Welcome / Bienvenu

This blog drags together, into one swirling maelstrom of crackling energy, my various wargames interests. There are links on the top right to my other blogs, each more calmly dedicated to one particular gaming universe.

I post on Fridays. The idea is that when I post a painted figure, it stays up for two weeks; a battle report, a terrain project, or a few lines on whatever happens to be the whim of the moment, is up for a week.

The pages at the top of the blog contain historical information on the periods that interest me. They are primarily an aid to my poor memory, and not meant to be in any way exhaustive, nor necessarily correct.

I hope this blog offers you much enjoyment and some inspiration !

mercredi 22 août 2012

Arab Revolt (1916-1918)

The Arab Revolt began militarily in June 1916. Initially disunited, it became more coordinated - both internally and with regards to British Middle East strategy - thanks to the inspired efforts of Lawrence of Arabia. 

Early armies operating in Saudi Arabia and along the Red Sea coast were made up of tribal infantry and camelry. The army that took the town of Wejh, for example, counted 5100 camel riders, 5300 infantry, 10 machine guns and 4 Krupp mountain guns.  Limited support was provided by the Royal Navy, including a landing force at Wejh of 200 Bluejackets.  After the capture of Aqaba in July 1917, the Arab forces had access to more heavy material, supplied by their Western allies.  This included machine guns, small quantities of artillery, some armoured cars and even limited air support from the Royal Air Force. Specialised Indian and Egyptian troops manned and maintained this equipment. A small contingent of French were also present, although relations between the French and the Arabs were particularly tense.

In 1918, units from the mostly-Australian Imperial Camel Brigade fought alongside Arab leaders in the desert. During the advance into Syria, increasing numbers of tribal cavalry became available as victory loomed, as did deserters from Ottoman Arab batallions.

My army represents these gradual changes. Four infantry batallions (2 Saudi Arabian, 1 Palestinian and 1 Jordanian) and an MG along with 4 stands of camelry are the heart of the army. To these can be added light guns, armoured cars (borrowed from my Russians), air support, and some stands of Arab cavalry.






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