Belgian Force Publique Uniforms

Here are a couple of shots I took of Belgian Force Publique uniforms in the Musée Royal de l’Armée et d’Histoire Militaire in Brussels.  They appear to be made of (quite heavy) wool not any sort of lighter cotton.   Can't have been much fun in the jungle!

The one thing I noticed was how dark blue the uniforms were compared with the original painted miniatures on the Foundry website, which inspired me to buy them

Congo cancelled!

"I say, you chaps, any sign of breakfast yet?"

Well, for me anyway.  I was due to go to Eric the Shed's for my first game of Congo, as organised by Alastair last night but our car started to smoke alarmingly on the way to the garage to have something else fixed.  They needed to keep it in overnight so there was no chance to get to Eric's.  Nearly as annoying was the fact that we had just come back from the Isle of Wight so didn't have any food in the house.   I had to have beans and no toast for dinner which is the sort of food the Old Bat eats.  Alastair rightly said that I needed a relief column to deliver Full English Breakfasts!

Scottish breakfast!

Part of the problem may have been the amount of driving we did last week.  On Monday it was down to Hampshire for mother in law's birthday party.  120 miles there and back. Tuesday we had to drive to Edinburgh to put Charlotte's stuff in the car so as to avoid a ludicrous £500 moving fee. Then on Wednesday we drove back home again. 876 miles there and back.  On Friday we went down to Southampton for the Cowes Powerboat race and back on Sunday.  140 miles there and back.  On the way back the car started to smell (it was burning anti-freeze) and the Old Bat needed help from the garage on Monday when her car started to smoke inside on the A3.  All done now, just a hose had gone.

Congo jungle

Although the others had enough figures for the game, poor Alastair had to make lots of extra counters as I couldn't take mine.  Still, the good news was that they all seemed to enjoy it and so, hopefully they will organise another game at some point.  Eric's account of the game is here.  Alastair's is here. I am interested enough that I might try a solo game at some point to see if I can work out the rules.  Guy is off to university in ten days so I can use his room to set up a board.

I have enough scenery for a game and certainly enough figures although I gather some animals are needed.  I certainly have, giraffes, gorillas, elephants, rhinos and lions but none are painted!  Above we have a shot of my last Darkest Africa game, ten years ago (!), as my Azande advance.

One thing I always try to do on my trips to the Isle of Wight is get to one of two very good second hand bookshops on the island.  They are both owned by the same people and this time I got to the smaller one in Yarmouth.  I never fail to get a good book or two there and this time I got this excellent one called Safari by Bartle Bull.

It is out of print now and is not very politically correct in these conservation minded days but it has some superb illustrations, such as the one at the top of this post which are useful for Darkest Africa gamers.  Although it is a Penguin book it is one of  their large format ones, not a normal novel sized one and its 384 pages is packed with black and white and colour illustrations.  I don't know if there are any African safari rules (which sounds like a dubious premise for a wargame but at least simulating shooting animals is better than simulating shooting people) but at least your group of safari hunters can get caught up with all sorts of trouble involving others.

Um Bongo, Um Bongo! Where do they drink it?

My Force Publique Belgians

In the Congo, of course and having spent two and a half weeks in Southern Africa last month (back to Africa next month) I am very excited to look at the new Congo rules from Studio Tomahawk, whose Muskets and Tomahawk rules I have played and enjoyed.

In Botswana last month

Alastair has already got his and posted a helpful introduction to the rules.  Now, I am always panicked by cards and counters (apart from the fact that I don't like the look of them) but am hoping they will be easy enough for me to follow.  

The very first metal 28mm figures I bought were Wargames Foundry's Darkest Africa ones which were first released, rather depressingly, eighteen years ago.  I have most of them (except the pygmies - I hate pygmies) and, even more amazingly I have painted hundreds of them.  As an example, here are my Belgians who have already seen action in a couple of games against my son (they lost).

Anbroos Vanderpump was delighted with what you could get with a bit of red trade cloth

Now, actually it sounds like the rules are more to do with the pre-colonial period, so rather than having troops like this I will need explorers but I have plenty of these too, although some might need repainting as I did them eighteen years ago.

