Ironclads in the Adriatic

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to have a game of  "Ironclads in Action" with Alan and some of the guys at Central London Wargames Club.
We played a fictitious scenario of an engagement between a British Fleet coming up against an Austro-Hungarian fleet in the Adriatic Sea during the latter part of the nineteenth century.

Alan has devised a cleaver way of depicting the ocean. He lays out a 6x10 foot wide length of blue light weight fabric. Over the top of which he places a sheet of clear cellophane  which can cover the entire surface area of the 6x8 game table with on overlap of a  foot or so on either end.  Finally a 2nd clear sheet is placed over the table on the opposite orientation with the overhang cellophane length ways rather than long ways.

With ironclads the action tends to gravitate to the edge of the playing area. However because of Alan's cleaver system if the action heads for the edge of the world  all that is necessary to do is to pull the cellophane one direction or another to centre the action. This allow the scale distances  to be maintained easily in a what is a true scale game.

Our game consisted of three players on each side. For the Austro-Hungarian Howard, Jesse and I for some reason beyond my comprehension selected me to fulfil the role of admiral

In any case we started off very well, sailing our ironclads and line abreast at the Royal Navy fleet sailing up the middle of the table. Howard's Squadron was the first to encounter the British fleet and got embroiled in a slugging match at closing distances. This caused the British line to concertina and slow allowing my squadron to interpenetrate the line and offered the opportunity for me to ram one of the British ships. Unfortunately I missed but managed to get ships entangled.

This is where things started to go wrong for me.  The next round second ship in my battle line had the ingenious idea of firing at the British vessel which was entangled with my flagship. Predictably enough I missed the target and there was a thirty per cent chance of the shot hitting my own ship. Predictably enough I rolled a 30.  To add insult to injury Howard who was firing on the same target also missed his mark but was successful in causing another hit to the Austro-Hungarian flagship.

At this point we ran out of time and we all agreed that the game should be called a draw before I sank one of my own vessels!

Photo credits: Alan 

A Further Sherman Update

I have been plodding along at a snails pace with my North Irish Horse Sherman project. Although progress is slow I am pleased with the outcome so far.  In the weeks building up to Christmas an added a couple more oil washes. These are to reflect grime and dirt.  This was followed by a heavy acrylic wash with sand represent large deposits of light dirt and dust over the super structure.  Before each of these stages it dappled contact points on the hull and turret with olive drab where the dirt was rubbed off through contact.

Naturally enough I have managed to knock off a number of bit in this process. Nevertheless, the next stage is to bring together all the individual elements.  The turret, hull, stowage and hatches etc and bring it all together with some beach sand pigment and take the opportunity to tidy up areas which need work.

Next up we will tackle the tracks. Yikes !!

A Long Overdue Post

This is a long overdue post. I took the opportunity to escape from Christmas and the associated revelry on Thursday evening, the (27^th) for a couple of hours to the CLWC.

My Romans took on Alan's ancient British once again. While I lost the initiative and he opted for agricultural battlefield. It provided wide open spaces for my legions to get chased around by his army which mainly consisted of chariots.

In the end I set up the auxiliary, my light bolt shooters with my noble Roman cavalry on the right flank. The centre consisted of three legions with some rear support of auxilia archers. Because of the placement of a road bisecting the table about a third of the way in I didn't bother with anything on the left flank.

To be honest I am at a loss to provide a meaningful synopsis of what took place in the game because there was so much movement and charging around the table.  On the right I held my cavalry back which gave them the opportunity to charge at and catch a battle group of chariots between them and a battle group of Horse Archers. This battle group along with the Numbian Light Horse charged up the centre hurled a load of sticks at the British and ran away. At this point the Legions move foreword to engage the chariots. The resulting engagement resulted in me losing one legion. Nevertheless, I felt on balance if the game continued I would have prevailed in the centre.     

I am hopeful that the selection of photographs will illustrate the battle. Everything went more or less to plan. I marched up the centre with my legions headed up by my light horse in the centre. On the right flank I let him come on to me resulting in me chasing his light horse off the board. Thankfully for me at least I managed to get a couple of light    both shooters off to concern one of the battle group of Alan's chariots. By then time had run out so we called the game a draw although Alan was marginally ahead.

The Action ob the left flank

The legions plod forward towards the chariots

Progress on the right flank by the Roman cavalry 

The legions repel the first chariot charge and prepare for another attack

The cavalry and light horse charge a battle group of chariots