The Abyssinian Crisis project blog (update 21JUN17) - **It. Askari platoon **

[Happy Wanderer]

Gentlemen,

For those that have seen the latest Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy magazine, #81, you may have noticed an article about the Abyssinian Crisis of 1935-36 - 'A Beating for Benito'. The article postulated the circumstances and possible gaming opportunities that can occur if the The Abyssinian Crisis ‘goes hot’ by the inclusion of Britain and France into the fray.

In my co-authored article (with your esteemed administrator here - Arlequin) I made mention of a support blog to provide information to expand on the information available and ideas for those interested in some ‘interwar action’. The article has some ideas of how a conflict between Ethiopia and Britain on one side and Italy and France on the other could occur. The final WSS article was only brief so the story shall be expanded upon in the support blog. I’d encourage your to get it for the OB info and scenario details included.

Details on the interwar armies of Italy, Britain, Ethiopia and France are not that easy to come by and the Abyssinian Crisis story is ‘our own’ based on what we think could’ve happened in reality as opposed to just making up stuff..well, that’s how we see it anyway. The army details and discussion will approach the topic with a detailed look at this reality.

The blog will include hard to find info on the main armies concerned and thus will be of interest to interwar gamers regardless of wether they are interested in the proposed Abyssinian conflict or not. This info has been hard to find and will prove useful for sure.

The intention of the blog is to stir interest in the subject matter and provide a platform for other people to contribute to further add to its utility to the community. It’s kind of a resource blog for the Abyssinian War and armies around that time that are relevant. I hope people contribute as this will enhance the blog no end. All sorts of info is welcome from figure reviews, ‘hard history', gamers AARs, and so on.

There will be a steady release of info over next couple of months, including full platoon level army lists for each of the armies concerned for use with Chain of Command in the run up to xmas which can be easily adaptable to Bolt Action or similar game systems such as Disposable heroes, etc. Take whatever you want, discard the rest.

So with that, here is the ‘official’ launch of The Abyssinian Crisis.

https://abyssiniancrisis.wordpress.com/2015/06/19/it-is-us-today-it-will-be-you-tomorrow/

Happy Wanderer

[commissarmoody]

Thank you for sharing.

[draxx66]

Like it, a good sourse of information for our 1938 "Horn of Africa" campaign.

 

[Arlequín]

Excellent, nice to see the HoA getting some love. 

Just to echo HW's comments, this is not a 'closed shop' and neither are we experts in any sense of the term. So if you want to contribute, comment, point out our mistakes, whatever, please get in touch.

On that note I'd like to offer our thanks to Lou Passejaire, who with his contributions on the Interwar French Army thread here on LAF and his e-mails, really helped us get our head around the French.

[tin shed gamer]

I wished you told me I'd have made more than just 'HS' you've used one of my older Rolls Royces ,I wold have given you better access to the whole range! It wouldn't have done me any harm ,either way it's still very interesting .
Mark.

[kramsenoj]

Well done. Looking forward to seeing many ideas and getting a great deal of inspiration.

Seem to recall reading in the distant past article that said something along the lines of. Musso had believed in the inevitability of a world war and had thought it would begin in the mid 1930's. His military under his direction had kind of prepared accordingly. Perhaps in this scenario he's merely giving his dream a helpful push?

Also Britain was in extreme war avoidance mode at this period. Non of the later 30's re-armament programmes were yet being prosecuted in real earnest . Most Italian kit will not be obsolete in this imagined fracas.

[Happy Wanderer]

Hi kramsenoj,

You make a good point and one that is quite correct. The Italian military 'peaks' in the mid 30s and its equipment reflects its own doctrine. The little CV is still not a great bit of kit which ever way you slice it but it serves well as a machine gun carrier of sorts in Abyssinia, particularly against an enemy (Ethiopians) with no anti tank weapons.

The British at this time do not have a dedicated anti tank weapon and thus must rely on field artillery for the A/T work for the most part. We allow the Brits to have a limited number of 25mm French guns to give them some A/T ability, albeit not much...this being acquired before things turn sour between Britain and France - which it did in reality as a stop gap before the 2pdr arrived. Similarly, The Italians had only just started to  acquire the 47/32 A/T gun so this is considered  rare, like the Brit 25mm gun, so their is a limited A/T ability for both sides. This way field guns are often the best at doing double duty ..it's all very WW1-ish.

