Sunday 21 August 2022

Fnurban #16 : The Airfix Guide to.. Serendipity

Serendipity is 'an unplanned fortunate discovery';  I experienced a small moment of serendipity the other day.  Walking near home, I chanced upon a few books which had been left out on a front garden wall, for anyone to take. Amongst them, this:   

 


Airfix magazine guide no.7 ,  Warship Modelling by Peter Hodges, published by Patrick Stephens Limited, 1975.   Well, I could hardly leave that unclaimed, could I?  Especially given that the weather forecast was for thundery showers, which duly arrived later in the day and might  have meant a soggy doom for this nice little volume.

So I picked it up and took it home. It's  a little 'spotty' and yellowed on the first few pages, but otherwise in pretty decent condition and thankfully looks to be mostly acid-free paper. The back-cover 'blurb' sums it up : 

"Now anyone can build accurate models of famous warships! This invaluable book provides detailed, easy-to-follow instructions on assembling, converting, painting and displaying models from the Airfix 1:600 scale range. It includes practical conversion examples as well as guidelines on such diverse subjects as flags and when they should be flown, altering full hull to waterline models, and creating 'sea' dioramas."

It packs a surprising amount of detail into 64 pages!  I'm afraid this is not my subject area, though, so I hoped I could find it a good home.  Quite surprisingly, that only took one email, and it will soon be making its way to a new and appreciative owner. 

Just before it goes, though, I thought I would take a picture of it, temporarily united with my own collection of these splendid little books, all acquired 'back in the day' when they were originally published.   And of course, I had a browse through them, for old times' sake..

 


I am pretty sure I will have acquired Bruce Quarrie's 'Napoleonic Wargaming' first - it was the earliest in the series ( 1974, price £1.20 )  and I suspect it was ideal for junior wargamers looking for something 'grown-up' and sophisticated. Maybe it also  found a gap in the market, as I think earlier introductory wargaming books by Don Featherstone and Terry Wise tended to use the ACW as their 'Horse and Musket' period - perhaps due to the earlier availability of Airfix ACW figures? 

Bruce's Napoleonic game, and one of many rules charts

Looking at it now, there is a lot of information in it, for example about the varying  organisation of units in the main armies of the time - he suggests different battalion strengths and structures  for different nations to reflect that. I rather like the use of 1:33 'men to figure' scale  ( each figure representing 3 ranks of 11 men? ),  3 figures for 100 men seemed quite easy to grasp, and battalions were a bit smaller than the monster 'Grant-size' units of 48-plus figures in 'The War Game', for example - and thus affordable!  But the rules were pretty complicated - loads of charts and tables ( different movement rates for Old Guard, Young Guard, Fusilier, Grenadier, Chasseur - blimey!), detailed 'national characteristics' which seemed to advantage the French (Pas de merde, Monsieur Sherlock!), and recording individual casualties and removing a figure once 33 'men'  were hit.  Too much book-keeping! But of course, complication meant 'realism'...  Still quite fondly remembered, though. 

Phil Barker's 'Ancient Wargaming' (1975)  I liked, though I didn't actually get as far as doing much Ancient Wargaming.  No rules here, as of course you were meant to buy the WRG Ancients rules which pretty much  held a monopoly at the time. That allowed Phil to use the book as more of a primer on the subject, and he certainly knew his stuff - quoting from Ancient military manuals from page one!   It's a great introduction, it has a nice chapter on how WRG got started, and really useful wargaming advice and tips -  how not to deploy your army on a given battlefield, for instance, and how to deploy effectively on the same ground. There's a pictorial battle report where the much-vaunted Macedonian Successors get thoroughly trounced by a bunch of hairy Celts - a great lesson. That sort of stuff should be relevant regardless of rules, and Phil certainly knew what he was talking about. I've spent an enjoyable hour on a sunny afternoon this week leafing through this one, I think it may be the best of the bunch. 

