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Author Topic: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19  (Read 7058 times)

Offline NurgleHH

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #15 on: November 01, 2019, 09:28:46 AM »
Great, looks like a lot of fun
Victory Decision Vietnam here: leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=43264.0

Victory Decision Spacelords here: leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=68939.0

My pictures: http://pictures.dirknet.de/

Offline Mad Lord Snapcase

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #16 on: November 03, 2019, 06:58:57 PM »
Driscoles, Lon and NurgleHH, many thanks for the kind comments. The game takes place on Friday 8th so I'll post the AAR the week after. Really looking forward to this and the other games planned for that weekend.   :D


Offline NurgleHH

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #17 on: November 03, 2019, 09:12:50 PM »
Driscoles, Lon and NurgleHH, many thanks for the kind comments. The game takes place on Friday 8th so I'll post the AAR the week after. Really looking forward to this and the other games planned for that weekend.   :D
You are a lucky man as owner of Silent Invaders WW1-Board. I couldn’t play it at BLAM, but I saw it. Amazing. Wish I could come over, but twice a month is to much. Always looking for skirmish ideas for WW1. Big battles in WW1 are not very exciting...
« Last Edit: November 12, 2019, 07:05:31 PM by NurgleHH »

Offline Mad Lord Snapcase

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #18 on: November 06, 2019, 03:36:34 PM »
Quote
You are a lucky man as owner of Silent Invaders WW1-Board.

Very true, it is lovely.

Quote
Always looking for skirmish ideas for WW1.

Plenty of ideas for skirmish games in these very early battles like Le Cateau. The British guns were firing over open sights next to the infantry. There are quite a few cavalry skirmishes when entering villages on reconnaissance. The battle of Landrecies has plenty to offer, as well.
« Last Edit: November 06, 2019, 03:42:40 PM by Mad Lord Snapcase »

Offline Marine0846

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #19 on: November 07, 2019, 03:07:41 PM »
Look forward the the battle report.
Great looking figures to set it up.
Semper Fi, Mac

Offline Mad Lord Snapcase

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #20 on: November 10, 2019, 08:25:50 AM »
Look forward the the battle report.
Great looking figures to set it up.

Thanks, Marine. The battle has now been fought and an AAR will be written shortly. We still another day of gaming to go and then home tomorrow. Just a quick photo of the gentlemen players!


Oberleutnant Willi von Emvier, Oberleutnant Helmut von Vagabund and Colour Sergeant Neddy Snapcase

Offline Vagabond

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #21 on: November 11, 2019, 10:46:55 PM »
I'm not sure you should have posted this decidedly scary picture on a public forum it's bound to give people of a nervous disposition a nasty fright,  and could be the cause of cow's milk turning sour,  a blight of pumpkin scabies, and a plague of  worzel worms..

It was an excellent game, the scenery was amazing and  the side I was on won inspite of a pair of dodgy, commanders, what more could you ask from a game. Well apart from 3 grey beards taking selfies.

I don't remember the space ship over  Neddy Snapcases head taking part in the game but I suppose all will be revealed when the AAR arrives.

Offline SABOT

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #22 on: November 12, 2019, 12:32:08 PM »
Great and stirring stuff chaps ..... would love to see more photos if poss?

Offline Mad Lord Snapcase

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #23 on: November 12, 2019, 01:33:53 PM »
Quote
would love to see more photos if poss?

Thanks, SABOT. We took loads of photos. I should be able to post them plus an AAR at the weekend.   :)

Online marianas_gamer

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #24 on: November 12, 2019, 07:38:19 PM »
Excellent, and even the cattle were drunk  lol lol
Lon
Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight.

Offline Doug ex-em4

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #25 on: November 13, 2019, 09:42:04 AM »
Excellent, and even the cattle were drunk  lol lol
Lon

We drank plenty but I don’t believe we drank any cattle  :D  :D  :D

Doug
(Oberleutnant Willi Von Emvier)
« Last Edit: November 18, 2019, 05:01:59 PM by Doug em4 »

Offline Mad Lord Snapcase

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #26 on: November 18, 2019, 11:04:07 AM »
The game was fought using the original rules for BLAM 2015 written by Silent Invader. This required the players to plot their opening dispositions on paper before the game commenced. Once dispositions were plotted the Germans would start on the eastern edge of the board, the British would start occupying the three town tiles to the west.



The German commanders (von Emvier and von Vagabund) were handed their sealed orders by a mounted Uhlan direct from General von Kluck.



The German commanders were given time to discuss their orders and plan their dispositions. During this time, I set up the column of wounded, refugees and stragglers to add a bit of atmosphere and to highlight the confusion of the retreat from Mons.

Here are some random images taken on the day. This post will feature the wounded column and the objectives for the three players. Then I will make another post with the actual game photos and an account of the action as I remember it through a haze of senility and alcohol.



Speckled Jim carries a vital message.



L to R: Captain Kevin Darling, MC, Private S. Baldrick, Driver Bobby Parkhurst, Lieutenant The Honourable George Colthurst St. Barleigh, MC, General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett, VC, KCB, DSO and Captain Edmund Blackadder.

Melchett has just realised that Blackadder has shot and eaten Speckled Jim, his much-loved pet pigeon.

Melchett: Speckly?! AH! YOU SHOT MY SPECKLED JIM!

Darling: You're for it now, Blackadder! Quite frankly, sir, I've suspected this for some time; clearly Captain Blackadder has been ignoring orders with a breath-taking impertinence!

Melchett: I DON'T CARE IF HE'S BEEN ROGERING THE DUKE OF YORK WITH A PRIZE-WINNING LEEK! HE SHOT MY PIGEON!!!




