AAR - 'On the Day, Went the Eagle's Landing Well?' - Part 7

PART 7 – BLOODY MURDER AT THE HALL

At Cold Comfort Farm, Sergeant-Major G’Bond has finally managed to start the Beaverette 4-cylinder petrol engine and is heading for the farm exit to get out on the road.

As the Beaverette emerges from the farm entrance a sad scene unfolds in front of G’Bond’s eyes. He is too late to save the girls of the WLA. Bodies surround the Pickett-Hamilton fort where the fighting was at its fiercest.

Here we can see that although the girls are down, they have taken a heavy toll of the brutal invader. Oberleutnant Manfred Schimmel has been shot by Bobbie Wickham. Staffelkapitän Peter Wilhelm Stahl himself has been killed leading the charge against the brave girl’s shotguns. Lady Florence Cray and ‘Stiffy’ Pinker (‘Stinker’ Pinker will be inconsolable) have been mown down by Feldwebel Jürgen Zimmermann with his MG-15. Zimmermann appears to be the Grim Reaper himself with the number of casualties caused by his machine gun. Will he be able to sleep at night after this bloodbath? At present, only Claude ‘Catsmeat’ Potter-Pirbright is returning fire with his Tommy Gun and his lone resistance sadly, cannot last.

Back at the Hall, the Black Shorts are trying to carry out Stahl’s last order, ‘get the charter if it’s the last thing you do’. Unity Mitford is trying to enter the Hall through the main gate. The Black Shorts have not committed any outright offensive action yet but Warden G. D'Arcy ‘Stilton’ Cheesewright has taken charge at the gate and is rightly suspicious of the devious Black Shorts and is refusing to allow Unity access.

At the sound of shots from the Hall itself, the villagers who were heading up Market Snodsbury Road turn into the Hall instead to investigate. ‘Peaches’ Snapcase, in the care of Dame Edith FitzPilchard, has reached the door first armed only with her catapault. Captain Snapcase himself has returned to his ancestral home at the sound of gunfire and shoulders the Mitford sisters aside as he attempts to find the cause of the shots.

But now the real tragedy of this invasion plays out. Shots are fired through the main door to the Hall by the Kriegsmarine. ‘Peaches’ is cruelly murdered in cold blood on the steps of the Hall! Will the killer of this fourth-former from St. Trinians ever be held to account? Cries of outrage and horror are heard from the following villagers.

As ‘Peaches’ lies dying on the steps, Hermann Görtz of the Abwehr hides behind the stone wall and tries to kill more of the villagers. Will the horrors never cease?

Even now, more tragic events are unfolding. ‘Peaches’ had managed to down Bothman with her catapault before being mortally wounded. Seeing the carnage, Private Charles Godfrey under the auspices of the Red Cross approaches the Kriegsmarine to try and negotiate a cease-fire whilst he removes the body of young ‘Peaches’.

“My sister Dolly has made some lovely cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off. I wonder if you chaps would like to take a break and have a sandwich?”.

These are the last words spoken on earth by Godfrey as even under the protection of the Red Cross he is cut down by a hail of sub-machine gun fire.

To be continued…

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…

AAR - 'On the Day, Went the Eagle's Landing Well?' - Part 5

PART 5 – THE KRIEGSMARINE ENJOY THE TOWPATH

Ladies and gentlemen of the audience, you may have been wondering what’s happened to the Kriegsmarine? The Luftwaffe have suffered casualties from a sniper, engaged the Home Guard and had to deal with the Women’s Land Army. They have also met with Spode who has not declared himself for the Germans yet and so is still free to lounge about Much-Piddling in his ‘footer bags’ without fear of retribution. What about the Kriegsmarine I hear you cry? Well, the cunning brain of old Gunther Prien has ensured that so far, the Navy boys have remained undetected! They’ve had a lovely stroll up the towpath to meet the 5^th Column, gained the plan of the ground floor of Snapcase Hall and the details of Prince Phillip’s visit. Pausing only to surreptitiously view the ferocious battle being fought out the other side of Market Snodsbury Road and for a large slug of Obstler from Prien’s hip-flask, the proud lads of the Kriegsmarine return down the towpath to take up positions in the back passages of Snapcase Hall.

Whilst CPO Pertwee and ‘Catsmeat’ Potter-Pibright head down Market Snodsbury Road to lend assistance to the brave girls of the WLA, Able Seaman Staines, Sergeant-Major G’Bond and ‘Old Shut-Up’ take an alternative route through Cold Comfort Farm. However, G’Bond has a different strategy in mind of which more later.

