Robert Stuart
United States
Los Alamos
New Mexico
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Recently I saw the movie "Alatriste", which ended with a brilliantly dramatic depiction of the Battle of Rocroi. This led me to read more about post-sixteenth century spain, and I came across an incredible battle fought a century after Rocroi, in the New World: the Battle of Cartagena de Indias.
It was a significant battle that, as stated in an entry on Wikipedia, "marked a turning point in American history, that allowed Spain to preserve her military supremacy in the continent until the nineteenth century."
The British fielded an overwhelmingly superior force:
"The Battle of Cartagena pitted a British invasion force of 186 ships including: 29 Ships of the Line... There were at least 27,400 military personnel, of which the land force totaled 12,000...
"The Spanish force defending Cartagena was composed of 2,700 to 3,000 Spanish regulars... perhaps 4,000 to 6,000 [total] defenders,manning six Ships of the Line and strategic fortifications — under the command of the Governor General of Cartagena, Don Blas de Lezo."
Don Blas de Lezo conducted a brilliant defense. After 67 days the British retired with massive losses:
"The battle ended with a major defeat and heavy losses for the British: 50 ships lost, badly damaged or abandoned, and losses of 18,000 soldiers and sailors, mainly due to disease that also took a heavy toll among the Spanish forces..."
As to the battle's significance, one of the article's footnotes adds,
"The defeat is considered by some historians... to be comparable to that suffered by the Spanish Armada at the hands of the British Navy. At Cartagena the British casualties are ultimately estimated at over 18,000 troops and 50 ships, while the Spanish Armada lost about 10,000 troops and 63 ships. And, as with the Spanish Armada, the lost opportunity did no damage to the strategic position; the importance of the defeat is more in a loss of an opportunity for immense gain rather than damage to Britain's strategic position."
Considering the strategic situation (an amphibious invasion of a fortified position), the range of forces (naval and land, with the attacker possessing an overwhelming superiority) and the complicated geography, this looks like a battle which could be made into a detailed game with great replayability.
Are there other battles, campaigns, wars you would like to see made into games or simulations?
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Greg Sager
United States
San Diego
California
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_War
My personal favorite.
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Cpl. Fields
South Africa
Hopelessly Surrounded
Isandlwana, Zululand
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Moron Tom wrote:
As far as casus belli go, this one was pretty amusing.
The Pig War was a confrontation in 1859 between the United States and the British Empire over the boundary between the US and British North America. The territory in dispute was the San Juan Islands, which lie between Vancouver Island and the North American mainland. The Pig War, so called because it was triggered by the shooting of a pig, is also called the Pig Episode, the Pig and Potato War, the San Juan Boundary Dispute or the Northwestern Boundary Dispute. The pig was the only casualty of the war, making the dispute otherwise bloodless.
Lest We Forget
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[1/2]
United States
Fort Wayne
Indiana
MwwaHAHA
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The Northwest Indian War in general and Fallen Timbers sppecifically.
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Judy Krauss
United States
Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
but I'm not the only one
My hands are small, I know, but they're not yours, they are my own
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Stonewall riots (Christopher Street riots) -- if it were done accurately and represented that women started it by standing up to and fighting the police, and not the revisionist story where men take the credit (kind of like what happened to the "history" of the solidarity movement in Poland, where it was started by women but claimed by men, who then excluded the women)
Homestead Strike against Frick's hired Pinkerton private troops.
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Cpl. Fields
South Africa
Hopelessly Surrounded
Isandlwana, Zululand
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I'll second the Homestead strike. Also the Johnson County War
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Bob
United States
Nebraska
Don't squat with your spurs on.
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction.
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I'm looking forward to the "Indian Wars of the American West" from Legion Wargames.
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A Mark Herman CDG on Vietnam.
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Jim F
United Kingdom
Birmingham
West Midlands
HRC - His Royal Cheekiness, Rajah Babu
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bob_santafe wrote:
As to the battle's significance, one of the article's footnotes adds,
"The defeat is considered by some historians... to be comparable to that suffered by the Spanish Armada at the hands of the British Navy
Only some Spanish historians possibly...
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Hugo Olsson
Sweden
Karlstad
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bob_santafe wrote:
"The defeat is considered by some historians... to be comparable to that suffered by the Spanish Armada at the hands of the British Navy. At Cartagena the British casualties are ultimately estimated at over 18,000 troops and 50 ships, while the Spanish Armada lost about 10,000 troops and 63 ships."
But there is a difference between ships and ships. The Spanish Armada cost Spain the cream of her naval forces. At Cartagena de Indias the British abandoned a large number of transports when they gave up the siege, but not one ship registered in the Royal Navy. Or at least, that's what I find when I search Rif Winfield's ship lists for ships lost at Cartagena.
