Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Great War => Topic started by: Bryanbowdell on August 27, 2014, 10:33:17 PM
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A couple of us at Wigan Wargames are having a WW1 campaign set in Africa, here is a taster of the background, written up by Pete on the Wigan Wargames forum:
http://wigan-wargames.co.uk/wiganwargames/forum_posts.asp?TID=3687
General background
The idea of this campaign is to use mine, Bryan’s & Steve’s WW1 collection of figures, terrain & models to have a series of at least five linked games using the WH Great War rules (with a few local adaptations).
We set the games as a journey by Entente British and French in a flotilla of ships up the (imaginary ) limpo River somewhere in East Africa. The flotilla will travel up the river to its entrance into the southern end of Lake Zigazaga where it will capture the German fortress which is controlling activity on the south of the lake.
Along the way the intrepid Entente forces will be faced with a number of challenging situations – and that’s just them communicating and co-operating together. They have also got to battle the dastardly Hun in a variety of scenarios.
The French forces are commanded by Contre-Amiral Jean Paul Gaultier, doubtless we’ll see him surrounded by young, muscular French sailors in stripy T shirts with pompoms on their hats. The British forces are under the firm but steady hand of Colonel ‘Chips’ Fanshawe, known affectionately by his men as’ Fanny of the DoGs’ due to his stirring exploits as a young Sub-Altern in his former regiment The Duke of Gloucester’s. The Germans have as their commander Generalmajor Gerhardt von Eagleburger known as Der Gross Fuchs- no it doesn’t mean that- it is the BigFox. We’ll see how they all live up to their billings as the games progress. Doubtless there will be some lesser characters who gain prominence in the campaign.
Results of the first round long with photos are on the forum (link above)
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From the photos it looked quite impressive
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Great job and scenario thanx for the pictures and story. "Heia -Safari"-"Bwana-Sukarna"
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Pete is the campaign master of our club!!
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Looking forward to updates.
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I'm sure there will be more Entente victories to celebrate in the coming weeks.
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This could be the tonic to get my WWI East African Campaign going. Keep up the good work and keep us posted. I surely am very interested.
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The next round should be in a couple of weeks. Pete has done the background for the next game on the Wigan Wargames forum:
http://wigan-wargames.co.uk/wiganwargames/forum_posts.asp?TID=3692
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We played our second game in this campaign last night: Game 2 Creighton-Smythe is in a spot of bother
background:The British explorer/geologist (spy) Cecil Creighton-Smythe has been captured by the Germans as he mapped mineral deposits (spied) on the border of German held territory.
The Germans are holding him (as a spy) at a small settlement on the banks of the Limpo river. The flotilla has been ordered to recapture him before he reveals his exploration findings (spying reports for the Entente about German dispositions).
Germans have 400 pts
Entente have the whole flotilla
1x Pl of Entente can enter via flank march. The rest must land from the river and assault through the village. Roll to see who goes first. The Germans can only start to evacuate the prisoner from 4th turn onwards. He will be uncooperative and delay this if he can. He feigns illness, roll a D6, 1-3 the Germans drag him off , 4-6 his acting is believable he delays his removal for one round. He will try to escape by attacking the guards if guarded by 2 or less Germans. Roll for as per assault rules.
Results
Creighton Smythe may be freed, a prisoner or dead. Roll D6 as below to determine which side is the winner.
If Creighton Smythe is dead roll a D6 4-6 he has a map on him. Roll a D6 1-3 is covered in blood & no use, 4-6 it gives vital information.
Creighton Smythe retained by the Germans roll a D6 on a 5-6 he has secreted a map in the house which the Entente have found, it gives vital information.
Creighton Smythe recaptured by the Entente. Roll a D6 . 1 he’s become delirious from malaria & is of no use, 2-3 he’s recovering from an attack of malaria but won’t be able to help the entente until D3 games.
4-6 he joins the flotilla as a character (captain) and provides them with vital information.
