Battle of Great Orton :VBCW

On the eve of the battle of Thurstonfield I need to catch up on dispatches from the front, (although I am getting a bit out of order with other games we have played). The Royalists having previously attacked at Crofton Hall and Micklethwaite have also pushed towards the village of Great Orton.

The Spring Offensive

Although strictly outside of Albetine territory they choose to contest the village rather than allow the Royalists to develop such a strong jump off point for any future moves. The two forces were equal in size, but for the first time the Royalists had managed to persuade the Penrith Fascists to give them air support.

Regular Infantry supported by the Carlisle Constabulary 

Albertine Gloster Gladiator looking for ground targets

Royalists capture the Post Office objective

 There were three key objectives to control the village the Post Office, the Grey Citroen parked in the middle of the village apparently owned by the local defence force commander and small wooded hill to the South of the village.

Fascist reserves make a foolhardy charge across the open street

 This was also the first battle where we implemented a random event generator. Very simply we have added a white dice to the bag every time it is drawn a random event occurs. I have written loads they range from the mildly annoying to positive and fun. But on this occasion it forced the Fascist reserve unit to charge the nearest enemy. Needless to say they were gunned down as they broke from cover into the street !

Local defence unit attempting to approach the Citroen

Supported by a Matilda I Tank St Andrews League push for the PO

King's Own Border Artillery 

 With three objectives to capture both forces are fairly strung out. The Royalist artillery have unlimbered to control the road through the village but find they have very little enemy to target.

King's Own Borderers make their way through back gardens

The Hill outside the village has already been taken by the Albertines

Hawker Fury overhead

Aircraft from both sides seek advantage overhead.

Albertines have forced the Borderers back out of the village

 Although the Albertines took control of the village itself and held the hill they were spread very thinly and there was a chance the Royalists could snatch the other objective. With his eye off the ball the Albertine commander didn't see the Vickers Tank coming up behind him and he was mown down by machine gun fire. You can just see him in the distance.

Daka Daka Daka .........!

 Eventually the Hawker Fury was able to catch up with the Gladiator and although we have fairly hard rules for plane to plane combat a lucky roll saw our first ever Air to Air kill in 28mm.

Albertines now controlling the village

Constabulary make a hasty retreat to look for criminals

 Hit by another random event the Carlisle Constabulary decided to chase off after a local Criminal rather than push forward into the village.

Borderers have the car at last

By the end of the battle it was a clear win to the Albertines with two of the three objectives in the bag. The Royalists would have to regroup and attack again.