I have now ordered the (really rather expensive) rules from North Star so once I have them I will be able to work out which of my existing figures I can use for the required forces.  It does sound like they are more Hollywood than historical, which is probably a good thing.  

Congo: Forthcoming rules by Studio Tomahawk

Having played the enjoyable Muskets and Tomahawks rules for the first time at Eric the Shed's last year I was very excited to discover that Studio Tomahawk are working on a Darkest Africa set of rules called Congo.  They are using this excellent looking set up using Foundry figures to promote it on their forum.

Skirmish wargaming does seem to be all the rage at present and Darkest Africa figures were some of the first metal figures I bought back in 1998 (I think).  Very excited about this as I think I have nearly all the Foundry figures and have even, unusually, painted a lot of them.  

Zambezi Campaign 27: Wasimba musketmen

I found a pack of these Foundry Native Musketmen on my floor a week or so ago (yes, it is that untidy) and so set out to get them painted as the start of the Wasimba villagers force that is the third out of five forces that the Gary Chalk scenarios require.

They are armed with cast off muskets supplied by the British and led by the chief's son, resplendent in his cast off waistcoat given to him by Commissioner Sanders Wallace.

Next I need to paint some spear armed warriors and archers.  In fact, another fifty figures are needed for this force.  I have certainly got most of the tribal figures to form the Wasimbas but as most tribes in this region had Zulu style shields I need to order some from Empress Miniatures, I think.

Zambezi Campaign 26: Margot Muirhead

Although I haven't done anything for the Zambezi project for nearly a year, it is far from forgotten.  While looking for something else, in one of my boxes of unpainted figures, recently, I came across the lady who was always destined to be the wife of the Rev Angus MacSporran.  She didn't take long to do and can also serve as a bystander for In Her Majesty's Names games. 

Margot Muirhead is the daughter of a minister of the Kirk herself. She married the much older Rev MacSporran and now, stuck in a native village up the Zambesi, regrets the fact that if she had stayed at home she could have gone to Edinburgh University, as she had always wanted,  Scottish Universities agreed to accept women shortly after she accompanied MacSporran to Africa.  She consoles herself by preaching to the poor benighted heathens, playing her flute and collecting butterflies.  The latter activity always seems to involve crawling around in the bushes by the river when the young men of the village go there to bathe.  She returns from these aurelian sorties flushed and breathless and usually needs a cold bath herself, afterwards.

Zambezi Campaign 25: Heavily armed askaris

These are the 12 heavily armed askaris which I need for my Arab army.  I finished them today, so that gives me all four of the units of firearm-equipped Zanzibari troops I need for the Gary Chalk scenarios.  Wargames Foundry figures, of course.

The Arab force so far: perilously close to an army!

Now all I have to do are complete the sword armed Baluchis, another cannon, plus the leader of the force, and the Arab force will be complete.  Then I will have to move on to the three tribal forces I need which will total 140 figures.  I'm not sure if these are all armed with spears which means painting cursed shields so I will have to check back in the relevant issue of Wargames Illustrated.  A little bit of research has shown that tribesmen in this area would have had Zulu style shields so I will probably have to order them from somewhere.  Empress miniatures do them separately I know.

I'll probably take on the second cannon next.

Zambezi Campaign 24: Third unit of Wangwana

In a burst of activity last week I completed my third unit of 14 Wangwana freedmen for my Arab army.  The final unit of these Zanzibari soldiers will be 12 heavily armed askaris with more modern rifles (Winchesters and such like).  I have already started these.  After these I only have another cannon and crew to do (also started) and the Baluchis with swords which I have also started but which are going to take ages.  

I probably have enough figures now to do an initial skirmish which is not part of the Gary Chalk scenarios.  I'm thinking of sending the Sikhs into the bush to see if they can discover what the Arab slavers are up to.  A nasty discovery would mean the dispatch of the gunboat up river.

Other good news is that I managed to get another Copplestone elephant on eBay as these are far superior to the ones they used in the Gary Chalk article.  Now I can paint them both together.

