Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: mortimer on October 07, 2010, 12:10:33 PM
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Hi folks, after some months lost in time and space I've return to work in some minis...
I'm working in some RugaRugas -pictures coming soon- and I've ordered some british for a small force in Congoland...
I've think in a couple of units of british azande, and some british forces... what about some highlanders and a Perry's Heliograph Section? krazy?
They must wear kakhi uniforms? And what about the tartans? I know is a not-very-historic force, but It would be very fun to work on it...
I know there were some british incursions in Belgian Congo... it's correct?
Ideas? Recomendations? Thanks for all
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I agree with Plynkes.
Where is he, BTW... ???
:)
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Hi, Ray, how are you? ;D
I don't understand you... agree with Plynkes?
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I agree with Plynkes too. Or at least I will once I've figured out what he's going to say.
I'm not aware of much in the way of British military 'incursions' into the Congo Free State. A British naval expedition went via the Belgian Congo on its way to Tanganyika, but that was in 1915. Lots of Brits were in the Congo, of course, but mostly explorers and mercenaries, and they were working for Leopold.
However, both Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company and King Leopold courted the Katanga warlord Msiri, who ruled a Ruga-Ruga-style state there. But Rhodes' expedition was one of explorers and emissaries, not military conquerors. The area was within the bounds claimed by the Free State but as Leopold had done nothing to settle the area it was seen as fair game. But the expedition came to nothing. Msiri was murdered in the end by Free State forces (led by a British-Canadian chap actually) and Msiri's little Katangan empire was added to the Congo Free State.
Now you could turn this into a what-if three-way campaign, if you imagine the BSAC had gone through with the plan and sent an army. But I'm not imagining the Blues and Royals, the Grenadier Guards and the Black Watch being sent there. I think it would have been a few white adventurers and a load of locally-raised askari. Might make for a bit of fun though, with Belgians and Brits trying to woo Msiri, and the possibility of conflict being sparked between any or all of the three parties.
I believe the "In the Heart of Africa" army list book does actually have a Msiri list (a variant of "The Elephant Hunters").
By the way, whilst looking something up I came upon this charming picture of Msiri's favourite wife:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/7/163_07_10_10_7_59_04.jpg)
I must say, I rather like that porn-star top she's wearing. Most becoming. :-*
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Hahaha, the Msiri porn-fashion, sure she was his favourite!!
Thanks Mr. Plynkes for your erudite and useful comments... a great help, you're really an african story scholar!!! ;)
Some of my new ruga-rugas... bad light, bad camera... well... :D :D :D
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/5060513718_bfc586b033.jpg)
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I must say, I rather like that porn-star top she's wearing. Most becoming. :-*
She looks a bit cold though ;)
I wholeheartedly agree with Monsieur Plynkes too. :)
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I disagree with Plynkes just to be pedantic ;D
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Well that's history. But of course, you don't have to be bound by that if you don't want. Who wouldn't want to see Highlanders fighting Belgian askari and Ruga-Ruga?
Just win a general election, stack the cabinet with sympathetic pals, stir up war fever in the yellow press, and push a vote through parliament authorising a military expedition to Katanga! You can send whatever regiments you like. Just let me get my jabs and I'll come with you. :)
Back to history: Sadly, Maria de Fonseca came to a bad end. Turns out she was implicated in betraying her husband to the Belgians. Msiri's son lopped off her head with a machete while standing on her back. Nice. :?
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I like your Ruga-Ruga, Mortimer. More, please!
That reminds me, have a few to do of my own. I ought to be in the other room painting rather than sat in here gassing... ::)
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And to add a figure option, North Star make British South Africa Company figures. In fact I spoke to Nick yesterday and he had just been discussing the next set of figures for the range with Mike Owen (Artizan). The sculptor who did the current ones isn't in the picture anymore as he took too long to do anything.
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I like your Ruga-Ruga, Mortimer. More, please!
That reminds me, have a few to do of my own. I ought to be in the other room painting rather than sat in here gassing... ::)
Yes, I will take more photos, I have six for basing and about 12 more in the workbench... RU-RU-RU-RUGA!!
And let's see, perhaps a britain campaign in Congo begins... an alternate history -I'm not sure to find a word in english to define it, in spanish it's called "ucronía": UCHRONIC???
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In English Uchronia means something slightly different: things like R.E. Howard's Hyboria, or Tolkien's Middle Earth. Stories set in our world's past, but in some vague time period that isn't really defined.
