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Saturday 25 February 2012

Damsels and Indians!

Well! - at least I remembered my camera this week!

We did a French and Indian war skimish this week, the scenario being a rescue of 2 ladies being held by the French after a raid, and we would run a small party of Rangers, Militia and friendly indians to free them!

The Ranger commander had 2 choices - to attack down the left of the table or the right?
He chose to bring his force down the left side!
The leading Delaware indians on the left, met the first party of ambushing Hurons.. 
 ..the greater numbers of Delawares rapidly began to tell as Hurons fell! 
 
 Losing the firefight, the remaining Hurons charged uphill with tomahawks!
The Delawares, however, butchered them and pursued into the woods!
The militia followed the Delawares..
 In the centre, the Rangers and militia moved through the woods stealthily..
 ..Two groups of Hurons to their right saw them and attacked! 
 
 A Ranger fell, an arrow in his throat!
The Rangers formed up and returned fire. 
The Hurons attacking in the open were shot up and scattered. 
The Militia and Rangers continued unmolested to positions overlooking the Farmhouse. 
The Delawares reached a position overlooking the river leading to the farmhouse. 
 The Delawares, seeing no enemy, crossed the open ground leading to the river. 
 The rest of the militia and delawares pushed hard to keep up!
 Suddenly, from across the river, a group of Hurons fired!
 One of the brave Delawares fell dead and his companions wavered!
 The Hurons, seeing the Delawares halt, moved forward to take scalps!
 Another of the Delawares fell, gravely injured...but they shot back.
 A dead Huron floated down the river! - his companions, seeing more Delawares approaching, fell back to cover on their side of the river.
 Soon, with Militia support, the Hurons were losing the fight! 
 Both sides raced for the river - where the Delawares were victorious!
 
In the centre, Ranger scouts spotted some French and indians around the Farmhouse! 
 
...The Delawares were, meanwhile, outflanking the farmhouse...
 Spotting the Ranger scouts, the Hurons at the farm raced out to attack...
 ..The Rangers and militia stepped forward and fired a volley!
 The French and Hurons were decimated and fled!
 Surrounded on all sides, the French officers surrendered their captives graciously.
 ..while the Delawares and other indians found some well deserved liquid cheer!
Ending (a) for ladies...
The black haired scout leader approached his beloved, and casting aside his long rifle, he caught Catherine up in his strong arms and placed a gentle kiss on her neck...

The real ending, (b) for blokes...

As the ladies approached the safety of the Ranger position, they cast an ascerbic look over the assembled officers
As they passed they were heard to comment ' At least the French are Gentlemen!' to which her companion replied, ' Well.. at least they WASH!'


Players:

Rangers: Phil
Main Militia force: Lawrence
Rear left militia: Me
Delawares, and the French: Run by the solo system!

Monday 20 February 2012

Post combat report 29th June 1944

Saturdays game (18th Feb) was a good game! - unfortunately, I was not terribly well and forgot my camera!
I got a new and supposedly better one at a local shop with 9.1 meg rather than my current 4 meg. (I had been planning to get a better camera for outside shooting in beautiful Northumberland etc anyway).
However got home and downloaded the pics, they ware all blurred and awful apart from ones I took at 5 foot or more! - So no pics of the actual game this week sadly! --Sorry!

Phil, one of our players saying 'Hi There!'
 One of the 'Grande Armee' Napoleonics games on as well as us.
 ..and an 'Empire' Napoleonic game.
 Of our game, only the 2 set up pics I took came out - with a blue tinge!
The objective of the game, a ruined house .
 The markers showing the  possible positions of the German defenders!

Post action report of 2nd platoon, 'C' company.1/5th Battalion, The York and Lancaster Regiment, 49th Division, of the action on 29th June 1944 (D+23)

Lieutenant David Pearce commanding

At around 10:20 gmt, 2nd platoon was detached to seize and hold a road junction being used to reinforce the recent German counterattacks. A Sherman tank was allocated for use in support of us in emergencies.
I moved my men in standard 'Arrow' formation across some fields where we came under fire from German infantry holding 2 woods to our front.
One of my NCOs was seriously injured early on, but despite 5 other casualties, the enemy were dislodged.
The platoon then occupied the woods and moved dispersed to the front edge, facing the ruined farmhouse.

