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Author Topic: Coming soon - Dunsterforce!  (Read 2992 times)

Offline Ignatieff

  • Scatterbrained Genius
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Coming soon - Dunsterforce!
« on: May 19, 2018, 07:36:24 AM »
Brilliantly researched and written by Bob Giglio. Should be out within the month
"...and as always, we are dealing with strange forces far beyond our comprehension...."

All limitations are self imposed.  Work hard and dream big.

Offline Red Orc

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  • Baffled but happy
    • My new VSF blog:
Re: Coming soon - Dunsterforce!
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2018, 10:03:11 AM »
Looks awesome. Perhaps it will even persuade me to re-start my experiments with Mallmiss.

Offline Sparrow

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1302
Re: Coming soon - Dunsterforce!
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2018, 04:35:33 AM »
Great stuff! On the “buy list”!
Put your trust in God and keep your powder dry!

Offline N.C.S.E

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 245
Re: Coming soon - Dunsterforce!
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2018, 09:09:26 AM »
Absolutely cannot afford this. My Great-Grandfather was part of that force. Goodbye wallet. :(

I've always fancied it made him (an Australian) a technical participant in the Russian Civil War...

Offline ecwcaptain

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 142
Re: Coming soon - Dunsterforce!
« Reply #4 on: June 20, 2018, 03:43:01 PM »
Absolutely cannot afford this. My Great-Grandfather was part of that force. Goodbye wallet. :(

I've always fancied it made him (an Australian) a technical participant in the Russian Civil War...

What was your father's name and unit? If an officer or NCO? Maybe he's one of the named Leader figures somewhere (possibly in the "Against the Odds" Captain Savige scenario).

Offline ecwcaptain

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Re: Coming soon - Dunsterforce!
« Reply #5 on: June 20, 2018, 03:59:43 PM »
Update on the Dunsterforce book.

The book is basically all done with regard to writing and editing, except for tweaks after feedback from clubs doing the scenario playtests.

My club -- The Colonial Boys Club in the US -- still has two scenarios to playtest, and then I'll send along to the UK club to playtest. The UK club still has a bit more (8+) scenarios to play and provide feedback for. I'm hoping all this can be wrapped by August.

After that, I lock it down and off to layout at Partizan Press. Sooooo, maybe we'll see it available by early Fall or Winter. Thus, would make a nice Christmas addition to everyone's hobby list...when you give it to HQ for what you want them to get for you. ;)

Just as a teaser, what follows is the Contents...

Introduction
A Brief History of Dunsterforce
Scenario 1: "To Test the Determination of the Defense" - Battle of Menjil Bridge, 12 June 1918
Scenario 2: "The Pusillanimous Behavior of the Red Troops" - Affair at Yeldakh, 10 July 1918
Scenario 3: "A Determined Attack" - Attack on the British Camp at Resht, 20 July 1918
Scenario 4: "Treachery in the Town" - The Relief of Resht, 20 July 1918
Scenario 5: "Against Big Odds" - Defending Assyrian and Armenian Christians, 6 August 1918
Scenario 6: "The Garden City of Baku: Admirably Suited for Defense" - Attack on Mastagi, 11 August 1918
Scenario 7: "Closing the Gap to the Sea" - Attack on Fatmai, 17 August 1918
Scenario 8: "Attack on Mud Volcano" - Defense of Baku, 26 August 1918
Scenario 9: "Stafford Hill and Warwick Castle" - Binagadi Hill during the Defense of Baku, 31 August 1918
Scenario 10: "To Prevent the Encirclement of Baku" - Attack on Bina, 1 September 1918
Scenario 11: "Fighting a Rearguard Action" - Attack on the Diga Sector, 1 September 1918
Scenario 12: "The Fight at Tikmedash" - The Tabriz Expedition, 5 September 1918
Scenario 13: "Retreat from Turkmanchai" - Fighting Along the Tabriz-Kasvin Road, 7 September 1918
Scenario 14: "Panther Hill" - Battle of Kuflan Kuh, 12 September 1918
Scenario 15: "Attack on Baladjari" - Final Battle of Baku – Part 1, 14 September 1918
Scenario 16: "Defense of Wolf’s Gap" - Final Battle of Baku – Part 2, 14 September 1918
Appendix A: Wargaming Dunsterforce
Appendix B: The Forces of Dunsterforce
Appendix C: “Duncars” - The Dunsterforce Armoured Car Battery
Appendix D: The Caucasus−Islam Army Forces
Appendix E: Maximum Figures Required
Appendix F: Constructing the Baku Oil Derricks
Bibliography

Regards,
Bob

P.S. The next issue of Wargames Illustrated (#349 I think) is suppose to have my "Deeds that Thrill the Empire" article, which is the Duke of Westminster's armored car dash to rescue British prisoners from the Senussi in WWI. This is a fun armored car racing game (all players play the British; referee handles random events and such). A prelude to seeing more from me for the Senussi Campaign.  ;)
« Last Edit: June 20, 2018, 04:57:35 PM by ecwcaptain »

Offline marianas_gamer

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  • Our Man on Guam Watchman in the East
Re: Coming soon - Dunsterforce!
« Reply #6 on: June 20, 2018, 07:55:15 PM »
Excellent Bob! I will buy this as soon as it comes out! Thanks for posting a list of contents.
Lon
Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight.

