What figures would you suggest as proxies for Balkan Wars Ottomans, Greeks, Bulgarians, Serbs and Montenegrins?

This is my pretext for mentioning a new book for which people will want all these armies: "Bloody Big Balkan Battles!", which is newly published.

This is a wargame campaign scenario book designed for use with the “Bloody Big BATTLES!” rules (BBB), but also a work of very serious research on a neglected topic, the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. Its lead author is Dr Konstantinos Travlos. (I am his co-author, but my contribution was limited to some help with scenario design and playtesting, a bit of language editing, and creating the scenario maps.) Konstantinos’s full description of the book is below.

The work is published by Brigade Games. It is available in pdf now, with print copies due to be available by end of January 2019. Both pdf and print editions will include full colour throughout. Ordering details are below.

Konstantinos’s outstanding work fills an important gap and should be appreciated by any wargamers interested in the Balkan Wars.

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!

https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/BBB_wargames/info

http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/

===

For almost 600 years, from the fabled shores of the Bosphorus, the Ottoman Sultans ruled over a vast land in Europe, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Danube.  Sometimes enlightened, sometimes cruel, the rule of the Caliphs of Islam had steadily receded before the fury of national ideals and the rising might of European imperialism promoted by bayonet and capital. And yet it still survived, still stubbornly clinging to Balkan territories rich in history, industry and population. The “Sick Man of Europe” seemed to spite Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro; the states created by bloody struggle by those who once were termed the gavur rayahs of the Sultan. They saw with worry the growing appetite of aggressive great powers, all making claims to what they saw as their just inheritance. And then by coup and counter-coup, the fall of a Red Sultan, and the rise of a Committee, the rapaciousness of a young Great Power, and the entente of two old foes, the Balkan states saw danger and opportunity and struck. In the span of just a month of the greatest battles seen in Europe since 1871, the dream of Osman was shattered.

This scenario supplement for Bloody Big Battles! permits you to re-fight those great battles that saw the end of the Ottoman Empire in Europe and the formation of the basic modern borders in the Balkans. Nine scenarios cover some of the most important battles of the First Balkan War, covering the campaigns of Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria against the Ottoman Empire which would drive the Empire to the very gates of Istanbul/Constantinople/Tsarigrad.  Five scenarios then cover the Second Balkan War, the conflict between the successful allies which pitted Serbia, Montenegro and Greece against Bulgaria over the legacy of the Ottoman Empire.

Each scenario provides a distinct operational and tactical puzzle for war-gamers to resolve. From straightforward assaults against fortified positions like the First Battle of Chataldja, to complex double envelopments like the Battle of Lule Burgas, from the extensive broad fronts of the Battle of Bregalnitza, to the knife fight at close quarters of the Battle of Bizani. There are small scenarios easily played in one or two hours, like the Battle of Dioran (the actual First battle of Dioran), and more substantive scenarios like the Battle of Kumanovo, still playable in an evening.  There are battles fought on rolling hills and plains, like the Battle of Kirkkilise, and battles fought in some of the worst ground where people have ever thought of fighting each other in an organized manner, like the Battle of Kalimanchi.

You will see how these wars were similar to The Great War and how they differed from it. You will understand the crucial role of terrain as a military variable and grapple with key decisions of force to task allocation in an unforgiving strategic, operational and tactical environment. You will see the last glory days of the bayonet charge, and the opening bloody howl of modern artillery.  There is challenge to satisfy all types of war-gamers.

An included overview of the historical events and biographies of many of the commanders whose roles you reprise on the table-top will provide you with the background to give you an inkling of the vast stakes and human drama associated with these battles. An annotated bibliography provides you both with the sources used to build the scenarios and further reading to enrich your understanding and experience. A figure guide helps you find suitable ways to represent the armies in almost all scales of miniature war-gaming.

A struggle for a vast future awaits! Take command and see how history was forged!

