East Coast armoured train - 1914-1918

A feature on an interesting armoured train that protected my part of the world during the Great War. It could be useful for a what if scenario in the Great War, a AVBCW game, or even a Second World War game.

A bit of a butter market project

Having finished the church steeple I found myself assembling what buildings I have for the ECW period to see what it all looks like, and thinking the small community lacked something. Most old British settlements have a market place, which features or featured a market cross or a structure sometimes referred to as a butter or corn market. Having a few hours to spare due to rainy weather closing down gardening for a week or so, I thought I'd bung a few Hirst Arts plaster bits together to make a butter market structure. Again, it's in the Gothic style, and for the sake of the narrative was probably build around the same time as the village church.

Here's what I have so far...

The two-step platform for the building is made of metal discs taken from orange juice and Pilsbury dough containers, covered by cereal card and edged with strips of cardstock paper. Hirst Arts components make up the roof and supports, and the pyramidal roof is more cereal card. I'll add a cross to the roof pinnacle like the one on the church steeple. 

Next step will be to paint everything which will be inaccessible once it's all glued everything together then assemble it.

New Girls of the SWA

Real life got in the way at times these last two weeks, although it's always a pleasure to cook in my own kitchen after waiting so long for our place to become available. (Dutch-style brown bread is baking even as I write). I even like to do various fixes around our new home - obstinate bathroom cabinets notwithstanding. This weekend just gone we did get to attend Cleveland Concoction, a nice SF/Fantasy convention at a new venue in Aurora, Ohio, finding the place without trouble even though a sudden blizzard descended on the area. The 'Lake Effect' snow stuck around all weekend, but by the time we left it was in bright sunshine.

I did manage to finish the VBCW 10mm figures for the Socialist Women's Alliance (SWA) platoon today. Although I'm not the world's greatest figure sculptor and my painting skills seem to have atrophied over the last few months, I think they look okay.

From left to right, back row - Medic with patient: 2" mortar crew: Two Lewis gun teams. Front row, left to right - Four riflewomen: Boyes AT rifle.

The figures are crafted from Sculpey and the teams are mounted on fender washers. I covered these with liquid nails and pressed dry tealeaves into the soft glue, letting it harden overnight before giving it a blast of 'Holly green' aerosol paint and finishing with wet-brushing on lighter green craft paints.

This addition makes up the numbers to two full sections, ready to take on all comers.

Then there's this...

My sainted brother-in-law left a toolbox behind after one of his visits. He does that kind of thing. He's a nice guy, but he'll vanish over the horizon following a family visit and afterwards we'll find a few boxes, bags and other bits-and-bobs that he 'forgot' tucked away in obscure places. I suspect it's his way of craftily de-cluttering his house at the expense of our living space.

But I digress. During the move I noticed a toolbox stuck in a corner of our spare bedroom. When I picked it up it sounded like it had a few things rattling around inside, but I didn't have time to investigate, just sticking it away in a space on the van and leaving it in storage with the rest of our stuff. Yesterday I came across the toolbox in our garage where the moving men had left it. I opened it and - found another whetstone.

*Head Desk*

AVBCW Sculpey session

A change of pace from Dux B now. My Sculpey had been in long-term storage along with all my other modelling stuff and I wanted to see if it was still usable. It is. What to sculpt? Well, I have been mulling over an idea for a Chain of Command ladder campaign based on a VBCW scenario located near my old home town. The stalwart ladies of the Socialist Womens' Alliance (SWA) are due to hold an area close to the River Bure which will see an attack by the local Flegg Fencibles LDV.

My current batch of SWA figures are based on 10mm Pendraken Miniatures SCW milicianas, of which there is only one pose. I bought a pack of ten, and converted two Home Guard figures to a female leader and standard bearer with judicious use of Sculpey and PVA adhesive.

The lack of poses posed something of a problem so I sculpted some additions for the force, making it up to two full sections with support weapons. Luckily the milicianas wear utilitarian overalls which are not hard to sculpt. The basic result is shown below.

From l-r, 2-inch mortar and crew, two prone riflewomen, medic with patient, Boyes AT riflewoman, two more prone riflewomen, and four Lewis gun pairs with spare ammo drums.

These are still a work in progress. The figures have been baked, and the next step will be to add some weapons, belts, ammunition cases and so on.

Attack on the Lark

The Anglican League is on the offensive. Lieutenant Southgate knows he and his men have to seize the B1106 bridge over the River Lark and take the BUF HQ beyond. The captures would open Bury St. Edmunds to the unstoppable advance of the Anglican League and the banishment of the hated BUF from the area. The weather has been damp, the going underfoot is somewhat soft. Movement off-road is reduced.

