I do not claim to be an authority on The Crimean War. I just hope to share the information that I have accumulated and fill any readers in on what the Jackson Wargamers are doing with regards to naval wargaming in this period. Input of any type is welcome. Criticism, reviews of figures or rules, articles and personal views are all sought eagerly. Photos in GIF or JPEG format are usable. You can email the author of this page at: jstribl_jackson@yahoo.com Sof far, this period page has been mostly a reading list, but see below for photos of a Crimean War game that we played at RECON 2004 in Tampa Florida.
A Confused Affair
This game assumed that during the leisurely pursuit after the battle of the Alma, a British column along with a French force, and a lengthy supply column, all became mixed up with two Russian columns falling back on Sebastopol. The Russians attack, trying to get to the supply trains. The allies are trying to move the supply column off the southern edge of the table.
Photo by Lori Brom
Jay Stribling, game master, peers at the table, ruler in hand, ready to spank any player who asks tough questions about the rules. One of the British players looks on.
Photo by Lori Brom
Near a small village, the British are defending in a "L-shaped" line while Russian columns and some cavalry remnants attack.
Photo by Lori Brom
A close-up of the fighting near the villiage. A wounded officer is being evacuated to the rear.
Photo by Lori Brom
Larry Brom (on left) speaks to Mark Stevens about the pressures of command. Larry commanded the Russian cossacks. After riding around the British position, Larry had poor command response and could not get his men to engage!
Photo by Lori Brom
A close-up of the supply trains showing French forces to the righ and some British Light Dragoons to the left.
This was an allied victory, but a very close one as the cossacks finally pinched off a few supply wagons.
There is a most useful Crimean Wargame mailing list at "Yahoo E-Groups". This is an eclectic mix of gamers, historians, and other good people. Collectively they are a treasure trove of information. To subscribe at no charge and exchange correspondence about the Crimean War, click on the button:
"HALF a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
'Forward the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!' he said.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred. -"
A little more descriptive material about the Crimean Wargames List:
Just in time for the 150th anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade! The site is for discussion of ALL Crimean War (1853-1856) wargame rules and related topics. The LINKS section is very large and contains numerous entries for the Crimean War as well as a number of related subjects.The PHOTOS section is extensive. You can also access the FREE wargame rules “The Charge of the Light Brigade” (under FILES) and see some photos (under PHOTOS) of our game.Our rules are freely downloadable ( if there is such a word) but remain (c) David Raybin. These Rules can be used for many mid-19th century wargames including the Crimean conflict.
Eventually I will have a page showing comparative shots of different brands of Crimean war miniatures. For now, just take a look at these old 25mm. SCRUBY figures painted by Mark Stevens many MANY years ago!
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Steve Blease writes: "Announced on Plastic Soldier Review:" "Strelets have announced a large number of new sets for a campaign that has been almost ignored up until now, The Crimean War of 1853-56. To illustrate their commitment to this new range Strelets have published details of their first 10 sets, which are:
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Unlike the book lists in the other period pages that I have done, this list includes books that I have not read, nor have I seen a review of them. The books that I have read are marked with an arrow
Flashman at the Charge George Macdonald Fraser. A cad, a bounder, Flashman is irresistable!
Victors & Lords, V.A. Stuart, The charges of the heavy and Light brigades at Balaclava. Later Books take the hero Alexander Sheridan to India and the mutiny, but this is the only one set during the Crimean War
The Valiant Sailors, Brave Captains, Hazards Command, Hazard of Huntress , Victory at Sebastopol. All by V.A. Stuart. Pinnacle Books. (1971, 1972, 1972, 1975), A well done follow-on to Hornblower, except relocated in time to Crimea. Historically sound. If you don'd understand the referance to Hornblower, you don't read enough naval fiction! These 5 books concern the naval hero Phillip Horatio Hazard and his major but fictional contributions to the Crimean victory of the allies. Later books (at least 3 more) take Hazard to other adventures in the mid-19th centrury.
Soldier of the Queen, Max Harris. Story of a young British officer in the light Brigade and his subsequent adventures through the Franco Prussian War. Two more volumes in the series The Blunted Lance takes the hero and his family through WWI. The Iron Stallions takes the family through WWII. VERY readable.
Badge Of Glory - A Blackwood Royal Marine Novel. Douglas Reeman. 3513 1984, NY, Morrow, lst US ed w/DJ Fine/Fine cond. First in the Blackwood Royal Marine novel series. Covers Operations against Slavers on west coast of Africa and in the Crimean War 1856-58.
The Fortress, Catherine Gavin. London, Hodder And Stoughton 1964. 1st Edition. Historical Fiction set in the Crimean war. (Anybody read this one?)
Forget The Glory Emma Drummon 1985 Gollancz. A Crimean war novel. (Anybody read this one?)
The Court Marshall of Lord Lucan , John Harris Pub Severn House 1987 Hardback 302 pages with map. Fictional account of a court marshall that Lord Lucan requested after the Charge of the Light Brigde, but which was refused. A vividly convincing canvas of a war, drawn from the oral and printed evidence. (Anybody read this one?)