I'm also contemplating two more forces: German and French.  I already have some of the Foundry Germans although they will need repainting and as for the French I am very tempted by some of Artizan's new French Foreign Legion (especially the ones in sun helmets) and some tirailleurs.  Hmm...

Zambezi Campaign 23: Arab standard bearer

Here is the standard bearer for the Arab force, carrying the red flag of Zanzibar.  Zanzibar was part of the Sultanate of Oman which had flown the red flag since 1698.  When the independent Sultanate of Zanzibar was declared in 1856 the red flag was retained and remained the flag of the island state until November 1963.

Zambezi Campaign 22: Second unit of Wangwana

Today I finished my second unit of Wangwana for the Arab forces.  I now have one more unit of fourteen of these to paint.  I'm not sure if I actually have the figures available for this.  I found some today but need to have a look in some of my other file boxes.  Frankly, my unpainted figures are in a total mess at present so I need to have a sort out and a bit of an inventory.  I also need to paint a unit of 12 heavily armed askaris and am not sure if I have these either.

Baluchis ready for undercoating

One thing I do have is the 14 Baluchi swordsmen that are needed for one of the other Arab units.  Gary Chalk's scenario is set in 1882 and mine probably ten years later than that.  Baluchi swordsmen like this would probably have disappeared from Africa decades before this but perhaps our Arab warlord has held on to his in his isolated inland enclave.  One thing is for sure they are not going to be as quick to paint as the Wangwana!  I plan to paint them in brighter colours than the Wangwana to reflect their higher status and the saffron coloured clothes that many of them wore.

Zambezi Campaign 21: Amelie Croissant in travelling dress

This is another figure that I have had sat on the workbench for ages.  I had painted her (not very well) years ago but decided to freshen her up to depict her appearance on arrival at the Zambezi headquarters of the British force; ready to show her press credentials to Commissioner Sanders.

I am moving along with my second and final Arab cannon and the second unit of wangwana freedmen askaris as well.  I hope to have both these units finished by the end of April which will give me enough figures for an opening skirmish in the campaign.

Zambezi Campaign 20: Naval Brigade Gun and crew

So here is the last fighting unit of the British force: the Naval Brigade Gun and Crew.  It's taken me some time to work out how to handle this and it is something of a compromise solution but I must be getting old as I don't care about total historical accuracy so much, now.  After all, this campaign will have some definitely non-historical elements!

The crew are Mutineer Miniatures Indian Mutiny figures so they are from around forty years too early.  The basic uniform didn't change that much, other than the fact that the later troops would have worn gaiters but as the trousers are the same bell-bottoms maybe they just left their gaiters on board!  These chaps also have a collar, rather than the round collared shirt, but you can barely see that.  The main thing for me was that the size and bulk of the figures are very close to the Copplestone Naval Brigade infantry.  Foundry, for example, had a Zulu Wars period gun crew but they would have been very small in comparison, so I am happier with these.

The gun is also a compromise as it is a French 80mm De Bange (yes, really!) mountain gun, first produced in 1885, so fine for the period.   Our argument here is that either the Royal Navy won it in a game of cards from sailors from a visiting French warship or captured it off a group of slavers.  Whatever, this Askari Miniatures model comes in a pack of two, enabling me to set one up on a mule train, as they were carried in real life.

Colonel Charles Ragon de Bange

The De Bange 80mm mountain gun was one of a series of French artillery pieces designed by Charles Ragon de Bange (1833-1914).  De Bange's claim to fame is that he invented the first effective breech obturator which provided an absolute seal for artillery breech mechanisms for the first time: a system still in use today. The only disadvantage with his guns, as with previous artillery, was that the recoil meant that they had to be re-aimed after every shot, something that wasn't solved until the French 75 in 1898.  Still, this breach loading piece of ordnance, which could fire six kilo explosive shells or shrapnel, would be very effective against slaver compounds.  Firing shells it had a maximum range of 4,300  metres.  It was manufactured by the Societé anonyme des anciens établissements Cail, originally set up by the French engineer Jean-François Cail in 1836.

