"Sandhurst Military College." Topic

Anyone know if Sandhurst College use historical table top wargaming as a teaching aid?. If yes, what figures and rules do they use?.

Thats the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to you, squire!

Currently the padre up there runs old school style 54mm games in his back garden…I think thats about it – the glory days of Brig. Young, David Chandler, Christopher Duffy and Paddy Griffith fighting massive 25mm Horse and Musket games in the History Wing are long gone I'm afraid….

They run Kriegspiel style games on a sand table. I live near the college and know some current and ex-army officers who have spoken briefly to me about the hobby…they see it as a learning aid, I see it as fun.

I was at a conference last week where an infantry battalion commander was complaining that Sandhurst did not include wargaming within its curriculum, and had not when he had been there.

The sand table is a teaching aid and not a wargame as most recreational wargamers would understand it.

I think that since they reduced the course from 2 years to 1 year it has been a lot more intense and there is no longer time for things like wargaming.

I've played there with Paul, the padre, and Anthony, the archivist – but 54mm games in Paul's garden.

Mike

Don't think they do. There are a lot of bits to Sandhurst. Initial training for junior officers would not include wargames. They do have a great collection of dinky tanks etc. for teaching/demonstration purposes. Don't think any rules I have ever seen would properly model platoon to company level combat better than actually getting out there and doing it. There are some deluded folk who think their rules are "just like being there" but it ain't so.

martin

The wargaming is part of the planning process and is a structured affair in which the G2 runs through various enemy courses of action and the Commander or COS (or both)and staff run through various plans. Prior to the invasion in Telic 1 we used some nice 1:300 models in HQ 7 Armd Bde but is can be done with blocks of wood, bits of paper etc.

Tally Ho!