WMMS 2019 show and SOTCW Vaagso game

We had a fantastic day out at WMMS in Wolverhapton.  Will and I travelled down from Chester to meet Richard P and set up the SOTCW game based on Vaagso, the large scale commando raid on the Norwegian coast in December 1941.  Sadly, Richard C, who was planning on joining us, couldn't get out of his village on the outskirts of Sheffield due to heavy snow, which also closed a lot of the trans-Pennine routes.

We'd been allocated a table fairly central in the room, surrounded by interesting games and a good selection of traders, especially for me, Grubby Tanks, SHQ and Parabellum.

We set up the table on polystyrene blocks covered in a suitably sprayed sheet, with Richard P's purpose built dark blue Norwegian fjord bases.  Beaches, as per the originals, were rocky, using a mixture of grit and chippings strewn along the edge, with some excellent purpose built harbour walls and scratch built buildings designed by Richard P.  Will's polystyrene hills were laid under the sheet at the back edge and covered with trees to indicated the forested hills which confined the Vaagso operation to the village itself.

Richard P's most excellent harbour and buildings.

A mixture of Will's and my jetties, mostly from Blotz, Sgts Mess and, in Wills case what seemed to be the water tanks from a dozen or so Airfix RAF rescue set fire tenders.  All of the wooden buildings are from Will's and my collection, mainly Blotz, with a brick factory from Airfix.  Snow cover is courtesy of will and lots of cotton wool.

Richer P's stunning recreation of the Ulversund Hotel, the key position in Vaagso and the scene of intense historical action as well as some intense game action.

The commandos storm ashore.  British troops are mine, mainly from SHQ, with some Britannia commandos and Kriegsmarine doubling up as an RN landing party.  Will provided the German opponents and these are mainly plastics - I recognised several Caesar packs and there were probably others in the mix too.

And immediately hole up in whatever quay-side buildings they can take cover in.

The German armed trawler heads along the coast to investigate the gunfire, while avoiding drawing any attention from the assorted RN destroyers and cruiser that are looking for targets in the open water.  Armed trawler was scratch built by Will.

The loneliness of the battlefield.

A vicious exchange of gunfire takes place between the garrison of the hotel and the commandos in the village and fish oil factories.  An RN landing section advances to the right along the harbour to occupy more fish oil factories and secure the commandos flank.  Meanwhile, a platoon of Gebirgsjager returning from patrol make for the sound of gunfire from the hills behind the Ulversund.

Recce aircraft capture the first images returned to the UK of commandos stalled in the village while the Ulversund is defended.

The mortar team, firing at beyond maximum elevation due to the short range, makes the difference, whittling the defenders of the Ulversund down until they cannot return fire.  After setting demo charges in the fish oil factory in the foreground, the commandos were poised to advance into the Ulversund and search it, before again setting demo charges.

An altogether historical outcome, reasonably recreating the actual situation on the ground during the main phase of the Vaagso landing, where a lot of commandos had been killed or wounded in attempts to storm the Ulversund, which was only taken after a mortar was set up and chocked to allow it to fire at almost point blank range into the hotel.  The fighting was almost all over once the hotel fell and the defenders surrendered.  With wounded, prisoners, Quislings, Norwegian volunteers and commandos reembarked on the transports, by last light Vaagso was left deserted and strewn with dead, leaving the German relief troops to try and work out what had happened.

Will's show photos and pics of the game can be found here https://willwarweb.blogspot.com/2019/03/wmms-2019.html

while Richard P's write up can be found here

http://atomicrenegade.blogspot.com/2019/03/alumwell-show-wmms-2019-other-games.html

As ever, thanks for looking.