All the examples I have seen pictures of have an all-over paint finish so I have done mine the same way using a British artillery grey.

Zambezi Campaign 19: Artillery problems solved (or not)!

Naval Brigade Gun crew under way

I only need to paint a Naval Brigade gun and crew to finish my British force but have been held up due to problems in how to do this.  What I need is a Royal Navy gun crew and gun for the paddle boat.  The only suitable Foundry figures came from their old Zulu Wars range and were rather small compared with the Copplestone Darkest Africa ones. Then I saw the new Mutineer Miniatures Naval Gun crew and they seemed just the right size.  Although they come from 1856 not the 1890's there doesn't seem to be much difference in the uniform other than the shirt collar; the later uniform had a collarless shirt.  I did think about trying to carve this off then decided that no-one will notice by the time they are on deck and around the gun.  Anyway maybe they find a shirt with a collar wards off bugs better!

I was then wondering about a gun for them.  An old style naval smoothbore cannon on small wheels wouldn't be right as I wanted to be able to take it off the boat and up country.  Something like the mountain gun fielded by the Arabs and my Force Publique force would be just the job.  It would mean buying a gun with  a redundant crew however.

Meanwhile, I also needed a second gun for my Arab force.  The first one I bought from Foundry was missing the gun barrel and although they replaced the pack very quickly this left me with a crew but no cannon.  I didn't want to have to buy another pack just for the gun barrel.

I thought that both these problems had been solved in one go by looking through the catalogue of a firm I hadn't really looked at before, Askari Miniatures.  They have a pack of two French mountain guns which would give one to the British and one to the Arabs.  However they also have a nice pack of four mules designed to carry one of the guns.  I couldn't resist this so have ordered the guns and the mules although this now leaves the Arabs without their second gun.  Maybe I can make a gun barrel!  I probably need another mule now but may have one somewhere.

I don't know how long the models will take to arrive from the US but at the rate I'm painting they will probably be here before I finish the crew, although I did get started on them today.

Zambezi Campaign 18: Veronique Croissant's gun

Ogilvie VC was postulating, in a comment on my last post, on what sort of gun Veronique Croissant was carrying and suggested a Purdey.  In fact, she is carrying a Joseph Lang 6-bore percussion elephant gun.

Hampshire-born Lang was originally a gun seller before moving into gun manufacture.  He was a contemporary of James Purdey, whose guns he sold, and married one of Purdey's daughters.  An excellent competition shot and innovator he exhibited his guns at the Great Exhibition in Crystal Palace in 1851 and then in 1855 at the Paris Exposition Universelle.  Veronique's father, Victor, was one of the more than 5 million people who attended the exhibition in Paris and it was here that he first saw Lang's guns.  He bought this weapon on a visit to Lang's Cockspur Street premises on a trip to London in 1857 ready for the South African safari he was planning the following year.

Ever since she was  a little girl Veronique had a passion for rowing on the River Sâone near the family home in Lyon.  As a result she built up very unladylike upper body strength so that she was the only one of the Croissant sisters able to use the gun.  Her father, therefore, had no problem with lending it to her when she declared that she was travelling to Africa with her older sister, the intrepid reporter, Amelie.

Zambezi Campaign 17: three more characters

I have very little time to paint at present and the light isn't very good anyway but I have managed to finish three more characters for the Zambezi capaign.  First up we have Commissioner Sanders Wallace.  Responsible for keeping the peace on the whole Upper Zambezi he has no compunction about calling in a heavy military response if the natives start getting uppity.  He is getting concerned about  Arab slavers upriver; especially as they appear to be in posession of some artillery which is having a very de-stabilising effect on the region.  He doesn't figure in the Gary Chalk scenarios but I liked the figure and am just reading Edgar Wallace's Sanders of the River which is a masterclass in conveying character and plot in the most economical and spare way possible.

Sean Sweeney is one of Trader Jones' "clerks" and is very much the hired muscle of the trading post.  When he's not drunk on Bushmills Whiskey he is a crack shot.  He features in the Trading Post scenario.