So in Abyssinia the humble 47/32 is 'king' when it comes to A/T guns, better than anything the British or French have. Italian artillery is well served and their air forces is excellent. The British will find the Italians a different force to the one they took on in 1940 when all factors are taken into consideration.

Cheers

Happy

[Happy Wanderer]

FYI chaps,

A follow up post describing some of the figure choice options to use for The Abyssinian Crisis.

Regards

Happy W

https://abyssiniancrisis.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/what-miniatures-do-i-need/

[dadlamassu]

Was the 47/32 mod35 and the 2 pounder contemporaries?  Both were accepted into service in 1935.  Incidentally the French 25mm was accepted in 1934.  As far as I am aware the French 25mm in British service was a political attempt at commonality in 1939-40.  If you are looking for an alternative to the 2pdr then why not the Bofors 37mm which the British did buy (for the Sudan).  It was used by the 2nd Battalion the Black Watch against the Italians when they invaded British Somaliland.

Very nice to see the Italians getting some coverage.  I have quite a few figures and equipment for the slightly later actions of 1940-41 in Somaliland, Eritrea and Abyssinia in 20mm (1/76 mainly with some 1/72).  So I'll be watching this thread for ideas (I like the French involvement).

Have you seen http://vintagewargaming.blogspot.co.uk/ for interwar British equipment? 

[Happy Wanderer]

Hi dadlamassu,

The 47/32 was an Italian licences built Austrian Böhler gun. The Italians took it into service in 1935. At the time they weren't sent to Abyssinia as it was deemed unnecessary because the Ethiopians had little to no armour. However, in our scenario with Britain deploying armoured forces and the Abyssinian Armoured Field Force being active the Italians are allowed this as an option....as they most likely would've done if such enemy armour was encountered.

http://www.comandosupremo.com/cannone4732.html

The British 2pdr was not available in 1936 at the time of The Abyssinian Crisis. Whilst it had been accepted it underwent a number of teething problems such that the 25mm Hotchkiss and 37mm Bofors were needed to fill the gap of underproduced 2pdrs leading up to WW2.

http://www.desertrats.org.uk/equipartillery.htm

At the time of the Abyssinian Crisis the British army had no specialist anti tank guns. Steven Moorwood in his excellent book The British Defence of Egypt 1935–1940 states that "The War Office acquired 33 French Hotchkiss anti- tank machine guns to defend Mersa Matruh" such was dearth of A/T guns in Britain or Egypt. These weapons are the ones we allow for in the British army list as they did infact get them.

Given the haste of the operation the acquisition of further guns from different countries seems unlikely. However, it is not beyond possibility that some could've been acquired. What this means is the British are some what underdone in the A/T department which provides them with a bit of a tactical problem which makes for some interesting games as they have to use field artillery or perhaps an armoured vehicle to take on the weeny Italian CVs....so it makes for a more interesting clash IMHO.

Your 1940 stuff should be useable for this period if your not too picky. The British 1937 pattern kit is the main difference so WW1 British infantry really do fit the bill for troops of 1935-36.

"Have you seen http://vintagewargaming.blogspot.co.uk/ for interwar British equipment?  "


...yep, it is a good one very much on topic  

Cheers

Happy W

[Arlequín]

Strange but true, the Abyssinian Crisis did prompt the purchase of Hotchkiss AT Guns in '35 and Munich the purchase of Bofors AT Guns in '38. Units in the UK also had access to a limited number of 3pdr AT guns, which were former tank guns. A picture of one appeared in this thread.

If memory serves me, the Bofors guns saw action in WWII, but I imagine the Hotchkiss guns went to the UK via Palestine after the '35 Crisis abated and a new emergency appeared.

Like yourselves, interest in the British, French and Italians in this era drew me to this. Even without AT weapons, tanks are not a huge problem to deal with, nor are they as individually over-powering as is the case with some WWII types.

[axabrax]

 I posted a question re using Egyptians (from the Perry Sudan range) as British allies on your blog, and I have a few more ideas, but I don't want to clutter up the blog, so I'll post them here:

-  If you're willing to use early BEF painted in appropriate skintones as Ethiopian Imperial Guard as you suggest for the MG in the article, it opens up a plethora of possibilities using similar figures from the Great War range. (If only the Ethiopians wore shoes!  I don't fancy trying to do foot conversions.)   I'm specifically thinking of the 1914 Cavalry figures.  There are even Lancers that could be used as Imperial Guard cavalry as in the Osprey photo!