Captain Cecil de Leominster, 2nd Battalion, The West Borsetshire Foresters giving another demonstration of the most deadly combination known to man, an officer with a map!









General Melchett’s personal supply van from Harrods is flagged through the chaos by the Redcaps.









General von Kluck and staff planning the coming battle.



At 06:00am the Germans begin to shell Le Cateau.

British Objectives (played by myself in the guise of Colour Sergeant Neddy Snapcase)

·   The British forces are in hasty defence of the eastern edge of Le Cateau.
·   Colour Sergeant Neddy Snapcase’s force is a reduced platoon of the Middlesex Regiment which is acting as rearguard to allow other units to clear the town.
·   Support is provided by a single Vickers MG team and a Belgian Minerva armoured car. Also, a British spotter plane is operating in the area.
·   All of the British forces are well-trained and highly motivated.
·   Le Cateau must be defended until the end of turn 7.
·   The Minerva armoured car commanded by 1.eme Lieutenant Charles Henkart will appear at the start of turn 5 in a position determined by the roll of a D6.
·   The spotter plane flown by Lord Flashheart will crash at the start of turn 3 in a position determined by the roll of a D6.

German Objectives (played by Doug em4 as Oberleutnant Willi von Emvier and Vagabond as Oberleutnant Helmut von Vagabund)

·   The German forces are advancing from the east and need to pass through the town of Le Cateau to take advantage of its road network.
·   Oberleutnant Willi von Emvier and Oberleutnant Helmut von Vagabund, your force is 1 and 2 Zug, 26th (1st Magdeburg) Infanterie Regiment "Prince Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau".
·   You are supported by one Maxim Maschinengewehr Team each.
·   All of the German forces are well-trained and highly motivated.
·   Enter in force, each of the three town tiles by the end of turn 7.
·   The Maxim teams will appear at the start of turn 2 in a position determined by the roll of a D6.
·   An enemy spotter plane is operating in the area and in the event that it is brought down the pilot is to be captured for interrogation.

The next post will feature the game photos and the AAR.

To be continued…

« Last Edit: November 18, 2019, 11:08:15 AM by Mad Lord Snapcase »

Offline Doug ex-em4

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #27 on: November 18, 2019, 05:28:42 PM »
This write-up is promising to be as good as the game - and that’s saying something....!

Poor old Speckled Jim but, looking on the bright side, he’ll come in handy if rations are in short supply on the retreat - pigeon casserole, mmm....!

Looking forward to seeing the rest of this AAR. It was a spectacular game and I expect nothing less in the report :D

Doug

Offline Mad Lord Snapcase

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #28 on: November 24, 2019, 10:57:05 AM »
After dispositions were mapped the German commanders needed to decide how they would conduct their advance. They could advance in column which would mean they would advance much faster or they could spread out in open order. Open order would result in less casualties but would mean a slower advance to target. Oberleutnants von Emvier and von Vagabund were given time to decide this over some bottles of beer I had bought at the Black Sheep brewery at Masham whilst on holiday. This was an important conference as in the game they would only be able to talk to each other if their character figures were within 6” of each other on the board.



Meanwhile, I as the British was allowed to put barricades up across the roads and building fronts.







Having built the barricades, I managed to drag the Germans away from their cosy fireside chat and figures were placed on the board. The German players were not allowed to view the British dispositions from anywhere except their end of the board. They were unsure as to the number of machine guns the British had. Oberleutnant von Vagabund produced some 1:1 scale binoculars to view the British positions.













The British machine gun position commanding the vital cross roads. There was only one Vickers to hand for Colour Sergeant Snapcase’s boys but the Germans weren’t to know that.



On the right, Colour Sergeant Snapcase, second from right is Lance Corporal Spankhurst. Corporal Alf Tucker commands the 4-man Vickers team.

Now was the time for the German commanders to put their cunning plan into action. They had elected to advance ‘en colonne’ in the Napoleonic fashion. The early days of the Great War more often resembled the wars that had gone before, rather than the war that was to come. Cavalry roamed the battlefields and guns were bought into action by teams of horses and limbers. The overall British commander of II Corps, Smith-Dorrien had survived the slaughter at Isandlwana and fought bravely as a junior officer in the Second Boer War.



The two sections under von Emvier advanced, one in the fields to the south and the other directly up the cobbled road leading to the disputed crossroads.





The two sections under von Vagabund form a column together and take a more northerly route through the open fields.





The section advancing up the cobbled road start to take casualties from the Vickers. British casualties are light at this point as only the front two ranks of each column can fire. With an understrength platoon though, the Die-Hards cannot afford to take any casualties in their desperate defence.



Out of focus (as he often is) von Emvier can be seen here leading from the rear. He assured us that this is the correct military tactic and who were we to argue?



The German advance continues relentlessly and the more northerly column is surprised to find very limited fire coming from the Boucherie. This is due to that British section being out of contact with their Sergeant and throwing some very poor dice to activate with a corporal in charge.







At the start of Turn 2 the Maxim gun teams arrive on the eastern edge of the board on random tiles. They begin to advance to catch up with the fast-moving columns.







Although the Vickers continues to fire directly into the advancing German infantry, the rate of fire is halved as two of the Vickers crew are killed.







The Germans are now very close to the British barricades and it looks like they may have to storm these barriers with the bayonet. More portentous events will unfold in the next post as the 26th Magdeburg charge with cold steel.

To be continued…


« Last Edit: November 24, 2019, 11:03:14 AM by Mad Lord Snapcase »

Offline Romark

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Re: "Gentlemen, We Will Stand and Fight" - AshLAM '19
« Reply #29 on: November 24, 2019, 12:15:34 PM »
Great write up  :)