If the entente get information from him or a map he produced they learn of hidden tracks. This allows them to flank with 1 extra Pl in up to 2 future rounds.
Results:
Well the second round game lived up to its billing with the result resting on the final dice roll of the game.
The board was a German camp at the riverside village of Fir Bin Fir. The Entente flotilla of the Lucienne & LuLu and the larger boat Lucielle were moving swiftly upstream to shell the village and land troops to storm it and attempt a rescue of Creighton Smythe who was being held at a randomly selected building. The Entente forces didn't know which building.
The Germans won the roll off & went first, their light gun missing the Lucielle but the maxim raking the LuLu and in a perfect series of dice rolls riddling her steam engine immobilising her for the whole of the game.
Not letting this upset plans the Entente forces sent the Lucienne to the aid of the stricken LuLu towing her at half speed to the nearest part of the bank. This meant the troops aboard could land but all the platoons on board both vessels had to come ashore up stream of the village.
Round 2 saw some desultory German shooting and similar in return from the flotilla
Round 3 saw an upturn for the Entente, the Lucielle steamed up to the jettey and the first troops disembarked from the now beached Lucienne.
Faced with a still firing German light gun and Maxim, the gunnery from the flotilla had been very poor, the Brits declined to land the troops from Lucielle at the Jetty and elected to shoot for a further round instead. With HMGs deployed on the boats and all other guns blazing the Entente finally silenced the German HMG and light gun.
At the same time the flanking force of Senegalese were making their was through the jungle towards the German Seebatallion camp.Things were looking up for the Entente.
However round 4 was designated as the round where the Germans woke up to the danger and started to bundle Creighton Smythe out of the village. At the same time the Askari and Ruga deployed in the village taking cover in the buildings determined to hold up the Entene forces.
Rounds 5 to 7 saw the build up of Entente forces take the village whilst the Germans gathered their command and frog marched Creighton Smythe along the road towards the far table edge. The Seebatallion in an exchange of fire from their camp managed to drive back the Senegalese thus shoring up the German left flank.
In turn 7 it was clear that with the majority of Entente forces held up in the village and the flanking force having been beaten off the Germans would successfully get Creighton Smythe away. In an act of disregard for the state of Entente morale the Lucielle moved up river and fired on the German command as they exited the board, this of course included Creighton Smythe. Scoring a hit the gunners killed two askari standing either side of Creighton Smythe who on picking himself up out of the crater found there wasn't a scratch on him.
The miraculous state of affairs didn't impress the surviving Germans who grabbed the stunned Creighton Smythe and marched him off the board.
And that appeared to be that, delayed Entente forces unable to free (or kill) Creighton Smythe. However with the KAR searching the domed building where Creighton Smythe had been held there was one last throw of the dice and sure enough Steve rolled a 6 indicating that the KAR had indeed found the map Creighton Smythe had hidden in the building.
This was enough to give victory to the Entente who can now thanks to the map deploy up to 2 x platoons in flank march in 2 of the remaing 3 games.
Pictures to follow.
full campaign details at: http://wigan-wargames.co.uk/wiganwargames/forum_topics.asp?FID=55
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The pictures are now on the forum, here's a couple of tasters to whet the appetite. Firstly the board itself.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3884/15173120972_10868a6aa6_z.jpg)
The Lucielle, Lucienne & LuLu disembarking the troops.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5572/14986695559_667ae6c0dc_z.jpg)
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Pete has put the background up for our next game:
Game 3-Abdul Ahmed Mustafa Kamel cops a packet
Aboard the Lucielle Contre Amiril Gaultier sighed, folded his copy of ‘Le voix De Paris Gai’ put aside his glass of brandy and commented to his subordinate ‘ Ah le vache Eclair Zee Bosh will stop at nurthing , zay r as we speak rallying ze forces of ze infamous Mustafa Kamel, we murst stop zem’.
Meanwhile on the German side the valiant but luckless Leutenant Wankmuller has been recalled by General Major Eagleburger after failing to prevent the resupply of the flotilla and not noticing that Creighton Smythe had secreted a map in the village where he was prisoner which is now in Entente hands.
