Blenheim to Berlin

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

BP2 28mm LEIPZIG 16 OCTOBER 1813 Update 4

I was away at the weekend in Methil in Fife for a 2 day large scale 28mm Napoleonic game. It was played by 10 gamers from our AB1 group plus myself umpiring and was a refight of Leipzig 16^th October 1813. The game covered the action on the Southern front where the Allied Army of Bohemia faced Napoleon himself.

The rules used were Black Powder 2. The House Rules employed were basically those being used for The Great Game Waterloo but using our revised turn sequence. It was fun with lots of troops on the table. The game was still in the balance at the end but it was certainly going the way of the French. The allies had lost 5 broken brigades (historic divisions) and the French only 1.

The Allies were played as follows West table John Perkin (Kleist), Centre 1 table Ian Carter (Wittgensein) and Jim Conquer (Eugen of Wurtemburg), Centre 2 table Angus Konstam (Gorchakov), East table Ken Pearce (Klenau). The French were played by West table Bart Zynda (Poniatowski)), Centre 1 Table Jack Glanville (Victor), Centre 2 table Donald Adamson (Lauriston) and Campbell Hardie (Augerau), East table Chris Stone (McDonald).

Thanks to everyone who provided figures and John Perkin who produced all the unit and commander cards and reviewed my other paperwork.

We fielded 170 infantry battalions of 24 figures, 100 cavalry regiments of 12 figures and 81 batteries each of 2 guns - a total of 5,600 figures and 162 guns. In all 4,700 figures got onto the table with 900 still in reserve. You will see that the Allies had quite a numerical advantage at the outset but the French reserves arrived faster.

The battlefield we used consisted of 4 6ft by 12ft tables. Below there is a layout drawing of the 4 tables showing the numbers of the initial on table units and their immediate reserves. The game was played lengthwise and there was a 5ft gap between each table. The tables did not interact except that units within 2ft of the respective baselines could move to adjoining tables. Not shown are the roads that ran south to north linking the villages on each table. We learned some lessons on the BP2 rules to be applied to TGG in June.

Drawing of the 4 tables with initial troop deployment.

I have added the Order of Battle with starting positions, Unit Stats and House Rules to my Blog pages on the right of the screen.

Now some photos from the game - the first photos I took made the dustsheets look very white but the colours improved when I moved to a low light setting. Here is the link to all my photos with descriptions on Flickr:
https://flic.kr/s/aHskQdgPRM

Russian and Prussian allies close on the defenders of Wachau commanded by the wily Jack (Victor)

Donald (Lauriston )organising the French counterattack south of the Galgenburg

Carabiniers and Cuirassiers engage the Prussians

Klenau's forces massing for another attack

Friday, March 1, 2019

MORE NAPOLEONIC ARTILLERY AND BASING

Here are some photos of the latest addition to my Black Powder Napoleonic collection. It is a 4 gun Prussian 12pdr battery from Elite Miniatures and were painted by Kevan Bowman then based by me. I really like the Elite gun models and they make up the bulk of my Prussian, Russian and French artillery.

They will be taking the field first at the AB1 Leipzig refight in Fife at the end of March and later at the massive Waterloo Uncovered game in Glasgow in June.

I have put in photos showing some stages in my basing technique.

The completed unit - 3 12pdrs and a howitzer - without the 2 gun movement trays

Basic level - model railway ballast with main coat and dry brushed highlights

Javis static grass added

Last stage - 2 sizes of grass tufts added

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

BP2 28MM PENISULAR GAME

Last Wednesday I put on a 28mm BP2 Napoleonic game at home. There were 4 players myself and John Perkin played the British commanders and Colin Jack and Donald Adamson commanded the French forces. The game was a fictional one set during the retreat of Wellington’s army from Burgos.

The British were a rear-guard force holding a ridge line covering the retreat. They had 2 infantry brigades each of 3 line battalions, a skirmishing detachment and a field battery. They also had a brigade of 2 dragoon regiments and a brigade of 2 light dragoon regiments plus a horse battery. The French had 2 brigades each of 4 line battalions and a foot battery. They also had a light brigade of 2 light battalions and a skirmishing detachment. Their cavalry consisted of a brigade of 2 dragoon regiments and a light brigade of a chasseur regiment and a lancer regiment plus horse battery. One British infantry brigade and 1 French infantry brigade consisted of veteran units.