The 5^th Column advance across the front of Snapcase Hall across the stables and garage. Joanna Grey seen here passing Butterbur who is still cowering in the Mobile Pasty Unit. One assumes that Grey is a vegetarian as she declines to help herself to the pasties scattered about.

Meanwhile Spode and his chums are lurking in the barn opposite Snapcase Hall. Still undercover, they are awaiting the right moment to make a dash for the Hall and to seize the charter whilst the Luftwaffe carry on the fight. Stahl’s tactics now become apparent.

The situation now seems set for a treacherous assault on the ancient Hall itself and its distinguished visitors. Can things get any worse?

To be continued…

Victory Points for 'On the Day, Went the Eagle's Landing Well?'

It would probably be a good plan at this point to include each player's objectives which may explain their actions. At the start of the game each player was given a sheet of Victory Points. Also as special events occurred, a written sheet was produced to explain it, as per the Auxiliary Units.


SPECIAL RULES FOR KIDNAP

To kidnap Prince Phillip two enemy must be in base to base contact. Phillip will then move with them. Phillip will resist one enemy with normal Combat rules.

To kidnap Sir Douglas one enemy must be in base to base contact. Sir Douglas will then move with them.

To gain Victory Points, either of the stated captives must be in your possession at end of game or have been escorted off the table.

Escorts going off the table with a captive cannot return.


HOME GUARD VICTORY POINTS

Retain Charter +1 VP

Prevent capture of Prince Phillip +1 VP

Prevent capture of Sir Douglas +1 VP

Kill 90% of the Luftwaffe +1 VP

Kill 90% of the Kriegsmarine +1 VP


LUFTWAFFE VICTORY POINTS

Meet the Black Shorts +1 VP

Steal Charter +2 VP

Capture Sir Douglas +1 VP

Kill Prince Phillip -2 VP

Kill Sir Douglas - 1 VP

Kill 90% of the Home Guard +1 VP


KRIEGSMARINE VICTORY POINTS

Meet the 5th Column +1 VP

Capture Prince Phillip +2 VP

Capture Sir Douglas +1 VP

Kill Prince Phillip -2 VP

Kill Sir Douglas - 1 VP

Kill 90% of the Home Guard +1 VP

AAR - 'On the Day, Went the Eagle's Landing Well?' - Part 4

PART 4 – THE WOMEN’S LAND ARMY COME OUT FIGHTING!

At the sound of all the gunfire coming from the outskirts of Much-Piddling, some of the military personnel from the Hall come to investigate. Led by CPO Pertwee here, backed up by Colonel Grytpype-Thynne, Sid Staines and Chief Warden Hodges. Sergeant-Major G’Bond is about to leap over the hedge into Cold Comfort farm.

The villagers and the Women’s Institute, also alerted by the sounds of war are rushing up the road to see what is going on. Here we see the redoubtable Dame Edith FitzPilchard leading the advance, followed by Betty Slocombe, Peggy Carter and Mary Berry. ‘Stilton’ Cheesewright joins the throng.

The girls of the Women’s Land Army are swift to react and emerge from Cold Comfort Farm with shotguns blasting!

As the Luftwaffe make a flanking move to mercilessly cut down the wounded Home Guard a surprise awaits them. Well, it should do, but some very poor weapon maintenance now rears its ugly head.

‘Just before war was declared, Peter Fleming, then a reserve officer in the Grenadier Guards, was recruited by the War Office research section investigating the potential of irregular warfare. His initial task was to develop ideas to assist the Chinese guerrillas fighting the Japanese. He served in the Norwegian campaign with the prototype commando units – Independent Companies – but in May 1940 he was tasked with research into the potential use of the new Local Defence Volunteers (later the Home Guard) as guerrilla troops. His ideas were first incorporated into General Thorne's XII Corps Observation Unit, forerunner of the GHQ Auxiliary Units. Fleming recruited his brother, Richard, then serving in the Faroe Islands, to provide a core of Lovat Scout instructors to his teams of LDV volunteers. When Colin Gubbins was appointed to head the new Auxiliary Units, he incorporated many of Peter's ideas, which aimed to create secret commando teams of Home Guard in the coastal districts most liable to the risk of invasion. Their role was to launch sabotage raids on the flanks and rear of any invading army, in support of regular troops, but they were never intended as a post-occupation 'resistance' force, having a life expectancy of only two weeks.’ (Wiki)

Captain Peter Fleming appears from the secret entrance of the Auxiliary Unit bunker. I was expecting Captain Fleming to have quite an impact (as Starkadder did) on the game, however with his first shot his rifle jammed! Being camouflaged in his ghillie suit and hearing only a click, the Luftwaffe failed to observe his presence. I believe that on no less than five occasions the same thing happened. The dice were cursed!

