Battle for Middlesceugh Hall : VBCW

1938 and our first VBCW encounter in Cumberland between Albertine and Royalist forces ..  see previous post for the overall background. We are still in the process of developing and collecting troops so hopefully as the campaign develops armies will become more uniform.

The specific background to this scenario is that Middlesceugh Hall and the Area around Skelton is currently undeclared. A small  Recon Force has pushed out Eastwards towards the Royalist Eden Valley. The Albertine forces are made up of the 1st Battalion of the Halifax Rifles diverted to the west coast of England on their way back from Africa (hence the hot weather kit ! cold knees in Cumberland) they are supported by two units from the Wigton Local Defence Volunteers who have arrived in civilian trucks. When they have arrived at Middlesceugh Hall they have been unable to persuade the lord to support Prince Albert. Whilst he remains independent he has called in Local Royalist forces to help him defend his property. The Royal Cumberland Borders arrive together with a unit of Fascists from Penrith as they are always up for a scrap ! and not at all keen on the Canadians !

We played a simple scenario as we are still getting to grips with the rules etc. The Albertine Forces needed to get into the final third of the table whilst the Royalists just had to stop them.

 

 Royalist forces dug in on the right of the Hall which can be seen in the background, the Canadians in a very WW1 style are pushing forward on mass, this may prove to be costly ?

 

Another view of the Cumberland Borderers, the King's 'finest' garrisoned in Carlisle and holding the main communication way north to Edwards' Supporters in Scotland. They are supported by a Vickers Tank. But it hasn't seen much use recently and the crew are fairly indecisive.

 



Two more Squads of the Borderers dig in around the Hall, Lord Middlesceugh and his household prepare to defend his property from the vegetable garden.

 

The Canadians have brought some heavier weapons with them, effectively whatever they could carry and they start laying down covering fire from behind the hedges towards the Hall.

 

 

One of the squads of the Wigton LD Volunteers rush forward in their converted delivery truck to assault the Lord's Household, a tough hand to hand combat ensues with both units almost wiping each other out. Lord Middlesceugh falls back to recover from wounds which have taken him out of the battle.

 

 

The Canadians dug in on the minor road have had enough watching the Wigton Volunteers take all the glory and realizing they need to get into the fight jump up climb over the hedges and push into the woods. Only to be met by the heavy fire of the Vickers tank. The Fascists have remained dug in and seem reluctant to join the fight whilst a squad of Borderers are looking to outflank the Canadians and cut them off.

 

Back at the Hall regular troops have now taken hold of the vegetable gardens but the Canadians still have some fight in them pushing forward on foot, but caught in the open disciplined fire from the Garden knocks the impetus out of their attack.

 

 Having cleared the woods the Vickers Tank turns up hill towards the Hall, this might be the Canadians chance but their heavy weapons prove incapable of causing any damage even at close range.

In a final ditch attempt to gain some glory the few remaining Wigton Volunteers attempt to get around the Hall in their truck but the Lord's men knock it out at close range.

Having eliminated the threat of being outflanked the remaining Canadians decide to retreat back down the road. A good victory for the Royalists although I am not sure what they think of their Fascist 'Allies' who conspicuously played very little part in the battle, this may weaken their alliance in the future. Middlesceugh Hall is clearly now under the protection and control of the Kings forces.....but for how long ?

A good introduction, more to come.