Southgate attaches himself to the First Section, upgraded to regulars in the last action and the best chance he has of carrying-through the assault. His plan is to take the outlying house south of the B1106, from where he'll be in a position to direct fire upon the nearest BUF trench, hopefully displacing its occupants and allowing an attack on the bridge.

The League begins to form up. On the B1106 the Vickers Mk VIb noses tentatively toward the enemy.

The League took time forming up. Southgate grew impatient but held himself in check. Too much depended on the attack to allow things to go off half-cock.

At least the 3-inch mortar team was on the ball. Guided by the OP they dropped smoke in front of the house and wooden garage that formed Southgate's first objective.

The League begins to walk.

The smoke poured forth, masking the house. BUF troops had been seen running toward it earlier but not in any strength. Now they would be unable to interfere with the advance. Over to Southgate's right and much to his irritation the MK VIb still moved with caution. He hoped the tank's young commander would pull his finger out and provide the support the League needed.

In any case Southgate had enough to worry about. In spite of the heavy going underfoot the men moved with commendable speed over the claggy soil of the neglected field. Before long they plunged through the smokescreen and into a maelstrom of fire.

Men fell to left and right but the determination of the section carried them onwards. They stormed the house, forcing open doors and smashing their way in through windows. A brutal hand-to-hand struggle with the BUF men broke out.

Over on the B1106 another section moved up across the culvert to cluster behind the slow-moving tank whilst a sister section kept pace across the field.

The fight became too much for the BUF section occupying the house. Faced by superior troops they fled, along with the specialist carrying the shiny new Boyes AT rifle, who'd hoped to set up a nice flanking shot on any League armour that dared move up the road.

Southgate and the mortar OP team set up shop on the top floor of the house whilst the rest of the section spread out through the building. Before long rifle fire and mortar bombs began to fall upon the nearest of the BUF trenches. The survivors from the fierce hand-to-hand combat in the house cowered in the riverside trees behind the trench line and regained their composure. Before long the bombardment grew too much for their comrades occupying the trench. As one they ran over the bridge and off down the B1106.

Run away! Run away!

It was not all plain sailing for the League. A veteran of the Great War, the Boyes rifleman had found better shelter. As the mortar fire was redirected onto the bunker he saw an excellent opportunity. The MK VIb had ventured a matter of a few yards up the road, and directly into his sights...

Clang! Crack! Bang!

Fat .55 calibre rounds began to smack into the front armour of the MKVIb. The new weapon proved its worth. A chip of spalled metal killed the gunner and threw the already-nervous commander into blind panic. Behind the tank the infantry could only slog forward, hoping to gain a firing position to give the tank much needed support. Would they be in time?

The mortar observer, seeing the MKVIb in peril, ordered smoke rounds to be dropped in front of it. The smoke provided valuable cover, but proved intermittent. The Boyes rifleman continued a gleeful persecution of the hapless tank in those moments when the smoke lifted, although he couldn't manage a killing shot. The lack of mortar fire falling upon them allowed the BUF section to stand their ground, to the detriment of the advancing League.

The Boyes rifleman's chances of destroying the tank fell by the minute as the League began a general advance. The section moving up the road passed the MKVIb sitting silent and useless in the middle of the highway. It hadn't fired a single round in the entire action. Bright splashes of metal on the hull front showed how accurate the Boyes fire had been. The section commander wondered why the crew didn't attempt to move. One of his men would later swear to hearing the sound of hysterical weeping coming from inside the vehicle as he marched by. Doubt was cast upon his statement but the subject was never raised again.

The battered BUF section occupying the southern trench did what they could through the heavy fire from Lewis guns and rifles blanketing them. They inflicted enough casualties on the nearest League section to force it to ground.

The damage was done, however. As men fell the BUF section morale shattered and they set off after their comrades, haring over the bridge and past the BUF HQ in the Priory Hotel. Seeing what was happening the HQ staff began to pack up and burn papers. The Boyes rifleman had become obsessed with killing the MKVIb. He dodged the shrapnel and bullets to find safety and a new firing position in the bunker.

But it was not to be. Mortar smoked blanketed the bunker, screening the advancing troops until the order came to switch over to HE. Explosive rounds began to fall upon the bunker roof, where the BUF Platoon HQ section held on grimly. The third section in the trench to the north had done nothing to justify their worth. Now BUF Platoon Leader Huggins ordered them to head for safety, hoping to salvage some lives from the wreckage.

The end came soon after. The roof of the bunker collapsed, burying and killing most of the occupants, including the persistent Boyes rifleman. Huggins would later be found wounded and taken prisoner. Before then, a triumphant Lieutenant Southgate led his men past the shattered structure and over the bridge. Bury St. Edmunds had fallen.

