Revenge of the Pointy-Heads - part 3

The battle continues - still impartially observed by Captain Widdrington.  He seemed equally appalled at the antics of both sides.  Seldom has he seen such atrocities.

Vulgarian artillery continued it's barrage - a stray (or well aimed?) round landing just behind the SHS general's car!  Several already wounded casualties were soon put out of their misery.

SHS nurses were sent to remonstrate with the gunners...

...but their attention (and gun sight) was focused on the large wagon with the aiming point helpfully painted on the side!

(Another) confused melee was soon under way in the woods as the VG infantry were taken roughly from behind by SHS lancers!

Luckily for the nurses, when confronted with an easy target the VG gunners were spectacularly incompetent - the matchstick passed neatly between them!

While the nurses tried to put the gunners off, more SHS wounded were carried to possible safety.

The SHS lancers bore down on the VG infantry - who were already fighting SHS infantry...

...and casualties on both sides were many.

At this point, and having retrieved his car, the Vulgarian CO decided to offer the SHS troops safe passage to their homeland.  Totting up the scores revealed the game to have been a Vulgarian victory, but given the frighteningly high casualty rates it might be argued that - as in real war - there were no winners.

The weakened state of both Vulgaria and Svenhasselstein has not passed un-noticed by certain of their neighbours.....

Revenge of the Pointy-Heads - part 2

We return to the action to fund that a Vulgarian cavalry regiment, accompanied by a light gun has appeared at point 4 (see map in the previous post).  Predictable, they appeared behind a SHS infantry regiment!

Meanwhile on the other side of the table confusion and carnage reigns.  Here, you may recall, two VG infantry regiments had appeared, followed by SHS infantry and finally a VG cavalry regiment.  The problem was soon bloodily resolved and bodies (mostly SHS) littered the field.

The VG lancers who appeared at point 4 charged off towards their captured car and after a brief and rather one-sided struggle, regained possession thereof.

The VG gunners entertained themselves by firing into the SHS rear.  Ooh, nasty!

Watched by Captain Widdrington the VG reserves were flung across the pontoon bridge.

The SHS commander still engrossed in his newspaper while wounded soldiers and nurses are rounded up to push his car to safety.

Captured nurses were searched carefully in case they were really Svenhasselsteiner special forces.

Taking infantry fire from the front and artillery in the rear, the SHS infantry by the bridge were under considerable pressure!

An overview of the situation.  Confused?   Yes, so were we....

Unable to figure out how it works, the VG lancers drag the car to safety.

Will the Vulgarian car be saved?
Will the SHS general finish the crossword?
Will Captain Widdrington fall in the river?

At least one of these questions will be answered in the next and (thankfully) final instalment!

Revenge of the Pointy-Heads - part 1

This was a Funny Little Wars game played at the Sheffield club on 18 September.  Martin led his Vulgarians (VG hereafter), assisted by John while Steve commanded his Svenhasselsteiners (SHS). The players were each issued with a map and briefing as below:

The map is reproduced by kind permission of the Cartographic Section of the Forbodian Army.
What they're doing with maps of the Vulgarian/Svenhasselstein  border area has yet to be revealed....

Svenhasselsteiner briefing

Following a successful but far from casualty-free raid into Vulgaria, the Svenhasselsteiner forces are making their way back home by way of a pontoon bridge built by their engineers.

Your aim is to safely exit your forces from point 5.

Points will be scored for troops making it to safety as follows:

Infantry                                               1

Gunners/cavalry/engineers                  2

For an officer                                      3

Gun                                                     5

Car                                                      10

Forces:

Brigade HQ with motor car, a captured Vulgarian car and a column of walking wounded  - enters on the road at point 3

3 Infantry Regiments (10)  enter randomly.  For each Regt, roll a D6 for entry point.  On a 6 they don’t arrive.

1 Cavalry Regiment (6)  - enters at point 3 on turn D6

2 guns – roll as per the infantry for location.

Vulgarian briefing

Following a successful but far from casualty-free raid into Vulgaria, the Svenhasselsteiner forces are making their way back home by way of a pontoon bridge built by their engineers.

You are to inflict casualties on the column and retrieve the General’s car which was stolen by the enemy during the raid.  Or capture an enemy car.  ‘Capture’ involves getting it off the table at point 3.

Points will be scored as follows:

For each enemy infantryman killed    1

Gunners/cavalry/engineers                  2

For an officer                                      3

Capturing a gun                                  5

Capturing a car                                    10

Forces:

Brigade HQ  enters anywhere

3 Infantry Regiments (10)  enter from points 1, 2, 4 or 5 – your choice

2 Cavalry Regiments (6)  enter randomly.  For each Regt, roll D6 for turn no, then D6 for entry point.  On a 6 they don’t arrive.

