Diablo Jon does Darkest Africa - Royal Navy Gunboat added

[FifteensAway]

Lovely little boat to add to your fabulous collection.  And I really like the backdrop, has a very tropical island feel to it - even if meant for Africa where it works nice too.  Perhaps a bit of the Rufiji Delta where the Fifi did some of her work?

[CapnJim]

Now that's a nice boat.  Well done!

[Plynkes]

Lovely little boat to add to your fabulous collection.  And I really like the backdrop, has a very tropical island feel to it - even if meant for Africa where it works nice too.  Perhaps a bit of the Rufiji Delta where the Fifi did some of her work?

Sorry to be 'that guy', but I don't believe Fifi ever operated in that region. As far as I know all of her adventures (for both sides) were on Lake Tanganyika.

Lovely work, Jon.

[Diablo Jon]

Thanks guys 👍

[Diablo Jon]

Sorry to be 'that guy', but I don't believe Fifi ever operated in that region. As far as I know all of her adventures (for both sides) were on Lake Tanganyika.

Lovely work, Jon.

Yes lake Tanganyika only. She was a victim of Mimi and Toutou after which she became Fifi.  Of course all of that is 15-20 years after the period I'm interested in. My boat Is HMS Generic ideal for anywhere in the late 19th century  Africa I need the RN to fly the flag. Hopefully sometime next year she will be joined by a side paddle wheeler and a small naval brigade.

[FifteensAway]

Had to go back and double check - no Fifi in the Rufiji, maybe the rhyming confused me!?  . It was Mersey and Severn, the shallow draft monitors I was thinking about.  But, as you say, your boat is for "what ifs" so she can certainly sail about the Rufiji if it suits you.

And I need to read your history - always enjoyable and enlightening.

And, oh, yes, I will 'borrow' some of your painting ideas for your boat for some of my own - though unlikely to be as nice as yours.


And, no worries, Plynkes, if I'm wrong on facts, I'm wrong, rather be corrected than left ignorant.  Now when it comes to opinions...

[Marine0846]

 Lovely painting on the boat.
I purchased that same model about a year ago.
Have yet to do anything with it.
(I know, shame on me.)

[tomrommel1]

very nice boat

[Basementboy]

Fantastic looking boat- loved the history as well! You certainly did your research on this one

[huevans]

https://www.ebay.com/str/actualsizeminiatures

Check out the 28mm scale putt-putts on the above website.

Everything you need to construct a pygmy flotilla of colonialist glory!!

[huevans]

[Dr Mathias]

They look great

[Smokeyrone]

Everything is beautifully done

[CapnJim]

Some more nice-lookin' boats!

[huevans]

Just ran across a blurb about Tippu Tip on - of all places - Twitter. Thought it was interesting enough to re post as a possible scenario.

In 1892, a war broke out between the Belgian Congo and African muslim slave owners such as the Zanzibari Tippu Tip. He owned over 10,000 slaves, seven clove plantations, and commanded 4,000 soldiers to control his sultanate in eastern Congo, which was a key trading hub for ivory and slaves. Initially, the Belgians and Tippu made a deal. The Belgians would help transport his ivory to the Atlantic, and in return, he would assist them in reaching territories further up the Nile. However, violence soon erupted over control of the ivory trade.

Arthur Hodister, a polyglot explorer and ivory trader sent by the Syndicat Commercial du Katanga, and who some argue inspired the character of Kurtz in Heart of Darkness because he was venerated by the Congolese, was killed by men under Tippu’s son Sefu. His head was placed on a pike. Sefu, leading a force of 10,000 men, launched attacks against the Congolese Force Publique army led by colonial administrator Francis Dhanis. Although the Belgians were initially only about 600 men, they had superior firepower. With Krupp cannons (bottom left picture), bronze field guns, and Maxim machine guns, they were able to stop the Swahili Zanzibari warlords.

The trading hubs of Nyangwe and Kasongo soon fell. In response, Sefu killed the Belgian envoys Lippens and De Bruyne, who became patriotic martyrs to the Belgians. The Battle of the Luama River was Sefu's last stand. He was killed, and the war came to an end. More than 70,000 Muslim Zanzibaris died in the conflict.

Tippu Tip, having lost his power, retired and wrote his autobiography in his mansion in Stone Town, Zanzibar City (bottom right picture). He wrote in the Bantu Swahili language, the first time this was made for a biography. His memoirs were later translated into German and English by European colonists who had known him.

https://x.com/BorealBaron/status/1940174067543560645