week's new releases:
7
Pre-Gunpowder / Re: Field Of Glory: Kingdoms
« Last post by LetsPlayHistory on May 14, 2024, 03:29:45 PM »Peter and I are currently playing the Iberian scenario in multiplayer. My videos are going to be published from tomorrow onwards. They are in german, but I thought I share the playlist nonetheless.
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Pre-Gunpowder / Re: Field Of Glory: Kingdoms
« Last post by Sir Slash on May 14, 2024, 12:00:30 PM »Hey, none of them fit ME, if you know what I mean.... And by that, I mean they're ALL too small. 
But the game does look great and I'm Wishlisting it right now.
But the game does look great and I'm Wishlisting it right now. 9
Pre-Gunpowder / Re: HISPANIA wargame on Gamefound
« Last post by DracoIdeas on May 14, 2024, 04:14:23 AM »With all the Stretch Goals have been unlocked, we enter the last days of the campaign.
Today we want to talk about Tetrarchia, a game also by Miguel Marqués, in which we must to defend Rome from the barbarians that threaten the Empire from all the cardinal points.
https://gamefound.com/en/projects/draco-ideas/hispania/updates/14
Today we want to talk about Tetrarchia, a game also by Miguel Marqués, in which we must to defend Rome from the barbarians that threaten the Empire from all the cardinal points.
https://gamefound.com/en/projects/draco-ideas/hispania/updates/14
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Pre-Gunpowder / Re: Field Of Glory: Kingdoms
« Last post by Metaldog on May 13, 2024, 11:15:00 PM »Damn right. That's a long time to wear a codpiece that doesn't fit.
That explains your winning personality