Onward, Christian Soldiers!

And so the VBCW mini-campaign centred about Bury St. Edmunds comes to an end. Some thoughts on the Chain of Command rules and the way the campaign played out will follow. For now we'll leave the newly-promoted Captain Southgate and his men at the thanksgiving service in the yet-incomplete St. Edmundsbury Cathedral and turn elsewhere, perhaps to a time fifty years before and a world away in Darkest Africa...

Across the Lark - Prelude. (VBCW)

Lieutenant Southgate wiped moisture off the face of his watch and consulted the dial in the faint dawn light. The tank was late. Behind him his men fidgeted. The occasional smoker's cough split the air. Southgate wondered if they had slept well in their billets scattered throughout Fornham St. Martin, safe from the enemy and the drizzle that had fallen during the night. His own sleep had been fitful. Much rested on this day, although he felt confident in their coming victory.

Leviathan, the Anglican League's own armour-plated traction engine, stood a hundred yards away, the furnace banked, a steady putter of releasing steam making the brutal slab-sided machine seem alive. Her crew stood smoking their pipes on the footplate, the heavy steel door swung open to allow ventilation into the confines of the cab. The commander saw Southgate looking his way and raised his pipe in salute, nodding to the clear sign of the Colonel's pleasure in the platoon's performance, a steel-clad wagon bearing a 3-inch mortar. Southgate nodded back. It could be our war-winner. Now, if that dratted tank would just turn up - ah.

A squeaking and a clattering of tracks sounded up the street, and the Vickers Mk VIb hove into view, the goggled commander peering out of the turret, a League pennon fluttering gaily above his head in the damp air. The tank pulled up close by on the road and Southgate walked over to talk to its commander. "All ready for the off, old chap?" the young fellow called cheerily.

"We are, indeed." Southgate resisted the urge to give the fellow lines or a demerit for tardiness. Being a schoolmaster for so many years had left its mark. "I'd like you to cover our attack from the highway, and advance in concert with us when the time comes."

"Righty-ho!" The man banged on the turret and the tank lurched into motion. "Onwards, Christian soldiers!" he called with a wave, and Southgate shook his head. I only hope the young idiot survives this day.

* * * *

BUF Platoon Leader Arnold Huggins leaned on the parapet of the Lark Bridge, smoking a cigarette and wishing he were elsewhere. A hangover induced by a long night in the nearby Tollgate Pub did nothing to lift his spirits. He suspected the landlord, a surly cove, had spiked the drink with something. He looked across at the squat shape of the bunker and the slashed earth marking the trenches the other side of the river. They'd been positioned either side of the B1106 and protected the bridge from any attack from Fornham St. Martin, the roofs of which he could see against the dawn sky. We've done what we can, with what we have. Word had it those holy-rollers of the League were over there in force, ready to attack the sugar beet works, the towering silos of which he could see in the distance to the SE. Bad cess to 'em if they do tackle that place. I hope they get bloody slaughtered!

Nearby a section sat on the grass verge, smoking and chatting amongst themselves. They were passing several bottles around and seemed in remarkably good cheer, considering the defeats they'd had. One of the men, one of the scarce replacements he'd been given, saw him looking and held up a bottle. "Snort' o' gin, Pee-El? Hair o' the dog that bit yer."

Huggins thought briefly then nodded, taking the bottle then a good long swig. He began to feel better almost at once. "That's good stuff, lad. Where did you get it?"

The man jerked his head toward the pub behind him. "That bloody landlord had hidden it in a shed at the bottom o' his garden. We liberated it, in the name of the Party."

The man said this with a straight face, but Huggins couldn't help but grin. "Good lad - what the..?"

A faint rattle and squeak sounded from the east. Had the wind not been blowing from the SW Huggins knew he would've noticed it earlier. "Is that a tank?"

"F--k!" The man he'd been talking to tossed the bottle aside and leaped to his feet. They listened for a few moments, peering into the light of dawn. The man pointed. "I see movement over there, across the stream."

The rattle and squeaking grew louder. Huggins remembered the encounter the platoon had had with a light tank in the dreadful scrap over the Crown Jewels, another defeat and where Alcock had lost his life. Huggins' heart sank even as he knew what was coming and what he had to do. The holy rollers are attacking us here? Will we never get any peace?

"Stand to!" he roared.

* * * *

Battle report with pictures to follow soon.

Up With the (River) Lark

And so to the set-up for the final battle in my VBCW Bury St. Edmunds campaign between the BUF (Boo! Hiss!) and the Anglican League.

