Splendid Vauban style gateway.

My mate Stuart of 'Captain Jack's Locker' made me the gatehouse seen above for my Vauban fortress.  I didn't like the doorway that came with the set as it is just a door in a wall; very boring, unlike this rather grand construction!

I guess that now I have no excuse for not pulling my finger out and actually getting the whole thing painted. I just need to decide on a colour scheme......

Carronade, 13 May 2017 - show AAR

It was Carronade in Falkirk on Saturday and for the first time I was able to attend. We arranged a long weekend based in Stirling which is only 20 minutes from Falkirk, booking into the lovely and very well placed Royal Highland Hotel, just 200 yards from Stirling castle.

So, on arriving at the event the very first person I bumped into was Falkirk club member my old friend Douglas Thomson, whom I'd lost touch with when he moved away from the NE for a job in the Far East. Then we had a long chat with David Bickley and Phil Robinson, and I was able to unload a large bag of Eureka French Revolutionary War figures that I'd picked up for him at Salute after we put in a joint order to get round the postage and customs charges and also get a 20% discount for buying, between us, more than AUS$300 worth of goodies. I dropped a box of figures off at Northumbrian Painting Services, a company I cannot recommend enough in terms of the quality of the finished product and importantly value for money. Doing the rounds during the course of the day I pretty much wore my voice out chatting to loads of friends and acquaintances, many of whom I don't see from one wargames show to the next but are able to almost pick up a conversation where we left it the last time we'd met.

Katherine had arranged to meet up with Dave Jarvis as she's going to produce a new "all singing all dancing" website for him to support his figure painting business. She has a great deal of experience in marketing, promotional stuff and website design and now she's a lady of leisure offers her services for free to a select few. She even maintains the sites once they're up and running.

I took a few photos during the course of the day, but had to resort to using my phone as my camera chose to die on me right at the start of the day! I should have checked the battery I suppose. I have to say that in my opinion the quality of the games was very good. There were some outstanding games, and many that it was clear that more than a little effort had been put into putting them on. Didn't see much in the way of 2' x 2' boutique games and the vast majority were the staple of what a good wargames event should be, i.e. 'proper' wargames. There was no show guide or map so if I've wrongly attributed anything I do apologise.

 This first shot is of my old club the Durham Wargames Group, and their 42mm Spanish Civil War game, put on by Conrad Cairns. There are more photos of this game later but for me this was one of two stand out games at the event, based on my criteria of visual impact, visible effort (just about everything was scratch build by Conrad) and tidiness. Not a cup, can of pop or piece of paper in sight!

 I think this game was by the Falkirk Club. Italians v Greeks and British in the Aegean I think. I liked it anyway, although the table edges were a bit cluttered.

 These three photos are of an excellent Wars of the Roses game. Some beautiful figures, some very nice terrain items and an excellent church complete with some unfortunate person being defenestrated from the top of the bell tower.

 A WW2 Staligrady-type game, with lots of action and flashing lights.

 A 'proper' war-game staged by the guys of the Westerhope Wargames Group. All the figures are 42mm Prinz August home casts and they are gorgeous! I had a long chat with a couple of the players and for them, and for me, this is what gets my juices going, a big game, a visual treat, glorious colours and loads of shiny toy soldiers. More flashing lights too!

 This next lot are of the GNW game put on by The League of Augsberg group, Barry Hilton (very distinguished looking with his goatee) and pals. Lovely figures, some smashing vignettes and probably the best artillery battery I've seen on a wargames table. 

 This was a big 18th 6mm game. It looked good but for the life of me I can't remember what it was and who put it on. 

 More shots of the best game of the day for me, Durham's SCW game in 42mm. All the buildings have been scratch built, as was the armoured train and the vehicles were all conversions or scratch built. All of it by Conrad, who would get my 12 points for enthusiasm and focus, especially as he dressed for the occasion as a Socialist militia man!

This was a really very nice AWI game but one thing spoilt it for me. The figures were well painted and stood out, the terrain was colourful and looked good, but the table edges were such a mess, with cans of Irn Bru, water, Mars bars and all sorts of stuff cluttering the table. (I edited out the can of Irn Bru in the last photo as it kind of spoilt the look of the fort, although the Mars bar had to remain).

Overall this was a better show than the last one I attended (Salute) if only because I preferred the standard of the games. It was an excellent day out and definitely one for the calendar next year. I didn't buy much and actually left with less figures than I arrived with! A few more 1790's English, some sailors off Grubby's Miniatures for my frigate, some Perry sailors hauling on ropes, again for 1799, and a few bits of terrain.

Next week, all things being equal, I shall be going to Partizan. Can't wait.

Refighting the Battle of Rocoux, 11 October 1746

This week the chaps came up to take part in a refight of Rocoux. Paul had again organised the scenario and orders of battle for the game and again brought his 15mm collection up to my place. 

