Piddlyn-on-the-Weald, late summer 1940

It was Half-Term this week so naturally William joined Phil and I for our weekly game, with Emma making a brief contribution drawing the dice before being whisked off out to lunch by Grandma! The game, a 1940 Operation Zeelöwe setting  with the excuse of getting my Interwar/Early War 28mm collection out for an overdue airing. William joined Phil commanding the gallant folk of Piddlyn-on-the-Weald attempting to block a German attack on this section of the newly forming defence line. That left yours truly in command of the Germans. We used Bolt Action for simplicity with both sides having 12 Action Dice, not enough for all the forces once deployed. In addition we had a red Special Event Dice which once drawn allowed subsequent Action Dice to be used on units which had already received an order. This worked well enough in most Turns, enabling extra movement in a tight situation or sustained fire on a vital target.

The Germans had two commands, each of several rifle squads each supported by a machine gun squad. In addition each command had a variety of support weapon groups and ultimately the Germans could call on three tanks. The British had three commands: the LDV; the Territorials; and lastly the motorized Regulars. In addition they had a Matilda Mk1 and three Vickers Light Tanks. In deploying they were constrained by having to get all the LDV on first, followed by all the Territorials before the Regulars could deploy. This should have given the Germans the early edge in movement...

Of course the run of the Action Dice in Bolt Action is important, especially early on I've found. My Heer Recce squad reached the ford on the Piddlyn quickly, but failed to cross it...

That failure so early in Turn 1 allowed two LDV Rifle squads time to take up defensive positions taking advantage of the cover afforded by Piddlyn Wood! The Germans would have to fight to secure the ford for their tanks. 

On the German right the first squads of Fallskrimjägers found their advance halted by fire from Piddlyn Farm! The first Territorials had arrived ahead of expected time!

Taking advantage of the GPO phone line Captain Watkiss was able to keep in touch with LDV HQ while still directing his third squad to deploy in a line of trees covering his flank.

The Fallskrimjägers having landed on the far side of the Piddlyn found themselves somewhat distant from the opening action and rather exposed to enemy fire from the Farm. Now we had more elements than dice in the game choice of Action Dice and the appearance of the Special Event Red Dice became more important to both sides.

German losses on their right amongst the Fallskrimjägers soon began to mount, with Pins additionally disrupting attempts to issue orders! So confident was Colonel Robinson in the developing situation that he held the Regulars back in reserve after they might have arrived.

The Recce squad are tied down at the Ford by the LDV stalwarts, selling their lives dearly in defence of their homes! Support was slow in reaching them, leading to mounting losses and accumulated Pins.

At last the German's anti-tank gun gets into position just as the Motorized Regulars start to arrive in support of the Territorials engaging the Fallskrimjägers probing the flank of the British position.

Their ranging shot hits home on the lead truck, causing chaos in the ranks as well as three casualties!

Despite this sudden setback Col. Robinson is not moved from his developing plan. Stalwart defence by the LDV in Piddlyn Wood and steady fire from the Territorials has so far held up the German probing attacks allowing a breathing space for the Regulars to recover and deploy.

By Turn 5 the Germans have made little impression on the heroic defenders. Capt. Watkiss' men still hold Piddlyn Wood and although some Germans have secured St Olaf's church Piddlyn-on-the-Weald is still mostly held by the LDV, supported by the Territorials. German infantry have dug in along a low ridge brining more fire to bear on the hard pressed defenders. At last they hear the low roar of tanks approaching to support their attack.

The first 38T crosses the Piddlyn Ford, the LDV occupying Piddlyn Wood finally having had to withdraw. The Boys anti-tank rifle team steady themselves and prepare to fire on the advancing tank.

Boom! A direct hit - 11 on two Dx6, thanks William! The tank brews up blocking the Ford. The remaining 38T and Panzer II cannot now cross. The second crossing point is too far away in the time remaining (Turn 6) and so the Germans call off the attack, the Fallskrimjägers having suffered too many casualties to make further progress on the right. Piddlyn-on-the-Weald has been held, allowing the new defence line to be consolidated by the Regulars and the RTR tanks. 

A grand three hander of a game we all thought and another infrequently seen collection given an airing! Next week here in GHQ should feature a game with Paul, circumstances permitting! I'm looking forward then to a trip to 'Ommer'ead at the end of the month.

Back to the Future?

