Friday, October 16, 2009

Chapter 19: Two Days From Bebara

Date: 12 September 1899/2009
Location: Two Days March From Bebara.
Situation: The Area Around The Camp Has Just Been Reconnoitered
If YOU Please: Enlarge Images By Clicking On Them.
And now....

The Imperial Camp. This section is for the Royal Artillery, Berkshires and Seaforths. The Bombay Miners and Sappers and baggage are to the left. The cavalry brigade camp is behind the ridge to the right.


General Pettygree (foreground), "We'll be back soon Mitchell." Behind them is Colonel Archibald Sinclair and his Seaforth Highlanders followed by the 9th Bengal Lancers. They found no sign of the enemy nearby.

Close-up view.


Meanwhile not far away Colonel Preece leads two squadrons of the 10th Hussars back to camp as well.


They see the camp now. In the distance are the Seaforths and 9th Bengal Lancers.


"They are all com'n in Sir an' no trouble found them."
To be sure dear viewer. However, only two days march from here is the village of Bebara held and fortified by the inscrutable KHAN. He means to offer battle soon and General Pettygree plans to oblige. Return soon to discover what will happen.
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Closing Remarks:
1. YOU can do this too.
2. Tents kindly on loan from the collection of Der Alte Fritz.
3. Tents were artfully composed and scenicked by HG Walls, Herb Gundt.
4. Seaforths are also on loan from Der Alte Fritz.
5. Notice anything unusual Gentlemen?
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Comments welcome plus your answer to Item #5 immediately below.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, Bill, you have set a poser with that 5th question but 'no' I can't say, even after a second look, that I do notice anything unusual if that means the presence of enemy scouts/spies. I do notice that there are no sentries posted on the higher ground around the camp. Thanks for this unfolding storyrama.

Duke of bailen

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BigRedBat said...

I can't see anythin ofdd, but I do hope there are soem cavalry pickets out, near the camp.

The camp seems all to near that patch of undergrowth; no telling who could creep up through that...

Steve-the-Wargamer said...

You've got a mirror in the first picture to make the camp appear twice the size... very clever!!

Looks excellent as always - I think you're using your terrain cloth differently as well - seems to have more (realistic looking) lumps and bumps...

ColCampbell50 said...

I think Steve-the-Wargamer has hit the nail on the head, so to speak. The mirror is also apparent in the last photo if you examine it closer. Very nice use of a model railroad technique to make your scenery appear deeper. But of course I believe that you were a model railroader in a previous incarnation so it shouldn't be a surprise that you would use that technique.

BigRedBat said...

The use of the mirrow is very clever! I can see it, now.

Donogh said...

Cunning with the mirror sir!
The camp looks brilliant regardless.
Congratulations on a fantastic year of blogging by the way - most inspirational

John Clements said...

Great scenery, figures and fun as always. I hadn't spotted the mirror so well done on that too. Looking forward to what sounds like another story coming up.

Furt said...

I didn't see the mirror - no idea here. Well done - great as usual.

Capt Bill said...

I never would have seen the mirror if it had not be pointed. Well done!!!!

Der Alte Fritz said...

The mirror fooled me too. I kept thinking, I don't recall having that many tents on loan to General Pettygree.

Congratulations on your first year of blogging. Your story telling and photo composition are superb and I think that you have carved out a unique niche in the hobby for what you do in your stories.

Gallia said...

YES! A mirror. Well done!
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The mirror technique originated with model railroading. There was an especially intriguing photo and "How To Model" essay back in the 90s. The key is to block mirror sides and top with some kind of terrain. Otherwise the illusion fails. After that some careful thought is needed in placement of troops and what not.
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For example, the Seaforths and 9th Bengal Lancers are "stage right" so their images can not appear in the mirror at all. The 10th Hussars on the other hand could appear in foreground and background shots. Not good. In this case the camera angle and the 10th Hussars had to be positioned and repositioned so the Hussars would appear just once.
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For a moment I wanted a column of Berkshires marching in/out of camp amongst the tents. However they would appear twice - in the foreground and background in an unrealistic manner as in an entertaining drill parade demo for the public. On the other hand if a column of twos is placed at the edge of the mirror, the mirror changes this into an acceptable column of fours. However, everyone must be parallel to the mirror and touching it.
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I left a few clues intentionally and unintentionally for those with an eye to discern these. The two officers, one with binoculars are entirely seen in the foreground. Only their heads may be seen in the background. A unintentional clue left for viewers. By contrast the ammunition box carriers were placed so their foreground images could not appear in the background. They were totally blocked by tents.
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The unseen camp is rather large. Aside from the one in the photo story, there are two more camps left to the imagination as explained in one caption. Three probably since the baggage would need a separate one.
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Thanks to all for your interest and kind very remarks. We all had some fun with this one - together with our chat.
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Meanwhile Gen. Pettygree's continues his pondering for the attack on Bebara. Whilst he contemplates, I am putting on my "thinking cap" to use a mirror again one day.
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Thank you Gentlemen,
Respectfully yours,
Bill

Anonymous said...

Aha! So, you did it all with mirrors eh. Some of the old ideas are still the best.

I remember at a wargames' club I used to frequent, we once employed a mirror to make the table appear much wider than it really was.
Whatever you do though don't do what we later did and set up mirrors at both ends of the table, or it will look like your table goes off into infinity.

Steve.

Bluebear Jeff said...

Aha, now that you've used the mirrors (and very cleverly too), can the use of smoke be far behind?


-- Jeff