Finally, we have the French reporter Amelie Croissant's younger sister Veronique who has always been at the centre of whatever trouble is happening.  Amelie has told her to stay behind at the military post but hasn't counted upon her skill as a stowaway.

Zambezi Campaign 16: Amelie Croissant

This young lady isn't in the Gary Chalk scenarios but I have had her on the workbench for some time so feel I can put her in somewhere.

I was looking for an annoying lady reporter to join the steamboat transported reinforcements but decided what could be more annoying than a lady reporter who is French?  Hence she has become Amelie rather than Amelia.  Sent by her publication in France (probably something like La Vie Parisienne) in the hope of seeing the British make a mess of things and also follow up rumours of a tribe of warrior women led by a white woman.  She will, of course, be a total liablity!

Incidentally, this figure demonstrates how Mr Copplestone is one of the very few who can sculpt attractive female faces.  Lots of sculptors can do bodies but very few can do pretty faces!

Zambezi Campaign 15: Arab Cannon

Well, at last I have finished another unit for the Arab force.  For the scenarios I am using I need two cannon like this.  The first one I bought from Foundry didn't have a barrel but when I reported this to them they sent me another pack by return.  So I have two crews but only one cannon.  I think I will use the cannon from my Force Publique army to give a slightly different field piece.  The crews are identical but I will paint the other one up differently.

Zambezi Campaign 14: First unit of Wangwana

Having now finished the British force (except for the gunboat) I have moved on to the Arabs, who are the most numerically large of the various forces needed.  The first unit I have finished is of 14 Wangwana: the freed-men of Zanzibar. 

These Swahili of the East coast of Africa supplied most of the troops for the Arabs from Zanzibar and, indeed, those who had settled further into the interior, like our theoretical slavers in these scenarios.  They also worked for European explorers and this picture of Speke's "faithfulls" gives a good idea of their apperance.

In most pictures I have seen they are shown as wearing white, although they did wear blue and red tradecloth and even some striped material in the later period.  There seems to be a suggestion that they may have saved these brightly coloured clothes for best so, on the whole, I am going to keep them dressed in white.

I need to paint three units of fourteen of these and have already got the second unit based and undercoated and the third unit based.  I will alternate painting them with other figures I have part-painted on the workbench, so I think I will take a break from these for a bit and finish some Zulus that have been sitting around for far too long.

Leading the unit is an Arab from Zanzibar.  In fact many of the "Arabs" at this time had interbred with Africans and, indeed, it was said that they were successful at settling in the interior as they had inherited some resistance to malaria from their African forbears.

These will be useful figures I can use in explorers' forces as well.  I thought they might be a bit boring to paint but found the simple colour scheme quite relaxing!

Zambezi Campaign 13: British force completed and two more characters

Well, it's taken four months but I have now fininished my British force for the Zambezi campaign.  A unit of Sikhs, two units of regular askaris, a unit of irregular askaris, two units of Naval brigade plus command and baggage.   61 figures altogether but I painted some extras too so altogether it's 74 figures.

I have also painted two more characters, for the McKenzie's trading post scenario.  This requires a trader, McKenzie, and three clerks. My trader is called Jones, after the character in the underrated and quite brilliant animated children's TV series Charlie Chalk.  Here he is (right) with one of his clerks Portuguese Paulo (left).  I need to find another clerk for him, who will probably be a native and for the fourth character I think I will give him a wife.  Hopefully I will get these two done in the next week.

Trader Jones is sick of his bossy wife and wishes he hadn't persuaded her to go up the Zambezi with him as he quite likes the look of the native girls who would be very happy to look after him in exchange for beads, cloth and whisky.  He wishes he had followed the example of his brother, Vic, who had the sense to travel to the South Seas instead to set up his trading post.

In fact the British force is not quite complete as I have to finish my gunboat, which means finding a suitable artillery piece and naval crew for it.  Mutineer Miniatures have just released a naval gun crew which, although from forty years earlier, will probably do.  Their figures will certainly look better with the Copplestone and Foundry ones than the rather lumpy Zulu War naval crew from Foundry.

I have now also started work on my first Arab unit and hope to have these finished by the end of this weekend.