Blast !!!!!!!.

No second part to the Russian Civil War game I'm afraid ! , the bulb in the only light in my wargaming room has failed and to replace it you have to balance precariously on a stepladder with one foot LIGHTLY  on the actual table to change the dud bulb so I had to take the game down . I then did my balancing trick whilst my wife held a torch to illuminate the event , we now have light again ! , of course if I  had wall spot lights this would not have happened , Normal service is resumed.

Back Of Beyond Game (1)

My wargaming colleague 'S'  came round for a game last night and of course the main question was - 'what shall we do ?' . 'S' said 'why don't we do 'Triumph and Tragedy' they always give a good game!'.

So I dug out my copy of the rules and dusted off my 28mm Russian Civil War figures. (http://www.triumph-tragedy.de/)

The scenario was that a White Russian General and his mistress and guards are awaiting the arrival of a armoured train to whisk them to safety before the Reds can capture/kill them. The Reds are preparing a early morning attack on the station.

The White forces - 3 units of raw infantry and 1 small group of elite guards .

The Red attacking force 1 unit of raw infantry (nearest) and 2 units of trained infantry each with a light machine gun , lead by the local Commissar.

The White General and mistress have a word with the Station Master before retiring for the night ( 'S' thought the General and his mistress looked a bit like myself and my dear wife ! - Hmm  not sure to take that as a complement or not ?- I DON'T have a monocle nor does my wife have a pet falcon !)(sadly stature wise he may be right)

As dawn breaks the Red's creep up on the slumbering station .

The Commissar and the raw recruits move up through the woods ready to attack . (click on photos to enlarge) .Too be continued....

Pass The Port(ee)

Got some more vehicles done for my Early Desert FOW, this time its gun portees . I really must get a proper backdrop for desert photo shoots .

I always like painting FOW vehicles - they go together well and paint up easily .

These are 2pdr Anti Tank guns mounted on a CMP 3 ton trucks

Captured Italian 20mm Breda gun mounted on CMP 3 ton trucks. I have four  British 25pdr guns to glue together next , I'm pleased how well I've got on with my FOW  and have got most of what I  have bought painted - which makes me a good boy !!.( click on photos to enlarge )

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New Year Battle (3)

The second (newly painted ) Austrian battalion deploys on the right flank as Prussian reinforcements in the shape of Von Guttenberg's Hussars (a fictitious unit) arrive . A fire fight between the Austrian grenadiers and the Prussian Frei Korps turns the Austrian way. The Prussian Jaegers fled the table having lost their melee with the Hussars .

The Von Guttenberg Hussars move to attack the Austrian cavalry . In the background the Austrian pioneers can be seen placing barrels of gunpowder on the bridge ready to demolish it.

The Von Guttenberg Hussars are a plastic Spencer Smith unit I picked up on EBay this last summer and revamped and re based .

The turning point of the battle ! - having taken heavy casualties the Prussian Frei Korps break and flee and the Prussian CinC is hit twice by stray shots and falls, failing his saving throws . With their commander gone and now no support the Prussians quite the field ! , a resounding victory to the Austrians . A strange little one sided game where the Prussians didn't get the breaks - reinforcements turned up late and in the wrong places and their shooting was poor , but an enjoyable game even so . One of the advantages of solo games like this is that you just can play them and see what happens without having to entertain another player. Interestingly both new units on the table didn't get to fight and so broke the trend of freshly painted units having bad first games.

New Year Battle (2)

The Austrian Hussars charge the militia before they can fire a volley and break them in the melee.

Prussian reinforcements come onto the board .

The Prussian Frei Korp open fire causing casualties on the leading Grenadier Battalion and wounding General Mouters twice ! BUT he made his saving rolls !.

The Prussian Jaegers deploy ( not dark object to rear of board).

It's Sheba ! hiding in a clump of trees watching the action - a keen student of 18th cent. warfare .

The Austrian artillery reach the bridge and deploy . The Pioneers with the gunpowder move towards the bridge to demolish it.

The Jaegers open fire and get lucky killing the Austrian Hussar Colonel and halting their charge . (click on photos to enlarge) To be continued .....

New Year Battle. (1)

Inspired by various Christmas presents in the form of SYW  books and my recent painting of Spencer Smith Austrian Grenadiers I  decided to play a small raid type game using Grant's 'The Wargame' rules.

The two Grenadier Battalions move forward in the early morning gloom towards a secret river crossing . General Mouters sends the accompanying artillery and the Pioneers with the explosives towards the bridge .

 The Grenadiers are lead towards the secret ford by a Austrian spy in disguise as a shepard.

Meanwhile a Hussar Regiment makes a dash for the bridge to capture it before the newly aroused Prussian village militia  can form up.

The village militia form up and move forward to defend the bridge .

 Warned of the oncoming Austrians the Prussian Frei Korps Battalion Kalben form up .

 The Prussians have been caught napping and the Commanding officer Von Grunte orders his men into line ( note his mistress Mitzi runs to say good luck !)

 The Austrians start to cross the ford . All troop positions where diced for randomly at the start of the game and the Austrians were given a double move to get things going. Prussian forces were activated on a increasing dice roll. (click on photos to enlarge) Too be continued ....