His replacement is the Germanhead of public administration for East Afrika Herr Wilhelm (Willy) Stroker . He has been dispatched to the Zanzibari settlement on the banks of the Limpo, Hous Bin Pharteen in a desperate attempt to recruit extra forces to defend the settlement of Fahrt- Gasse and the neighbouring Festung Bratwurst against the massed forces of the Entente flotilla. The Zanzibari leader Abdul Ahmed Mustafa Kamel was driving a hard bargain but Herr Stroker had things well in hand - until the arrival of the flotilla.
German : 300pts
Zanzibari : 300pts
Entente: the whole flotilla.
TheZanzibaris are not well trained and have poor quality weapons. If they stay still they only shoot once, if they move they shoot at half strength. Due to heavier calibre weapons they wound on a 3+. Mustafa Kamel has a reduced Ld range (9").
On being fired on by artillery theZanzibari must Ld test, if a casualty is caused this is an Ld test +1. If they fail they rout.
At least 1 group must rally & leave with Herr Stroker by a designated track to donate 1x group of 10 to the final game.
If the Entente forces rout all theZanzibaris off the table they deny the Germans this additional final game support.
Entente may flank with 1 platoon (or two if they use Creighton Smythe’s map).
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Thanks! I've always been interested in the African theatre of WW1.
Cheers,
Barry
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Some interesting battles.
I sure do like the like of your terrain.
Well done.
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That is a beautiful looking game,well done!
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Results : Game 3-Abdul Ahmed Mustafa Kamel cops a packet
Another excellent write up by Pete on Wigan Wargames Forum, I'm sure photos will follow
Perched on the banks of the mighty Limpo the Zanzibari settlement of Hous bin Pharteen sweltered in the growing days tropical heat. Zanzibari askari loitered around the mud brick houses whilst in the Emir’s residence the German East Afrika Public Administrator Herr Stroker was in urgent talks with Abdul Ahmed Mustafa Kamel to recruit the askari to help the Germans fight the imminent Entente assault on Festung Bratwurst.
The arrival of the flotilla brought an abrupt end to negotiations.
The table was set up as a village on a bend of the river with a small, ancient, artillery piece on each bank, one in the village and one in a ruined watch tower on the far bank. These pieces were there to encourage river traders to pay their tariffs as well as defend the settlement.
The aim of the flotilla was to force the 4x 10 Zanzibari units off the table in rout. The Germans had to leave with up to 2 x 10 units in good order. The remaining Zanzibaris and the German Seebatallion which accompanied Herr Stroker could form a rear guard.
To stop the Zanzibaris simply retiring as soon as they saw the flotilla -as if we would!-we had a rule that they could only start to retire once a unit of Entente troops was within 12”. If they were fired on by the flotilla guns they had to morale check and so might flee as a consequence of this, though they may of course rally- particularly if not under pressure from entente troops. With low , brittle, morale could the Zanzibaris fight an effective rear guard action, similarly could the Entente forces co-ordinate a naval bombardment with a landing and assault by their ground troops?
Winning the roll off the Entente went first and the LuLu and Lucielle steamed towards the village whilst the Lucienne made for the ruined watch tower. A round of shooting saw a couple of Zanzibari gunners killed. In their turn the Zanzibaris rolled a perfect round of shooting from one gun and damaged the Lucielle’s engine. This would restrict her movement to 3”, a significant handicap given that she was carrying most of the Entente troops. Fortunately Contre Amiral Gaultier had the ‘engineering’ skill, we had the characters select a skill from a list at the start of the campaign. This allowed him to spend a turn fixing the engine on an Ld roll which he did. I prefer to think that he directed an actual engineer to fix the engine rather than putting his brandy down and getting his own hands dirty!