Fighting began at the aerodrome under construction at Honington, spreading south through the farmlands either side of the A134 and the hamlet of Ampton. Suffering severe reverses, the BUF have shaken off pursuit and withdrawn to their final line of defence in the northern suburbs of Bury St. Edmunds.

Here the sugar beet mills have been turned into a formidable defensive work which League HQ doesn't care to tackle by half. Instead of meddling with that hornets' nest they decided instead to unravel the town defences from another direction - west along the B1106. This involves a 90-degree switch in the line of advance, passing through Fornham St. Martin to the River Lark and the local BUF HQ located in the Priory Hotel. Taking this northern suburb of the town will allow a direct advance into the town centre, capturing the railway station and cutting off those forces in the sugar beet mills.

The battlefield is shown below.

Looking east from the BUF positions. Priory Hotel on the left, Tollhouse Pub on the right.

The River Lark flows north between the lines of trees along its banks. It counts as a major obstacle to infantry and is impassable to vehicles except by the bridge.

Looking west from the Anglican League positions

A stream flows from NE to SW near the League lines, flowing through a culvert under the B1106 and joining the Lark off-table to the south. It counts as a minor obstacle to infantry but vehicles and artillery have to roll to avoid bogging-down.

The League know they have to push the BUF back and take the bridge for a draw, capture the bridge and the BUF HQ for total victory. The BUF have to prevent any League force from crossing the river for total victory, prevent the loss of their HQ for a draw.

As the defenders the BUF have one section-size trench free and gratis, and as one of their support options have chosen another to guard the approaches to the bridge. Since their platoon strength is considerably lower than the Anglican League I've also allowed them a bunker to even the odds. Their last support option is a Boyes AT rifle team which will be deployed as and when needed.

The League have chosen as their supports a Vickers MK VIb and an improvised traction engine armoured car towing a trailer with a 3-inch mortar and crew with an on-table Observer. They have also upgraded one section to Regular status.

With luck and a following wind I'll play out this clash within the next few days.

Dug in

A coat of paint, a spot of dry-brushing and the two trench sections are finished.

The beastly boys of the BUF man the trenches, ready to defend the position to the last man and the last bullet - or teatime, whichever comes first.

BUF command hunkers down in the trench where it's safe-ish.

Digging in

Right, it's been a busy week, but I've shaken off the cold and taken a break from work for a while to crack on with some wargames terrain pieces.

I intend to fight the final battle of the VBCW Bury St. Edmunds campaign, and looked over the army lists for this hypothetical period. One option defenders may chose are trenches for a team or section. They can be deployed as part of the scenario set-up or chosen as a support option from the lists. Either way, I realized I didn't have any trench pieces for this (or any other) scale - so I had jolly well better make some!

I began with a basic shallow box made from craft sticks and 'tongue depressors.' Gluing them to a card base, I made a series of triangular pieces from corrugated card and glued them close together to form the foundations for the sloping sides of the earthwork. Lengths of cartridge paper glued along this made the slope itself. I used craft glue for the most part, holding it in place with blobs of hot glue to save having to pin them whilst they dried. The slopes were then smeared with spackle, allowed to dry then smeared with PVA and scattered with sand. The photos show this stage just before and after.

Pretty simple, but effective and light weight. The next stage will be to fit some slim upright pieces of card at intervals to represent bracing along the wooden trench sides, then apply the paint.

Village pond

This piece of scenery proved easier to make than I thought. It's a piece of clear packaging plastic cut into a rough square. I glass-papered half an inch in from the edge to make a rough surface then spread Aileen's tacky glue over it followed by a good sprinkling of sand. This was followed up with a 3:2 mix of ordinary green and brown craft paints and spackle to get a thick mixture.

Sand added to the glue.

Paint and spackle.

I smeared a bit of this mix on the surface of the pond-to-be to represent weeds and algae bloom. The next step was a coat of Pledge polish with two drops yellow, one drop blue acrylic inks mixed in. It picked up some of the green paint from the first step and made the surface rather matte in appearance. A second and final coat of Pledge alone fixed this and turned the surface glossy. One more coat of craft paint to cover places where the polish had seeped out from the center and the piece is done. It took a couple of days, drying period included. It's fairly flexible and shouldn't chip or anything.

The final result looks pretty good, and it works for most scales.

ImagiNations: A contingent of Hetzenberg Horse ride by after watering their mounts.

ECW: Royalist cavalry out in search of rebellious Parliamentarians to thrash.

AVBCW: Womens' Socialist Militia accompany a T26 in search of bullying BUF men to thrash.

Colonial: "Er, mebbe this wasn't such a good place to camp, Corp?"

River running

I was at a loose end today so I cracked on and finished the river sections.

