Battlefront Pz38t, Plastic Soldier Co. T 34 & spare turret, Battlefront Stug D
A blog for the Devon Wargames Group, which meets on the second Saturday of each month at the Whipton Institute, 16 Whipton Village Road, Whipton, Exeter, EX4 8AW. Doors open at 10.30am.
Friday, 28 January 2011
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Long Island August 27th 1776
The first club game of 2011 featured an AWI clash using the "Hold the Line" board game rules and fighting the Long Island scenario.
On August 22nd 1776 General Howe landed a British army of 15,000 men at Gravesend Bay on Long Island. On the 26th he marched with 10,0000 men of his force towards the key geographical feature on Long Island, the long narrow ridge known as the Heights of Guan. It was pierced by four passes. Howe feinted against three of the passes and General Putnam the US commander accordingly positioned most of his available troops to cover them. Then on the night of the 26th Howe's main body marched through the one unguarded pass to turn the American flank. Our game started at that point and the first picture shows the British line on the left facing the Americans on the ridge, with the British Light troops ready to enter the nearest pass (Jamaica Pass).
The British force had to destroy seven American units before the games end (22 turns) whilst the Americans were trying to evacuate seven units after the half way point, or eliminate six British units.
Initially the British quickly moved their light infantry and dragoons around the American flank, taking out a unit of militia on the way. This forced the American to fall back off the ridge on that flank and attempt to refuse it. Meanwhile the remaining British units attempted to close as quickly as possible, some using force march to pin the remaining US troop on the ridge. The Guards on the British left flank assaulted the militia and destroyed them.
The early success achieved by the British was cancelled out by their inability to keep their army together. Their eagerness to close with the enemy and shoot and assault left them with to few command points to bring up their remaining troops thus causing the half the British infantry to be left on the base line.
At the halfway point in the game it was 2 victory points to nil in favour of the British, and following a quick half time beer much talk about getting stuck in and finishing the Yanks off. Things didn't quite go to plan. Suddenly the Americans started to get the better command die rolls enabling them to move more troops in as reinforcements, and just as importantly cause weaker units to be evacuated. In addition the variable time control dictated by rolling a d6 and reducing the time left by the score started to move in favour of the Americans. Before the British knew what was happening the Americans had a 4 to 2 victory point lead and the games end loomed.
In a last desperate attempt to close the gap the British launched an all out attack on the defences of the Brooklyn camp, with a Grenadier unit breaking into the fort and destroying a continental battalion and capturing General Washington. The American army had however escaped to fight another day, winning the game 8 to 5.
The rules played very well and everyone had them mastered very quickly which enabled us to get through the moves and finish the game in good time. Thanks to all involved for another fun time.
Jon
On August 22nd 1776 General Howe landed a British army of 15,000 men at Gravesend Bay on Long Island. On the 26th he marched with 10,0000 men of his force towards the key geographical feature on Long Island, the long narrow ridge known as the Heights of Guan. It was pierced by four passes. Howe feinted against three of the passes and General Putnam the US commander accordingly positioned most of his available troops to cover them. Then on the night of the 26th Howe's main body marched through the one unguarded pass to turn the American flank. Our game started at that point and the first picture shows the British line on the left facing the Americans on the ridge, with the British Light troops ready to enter the nearest pass (Jamaica Pass).
The British force had to destroy seven American units before the games end (22 turns) whilst the Americans were trying to evacuate seven units after the half way point, or eliminate six British units.
Initially the British quickly moved their light infantry and dragoons around the American flank, taking out a unit of militia on the way. This forced the American to fall back off the ridge on that flank and attempt to refuse it. Meanwhile the remaining British units attempted to close as quickly as possible, some using force march to pin the remaining US troop on the ridge. The Guards on the British left flank assaulted the militia and destroyed them.
The early success achieved by the British was cancelled out by their inability to keep their army together. Their eagerness to close with the enemy and shoot and assault left them with to few command points to bring up their remaining troops thus causing the half the British infantry to be left on the base line.
At the halfway point in the game it was 2 victory points to nil in favour of the British, and following a quick half time beer much talk about getting stuck in and finishing the Yanks off. Things didn't quite go to plan. Suddenly the Americans started to get the better command die rolls enabling them to move more troops in as reinforcements, and just as importantly cause weaker units to be evacuated. In addition the variable time control dictated by rolling a d6 and reducing the time left by the score started to move in favour of the Americans. Before the British knew what was happening the Americans had a 4 to 2 victory point lead and the games end loomed.
In a last desperate attempt to close the gap the British launched an all out attack on the defences of the Brooklyn camp, with a Grenadier unit breaking into the fort and destroying a continental battalion and capturing General Washington. The American army had however escaped to fight another day, winning the game 8 to 5.
The rules played very well and everyone had them mastered very quickly which enabled us to get through the moves and finish the game in good time. Thanks to all involved for another fun time.
Jon
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Northfield, Minnesota, Bank Robbery
Hi all,
The annual Xmas game in North Devon was something a bit different, something you come to expect when Chas invites you over to his place. The game was based on the raid carried out by the James-Younger Gang on September 7th 1876, see the link for more details.
The gang led by the infamous Jesse James and Bob Younger decided to do a job in the North, so it was rather amusing to find after randomly assigning characters to players, that the gang were run by the South Devon contingent of me(JJ), Steve M, and Vince vs the North Devon citizens run by Chas, Clive and Nick.
As in the original raid the start positions had Jesse, Bob and Clell Miller in the bank holding up the staff, the other gang members were in two groups guarding the route out of town should things "kick off". As the gang we needed a quick resolution of the hold up (decided with a die roll each turn) before to many townsfolk became aware of the raid and decided to take up arms against us. The gang managed to grab the cash by turn two and Bob and Jesse were on their horses ready to leave. Clell, however chose to adjust his saddle just as the alarm was given and was immediately shot in the back by a citizen wielding a six gun as he came out of a neighbouring building.
What followed was a painful battle up the centre of town as the two leaders gradually worked their way towards the bridge out of town, fending of shotgun/rifle wielding enraged townsfolk taking potshots. The other gang members gave support fire from the bridge and the stagecoach(conveniently parked up in the town), and using innocent unarmed townsfolk as cover enabled the gang to move without actually killing anyone.
The game reached its climax as the final dash was made for the bridge and safety. Both sides upped the anti with a local "pistolero" fanning his six gun at the robbers, killing Cole younger, and one of the gangs horses. In return the gang now started to shoot to kill in an attempt to relieve the pressure on their rearguard, felling four townsfolk in two turns, with citizens being ridden down on the bridge by Bob Younger as he left his gang to get out.
In the end the gang were able to make good their escape leaving two of their number dead and six murdered townsfolk.
Really enjoyable game, thanks to Chas, Clive and Nick for setting things up.
Happy new Year
Jon