 |
Osprey Men at Arms 414
The Russo Japanese War 1904-5
By A Vanov and P Jowett: Illustrated by Andrei Karachtchouk
|
The Russo-Japanese War is one of those conflicts that I have always been intrigued by, but largely because of a lack of accessible resources have done little to pursue the interest. Of course I new that the climactic battle of the War was a naval action, and that it was marked by Russian incompetence and Japanese professionalism. And the rest of the war was marked by the Siege of Port Arthur, but that was about it.
The author clearly explains the historical background to the war, and details the difficulties faced by the Russians in attempting to fight a war at the end of a supply line thousands of miles long. The Russian forces in Siberia were largely second rate troops, with the best units retained in the West, but even so they fought hard in the most extreme of weather conditions.
Equally the Japanese troops were well equiped, tough, and dedicated fighters. They were battle hardened after seeing action in China and the Korean peninsular, and their officers were well trained and used to using their initiative, and used novel ideas to gain tactical and strategic advantage. Details are provided of the Chunchu units that operated behind Russian lines, and although nominally recruited from amongst the Chinese population were often Japanese regulars in disguise.
One of the greatest benefits of the end of the Soviet regime in Russia is that it has opened access to a host or archival material on the Tsarist Russian armies and their campaigns. The authors makes use of this fresh material to produce an excellent volume that is full of interest and fascinating detail, not just for the wargamer but also for the general reader. For example the Russians insisted on clothing their officers in white greatcoats, instead of the brown of the rank and file. This was so they could be easily seen and prove an inspiration to their men. Of course the well trained and equipped Japanese riflemen could also spot these guys more easily. Hence the high proportion of officer casualties.
As well as the excellent selection of contemporary photographs included in the work, most of which are new to me, the centre pages also feature a selection of superb colour plates by Russian artist Andrei Karachtouk. I really enjoyed reading this latest volume in the osprey library, and would recommend it highly to anyone interested in the period. Now, would Port Arthur be best fought in 6mm or 15mm?
Format Softback, 48 Pages: Price £8.99
Please remember to mention Wargames Forum when contacting traders!
Return
to Book Reviews
Return
to What's New?
Return to Home Page