You can purchase the “Bloody Big Balkan Battles” Supplement at

http://brigadegames.3dcartstores.com/Bloody_Big_Battles

or

https://mailchi.mp/brigadegames/bloodybigbattles

Additional Online Resources to enhance your experience

The relative position of scenario maps plotted on the theater operations maps

https://phdleadhead.blogspot.com/2017/02/battles-to-operations-bbb-balkan-wars.html

Photos and reports from the playtest phase, useful to give you an idea on how to represent the terrain of the scenarios

By Konstantinos Travlos and Chris Pringle

Bregalnitza

https://phdleadhead.blogspot.com/2018/03/big-bloody-balkan-battles-play-testing.html

https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-game-of-200000-men-on-80km-front.html

Kresna Gorge

https://phdleadhead.blogspot.com/2017/12/bloody-big-balkan-battles-playtests.html

Chataldja

https://phdleadhead.blogspot.com/2017/11/play-testing-bloody-big-balkan.html

Monastir/Bitola

https://phdleadhead.blogspot.com/2017/07/play-testing-continued-bbbb.html

Bizani/Yanya

https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-ouzo-and-crescent-bizani-1913.html

Yannitsa/Yenice

https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2017/08/yiannitsa-1912-greco-turkish-balkan-war.html

Sarantaporo/Kirkgechit-Lazarat

https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2017/06/playtests-sarantaporo-1912-balkan-wars.html

Kirkkilise

https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2016/06/wwi-weaponry-c19-tactics-kirkkilise.html

Other Battles (Dioran, Kilkis-Lahana, Prelep, Kumanovo)

https://phdleadhead.blogspot.com/2017/07/bloody-big-balkan-battles-playtests.html

Battle Report, including Video Report, of a session of the Battle of Kirkkilise Scenario and the start of Scenario Campaign titles “Liberation and Catastrophe”

https://phdleadhead.blogspot.com/2018/10/liberation-destruction-bbb-campaign.html

Two field trips to the sites of some of the Eastern Thrace battlefields of the First Balkan War. It will give you an idea of the ground we tried to model in the scenarios.

https://phdleadhead.blogspot.com/2018/06/expedition-to-first-balkan-war-battled.html

https://phdleadhead.blogspot.com/2016/04/battlefield-visit-chataldja-turkey.html

The Ottoman Army of Konstantinos Travlos in 10mm

https://phdleadhead.blogspot.com/2017/06/ottoman-army-1860s-1913.html

WWI Brits and Russians for the Bulgarians. Possibly the new WWI Austrians for the Roumanians. ACW Union troops in kepi for Greeks. WWI Turks and Sudan Egyptians for Turks.

A fascinating initiative for a little known period, prepared for an eminently useable set of rules.

Didn't Peter say a while back that WWI Serbs will be covered???

Which Sudan Egyptians would you suggest for the Turks. CEG2 in white uniform or CEG4 in campaign uniform?

CEG2 in white uniforms. Paint them blue with a red fez to give the early uniform still being worn in 1912, and throughout the war by some troops. Some troops had already been supplied with the new uniform worn in WWI. It is my understanding, but I'm ready to stand corrected, that by and large the Turkish cavalry had also been issued with the new khaki uniform.

Thanks for the advice on which code would be best suited. Yes. The cavalry did wear the khaki uniform and the helmet that would be standard in WWI.

Re-opening the discussion! Any idea for Greek Evzones, Cavalry, Guns and MGs?

At 72 and with much on my plate in terms of projects to complete and games to play this is a period I am now unlikely to embark on. Nevertheless I had a quick look through the catalogue, starting with the premise that the figure must have a firearm to reflect 1912. The figure that seemed to have the best potential for conversion to an Evzone may well be SAU 05 Grenzer from the Seven Years War range. The headgear would need reshaping, but he does wear tight trousers and a short jacket. Skirt can be added with Greenstuff. Cavalry could be converted from either ACW Union cavalry, FPW French hussars or WWI French Chasseurs. Artillery no idea as not illustrated in the Knotel book. I would imagine a gun with a shield and a kepi wearing crew, so WWI French crew may be appropriate but I doubt Greece had the much vaunted 75s. Maybe something by Krupp.

Thanks dourpuritan!

Upon further studying of the pictures of Peter's little men, couldn't GWB31 and GWB32  Highland infantry - Glengarry work well as Evzones? Both sets are manly men in skirts who could give you a good hiding!