I was sitting in my car the other Sunday, watching my son play rugby and listening to a programme on BBC Radio 4 hosted by Michael Parkinson. It was one of those chat shows where a number of different topics are discussed and in the course of the conversation, I can't remember exactly what prompted it, it was mentioned that some recent research had been undertaken by the EU which showed, amongst other things, that the Germans had the reputation of being the rudest people in Europe.

However, deserved or otherwise, I do feel bound to point out in defence of the Germans that Peter Hofschröer is actually a "little Islander", so one shouldn't hold them entirely responsible for his letter in FE32. Still, the Germans should really be more careful about who they give passports to. Of course, every cloud does have a silver lining and here in this little island schweifen ist golden, perhaps.

Peter, the remark in the last sentence of your final paragraph was just plain silly. You can add talking b****cks to your other linguistic skills.

(Editor: John took the trouble to include tabular data of all the "results of the major league games" - which I have checked. I am not printing it as it would take up three pages of the magazine, and can be easily checked by those so inclined. It will appear on the web site at www. firstempire.ltd.uk)

It would seem that during the period 1795 to 1812, when the Prussians were either sitting on their arses or having them kicked, the British army played a "significant role in winning" at least 31 battles, which, as it happens, is rather more than the Prussians managed during the entire Revolutionary and Napoleonic period. Indeed, the ungenerous would be justified in pointing out that apart from a couple of encounters during the Revolutionary wars, the Prussians did not win a single battle without considerable help from their friends. Naturally, I would not be so uncharitable and, to be fair, the British army does owe a considerable debt to the Prussians.

It is not generally realized that it was the Prussians who pioneered the use of reverse slope tactics, in front of Vierzehnheiligen at Jena, in 1806. There was, however, a fundamental flaw in the Prussian's application, which was this. It is not a good idea to allow the enemy to occupy the higher ground to one's front, particularly if it includes a village. This, of course, was quickly recognized by Wellington who refined the concept into the battle winning tactic used so successfully in the Peninsula.

One has to concede, grudgingly of course, that the Prussians did make it to the final, but the provisional scores at full time in Group 1 seems to be something like Russia 29, Austria 48, Britain 56 and France 144. Group 2 was won by the Prussians with 17. Appeals for foul play to the editor please, clearly marked as such on the outer envelope to save him the bother of having to open them. The Austrians come out of it rather well, they even had an away win against the Russians in 1812.

Just a moment, there is a late objection from the Portuguese. Apparently the Portuguese Army played a "significant role in winning" at least 23 battles. Oh dear, I'm afraid it's relegation to runner up in Group Two for Prussia. I don't know what you have in that snuff box of yours, Peter, but it must be good stuff.

On to more constructive matters.

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