The groundwork was done, so it only needed a coat of acrylic craft paint to blend everything in. It proved hard to keep the shade of 'water' consistent over the course of several pours of varnish, but I think once the sections are laid in place on the green base cloth it won't show.

I've also almost finished the bridge. It needs a bit more vegetation and flocking on the ground areas, but it came out okay. Thankfully the glue sticking it to the plastic had provided a good enough seal so the Envirotex didn't ooze underneath it.

The river sections may well see their first use soon. I'm hoping to get what might be the penultimate game of my Bury St. Edmunds VBCW mini-campaign in this coming week. The last game saw the nasty blighters of the BUF thrown back with severe losses of men and morale by those sterling chaps of the Anglican League. Now the League is on the offensive once more, and aiming to cut the BUF's main line of retreat back to Bury St. Edmunds...

War Wagon

Some time ago I made an N-scale armoured traction engine, similar to those used by the British army in the 2nd Boer War, for my Very British Civil War forces. The intention was (and is) to add wagons of various types for it to pull. So far I had a troop carrier wagon, but I wanted something with a bit of firepower. Hence the construction of a 3" mortar carrier.

"Leviathan" rumbles off, mortar wagon in tow, for a deadly date with the beastly BUF.

The sides of the wagon are made from sections of grooved plastic card. It's meant to represent planking but in this scale it works just fine for extemporised armour formed from lengths of railway track. The wheels are resin castings taken from the Hirst Arts small pipes mold. The 3" mortar itself is a length of plastic-covered wire and plastic card. I'm thinking of scratch-building a couple of crew for the mortar, but we'll see how my eyes hold up!

The traction engine flag can be swapped-out for those of other factions. At the moment it's flying the standard of the Anglican League based in Thetford, home of the famous Burrell traction engine works and source of this vehicle and its conversion.

Hopefully I'll field this little beast and the shiny new wagon in the next game of my VBCW campaign - The Pursuit of the BUF.

Attack on Ampton - post-game

So, what happened at Ampton? Before the game the BUF decided (on a die roll) to attempt their defence of the village as far as possible from the barricade across New Road. This was probably not a good idea. Loss of the farm cottages on Smiths Farm Lane led to the loss of the jumping-off point located behind it. Losing a JOP is a serious business in Chain of Command. Add to that the wounding of a junior leader followed by two wounds inflicted on Platoon Leader Huggins and the BUF morale collapsed.

An entrenched defence around the barricade would have forced the Anglican League to either cross open ground or attempt an assault on the fortified farm house at Hall Farm. Given the BUF's previous history of losses, it would've been a smart move to conserve their already shaky morale and possibly winnow down the League's manpower. Still, the die roll commanded, and the events of the game decided otherwise.

The BUF sniper had an excellent post atop the church tower, but he never got into action. Their Molotov cocktail anti-armour weapons could've been nasty, but again the BUF didn't get to use them. On the other side, the Anglican League bought a dynamite team for use against the barricade and a megaphone for abrading BUF morale that Lt. Southgate was dying to try out. Neither got used. Ho hum.
Post-game, the adjustments are as follows:-

Anglican League: Six casualties, 3 will never return, 2 will miss the next encounter and 1 reports for duty right away. The Colonel’s opinion is now at +5 giving the platoon +1 level of support for the next mission. The platoon is pleased with Southgate’s improving battle skills, and their morale now stands at +2. Southgate's outlook is still Affable.

BUF: Twenty casualties, 10 will never return, 5 will miss the next game, 5 will return to duty right away. The Tribune is Displeased with the platoon’s performance and the current rating is -5 = -1 level of Support for the next mission. Platoon morale drops to -3. Platoon Leader Huggins' outlook is still Thoughtful.

The next action will be part of the Pursuit where the Anglican League chases the retreating BUF toward the main objective - the town of Bury St. Edmunds.

Attack on Ampton - AVBCW AAR

Once more the sounds of gunfire rattle across the Suffolk countryside as the men of the Anglican League and the BUF slug it out.

Previously, the BUF withdrew to a defensive line along the axis West Stow-Culford-Ingham-Ampton, with an outpost on the east side of the Livermere. The Anglican League High Command (ALCH) determined to attack the small village of Ampton, thought to be the weakest point in the line. Intelligence reports (the Rev. Shotley's wife's sister Doris) revealed Ampton is garrisoned by the battered remnants of III Platoon St. Edmundsbury Legion, AKA The Men Who Lost the Crown Jewels.