I have been cleaning up, assembling and spray undercoating figures for the Age of Arthur project as and when hand, eye and brief dry spells have afforded the opportunity. As a result I have a number of elements ready to pass under the Brush of Doom utilising figures from 1st Corps, Gripping Beast and Wargames Foundry. I have made a start from the latter with four figures forming a sub-General base for the infantry elements. There were two factors guiding my choice: firstly, I'm familiar with Foundry figures so I can get straight into the rhythm; secondly, they are significantly smaller than the other two and so anticipating future eye issues these smaller figures are better processed first. Anyway, here they are for your consideration ~

The remaining Foundry figures in the Lead Pimple comprise three bases of Arthurian javelin armed skirmishers and a similar number of bases featuring Early Saxon archers. If I make it to 'Ommer'ead at the end of the month I shall hope to add a further blister for those Arthurians and two blisters of Saxons to join their bases of javelin armed skirmishers I retained for the project! I'd hope to process all of those sometime in March all things being equal. Then its on to the 1st Corps and Gripping Beast figures! At least that is the plan as of today and we all know only too well how plans go, don't we...?

Making Good Use?

Or just too mean to waste 'spare' figures? Either way I have added to the Cossacks for my Crimean War project! When I had completed the figures for my Foundry Crimean War Roosian Cossacks shown in the previous blog post I had one figure left over. I decided to paint and base him to represent a Cossack scout - you might just recall that I have a few dismounted Cossack Scouts from Eureka's unreleased range. Now he is finished and ready to be matt varnished I hoped that you might like to see him ~

"Waste not, want not" as the saying goes seems to fit the bill. 

I've also finished cleaning up the 1st Corps Early Saxon figures for this new project as we had the threatened short dry spell and I was able to spray undercoat them! Just six Arthurian Heavy Cavalry left to be processed and I can start prepping the Russo-Japanese War figures!

A Brief Return...

...to the Crimean War project. While I was dithering over what Romano-British and Early Saxon figures to order and waiting for my Russo-Japanese War order from Empress Miniatures the only figures I had ready to paint were these Foundry Cossacks for the Crimean War. I really didn't want to paint them, you will probably be able to tell! But, needs must when the endless rain makes spray undercoating figures outdoors impossible! So here we have three bases of the figures in question ~

There's little chance that I could have matched the colours or style of those I painted in the 1990's, so I opted for a different scheme after some time searching images across the net. I settled on a dark blue-black which I chose to represent with Foundry 'Equipment Black' as the light shade has a bluish tinge to it which matt varnish should bring out. Their standard is from the sheet of Cossack flags I bought from North Star last year and the bases are from Warbases as usual. They will pass muster at gaming distance on the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ and, as you know, that will do for me. I hope you will think they'll do for you also.

I did clean up 18 1st Corps Sub-Roman Britons on Monday afternoon though I still need to sort out their shields before they can be spray undercoated. At this rate  these two new projects are going to be a long drawn out process...

The Second New Project...

...is currently the Russo-Japanese War as you may already know. When recently checking through the contents of my recent Red Cross package from Aly I realised that I had not fully sorted through the bags of unpainted Russian and Japanese figures while the painted figures were a different tale. I had sorted the Roosian infantry into two regiments ~

The Japanese infantry I had sorted into three regiments. For both sides each regiment has three bases, each of 6 or more figures. The first task was to see if there were spare figures in the bags of Japanese to provide figures to fill three obvious gaps on the bases of painted figures. Three suitable figures located and Phil volunteering to match the paint job equalled the best expected result! Here are the Japanese, see if you can spot the 'new' figures ~

Sorting out the bags of raw metal figures seemed to have provided the basis of other units, but there were several gaps which needed filling before any preparation was considered - though there is a Roosian field gun and crew along with a machine gun and crew too. Time spent perusing the relevant sections of the Empress Miniatures website eventually produced an order which did not cause too many palpitations in the wallet! The result is the following units to be prepared and spray undercoated - if this rain ever stops that is ~

Japanese Infantry Firing Line

Japanese ammunition mule train.

Japanese High Command

Roosian High Command 

Roosian Infantry Firing Line.

Dismounted Roosian Cossack Cavalry 

Roosian Cossack Cavalry 

In addition to the Empress/Tsuba figures there were two packs of Japanese infantry obviously by another manufacturer as they were noticeably larger figures as well as having separate heads and packs ~

Some research on the web thingie showed they were 11 Oshiro Miniatures VSF figures. Being noticeably bigger and differently posed they would need further figures ordering. No go though, they don't seem to be on the relevant web page! I'll hold on to them and see if any more come up as they'd  obviously make a good Guards regiment.