Macedonians getting drubbed by Celts - and tactical advice

Bruce Quarrie's 'WW2 Wargaming' (1976) - well, again it seemed a step forward in 'accuracy' from Charles Grant's 'Battle: Practical Wargaming' and again, it had masses  of information, this time on a huge range of armoured vehicles, so that kit of a Jadgtiger that you'd bought and hurriedly built could be fielded, alongside all the Airfix Tigers you had  ( and hardly any Panzer III or IVs, I suspect! ). The Tiger I movement rate is 168mm per turn, that's very Bruce Quarrie  ('you  moved it 170mm - you cheat!')   Tank guns could fire more than once per turn - the 88mm could fire 4 times, ouch!  I think that made for pretty bloody battles; and I suspect the Germans usually won - 'national characteristcs' again.  Overall, I don't think I got on too well with these  ( and in contrast, I think Charles Grant's elegantly simple rules probably stand up pretty well today ). 

Bruce Quarrie WW2 move rates - to the mm !

Terry Wise 'ACW Wargaming' (1977) - I had loved his 'Introduction to Battlegaming' ( another book I still have ) which had featured simple ACW rules and a great game report - this was another case of a step up in detail and seriousness, though encouragingly Terry was still happy to use the Airfix ACW figures ( and I suppose Airfix didn't mind that!).  Again lots of useful information on the armies, tactics and campaigns, and a full set of rules, which introduced the concept of the differing firearms carried by various units in  the opposing armies at different times, quite an important 'period' feature.  But I admit some features of those rules put me off - for example he dispensed with dice-rolls for firing.  Maybe the number of casualties could be just calculated based on averages, and that seemed more 'scientific' and accurate,  but it just seemed a lot less fun with no dice to roll! And how to allow for the randomness of damp powder, smoke in the eyes, stressed officers, panicky troops etc?  I had a few boxes of the Airfix figures, still have a few ( on beer-mat bases, very 1970s! ), but it never quite  took off with me. 

Terry Wise 'no dice' firing tables - quite bloody, too

George Gush's 'The English Civil War' (1978) was my favourite  back then, I think - partly just becuase I liked the period so much, having been introduced to it by Stuart Asquith's series of articles in 'Battle' and 'Military Modelling', and George's brilliant 'Renaissance Armies'. Like the Ancients book, there was no rule set included -because again, you were pointed to the WRG set for the period, which had also been written ( of course ) by George.  It's a straightforward introduction with chapters on  The Course of the War, Weapons and Equipment, Organisation and Tactics etc, and of course George really was the expert in the period.  Actual wargaming gets just one chapter, but I loved the account of a  game, an exciting convoy ambush  between 'Puddleby' and 'Little Pottering'  which I still mean to actually play someday.  I  just need to get some wagons.. ( says he, 40 years later ).

Puddleby and Little Pottering immortalised

So there we are - serendipity indeed!  A chance find has led to several happy ( or wasted - should be painting !)  hours browsing through these nice little books and invoking fond memories. I'm sure some of them still have quite a lot to offer, even if the rules systems they propose are no longer in favour.  I am quite tempted to get the George Gush  ECW rules out and try that convoy ambush sometime!   Overall, I think Phil Barker's 'Ancient Wargaming' is the pick of the bunch, for his depth of learning and his fund of good  advice, which has not aged - I bet current gamers  getting into 'Strength and Honour' or 'Mortem et Gloriam'  could learn just as much from it. 

Right, I must get  'Warship Modelling' packed up and posted to its new owner, who I'm sure will thoroughly enjoy it.  After that, I should be doing some painting.. Prussian 9th Infantry 'Jung Kleist' are tantalisingly close to completion at last!   Keep well, and safe, everyone.

