Game Three : ‘Unser Ziel ist Bayeux’ Chain of Command Campaign

The third game of the ‘Unser Ziel ist Bayeux’ campaign saw Panzer Lehr on push towards Durham Light Infantry positions defending a choke point culvert on the outskirts Conde-Sur-Seulles.  

This was a great opportunity to preregister fields of fire and stop the German advance or at least make them pay a high price to cross the open ground on the approaches.

The plan stared well and on the left the combination of a fresh infantry section, the 2”mortar and a MMG all pinned  the advancing Germans in the cover of a hedgerow.  On the left however the odds favoured the Panzer Lehr, as they brought their Puna reconnaissance car to bear, supported the Second and then the third sections. On the right the defenders found themselves pinned and once Junior Leaders started to get hit their Force Morale began to suffer. 

In an effort to blunt the attack the 3rd section deployed with the Senior Leader to defend the culvert, while there 1st Section redeployed to assist in the defence.  Before they could make the difference. Fire from the Germans, killed the Platoon Sergeant and seeing this result in the collapse of the  remaining Force Morale. 

Following the stiff defence, the Panzer Lehr drove the DLI defenders back and broke through but not before they also received  a number of casualties including wounded Senior and Junior leaders, justifying the expense of bringing a medic.

Game Two : Moulin de Flaye in the 'Unser Ziel ist Bayeux' Campaign,

This weekend after a bit of a hiatus saw the second engagement at Moulin de Flaye in the Unser Ziel ist Bayeux campaign of Chain of Command on the table. 

This game was more of a continuation of the first than a new game. As such both sides  deployed  with eroded platoons following on from the first game. As if the Germans reorganised and went again later that day. 

Because of these casualties two DLI sections were under strength, basically consisting of Bren Teams. adding to their woes Panzer Lehr started with a double phase which allowed them to race to their objective race. This illustrated the usefulness of a successful Patrol Phase  permitting aggressive  Lehr  patrols to keep the DLI Jump off Points back from the Railway embankment buying them time to rush over the bridge before the defenders could get into position. 

As a result and through a good use of overwatch the Panzer Lehr grenadiers raced to their objective and were hardly troubled by the parting shots from the DLI as they rushed to get in position. 

Rather than considering this an anti-climactic game it is more of a amusé-bouche, for the tasty engagements at the next locations. 

Panzer Lehr : 

Leutnant Norbert Drexler

Obergrefreiter Kurt Fischer   

 

Zug One : Gefreter Heinrich Koch 

Zug Two: Gefreter Bobbi Klein 

Zug Three: Gefreter Ernest Schafer  

Fresh Platoon Next game.

Durham Light Infantry :

 Lieutenant Norman Collier.

The Platoon Sergeant Ernest Lincoln 

Junior Leaders: 

Section One:  Corporal Alfred Ford. (Promoted)

Section Two: Corporal Fredrick Williams.

Section Three: Corporal George Taylor.

Fresh Platoon Next Game .

Sharp Practice at Winter Wonder Lard

My afternoon game at Winter Wonder Lard  earlier this month was a spectacular Indian Mutiny encounter entitled 'The Dojjibotti Run' using Sharp Practice. 

The forces consisted of a large Sepoy rabble tasked with storming the the British garrsupported by lots of cavalry which I was responsible for, verses a force of British regulars and a Native Princesses' with supporting Gurkhas and Loyal Sepoys. 

What is really interesting about this game is the range of different troop types available from cavalry, militia to regulars & conscripts all played a part, and were full of characterisation. This resulted in an action pack battle. 

I timed the arrival of my scouting cavalry, charging on from a moveable Jump-off Point on the flank of the British advance as they moved up to engage the massed ranks of the Sepoys who were attempting to besiege the British garrison.

I had to be patient waiting for the cavalry cards to come out, but when they did, I provided the opportunity for the cavalry to charge  the  British Light Horse in the rear, resulting from them scattering. Following what felt like a bit of a hiatus wait for the light cavalry to come out again, they charged again  this time  riding down Unloaded skirmishers in the rear. 