There still remain assorted figures to incorporate into the collection, notably the Roosian band! There are elements which could provide a further Roosian and Japanese infantry regiment. There is no Japanese artillery - I hope to acquire these later in the year at Partizan - nor Japanese cavalry - which might have to wait until The Other Parrizan. The Roosians might get a second field gun set too. I have little on the way of earthworks here in GHQ, but have seen very affordable and appropriate pieces from Any Scale Models. They will need to be ordered at some point after the wallet has had a lie down in a darkened room to recover. So, lots to do, if this apocalyptical rain ever gives over that is!

Battle at Northycote Farm

For our most recent encounter here in GHQ, and keeping faith with facilitating the appearance of periods/armies/rules less seen on the tabletop battlefield, I set up a fictional ECW game which I named after a local farm and country park which has core buildings going back to the C17th. Phil provided the farm buildings, PMC Buildings from Caliver Books,  while the rest of the terrain is from my Last Valley collection. My armies are mostly Foundry and Perry Miniatures, though the guns might be from other sources, I forget! We used Pike & Shotte for the rules, though no doubt were playing Black Caesar & Shotte! Whatever, we had a happy two or three hours or so. On now to the usual annotated photomontage to hopefully carry you down into the action ~

The Parliamentary army of Obadiah Bykleigh,  gentleman ~ but military incompetent! His objective, the stores and treasure currently stored at Northycote Farm awaiting collection by the arch Royalist, Sir Marmaduke Robinson.

The Royalist army of Sir Marmaduke Robinson drawn up at the end of Turn 2. You may notice in the distance the Dragoons of the Parliamentary army have reached the hedge line and can threaten any movement on the objective. The first two turns had not been kind to either army, but particularly towards the Royalists.

Obadiah's Dragoons proved the exception to his army's lethargy, reaching the hedge line and effectively stymying the Royalist movement on their objective of recovering the stored supplies and treasure.

While the Dragoons hold off any premature Royalist advance on the farm Obadiah advances Foote and Horse in their support, seeking to take advantage of Royalist lethargy. 

As his Foote deploys into fighting formation the first clash of Parliamentary and Royalist Horse develops on their left flank.

As a second melee of Horse develops on the flank of the first, Royalist Dragoons dismount and advance on the hedge line held by their Parliamentary opposite number.

The two melees of Horse are brutal and conclusive. Sir Mattias Bykleigh's Horse are routed by their Royalist foe while Obadiah Bykleigh's Horse thrash their opponents. The Royalists rally back, threatened by musketeers out of shot, while the Parliamentary Horse sweep onward in support of their Dragoons.

On the opposite flank further elements of Horse are clashing in brutal, swirling combat! The Royalists are lead by their general, a move proving decisive in ensuing combat.

Parliamentary losses are too much to bear, the Horse's morale collapses and they flee. Fortunately their second line is ready to meet the threat!

Spured on by a little know East Anglian by the name of Cromwell Sir Martyn Bowland's Horse charge home against further Royalists! Will his brave leadership prove telling or empty bravado?

Back on the Parliamentary left flank more fighting between both army's Horse continues. The Parliamentary Foote might find life too hot for their liking if their Horse is defeated.

As feared the Parliamentary Horse is defeated by their foe and the remnants flee! Fortunately for the Parliamentary Foote the Royalists are Shaken and so retire fearing a devastating volley from the Parliamentary musketeers!

On the Parliamentary right disaster strikes the Royalist regiments of Horse. In bloody, decisive melees they are shattered by their foe and the remnants sent fleeing from the field! Suddenly the slow moving Royalist Foote finds its flank fatally exposed.

Despite serious losses Cromwell's leadership has proved decisive and the Royalist cause is fatally wounded. Mark my words, we shall hear of this Cromwell fellow again before this sad state of affairs in our divided kingdom is resolved.

The victorious Parliamentary army advances all along its front as the Royalists begin a slow withdrawal.  The supplies and treasure will be removed from Northycote Farm to a safer location in nearby Rushall Hall. The Royalists will rally their forces back in Bushbury and regroup ready for the next phase, whenever that maybe. Cromwell meanwhile moves on to greater things...

A fine game resolved in eight turns and almost exclusively decided by the Horse of both armies, the Foote being hardly engaged and only the Parliamentary gun getting a shot or two off! Command dice were far from kind to the Royalists who fought well despite everything going against them! Dour and dependable, the plodding Parliamentarian army proved the victor.