The Battle of Greenhead - a tale of Treachery

Today I went over to Matt's Dungeon for another epic VBCW battle. The Fascist Northumbrian Army was launching another assault on Carlisle. The Carlisle Royalists met us at the village of Greenhead. This battle was unusual as both sides contained fascists and forces from the local Constabulary. Matt had written some blue on blue rules which were activated by drawing a die from the dice bag (we were playing Bolt Action as usual). The terrain was beautiful as usual and dominated by an urban environment split by a railway cutting what could only be crossed by vehicles at the humpbacked bridge.
Let battle commence

The view from Matt's side, a mix of regulars, irregulars, armoured cars, motorbike MMG,, an AT gun, a mortar and a plane

The regulars and the Women's Institute

Carlisle Golf Club

Cavalry and motorbikes to the fore. Standing alone is a communist agitator, Svetlana, who is one of the objectives She will move randomly each turn

My forces advance around the church, Northumbrian Special Constabulary (The Alnwick Vampires), 3 squads of paramilitary thugs

More Vampires and a truck full of Police

THe rest of my force arrives, mortars, the Northumbrian Rangers, Marines, female sailors, a Renault FT tank and an Eberhardt armoured car.

Police debus in town

The Royalist plane swoops out of the sun and pins a squad of Vampires

My truck mounted AT gun and a Lancia full of Vampires guard the approaches as Royalist cavalry makes a mad dash across the bridge. A direct hit of HE stops them and they dismount and enter the house.

The Royalist AC's and infantry take up position across the bridge

as the rest of the Royalists advance

The Royalist mortar tries a specualtive shot at one of my Lancias and brews it up. Note in Bolt Action mortars are pretty poor needing a 6 to hit on 1st shot. Lucky boy

The Royalist AT gun takes up position covering the bridge. I have plenty of stuff to capture the town but this is bound to slow me down.

The plane attacks again and strafes the mortars. This is slowing me down and becoming a pain

Still no problem, I advance my AC to pin the dismounted cavalry in the house. No luck this time but plenty of ....... Boom the mortar fires again and the AC is immobilised

This bloody mortar - yes this one - has hit and wrecked 2 armoured vehicles with 2 consecutive first shots.

The Blue on Blue dice is drawn and the result is that one of Matt's fascist units swaps side, Better still it's a regular unit inside a house on the middle of Matt's left. I have wrecked his defence and I never had to touch a dice. Matt's infantry converge on the traitorous unit as I lay fire into the Golfers, bloody stupid game.

A burst of fire  from my remaining Lancia takes out the plane, I do like shooting down planes and it happens alot.

One of my sections of Vampires assaults the dismounted cavalry in the house and clears it easily. I own all of this side of the railway

My Renault takes the opportunity to advance and open fire on one of the ACs. I miss and the Royalist mortar fires again and brews it up. I've lost 3 of my 4 armoured vehicles to this mortar. They will have to be punished. At the same time the golfers assault the turncoat fascists but are killed. However another squad of Royalists follows up and kills my brave and wise allies.

I am rocked back but Matt takes is AT gun off ambush and I spot an opportunity. I double move my Lancia down the road (48") and it swerves past both ACs and halts well through the Royalist lines with a full load of  Vampires. Matt is in trouble now and will have to turn 

On my left Matt has launched an attack across the railway lines and although they get across and take out 2 of my units they are overwhelmed.

I'm stuck trying to cross the railway but then blue on blue action comes to my rescue again and another of Matt's units swaps side. Once of my mortars takes out the up-armoured car and Iown the row of houses

Behind the lines my Lancia has unloaded the Vampires and they move into the garden under heavy fire

I've hit the mortar but when Matt goes to activate he gets a FUBAR roll and the crew leg it.

Matt has circled the wagons and whilst I have the infantry to get him he still has the AT gun and 2 ACs which are going to make it very difficult for me to get across

In the cutting there is a squad fight

The final positions.