SOLDIERS IN THE MIST, Garry Douglas 1st UK. August 1999. The new Jack Crossman historical novel set in the Crimean War. (Anybody read this one?)
NON-FICTION
The Reason Why, Cecil Woodham-Smith “The incredible story of the charge of the Light Brigade” Excellent!
THE BANNER OF BATTLE, The Story of the Crimean War. Alan Palmer. St. Martin’s press NY 1987. 289 pp. Quite good, with emphasis on the French and Sardinians as well as the usual British. Good use of Russian sources too.
The Destruction Of Lord Raglan; A Tragedy Of The Crimean War 1854-55, Christopher Hibbert. Boston: Little, Brown 1961. (Anybody read this one?)
Heroes of The CrimeaThe Battles of Balaclava and Inkerman. Michal Barthorp. 159 pp., Blanderford, London 1991. A good basic account not only of the two battles mentioned, but the situation of the British army at the time of the Crimean War. Well illustrated with over 100 illustrations many of which were originaly done in color but reproduced here in black and white. A few nice maps, a very good list of sources, and a British army order of Battle as of November 5, 1954.
The War Correspondents: The Crimean War, Andrew Lambert and Stephen Badsey . Thrupp, Bramley Books, 1997, Second edition. This book combines first-hand descriptions of the Crimean War from 'The Times' of London with an authoritative discussion of the war, based on the latest historical scholarship. Both authors are lecturers in war studies. With numerous b.& w. illustrations. (Anybody read this one?)
The Crimean War, Dennis Judd. Book Club Associates 1976, 199pp, (Anybody read this one?)
The Gallant Six Hundred, John Harris. Mason & Lipscomb, Pub., 1974, British military history, An excellent narrative on the conduct of the battle,the charge of the Light brigade,and the personalities involved., b/w illustrations. (Anybody read this one?)
The Crimean War, A Reappraisal; Phillip Warner. New York Taplinger 1973 viii, 216pp The thesis is that the allies were not quite as idiotic as some historians make them out to be. Quite good!
BALACLAVA:Gentlemen's Battle John Selby. 1970, Atheneum, New York, many black/white and color illustrations with, maps and battle plans. 245 pp (Anybody read this one?)
Crimean Blunder Peter Gibbs. ; Story of war with Russia . 1960. 297pp. Seems to be drawn from British sources only. An acceptable account but pretty dated by now.
THE CRIMEAN WAR, Andrew Lambert & Stephen Badsey. Bramley Books 1994?. In The "War Correspondents" series. 335 pp. with illustrations, appendix, bibliography, and index. The Crimean War was the first conflict to be covered by newspaper correspondents who provided the public with eye-witness accounts of the battle scenes. (Anybody read this one?)
The War Against Russia: 1854-1856 A J. Barker. New York: Holt, Rinehart, 1971. Has black & white illustrations with maps of the Crimea and the Black Sea region, (Anybody read this one?)
The Alma 1854(Knight's Battles for Wargamers series), Henry Harris. Hippocrene Books, New York. A small thin book of 65 pages plus 12 pages of introductions, timelines and similar. Reads like a chapter in a larger volume. In spite of the title, there are no suggestions on how to set up a game, just straight history. For all the above, it is a useful little volume. Originally it sold for $3.95 in hardback. If you could find a copy for less than $10 I would reccomend it.
Road to Balaklava: Stumbling into War with Russia Alexis S. Troubetzkoy Toronto: Trafalgar (1986). 215pp: 2 maps, 39 illus; Includes 4 Crimean recipes?? (Anybody read this one?)
Battles of the Crimean War Baring W. Pemberton. B.T. Batsford 1962 Eyewitness Accounts of the Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, and the Redan. (Anybody read this one?)
MEMOIRS & PERIOD ACCOUNTS
Henry Clifford V.C. - His Letters and Sketches from the Crimea, New York: E.P.Dutton, 1956. Illustrated with drawings and fold-out map, (Anybody read this one?)
A Diary of the Crimea, George Palmer Evelyn, London: Duckworth, 1954. Photographs, Crimean War (Anybody read this one?)
Crimean War Reader Chesney Huge number of eye witness accounts. 1960, 254pp, with illustrations, (Anybody read this one?)
THE FIELDS OF WAR, Phillip Warner. 1977. MURRAY, 215 pp, with illustrations, Taken from the letters of Richard Temple Godman, who was a young officer in the 5th Dragoon Guards, sent home throughout the Crimean war (Anybody read this one?)
Mrs. Duberly's Campaigns, E.E.P. Tisdall editor.; Rand McNally,, 1963. "An Englishwoman's Experiences in the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny"; 224 pages including an index, illustrated. Memoir of a wife in the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny. (Anybody read this one?)
Russell's Despatches From The Crimea 1854-1856 William Howard Russel. Edited by Nicholas Bentley. London, 1966. 290pp, A correspondent for the “Times” in the Crimean war (Anybody read this one?)