Over the next couple of turns two platoons of Senagalese advanced from the left flank of Hous bin Pharteen (following Creighton Smythe’s map) and the Lucielle & LuLu landed the British & Indian troops on the jetty and at the banks of the river besides the village whilst the KAR disembarked from the Lucienne and destroyed the artillery on the far bank. Unable to resist the flotilla fired its guns on the Zanzibaris who were sniping ineffectively from the village. This caused two units to flee however they rallied and returned to the fight.
Whilst all this was going on Mustafa Kamel & Herr Stroker emerged from their negotiations to survey the scene. Stroker ordered the Seebatallion to form a rearguard & Kamel ordered his units to defend the village.
By round 6 particularly heavy shooting from the deck mounted HMGs had broken two zanzibari units and third was engaged in hand to hand combat by the Indians and British. The Seebatallion was trading heavy fire with the Senegalese.
At this point Herr Stroker and Mustafa Kamel retired from the village with one unit in good order.
Despite a late attempt by British troops who were now in command of the village to cause enough casualties on the remaining Zanzibari unit to make it flee the surviving Germans & Zanzibaris retired in good order.
To their credit or perhaps stupidity ( but certainly effective morale rolls) the other three Zanzibari units fought and died to man in defence of their village. There were reports that some British troops found a substantial haul of loot in one of the village houses- obviously this was what was motivating the Zanzibaris. There may well be an investigation into this by Entente commanders.
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Here's a couple of photos (more are on the site linked earlier).
The table
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2941/15106063889_a9facf36be_z.jpg)
The Lucienne in action:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5577/15289644331_c4ea7a9beb_z.jpg)
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Another thoroughly enjoyable game Pete, coming from a non war gaming person like me is praise indeed!!
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Here's the link again.
http://wigan-wargames.co.uk/wiganwargames/forum_posts.asp?TID=3698
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Background for Round 4
Take the bally Hun radio station Chumley -Warner
The early morning mist on the Limpo obscured the Flotilla as it approached Kweezy Hill. Captain Chumley- Warner cleared his throat and issued his final orders to the junior officers. “ Now remember chaps push on as fast as you can and take that bally Hun radio station”.
In their camp the Germans, were shocked into action by the sudden appearance of the flotilla. The hapless Leutenant Wankmuller had been given command of the platoons guarding the station and in what may turn out to be a gross dereliction of duty he had allowed the radio operative, a keen photographer , to visit the surrounding bush to photograph local wild life. As the bugle sounded the alarm Wankmuller dispatched a couple of riflemen to find the radio operative and hurry him back to the station.
It will take six turns for them to return to the station and send the alarm to Festung Bratwurst in the meantime the Flotilla have 6 turns to storm the German camp and destroy the station. The Flotilla guns can also target the wireless tower- if only that dam mist would clear.
The flotilla takes the first turn.
The flotilla guns can target the tower but due to the slowly clearing mist it is not an easy target.
Turn Min score needed on % dice
1 99%
2 95%
3 90%
4 85%
5 80%
6 75%
If the Germans send the signal they take the first turn in the final game. If the Entente prevent this they take the first turn and can start with an extra platoon in flank attack.
The table is set up with the newly erected German wireless station on Kweezy Hill overlooking the Limpo. There is a German camp nearby and a small, well dug in, German force in attendance. The Germans will have 400pts of troops the Flotilla will have its whole force minus cumulative casualties.
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Game 4 Results
Game 4 Take the bally Hun radio station Chumley -Warner
As the early morning mist cleared on the Limpo the Germans at Kweezy Hill wireless station reeled in shock as they were confronted by the might of the entire force of the Entente flotilla.
The hapless Leutenant Wankmuller tried to regain order in the camp but he realised that Sepp Blutter, the wireless operative was away from his station. He hurriedly dispatched Schuztruppen to find him and return him to the station to signal to Fort Bratwurst of the imminent approach of the Flotilla. Belatedly as shells from the flotilla fell amongst the defenders he gave orders for the dispositions of his two platoons and set about arranging his defences.
