Crimean War in 15mm

Last nights game was based on the Battle of Malakoff (part of the Siege of Sevastopol) during the Crimean War.

15mm French v Russians using the Volley and Bayonet rules.

 To win the French (on the far side) were required to take the right hand redoubt. The only way to enter the redoubt is to first enter through the gaps in the wall and then take the redoubt from behind.

One of the French commands.

Russian defenders.

The Russian setup. Wall to wall defenses.

French high command.

 Right from the first move the French attacked. Each French command heading straight for one of the gaps each. Early success for the French on the right as they take the first line of earthworks.

 The Russian centre and left flank push back the French attacks but the casualties are mounting on their right flank.

The Russians counterattack and retake the earthworks. A costly exercise and the  Russian right begins to crumble. The red markers indicating that these guys have reached exhaustion and are no longer able to charge.

 The left flank is also under pressure but is still holding up well.

 Although the French have reached the gap on the left flank they run out of steam. The cost of several attacks against these earthworks is too much!

 The Russians move some troops to the right in an effort to retake the earthworks(again) but the French keep the pressure on....

 ...and push through and take the gap only to be counterattacked by the Russians coming to the aid of their comrades.

By this stage the French on the left have disintegrated and left the field. The centre French command is piling on the pressure but this has all been too much for the French and now the command on the right is rapidly running out of men. With so many casualties on the French side they are forced to withdraw.

In the end the Russians changed history and managed to hang on for a marginal victory.


Great game and again thanks to Adrian for supplying the troops and running the game and to Wayne for making the coffee!

Indian Mutiny

With some of the boys away on holiday still a few of us got together for a wee game.

15mm Indian Mutiny game using the Volley and Bayonet rules.

This game involved an Indian army besieging a British held fort with a British relief force on it's way.

The Indians are required to keep the British from entering the fort while the British just have to get some troops into the fort. For the British to enter the fort though, they will need to occupy both town sectors at the gates to the fort.

The Indians start with the fort surrounded, knowing that the British are coming but not knowing from which table edge or edges.

 The old Airfix "Fort Sahara" ( very nicely based by Adrian) is surrounded and under attack, with the two town sectors that need to be captured by the British before they can enter the fort.

At the start of the game.

 Knowing that at least some of the British would be coming on to the table directly in front of the fort the Indians have turned to face this probable threat.

A look at the inside of the fort.

Indian high command directing operations.

Transports arriving with more troops.

 As it happened the British brought their entire force on from the table edge nearest the main gates.

 The British had the advantage of better fire power and better quality troops but the Indians had numbers and were able to out flank the British. Due to the lack of fire power the Indians had no choice but to charge into the British while the British tried to shot their way through.

The town sectors under threat!

The green makers show which units are stationary, giving them more fire and melee dice.

 With casualties building up on both sides the British start to push the issue. They attack the town sectors and with the Indians failing their morale checks the British move in.
 On the far side the Indian cavalry and one other Indian command have already run away, but the one remaining command on that side have yet to lose a man.

 On the near side the outflanking manoeuvre has moved through and forced the remaining British cavalry to come across to this side of the battlefield. The Indians counterattack the town sectors and manage to gain one of them back.

 In the end it was just a bit too much for the British and the Indians hold on by a very narrow margin.

Here are a couple of extra photos of Adrian's handy work with the brush.

Thanks to Adrian for putting on the game, supplying  the troops and buildings and to Geoff for making the coffee!

Boar War game.

Last weeks game was a Volley and Bayonet game based on the Battle of Colenso. A bunch of Boars entrenched behind a river intent on holding up any British advance for as long as possible and the British in several columns trying to cross the river and push the Boars before them.

 Setting up the troops.     The gaps in the river represent where the fords in the river are.

 The Boars. All skirmish stands. Looks good but these stands don't hang around long.

 Some of the British line. Damn big gun in the background.

 The Boars behind their defences waiting for the British to cross the river.

 The British advancing toward the Boars

 The British took some heavy casualties as they crossed! But are still capable of doing some damage.

 The firing power of the British began to tell. The centre Boar command was reduced , by casualties, to a point where it's morale was so low they basically ran away!

 A great gap in the Boar centre encouraged the British to pour more troops across the river.  It wasn't all one way traffic though. The British had suffered a fair number of casualties too and had a command that refused to advance any further.

 

Next the Boar left flank command broke and headed for the hills.  Things were desperate for both sides at this point. Neither of the two commanders that were still involved with the game were aware  that the next casualty would sound the end of the game! After several shots fired and each one saved from both sides the Boars lost another stand and that was that. A British win but oh so close!

 

 

A close up of Adrian's wonderful looking building.

 Thanks to Adrian for doing all the hard work ( running the game , supplying the troops etc).

Action in the Sudan.

This weeks game for the group was a 15mm Sudan battle. The rules were Volley and Bayonet and Adrian run the game, supplying all the figures and the scratch build gun boat!

 The British were divided into 3 forces. There was one force defending the gun boat that had grounded on the banks of the river. Then there were two relief forces starting from opposite ends of the table.

The defending force under attack from turn one.

going!

going!

GONE!!!

 The defending British force was wiped out before the other two British forces could come to their rescue.

The British high command.

Thanks Adrian for a great game.