New Road passes through the village parallel to the A134 a mile away to the west across a stretch of high ground. A mile south of Ampton the New Road turns west at the hamlet of Timworth to join the highway. ALCH aims to pierce the enemy lines at Ampton then swing west to cut the BUF line of communication. Lt. Southgate's platoon has been selected to do the honours, and the Colonel is pleased to provide extra support for the operation.

* * * *

The BUF platoon will attempt defense in depth, their main brief being to prevent any passage by hostile forces down New Road. A barricade has been erected across New Road where the walls of Ampton Hall and Hall Farm face across the road. A section occupies the row of cottages on the lane to Smith’s Farm. The six regulars lost through rout in the airfield skirmish have now returned to the colours. The platoon has been brought up to strength and are equipped with Molotov cocktails which will be used on any vehicle attempting to cross the barricade.

A lookout-cum-sniper is stationed in the church of Ss. Peter and Paul tower. He is equipped with a whistle and football rattle to raise the alarm when enemy forces are spotted - hopefully without making his own position obvious.

* * * *

The game was fought to Chain of Command rules. Initial Force Morale was 8 for the League, 7 for the BUF. After scouting, both sides selected their support. For this scenario there is a cap of 10 on 2d6, with half going to the defending BUF. Due to the results of previous games the League gain one level of support, the BUF loses one. The dice roll came up 6, so that made 7 support for the AL, 2 for the BUF. The choices were:  

Anglican League: Austin AC, Dynamite team, megaphone

BUF: Molotov cocktails, sniper

The BUF were entitled to entrenchments but I counted the heavy barricade and cottages as these.

* * * *

The scene of action, looking south along New Road. Bramble Cottage stands to the bottom left of the image, Hall Farm is top-right, with the Alms Houses and Ss. Peter & Paul Church just visible at the top. The Anglican League enters from the north.

The League took up positions from their jump-off points. Lt. Southgate occupies Bramble Cottage, supported by the Austin AC. The BUF posted a section in the two farm cottages across the lane to Smiths Farm, and a brisk exchange of fire broke out between them and the left-hand AL section. In the center of the AL position lurks the dynamite team in their natty red caps, ready to go into action against the barricade once the way is clear.

The fighting escalates as the Austin moves up to pour twin Vickers MG fire into the cottages. With shock increasing on the BUF within, the rightmost AL section scramble over the wall and make for the trees.

The pressure becomes too much for the BUF. They bolt out the back of the cottages and run for safety across the Hall Farm yard.

Third Section AL moves toward the cottage only to be surprised and shot-up by another BUF section led by the Senior Leader Huggins deploying behind the hedge. (This was about the only real success the BUF scored in this game of poor die rolls. Even this came to an end with the use of a CoC die to interrupt the BUF move and get the League men into cover.)

Matters escalate over in the woods, where Lt. Southgate deploys a section to outflank the barricade. It runs into a BUF section trying to outflank the AL position. After an initial blast of fire rattles their nerves, the men of the AL return the compliment. (Although both sides had about equal cover, again the BUF's abysmal dice rolls hindered them and the section soon broke.)

Back at the cottages a desperate firefight ensues between Platoon Leader Huggins' section and the AL occupants of the cottages. Winnowing Lewis gun fire strike the BUF hard. In a desperate attempt to hold the line against the League, Huggins tries to withdraw his men to the farmhouse so they can make a better stand, but as they cross the farmyard they are shot down almost to a man. Huggins and the section leader are both wounded but escape. All effective opposition ceases, and the Anglican League takes Ampton.

The End

* * * *

My leg is giving me jip this afternoon, so I'll post the after-game report later.

Going to the wall

I'm contemplating the next game in my VBCW campaign set between the Anglican League based in Thetford, Norfolk, and the BUF out of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk. The League scored a major success in the last action, almost destroying the BUF platoon and helping to capture part of the Crown Jewels. The BUF were sent reeling back to their main line positions on the axis West Stow-Culford-Ingham-Ampton, with an outpost the East side of the Mere at Great Livermere.

My original idea for the next game was a direct attack by the Anglican League down the A134 against BUF positions in the village of Ingham. Further thought led me instead to the eastern end of the lines. 

The tiny Domesday village of Ampton lies approximately half a mile east of Ingham. Its main claim to fame is as the birthplace of Robert FitzRoy RN, captain of HMS Beagle during Darwin's voyage. The small, early 14th century church of SS. Peter & St. Paul stands to the south end of the village. Ampton Hall lies to the East in extensive walled grounds nestling up against the Mere. New Road runs north to south straight through the village. Approximately a mile south of Ampton at the hamlet of Timworth Green the road turns to the west and joins the A134.