The Entente players started the game in uncharacteristic fashion actually discussing tactics- albeit in a disagreeing sort of way. This hitherto unseen approach did in the end pay dividends though it was helped by some rather stunning dice rolling.
The first turn saw the Entente deploy the KAR as a flank attack force and immediately land the Tirallieurs in support whilst the remaining British forces aboard Lucielle moved further up stream to provide a two fronted pincer attack ( I told you they’d been discussing tactics)! The Flotilla guns declined the initial long shots on to the radio mast and fired at the camp and log cabins but missed.
In their first turn the Germans had to get themselves organised as they started the game in their camp.
During turns 2 to 4 the Entente forces developed a two pronged probing attack without committing men to frontal assaults and using their support weapons to destroy the German HMGs and the supporting Schuztruppen platoon.
For their part the Germans had to split their two platoons up to meet the double assault meaning that the Seebattalion spent most of this time moving positions. The Schuztruppen put out a heavy rate of fire but at long range and with targets in cover it wasn’t easy to cause casualties
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Turn 5 saw the flotilla guns now switch target and with an 80% chance of a hit on the mast the Lucienne caused some damage. The mast needed two hits from light guns or one from a heavy gun to be destroyed. Wankmulleur had an engineer with him so could attempt to repair damage from a light gun on an Ld roll. At the same time the KAR emerged from cover and delivered a telling volley on the depleted Schuztruppen.
In their turn 5 Wankmuller moved with the engineer to try and repair the damage to the mast whilst the remaining Schuztruppen opened up at the now exposed KAR. In dice saves even I would have been proud of Steve managed to save 6 of 8 casualties on the KAR (that’s 6 scores of 6 out of eight dice rolled).
In their final turn the KAR & Tirallieurs wiped out the remaining Schuztruppen and as Wankmuller and the engineer tried to get the wireless mast operational for the fast approaching wireless operative to use a shell from the small gun on the LuLu struck the tower raining debris on the Leutenant.
With that the game was over, the Seebattalion managed to cause the now exposed Tirallieurs some casualties but it couldn’t affect the outcome of the game.
All in all another enjoyable game and with the Entente now having discovered the benefit of arguing over tactics the fate of Fort Bratwurst looks even more in doubt!
Check out the final game in the campaign Bratwurst is pickled
Thanks to Pete for the almost un-biased write up. And just to point out it was not an argument over tactics, it was a reasoned debate over the effectiveness of French naval gunnery!!
Full campaign can be found on the wigan wargames forum:
http://wigan-wargames.co.uk/wiganwargames/forum_topics.asp?FID=55
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A few photos (more are on the Wigan Wargames site)
Firstly a couple of the board
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3935/15274480749_b411669d32_z.jpg)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5601/15274599368_af0edc83f3_z.jpg)
The best performing units of the game, the KAR.
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2946/15461285665_3fb33184db_z.jpg)
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Another thoroughly enjoyable game. The allied command had a good & frank debate over tactics. Even Captain Edna Blackadder of the KAR,the most fierce critic of the French allies, had praise their performance, commenting they almost fought like Gentlemen. High praise indeed from Captain Blackadder!!!
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Another great looking game.
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Background for the final battle due to take place on 7/11/14
Bratwurst is pickled?
General major von Eagleburger fidgeted as the colour party laid Leutenant Wankmuller to rest. He had been incompetent or perhaps very luckless , the result was the same, a string of Entente victories with some of the better German troops lost in fighting as their Flotilla advanced up the Limpo. It was none the less a cruel end to be bludgeoned to death by a falling radio antenna. He set his mind back upon the task in hand, to defend the Imperial settlement at Farht Gasse and the neighbouring Fort Bratwurst. He knew that the Flotilla would link up with forces from the French controlled provinces to the West of Lake ZigaZaga for the final assault. He was determined to deny them a final victory. If only Wankmuller hadn’t lost so many troops in his ill fated efforts. It was now mostly down to Askari, led by German officers of course to defend the settlement. The rather shifty Province Administrator, Herr Stroker, had proved resourceful but it may be a very mixed blessing to have Mustapha Camel and his Zanzibaris as allies!
