Recently I came across some interesting articles concerning riverine operations in New Zealand - especially during the 1860s campaign into the Waikato region. That region is dominated by the river Waikato, which, issuing from Lake Taupo, emerges into the Tasman Sea south of Auckland. It is a fairly sizeable river, navigable - give or take the bar at its mouth, a hazardous feature of many New Zealand's west coast rivers - for a considerable distance inland.
Some links:
Waikato River Gunboats: 'The Ironclads'
Dressing the Lines blog spot. There's plenty more on New Zealand's colonial wars to be found here. Including this book review:
Grant Middlemiss, The Waikato River Gunboats, Cambridge, NZ, (2014)
Hello there Archduke,
ReplyDeleteA stern wheeler with turrets gets my vote! That is a spiffy looking squadron crying out to be built....(hint, hint...).
All the best,
DC
Hi David -
DeleteI must admit that it would tempting to add some of these craft to one's riverine fleet, but if I were to 'do' the New Zealand colonial wars, its would probably be by proxy, and adding elements of 'East Africa' and possibly 'Rajah' Brooke's Borneo campaigns. Maori 'waka' weren't designed (so far as I can make out) for combat on the water (though possibly Abel Tasman's experience suggests otherwise). At any rate I don't know that Maori ever essayed an attack upon the Waikato river fleet. The attack on the 'Boyd' in 1809 was carried out partly by a ruse, with boarding parties carried by waka swarming the vessel.
I have toyed with bringing in the Asiatic 'Proa' a type of oar driven war-boat used in piracy around Sarawak. So a type of James 'Rajah' Brooke campaign might be the go. But all this I'd be inclined to build into the 'Darkest Aithiops' or 'Madasahatta' campaigns. I have to admit that it would tend to make the local natives extremely formidable foes - a kind of Zulu/ Sarawak pirate/ Maori sort of people...
Cheers,
Archduke Piccolo
Are you preparing some of your wonderful, scratch-build vessels for the period, Ion?!
ReplyDeleteRegards, James
Hi James
DeleteNot so much for the New Zealand wars. Now you've got me thinking: how would I develop a rule set specifically for the wars in New Zealand? It would involve a LOT of attacks against fortified places - and even when a fortified place was overrun, it did not imply victory (as the Brits found out at Gate Pa).
The rare open field battles tended to the favour of the Imperial troops; Maori found other methods of redressing the balance in numbers and weaponry. It was the same method the English chose during the 100YW - strategic offensive, tactical defensive. Stick a fortified 'pa' on disputed land and defy the Colonialists to come and get it.
So far as I know, only the Waikato river saw riverine operations to any extent, and I'm not sure how much opposition Maori offered on the water. The Whanganui River offered a potential theatre for riverine operations, but when the fighting developed in South Taranaki, Whanganui Maori allied themselves to the colonialists. A considerable pakeha (colonialist) settlement developed at Whanganui (I have family living there - nice place), which I think the local Maori were very pleased to have in their area.
It has been suggested that the New Zealand wars are best treated as a campaign rather than as tactical battles. That is probably the way to go. It is tempting, though, to make a couple of models to use in a different colonial campaign. But I originally intended just the one. Thinking about the proa idea, though!
Cheers,
Archduke Piccolo