Crisis Point 2017

Crisis Point 2017, organised and umpired by Richard Crawley at the School Hall in Dungworth, near Sheffield, returned to Andreivia, the fictional Black Sea country, set in April 1918.  The Bolsheviks have just signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk and are evacuating the country, while White forces are keen to continue the fight.  British and Empire forces have managed to place a small military force in the capital Tcherbevan, ostensibly to guard the military stores unloaded there.  Andreivia has declared independence from both the Russian and Turkish empires and the fledgling state is attempting to maintain the front line in the Caucasus, secure the capital and ease the passage of British and Empire forces into the country to help stabilise the new country.  The Central Powers, especially Turkey under the Ottomans, are keen to see Andreivia return to the Empire, while the Germans are keen to support the Turks and keep as many British and Empire forces busy as possible.  Apart from the action in the museum, all actions are played out using the Arc of Fire rule set.

A British Ford Model T patrol sweeps ahead of the main force (Woosterforce) advancing into Andreivia from Mesopotamia.  

Meanwhile in Tcherbevan, the Museum of Antiquities is the scene of a struggle to obtain the Golden Fez of Andreivia, a potent symbol of Andreivian nationalism.  Andreivian police, the local Andreivian mafia and the famous jewel thief Arsene Lupin III all attempt to steal/liberate/protect the artefact in a Pulp Alley game.

The British commander, wearing the hat of initiative, apparently behind Arsene Lupin III's attempt on the Fez.

Arsene Lupin III's team peer into the room occupied by the Andreivian mafia (German-backed), while Andreivian police advance from the furthest room.

Andreivian mafia knocked down and out by the police sergeant in a brawl.

The game was heading for stale mate with each team securing a plot point, until in the last round of the game a police constable knocked down the mafia leader, securing his plot point, while Arsene Lupin III retired through  skylight, leaving the Fez to Andreivia.

Meanwhile, on the Caucasus front, the Turks (to the right) launch a major advance on the sparsely held Andreivian lines.

The Turks appear to have won the preliminary artillery duel and their troops advance out of the trenches in an extended line.

The Andreivians can only reply with rifle fire, having lost their MMG to artillery fire.

Meanwhile, behind the lines, a German gunboat descends on the coast to clear the way for a landing, interrogating the local Arabs and intercepting an arms carrying Dhow.  Having interrogated the crew and determining they are harassing the local Andreivians, the German captain allows the Arabs to get on with their business.

The most excellent gunboat was scratch built by Richard Crawley.

The captain calls in the first wave of troops, landing sailors on the coast.

Meanwhile, "White" Russian Cossack cavalry tries to interfere with the local Arabs, only to be completely overwhelmed in the close assault and routed.

Unfortunately for the Germans, as the barge advances on the coast, the gunboat runs down one of the barges, causing total loss of life to the troops on board the stricken vessel.

The Arab caravan, bearing a secret weapon, plods off in the direction of the interior.

The surviving German sailors reach the beach.

It's almost all over at the front as the Turks close with the Andreivian front line.

The German barge captain has spotted the missing submarine, beached in a creek on a recce mission, and goes in to retrieve it.

Towing it back out to sea.

The road to Tcherbevan, with villages garrisoned by Andreivians.

Including a most impressive lighthouse, built by Richard Phillips.

The British Woosterforce, in overnight laager on the road from Mesopotamia to Tcherbevan.

The Germans land their crack infantry, while the gunboat trades shots with an Andreivian armoured train.

The Germans bring up mountain guns.

And close assault the armoured train, which has a knocked out turret and another turret and engine neutralised and temporarily inoperative.

The mountain guns advance to take the bridge on the road to Tcherbevan under cover of their guns.  To the right, Turks have punched through the Andreivin lines and mopped up, with the few survivors in pell mell retreat towards the capital.  They will find their retreat cut off by German infantry and guns.

To the east, the British have dealt with the Turkish pursuers and rendered them ineffective and so the way to Tcherbevan is open.

The view of the British from the defeated Turks in the east.

Australian Light Horse scouting for the British as they resume the advance.

So, the game ended with British and Russian forces skirmishing with Turkish militia and each other in the capital.  In the east, a British force was free to advance on the capital.  In the west, a combined Turkish and German force was advancing on the capital.  The scene is set for a future game involving a substantial scrap between Britain and her Empire, supported by free Andreivian forces, with a combined Turkish and German force.  What role the White and Red Russian forces will play remains to be seen.

Thanks for looking.