Some of my men, at some distance from my position, spotted a Stug 3 hiding behind the house, they sent a runner to me, and I returned the runner with orders to assault the farmhouse when the Stug had been eliminated.
I then ordered my PIAT team up and summoned the Sherman.

Despite my orders, a private C Williams dashed across the open ground to the farmhouse with a gammon bomb, and despite being spotted by the Germans, and wounded by an MP40, he managed to damage the tracks of the vehicle with his bomb before retiring to safety. I respectfully recommend this man for a DSM.

Shortly after, his comrades in the 1st squad attempted to close assault the Stug, (my 2" mortar team belatedly attempting to give them protection with smoke rounds).
Despite losing a man to an MG40 burst as they advanced, they managed to board the tank and forced the crew to surrender.
Mention must be made of 3rd squads effective flanking rifle fire which had neutralised the enemy MG during this action.

The Sherman had been disabled by a Panzerfaust, and the PIAT team was badly placed, so the brave action by my squad leaders won us the objective.

All my men showed the greatest spirit and determination and should be commended.


(Lt D.Pearce 31st June 1944) 

Sunday 12 February 2012

American Civil War - the return!

We did a second playtest of the ACW skirmish rules again today, newly modified after the last game 2 weeks ago (I was working last Saturday!) - This worked much better - with only a few minor modifcations needed to the rules before our next game being identified.
Poor Ian wasn't able to join us this week as he has a poorly foot - get better soon!

The battlefield, a fenceline to the right, and stream in the distance.
 The view from the fenceline. 
A raw company of Federal troops from Ohio.
 My Confederate opponents, Phil (left) and Lawrence.
 The Virginia company, as expected deployed at the fenceline.
 Most moved to line it. 
..but on the left they moved toward the Federal line.
Seeing the Rebs at extreme range, 2 squads deployed and fired a volley. 
1 dead and 2 wounded, poor shooting. 
 In their turn, one squad moved after firing, and dove for the trees.
 Even though only half the enemies numbers, they disabled 2 and wounded 1!
 While the Federals reloaded, the second line of Rebs fired.
 ..and more bluecoats fell.
 The other half of the Federal platoon moved to screen their comrades, and fired.
 While the other platoon reloaded, the rest moved into a wood facing the rebels. 
On the Confederate side, more units moved to the wood opposite. 
 With no enemies in site, the (now reloaded) 1st platoon moved to their wood too. 
The Rebs, mesmerised, watched the blue mass manoeuvering! 
Both sides had unconsciously decided the main fight was to be between the woods. 
 2 squads of Rebels moved to a 'crater' to the left of their wood. 
 The Virginians waited.
 The Union forces were almost in position to begin the fight.
 Phil's men from the crater got a stern talking to! 
 ..as they stepped out of cover and attack the Federal held wood!
 The platoon on their left disobeyed orders and covered them from cover rather than join the advance!
 The first volley from the Feds was virtually inneffective (I was wondering if my D8 HAD any scores above 4 or 5!)
 The Confederates return fire reflected their greater confidence and ability! Youch! 
One Federal squad fled, well, what was left of them!
  The second line of Ohio boys advanced to relieve their friends.
 ..and hit the Rebs in the wood..
 ..and the guys advancing!
 Rapidly reloading, the Rebels eschewed fire and advanced bravely on! 
 In the Rebel wood, a second line advanced and fired.
 In a remarkable display of accurate fire, one Federal squad was literally blown apart!
 The Ohians stood as the Rebels charged, whoopin' an' Hollerin'.
Belatedly, some Rebs from the wood advanced. The Feds had reloaded.. 
More Confederates advanced, and with their original numerical advantage gone, and the melee going badly, the Federal officer ordered the retreat!
 

That was a good game! - who would have thought the brave charge across open ground by the Reb left would have succeeded?
(Maybe I should have chanted 'Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg'!!!??)
The result was skewed somewhat by the vagueries of the dice, but no-one was unhappy with the result!
The whole point of dice is to randomise results!

At least we won the War!