Get a publisher and write that book!
But keep posting here so we can read it for free.
Spoken like a gentleman.
Thanks all for the comments. But enough words and on with the battle! Oh and sorry about the pics. We were in a hurry and didn't grab the good camera that night, so a little dark.
Forces:
Prussian2 officers (including one unusual character in 18th century costume…must get Rabbitz to write about HIM)
40 Prussian infantry
15 Seebatalion
5 Heavy Machine Gun teams
10 Clanks with variety of mortars/ machine guns and gramaphones to distribute propaganda (!!?)
6 repairmen
1 Armoured Bicycle scout
1 HUGE derailer tank
British1 officer (Brigadier General Valentine)
1 ‘character’ (Mad Eye Davis)
20 guards
15 artillerymen
10 layabout townsmen who couldn’t hit the side of a barn
2 small steam artillery pieces with conventional guns
1 small artillery piece with lightning generator
1 large artillery piece (command tractor) with Martian heat-ray, artillery piece and 2 Gatling Guns.
The British forces had thrown up some simple barricades and tried to make best use of what cover they had, which was important against so many machine guns!!
Rabbitz chose to split his attack into 3 sections, with the derailler tank taking the middle along with the bulk of the infantry. The Seebattalion and other Prussian infantry took the left flank and the machine gun group plus a smaller unit the right. The clanks were mainly in the centre and on the right also.
There wasn’t much cover for them so they had to move quickly and try to overwhelm the artillery.
Things went disastrously for the British at the start. Dust had obviously clogged the engines for not one vehicle out of 4 made it’s sustain roll! As I cursed my luck, his machine guns opened fire and both my guards units on the flanks took casualties. Fortunately they didn’t flee before this onslaught (of stern stuff were they!).
The miners in the centre looked nervously on as they saw the soldiers falling and sheltering before a barrage of fire.
The clanks were going fairly well and making good progress across the table, as were the troops on the left flank. Most of my artillery was short range (24 inches) so I had to bide my time.
The second turn went equally well for the Prussians with another four guards leaving the table and only 1 Prussian eating schnitzel in the sky. Even worse, on the right flank my mobile steam artillery piece had taken a direct hit from the derailler which forced the occupants to flee, though Rabbitz graciously allowed them to flee by retreating in their vehicle.
The Prussians, sensing an easy victory over a crumbling foe, rushed onwards. But now for the first time I started rolling well! My vehicles managed to start last turn and sustain (all but one). The command vehicle finally let loose with it’s ray…3 direct hits on the clank unit nearest to the men. 3 melting piles of clank…
The artillery piece and gatling gun opened up on the Prussian infantry to their left and most of them were obliterated, with only the officer and 2 men able to turn tail and run. The men were later to be killed but the officer rallied and charged the command vehicle single handed! (he actually got to the end of the game unscratched, to be later handed the 'most lucky blighter left alive award').
On the left flank the seebattalion began taking casualties from the remaining Guards (who now down to 4 men here had still not run) plus one of the artillery pieces, which drove a nice area effect shell into their centre. Meanwhile, some of the remaining Clanks were breaking down and slowing the Prussian advance. On the right , the machine gun crews were advancing up close in to the 7 or so remaining guards, but mostly missed. However, the Clank managed to fire off it’s mortar and score a direct hit, which reduced them to only 5 men.
Next turn and the Derailler tried to finish off the disabled steam tank. It hit, but in a bizarre occurance managed to touch off the weapon which fired directly into the oncoming Prussian unit, destroying the front of it. The tank crew died heros as they were obliterated by the machine guns. The guards here, having still not fled returned fire on the machine guns. They killed only 1 crewman but this was enough to make them run!! However, as the turn was simultaneous tne machine guns returned fire, killing their NCO and all but 2 men, who hastily fled!
The Prussians had had the wind knocked out of them but there were still a lot of infantry on the table and they were now within a march of the artillery. The guards on the left finally broke and fled with only 2 remaining men alive. Then another stroke of luck as the Derailler main weapon was destroyed by a freak him from one of the small cannon “Good shot Sir!!” was heard to ring out across the carnage. The clanks were again hit, this time by the electric cannon which welded the nearest one into a solid lump of metal and watched as it slowly toppled to the ground. In a last ditch attempt at defiance, the British in the lead Steam tank charged at the ranks of encircling Prussians and trampled them, crushing three.
At this point we noticed that no-one else was left at the club and the janitor was tapping his watch. OOPS.
So …what would have happened next? With so many Clanks (and all the repair crew) left on the table plus probably 20 Prussian infantry it was only a matter of time before I was engulfed. As the first wave of a larger force, there was no way that the British could win here, but put up a jolly good show they did.
And so here is what did happen…
The artillery abandoned their vehicles, dragging the unconscious form of Brigadier Valentine. As a final thought, Sergeant Tibbet had put the Martian Heat ray on overdrive, knowing that it would create a huge explosion in about a minute. Retreating with what men he could find, the Sergeant headed for the nearest mine entrance. He had not liked what he’d seen those Clanks do to the wounded men just now…. He’d found a dozen or so townsfolk already in the entrance, sheltering from the bullets and explosions. It was an absolute shambles. A few of the Guards took shelter at the entrance and let fly with what little ammunition they had left before he ordered them inside.
A few miners had taken torches and they followed them down into the tunnel, holding on to each others belts. They had just entered a larger chamber when a tremendous explosion and vibration shook them from their feet and doused the lights. The command vehicle had gone up. But now the entrance was completely blocked!
Will they survive? What are the Spiders from Mars? Will Mad Eye Davis lead them out? Will he find his hip flask? Did the Prussians manage to follow them in before the entrance was sealed? Will the Welsh start singing? Who built the ‘strange city underground’ and did they have a good bus service and problems with graffiti? Who’se that pinching me?
Until next time (when Rabbitz builds the terrain boards in return for me doin all the writing this time……………..Although credit where it's due..he built the town/ mine/ trees and foliage to cover my desert terrain boards in a matter of days!
Happy soldiering!
TJG