2 guns – 1 with an IR and the second with a Cav Regt.

The SHS column trudges homeward.  The white motor car is the one they pinched from outside the Vulgarian HQ.

Unconcerned with the suffering of his men, the SHS General checks up on his share prices.

The SHS troops had left behind them many small bits of plastic....

Present as a neutral observer was none other then Captain Widdrington - seen here accepting an offer to visit Svenhasselstein.

While the local vicar (centre) muses on man's inhumanity to plastic (he's a portly metal chap himself), who is that appearing in the distance?

Vulgarians!  Thousands of 'em!*

At this inopportune moment the SHS general's car ran out of petrol  A team was hastily assembled to push it.

The VGs came on in the same old way.  These chaps are on the other side of the river.

The captured car is driven round the traffic jam.

Meanwhile more SHS troops had arrived - including a gun.

I say, who is that handsome chap looking thoughtful in the background?

The CG general urges his cannon fodder valued troops forward.

Even soem VG cavalry showed up - behind the SHS infantry!

Capt. Widdrington watches the battle unfold with increasing horror.

SHS lancers prepare to charge.

A confused** fight develops near Point 1 on the map.  VG infantry have appeared, followed by SHS infantry, followed by VG cavalry!

The VG chaps soon saw off this particular enemy unit - but at a cost.  What would happen next?

* Depending on the figure scale.
** Or maybe that was just me.

The Battle of Grossenfartz - part 4

We return to the action just as the Vulgarian train rolls to a halt in Grossenfartz.  I had been quietly hoping that someone might switch the points or that Martin would forget that he needed to begin slowing down the previous turn, but as it turned out the train arrived safely....

...and a load of Vulgarian infantry leapt out - causing a degree of concern among the Commodore's staff group!

Having broken through the Anglophobian front line the enemy soon encountered the reserves.

The defenders were soon hard-pressed - not even the armoured train could hold off the waves of pointy-helmeted automatons.

There was some good news though - the staff had fought off the Vulgarian train troopers!  This proves conclusively that bendy plastic bayonets are no match for wire flagpoles....

 In the end, however, HMAT Thomas and the Motor Patrol's car carried the survivors off to safety while the Vulgarians did their best to reduce stocks of the brewery's product.

 

The final words I will leave to the ever self effacing Commodore M-C: 

But the vulgar Vulgarians were not to have everything their own way and as the train containing half a battalion of troops slowed to a halt in the brewery yard and disgorged them like the filling from a foul Vulgarian bierwurst the headquarters section led by the valiant Commordore Mountjoy-Carruthers cut them down like so much wheat.

Despite fighting with courage and elan, the weight of the Vulgarian advance forced the Commodore to think of the welfare of his men. Deciding that no more Anglophobian blood would be spilled to secure what was arguably second rate grog the stiut hearted Commodore ordered his men to retire in good order having given the Kaiser a bloody nose, that he would remember every time he placed a stein to his twisted moustachioed lip.

The battle of Grossenfartz - part 3

As the battle continued, the Vulgarian train trundled relentlessly onwards, running over some of their own men in the process!  The train is an old Hornby 'O' Gauge toy which may be deserving of it's own post soon.

The brave chaps of the Motor Patrol leapt from their motor car to fight off the lancers.  The survivors soon fled!

Meanwhile back at the front, Vulgarian infantry and the naval gun crew were locked in a deadly struggle!

There were still rather a lot of Vulgarians!

Just as the rear areas had been cleared of the enemy....

The Vulgarian train chuffed into town!

Soon HMAT Thomas was heading for the front - it's gunners soon rose

 to the challenge and made a few holes on the enemy formations...

...but there were still - you've guessed it - loads of 'em left!

A daunting view of the battle from the Anglophobian lines.

After a bitter and bloody struggle the Vulgarians cleared the Anglophobian front line.

More Vulgarian cavalry in action - they rode down most of a naval battalion.

By this time things were starting to look a bit sticky for the Navy!



Once again I will leave the last words to Commodore Mountjoy-Carruthers, courtesy of Mark H:
Alas, the tide was about to turn as the detachment from Implausible to the left of the line, was urged by it's officer (Lt. Manley-Buttockes) to leave the protection of their field works and assault the enemy artillery positions to their front. This would have no doubt ended in a resounding victory had the Vulgarian commander not unleashed his mounted reserve, backed by a battalion of their odious infantry brethren. Caught in the open and without the hope of quarter, Lt. Manley-Buttockes and his men sold themselves dearly (if somewhat quickly) and slowed down the Vulgarian steam roller for a precious 12.5 seconds.
Meanwhile to the right of the line, despite inflicting horrendous casualties on the foe, the detachment from HMS Unfeasible were overrun in a deadly exchange of steal in pluck in the trenches.