Esparto, California - July 29rd. The third game in our Second American Civil War campaign. The factions fighting for the Constitutionalist side were the local chapter of Minutemen and a the Constitutionalist Militia centered around the Veterans Association of the Central Valley and the local Marxists who still can't decide which side to take. On the Nationalist side were reconnaissance elements of the 11th Cavalry Regiment the local Citizen's Vigilance Committee and a scout element of Trotsky's 4th Internationale army that has been pushing North from Southern California. Hoping to put a stop to civilian collaboration with the Constitutionalists the Nationalists made a hit and run attack on the small town of Esparto. However, the Constitutionalists had some warning and were able to prepare a reception for the Nationalists.
Setup for the game:
The primary objective of the Nationalists was to kill as many of the civilians scattered up the length of Main Street and throughout town. The Constitutionalist forces started with all their units placed in hastily made defensive positions on three sides of the table. An artillery piece covered the length of the road through town that the Nationalists would approach on and the buildings lining Main Street were filled with rifle and machine gun units. The Marxists infantry and armored truck held one end of the side street that crosses Main and a Crosseley Armored car guarder the park at the other end. Both were set up with good fields of fire on the intersection.
The Nationalist forces raced in from end of the table, the bulk coming up the road with some some truck carried infantry and two armored vehicles on the left flank driving through an open area between buildings.
Photos of the battle:
The sleepy town of Esparto, California. Looking down the road from where the Nationalists started. All the players and observers that had actually been to Esparto at one time or another formed a consensus that we were overly generous with the layout.
Some of the absolutely fantastic converted Plasticville buildings that Mr. Mike Branum was kind enough to bring. His is half of an awesome collection of converted railroad buildings that are used for a massive zombie game in our local area every Halloween. Mike and his friend Marcus have amassed an amazing collection of buildings and made a neon nightmare of a town that covers about an 8 foot by 8 foot table. If Tom Waits were to direct a horror movie, Mike and marcus' town would be the perfect location.
The 4th Internationale tankette leads the way through the seedier part of town. The western buildings here are some of the old prototypes I made for the Arnica, Montana line of buildings.
The view from the artillery emplacement at the end of the road. A platoon of M1 scout cars pulls up alongside the tankette, racing through the town, trying to create as much confusion and destruction as possible. The Constitutionalists had put somewhere between four and six rifle and machine gun squads in the buildings down Main Street, turning it into a gauntlet of lead. Most of the lead seemed to pass through the flimsy stake beds of the 4th Internationales troop transport trucks as the Consti's quickly identified them as the softest target in front of them.
The Nationalists had secured the service's of a German mercenary pilot. Baron von Spanktofetn made three passes over the town dropping several bombs as he went to and fro. He accounted for quite a bit of damage including a viscous bombing of those nasty, grenade throwing newsboys of the Minutemen.
A nicely placed bomb drop cripples one of the Consti's armored cars.
The Nationalists sweep through the town with another armored car and several trucks full of troops. The armored car poured machine gun fire into the blue building, bringing the house down on some Communists that were on the front veranda. The Reds were quick to get revenge. Heavy machine gun fire destroyed the ac's gun, rendering it totally ineffectual for the remainder of the engagement. It spent the rest of the game trying to get out of town.
The Constitutionalist artillery's second shot jammed in the breech, giving the Nationalists some extra time to get down the road. The rifle squads in the shops refused to make it an easy passage. Suppression fire from the Troops in the trucks and the scout cars machine guns helped to quiet the Consti's a bit.
The wounded Communist ac. Fortunately it happened right next to the machine shop so its got a good spot in the line of vehicles waiting to be fixed.
Communist troops, fighting with the Constitutionalists, on overwatch waiting for a juicy target to cross their path. They didn't have to wait long.
The Newsboys start flinging grenades.
Always conscious of good driving habits, the 11th's recon passes 4th Internationale on the right.
The Nationalists pass the intersection marking the halfway point through town.
The second run of von Spanktoften scored a near miss that the artillery crew counted as fortunate. The sailors in the building were of different opinion.
The 11th's cars make the turn at the end of town under the nose of the big gun. For them the objective was fairly well in hand. They dealt some serious damage and sped out of town.
The Nationalist infantry was not so lucky. They got bogged down in a series of close assaults, machine gun fusillades and general vehicular mayhem. The open truck in the center of the picture tried to break free by running down the newsboys in front of him but failed to make the turn at high speed and rolled and crashed against the back wall of the Seafood Shack. The survivors attempted to force their way in to the restaurant but met with stiff resistance from the Consti's inside. Several rounds of serious melee ensued with the pair of survivors from the truck wreck eventually surrendering.
The surviving Nationalist trucks slip passed the burning wreck of one of their armored vehicles and out of the carnage zone during the feeding frenzy at the Seafood Shack.
The Crossely takes a shot at the already beyond disabled truck. "Past the donut stand, through the smoke. around the seafood shack, nothing but tailgate!".
Once you turn off of Main Street, the beauty of Downtown Esparto quickly fades.
GOOOOAL!!! The 4th Nationale tankette throws a track leaving it stuck in the middle of the road. The artillery takes advantage of the stationary target and puts a round right through the engine, totally disabling the tankette and killing both crewmen.
The Nationalist AC and the 11th's scout cars cruise out of town.
Alfrik's Vigilance Committee loops around and leaves the way they came in.
The Nationalists managed to score a fairly decisive success but not without losing some precious elements. The 4th Internationale's Tankette was destroyed and they lost more than half their infantry to the gauntlet of Main Street. At least one armored truck and a regular truck of the Nationalist Militia were destroyed as well as all the troops it carried. Five of the seven civilian objective markers.
Thanks for looking,
Mike
August 20, 2010, 06:24:56 AM