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In English Uchronia means something slightly different: things like R.E. Howard's Hyboria, or Tolkien's Middle Earth. Stories set in our world's past, but in some vague time period that isn't really defined.
Then it's not the same, I think, ucronía is an alternate history, like describes in wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_history (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_history)
"What if" like...
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Hi, Ray, how are you? ;D
Muy bien, y tu?
Las miniaturas son maravillosas. :-* :-*
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My GF has big boobies.
I love where you're going with this thing (Brits in the Congo) I am doing the same, but in 15mm
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On second thought I think Grenadier Guards in the Bush would be an interesting sight! ::)
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What about Eureka Miniatures Pax Limpopo litter bearers for the Colonel's litter? Perhaps the drinks wench from the same set/range (appropriately cantilevered pectoral muscles) for the favourite wife?
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By the way, Wikipedia has an interesting article on Msiri, his state, and the two powers' rivalry to annexe it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Msiri
Pakenham's "The Scramble for Africa" has a chapter on the race for Katanga with a bit more depth, too.
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Discovered another British foray into the Congo, from an earlier period in the pre-Free State days. The Congo Expedition of 1875 was a Royal Navy punitive expedition in the region.
"In 1875 the “Encounter,” commanded by Captain Richard Bradshaw, was one of 7 ships which co-operated in a punitive expedition up the river Congo under Commodore Sir William Hewett with his broad pennant in “Active.” It was undertaken on account of the looting of the British schooner “Geraldine” and the murder of four of her crew. On August 31st the boats from the “Encounter” and two other ships were towed to the entrance of Chango Creek. One hundred and fifty marines were landed under Captain Bradshaw and succeeded in burning three villages, although they were fired at by natives concealed in the bush. All the villages on the north bank were destroyed, and further punishment was inflicted in Luculla Creek and other places. The labours of the expedition were most arduous, some of the creeks being overgrown with luxuriant vegetation which had to be cut away to admit of an advance, and the country generally was very difficult. Captain Richard Bradshaw was mentioned in despatches as having rendered conspicuous service, and the loss suffered was but 1 killed and 6 wounded." (From Battleships-Cruisers.co.uk (http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/index.htm))
The vessels involved were HMS Active (10), Encounter (14), Spiteful (6), Merlin (4), Foam (4), Ariel (4) and Supply (2).
Perhaps not quite what you had in mind, but somebody might find some game inspiration there, or use it as a basis for some sort of "what if?" game.
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I have just found in my collection a book titled, "Victorian Explorer: The African Diaries of Captain William G. Stairs 1887-1892". Capt Stairs was a member of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition (led by Henry Stanley of Stanley and Livingstone fame) and leader of the Katanga Expedition, on behalf of the Belgian Katanga Company. Although an officer of the British Army, Capt Stairs was on leave for both of these expeditions, so they weren't exactly the sort of military expeditions referred to in the first post.
for anyone interested in hunting it down, the ISBN is 1-55109-103-8, and the editor is Janina M. Kozczacki, published by Nimbus Publishing.
Hard not to think of these British officers getting leave of two years or more, and to compare it to the measly three weeks that I get with my job...
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It was one of Stairs' men, Belgian officer Omer Bodson, who shot Msiri.
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Perhaps not quite what you had in mind, but somebody might find some game inspiration there, or use it as a basis for some sort of "what if?" game.
Definitely has a lot of potential as the basis for a scenario, especially if played as a solo game using 2HourWargames' "Colonial Adventures". The natives' strength is never known until they are contacted so a straightforward punitive expedition could easily degenerate into a mini-Islandwana :D
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Hard not to think of these British officers getting leave of two years or more, and to compare it to the measly three weeks that I get with my job...
Yes, but those mad sods used their leave to go chasing around the Sudan or Afghanistan :?
I think I'd prefer 3 weeks at the seaside ;)
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I quit my office job so I could spend a year in Afghanistan, so I guess I'm more like those crazy nutters.
Plynkes - I didn't give Stairs his due, as I got tired of his whingeing about Stanley during the Emin Pasha Expedition. Second half of Stairs' book looks quite interesting as it deals with the campaign against Msiri in greater detail.
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What about Eureka Miniatures Pax Limpopo litter bearers for the Colonel's litter?
Any pictures of this around? Couldn't find it on the website... :(
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http://eurekamin.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=2003 .
Any pictures of this around? Couldn't find it on the website... :(