- I am also thinking that the Copplestone and Foundry Somalis could be used, especially the cavalry, for which there seems to be a shortage. They are generic enough to be used as a irregular scouts by both sides. Also the Foundry Arabian Baluchi might have some use?

- I am wondering about the Castaway Arts stuff.  You mentioned them in the article,  but I don't recall having seen any photos of them in any of the pictures from the Abyssinian War aficionados' games. I'm very surprised in particular never to have seen some painted versions of the Italian Eritrean cavalry, and I assumed it was because the stuff is too small to match with the other manufacturers or simply not that good. Has anyone actually seen the Castaway stuff next to say the Empress Abyssinian War stuff, which I would consider the benchmark? I am particularly concerned about the size of the horses.  I suppose they are cheap enough that I could just buy a few samples…

[Happy Wanderer]

Hi axabrax,

Good question - exactly the type that should be on the blog...so please do cross post it if you like and I shall put in my response. Q's like this are exactly what it's for  

" If you're willing to use early BEF painted in appropriate skintones as Ethiopian Imperial Guard as you suggest for the MG in the article, it opens up a plethora of possibilities using similar figures from the Great War range. (If only the Ethiopians wore shoes!  I don't fancy trying to do foot conversions.)   I'm specifically thinking of the 1914 Cavalry figures.  There are even Lancers that could be used as Imperial Guard cavalry as in the Osprey photo! "

You are spot on the money. The WW1 British cav would do nicely for Imperial Guard cavalry. They are included in their army list and useable...an Ethiopian Imperial Guard cavalry charge against the Italians!!! It is a bugger they didn't wear shoes I agree however I have found that with some judicious use of flock and base coverage around their feet you can get away with disguising the boots on Brit WW1 figures. Another option is to file down the boot and use a sharp blade pressed into the 'toes' of the boot. Paint a small white dot for toe nails and the impression is one of bare feet. As they are dark skin toned this makes it easier to do as well.

Off course Askari Miniatures do a range of Imperial Guard and they are rather nice sculpts. I decided to use these and flesh out the support equipment with Brit WW1 stuff as need....it all binds together quite well.

" I am also thinking that the Copplestone and Foundry Somalis could be used, especially the cavalry, for which there seems to be a shortage. They are generic enough to be used as a irregular scouts by both sides. Also the Foundry Arabian Baluchi might have some use?"

Absolutely. These totally fit the bill.


Regards the Castaway stuff, James Morris has some of these figures in his collection . I don't know if he has the Italian Eritrean cav though. He does have the mounted Ethiopians which look rather nice. I can't say how the italian Eritrean cav size up. I was thinking on a conversion of sorts though I haven't decided which way to go...still plenty of other stuff to paint! A LAF search on the Italo-Ethiopina War brings up most of his stuff and it's all good inspiration.

Here is a nice link

http://wabforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=7251


Cheers

HappyW

[Vintage Wargaming]

Like the blog very much, the more interwar stuff we can get out there the better.

Thank you and Alan too for the positive mention of Vintage Wargaming. I don't know if you are also aware of the Interwar Tank Development blog, which has photos from Vickers Armstrong Ltd interwar works photo albums - lots of one off vehicles and what if ideas. http://tankdevelopment.blogspot.co.uk/

The British did of course experiment with the tracked 20mm Oerlikon in the 1930s as an a/t weapon and there is plenty of photographic evidence, often together with its carden Loyd tow and trailer.This will have been while the RA was till responsible for a/t defence, before the responsibility was passed to the infantry.

I recently found that the 1st Durham Light Infantry (my local regiment) were briefly an experimental MG battalion between about 1934-6 with lots of interesting kit, which I have tried to portray in 20mm. I have even found some Pathe footage of them on manoeuvres

For interwar French armour I would strongly recommend the histoire & collections Encyclopedia of French Tanks and Armoured Vehicles 1914-1940. There is also an excellent h&c volume on the French Army (Officers and Soldiers) 1940. i don't know how relevant this would be to the previous five or six years, though.

[FramFramson]

Your figure listing is quite nice, but you've neglected one small (but significant) miniature: The Emperor himself. Thanks to Tin Shed Gamer, Haile Selassie is available from 1st Corps, though he is not listed on the website (because other figures in what will eventually be a pack have not yet been created), but you can get one by contacting 1st Corps directly.