All things Jacklex

 Nihon shugi; introducing gaming the rise of Japan

Part 1 of John Kersey's new series charting a wargame project based on the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century conflicts in China and the Far East.

The First Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895

Intervention in the Boxer Rebellion 1900

The Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905

The assumption is that Nihon shugi will be a project running over a three year period with the first year being devoted to the First Sino-Japanese War. The emphasis will be on land actions using 1/72 and 20mm figures, whether plastic or metal, as the best fit. Naturally, as you are reading this on the All Things Jacklex site, the prime actors will be the Jacklex Imperial Japanese range, supported by the Imperial Russian and newly emerging Chinese range. However, use has been made of suitable plastic ranges to supplement the armies, especially the Chinese Boxers originating from Orion and Red Box. Of course, not every troop or weapon type is covered by these, fulsome though they are, so recourse has been made by borrowing and adapting weapons such as Gatling guns from other plastic ranges and converting other Jacklex figures into suitable crew etc. to fill the gaps; all of which will be discussed as we go along.   

Firstly, what got me inspired here? Well, it was actually a longstanding interest dating right back to 1968! This is when, with my pocket money, I bought the weekly part-work of 'Purnell's History of the 20th Century', authored by notable historians and authorities of the time. On the pages I remember seeing a colourful and dramatic woodblock print of a Japanese cavalry officer in western style uniform sabering some Chinese infantrymen in traditional costumes. I had to read more about it and at the same time learnt about the Russo-Japanese War, complete with all the wonderful contemporary photographs. Much later on in the 1980's I discovered the Jacklex range so could skirmish game some Japanese and Russian encounters.  These small forces (along with some Boers and others used as colonial settlers) were sold on and the urge subsided. Fortunately, it didn't totally disappear and when I later bought a wonderful artbook with a collection of woodblock prints based on the conflict it was sufficient until the right time came along.  

So, to return to Nihon shugi; it is primarily a gaming project and very much one that has evolved from previous explorations into 1/72 gaming in the Great War period using the Partizan Press rules 'Bloody Picnic' derived from the popular 'General de Brigade' Napoleonic ruleset. Another related gaming project was based on the (hypothetical) Great Invasion of 1910 which used William Le Queux's book 'If England Were Invaded' (recently reprinted by the Bodleian Press) as a source of inspiration for two show games - one being a scenario set around Alexandra Palace during the siege of London (the show was actually hosted at the said location!) and the other, the battle of Maldon displayed at the Partizan show in May 2022. 

Hopefully, I've set the scene here for the series and next time we'll look at the opening set-piece game which was held at the Other Partizan show in October.

The First Sino-Japanese War game at the Other Partizan 

Part 2 to follow.

Veteran wargamer John Briggs has kindly sent me the following wonderfully evocative story accompanied by some really nice images from his recently completed Russo-Japanese War collection. 

'I blame my mother. It's 1962 and we have to go to the local library to change her books. There it was, on the shelf, War Games by Donald Featherstone. I took it out so many times and, for lack of funds, copied most of the rules by hand into and exercise book. Later that year my grandmother bought me my own copy for Christmas. This coincided with the arrival of boxes of figures from Airfix at 2/- each, allowing, along with some home-made buildings and Merit trees, the beginning of a lifelong hobby.

Then I noticed that DF lived in Southampton, about an hour's bus ride away. A quick search through the phone book and I have very kindly been invited to visit and see his wonderful collection of wargaming figures. I came away with my pockets full of home cast figures and visions of colonial troops and far away campaigns.

And so, it went on, with the occasional purchase of Hinton Hunt or Stadden figures when pocket money allowed. Education and other activities pushed the soldiers out of my life and it wasn't until many years later that I came across the Harrow Model Shop.

I had visited with my brother, looking for some aeromodelling supplies but, there in the corner of the shop was a glass cabinet with the loveliest models of figures and equipment from the Boer War. I was hooked.

Little did I realise that the man who served me was Jack Alexander, the creator of this wonderful range of figurers. I am grateful that I have had a chance to meet him again in more recent years.

I think most wargamers are partial to a second-hand bookshop. In one, on the Isle of Wight, I found a copy of Cassell's 3 volume history of the Russo-Japanese War. Then I remembered that I had seen some figures for this fascinating conflict. Sadly, however, the range was never completed, so I put those thoughts aside, ending up with a collection of figures for the Boer War.

The range passed from Jack to the preserving hands of Peter Johnstone and has now re-emerged in glory from Mark Lodge at jacklexminiatures.com. I had to have a look. Could he? Would he?

Yes, he did! The missing items from the Russo-Japanese and other ranges were either in production already or on their way. So my fate was sealed. Nearly 50 years on from my first purchase of Jacklex figures, I could at last buy all I needed to complete a pair of armies for the conflict.'

'The order was made, infantry in units of 20, cavalry in 12s with the possibility of using the 'Sword and Flame' as my set of rules, at least at first. Very soon, the little boxes arrived with the figures beautifully packed in sawdust. Not one damaged figure! An excellent Lucky Dip.

Following consultation of Osprey, internet and a variety of books I did my usual practice of writing a painting chart for each type of figure. This saves a lot of trouble when returning to the painting table after a break.

Well they're all done now. I think they look wonderful and when lockdown is eased, I look forward to many games with them. I only had to wait 40 odd years. I think it was worth it.'

John Briggs