Paris in the Springtime - part 1 - The City of Love?

For our second outdoor game of the season I opted for a lightly modified version of the Paris game played in London back in far-off 2019.  See here for the first part of the report on this earlier game.  The game was set in May 1871 as French government forces close on the Commune-controlled city.  The Commune forces were led by General Cluseret and Colonel Rossel.  Govedrment troops were commanded by Marshal MacMahon, with Generals Gallifet and Cissey.

An exact* recreation of 1871 Paris.  Keen students of ecclesiastical architecture will recognise Notre Dame in the background.  Cynics may suspect it is in fact a repainted garden ornament bought a few years ago at a Dutch car boot sale for 2 Euros.  The same cynics may mistake the city walls for some bits of toy forts.

The Commune authorities had taken a number of hostages including the Archbishop.  The Government players were allowed to place two spies in the city.  Despite my many hints the Commune players sadly refused to be drawn into 'spy-fever' or mutual suspiscion.

Once again we used the paving to mark areas - any stone with a building on it was deemed to be built up.  The buildings were mostly HO scale plastic.  Figures for the Commune forces were plundered from a number of boxes spanning periods from 1860 to 1938!

One of the Commune barricades, manned by a variety of civilians.

The Hotel De Ville, with Communard Deputies lounging in front.

MacMahon's first objective was to reduce Fort d'Issy.  my version was adapted from a Britians vacformed plastic fort with added paint and balsa.  The 25pdr was used for all artillery fire.  The fort was commanded by a Colonel Megy - not the most reliable or stable of men!

Government troops advance.  Lloyd kindly provided the Versailles forces - everything else was looted from my own shelves.  Many of the figures were in fact repurposed ACW plastics.

The fort's guns kept up a steady if erratic barrage while Government gunners tried to keep the defenders' heads down.  Certainly Col Megy was a rare sight on the battlements.

Gen Cluseret sent forces out from the city - would he attempt to relieve the fort?  Well no, he wouldn't.

The dice mark the hits sustained by the mighty plastic walls.  But only from field artillery.

MacMahon's chaps had suffered during the approach - but life was cheap to the Marshal.

As night fell the Versailles forces prepared for a dawn assault.  When they entered the fort it was deserted - the garrison had fled and of Col. Megy no more was heard!