On The Day, Went The Eagle's Landing Well?

[Doug ex-em4]

Even I’m excited about how it will go and I actually played in it....!

Doug

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Thanks, Ockman, Duke Donald and Doug, more fun to come soon.

Prien still seems to be the cold blooded genius after Scapa Flow!

Michi, yes the cold, calculating machine-like, intellectual man-of-steel was well in evidence here. It must be all those hours he spends underwater, or maybe all the fish he eats! Just to show you his mettle, here is a photo of the man enjoying a cocktail whilst the heroes of the Home Guard are dying in Much-Piddling. Slightly out of focus I know, but it was later in the evening and all three of us were slightly out of focus. The cocktails were quite powerful.



A 'Between The Sheets' for Doug (Prien), white rum, brandy, triple sec and lemon juice. A real sinew-stiffener!

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

PART 6 – AN ENTRANCE IS FORCED IN THE BACK PASSAGE

We saw earlier that Sergeant-Major V. A. G’Bond was making a beeline for Cold Comfort Farm along with Sid Staines and ‘Old Shut-Up’. However, once in the farm as Sid and ‘Old Shut-Up’ headed one way to help the valiant girls of the WLA, G’Bond turned the other way heading for an innocent seeming log shed at the end of the farm. Seen here with the red roof, middle left.



Snapcase’s cunning plan for the defence of Much-Piddling was about to be revealed. Should Field Marshal von Leeb and his 6th Army set foot in Devon the boys of Much-Piddling Home Guard intended to be the ones to stop his little game! Hence, the surprise in the log shed.



G’Bond had been dispatched to the log shed by Snapcase when the firing commenced earlier that day. G’Bond knew exactly what he had to do. Pulling the ropes which attached the false sides to the shed he revealed Snapcase’s secret weapon……………a Beaverette!



The first version of the vehicle was built in 1940 by Standard Motor Company at the instigation of Lord Beaverbrook, then Minister of Aircraft Production (hence the name Beaverette). It was based on commercial car chassis, on which a simple riveted armoured hull was mounted. The 11mm of steel was backed by 3 inch thick oak planks. The hull was open at the top and at the rear. The armament consisted of a Bren light machine gun, which could be fired through a slot in the casemate armour. Subsequent versions received all-around protection and a machine gun turret - an enclosed one with a Bren MG or an open-topped one with twin Vickers machine guns.

BEAVERETTE RULES

It can only be driven by a member of the Home Guard or other British military. It takes one turn to open the fake log-shed and another turn to start the engine. In one turn it can move 8”. The armament is a Bren Gun and counts as a machine gun in the rules. After receiving 3 wounds the vehicle will cease to move but can still fire. After 4 wounds the vehicle is destroyed.

N.B. if the Beaverette is proving too powerful in the game (to be decided by the players), it will suffer a mechanical breakdown.



Meanwhile, back at the Hall, Prince Phillip and the assembled glitterati of Much-Piddling high society are awaiting cocktails in the drawing room. In the absence of any imminent libation, Prince Phillip is flirting with Sam Stewart, Snapcase’s driver (and some say, much more!). Sir Douglas D’Emfore and Lady Bracknell look on askance.



Up the back passage, the Kriegsmarine effect an entrance. Whilst Fähnrich zur See Iwan Oldekop and Obergrefreiter Albert Zöller keep a watch through the rear entrance to the drawing room, Oberleutnant Hans Bothmann and Oberbootsmann August Ronshausen stealthily proceed through the rear entrance and into the library, taking position by the door that leads into the hallway. Prien is dividing his force to make two rear entrances at once, a cunning plan, mein Kapitänleutnant!

To be continued…

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

PART 7 – BLOODY MURDER AT THE HALL

At Cold Comfort Farm, Sergeant-Major G’Bond has finally managed to start the Beaverette 4-cylinder petrol engine and is heading for the farm exit to get out on the road.



As the Beaverette emerges from the farm entrance a sad scene unfolds in front of G’Bond’s eyes. He is too late to save the girls of the WLA. Bodies surround the Pickett-Hamilton fort where the fighting was at its fiercest.



Here we can see that although the girls are down, they have taken a heavy toll of the brutal invader. Oberleutnant Manfred Schimmel has been shot by Bobbie Wickham. Staffelkapitän Peter Wilhelm Stahl himself has been killed leading the charge against the brave girl’s shotguns. Lady Florence Cray and ‘Stiffy’ Pinker (‘Stinker’ Pinker will be inconsolable) have been mown down by Feldwebel Jürgen Zimmermann with his MG-15. Zimmermann appears to be the Grim Reaper himself with the number of casualties caused by his machine gun. Will he be able to sleep at night after this bloodbath? At present, only Claude ‘Catsmeat’ Potter-Pirbright is returning fire with his Tommy Gun and his lone resistance sadly, cannot last.



