Scottish Battlefields Trust Show Prestonpans 20 February

On Saturday I went to the Scottish Battlefields Trusts first wargames show held at the Gothenburg pub in Prestonpans. Enjoyable small show with some good displays.

Possibly a unique venue as the Gothenburg has it's own micro-brewery. Recommend the porter and 80 shilling.  Here are photos of  some of the games. Will be back next year.

ECW Game

ECW Game

Warriors from the Gododdin game

Flodden game

Border Riever game

VAPNARTAK 2016 YORK

I went with Falkirk Wargames Club to Vapnartak at York on Sunday. An enjoyable day but it is long coach trip. Met lots of friends at my first show of the year. Here are photos from 3 of the games - Battle of Prestonpans 1715, the Alamo and the Siege of Bokhara in the Russian Civil War.

Battle of Prestonpans in a very developed East Lothian 

Cockenzie harbour

Bolshevik armoured train and Mongol auxilaries

Bolshevik Gotha over Bokhara railway station

Blue mosque of Bokhara

The long perimeter of the Alamo.

The Chapel at the Alamo

20MM RAPID FIRE: LISSJANKA 1944

On Thursday I played a 1944 Eastern Front Rapid Fire scenario at the SESWC.  It was the Lissjanka scenario from
http://www.worldoptions.com.au/fourpipers/…/lissjankarf2.pdf

It proved a bloodbath and a draw. Luckily the Soviets go first in the game and I managed to decimate the leading Panther unit with my Pakfronts first volley.   I provided the Red Army (sadly I forgot my Sturmovik) and Bart provided the Germans.

Pakfront faces massed German armour

Soviet armoured reserves - Frontline resin T34/76s

Bart's burning Panthers

Here is the Red Army OB all regular

Elements 5th Guards Tank Corps

20th Tank Brigade

HQ T34/76, BA64 a/car

1st, 2nd & 3rd Battalions each 2 x T34/76 (AT3)

1499th Anti-tank Artillery Regiment

16 figures, 4 x 76.2mm ATG, 4 x medium trucks

Motor rifle battalion (test @ 20 casualties)

HQ CO + 3 figures, ATR, car
1st, 2nd and 3rd Companies each 8 figures, medium truck
HW Company 12 figures, MMG, 82mm mortar, 57mm ATG
37mm AA, 3 x medium truck
Gun Company 3 figures, 76.2mm ATG, medium truck

Sturmovik 2 x 37mm, 2 x light bombs

28MM BLACK POWDER: THE DEFENCE OF CUIDAD ESPANOLA

At the SESWC this week I staged The Defence of Cuidad Espanola scenario from the Albion Triumphant campaign book.   The French had won the previous scenario and so gained an extra 3 battalions of veteran Polish grenadiers and 2 guns as the attacker for this game.

French move up to the stream

View from the town

British right wing

It proved a difficult task for the French as it is very difficult for them to cross the stream to get into action versus the town of Cuidad Espanola. So after 12 turns of play it proved to be a British victory.  My new Portuguese militia were blooded in this action even managing to win a round of close combat against the veteran Polish (GDW) grenadiers.  Sadly however they did break in the second round of combat.

 

French finally begin to develop their attack on the town

Polish grenadiers charge the town to be broken in the melee by the KGL

 

Here are the OBs.

 

BRITISH

Lane’s Brigade

3 Battalions line infantry one small

1 RFA gun

Hoole’s Brigade

2 Veteran battalions

2 Battalions Line infantry one with one hit

Dale’s Brigade

Rifle detachment

KGL Hussar Regiment

2 Portuguese Militia battlions

FRENCH

Dupont’s Brigade

3 Battalions Line infantry two small

Ft Gun

Maurice’s Brigade

2 Battalion Line infantry one with one hit

2 Swiss battalions Veteran one small

Ft Gun

Brune’s Brigade

2 Chasseur a Cheval Regiments

HA gun

Lapisse’s Brigade

3 Combined Polish Grenadier battalions

Foot gun

Horse gun

Bart has written a report on his blog at
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/the-defence-of-cuidad-espanola-obrona.html

Michael has written a report on his blog at
http://meneken.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/somewhere-in-middle-of-spain.html 

 

28MM MUSKETS AND TOMAHAWKS FRENCH INDIAN WAR GAME

Some photos from our Muskets and Tomahawks FIW game at Falkirk and District Wargames club last night. I was testing out a scenario for an upcoming M&T weekend this March.  It was adapted from a scenario posted on the Scotia Albion blog.  The British had to rescue their captain who was being held in a settlement by the French and their Huron allies.  It proved a blood bath but a British victory as they rescued their captured captain.

French Indian Chief leads 2 warbands to support the Canadian militia

British Rangers engage the settlement at long range from the forest line

British Indian allies make a run for the cabin the captain is held in.

Another view of the French Indians crossing the swollen stream

The forces were fairly balanced the British had 2 ranger units and 2 Mohawk ally units versus the French Canadian militia with 3 Huron ally units.

28mm MORE NAPOLEONIC REINFORCEMENTS

I continue to work slowly away on my Napoleonic collection.  Kevin Bowman painted for me 2 units of Portuguese militia from Eagle Miniatures.  I have based them and fitted them with standards from Warflags.  There are 2 more units in preparation to give me a full brigade.  With a change of flags they can easily masquerade as Spanish.

Two units of Portuguese militia - an unusual subject by Eagle Miniatures

I have also added a brigade of Grand Duchy of Warsaw infantry as supports for my French army.  I bought the figures ready painted from South Africa and I added some more shading and rebased them.  They were my official Christmas present from my wife.  I really like the pose of the officer figures.Their flags I adapted from images available on the Internet.

GDW 1st Infantry regiment



GDW Combined Grenadiers

GDW Voltigeur Unit

 

 

28mm MUSKETS & TOMAHAWKS: FRENCH INDIAN WAR

Over 2 week day nights last month I organised a big French and Indian Wars game at Hugh Wilson’s who again provided the excellent terrain.  This time Hugh had produced lots of new mountain cliff sections.  We used Muskets and Tomahawks with some minor changes to the rules for shooting hits requiring more than a 6.

View over the table

Large ship in the British harbour

The objectives of each side in the mountainous terrain was to destroy the settlements of the other side.  Over the 2 nights neither side managed to destroy a single enemy settlement!  Despite this it proved to be an enjoyable game which kept 9 and then 7 players amused each commanding a force of 2 to 3 units.



French allied Indians finally cross the deadly bridge



French allied Indians scaling the cliffs to get to the Rangers

Here is the OB for the game

 

FRENCH FORCE 1

INDIAN CHIEF
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS

FRENCH FORCE 2

INDIAN CHIEF
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS

FRENCH FORCE 3

INDIAN CHIEF
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS
6 INDIANS

FRENCH FORCE 4

IRR OFFICER
12 MARINES (IRR)
6 COUREURS DES BOIS

BRITISH FORCE 1

REGULAR OFFICER
8 REGULARS
8 REGULARS

BRITISH FORCE 2

MILITIA OFFICER
6 MILITIA RIFLES
6 MILITIA
6 MILITIA

BRITISH FORCE 3

6 RANGERS
6 RANGERS
6 LIGHT INFANTRY

BRITISH FORCE 4

MILITIA OFFICER
6 MILITIA
6 MILITIA
6 MILITIA

Indians coming down a mountain track