Blood Red Skies

 Today we had a few games, none of which were photogenic, so no photo report today! - and for the next two weeks unless I play a solo game at home as its the Edinburgh show next week and I have a Dental Hospital follow up appointment the week after!

Suffice to say today, we were trying Blood Red Skies today (Rhoderick has an old set of it) - the First game was a Spitfire reconnaissance trying to get off the table pursued by 3 Me 109e's, Lawrence ran the Spit round our flank, and although Aloysius, Phil and I got into shooting range, we failed to roll a '6' in over 50 D6 rolls! - so the plucky Brit got away!  

The second game had me running 4 ME 109g's with poor pilots escorting a Dornier 217 back from a bombing raid - in Switzerland!!!! - and we had to face 6 Swiss ME 109e's with better pilots. Historically German aircraft indeed entered Switzerland (repeatedly!) - and knocked down 11 German aircraft for 3 lost on the Swiss side.

Remembering Adolf Galland and Werner Molder's advice, I deployed in Schwarme formation, and didn't stick close to the Dornier, but went aggressively for the Swiss.

The Swiss deployed on 2 groups of 3, So I split my Scwarme into 2 pairs and headed for both groups. The Dornier (run by Rhoderick) seemed frightened of losing his fighter protection and headed after me.

I ended up racing past the Swiss and performing a Split-S to get on their tails as they headed for the Bomber.

This lead to the Swiss losing 2 of their number (One embarrassingly being finished off by the Dornier!) - after which the remainder headed home.

I thought BRS is a massively more fun game than the old Wings of Glory WW2, and we may play it again.

Finally we played a Card game called 'Forbidden Island' where a card map island is slowly submerged while we players struggled to find four rare objects before this happened, we won as a group! it was surprisingly nail biting and we only escaped by judicious use of a helicopter!

Fun day!

The Baron rides out

 Today we had a game of Wing of Glory WW1 at the club as we were not sure how many players we had this week and its a forgiving game!

As it was it was just myself, along with Rhoderick and his son Aloysius so we decided to play against 3 Fokker DR1's run by my solo rules.

Rhoderick used McCudden's SE5a...

Aloysius used Arthur Percival Foley Rhys-Davies DSO's SE5a, I used another on our left (Albert Ball's SE5a)

The Germans kept together, McCudden was facing all three of the Huns.

We passed through each other without getting a shot...apart from Aloysius (Rhys-Davies)...

Wot, no damage?

Poor Rhys-Davies jammed his guns!

I think I was too used to flying a Nieuport! I was well past the Germans in no time!

Both sides now began turning.

Rhys-Davies and McCudden went between the Germans, I was picked up by 'Stripey', but thought my speed would keep me safe as I went to the centre.

I did alright! - Rhys-Davies had cleared his guns too!

...and immediately jammed AGAIN!

I hoped I would get past 'Stripey', but it didn't look good...

...as expected, he turned and peppered my kite!

I turned into the other two Fokkers...but missed, at least luckily I wasn't shot at!

Those Germans are slippery!

I 'Immelmanned' to try and re-engage.

Both Rhys-Davies and McCudden got lucky as Stripey and the Red Baron turned on them.

I was lucky again, Stripey couldn't shoot me as the Red Baron was too close!

I think all the Allied players decided we needed space, getting close to the Fokkers allowed them to turn inside us.

The Red Baron caught McCudden as he turned...

...but McCudden soon got some revenge!

Both Rhys-Davies and myself were far out from the action by now, good job the SE is a fast bird!

Rhys-Davies turned by Immelmann.

I turned for another slashing attack.

McCudden Immelmanned and got away with it! that could have been bloody!

I managed to stop McCudden getting a shot!

Aloysius returned and got badly shot up by two Fokkers, McCudden tried to shoot the Red Baron, but missed. 

Rhys-Davies was nearly down, but bravely continued his attack!

I turned in and got a good hit on one of the Fokkers.

McCudden got caught by the ever wily Red Baron, who only took light damage in return.

McCudden took some damage, again from the Red Baron.

As we tried to sort ourselves out, Rhys-Davies got a snap shot at the Baron too.

It was definitely turning into a furball!McCudden got a shot at White Fokker...

...We realised at this point that White Fokker was 0 pointed and fell to earth.

Rhys-Davies got a good hit on Stripey...

...but was caught by the Red Baron, McCudden got a Bang on Stripey!

The battle was over, Despite the loss of Rhys-Davies, the loss of Stripey decided the day!

The Red Baron slunk back to his airfield!

It was a very difficult battle for our SE's, those Fokkers lacked speed, but turned on a Reichsmark!

Our Independence day game...a week late!

 Today, we had our American Revolution game out again (using my rules) as its just past the 4th July!

Once again I was using the Americans (post Valley Forge) against the British led by my friends Phil and Lawrence.

As per usual, My General Washington failed to get the initiative meaning the British could deploy in one of the flank sectors of the table...at least I got choice of table side!

I deployed most of my light infantry and the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons behind my Continentals on the left.

My right was more Continentals supported by a third line of Militia...at least I had a Competent Brigadier (probably Greene!) here to control this mass of troops!

The Hessians faced my right looking menacing as always!

In the British centre Phil had some Regulars and Grenadiers.

On his right Scots, Loyalists and Regulars backed the 17th Light Dragoons and the 1st and 2nd Light Infantry.

The British started by advancing their light Horse, but these soon came under fire from Knox's guns and were disordered.

On the British right, the Light Infantry advanced through the woods, their Regulars stayed in reserve.

In their centre, the first line advanced apace.

The Hessians were dilatory and only got some Feldjägers and a gun battery advancing.

My artillery soon had the range...

 ...and disordered the British guns.

On my left, my Guns tore into the British Light Dragoons, despite the long range!

Many of them fell.

Amazingly, they routed, they had had enough!

Sorry, they are BRITISH light dragoons routing!!!

In the centre the British Grenadiers began their assault on the hill...they failed, however, to get a good volley in first.

The New Jerseys held them with a return volley, then closed to point blank and fired again!

On my left, with the British Cavalry gone, mine attacked a unit of Light Infantry.

Both sides fought valiantly, though my Cavalry had the upper hand in the combat.

However, the beaten British just fell back while the winded American Dragoons fled!

In our right centre my Marylanders shot down the British gunners, but were less effective on the Hessian one.

On my extreme right, my Light Infantry skirmished with some Feldjägers.

The Feldjägers soon got the upper hand and charged in!

My men broke and ran!

The Feldjägers followed up into my Militia, but were cut down.

The survivors fled and my Militia followed up in turn.

Back in the right centre, the First Maryland took a short range cannister volley, but held their nerve!

The Dandy Fifth, next to them, took a crashing volley from the British Foot.

On the left, my Virginians had advanced over the hill and were in turn charged by the rest of the British Light Infantry. My Virginians were a bit shot up but they wiped out the Lights.

On the rest of the hill, my New Jerseys beat the Grenadiers!

The 5th Maryland got a crashing volley in...

...but the arrival of the Hessians was too much...they routed!

The Marylanders next to them were repulsed by the Hessian attack too, but without much loss.

The battered British who had driven off the 5th Maryland now came under fire from my Artillery and fell back in disorder.

My Virginians now steadied their line and attacked another British brigade, effectively!

At this point, the British reviewed their position, my left was advancing on what remained of their right.

I still held the hill, and the Virginians were pressing their flanks.

On my Right, despite the Hessian success, my Competent brigadier...now with General Washington in support, would stabilise my front.

The British now ceded the day, leaving the field to the Continental Army!  It had been a very hard fight, but was enjoyed by all!