The French army was commanded by Marshall Saxe (Paul Stevenson, aided by Paul T) and the army of the Pragmatic Alliance by Prince Charles of Lorraine of Austria (Dave Jarvis) and the British General Sir John Ligonier (Conrad Cairns). Saxe had nearly completed his campaign to take Flanders and was threatening to invade the Netherlands The allies took up a position next to Liège with the Dutch under Waldeck on the left from Liège to Rocoux, the British and Hanoverians in the centre and the Austrians on the right almost to the River Jaar. In the real battle the main French attack went against the Dutch who held the line between Rocoux and Liege. The Dutch were heavily outnumbered and after a stout defence were swept away. The Allied line began to give way while the Austrians made no attempt to against against the French left wing. The French were victorious but the Allies escaped destruction.

 The scenario allowed for 14 turns before nightfall. All the villages were classed as being fortified. If the Allies could hang on until the end of turn 14 then they would be able to claim a moral victory of sorts. The Austrian contingent was not allowed to permit any French troops to get between it's right flank and the table edge as they were somewhat fixated by keeping their line of retreat open. Above, the field battle before the action commenced. Conrad scratching his head wondering what to do perhaps with his wing being outnumbered more than 2:1? 

The Allied centre....a very thin centre, anchored on the fortified villages.

 The Austrians on the Allied right who were to remain pretty much inactive the whole battle, but more through dreadful command rolls than any desire to do more than that just sit and wait.

 The French left, which was equally inactive and suffered from some excellent shooting by the Austrian artillery.

 Liege in the background with the Dutch stretching off into the distance. The English dragoons were pretty much the only reserve available to the Allies on that flank.

 The French centre, masses of infantry with horse in support.

 The French centre rumbles forward.

 While the English and Hanoverians in the Allied centre stand ready to see them off!

 Meanwhile the poor Austrians were getting into a right pickle and seemed unable to move. I think Dave planned to demonstrate against the French left but couldn't get moving.

 The French grenadiers approaching the Allied line.

 The first battalion of grenadiers assaulted the village but were forced to break off.

 The second line of French assaulted the village. They too were bloodily repulsed and shattered. The supporting battalion was carried away in the retreat.

 Meanwhile, the French left was approaching the Dutch on the Allied left. An unfortunate sequence of initiative rolls resulted in the French gaining the upper hand.

The Dutch just melted away in the face of overwhelming numbers, and the entire wing was broken in the course of two moves, leaving a very big gap in the Allied line.

 The French were now able to fill said gap and push on to the supporting Allied troops who were now outnumbered almost 4:1. But still they clung on to their positions in the villages.

 They were also able to bring fire to bear on the village from two directions, causing heavy casualties to the defenders. The defenders were forced to retreat as were those of the village to their left, thus exposing the entire Allied flank to the French.

 In the centre the French advance was almost halted by the Allies as the leading units were forced to retire through their supports, creating all sorts of problems, made worse by the highly accurate artillery fire from the Austrians who were able to enfilade the French lines.

The situation at the end of turn 13. The Allies are clearly beaten but not destroyed. The English and Austrians were untouched as was all the cavalry but the position was now untenable. It was agreed that they'd be able to slip away in the approaching darkness as the French weren't in a position to stop them.  The French claimed a victory (of course) and far be it for me to disagree ;-) as they game went pretty much the way of the original battle.

So, great game which I hope everyone enjoyed. I did certainly. The Allies were faced with trying to do better than happened in the real battle, which maybe they did, just, but numbers prevailed in the end. I think the rules (Honours of War) worked really well again although I do have a nagging doubt as to whether artillery is a little too effective. 

Thanks to Paul T for putting in all the hard work of organising and setting the game up, and for everyone for coming up for another great day of gaming. Next time it'll be Laufeld, but in the meantime I am off to Carronade this weekend for a nice break in Bonnie Scotland.

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The Helder campaign 1799, first British brigade finished

I have now completed the complete 4th Brigade of the British expeditionary force to the Netherlands in 1799. This was commanded by Major General (not yet Sir) John Moore and with the exception of the Guards comprised regiments that were at least deemed up to the demands of a foreign expedition and were also fully trained and up to complement with officers and men. Their strength had not been diluted by the drafting in of so many Militia and Fencibles to compromise their fighting abilities.

 The brigade: 2/1st Foot, 25th Foot, 49th Foot, 79th Foot and 92nd Foot, supported by two sections on the Royal Artillery.

 Major General John Moore (Trent Miniatures)

 49th, 1st and 25th Foot

 79th and 92nd Foot

Quite a handy little force. I have more to add of course.

An impulse purchase. I bought a ship!

And why not? I saw this on eBay and just had to have it to support my combined operations landings, in particular when I refight the British landing at the Battle of Calantsoog at the start of the Helder campaign in 1799. Impractical? Yes. No idea where I shall store it and sure to get damaged, but it was a bargain. I just need to sort out some flags and 28mm crew figures.