Sunday, May 29, 2022

The Wall

I don't know about you, but every so often I hit some kind of block that I call  'the Wall'. The ideas are there, I have stuff I can write about or do something about, yet the motivation to continue simply vanishes.  I just don't want to know. Anyone who notices such things will have observed that after a fairly prolific (by my standards) output in this blog spot this year, there has been nothing for over a month. The whole of May has nearly slipped by without an entry.

This really is unacceptable, but I find it hard to do anything about it. I haven't been ill, or otherwise indisposed. There really is no excuse. Unfortunately, it will happen again.  Even to post this I'm having 'to hold an imaginary shotgun to my head'.  

It is not as though I've nothing to do. I still have two or three postings of the 'Byzantiad' narrative to do. They'll come in due course. But in the meantime, I have reached a closure point in a narrative I began about 5 years ago, that also hit 'the Wall'. This was the Retreat from Smolensk campaign, intended as a 'prequel' to the War of the Nations (Sixth Coalition) that was to take place in 1813 Europe.

The narrative began thus:



French II (Oudinot) and VI (St Cyr) Corps preparing to
assault General Yorck's Prussian Corps holding the ridges.

Narrative: Retreat from Smolensk

For the rest of his life after the disastrous campaign of 1812, Napoleon allowed that instead of wintering his army in and about Smolensk, he would have had more success bringing Tsar Alexander to the negotiating table had he continued on to Moscow.  The area around about the ancient border city was soon eaten out, though the bulk of La Grande Armee clung on through the entire winter season into 1813.  But with the approaching thaw, the game was up.  Becoming increasingly mutinous, despite the efforts of the Emperor and his Marshals to maintain discipline, the Army was perceptibly fraying at the edges.  A further advance into the Russian vastness being out of the question, retreat remained the only option.

This article continued with a battle to force a passage through a Prussian blocking corps by two French Corps, the action taking place somewhere to the west of Polotsk.  At quite the other end of the front, just north of the Pripyat Marshes, a considerable Austrian army attacked elements of three French army corps under command of Prince Eugene Beauharnais. Quite unexpectedly, the Austrians won a great victory, that sent Eugene's command reeling to the northwest.
Austrian Army under Archduke Charles (restored to favour
after his defeatism in the 1809 campaign) advancing 
against a large French army commanded by Prince 
Eugene Beauharnais




It so happened that on the same day, an army corps sized detachment under command of Marshal Davout, a few miles to the east of the Austrians' battle was attacked by a larger force of Russians led by Admiral P.V. Tchitchigov. Although this was mentioned in the continuing narrative, I never did, until a couple of weeks ago, play out that action. 

Lead elements of Admiral Tchitchigov'e army moving upon a 
French outpost...

 

Davout's command was something of a flank guard for the larger force led by Prince Eugene. An outlying village was held by a regiment of IV Corps, 13th Division, together with a regiment of light cavalry. The Russians poured across the river a quarter mile to the east and began an encounter battle in which both sides entered piecemeal into the fray. Although the French garrison held out for several hours against overwhelming odds, they finally lost the village. A series of French counter-attacks failed to recover the place, and were successively defeated, until the battered corps retreated across the Horyn river eventually to join Eugene's retreat to the northwest. The erudite reader might recognise this as the 'Taking the Initiative' scenario, #20 from the Grant and Asquith Scenarios For All Ages (the Red Scenario Book).  But I upscaled this from a Brigade-level action into Army Corps level. I also 'mirror-imaged' the map.

But finally, the Retreat from Smolensk story was concluded the Saturday before last (21 May), with Paul 'Jacko' Jackson handling the French. This was Napoleon's battle in the centre of the French and Allies' line, fought somewhere west of Mogilev and the Dniepro River. This was a large action, involving 3 Army Corps and the Imperial Guard on the French side, and on the Allied, 2 Russian army corps, plus one each from the Prussian and Austrian armies. This was to prove a hard fought affair, as Napoleon turned at bay to administer a check to the pursuing Allied armies. We'll see in due course the outcome of that clash.  
Major battle as the French III, V, IX Corps 
and the Imperial Guard turn on the pursuing Allies 

To be continued...