Offline N.C.S.E

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 245
Re: Coming soon - Dunsterforce!
« Reply #7 on: June 21, 2018, 07:20:38 PM »
What was your father's name and unit? If an officer or NCO? Maybe he's one of the named Leader figures somewhere (possibly in the "Against the Odds" Captain Savige scenario).

He actually was an NCO - Sergeant Henry John Smith. He originated from 40th Battalion AIF, though a quick search through the Australian War Memorial's online materials doesn't offer anything more than "Dunster Force" for where he was within the formation.

A subsequent search of a little bit of his son's (my grandfather's) research on the matter (this is family history we're dealing with here so much as I might have cared for my grandfather, I'd look for a couple of corroborating sources before confirming any of this, ahem) it appears that he was with Savige's force of 5 officers and 15 sergeants holding off apparently overwhelming odds.

According to the same little history, when Savige occasionally came to Tasmania for Anzac day, he and my Great-grandfather, as the only living members of the Dunsterforce in the area, met for a reunion at the hotel.

Reading this stuff now, it seems very much like the Wild West but with machine guns. "According to dad, Murphy at one stage charged the tribesmen firing the Lewis Gun from the horse's saddle..." Add in plentiful "100-1" odds, refugee columns and rear guard actions and I think you're in for some quite interesting scenarios. Having such a close connection I'll be eager to read your book when it's available but might refrain from collecting. :)

Offline ecwcaptain

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Re: Coming soon - Dunsterforce!
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2018, 01:55:02 PM »
It seems your grandfather was not part of the very small group that helped the refugees, at least directly. Captain Savige’s small party was composed of the following:

Cpt. E. G. Scott-Olsen, 55th Battalion, A.I.F.;
Cpt. Robert Kenneth Nicol, Wellington Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZE.F.);
Sgt. B. F. Murphy, 28th Battalion, A.I.F.;
Sgt. W. T. Brophy, 75th Canadian Battalion;
Sgt. D. Cameron, 10th Lovat Scouts Battalion (Cameron Highlanders);
Sgt. R. C. Casey, 29th Canadian Battalion;
Sgt. A. W. H. Place, 1/9th Middlesex Regiment;
Sgt. A. Nimmo, Otago Regiment, NZE.F.

Plus about 12 Assyrians.

I looked at my source (Savige's book), and indeed saw your grandfather listed as one of the NCOs. Therefore I'm assuming that while he was not part of the original 8-man advance rearguard with Captain Savige, he was part of the overall final rearguard that was left with Dr. Shed's wife, that took over once Savige and his small force rejoined with the Assyrian mounted troops under their commander, Agha Petros, closer to Bijar. Here's what I have from the end of my background for the scenario...

After fighting for over seven hours, a 12-man patrol from D Squadron of the 14th (King’s) Hussars under command of Sergeant Paddy Hallard arrived over a ridgeline to the rear. The enemy then advanced more warily, as the Hussars fought a rearguard action, allowing Savige’s party to fall back to the next position under cover of the cavalrymen’s fire. When Savige was within six miles of Bijar, one of Agha Petros’ leaders at the head of 50 mounted Assyrians arrived as reinforcements. This caused the enemy to withdraw to the hills overlooking the valley. However, another “large band of the enemy” was approaching from another direction, and Savige determined that they had to hold their position until mid-day, to give the refugees and the baggage mules time to move down the road.

The next morning, Agha Petros and about 50 followers along with Captain Wilson and six sergeants with two Lewis guns, arrived with Petros’ personal “white flag, on which was written above the red cross the words ‘Trust the Lord and Follow the Cross’ at the head of his command”. Together with the rest of Savige’s party, they finally dispersed the remaining 400 Kurdish tribesmen pursuing them. Savige’s party finally arrived at Bijar three days after leaving Takan Tepe.


So...your grandfather was probably one of the six NCOs with Captain Wilson (their names are not given). Unfortunately, my scenario does not involve this last action, but it could easily be developed into one (though would require lots of cavalry with dismounts - Kurds and Assyrians). Maybe I'll gin up a follow-up scenario at some future time for this, and then I'll be sure to include Sergeant Henry John Smith, 40th Battalion, A.I.F.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2018, 04:43:31 PM by ecwcaptain »

Offline N.C.S.E

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  • Posts: 245
Re: Coming soon - Dunsterforce!
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2018, 03:25:09 PM »
Family history! It's the best. Thanks, learnt something from all of this.  :)