It was a great battle and a draw. To move forward will be too costly and there was no time to pound him to dust.

In reality the battle was defined by 3 mortar shots and 2 turncoat units. Carlisle is safe. for now.

As always Matt is a great host and the battle field was a joy to behold. Next stop Partizan

Battle of Noyers - July 1944. Oh and my 200th Post

I have been running this curiosity for about 2 years and this is my 200th post. It's been a great laugh
Today we refought the battle of Noyers, Staffs attack on a dug in and hidden German force. The battle was organised by James and it was an absolute cracker

Brits attack Bretteville and then Noyers from the North. It tookthe Brits 3 days, could we do it on a single Sunday. The rules we were using were Flames of War, a first for most of us. The German were all hidden and there were many random event counters across the board that would trigger different events.

The layout, cool isn't it. 11ft long. The far end is the North and the British entry point. The objectives are the village to the top, the train station near the woods by the village and the town of Noyers. 4 of us, Me, Dave, Stig and Angus the newbie(he will fit very well with our motley crew had an infantry platoon, 3 shermans and and firefly each. Stu had a load of funnies and John was capo di tutti capi with the slow moving artillery support - very much his style. The random events will provide us with the rest of the division as reinforcements

We advanced in 2 waves, John and Dave in the 2nd wave. I took the left and soon encountered an infantry platoon in the woods. The village was full of Germans. I gave them the cold steel and they legged it. Stu was in the rear practicing parking  and 3 point turns

Stig got the right and advanced taking out a stug (twice) Angus took the middle  and pounded on hte village

My infantry advanced through the woods and met 2 mg42s. Time to retreat and wait for support.

In the centre the Germans are running but a Panther appeared behind the station and took out one of my shermans. General wringing of hands ensued

The Brits have reached the railway line and have started to surround the panther.

Close up action. Many shots, no kills. The Panther retreats

My advance has uncovered an 88. there is only one action - smoke

The British advance down the left and centre, revealing minefields. The panther is systematically taking out the fireflys and we can no longer hit it effectively from long range. Most of our troops are on board now and driving forward

Despite mainly clearing the woods a single pak40 remains and it is creating bloodly hell with an AT unit. Stu has found the forward gear and eventually wipes it out with a crocodile - I think.

The advance continues but we are running out of time. We clear the mines but the panther is still hovering about

Stig charges a sherman right up to the panther and takes it out at point blank range. That was the high water mark. The germans still hold Noyers but the British have a good defensive line to hold against the German counter attack. But that is for another day, we all want to fight the 2nd day, it was so much fun

Painting Challenge Prize

My prize for coming second in the painting challenge to the insurmountable Miles was a £60 gift voucher from the lovely people at Barrage Miniatures. A trawl through their website and an order later, and this arrived

A load of their flexible pavement and some cobbled squares. These are really great

And a large gun emplacement in resin.

Top weekend for pressies at the moment

Death in the Dark Continent

So the postman finally came yesterday. I'd joined the Nickstarter for the release of the Death in the Dark Continent rules. These are a revamped version of the old Chris Peers rules and at 176 pages long it is a beautiful book full of eye candy, army lists and general background reading.

I've only had chance for a quick read but the rules are straight forward and all of colonial era massed battles. I will need to sort out basing but I have a cunning plan for that.

I also purchased the white hunter set, at £20(ish) it was a bargain

You get an elephant

While hunter and a couple of lions

Water buffalo

African villagers

If I wasn't snowed under with work this would have been my weekend sorted

The Postman didn't come

I was expecting 2 parcels yesterday, my prize from the challenge from Barrage and the new Death in the Dark Continent, rules. Neither came. So I had to do other stuff

I finished the first building, it's ok but there is something I can't put my finger on. It's a shop so needs a sign but I think it needs weathering. Need to look at Matt's finished version.

Down at the flea market I found this gem

it's a cracking book chock full of plates and descriptions.