Sebastopol ;Leo Tolstoy. N.Y.: Brentano's, n.d.. VG/G dj, 272, Crimean War Sebastopol Period piece?? Fiction?? (Anybody read this one?)
Tales of Sevastopol ; Tolstoy, Leo (trans. by J. Fineberg): Moscow: Foreign Lang. Pub. House, 1950(?). 154 pages, .B&W illus. throughout., Pyotr Pavlinov illus., Fiction? Truth? (Anybody read this one?)
THE NAVAL WAR
Ironclads at War
The Origins and Development of the Armored Warship, 1854-1891. Jack Greene and Alessandron Massignani: Combined Publishing, Conshohocken PA, 1998. Pages 20-40 cover the development and use of the Ironclad warship during the Crimean War. A nice introduction to the subject and very easy to read. The authors note that they relied primarily on secondary sources, however I enjoyed the work and learned a great deal.
The British Assault on Finland, 1854-1855. Basil Greenhill & Ann Giffard; London, 1988. 366p., 31 illustrations and maps. Bibliograph & index. This was the first use of steam power in the battle fleet. Sideshow of Crimean War. (Anybody read this one?)
ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES
Crimean War Basics Organization & Uniforms,Part one - Britain, France & Sardinia; Michael Cox and John Lenton. Published by Raider Games, Leeds England, 1988. A small pamphlet, chock-full of useful information, mainly orders of battle. Some uniform and organizational data.
Crimean War Basics Organization & Uniforms,Part two - Russia & Turkey; Michael Cox and John Lenton. Published by Raider Games, Leeds England, 1988. Companion volume to the above, most useful.
UNIFORM STUDIES
Into the Valley of Death: the British Cavalry Division at Balaclava, 1854, John and Boris Mollo (Color plates by Brian Fosten). London: Windrow & Greene, 1991. An excellent work! This combines a revision of John & Boris' book Uniforms and Equipment of the Light Brigade with material on the heavy Brigade. Good writing, nice conventional black and white illustrations and WONDERFUL color plates. Each plate is twice the size of those in an Osprey Book and of excellent quality. This work is of use to the uniform enthusiast and wargamer equally. A book to go out and kill for!
Uniforms & Weapons of the Crimean War, Wilkinson-Latham. 1977, 96pp. A work on uniforms with some cursory notes on weaponry. A nice book, a few color plates, longer but a bit shallower than an Osprey book. I borrowed a copy from my good friend Mark Stevens and it is worth reading, however I would not buy this unless I could get a very good deal on it.
THE CRIMEAN WAR, 1853-56, G.A. Embleton; London Almark, 1975 A paperback book, about 8 color plates. Pretty good but limited in what it covers.
OSPREY BOOKS
Balaclava 1854: The Charge of The Light Brigade John Sweetman London: Osprey Military, 1995. #6 in Campaign Series.
The Russian Army of the Crimean War 1854-56. Robert H.G. Thomas. Color plates by Richard Scollins. London, Osprey 1991. #241 in Men-At-Arms Series.
The Russian Army of the Crimea Albert Seaton, Color plates by Michael Roffe. Not as good as the above. An older work, before they began to number the books. Men-At-Arms Series.
The British Army on Campaign 1816-1902 (2): the Crimea 1854-56. Michael Barthorp. Color plates by Pierre Turner. London, Osprey 1987. #196 in Men-At-Arms Series.
MOVIES ABOUT THE CRIMEAN WAR
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Directed by Tony Richardson, it starred: Trevor Howard (Lord Cardigan), John Gielgud (Lord Raglan), Harry Andrews (Lord Lucan)and David hemmings as Captain Nolan. Vanessa Redgrave is in the move, but she is not Queen Victoria, so I do not remember who she played. Mrs. Duberly perhaps? Highly Reccomended!
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The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) I thought I'd mention the older version of Charge of the Light Brigade. Highly entertaining, but one of the most preposterous movies ever made of that era. Most of it takes place on the Northwest Frontier of In-jah, where our hero (Errol Flynn at his Flynniest) matches wits with Surit Khan, a fiend supported by the even more fiendish Russkies.
Uniforms and weaponry are a bit hazy--it should be the 1850's, but looks more like the 1870's--but over-all that part of the movie is exciting and even moving (such as when the Indian troops discover their families murdered by S.K.) The gears really change when things go to the Crimea; the men acquire European uniforms (so see the colorized version if possible); the script kind of glosses over whether the Indian troopers themselves made the journey.
Anyhow, there is much hustle and bustle in conveying the chaos of an HQ behind the front. When Errol discovers Surit Khan himself is visiting a line of Russian guns, he fakes an order so that the Lancers can have a crack at him! The charge scene itself is a classic, extremely well done in all respects, down to the prepared ammunition rounds being loaded by the Russian artillerymen.
Naturally, Surit gets his, and somewhat unusually, so does Errol. As history it is simply awful, but still one of my favorites (can you tell?) - Chris Johnson.
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