It proved to be a good game with the dragoons rushing to engage each other on the British left. This was the highlight of the game. The British dragoons swept both French units from the field and then fell onto the flank of the French infantry engaging the British line along the ridge line. They broke a battalion and a sweeping advance destroyed a French battery. The French light cavalry counter attacked and their lancers drove the dragoons back away from the French infantry.

A good game – overall a draw. It was the first game using my newly painted Warbases mdf movement trays.

British lines await the French columns

Polish grenadiers surge into a doomed British foot battery

Highland receives the Polish attack

Action along the ridge as the Dragoons prepare to engage on the left wing

Thursday, February 7, 2019

VAPNARTAK 2019

Last weekend I went down on the Falkirk District Wargames Club coach trip to the Vapnartak wargames show held at York Race Course in York. Once again it was an enjoyable outing to my first show of the year. Here are some photos of the display and PP games at the show. I only made one purchase at the show - a load of movement trays for my BP Napoleonic troops from Martin at Warbases.
Overall the show seemed quieter than last year.

Competition table - good looking terrain

Competition table - more good looking terrain

Wings of War Vs Martian tripods

The Beagle of the Ninth!

Palestine 1917/18

Indiana Jones - love the bomber!

ECW the Queen returns to Bridlington

Happy Trader

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

MORE NAPOLEONIC REINFORCEMENTS

Here are some photos of recent additions to my Black Powder Napoleonic collection. The main additions are 5 2 gun batteries for my Austrian army. They comprise 2 6pdr field batteries, a 12pdr heavy battery, a 6pdr cavalry wurst battery and a 3pdr light battery. The models are from Eagle Figures and were painted by Kevan Bowman and were based by me.
I also bought 2 painted French Light Infantry battalions on Ebay. I have rebased them but still have to give the 1^st battalion it’s eagle. You will see that I have started to get some movement trays for my units. More about that to follow later.
This Sunday I will be at Vapnartak in York with Falkirk District Wargames Club. Expect a report from our first show of the year.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

1066 AND ALL THAT

I was away at the weekend at Kirriemuir in Angus for a 28mm 1066 event. Over the 2 days 16 gamers attended. The concept which was roughly based on the classic game Kingmaker was developed by Steve Rimmer who supplied the bulk of the figures. Most of the terrain also came from Steve’s collection. The game was set up over 5 12ft to 20ft long tables 6 feet wide representing all of England. There were 3 factions – Saxons, Normans and Vikings. In all 8 Saxon players, 4 Normans and 4 Vikings. I played Gyrth Godwinson Earl of East Anglia bother of King Harold. You could only fight someone in a rival alliance.

Towns provided revenue to their occupiers at the end of each session. This was used to buy new units, rebuild under-strength units and buy votes in the final Witan. No revenue was generated at the end of the 5^th session – the towns values were turned directly Witan votes. The winning faction was the one who had the most votes when the Witan met after 5 sessions.

The tactical part of the game was based Lion Rampant and worked well for such a big game. There were a few enhancements with some Saxon and Viking units able to form mobile shield walls which could move at half speed.

It was a truly colourful weekend and the campaign rules developed by Steve worked well and were easily picked up by all the players. My thanks to Steve who acted as the hard working rules umpire and provided the inspiration, organisation and 95% of the figures, terrain and lots resources for the very enjoyable game. The best organised game I have ever played.

The winners were the Normans who with a combination of mounted charges supported by good archery overran England south of the Thames in 3 sessions and then gained most of Berkshire and Gloucestershire. My forces in East Anglia went down to defeat against the Viking forces of the wily Earl of Orkney played by Angus Konstam.

All my photos with brief descriptions are on Flickr at https://flic.kr/s/aHskJiZBx2

Part of the South Coast - Normans on the left - River Thames on the right

Normans about to give the Saxons a good hiding......

Mercia and Orkney on action - in background the North and even further North

More death in Mercia

The deadly Orkney wolfhounds who did for two of my units

Monday, November 12, 2018

TARGE 2018 KIRRIEMUIR

This weekend I travelled to the Targe 2017 show held at Webster’s High School Kirriemuir by the Kirriemuir Wargames club. This year rather than judging I joined Colin Jack and Dave Paterson in putting on the Gothenburg Gamers Suez 1956 PP Game. It was that games last outing. We came in 2nd to the Leuchar Veterans Carry On Up The Khyber game.
Overall it was an enjoyable show and my buys were some unpainted excellent Napoleonic Austrian Artillery from Eagle Figures and movement trays from Martin at Warbases. My oldest opponent Dave Douglas was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award to Scottish Wargaming - we started gaming 52 years ago when we were at school together!
Most of my show photos are below.