The Balkans Wars

[Heresson]

Good luck

[McMonkey]

Thank you I'll need it!

As I have several spare spaces I have decided to fill them with Division and Corps HQs to help the players keep track of organizations and to add a text event when enemy ones are destroyed. They will also help me plan the troop dispositions!

These are my units so far. I still have a few more to slot in (GoD's!) and the ones on the bottom line are possibilities. If anyone fancied having a go at modifying the artillery crews I would appreciate it. I think dark blue uniforms would look about right for all of the pieces. The ones with white uniforms in particular really don't work for this scenario!

[McMonkey]

I tried some mods myself and they didn't turn out too bad (I hope!). This is close to being the final version but I can always shoehorn in a few more efforts

P.S. If anyone knows the sigs for the ones that are missing then let me know!

[Varwnos]

Remember to use the Averov

[McMonkey]

The what now?

[Boco]

Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906-1921, p382
Georgios Averof Buys a Cruiser

Growing tensions between the Balkan states caused a naval race and finally a series of wars. Shortly before the outbreak of hostilities in 1912 the Greek Fleet acquired a number of ships of various origins. Using a gift from the millionaire Gerogios Averof, an armoured cruiser, built as speculation by Orlando, was bought Four former Argentine and two former German destoyers were acquired. In addition 2 submarines, 6 torpedo-boats were ordered and 9 merchantmen were converted into auxiliary cruisers. Morever the 3 old Hydra class coast defence ships had been rearmed with modern guns.

It continues with a 4 paragraph section on the Balkan wars, and descriptions of these ships including the Averof.

[McMonkey]

I do remember hearing the name of the ship now but I knew nothing of its history. Should add a bit more colour to the game! TY both

[Varwnos]

Here is a pic of it:

[IMG]http://www.mlahanas.de/Greece/Milita...uzerAverof.jpg [/IMG]

[McMonkey]

Nice. More modern looking than I was expecting. I was not sure what graphics to use for the ships but this kind of matches the dreadnought I had picked. I am not much of a navy buff so I need to do some reading about this aspect of the scenario. Thanks.

[Boco]

The Averof had an armament of 9.2" (2x2) and 7.5" (4x2).

Unless you have a host of free slots, you may need to be a little abstract in your treatment. As Case would say, these navies were composed of a dog's breakfast of ship classes, ranging from patrol craft all the way up to dreadnoughts (if you include what-ifs).

The naval campaigns focused on the following objectives:

• Capture of Turkish ports in Epirus
• Greek capture of islands in the Aegean (Lemnos, Tenedos, Thasos, Imbros, Strati, and Samothrace, Mitylene, Chios, and Samos)
• Greek transport of Bulgarian troops from Salonika to Alexandroupolis (in Thrace)
• Greek blockade of the Dardanelles

This listing pretty much indicates that the Greeks controlled the seas west of the Dardanelles. The Italians certainly helped their cause by decimating all of the Turkish fleet in the Mediterranean and Red Seas during the 1911-2 war for Tripoli and Cyrenaica.

[McMonkey]

I agree. The navy will not play a major role unless you are playing the Greek version where you will need to capture the Aegean islands.

The Serbs and Bulgars were both hoping to gain ports. The Bulgars wanted Kavalla and Salonika. The Serbs wanted Salonkia as well as Durazzo and Valona in Albania.

Does anyone know if any aircraft were used? I have not read anything but I do know the Italians used them against the Turks in Libya.

[Varwnos]

Thessalonike has more names, btw

Salonique (french), Salonica (generic english), Thessalonike (greek), Solun (slav), Selanik (turkish).

Possibly Salonica/Thessalonica would be the best choice.

Another option for city naming would be choosing the names in the language of the country who historically ended up controlling them in modern times.

[McMonkey]

There does not seem to be an easy solution to this little problem. I think I will use the generic English name where I can. If this is not clear I will use Wikipedia to find the name of the city in the language of the nation controling it at the start of the game. The player can always rename them if they so wish.

IE. Uskub (Turkish) to begin with. If the Serbs capture it it can be renamed Skopje etc...

I will provide a list with all the variations

I have placed most of the Ottoman armies and defences now. Once I have placed the rest of the armies I will be able to start testing and working out the events.

[Patine]

Does anyone know if any aircraft were used? I have not read anything but I do know the Italians used them against the Turks in Libya.

Yes. A Bulgarian aerial bombardment of a Turkish position at the start of the First Balkan War was in fact history's second aerial bombardment (the first being by Italy in the Italo-Turkish War). I believe a few others were done or at least attempted by Bulgaria and, later, Greece. These were, however, very primitive aircraft, and such a thing is likely better worked as a missile unit, given such a plane had effectively one shot before needing extensive refueling and repairs.

[McMonkey]

In that case I will give one plane to Bulgaria and make them available to build for all the rest. If I make them quite expensive it should represent their rarity. I will probably make them scout units so the player can check beyond the front for enemy dispositions and make plans accordingly!