Retreat to Caldbeck : VBCW

Having achieved a narrow draw in the Battle for the brewery the Crimson Commissar aka Owen Bishop has pulled his forces back to the village of Caldbeck. Only to find that the village is being contested by another force of Royalists. These are again predominantly Royal Cumberland Regulars supported by allied fascist and police from Penrith. This time though the Infantry are supported by a impressive looking A9 Cruiser tank, untested in battle it will be interesting to see if this gives them a big advantage. The Reds have been able to convince some of the local population fed up with the overpowering Royalist forces to support their revolutionary cause.

Socialist forces Retreat back to Caldbeck

The main action in the battle takes place around the church (we played a straight up encounter as it was the Royalist commanders first full bolt action game). The objective for both sides was fairly simple to break the other force, for Owen this would allow his remaining troops to avoid encirclement and to pull back west.

The Church and Church yard in Caldbeck Village

The Reds seen here on the right have spread out looking to occupy the terraced cottages on the East of the village and the fields in the foreground. They have also sent a couple of newly formed Workers Militia units into the Church yard.

A group of miners and sailors take cover around the cottages

The Royalist forces have already crossed the river which is behind their lines off the battlefield to the North. They too have spread out across the village. Two regular squads are pushing into the Church Yard whilst the A9 trundles down the main street supported by well trained fascist troops mounted in a truck.

Royalist forces push into the village

At this stage the better trained Royalist forces have pushed right through the Church yard and Owen Bishop, seen here standing in the ploughed field is starting to look increasingly worried. Well out of shot he had placed his only heavy gun in the woods SW of the village but they simply couldn't get a decisive hit against the tank which was using its double turret machine guns to good effect. I suspect their inability to hit anything may be due to the beer they had consumed on the short journey from Hesketh Newmarket.

Low point for the Red forces !

Finally though the Reds began to fight back with fire from units in the cottages supported by an armoured car taking their toll on the Royalists on the main street  and around the Church yard
 

Firepower from the cottages forces the troops in the church yard to take cover

(Seem to have missed some photos here?)

Following a daring but foolhardy assault on the Church yard the Reds were pushed back, only after a second assault were the miners able to bring their guns into play cutting down the remaining Police constables. But still the tank had not been hit and all it would need to do would be to turn around to bring its heavy machine guns into play. The remaining reds were starting to look decidedly shaky would they hold or would they run ?



Miners making their way through the back yards

As fate often has it the game then changed in an instant ! the poorly trained gun crew who had spent most of the battle firing wild drunken shots into the church yard finally got a lucky shot in and BOOM went the A9.

Yaaahhhh vun lucky zhot Comrade ! hic !

Taking courage from this the miners supported by the final Russian sailors charged out from behind the cottages sweeping all before them. Those Royalists who weren't wounded by gunfire fled back out of the village.

Russian sailors push past the still smouldering Royalist Tank

It had been a very close thing with the A9 being very powerful and the Red artillery very weak, but I guess it only takes one lucky shot. As light fell the Crimson Commissar was able to lead his remaining troops west across the back roads to safer territory.