Anglican League intelligence reports the village is garrisoned by the battered remnants of the platoon which opposed them at Honnington aerodrome and later in the Battle of Three Farms. HQ believes if enough pressure is brought to bear this platoon will fold. Piercing the BUF lines at Ampton will enable League forces to use New Road to outflank the BUF lines and directly threaten their communications with Bury St. Edmunds. 

III BUF Platoon got battered right enough, and lost its inept leader. It has been reinforced but is not in good heart. The terrain in and around Ampton favour defence though, and might be enough to help them hold a further attack. 

Which leads me to my recent terrain building session...

 

One feature of Ampton I gleaned from the Google map street-view is the presence of a number of high walls lining New Road. These would obviously be a major feature of the defence. Not having any suitable walls to hand, I made some. A quick search for brick walls brought up a number of useful images. Doing a bit of cutting-and-pasting using Paint enabled me to print off several sheets of brick paper, which I then folded and cut and pasted for real on corrugated card. The bases are cut from wooden tongue depressors, and the 'grass' is green sand fixed with diluted PVA. This also helps weigh down the wall strips, which otherwise would be too light. 

Sceptered Isle - post game

George Alcock, RIP. The Tribune was heard to mutter that he would probably have ordered Alcock shot at dawn for the three farms fiasco had Alcock survived the engagement.

The BUF suffered sixteen casualties. Of these 8 will never return, 4 will miss the next game, 4 will return to duty right away. Sergeant Huggins is promoted from the ranks to fill Alcock’s position. The Tribune is Displeased with the platoon’s performance and the current rating is -3, meaning -1 level of Support for each mission. The platoon’s morale drops but not as much as it would have had Alcock still been around. Their morale is now at -2. On the bright side those men that routed retired safely but will miss the next engagement. Six men missing from the first action at the airfield will return for the next encounter. Huggins’ outlook is Thoughtful.

The Anglican League suffered a mere four casualties. Of these, 2 are lost for good, 1 will miss the next encounter, and 1 returns to duty right away. Lt. Oliver Southgate’s stunning victory over the BUF has elevated him further in the eyes of his CO and the platoon. The capture of a BUF L3/33 adds to the spoils. The Colonel’s opinion is now at +4 giving the platoon +1 level of support for each mission. The platoon is pleased with Southgate’s improving battle skills, and their morale now stands at +1. 

The next step on the campaign ladder will take the Anglican League platoon into action against the BUF's main defences, located in the Domesday village of Ingham.

This Sceptered Isle - Clash on the Roman Road

Platoon III, Saint Edmund the Martyr Cohort of the BUF had heard the airplane fly past at low altitude east of their position. They had seen the gunfire rise into the sky from the Anglican League outpost to the north-east, followed soon after by the sounds of a crash. It had kept them entertained for a while and lifted the gloomy thoughts engendered by their recent hard defeat at the hands of the League.

What they didn't expect was the bloodied figure of a man who staggered into their lines as dawn shaded the eastern sky.

He wore a torn and stained RAF flying rig, beneath which was a quality suit from a bespoke tailor's on Saville Row. The severed chain dangling from his wrist also drew interest. The NCO commanding the pickets had the sense to summon Under Leader George Alcock to the spot. He questioned the man, who appeared to have suffered a blow to the head, rendering his speech less than coherent. What he did say chilled Alcock to the bone. "The jewels. I hid them. Briefcase. Farmhouse. Must... recover them... For the King!"

The disappearance of the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London had electrified the country. Few other topics of conversation were heard. Alcock looked up the A134 from whence the man came. "There are three farms up that way, sir. Which one did you hide the jewels in?"

But the man had lapsed into a coma. The platoon medic examined him and pronounced his patient would be lucky to regain consciousness.

Alcock rubbed his jaw and thought quickly. "We'll have to recover the jewels. Summon the platoon and get HQ on the phone..."

Tribune Forster-Oliphant didn't like being woken at such an early hour, especially by Alcock, who was not in his good graces. His displeasure rang clear down the phone up to the moment Alcock told him what was afoot in caged terms. "The missing... ah, valuables from London are nearby, sir. An aircraft crashed up the road with a King's Messenger aboard. He hid them in a farmhouse. I can lead my men and recover the... ah, items, but the chances are the traitors of the League will try for them also. I request reinforcements."

The Tribune breathed deeply for a few moments. "Right," he said at last. "I'll see what I can do, but this had better not be a wild goose chase or I'll have your guts for garters. Now, get going, man!"

Alcock dropped the phone into its cradle and left his headquarters. The platoon waited outside. Lately they'd been surly and indifferent to his presence. The arrival of the King's Messenger in their midst had set rumors flying, and they now awaited Alcock with interest. Alcock put his hands on his hips, unconsciously mimicking his hero Sir Oswald Mosely, and addressed them. "Men! We have a crisis at hand. A great treasure has fallen nearby and is in danger of being taken by traitors. We must, we will, recover them! To arms!" 

