Blandings to Berlin!

A surprise insertion into the revealed gaming programme, but very welcome for reasons I'm sure you will understand. Jon has managed to organise a 'sitter' for his mum on a Wednesday evening, which means he gains valued free time to recharge his batteries and also that we can now plan for a game at least once a month. As the table was already set up for the VBCW game on Monday I opted for a simple substitution of forces and came up with a scenario for our next Blandings/Operation Zeelowe game. You may recall in the previous game Lord Emsworth, a prisoner of the cunning Von Brecher, was the subject of a failed rescue operation. Herr Hitler has sent a plane to whisk Emsworth to Berlin, where the simple aristocrat may be 'persuaded' to advise the 1000 Year Reich on its pig breeding programme! Getting wind of the plan from a spy in Market Blandings Colonel White has organised an ambush. In a 7 turn Bolt Action game the British have to free Emsworth while the Germans must simply exit the table top with the Earl. On to Blandings 1940 ~

Under close guard Emsworth is escorted to his car by von Brecher.

England under the jackboot!

The convoy moves off towards the landing strip.

Fearing the worst, von Brecher has ordered the local garrison to sweep the
countryside for the enemy.

British soldiers of the KOSLI are already holding the farm! The Germans
close in for the assault!

The Rolls Royce armoured car comes off second best in an encounter with
the Panzer 38T.

With the ambush sprung, Col White orders up the Vickers MkVI and
supporting infantry. Will von Brecher make a dash for it?

The Vickers Mk VI knocks out the Panzer38T!

British reinforcements pedal hard towards the farm! The enemy convoy
seems to have stalled!

A cool head manning the Pak 38 leads to the Vickers being knocked out!
The convoy can make a dash for the air strip.

With fighting raging all around, von Brecher orders a dash forward. Can the
Hun pull off a win at the death?

The Boyes antitank rifle team knocks out the kublewagen. The column fails
its order test and is a sitting duck for the British!

In Turn 7, with the column halted, the British surge forward and snatch
Emsworth to freedom. In the confusion von Brecher escapes death or capture
and lives to fight another day!

As with all Bolt Action games I've found, the game swings backwards and forwards and produces a tense finish. The decisive factor in this game was the pile of pin markers the convoy suddenly accumulated in Turn 4 and the failed Order Test which resulted. All in all though a grand game which we both thoroughly enjoyed. Roll on the next installment in the epic of Emsworth, the Nazis, and the Empress of Blandings!