Being British light infantry they took a bit of dealing with, and despite this series of engagements my depleted numbers only held one point of shock. 

At the other end of the table the massed ranks of sepoys deployed in a perimeter   to  resist the advancing Native Princes(ses) Loyal Sepoys and supporting Gurkhas. 

The line held as they skirmished forward hold the Loyal Sepoy attack supported by a cavalry charge which came to nought. In the last turn my light changed one final time into the British Line, while out numbered this last heroic attack destroyed them but it successfully pushed an element of the line back. The game ended in stalemate, with force moral teetering on 2 for the British and 3 for the Rebels bringing the game right down to the wire.

Huge thanks to Steve for putting on what was a magnificent game and my fellow players, Ben , Tom and Colin all of whom made it an throughly enjoyable afternoon. 

Flashing Blades at Winter Wonder Lard

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of attending Winter Wonder Lard. This was my third visit to the popular Bristol Lardy day held at Britistol Independent Gaming, a games venue in South Bristol. 

The  established structure of the day is participants select a morning and afternoon game. In the morning game I had the opportunity to play Flashing Blades for the first time. Which I was excited about having never played it before. 

The scenario was a diplomatic escort mission, where my  gang of English swashbucklers were attempting to escort a Milanese diplomat to the safety of a the tavern in the centre of the table. 

With a dashing start the English rushed forward trying to get the diplomat safe by hiding in the shadows. The Spanish party appeared to intercept the diplomat, quickly the game descends into a series of duels where characters battled back and forth. 

Things reached a crescendo as a nar-do-well slips out of the shadows  as the battles in the continue around  he pounced and pushed the diplomat to the ground allowing another of his companions the lunge forward, battling through the escort  and unceremoniously run the prostrate diplomat through. At this point we decided the logical thing would be to be the was to withdraw. 

 

Despite the ‘loosing’ the scenario because of the way the leader conducted himself in the duels the was able to accrue honour which in long term will benefit him in a campaign setting. 

This is really a splendid game and well worth trying out if the opportunity arises. 

'Take What is Theirs' a Carnevale Scenerio

The Strigoi and the Guild met in a “Take What is Theirs “ encounter. The Guild made a very strong start with their Capodecina bounding across the canals and rooftops to capture his objective while his gang held back defending the Strigoi objective which were a barrel of fish and a barrel of bodies respectively.  From the outset the Strigoi managed to tie themselves in knots with some poor roles early on allowing the Guild Capodecina to swoop in and grab the objective and then race off. 

Just has he was about to achieve the objective the Noble Strigoi activated and leaped over a citizen on guard with a desperate attack, finishing the poor Capodecina off only moments before he achieved his objective. The noble vampire raced back with the recaptured objective with his Strigoi moving to guard his escape. Shortly after in the that the penultimate round, a Common Strigoi audaciously slipped through the screen of Guild enforcers to snatch their objective marker. She raced back in an attempt to get the prize back only to be pursued by a knife welding citizen doing all in her power to stop the vampire. 

These are some shots of the action.

Scenario 19 from the Winter Storm Campaign: Chain of Command

A “one off” go at scenario 19 of the Winter Storm Chain of Command campaign.  The objective is for the German Panzer Grenadiers  to race and capture the bridge over Mushkova River before the Soviets can blowit up. The only amendment we made was to give the German a ‘Red Dice’ rather than the extra  Command dice, suggested by the scenario. After a successful patrol phase they deployed flanking the bridge. 

Despite the a sense of urgency and a rush for the bridge the Soviets put up a stiff defence, driving two Zugs off the bridge and destroying a tank whic got itself isolated without infantry support as the Germans tried and tried again to force their way over and create a bridgehead.

With growing desperation the Germans attempted a final push, but a lack of coordination between units bought enough time for the Soviets to spend a Chain of Command dice to blow the bridge. What a fun afternoon of toy soldiers where the result went down to the wire.