The siege of Jadotville (Maverick Books, 2005) by Declan Powers

[Sunray]

A good read and  thumping good movie.

The actors all do a bit of military training and it shows. And in the movie, Rommel gets a credit for a von Molke quote.

Also can't figure out why the sniper swaps his scoped Mk 4 T .303 for a .303 Bren - and then opts for a single shot with aperture sight as opposed to a 3 round burst?   :-

Lots and lots of guns in the movie.  In 1998 I was guest of the Irish Army at Finner- their Reserves were still deploying with 9mm CG, 7.62 FN and....the .303 Bren gun!

Jadotville is a decent sized settlement in the real life/book, whilst in the movie, it is reduced to a budget wargame cross roads with a petrol pump.

Love the Irish Army version of a salute.  Its the same in the Royal Irish - we called it the Belfast BAW (brow & arse wipe).

The film version could make the basis for a decent bush war game. 

[Aksu]

Haven't read the book - must pick it up. A great war movie, not entirely realistic but then again, it is a movie And great rarely seen gear - real or CGI.  One of my club mates was on the receiving end of a Fouga Magister strafing run in the Finnish Army in the 80s during a wargame. He said there was no way of hearing it coming... Beautiful plane, although seemed to be quite crash prone.
Cheers,
Aksu

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Not surprised you cant hear a magister coming, and FGA MK 9 Hunter cant be heard till it passes over, THEN you CAN Hear it. (OK I was in a Bedford 4tonner at the time)

IanS

[Steve J]

Never heard of this but the trailer looked good. Might get it as a 'surprise' birthday present.

[Subedai]

I've seen it, I'm sure it was on Netflix not too long ago. Good fillum.

MickS

[Sunray]

Yes,  I began to draft a BKC based set of Bush War rules on the train tonight.   I think Mercenaries are in general well over rated.  I was playing with rules like a "pay check/morale rating" based on Hoare's 5 Commando who on occasions refused to fight if the cash was not paid.

You get exceptions like Taffie Williams and Peter McAleese who loved  a scrap and were the ultimate professional soldiers.

Certainly the attacks on the Irish at Jadotville (and the causalities incurred) show little appreciation of 20th century field craft  by the Mercs involved.  A lot of their tactics in the Congo seemed to revolve around driving into potential killing grounds in well armed jeeps with guns blazing.   It will work against undisciplined tribesmen-  but not against dug in fire power and coherent FCO's (Fire Control Orders).

Loved the obsolete Irish Swedish built armoured cars.  I have some WW2 Polish that come close, and redundant Minifigs Americans (replaced by the New Pendraken Korean range) that would look well in  a blue helmet.   

And my "secret agent" budget conversion Harry Palmer may get a new white suit.    A few spies/secret agents would do well as Pendraken marches into the post war world.   

[Steve J]

I've got a 'suprise' book coming for my birthday on the Katanga conflict. I had never heard of it before but looks interesting from a gaming perspective.