Production art for Infernois well underway from artist Robert Altbauer. Volko takes us on a gallery walk, along with a little introduction to the historical setting and how Levy & Campaign brings it to life.
Two warring parties divide 13th-Century Tuscany. One favors the Pope, the other, the Empire. Inferno players muster up to six armies for each. Here, Levy & Campaign imbedded artist Robert Altbauer displays heraldry on the inside panels of the screens that hide Lord mats—Guelphs along the top, Ghibellines below.
The following article is the second in the two part series from Ed recounting his experience visiting the “H.L. Hunley” at Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston, SC. You can read the first article in the series here. In this second article, we will see how the Lasch Center is carefully piecing together the answer to the Hunley’s mysterious demise, as well as the experience of the eight crewmen who perished within her iron hull.
The story told by the exhibits becomes a time machine for any museum attendee, taking them back to the America of the mid-19th century where the knowledge and skills garnered from the first hundred years of the Industrial Revolution were being bent towards what would soon be called the science of warfare. Machine shops peopled by engineers and mechanics familiar with the scientific principles and methods learned from the Industrial Revolution were adding this insight to their mechanical skills and engineering expertise, giving form to the dream of underwater travel and warfare. The museum then moves forward to the present, detailing the “Hunley’s” recovery, restoration and preservation.
While the cleaning and preservation of the “Hunley” itself was proceeding, artifacts from within the submarine were being uncovered, each being assigned a coordinate as to its location within or on the hull or the concretion covering its surfaces inside and out. A major part of the recovery effort was the location of the remains of the eight crewmen of the “Hunley” who perished in mysterious circumstances on that fateful night of February 17, 1864.
The discovery of commander Dixon’s gold coin by archaeologist Maria Jacobsen (source: Friends of the Hunley)
There was the gold coin of “Hunley” commander George Dixon, found resting near his left thighbone within the hull.
A brass oilcan as discovered, and after conservation (source: Friends of the Hunley)
A brass oilcan, found covered with concretions and the leaching of rusty iron, restored to near-original condition (it even had some of its original oil inside.)
The ”Hunley’s” rudder, almost indistinguishable from the seabed, and restored to an identifiable state (source: Friends of the Hunley)
The “Hunley’s” rudder, recovered encased with concretions and sea life, and restored to its proper appearance.
Crewman James Wicks’ silk bandana as recovered, and as restored. (source: Friends of the Hunley)
Crewman James Wicks’ silk bandana required the skills of Mary Ballard, Senior Textile Conservator for the Smithsonian Institute for a most painstaking of conservation effort.
The procedure of facial reconstruction applied to the crew of the Hunley: The finished reconstructed face of Lieutenant George Dixon: Seaman Lumpkin and Seaman Collins of the “Hunley” (source: Friends of the Hunley)
Most remarkable are the Lasch Center’s efforts to put faces with the names of the “Hunley’s” eight crewmen. Using the latest skills and techniques of forensic science, the Lasch Museum’s conservators have been able to reconstruct a face from a casting of each crewman’s skull. All eight of the reconstructions are currently on display at the museum, putting a human face upon history.
There is much more of the “Hunley” to be seen at the Lasch Conservation Center; the best way to do so is by taking a tour.
The facility is open to the public Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost is $18 for adults and $10 for youth, 6 to 12 years of age.
Membership in Friends of the Hunley will lower the adult fee to $12.
The discount for seniors and military is $15 and children 5 and under are admitted free of charge.
“Hunley” in ‘dry dock’ as preservation tank is drained (source: Friends of the Hunley)
Oh, and they have a very good gift shop on site.
(photo by the author)
Next time: the sixth entry from the Inventor’s Vade Mecum handbook counsels the Young Inventor on the Choosing and Keeping of Journeymen for his Project Team.
(Note: All graphic images of Infernal Machine game materials used in this series of articles are subjective and may change and appear different in their final form. All images show sourcing unless otherwise noted.)
