What's on your workbench?

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

I reckon the Sikh headed Perries would make for a great looking platoon. Are they a fairly recent release? As I have just noticed they also do Tam O'Shanters, and when I put this lot together in late 2019, the Woodbine heads were the only realistic choice available.

I've seen a few Sikh platoons around - including beheaded Warlord Chindits, for 1944 Burma, and Perry guys in shirtsleeves and BD trousers for Italy (that's a bit too much metalworking for me - might get my gaming buddy to do it!) - and they definitely look the biz. Better still, Sikhs in shorts can double for N Africa - 11th Sikhs had a battalion there and one in Malaya.

The British North Africa range was the first Michael did for WW2. The ToS heads have been around for a while I think; not one of the earliest releases in the range, but came out just after the 25-pdr crew and along with the Wolsey helmets and lemon-squeezers for the Kiwis. If you were searching under ToS though, they might not have come up, as the pack is identified by the piper principally. My 2-pdr will retain the helmets, though as all artillery support in Malaya was either RA or RAA.

Incidentally, if you're looking for Malaya '42 scenario material, take a butcher's at all the IABSM Far East stuff (there's masses of it), which has enough detail to allow you to break a company level action down into 2 or 3 platoon actions very easily. And there's also your compatriot Len Tracey on the TFL forum (who I believe is an instructor at Aussie Sandhurst/Camberley?).

[levied troop]

I am looking forward to seeing what you do with these. are they going to supplement ECW (WotTK), or something else entirely?

It's going to be WotTK (if only to annoy my old and completely useless history teacher) - I bought a largish horde of the Bicorne and Renegade (including Scots ) figures a few years ago, but apart from two units they never got out of the box. But the Caliver Press scenario books have always interested me and the release of these has finally woken me up. 'Sharply Buffed' might get a try-out but ultimately I'm aiming for 'Victory Without Quarter' and bigger battles.

[Shahbahraz]

The British North Africa range was the first Michael did for WW2. The ToS heads have been around for a while I think; not one of the earliest releases in the range, but came out just after the 25-pdr crew and along with the Wolsey helmets and lemon-squeezers for the Kiwis. If you were searching under ToS though, they might not have come up, as the pack is identified by the piper principally. My 2-pdr will retain the helmets, though as all artillery support in Malaya was either RA or RAA.

Incidentally, if you're looking for Malaya '42 scenario material, take a butcher's at all the IABSM Far East stuff (there's masses of it), which has enough detail to allow you to break a company level action down into 2 or 3 platoon actions very easily. And there's also your compatriot Len Tracey on the TFL forum (who I believe is an instructor at Aussie Sandhurst/Camberley?).

Thanks for that, I do have a bit of the IABSM stuff, and I looked at the existing CoC campaigns in the specials etc. Len Tracey was more focused on the Aussies naturally, but his rules for jungle fighting seem to have widespread adoption. Can't recall but it might have been Tactical Painter did a Malaya campaign game. Again I think using slightly different rules, At this stage I am hoping TFL release their Far East handbook as they did with Blitzkrieg, but it's been very quiet.

I do have the official histories and the accounts of the Fall of Singapore, which are very good for setting the scene, and have some fairly low level accounts. I have been tempted to try and create my own 2 A&SH 'pint-sized campaign' - but I am a little afraid of the level of expertise that would be scrutinising it

And the Australian officers training is Duntroon. I used to go there regularly for work. There's also the Institute for Strategic Studies associated with it but based out of the University, and much higher level plus a staff college function. I believe they re-organised their whole staff training etc a couple of years back.

[Etranger]

The Australian Army Historical Unit has put out some very useful books on Malaya (& other Australian battles). Osprey 'Campaigns' sized and priced, with good maps and useful descriptions. For the complete list https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/sea ... /N-1z0xpk1

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

Thanks for that, I do have a bit of the IABSM stuff, and I looked at the existing CoC campaigns in the specials etc. Len Tracey was more focused on the Aussies naturally, but his rules for jungle fighting seem to have widespread adoption. Can't recall but it might have been Tactical Painter did a Malaya campaign game. Again I think using slightly different rules, At this stage I am hoping TFL release their Far East handbook as they did with Blitzkrieg.....

Yes, this has been on the front burner for so long it's feeling like a Japanese torture method. It was Tactical Painter/MLB who did the Malaya thing - and very good it was, too. I think he used Len's rules with his own mods.

.....but it's been very quiet.

And cue sniper shot from the undergrowth!

I do have the official histories and the accounts of the Fall of Singapore, which are very good for setting the scene, and have some fairly low level accounts. I have been tempted to try and create my own 2 A&SH 'pint-sized campaign' - but I am a little afraid of the level of expertise that would be scrutinising it

Yes, I know what you mean! I feel fairly safe with AWI and anything to do with Bavaria or Brunswick from the Napoleonic era, but anything outside that - even with my "core" gaming periods (SAGA Normans, FoG:R ECW) I get a bit nervous about sticking my head above the parapet knowing that there are far more knowledgeable people out there (eg RMD and Etranger on here who can produce evidence about almost anything WW2 at the drop of a hat - if not faster!).

[Edit: And right on cue, see the above post!!! ]

I suspect if you ran what you had past Len he would be happy to critique it before it "went to press" - he seems good like that. I think Malaya '42 is a very difficult campaign to reproduce as a tactical exercise - like France '40, you can easily end up with a counter-factual result at tactical level that doesn't really reflect the way the overall campaign played out. How would you game two entire Ghurkha battalions being virtually wiped out because they were caught in column of march on an open road by Japanese tanks? Maybe play the Japanese and have umpire-controlled Empire forces to see if the players can achieve a better result?

Thanks for the names of the Australian military schools - Duntroon immediately rang a bell, but the rest was new.

[Etranger]

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

Still a bit early in the day over here.....

[FreddBloggs]

I am looking forward to seeing what you do with these. are they going to supplement ECW (WotTK), or something else entirely?

It's going to be WotTK (if only to annoy my old and completely useless history teacher) - I bought a largish horde of the Bicorne and Renegade (including Scots ) figures a few years ago, but apart from two units they never got out of the box. But the Caliver Press scenario books have always interested me and the release of these has finally woken me up. 'Sharply Buffed' might get a try-out but ultimately I'm aiming for 'Victory Without Quarter' and bigger battles.

get C F Weisencrafts, Pike and Shot wargames book, either an old second hand or I think John Curry does a reprint.

The rules are very 70s, but the second half of the book is enough battles with map and oob to keep any wargamer happy for a while.

[Buff Orpington]

I've managed to get the compound walls to fit together and disassemble so the whole set can come to Kumbaya.
It needs fountain, some trees and informal seating. I'll get some tiling sheets for the roof but I'm trying to resist going the full LT on it. No working plumbing or lights.

[Shahbahraz]

Thanks Baron, I used to have quite a few of the AWM books, but I don't recall seeing the Malaya one. There are certain continuous themes in the conflict, Japanese flanking, use of armour in unexpected terrain, uncertainty in local command, comms problems, confusion and reorganisation at senior command. I think the campaign is a very interesting one, especially if you accept that the Empire is always going to have a strategic loss.