22 comments:

  1. Paul here - for some reason, google won't login to make comments. It does look very good on the table and has motivated me to complete 7 Prussian guns and crew.

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    1. Not sure what the story is Paul - there seems to have been a change in 'Bloggers' method, though whether or not an improvement is hard to say. That last Napoleonic action was a lot of fun, with a most unexpected outcome.
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  2. Google is doing some inconsistent comment requirements. But as long as this works, let me say you will get your breath back and tell your stories again. I took almost two years off from blogging and came back and had even more fun.

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    1. Joe, it may well go better for the break. I hope so.
      All the best,
      Ion

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  3. Nice to see you back again. I get tired of blogging too sometimes. It is a hobby not a job, and the mojo needs to be there.

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    1. Cheers, Martin -
      At least I did have other people's blogs to keep me interested!
      - Ion

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  4. Ion,
    I suspect most gamers periodically go through this; where you cannot face picking up a paintbrush, setting up a table or writing an article or blog entry.
    I often find by the time I reach a weekend, I'm unable to muster the enthusiasm to do much of anything. This despite daydreaming about wargames the whole week!
    It's even worse if you suffer visits of Churchill's "black dog"" ( as many bloggers have shared).
    Aside from waiting until it passes and enthusiasm returns, I've found it helps to do something; no matter how small, especially if there is a glimmer of wanting to do it. There's nothing worse than forcing yourself to do hobby related activity if you are not in the mood.
    Tidying up or organising troop storage are my "fallback" options in these circumstances.
    Neil

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    1. Neil -
      Funny you should mention your 'fallback' options. Mine are very similar, and I've been looking at my horse and musket armies with a view to tidying up, 'finishing', and reorganising. I've also taken to labelling some of my figures for easy reference, retrieval and rehousing. So, apart from the napoleonics games, I've been doing a bit of that.

      I've also set up my 6ft by 4ft table for bigger actions. Expect something soon between the Electorate of Altmark-Uberheim and the Markgravate of Hessen-Rohr - an early encounter of the War of the Imperial Succession...
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  5. Hi Ion, re blogging, I have just experienced similar. After a 2 - 3 month break, I have started a part return, but I must say enthusiasm is still lagging a little. I am posting shorter articles and have turned my comments off and am not commenting elsewhere, just while I stand still for a bit longer …… but your lovely tables, which match my size / weight of game and your blogging ‘predicament’ have brought me out of commenting retirement ( :-) ) just to say that from my experience your current sentiment actually has a normality to it in the cycle of blogging enthusiasm and I can only suggest ‘standing still’ for a short while and wait for the enthusiasm and urge to write to naturally return.

    I think one problem that bloggers like your good self who put a lot of well thought out content down, is that often the comments do not give any sense of appreciation or reward of the work done. We live in an age of free internet with a lot of material available and it has become typical to consume, but not to stop now and then to simply say thanks. Those that do comment, seem to be a solid core of kindly folk, who regularly will comment. It would just be nice if some more of the passers-by and new names just showed a token of interest every now and then and engaged to keep the blogger aware that it is worth plodding on with output.

    My break from blogging saw a real time increase in my painting and gaming output as time was transferred to ‘real world’ activity, so this is a real issue and not just a fancy and discovering this has probably made me a bit reluctant to return.

    My current battle on the table, which I am hugely enjoying and actually want to share will be blogged, so I am finding there is a way back :-)
    regardless, just enjoy your gaming for now and take your time with the blogging return.

    I do look forward to seeing more of your posts and tables. Cheers Norm.