24 comments:

  1. A lucky find and more nostalgia!
    I remember finding these Airfix guides in WH Smith being remaindered and sold off for IIRC £1 or £1.50. As a callow youth I purchased several; if memory serves some of the wargaming titles but probably rather more of the modelling ones. I seem to remember "Modelling Armoured Cars" as one of the acquired titles. I also seem to remember being disappointed in the wargaming titles that didn't have rules and not that impressed with those that did! Bruce Quarrie's WW2 seemed overly complex. The exception was Terry Wise's ACW book which I toyed with and got as far as painting one unit, making a cannister cone from a coat hanger and gluing cotton wool to thin card!
    I was more a fan of "Operation Warboard" by Gavin Lyall.
    I probably still have some scattered about. Two that I do have are the Afrika Korps and Eighth Army titles which were referred to frequently as I have always wanted to game the war in the desert. I was disappointed that the John Sanders title only had cursory details of how to build his incredible balsa wood and card models and his rules, especially since having seen more pictures of them. The rules were perhaps fortunately not made available; having seen the details and complexity I'm sure they would have put me off! By contrast, The Afrika Korps title by Gerald Scarborough (?) DID have plans but were concerned with scratchbuilding various vehicles, such as a Panzerjager I using Airfix Bren carrier wheels and just to demonstrate how old they were, Panzer II and Panzer III, the latter using wheels from the Airfix Stug! At the time I had this book, both were of course available from Matchbox, probably only recently released. Some models were even more impressive; the Lancia, Fiat SPA and Dorchester all being crafted almost entirely out of plastic card. All were way beyond my meagre talents at that time (I didn't even know where you bought plastic card!).
    Of course this reminds me I really should get the desert stuff done; I even have a choice of scales.....
    Oddly I have been modelling today and while my skills are far more advanced than the youthful me, I still wouldn't fancy building that Fiat SPA from scratch! Nowadays, you can of course buy models of just about anything or obtain them as 3D prints . Who would have thought then you could print your own models?
    Thank you for the trip down memory lane David!
    Neil

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    1. Thanks Neil, I'm glad to have sparked a nice piece of nostalgia for you. Like you, the modelling books were way beyond my abilities, and plastic card was likewise unknown! The warships one looks like it gets into some fairly complex stuff, too. Interesting you should mention the Afrika Korps/8th Army, it reminds me of the later 'Tank Battles in Miniature' series from the same publisher. I fairly recently acquired Donald Featherstone's volume on the Western Desert from that series, and was quite impressed, becuase he wrote quite a lot of it about his own personal experiences.
      I suspect I won't be getting a 3D printer any time soon, but I'm sure they will revolutionise the models market. How long before they are printed out already 'painted'?

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    2. Funnily I thought of the Tank Battles series as well when writting my comment. The only one I owned was / is the Arab-Israeli title. I have since looked at the DAK Airfix guide; it's actually by Bruse Quarrie and there's no Panzer 3 plans. The Stug wheels are for the Panzer2- shows memory plays tricks sometimes!
      Neil

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  2. With all this streaming and e-commerce, I think people are missing out on the joy of serendipity.
    I had similar experience and reactions to those Airfix guides. I bought the Ancients, ACW and ECW books a few years ago for nostalgic reasons, and I remember borrowing the Naps one from the library. Several times! You mentioning that game report in the ECW book has given me a good idea (have some wagons….).
    Chris/Nundanket

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    1. Thanks Chris, yes I am all for serendipity - I haunt the book sections of local charity shops, for example. I look forward to your convoy ambush game - wagons roll!

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    2. I've got the small matter of Rossbach first!

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  3. Enjoyed seeing these old favourites. Thanks for sharing them.
    Alan Tradgardland

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  4. Hello there old chap,

    I owned the Napoleonic and WW2 titles and had many great games with both although the former set were not without their challenges! I used 20mm Airfix Napoleonics for my allied army for 1815 and had gaming friend on the isle of Sheppey that raised the French. He also worked in Sittingbourne the same time as I did and I often remember us going to either model shop during our lunch hours!

    Many thanks re the warship book - very much appreciated!

    All the best,

    DC

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    1. Thanks David, me and my friends may have been in the same shops buying Airfix Napoleonics too..The book is on its way!