The table is set up with the Festung Bratwurst, a German earthwork overlooking the junction of the Limpo with Lake ZigaZaga. There is a newly raised settlement, Fahrt Gasse, adjacent to the fort. This has a deep water dock and is of strategic value to the German’s maintaining control of the whole South west of their province. There are other German forces stationed to the North on Lake ZigaZaga but they will not arrive in time to help.
The Germans will have 700 pts of troops the Flotilla will have its whole force minus cumulative casualties. There will also be an Entente force from the Western shore of the lake linking up with the flotilla for the final assault, this will have 900pts.
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results of the final battle, please checkout the photos on the wigan wargames forum
The Machine
Joined: 07 December 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 387
Posted: Yesterday at 15:14As the sun rose on the German East Africa settlement of Fahrt Gasse & the neighbouring Fort Bratwurst the Entente Flotilla, linking up with Royal Naval force already on Lake ZigaZaga, set about making this the last day the Imperial German flag flew over the lakeside settlement.
Generalmajor Von Eagleburger and Herr Stroker had prepared their sparce defences including setting out a barbed wire defence and sinking an elderly steamer in the harbour to channel the Entente attacks however pride of place in the defences went to the newly aquired 10.5cm Konigsburg gun. A weapon which was capable of sending any vessel the flotilla had to the bottom of the lake.
With everything in place the Germans waited with trepidation for the coming onslaught.
The Entente duly obliged and following an extensive and accurate naval bombardment of the fort the British landing barges approached the harbour.
It was at this stage that things started to go wrong for the Germans The much feared Konigsburg gun missed the landing barges repeatedly on their approach to the harbour, despite the sunken steamer channelling them into a killing zone.
The small arms fire & HMGs took a heavy toll on the South African and Indian troops who eventually through weight of numbers by turn 6 gained a foot hold in the docks and then cleared the village of defenders.
The flanking force of Senegalese & KAR forced a way through the wire on the southern flank though the KAR were all but wiped out in the process.
Despite suffering heavy losses the Entente infantry pressed on clearing the defenders as they went. Throughout the entire 9 turns the Konigsburg gun kept firing (on a 50% chance of hitting) and kept missing,it in fact recorded one glancing hit the whole game and that on an already moored landing barge.
By turn 9 the Sikhs and captured Herr Stroker and his command and the Senegalese had overrun the Railway station. An army check was thus called for on Turn 10 and the Germans failed, the remaining platoons either fleeing or surrendering.
By turn 11 Colonel Chips Fanshawe was enjoying some Balkan Shag (its pipe tobacco!) as he viewed the Union Jack being displayed at the German headquarters.
On the Lucielle Contre Amiral Gaultier viewed the whole scence of British triumphalism disdainfully contemplating that the days success was down to his direction of the Flotilla gunnery and his soon to be expected elevation to Amiral.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the campaign and conducted it the right spirit. It was a stirring last game made slightly less even than I thought it would be due to the errant German gunnery but still enjoyable none the less.
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Just a few photos of the final shindig, many more are on the website linked earlier.
A couple of shots of the board
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7497/15712066266_588a181623_z.jpg)
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3945/15733847031_b64702eb68_z.jpg)
A before & after of Herr Stroker (red fez) firstly with Von Eagleburger surveying the defensive preparations and at the final turn captured after his command lost a melee with the Sikhs .
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3953/15550593947_a6ebc09a22_z.jpg)
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8268/15550287448_dc9ae36210_z.jpg)
The much vaunted Konigsburg gun soon to be the feature of a traffic island in Mombassa
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/15735741305_a9a468e143_z.jpg)
Colonel Chips Fanshawe enjoying his Balkan Shag
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7500/15712018196_91f9cd9913_z.jpg)
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Thoroughly enjoyed seeing all this come too life down the club and looking forward to joining in the Christmas games