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    1. Ion, no idea why I am shown as anonymous, blogger is just being blogger today! I am Norm from Battlefields and Warriors Blog

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    2. Thanks for your heartfelt comments, Norm. I do confess that although I follow several blogs, I am commenting on them less and less often. I feel I have nothing to say, nothing that will add anything, apart from the sake of saying something. One of the reasons, I suppose, that one appreciates the 'like' 'button' in Facebook - shows one has at least taken the trouble to give the thing a look. When I do comment, I try at least to say something interesting about what I've just read or looked at.

      However, over the last few years I've made a point of responding to comments on my blog, as a courtesy, but more, a mark of appreciation.

      One thing I have found myself doing recently, is going back over some of my old blog postings, especially the 'campaign' ones, and re-reading the narratives. For one thing, it reminds me of several campaign narratives that remain unfinished. For another, I find my own narratives, after an absence of a few years, quite entertaining!

      Cheers,
      Ion

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  6. Hi Ion....Great to see you back. However don't force it...after all, as someone else said...it's only a hobby !!! Regards.

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    1. Cheers, Tony -
      I reckon this posting was a way to ease back into harness. It will, I hope, offer readers more to look at than just this posting, if they click onto the links.
      Best -
      Ion

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  7. I understand where you are coming from. I don't know what your life/family/work situation is, but it is tough to juggle all that plus your hobby. I have decided to enjoy the small things or aspects of the hobby. It keeps me from lamenting about the bigger things I'd like to do, but don't have the time for.

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    1. Actually, Chris, as a septuagenarian, I have no competing demands on my life - certainly none that can not be set aside. I do have limits in space - my 6'x4' table can not be set up for long, and one corner of it is hard to come at, but that's no biggy. There is really no accounting for this. It is really why I'm not a novelist (I know I can write, but it can be a hell of a chore), nor a cartoonist writing comic picture books, nor a chess master. I simply can not retain the required interest for long enough. But it's not even fluctuations of interest, but more a sense of repulsion that creeps in. War gaming is at least a broad enough hobby that one can find something to do that is sufficiently engaging...

      Cheers,
      Ion

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    2. The 6 x 4 is likely the very thing that attracts a certain section of your audience, as it speaks directly to their own gaming environment.

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  8. I can empathise on many levels with you. May has seen very little gaming related stuff due to a whole host of real World factors. I've had ideas but no or little time to be able to implement them. The mojo will return I'm sure, but until then I carry on sorting out stuff for the family etc.

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    1. There is always something else to occupy one's time...

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  9. Archduke Piccolo,

    The dreaded Wall! We have all hit that at some time, either because we have temporarily lost our motivation or real life has intervened.

    I took an enforced break from blogging when I had my first operation in December 2020 … and the break whilst I was in hospital and when I came out did me the world of good, just as yours has. Like you, I tried to use the time that had been freed up as effectively as I could … and sorting through my piles of storage boxes led me to rediscover a number of partially finished projects. Unlike you, I have left them unfinished … but I should not have done so.

    Your ‘wall’ will eventually fall down of its own accord, and then you can returned to blogging on a regular basis.

    All the best

    Bob cordery

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    1. Cheers, Bob -
      I haven't the reasons that you have had, and no real excuse - none that I find persuasive. But I thank you for your encouragement. I'll go further, and say that your blog, books and game ideas have done the world of good for my war gaming activities in general.
      Regards,
      Ion

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  10. It’s good to see you’re back Ion. I trust the break has been a useful “time away” for you & that your batteries are now recharged. Hopefully your enthusiasm will continue to build.
    Let’s remember - we all need to get some perspective in our lives. Hobbies must be enjoyable, not a “chore” and, if ever it does become a bit of a drag, then things need to change.
    Good luck with your battles, whether they are Napoleonic or Byzantine or whatever. Enjoy!!

    Cheers,

    Geoff

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    1. Thanks, Geoff -
      The odd thing about it all, is that it is not as though I run out of ideas. Occasionally the very presence of an idea or an imminent battle that needs to be fought is enough to tip me over the edge. It is wholly unpredictable.

      I've plenty to go on with at any rate!
      Cheers,
      Ion

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