Somme enchanted evening

A couple of weeks after the Somme game reported here earlier I ran a cut-down version at the Sheffield club.  Why cut-down?  Two reasons:

1. pressure of time - I wanted it to be playable in an evening

2. I had to provide almost 100% of the kit!

Among the new items I had prepared for this game was the German battery above.  An Emhar model and figures.  The dog came with a toy wagon.

With my own bodged tranches and bunkers and the help of Martin's trenches we constructed a German front line over 20 feet across!

John entered into the spirit of things with his (plastic) helmet.  Martin and new chap Tom also joined the Brits.  The Jerries were led by er, Jerry.

Fokkers balloon busting.  Or trying to.

Looking across the playing area - with the players trying to look as if they're not involved...

 British recce gets hit by 'party popper' flak.

The British artillery fire concentrated on a few targets.  And even hit some of them.

Martin (in a hessian covered repro helmet) and John looking like a pair of dodgy Airfix re-casts.

My Hannover got into action.  Well for photographs anyway.

 When the troops went 'over the top' the result was all too predictible.

The wicked Germans skulking in their fortifications.

Once again most of the harvest of death was gathered by the German machine guns.  These are plastic recasts of old Charbens Russians with Armies in Plastic heads.

Casualty rates were similar to the original game.  And indeed the original battle.