Meanwhile, the girls of the WLA put up a stiff resistance causing a delay in the Luftwaffe’s attempt to get to the Hall and obtain the much-needed charter. Here, Honoria Glossop and Lady Florence Cray advance under heavy fire to try and take out Zimmermann and his MG-15.

Refusing to give up in the face of overwhelming fire-power, the girls were cruelly shot down by their barbarous foe.

To be continued…

Pepé Le Pew

Managed to finish villain number two. Pepé Le Pew is on his way to rendezvous with Mad Jack at the cabin. Pepé is so named as he takes minimal trouble with regard to his bathing habits. When the trappers hit Dawson City with gold in their pockets, most take a bath and a shave before hitting the town. But not Pepé, he always heads straight into Diamond Tooth Gertie's place. He wonders why the croupiers and dealers hold their noses when he's playing! Still, as long as he has gold in his pockets he's welcome!

The Scarlet Patrol

With abject apologies to Frank, I have still not completed my AAR for our DevLAM game. However, I have managed to finish my Mounties. Here they are tracking down Mad Jack McMad, who so far, has managed to elude them in the snowy wilderness of the Yukon. But the Mounties always get their man...

Mad Jack McMad

A villain for the Scarlet Patrol project. This is a Scottish-Canadian trapper called Mad Jack McMad!

The First Tully

A Tully Sworn Shield for A Song of Ice and Fire. Using the same quick painting technique as for the Lannisters, I've finished the first Tully, quite pleased with the effect.

Treasure in the Roof!

Whilst bringing down the Christmas decorations from the loft this morning, I found a box containing German WWII models from the 70s' and 80s'. They've been moving round from house to house for nearly 40 years without being unpacked!

My good friend Doug gave me a 20mm model of Arnhem Bridge recently and some of these will be ideal for a game on it.

A Song of Ice and Fire

I went big into CMON's A Song of Ice and Fire Kickstarter and thought I'd try my first figures today. A couple of Lannister crossbow-men. As there are masses of figures, I decided to speed-paint and wash the rank and file. I will still paint the characters and officers as best I can. So here's my first attempt, pre-wash on the left and the finished article on the right. I'm quite pleased with the overall look for the tabletop standard.

AAR - 'On the Day, Went the Eagle's Landing Well?' - Part 3

PART 3 – TRAGEDY FOR THE HOME GUARD

Meanwhile, the Kriegsmarine were out for a lovely stroll along the tow path of the Much-Piddling to Market Snodsbury Canal.

The 5^th Column, staying in disguise, move cautiously through the woods towards their rendezvous with Prien and his men. Another Pickett-Hamilton has activated to their left. The occupant, Captain Peter Fleming is waiting until they have passed in order to cause more mayhem.

Unwittingly, I had made the link-up between the 5^th Column and the Kriegsmarine somewhat easier than that for the Luftwaffe and the Black Shorts. The Luftwaffe had Cold Comfort Farm between them and the Black Shorts. Cold Comfort Farm was occupied by the Women’s Land Army who were, I hoped, to provide a formidable obstacle. The Kriegsmarine route behind the back of Snapcase Hall back-passages was pretty much out of sight all the way.

The Luftwaffe come up behind the sheep.

The Black Shorts advance through Cold Comfort Farm, much to the disgust of ‘Stiffy’ Pinker and the other girls of the Women’s Land Army.

All is quiet outside Futtock’s Motor Services.

Hearing rifle shots, Sergeant Wilson of the Much-Piddling Home Guard snaps out a crisp order to Private Walker, “I say Joe, would you mind awfully stepping over to that wall and having a look to see what the devil’s going on?” Joe reports back, “Blimey, Jerries coming up the main road!”

Zimmermann with his MG-15 takes up[ position behind the tree with a good view of the road and the approaches to Snapcase Hall. This turned out to be a very useful strategic placing for the MG-15 and caused me no end of trouble.

Zimmermann opens up with his machine gun and the fire proves to be very effective against the stout-hearted boys of the Home Guard. Over a few turns the scene around the MPU turns to carnage as the brave defenders are mown down. Private Michi is the only soldier to have survived the onslaught and is seen here giving return fire. For this solitary delaying action, Private Michi has been recommended for the Military Medal. Barliman Butterbur remains glued to the MPU and is cowering in fear behind his cast iron ovens. Leutenant Sabartovski can be seen on the left sneaking behind a wall trying to get a shot at Michi. In the background, members of the 5^th Column are using the confusion to approach the Hall.

Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien makes contact with Joanna Grey, Otto Skorzeny and Liam Devlin. The 5^th Column hand over the vital intelligence and the Kriegsmarine are now free to attempt to carry out their mission of kidnapping Prince Phillip from Snapcase Hall.

After disposing of Seth Starkadder in a particularly brutal fashion the Luftwaffe make contact with the Black Shorts. Oberleutenant Schimmel hands over the secret code book to Roderick Spode in the pig sty. In return, he receives the startling news that Spode needs the Ancient Charter of Piddling to become Reichsprotektor.  Currently, the charter is in the safe, located on the top floor of Snapcase Hall. Staffelkapitän Stahl now realises that he must penetrate the interior of the Hall to succeed in his mission.

The Ancient Charter of Piddling.

A rough translation of this ancient document runs as follows: Do not make me work. The holder of this document has certain rights. The lord's right is his. This allows the holder to have sexual relations with peasant women on their wedding nights. The holder has the right to rule the fiefdom of Much-Piddling. The holder has the right to drive his cows through Market Snodsbury on a Sunday. At Easter the holder may promenade without his nether garments and wave his private parts at spinsters. The holder may wear a leather apron, roll up his trouser leg and dance the pavane at Muckletide. During the time of the Spurge the holder may wear odd socks and extend his cod piece. In July the holder can demand beer from any dwelling whilst the daughter of the house combs his beard. Given under our hand the above named and many others being witnesses, in the meadow which is called Runnymede, between Windsor and Staines, on the fifteenth day of June, in the seventeenth year of our reign. King John.

To be continued…

Log Cabin

A 4Ground log cabin ready for the Scarlet Patrol.

AAR - 'On the Day, Went the Eagle's Landing Well?' - Part 2

PART 2 – THE LUFTWAFFE GET A SURPRISE

The players had spotted a mysterious part of the scenery at the start of the game. The rules stated that they could not lift the roofs of buildings without a figure going inside and scenery could not be examined without a figure in base to base contact. At this point the Pickett-Hamilton forts were in the lowered position but I can only find a photo of mine in the raised position.

The Pickett-Hamilton was designed to be lowered into the ground when not in use. Norman Pickett (one of the designers) was a friend of Donald Campbell and gained permission to build the prototype at Campbell’s workshops.

For this game I had placed two Pickett-Hamiltons and invented an underground stay-behind Auxiliary Unit base of which the Pickett-Hamilton was only a part.

There would be an Auxiliary Unit sniper in each pillbox, activated as follows; the AU sniper has a +1 Shooting and a -1 for cover at all times, even when not in cover. If the sniper is in cover the minus for this accumulates. Moves as normal. The sniper will activate after a uniformed German passes within 5” of the Pickett-Hamilton pill box. If not activated after 6 turns, the sniper will activate anyway.

The Auxiliary Units or GHQ Auxiliary Units were specially trained, highly secret units created by the United Kingdom government during the Second World War, with the aim of using irregular warfare to help combat any invasion of the United Kingdom by Nazi Germany, which the Germans codenamed Operation Sealion. With the advantage of having witnessed the rapid fall of several continental nations, the United Kingdom was the only country during the war that was able to create a multi-layered guerrilla and resistance movement in anticipation of an invasion. The Auxiliary Units would fight as uniformed guerrillas during the military campaign. Service in the Auxiliary Units was expected to be highly dangerous, with a projected life expectancy of just 12 days for its members; along with orders to either shoot each other or use explosives to kill themselves if capture by an enemy force seemed likely. The two best known officers from this period were Captain Peter Fleming of the Grenadier Guards and Captain Mike Calvert of the Royal Engineers.

The first sniper to be activated was Private Seth Starkadder from Cold Comfort Farm as the Luftwaffe contingent moved within 5” of the pillbox. Seth stealthily crept from cover and opened fire. By some very lucky dice-throws, Seth managed to kill Flugkapitän Hanna Reitsch and Oberfähnrich Franz Lizst outright.

The Pickett-Hamilton fort can be seen under the tree, top right of the photo. Starkadder is in the ghillie suit, bottom right.

The first two shots of the game and two Luftwaffe down, unfortunately this display of marksmanship was not how the Auxiliary Units continued the fight but more of that later. The Luftwaffe player seemed to take this to heart and there was some gratuitous violence to follow.

To be continued…