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  5. Lovely to read your comments about those great books David. Charity shops can also throw up serendipitous moments. But I will pay more attention to those books on garden walls from now on.

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    1. thanks RIchard, I do rather haunt certain charity shops too - the garden wall was a complete surprise! The recent trend for 'leave a book, take a book' book boxes has been interesting too..

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  6. Nice find, I also bought them in the remainder section of a Great Yarmouth WH Smith one summer ACW, ECW, modeling armoured cars, ww2 british tanks RAF trucks I think? I got the ECW one for the modeling as I was into the 54mm figures but was then taken by the grainy black and white photos of the wargaming section and the army lists which led me to getting the Gush rules but alas not gaming the period for over 40 years! Lovely hit of nostalgia, I too might dig out that scenario as I have got some wagons...!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks Iain, was that what your 'holiday money' went on that year? ( that's how I got 'The War Game' by Charles Grant ). Quite a good haul! Interesting that you were tempted into wargaming by George Gush, having started with 54mm modelling. Maybe we can start a wargaming 'meme' with that ECW scenario - let's see those wagons roll..

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  7. I agree that is a great fine and you certainly rescued it from a drowning death. 😀
    I must be a tad younger than you as I’ve never seen an airfix miniature didn’t know they had books. But I know a piece of wargaming memorabilia when I see one.

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    1. Thanks Stew, these were pulished 1974-1978, I was early teens then and the were great value at 'pocket money' prices! It occurs to me that maybe they were only published in UK, so you guys may not have got to see them.

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  8. I have a feeling the early books were so engrossing because they were the first we looked at. So full of information, pictures and rules. Today, we, who read the early books, are not reading anything new so they aren't as interesting IMHO

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    1. thanks Khusru, I think I agree the books you read early on are the ones that stay with you - and I suppose those of us around back then were quite lucky that so many 'classics' were published at that time. And maybe a bit of 'nothing new under the sun' applies when you are older.. Having said that, the pictures are at least better now!

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  9. Wonderful find and marvellous post.
    I am fond to say that serendipity is my friend. He/she certainly was to you. Quarrie's Napoleonic Wargaming was to me what Wise's intro. and/or Gush's book were to you. It set off dreaming about doing history in miniature, and was the first set of rules that Dad and I used (soon needing to reduce the effect of the artillery!). The rules are confined to wargaming history (though there are a few aspects that I still like), but it is still a treasured book for the joy that it brought (and now nostalgic joy of leafing through it).
    Thanks for the overviews and pictures from those Airfix guides in particular, many of which I have not seen previously.
    Regards, James

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    1. Thanks James, I'm glad it brought back fond memories. Were you introduced to the hobby by your Dad? Mine was disappointed, I think, that I didn't take to model railways, which he would have liked to do!

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  10. Bit of a nostalgia walk for me! I still have my copies of Terry Wise's ACW and Bruce Quarrie's WW2 Airfix books. I don't think I ever used Mr Wise's rules in a game, but I did make use of some of his ideas for my own rule sets. The 'persentage' casualty system guided my own combat system - with dice!

    The Quarries WW2 rule set was very popular in Wellington 40-50 years ago. I played them often myself. But for mine, the tank/ anti-tank system had the drawback of leading to a war games arms race. 'thowt you had IS3s and King Tigers and Hunting Tigers, you hadn't a prayer. I little bit of a tweak there might have made a difference. Otherwise, the Quarrie rule set was quite playable.

    long ago I had copies of John Sandars's 8th Army (and the Quarrie(?) Afrika Korps companion volume), and found the few modelling suggestions led to my own scratch-building efforts (e.g. my construction of several Soviet field guns). I have to say that the Sandars scratchbuilds were full of character - something I hoped would feature with my own efforts.

    Cheers,
    Ion

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    1. Thanks Ion, I do seem to have mined a seam of nostalgia here. I remember similar 'arms races' as a young gamer - the problem was perhaps that an Airfix Tiger I or JS3 cost the same in pocket money as a Panzer IV or Sherman...

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