AAR - 'On the Day, Went the Eagle's Landing Well?' - Part 6

PART 6 – AN ENTRANCE IS FORCED IN THE BACK PASSAGE

We saw earlier that Sergeant-Major V. A. G’Bond was making a beeline for Cold Comfort Farm along with Sid Staines and ‘Old Shut-Up’. However, once in the farm as Sid and ‘Old Shut-Up’ headed one way to help the valiant girls of the WLA, G’Bond turned the other way heading for an innocent seeming log shed at the end of the farm. Seen here with the red roof, middle left.

Snapcase’s cunning plan for the defence of Much-Piddling was about to be revealed. Should Field Marshal von Leeb and his 6^th Army set foot in Devon the boys of Much-Piddling Home Guard intended to be the ones to stop his little game! Hence, the surprise in the log shed.

G’Bond had been dispatched to the log shed by Snapcase when the firing commenced earlier that day. G’Bond knew exactly what he had to do. Pulling the ropes which attached the false sides to the shed he revealed Snapcase’s secret weapon……………a Beaverette!

The first version of the vehicle was built in 1940 by Standard Motor Company at the instigation of Lord Beaverbrook, then Minister of Aircraft Production (hence the name Beaverette). It was based on commercial car chassis, on which a simple riveted armoured hull was mounted. The 11mm of steel was backed by 3 inch thick oak planks. The hull was open at the top and at the rear. The armament consisted of a Bren light machine gun, which could be fired through a slot in the casemate armour. Subsequent versions received all-around protection and a machine gun turret - an enclosed one with a Bren MG or an open-topped one with twin Vickers machine guns.

BEAVERETTE RULES

It can only be driven by a member of the Home Guard or other British military. It takes one turn to open the fake log-shed and another turn to start the engine. In one turn it can move 8”. The armament is a Bren Gun and counts as a machine gun in the rules. After receiving 3 wounds the vehicle will cease to move but can still fire. After 4 wounds the vehicle is destroyed.

NB if the Beaverette is proving too powerful in the game (to be decided by the players), it will suffer a mechanical breakdown.

Meanwhile, back at the Hall, Prince Phillip and the assembled glitterati of Much-Piddling high society are awaiting cocktails in the drawing room. In the absence of any imminent libation, Prince Phillip is flirting with Sam Stewart, Snapcase’s driver (and some say, much more!). Sir Douglas D’Emfore and Lady Bracknell look on askance.

Up the back passage, the Kriegsmarine effect an entrance. Whilst Fähnrich zur See Iwan Oldekop and Obergrefreiter Albert Zöller keep a watch through the rear entrance to the drawing room, Oberleutnant Hans Bothmann and Oberbootsmann August Ronshausen stealthily proceed through the rear entrance and into the library, taking position by the door that leads into the hallway. Prien is dividing his force to make two rear entrances at once, a cunning plan, mein Kapitänleutnant!

To be continued…