What I Should Be Working On?…Partly as a Result of Exchanging e-mails with George in Australia.

by Rob Morgan

I was of course in total agreement with the replies to our esteemed editor’s call for ‘more photos, etc.’

I stopped writing for the glossies many years ago, after having an article on the Peninsular War, based on C.S.Forester’s brilliant novel, Death to the French, rejected because of the poor quality of my terrain and the ill painted solo rifleman.

“Well, you ever spent a lone winter campaigning in the hills of Portugal, facing an entire French army, with no supplies?” I responded.”See what your bloody kit looks like then.”

Those with an immense memory will remember that article was published in Lone Warrior instead-under the title “Fire & Retire“, but in those days we didn’t carry photos at all.

Which is why I’m sending these few in.

In issue no.140, Vol 27/s for September 2002 ( pp 31-34), my short notes on Steam-Powered Science Fiction Warships was published, just with a line drawing or two.

Someone will remember it, maybe. 

I still have the models, and here are a few photos with a note.

Feel free to criticise the choice of hull colours, the super-detailing of funnels and weapons and the fact that having added to the fleets over the years, there are still a couple of these splendid ironclads which I haven’t finished painting…well, ten years is nothing in wargaming, is it? Or twenty!

The basic model is the 1/600th scale CSS Mannasas by Peter Pig -resin with a metal funnel and the easiest thing in the world to assemble. ‘Pig’ does different heights of funnel too, as you can see, and changing the funnel was simple. Adding a flagstaff from pin is easy too.

I made a few ‘fleets’, the red ships are pretty attractive, and the black hull has a boat on davits added.

The white hull is slightly more detailed.

While, the grey hull has twin funnels, replacing the tall original, and there’s a ‘Pig’ 1/600th small deck gun between them.

There were a lot of alternatives where this simple hull was concerned. I did think of a ‘twin-hulled’ version, almost a steam catamaran with an armed platform between, and a submersible slung below it, but that’s unfinished too.

Look at the poor quality photo with three small black hull ‘Manassas’ models in front of the 1/600th model. These are 1/1200th versions, and represent the smaller lightly armed patrol or escort versions of their big sister.

You could add a few other types, low torpedo boats, mini-submersibles too. There’s one big weapon on the main ship, and a ram. Everything else is optional.

A cheap extra scenario.

This entry is part of an ongoing series for readers to share their current wargaming activities. If you would like to share what you’re working on, please email a few sentences and/or images to: lonewarriorwebsite@gmail.com. All readers are encouraged to submit something!