The League of Augsburg

The finished piece is about 100mm square.

I finally got a chance to build Sheerness today. It's not often you get to type that! Took about 90 minutes to finish the first major piece of terrain for the 1/2400 part of the Tocht naar Chatham (Medway Raid 1667) project.

Here is how it all started.

I used some of the simpler country style buildings from Brigade Models lovely range to to this. These...

Rough mock-up shot of Garrison Point Fort in 1667. Van Ghent's squadron attempting to sail past.

My ideas for the Medway Campaign 1667 involve it being conducted by map, in 1/2400 scale and finally, in 28mm for small land and naval actions.I thought I would begin building the small scale terrain with the first significant defensive work encountered by the Dutch.

The year is 1666.......

A moment from T3...The Fireship Rotterdam explodes!

Getting more used to the rules, having added in some of my own detail and generally loving the game play, I decided it was time to get a bit more ambitious with the Dutch Wars naval action.

I now have enough ships painted and had so far resisted putting anything larger than a 3rd Rate on the table but that self-denying rule...

My thirst for knowledge about naval warfare in the period 1650 - 1720 has led to the acquisition of lots of collateral on the subject. I recently received a copy of the Helion Century of the Soldier book focusing on the Third Anglo Dutch War 1672-1674. This is closest to my core period of interest of the three 17th century Anglo Dutch Wars and features many of the main actors including William of...

To say I have been totally absorbed by my new obsession for 1/2400 scale 1650-1720 period ships would be the understatement of my hobby life time. Not since my Ost Front Microtanks phase of the late 1990s have I been this driven to finding information and being productive on an industrial scale.

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th rates plus Fireship and Heoker - a cross section of my growing Dutch Fleet for the...

Royal Charles 2nd Rate -the sixth attempt. 1st Rate on the right, my first attempt - many learns in between.

Taking the title from Gunter Heim's description of the models featured on the 'Sink the Dreadnought' piece, I can do nothing but agree. The 1/2400 scale models from Tumbling Dice representing ships of the Anglo Dutch War period are good for circa 1640 - 1720 I would say. Many were built in...

Eilean Dub Mor, December 4, 1689

A regimental camp at Dundalk October 1689 - King William's soldier die in droves daily.

William III and his army landed at Carrickfergus, Ulster in August 1689 and the international struggle for Ireland began. His army was ill-served by its officers and during the terrible winter camp at Dundalk thousands of men died from disease. The situation was disastrous and...

This second scenario using my 1/2400 ships is based on the events of May 11, 1689 when Admiral Herbert's English fleet attacked a French fleet under Admiral Chateaurenault in Bantry Bay on the south west coast of Ireland. It also gets me back to Ireland and my favourite theatre of the entire period.

The historical action was inconclusive and involved 24 French and 19 English vessels. Most were 3rd,...

Captain Bogaert's 4th Rate Delft with 40 guns sails south into the Medway

Inspired by discussions with fellow enthusiast Peter A of this parish, my general love of the period and of naval warfare, I took the plunge at Partizan buying two starter fleets in 1/2400 from Tumbling Dice. So far have completed 24 vessels large and small for my Dutch/English/French fleets 1660 - 1700.

Thanks to wonderful...

Texel Roads from Den Helder - Texel on the horizon - its a massive anchorage

The area south east of Texel known as the Texel Roads was a massive anchorage for military and merchant vessels throughout the Age of Sail. The kinds of things brought up from frequent salvage dives speaks volumes about Dutch naval heritage. If the French were the Baddies on land the English were definitely the Baddies at...

I was almost incontinent with excitement on seeing this level of detail.

I am an unashamed Naval Nut and always have been. It doesn't matter what the subject is, if its in the water and looks remotely interesting I'll be all over it.

Den Helder is home port to the Dutch fleet - Belgian frigate Leopold I in centre

Having accidentally come across some pictures of the ship diorama at Texel about a year...

Gateway in Brielle's inner defensive ramparts

Panel beyond the outer works explaining Brielle's position and history

The moat between out ramparts and the Molenbolwerk - can you see its cannon?

Whilst in Den Haag Toggy spotted an article about the fortress town of Brielle and its capture by the Sea Beggars during the Eighty Years War. Do you know anything about this? he asked. Nope was the unhelpful...