At Historicon 2025 I'll be running three Nama War games and giving a War College talk, "Morenga's Private War: 1904-07", on the cunning Nama commander Jacob Morenga. Defeating this skillful tactician, and master of using deception to maneuver the Germans out of position, was a major objective for Germany.
Two of the Nama games – Thursday's "Seize or Die: Storm at Aob!", with tough trench fighting, and Friday's "Gunfight at Narudas Gorge", with foot and mounted troops on both the German and Nama sides – are major battles in which Morenga was in command: they pit his tactical skill and his concealed Nama riflemen against the Kaiser's superior weaponry – especially cannon – and the German infantry's skill with the bayonet charge.
Saturday's game – "The Battle at Hartebeestmund" – is one of the major battles of the war, in which Germans are trapped between the hills and the river. The Germans must hold off the Nama and escape the trap, bringing their wounded with them. The Nama must close trap and destroy the Germans.
More on the talk and games can be found here: link
