History of Wargaming Project

Documenting the Development of Wargaming

Professional Wargaming

Army Wargames: Two Centuries of Staff College Exercises 24 May 2016 Second Edition
by John Curry

Five classic examples of staff college exercises on a map (1858-1980).

Moltke (1858)- examples of his style
Defence of Duffers Drift (1903)- Boer War, denying a crossing to the enemy.
The Defence of Bowler Ridge (1929) - Infantry blocking vital ground against armour.
The Defence of Bloodford Village (1940) - WWII Defending a village in the British Countryside.
Special Reconnaissance Patrol No. 5 (1980) A Cold War Russian military exercise.

This book was originally published as, 'Two Centuries of Staff College Exercises 1858-1980'

The History of Wargaming Project

The project aims to make the largest possible collection of wargaming books and rules available to the modern reader. Ranging from second editions of wargaming classics, to professional wargaming rules used by the military and innovations in current wargaming.

Documenting the Development of Wargaming

	Donald Featherstone's The Badgered Men: A novel describing the life of the Victorian cavalry man at the time of the First Sikh War 1845-1846 25 November 2011 by Donald Featherstone Edited by John Curry
	Donald Featherstone is the author of more than 60 books on wargaming and military history. He has been described by James F. Dunnigan as one of the founding fathers of modern wargaming. This novel is a piece of military fiction describing the recruitment, training and experience of war for the typical Victorian cavalryman of the period. The characters in the novel are in many ways less important than the sheer amount of historical detail that has been captured by Donald Featherstone. The first half of the book is about recruitment and training. The second half of the book continues the story with an account of the campaign leading to the 1846 Battle of Aliwal in the First Sikh War. This book is not Flashman, Sharpe or even Hornblower. It contains less characterization and much more period detail. It opens a window on a piece of military history. ... Product Details: 230 pages 15.6cm wide x 23.39 tall ISBN 9781470944018
	The book is available direct from Amazon.
	Product details: Paperback: 230 pages Publisher: History of Wargaming Project ISBN: 9781470944018 Dimensions (cm): 15.6 wide x 23.39 tall

The History of Wargaming Project

Documenting the Development of Wargaming

	Donald Featherstone's MacDonald of the 42nd 25 November 2011 by Donald Featherstone Edited by John Curry
	Donald Featherstone is the author of more than 60 books on wargaming and military history. He has been described by James F. Dunnigan as one of the founding fathers of modern wargaming. Hector MacDonald was fourteen when he ran away to join the Black Watch, the famous 42nd Highland Regiment. From service in the Crimean War, where he was wounded , to the Indian Mutiny, and then through a whole array of other assignments, MacDonald saw more service than most. Based on a single letter found in Bristol’s Docks, Donald Featherstone has written an imaginative reconstruction of the outstanding soldier’s life. From the extensive contemporary accounts of the Regiment and histories of the Army, Donald Featherstone has reconstructed the life of a Highlander in the mid-nineteenth century. Using the archives of the Black Watch Regimental Museum and his unique access to key British military historians, Featherstone has found a wealth of period detail. Hector MacDonald was a real soldier and the actions in this book are real, his story is in many ways representative of the Victorian soldier who founded an empire by feat of arms. ... Product Details: 230 pages 15.6cm wide x 23.39 tall ISBN 9781470944018
	The book is available direct from Amazon
	Product details: Paperback: 193 pages Publisher: History of Wargaming Project ISBN: 9781471707902 Dimensions (cm): 15.6 wide x 23.39 tall

The book is available from Amazon and other online stores.

Product details: Second Edition
     Paperback: 173 pages
     Publisher: History of Wargaming    Project
     ISBN: 978-1-326-66455-8
     Dimensions (cm): 15.6 wide x 23.39 tall

Supporting Material for Staff College Exercises

Further details about the exercises

This booklet contains five sets of tactical exercises as being classics of their time.

A Sample of Moltke's Tactical Exercises Prussian (1858-1882)
by Colonel F.N. Maude, R.E. (1854-1933)

Moltke was a tactical genius of the Prussian Army, who was seen as one of the architects for the resurgence of the German army. His work was translated into English by a Colonel Maude. Colonel Maude was for many years a book reviewer for the Royal United Service Institute Journal. Some people could refer to him as an eccentric such as with his invention of a smoke eating machine and being friends with Aleister Crowley. He was a great admirer of the German military system, with whom he expected Britain to be at war with in due course. He was part of the movement challenging the British Army to reform, but he was a very harsh critic of most of the 'half baked military reforms proposed'. He edited J.J. Grahams 1873 Translation of Von Clausewitz's book On War and reprinted it in 1908. The Graham/ Maude version was reprinted in 1911, 1918, 1940, 1962, and 1966.

As he was about to go to print with a translation of Von Moltke's Tactical Exercises, there was a copyright issue, so instead he submitted a review of three of Moltes's most important exercises to the RUSI Journal Vol. XXXVII, 1886. The work is especially interesting as it was written as a criticism of the then unchallenged military guru of Moltke.

The Defence of Duffer's Drift Boer War (1903)
by Major General Sir Ernest Swinton K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O.

was originally published in the British United Service Magazine under the pseudonym of N Backsight Forethought. It has become a classic essay in minor tactics. It was republished as a book in 1907 and in American in 1905 and 1916. It has been reprinted periodically since. The author was a soldier, historian and a military 'future-ologist'. He contributed to the development of airpower, mines and most of all by his invention and introduction of the tank. He was Commandant of the Royal Tank Corps 1934-1938 where he finished his career as a major general.

The Defence of Bowler Bridge (1929) by H.E. Graham

was designed to show how a determined infantry defence could withstand an armoured assault by correct use of ground.

The Defence of Bloodford Village WWII British (1940)
by Colonel G. A Wade MC (1891-1986)

Colonel Wade served in the South Stafford Regiment in World War One in France and Palestine. He was awarded an MC for valour in 1917 and a bar to the award for his part in crossing the St. Quentin Canal in September, 1918. During the Second World War his time was split between commanding the Birkenhead garrison and writing numerous training pamphlets and books. The most well of which was the Minor Tactics Training Manual.

Separate Reconnaissance Patrol Number 5. (1980)

is an example of how the tradition of tactical exercises has carried on in modern armies. This exercise is from the cold war about the options faced by a Soviet reconnaissance patrol.

Professional Wargaming

Further details about the exercises

A Sample of Moltke's Tactical Exercises Prussian (1858-1882) by Colonel F.N. Maude, R.E. (1854-1933)

The Defence of Duffer's Drift Boer War (1903)by Major General Sir Ernest Swinton K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O.

The Defence of Bowler Bridge (1929) by H.E. Graham

The Defence of Bloodford Village WWII British (1940)by Colonel G. A Wade MC (1891-1986)

Separate Reconnaissance Patrol Number 5. (1980)

Further Reading

A Sample of Moltke's Tactical Exercises Prussian (1858-1882)
by Colonel F.N. Maude, R.E. (1854-1933)

The Defence of Duffer's Drift Boer War (1903)
by Major General Sir Ernest Swinton K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O.

The Defence of Bloodford Village WWII British (1940)
by Colonel G. A Wade MC (1891-1986)