And so to week 2 of the Battle of Ryton Grange.
To recap, the Kings brother's hunting party, ready to take to the field find themselves under attack from the south by traitorous forces of the Chopwell Communists, but feel secure behind the wall of steel of Lord Percy's Tenantry.
Over to the north east, coming down the road from Newcastle, a small force BUF troops are threading their way through the woods, while engaging the communist citizen militia holding the crossroads.
Also coming from the east are the splendidly liveried forces of Lord Lambton.
And the battle resumes as the brave (foolhardy) Communist assault militia are cut to pieces in a crossfire by Lambton's Hounds. Having despatched their foe, Lambton's troops flood into the village looking for booty.
The communist militia try to resist; and effort not helped by their chaps with Molotov cocktails having a tendency to blow themselves up...
Thre pressure begins to tell, and despite some fearsome disapproving glares (and a healthy dose of SMG fire) from the matriarchal commissars forcing some of the more honourable estate militia out of the village...
...Lambton's caddish and all-round bad egg 'freebooters' get the jobe done in the lanes with some vicious and most unsporting competent assault work.
The Chopwell citizens, taking heavy losses, retreat from the horror, seeking cover as their morale fails in the terrifying close combat along the hedgerows.
Things look bad for the Chopwell forces over to the east, but their security force attack on Ryton Grange fairs a little better.
A tennantry LMG team presents a problem, blocking their advance. and so the Cossacks spur their horses on past the terrace to deal with these troublesome chaps.
This to the amazement of the waiting army HMG crew who quickly recovered from their astonishment to open fire on the mounted communists.
Fire discipline failed them however and not only did they spray the area with ineffectual fire, they also exhausted most of their ammunition doing it. The nearby officers blared angrily at their behaviour...
The cavalry chopped down the LMG crew with their sabres, before retreating behind the terrace.
The way across the road was now open and as the army infantry also retreated back to the Grange...
... the communist infantry flooded forwards deserate to capture the King's brother!
This seemes to have been a dastardly ruse though and as the Chopwell Cossacks moved up to support their infantry, Lord Percy's cavalry counterattacked!
In a swirling melee, the brave but inexperienced Cossacks were cut apart. The survivors fled...
...hotly pursued by the army mounted troops.
Rather unfortunate for them, the Chopwell infantry nearby turned their rifles on the horsemen, felling man and beast alike; and with that both side's cavalry were spent.
As the battle dragged on, the BUF flying column in the north threaded its way over to the Grange largely unmolested.
Elsewhere, losses were mounting. the Chopwell communists had lost a lot of good people, and the bitter fighting had also taken a toll on Lambton's irregulars.
Percy's Tennantry were taking a few losses but their position remained secure, and when the crew of their armoured car finally pulled themselves together and started pouring HMG fire into the attacking Reds, things looked bleak for the attackers and very good for the army...
...then...
...over the airwaves of the various wireless sets in the hands of the faction commands, the following BBC broadcast crackled through.
+++...
rep..ts of heavy fig..ing underway right now in ... area of Ryton Grange. A gover..ent spokesman has assured us that the king's brother, the Earl of Inverness, currently residing at Ryton Hall one mile to the west of Ryton Grange, is in no danger... +++
As the news filtered through to the various factions, the fighting ceased and the troops left the area to lick their wounds.
The communists would not have their prize today.
Lambton's Hounds would not recover the money own to their lord by the king's brother and his gambling debts.
The BUF and Lord Percy's Tennantry were successful in their actions.
The toffs assembled at Ryton Grange for a jolly bit of grouse shooting were suitably bemused at the whole blessed show...
A cracking, hard fought battle and an excellent success for our new rules of choice 'Rules of Engagement'.
02 August 2009, 05:16:54 PM