I will be giving a Herero War talk at the HMGS War College on Saturday at Cold Wars 2026, and I will be running Herero War games on Friday and Saturday.
HMGS WAR COLLEGE LECTURE:
With Stealth and Drawn Sword: Herero Special Troops
Speaker: Roy Jones
Type of Talk: Historical
Period: Colonial
Location: Hopewell
Time: Saturday, 3:00 PM - 3:50 PM
Description: " [T]he Hereros burst forth…they charged with hurrahs, at the head of them a Herero with drawn sword and in a German officer’s uniform.“: a German memoir's first-person account, 1904. Sword-wielding Herero officers boldly leading from the front. German-speaking Herero infiltrators duping German sentries. Herero special troops were among the greatest threats the Germans faced during the Herero War of 1904. This talk provides a detailed tactical discussion of these Herero troop types.
This HMGS War College lecture is paired with the Friday game "The Trenches of Onganjira" and the Saturday game "Ordeal at Otjiwarongo!"
Bio: Dr. Roy Jones has been researching and writing books and essays on German colonialism in Africa for twenty years, focusing on early twentieth-century conflicts: the Herero War of 1904 and the Nama Wars of 1904-08. In 2014, Dr. Jones and his co-author Eric Alvarado released "The Herero War", a historical scenario and rules book derived from original German sources: official histories, first-person accounts, and original maps. In 2015, Dr. Jones released the first essay to present and analyze German casualty rates – i.e., the percentage of the total force that was killed or wounded – for the individual Herero War battles. He is currently working on a follow-on rules and scenario book on the Nama Wars. Dr. Jones has won multiple 'Pour Encourager Les Autres' (PELA) Awards for his German colonial games. Roy Jones received his bachelor's degree in physics from Columbia University and his PhD in physics rom Rutgers University. Dr. Jones has thirty years of experience in the development and validation of high-fidelity physics-based models and advanced sensors and signal analysis for defense. He lives in Arlington, Virginia.
HERERO GAMES
F-280 The Trenches of Onganjira (German South West Africa, 1904)
Historical Period: Colonial
Time: Friday, 7 PM; Length: 4 hrs
Location: Lancaster Ballroom
No. of Players: 6
GM: Roy Jones
Sponsor: Recreational Conflict
Scale: 25mm
Rules: The Sword and the Flame (Modified)
The German Main Column is trying to destroy Herero forces based in the valley of the Onganjira. The Hereros have blocked the valley at its narrowest section with a fortified trench line. As the Germans try to outflank the line, entrenched Hereros open fire and charge out! It's a melee and a gunfight at Onganjira. Bring your wits, plenty of ammo, and as much guts as you've got - this ain't gonna be no picnic, bud! From the scenario book "The Herero War". More at: https://www.hererowars.com.
This game is paired with the HMGS War College lecture: "With Stealth and Drawn Sword: Herero Special Troops”.
S-289 Ordeal at Otjiwarongo! (German South West Africa, 1904)
Historical Period: Colonial
Time: Saturday, 7 PM; Length: 4 hrs
Location: Lancaster Ballroom
No. of Players: 6
GM: Roy Jones
Sponsor: Recreational Conflict
Scale: 25mm
Rules: The Sword and the Flame (Modified)
German infantry and Herero riflemen locked in desperate combat! Germans fighting for survival in three separated groups. Two great Herero captains - Assa and Kajata - maneuvering their superior forces for the final deathblow. Then suddenly - the Kaiser’s cannon arrive! From the scenario book "The Herero War". More at: https://www.hererowars.com.
This game is paired with the HMGS War College lecture: "With Stealth and Drawn Sword: Herero Special Troops".