The Sovereign of Discord expansion for Fire in the Lake allows players to explore an earlier period of the Vietnam War rarely covered in wargaming, the closing years of Ngo Dinh Diem regime (1961-1963). Although there are a few tactical games and scenarios on the battle of Ap Bac in 1963, I struggled to find a single game at the strategic level that covers the years prior to major intervention by the United States and North Vietnam in 1964-1965. Sovereign of Discord allows wargamers to add this crucial period of the war to their collections. This article is the first in a series of InsideGMT articles highlighting different aspects of the new content in Sovereign of Discord. Today we will focus on Ngo Dinh Diem and the unique strengths and weaknesses of his regime.
This is the second article in a series where I will present each of the five powers of Baltic Empires in turn. This time I will cover Russia, the historical winner of the game that emerged from the period (1558-1721) as a major power in European affairs.
GMT has long been a supporter of Stuka Joe’s CDG Solo system, which we highlighted in an insideGMT article way back in 2016. So, making an official GMT version that supports our CDGs and CDG players just made sense. When GMT One head Jason Carr reached out to Stuka Joe to see if he would like to see an official version made for GMT, it was immediately obvious that it was a great idea. While our main goal in developing this official set of rules and playsheets was to make the system more accessible and available to a wider audience, it we also wanted to give the system back to the community. So, we are proud and excited to reveal our Print and Play kit for the GMT CDG Solo System, but more on that in a minute.
To make the board game “Infernal Machine: Dawn of Submarine Warfare” as historically rich and fact-accurate as possible, I had to reach beyond the confines of my library, beyond that of my local university and even beyond the Internet.
No, the facts and information I was looking for could only be found as close to the source as possible.
The submarine “H.L. Hunley” rests in Charleston, South Carolina, specifically at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center. Its rusted hulk lies in the care of a dedicated team of historians, archaeologists, chemists and administrators seconded from Clemson University and elsewhere, who perform the slow and painstaking task of cleaning, cataloguing and restoring a very real piece of American history.
Do I enjoy Falling Sky? Very much indeed! What is the reason? First and foremost the theme, with Ancient Rome, Caesar, Gauls as main actors in this story. I love that part of human history and you do not have to convince me to play the game connected with that epoch. Then, we have a very fitting – for COIN system – situation, with all-mighty Rome, pretty powerful Arverni and Belgae and nimble Aedui. The interactions and connections between factions can become very complex and intriguing, making each game a completely different experience.
So whenever the occasion occurs – like recently – to organize another Play By Email game with my online friends, I am immediately open to join such initiative!
December 1944: Corporal Cecil Hannaford was not happy. As the assistant squad leader in the 3rd Platoon, A Company, 110th Infantry Regiment, he had just learned that his platoon had been ordered to leave the warm, safe shelter of their buildings in Heinerscheid to set up a roadblock nearly a mile away in Kalborn. Reluctantly, Hannaford and the others moved out into the cold night. “We ran a phone line to our outpost as our only communication with the company HQ” in Heinerscheid. When they got to their OP position, Hannaford was dismayed to see that it was “in plain view of the road on the next hill.” As he and his foxhole buddy dug in and set up their position, Corporal Hannaford could only think of the rest of the company, cozy and dry back in Heinerscheid. They finished digging in, and Hannaford took the first watch. Oh well, he thought, at least it’s quiet here.
Mission Objective: The mission ends if at the end of the game turn there are no American undisrupted combat units within two hexes and LOS of the Church, or either side exceeds their Casualty Differential Limit, or the Final Score is ≥ 46.
With your new knowledge of the materials and mechanisms that will make up your Marvel of the Age it is now time to discuss the hiring and care of the Mechanics, the “wizards” who will assemble the parts and mechanisms into the whole. In some cases, they may also become part of your underwater wonder’s crew.
Because of the amount and depth of information presented here, the coverage on the hiring and care of Journeymen is presented in a chapter of its own.
A challenge (and sometimes a critique) of historical games that cover modern topics is that the story does not always end when the game does. Current events have a way of framing these games in a new light, as the circumstances continue to change and new information about them is revealed. Cross Bronx Expressway is one of these games, as was proven at the beginning of this year, when a fire which resulted from substandard housing conditions killed 17 members of an immigrant population in the Bronx.