(Rif Winfield's ship lists is a compilation of all vessels that served in the Royal Navy between 1714 and 1817, in two volumes. It states date of building (or capture), dimensions, armament, a brief service history and the ultimate fate of every single ship in the navy.)
After abandoning the invasion of England, the Spanish Armada fled to the northeast, dispersed and tried to get home by rounding Scotland. After Vernon abandoned the siege of Cartagena, he sailed on to Cuba and landed an (unsuccessful) raid there.
So both were spectacularly massive and unsuccessful expeditions. The Armada was defeated at sea - largely by the weather - and destroyed, while Vernon was defeated on land - again largely by the weather - retaining control of the sea and sufficient organization to carry on operations.
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Adam Siler
United States
McKinney
Texas
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The French Civil War, or Wars of Religion, in the 16th Century.
A Korean War game that covers something after the first year. Probably one of the numerous Chinese offensives on the western front, including the last days of the war. A Battalion or company scale would be the best.
The Imjin War: the invasion of Korea by the Japanese at the end of the 16th century. This one would make a good game because its naval campaign is just as important. Also like the 20th century war, there is a chance of crossing the Yalu and Chinese intervention.
ANY of the Eastern European wars from the rise of the Ottoman Empire until World War 1. There is a lot of material for games there, but it's not used enough.
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B. Marsh
United States
Georgia
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The civil war battle of Kennesaw Mountain! Lots of smaller battles such as Dead Angle and Kolbs Farm would make for a number of smaller scenarios too. I don't think anyone has done a game on this one yet.
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Mike E.
United States
Iowa City
Iowa
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Richard Berg's game on the wars of ancient China, continuing the innovation of GMT's Great Battles of History series.
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Peter Martin
United States
Oceanside
California
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Lettow-Vorbeck's East Africa Campaign in WWI is a topic that is still waiting for a good game. Fortunately for me, I am working on that now.
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Tactical level combat in Tunisia. US Army, plus Brits and French, versus French and Germans. US Army with all those odd duck early war vehicles in incredible terrain.
Italian wars of the 1200s.
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Patrick Carroll
United States
Carver
Minnesota
"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." (GK Chesterton)
"That's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)
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bob_santafe wrote: Are there other battles, campaigns, wars you would like to see made into games or simulations?
Well, anytime I read about a battle or campaign, I wish I could wargame it.
But my wishes for games to be published usually tie in with what has already been published. For example, I wish there were a Lock 'n Load module on the Korean War--simply because the series currently covers 1939 through 1993 but doesn't have any KW scenarios.
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Stephen Crane
United States
Texas
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I'd like to see a campaign on the Muslim invasion of France, there are some games on the battle of Tours but i'd like to game the campaign.
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Lance McMillan
United States
Lakebay
Washington
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Strategic level game on the Welsh Wars of Edward I
Strategic level game on the Boer War
Operational level game on the whole New Guinea campaign (not just the Kokoda Trail stuff)
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Courage Under Fire
United Kingdom
Warrington
Cheshire
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The Bulge, it's about time someone did a battle about the bulge!
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Stephen Kirk
United States
Massachusetts
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Thirty Years War (yes,I saw the "Wallenstein" ad)
English Civil War
Blenheim battle and campaign
In short, more wigs and muskets...
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Malcolm Cameron
Australia
Sydney
NSW
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Lancer4321 wrote: Operational level game on the whole New Guinea campaign (not just the Kokoda Trail stuff)
+1
In the Operational Combat Series preferably.
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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A very long-term, military-political game about La Reconquista - the centuries-long reconquest of what is now Spain and Portugal from the Moors, which ended in 1492 with the conquest of Granada.
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Antonio Catalán
Spain
Barcelona
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wifwendell wrote: A very long-term, military-political game about La Reconquista - the centuries-long reconquest of what is now Spain and Portugal from the Moors, which ended in 1492 with the conquest of Granada.
... to match complicated, simulate 700 years in a only game, but one is on the way...
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39545/reconquista-str...
To be published in issue #279 of Strategy & Tactics magazine (2012).
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Robert Wesley
Nepal
Aberdeen
Washington
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Working at THAT, currently: The Lonely Ships
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Ashiefan wrote: bob_santafe wrote:
As to the battle's significance, one of the article's footnotes adds,
"The defeat is considered by some historians... to be comparable to that suffered by the Spanish Armada at the hands of the British Navy
Only some Spanish historians possibly...
You'll be surprised how unkown is this episode for spaniards :(
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Posted Sat Feb 4, 2012 4:20 am
