Salonika

[Arlequín]

I managed to find these descriptions of the British contribution to the Salonika Campaign 1916-1918;

http://www.1914-1918.net/salonika.htm
http://memorabilia.homestead.com/files/Salonika_and_Macedonia_1916_18.htm

I would have thought this was the scenario par excellence for the WW1 gamer, it has almost everyone involved; British, French, Serbian, Greek, German, AH, Italians, Bulgarians, Turks and Russians.

Certainly there is a lot of scope for the unusual... iirc, the Bulgarian uniform was remarkably similar to the Russian one, in style at least. Even the 'Balkanmützen' might get a look in.

[Plynkes]

There are actually Bulgarian minis available (albeit for a Balkan Wars range) from Tiger Miniatures. To my, admittedly untrained eye, they look identical to the colour plate of the Bulgar soldier (at the 1918 battle of Doiran) in the Osprey. They also make Greeks.

So you could game it now. Great War Miniatures 1914 Brits would do for the 1915 advance into (and retreat out of) Serbia. GWM late war Brits could be used for the battles of Doiran and the operations in the Struma valley.

Also various tropical Brits could be used for skirmishes and patrols in the summer months in the intervening period.

I'm reading a book on this topic at the minute, and pondering whether to take a leap in this direction when I finish one of my other ongoing projects.

[Arlequín]

I wonder how the figures work together? Any idea anyone?

Certainly there is a variety of troops compared with the relatively vanilla Western Front.

[argsilverson]

There is a lot of figures available to use in such scenarios.

Now we need only: a couple of Greeks in adrian helmet, some English nurses and doctors, few exotic french colonials and ofcourse Serbians and Montenegrin infantry, plus some naval/marine types.

Hope that Tiger miniatures will produce in short time some more troop types.

[Helen]

There are actually Bulgarian minis available (albeit for a Balkan Wars range) from Tiger Miniatures. To my, admittedly untrained eye, they look identical to the colour plate of the Bulgar soldier (at the 1918 battle of Doiran) in the Osprey. They also make Greeks.

So you could game it now. Great War Miniatures 1914 Brits would do for the 1915 advance into (and retreat out of) Serbia. GWM late war Brits could be used for the battles of Doiran and the operations in the Struma valley.

Also various tropical Brits could be used for skirmishes and patrols in the summer months in the intervening period.

I'm reading a book on this topic at the minute, and pondering whether to take a leap in this direction when I finish one of my other ongoing projects.

Hi Dylan,

Until recently due to my own ignorance I didn't give this Sideshow a thought. I've a gaming friend who is Sebian and very proud of his family's military history. I started looking further into this period and now I've a greater interest and one that will now see a project in the future starting with Serbians and Austro-Hungarians. I've already requested some sample packs from Battle-Honours for them both. Battle-Honour Russians will now also be on the list. I'm thinking of the cost factor.

I've enough figures to do the later part of the war, but not the early part. That is French, British (Slouch hat) Germans and Turks.

What is the book you are reading?

[Helen]

There is a lot of figures available to use in such scenarios.

Now we need only: a couple of Greeks in adrian helmet, some English nurses and doctors, few exotic french colonials and ofcourse Serbians and Montenegrin infantry, plus some naval/marine types.

Hope that Tiger miniatures will produce in short time some more troop types.

Hi Arg,

Thankyou for your thoughts and comments on the campaign. Hopefully we may see some of these figures come to light in the coming years - God Willing!

Old Glory do some nice medical staff for the various countries. I was given a German doctor from the Old Glory WW1 German Character pack. He was painted up as a naval doctor and now I'm thinking he may become an Army doctor.

I read on the TMP that someone is about to release a book on the Balkan Wars. Can anyone provide an update on this?

[carlos marighela]

There's a reasonable little tome by Alan Wakefield and Simon Moody 'Under The Devils Eye .Britains Forgotten Army at Salonika 1915-18'. includes some good OBs. Came out about 4 years ago. The official history has more detail.

As an aside I do wish publishers would stop tacking 'Forgotten Army' on to every title. The only reason it's 'forgotten' is that the average punter has the historical knowledge of a goldfish. What next 'Eighth Army, Britain's Forgotten Army in the Western Desert'?

The beauty of Salonika is that if you have forces for the Western Front or the Middle East they can be used in a Salonika scenario. For the Brits it was pretty static between the big battles for Doiran but there are some attractive skirmish actions and some lively brigade sized battles taking outposts in the Struma Valley. The Bulgarians as a whole tended to be pretty passive.

The Tiger minis really make this a reality. Pulp also have some Seebattalion in peaked caps that could serve as Bulgarians if the Tiger's don't suit tastes. Good excuse to buy some of Brigade's mountain guns too. Who hasn't seen the famous photo of the gunner firing a 2.75" mountain gun being shot at the moment the breech is in full recoil?

[carlos marighela]

Just in case you haven't............

http://www.gwpda.org/memoir/Salonica/images/sal05.jpg

Oh BTW there's a nice little web page or collection therof on Salonika here:

http://www.gwpda.org/memoir/Salonica/salon1.htm

[argsilverson]

Another interesting unit in use for Salonika [Thessaloniki] is the brigade games russian shock troops, russians in adrian helmet.

Many-many years ago I saw a photo in a history magazine showing this unit. Reading more books covering some WW1 or RCW I never saw another photo with a Russian unit in adrian helmets bearing the imperial Russian eagle. I don't know their contribution however.

[Helen]

Thankyou Carlos and Arg for your contributions. They are all extremely helpful and will go along way towards the campaign.

Oh by the way Carlos, I was at the Australian War Memorial Annex at Mitchell and during our tour with the assistant curator Paul Taylor in the artillery section I saw a French MLE 1897 Field gun that was captured by the Turks. Its not a Canet as I thought it maybe, but a 1897 FG.  I'll be looking at going back there later this year and I'll take some photos of it.

[Stecal]

"I read on the TMP that someone is about to release a book on the Balkan Wars. Can anyone provide an update on this?"


Perhaps you are thinking of this book?  I picked it up at Cold Wars.  Reads like a very beefy Oprey Campaign book.

1-85490 Vachkov, Alexander BALKAN WAR 1912-1913, THE (16) color plates with sixty-four uniform illustof Bulgarian/Serbian/Greek & Turkish forces; manyb/w maps/illust/drawings; campaign history.1 vol, 160 pgs 2005 BULGARIA, ANGEIA PUBS
NEW-softcover ......$40.00

http://onmilitarymatters.com/catalog.php?period=1912

[Plynkes]

Helen, the book is the one mentioned by Carlos: "Under the Devil's Eye."

The weather has been so nice that I haven't been much in the mood for reading lately, though, and so haven't touched it for a week or so.

[Helen]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the tip on the book. I'll look for at my discount bookshop to see if they have any left.

Thanks again.

[warrenpeace]

A few months ago I watched a French movie that started out in Salonika, with some nice action sequences based around raiding. It features a group of killer commando type French guys who were a bunch of misfits not used to normal discipline.  The end of the war presented a serious problem for the members of the unit, as they could not adjust to peace. They weren't sent home right away, as there was a French troop commitment in the Balkans that lasted a long time after the end of the war.  Sorry I can't remember the title and director.  Does anybody else remember this movie?

[Le matou rouge]

That sounds like Capitaine Conan, by Bertrand Tavernier :

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115822/

meow,
Matt