The fifth episode of the Canadian Wargamer Podcast is out and can be downloaded here or, if Apple is your source for podcasts, here. Here are the podcast notes.
Canadian Wargame Podcast Episode 5 With Guest Rene Charbonneau of the Trumpeter Tabletop Gaming Society
In our fifth episode, we talk to Rene Charbonneau, president of what may be Canada's oldest wargaming club in Vancouver, BC, the Trumpeter Tabletop Gaming Society. We talk about what makes a club a success: planning, a code of conduct, outreach to the community and hospitality to young people. Trumpeter's big convention, Salute, sounds like a fine excuse for a trip to gorgeous Vancouver in the spring.
In our second segment, the Canadian Content Corner, we talk about the Dieppe Raid, what we think it was about, and what it was actually about. Mike reports on what he learned watching WW2TV on YouTube and listening to Canadian historian David O'Keefe.
Next, Mike and James ask the question, what makes for a good set of wargames rules and that leads to a good old natter.
Finally we take about what's on the paint bench, and James talks about how his Bavarian sharpshooters, Scharf's Schutzen, are a thinly veiled homage to a well-known series of books and films about some fellows in green.
Links to this Episode:
1) Our bit with Rene Charbonneau:
Trumpeter Tabletop Gaming Society: https://trumpetergaming.weebly.com
Rene's Book Choices:
Vic Hartley, Arrows Against Steel: The History of the Bow and How it Forever Changed Warfare. https://www.amazon.ca/Arrows-Against-Steel-History-Forever/dp/098347561X
Niall Ferguson, The War of the World: Twentieth Century Conflict and the Descent of the West. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B008UCJ6T6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
2) Canadian Content Corner
Historian David O'Keefe's interviews with Paul Wooladge on WW2 TV:
Part One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw-h7WLd0Bw
Part Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjkSis17Ljc
Part Three: August 19 Dieppe Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBL4kVIdIls
David O'Keefe, One Day in August: Ian Fleming, Enigma, and the Deadly Raid On Dieppe. https://www.amazon.ca/One-Day-August-Fleming-Enigma/dp/178578630X
Dai's Wargames Blog and Dieppe Project:
https://lostdamnedstunted.blogspot.com/2021/08/1942-ww2-canadian-regulars-dieppe.html
https://lostdamnedstunted.blogspot.com/2021/06/dieppe-commandos-16-of-16-done.html
https://lostdamnedstunted.blogspot.com/2021/05/dieppe-chaplain-j-w-foote.html
3) What Makes A Good Set of Wargamer Rules?
Ken Reilly's Yorkshire Gamer chat with Stephen Wold: https://kenrtai.podbean.com/e/episode-11-stephen-wold-oldwargamer/
Anything But a One! Adventures in Historical Wargaming Podcast.Episode 30, Old School vs New School Games.
Zac's blog post on Dragon Rampant:
James' blog post on Scharf's Schutzen: http://rabbitsinmybasement.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-bridge.html
Final Music: Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Regimental March
Contact Us:
Mike: madpadre@gmail.com
@MarshalLuigi
www.madpadrewargames.blogspot.com
James:
@JamesManto4
www.rabbitsinmybasement.blogspot.com
O wow.... thank you everso for the shoutouts on this episode! Colour me greatly humbled.
ReplyDeleteWas completely unaware of the ENIGMA goals of the Dieppe Raid!
Many people don't realise also the toll taken by the RAF during the raid. Supporting squadrons of fighters were sent to bomb German emplacements but due to poor intel were not outfitted with appropriately heavy enough bombs to damage the bunkers. The Luftewaffe also was still in it's ascendancy and so a large amount of fighters were shot down by German planes. I think also it was the first time P-51 Mustangs flew over Europe? (Albeit as RAF fighters, not US)
Dieppe was also the first action where US lives were lost on European soil in WW2. The Rangers had been training with eh British Commandos up until the Raid and were dispersed amongst the British and Canadian forces as "observers", but I believe almost all of them were involved in firefights that day with only 15 making it ashore and 4 or 5 managing to get back to the landing craft during the withdrawal. They apparently accounted for themselves very well.
I've enjoyed putting effort into researching Dieppe as much as time and resources allow and fully intend to delve further as I'm far from done. I even have a couple of reference books in french that I own on the Raid, though my less-than-rudimentary highschool French barely does my efforts credit there. (Fantastic visual references though.)
For gaming Dieppe, I too have seen some interesting looking 15mm efforts depicting the beach landings. Though I agree that really, the Commando actions would be more appropriate (And mostly more fun too I'd wager) to try to depict on a wargames table using Chain of Command or even Bolt Action? I could also imagine the air combats might prove interesting from a gaming perspective?
Overall, enjoyed the episode very much. I'm about to research to see if there are any clubs about my area that resemble the type of options Rene's gaming club offer. I've since moved out of the City into a very rural area and now I find I AM the "gaming community"! :)
Cheers again mate - Dai
(And yes, you pronounced my name correctly.)