Back at the Hall, the Black Shorts are trying to carry out Stahl’s last order, ‘get the charter if it’s the last thing you do’. Unity Mitford is trying to enter the Hall through the main gate. The Black Shorts have not committed any outright offensive action yet but Warden G. D'Arcy ‘Stilton’ Cheesewright has taken charge at the gate and is rightly suspicious of the devious Black Shorts and is refusing to allow Unity access.



At the sound of shots from the Hall itself, the villagers who were heading up Market Snodsbury Road turn into the Hall instead to investigate. ‘Peaches’ Snapcase, in the care of Dame Edith FitzPilchard, has reached the door first armed only with her catapault. Captain Snapcase himself has returned to his ancestral home at the sound of gunfire and shoulders the Mitford sisters aside as he attempts to find the cause of the shots.



But now the real tragedy of this invasion plays out. Shots are fired through the main door to the Hall by the Kriegsmarine. ‘Peaches’ is cruelly murdered in cold blood on the steps of the Hall! Will the killer of this fourth-former from St. Trinians ever be held to account? Cries of outrage and horror are heard from the following villagers.



As ‘Peaches’ lies dying on the steps, Hermann Görtz of the Abwehr hides behind the stone wall and tries to kill more of the villagers. Will the horrors never cease?



Even now, more tragic events are unfolding. ‘Peaches’ had managed to down Bothman with her catapault before being mortally wounded. Seeing the carnage, Private Charles Godfrey under the auspices of the Red Cross approaches the Kriegsmarine to try and negotiate a cease-fire whilst he removes the body of young ‘Peaches’.

“My sister Dolly has made some lovely cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off. I wonder if you chaps would like to take a break and have a sandwich?”.

These are the last words spoken on earth by Godfrey as even under the protection of the Red Cross he is cut down by a hail of sub-machine gun fire.

To be continued…

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

I just noticed in the last photo above, that even in death, 'Peaches' is giving Diana Mitford a 'V' sign!   

[Doug ex-em4]

A real sinew-stiffener!

Not half....my sinews have remained permanently stiff ever since....!

I just noticed in the last photo above, that even in death, 'Peaches' is giving Diana Mitford a 'V' sign!   

  She was a plucky one, no doubt. But having elected to involve herself in the grim business of war, she had to accept the possibility of retaliation, which when it came was swift and final. My memory must be playing tricks because I thought she was shot by one of the 5th columnists.

More top quality posts, Old Bean....

Doug

[Ockman]

It's really exciting, it is!

[Charley Bourne]

This is everything great about gaming!!

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

This is everything great about gaming!!

Thank you, sir! Just reminded me to add the last chapter, do the Kriegsmarine manage to kidnap Phil the Greek?   

[Michi]

do the Kriegsmarine manage to kidnap Phil the Greek?   

The man who recently retired, I wonder what the Kriegsmarine did to him...
Probably offered some rank and post to Herr Battenberg.

[Charley Bourne]

There is a 5th Column operating in Much-Piddling, currently not suspected by the Security Services. They are seen here at a secret meeting outside the village pub. They are waiting for the Fifth Man who will apparently be in possession of some information of great value to the Abwehr. More of their mission later................

L-R: Liam Devlin (IRA), Joanna Grey (Nazi sympathizer), Hermann Görtz (Abwehr), SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny (in disguise!).

Where are the Devlin and Gortz figures from? Devlin looks like Warlords LDV???

[argsilverson]

PART 6 – AN ENTRANCE IS FORCED IN THE BACK PASSAGE

Meanwhile, back at the Hall, Prince Phillip and the assembled glitterati of Much-Piddling high society are awaiting cocktails in the drawing room. In the absence of any imminent libation, Prince Phillip is flirting with Sam Stewart, Snapcase’s driver (and some say, much more!). Sir Douglas D’Emfore and Lady Bracknell look on askance.

To be continued…

I just recapped your fantastic story (I wish I could join) and I have a small question.
I cannot recognise the make of Sam Stewart and naval officer minis. Can you point out the manufacture(s) of them?
Thanks in advance

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Probably offered some rank and post to Herr Battenberg.

    

Indeed!   

argsilverson and Charley Bourne, I've remembered where two of the four figures mentioned. I will try and give you the answer to the other two as soon as I remember! Old age, you see.   

Prince Phillip and Liam Devlin are both Warlord. I gave Devlin a Mauser instead of a Molotov and just painted the BEF Officer in RN blue.