The platoon already carried their rifles. Alcock led them toward the road, regretting once again their lack of light machine guns. With luck we'll be in and out quickly enough there won't be a fight... 

* * * *

As usual I use Chain of Command rules with adaptations for AVBCW. The Anglican League was aided by a section of Police, counted as Green for this game along with the rest of the AL. The BUF upgraded one of their sections to veteran. Both sides had armored support due to arrive on a roll of 1 on a d6 ten moves after the game began.

The game terrain. Left to Right: Bridge Farm, Grange Farm, Brookfield Farm. The A134 runs approximately through the middle. North is to the top.

The patrol phase, with the AL approaching from the north, the BUF from the south. The terrain favored the AL.

Lieutenant Southgate leads his men into Grange Farm.

Across the road, Under Leader Alcock took possession of Brookfield Farm.

The main thrust of the BUF force approached from the south, with the veteran section moving up along the A134.

Over to the west, an AL section rushed across the open meadow to take Bridge Farm.

Hostilities opened with Grange Farm coming under heavy attack. The men of the BUF veteran section found the hedge lining the lane didn't offer as much cover as they'd hoped. The AL Lewis gun did particular execution, but not without the AL section taking casualties in return. Southgate began to worry as accurate rifle fire downed a number of his men. Three factors came to his aid: The shock on the BUF veterans mounted quickly and their firepower dropped off to match: Not far away to the west, the Anglican League's third and last section was outflanking the BUF position: To the north the Police section had arrived and was providing some support by firing (to modest effect) through the hedge. The BUF section occupying Brookfield Farm sent plenty of rifle fire in the direction of Grange Farm's upper floors but failed to hit anything!

When the third AL section reached the turn of the hedge around Grange Farm they opened up, catching the hapless BUF in a crossfire. The veteran section had had enough by now and the two BUF sections broke and ran. The AL third section was in a prime position to shoot them down as they ran - but their junior leader refused to order them to do so with the words "Don't lower yourselves to their level, lads."

...to be met by the arrival of two L3/33 tankettes. Tribune Forster-Oliphant had kept his word - but had they arrived too late?

A Very light fired from Brookfield Farm summoned the tankettes. Not fancying their chances against the AL holding Grange Farm they penetrated the roadside hedge and headed across the ploughed field toward the farm - only for one of the pair to run into severe difficulties when it bogged down in the soft soil. After several minutes spent in increasingly desperate attempts to free the vehicle the crew gave up and ran for safety, leaving their companions to head on alone.

The Anglican League consolidated their hold on Grange Farm. Sergeant Hayes lined his men up along the hedgerow in case the tankettes came their way. When they failed to do so he decided to take the initiative and attack Brookfield Farm.

To his relief assistance came in the shape of a Vickers Light Tank Mk. VIb. He wouldn't have to face the tankette without armor support of his own. After a quick conference the tank commander agreed to assist the police in their assault. The tankette fired upon it but failed to do any damage, retreating hurriedly behind the house. The tank ignored the puny attack, concentrating on hosing the farm with MG fire. Under Leader Alcock directed his men to the ground floor, ready to escape...

...but the tank's fire proved deadly accurate. Casualties amongst the BUF and AL leaders had been non-existent - up to now. The final volley of Vickers fire cut down Under Leader Alcock as he passed a shattered ground floor window on his way to the back door. His men were already disheartened by events and disgusted with their leadership. The death of Alcock and the approach of the coppers proved the final straw. They broke and ran, not noticing that Alcock clutched a monogrammed briefcase in his dead hands...

* * * *

Police Sergeant Hayes entered the farmhouse. Its confines reeked of cordite and spilled blood. He glanced around at the dead and dying BUF men and shook his head. "They'd legged it," he called back to his men. "Three of you come with me; the rest go see those gentlemen off the premises."

He scouted further into the house. Below a shattered window he found the body of a short chubby man with a ridiculous mustache. He clutched a once-fine briefcase, its flap bearing the Royal cypher. The lock had taken a bullet and opened easily at his touch. He looked inside and drew out a golden oil spoon. One glance with his eye, experienced in evaluating stolen goods, told him it was old and valuable.

"What's that, sarge?" one of his men asked, staring at it.

Hayes sighed and dropped the object back in the case. "That, son, is the most expensive bloody spoon you'll ever see."

* * * *

So, the Anglican League took the field and victory over their foes - but the Norfolk Constabulary have taken the prize; the consignment of Crown Jewels. Thoughts on the game and the aftermath to come in the next few days.