Chocks Away : VBCW

I can barely wait to post this one........as part of our preparation for Dumfries we wanted to add in some more aircraft. I had picked up the kits off eBay a while ago but would have struggled to get them completed with the other bits. Step in good mate Steve...what can I say. All I needed to do was sort the bases and fiddle with one of the pilots which I completed last night. We now have the makings of a proper Air Corps and will need some home made air to air combat rules.

Gloster Gladiator

Hawker Fury

Information with my Tiger Moth

Kept the markings of the Gloster ambiguous so it can play various sides and also in Operation Sealion if needed in the future. Could resist with the Hawker Fury so we went with BUF to support our local Penrith Fascist Forces. All the pilots can be removed so each plane can also play as an objective etc....

Update on preparations : VBCW

A lot has been going on in the dungeon so I am behind on blogs again ! Anyway preparations are well in hand for the Dumfries show. I will share some of the preparations on the next couple of weeks. First up I have been working on additional buildings.

Garden buildings

Cafe or pub

 I have made the signs interchangeable and fairly easy to print more off so they will appear in a range of different guises in games in the future.

Village shop or possibly Cafe

The Battle for Micklethwaite : VBCW Spring Offensive

With the Royalists winning the first battle in the Spring Offensive they have pushed forward from Crofton hall to the small settlement of Micklethwaite. The Albertine forces have regrouped and set up a defensive line and brought up an additional armoured car. Luckily the Royalists have been unable to mend the Vickers tank in time but the Prince Albert Air Corps have have to fly back to base to refuel and rest. The Royalist have brought up the Harraby Home Guard in the belief that all troops are better when they have been tested in battle. These are predominantly older gentlemen, retired or only part-time soldiers so of dubious quality

Albertine defensive line with imported Polish Armoured car

 We set up another Bolt Action scenario with the Albertines holding three objectives spread across their set up zone, these are represented by two sets of crates and the red truck.

The Allonby Miners have dug in behind a garden wall

Despite their age the Harraby Home Guard are at the front !

Under fire from the A9, the Wigton LDV dig in

Royalists push forward in force on the right flank

Fierce fighting around the farm house

The home guard are backed up by Regular infantry as well

Royalists have broken through on the right flank

The Miners are given strict orders to stay put and hold the objective

Despite heavy casualties the Royalists have reached the far objective

In the end the battle was a solid draw, the Albertine Miners holding the centre the Royalists had broken through on their right flank but the Infantry on the left had not reached the objective. This means the Royalist advance in this area has been held. Under cover of darkness they have pulled back to set up a defensive position around Crofton Hall and are installing Machine Gun emplacements and other defensive features. Lord Brisco is extremely unhappy that his ornamental lawns and prize vegetable gardens have been ruined, he remains worried that his house is now the front line and may see more action soon. In the meantime the Royalists are looking to probe again at the Albertine defenses. The trick is knowing where they will attack......and whether the rumoured Scottish reserves will arrive in time to bolster Prince Alberts forces.

VAPNARTAK : aka too much lead !

Had a great day out at York today. Possibly didn't feel as busy as some years and perhaps a few less traders. Some lovely display games with the massive Back of Beyond game being my pick. As usual I had a list.....I did at least buy a couple things on the list but went off piste again.

A big haul of lead, ranging from 300 BC Balearic slingers, a new Zanzibar faction for IHMN, some excellent militia figures for FIW, loads of mixed Victorians and character figures, some VBCW home guard cyclists, some 6 mm buildings for the eastern from and finally an excellent book to add to my library on Operation Sealion.....oh and another bag of random mixed Arabs and what look like crusader infantry of some sort.  I feel lots of. New games coming on....

VAPNARTAK 2016

Day trip tomorrow across to York if anybody is around happy to meet up for a brew and chat. Smallish list of stuff I am looking for mainly for the VBCW spring offensive project. In the meantime I went to Dad's Army film this afternoon it isn't Saving Private Ryan but my daughter enjoyed the ice cream......and it just so happens here are some of the gang ready to play as the Harraby Home Guard.

Harraby Home Guard

The Battle for Crofton Hall : VBCW

Sitting between Carlisle and Wigton, Crofton Hall the home of Lord Brisco lies currently in 'no mans land' between the Albertine and Royalist forces. However, with close links to the Royal family he has made it clear where his loyalties lie. It is no surprise therefore that Colonel Lonsdale has chosen this route as his principle point of attack in the first stages of the 'Spring Offensive'. Having moved forward along the A595 his force has pushed due west from Thursby avoiding the railway knowing that this crossing will be carefully watched.

The start of the spring offensive

What Lonsdale doesn't know is the West Cumberland Army of Prince Albert has recently taken delivery of a small squadron of the Prince Albert Air Corp PAAC for short, these are currently operating from bases close to Silloth and they have seen the advancing column of Border Regiment Regulars. Alerted to the danger the Albertine command have rushed troops into the Area and they are intent on challenging the Royalist advance. They have never been overly happy with Brisco a known Royalist being so close to their control zone.

Crofton Hall with one of the estate farms

We played a standard Bolt Action engagement scenario, I have made some special rules for the PAAC, the only other tweek being that Lord Brisco is allowed to set up in his Hall.

Albertine forces come on from the west (left)

 The two forces are equal in points although the Royalist forces are predominantly regulars  with supporting Armour, the Albertines a more rag-tag force supported by the PAAC.

Inexperienced but well meaning ! Albertine forces

By the time the Albertines had reached the Battlefield Lord Brisco had already barracaded the Hall itself, rather than attack headlong into a clearly well defended stronghold the Albertines have spread out along the road only to be met by the oncoming 1st Armoured Battalion of the Border Regiment.

The PAAC circle overhead looking for a suitable target

To ensure they are not outflanked the Albertine force have pushed the Maryport Fire Reserve Unit in their newly painted truck towards the Hall hoping this will tie down forces on their left flank. They immediately come under heavy fire from the upstairs windows and are pinned down on the drive.

A first success for the PAAC

Overhead the PAAC have finally found a target and after a couple of attempts manage a direct hit on the light Vickers Tank. In the distance the Fire engine is now burning but the remaining firemen despite their training push on away from the fire to assault an enemy machine gun dug in in the gardens. Although brave it is a fruitless effort and they are cut to pieces.

The West Cumberland (Naval) Artillery in Action

The West Cumberland Horse Artillery (aka Maryport Fishermens Guild) have managed to drag their artillery piece, an old WW1 13pdr onto the battlefield but their inexperience shows as they are pinned down for several turns before they get to fire and all their shots fly wide of the target.

Royalist A9 tank pins down Silloth Militia

To the south the Silloth Militia a newly formed unit draws fire from the advancing Royalist A9 Tank which is highly effective having two front facing heavy machine guns. It is not clear whether the militia will hold although the Allonby Miners who are made of sterner stuff have taken up a defensive position further down the road.

The PAAC continues to hunt for targets on the ground

At this stage in the battle the greater experience and training of the regular troops starts to have an impact. With both armies reluctant to rush in the the open their better shooting skills the Regulars start to whittle down the less experienced Albertine forces. Only the Wigton LDF are able to give as good as they get exchanging long range shots with regular troops in the woods to the east.

Wigton Local Defence force dug in in the farm garden

At the far end if the battlefield the Royalists flank is held by the Carlisle Constabulary Reservists. These are hopeful military recruits from the constabulary but who are still in their police uniforms. They come under heavy fire from the miners who use their Lewis gun to good effect. Unfortunately this is pretty much the only place where Albert's supporters are having much success.

Constabulary Reservists pinned down behind the far hedge

At this point it was clear that the Regular Royalist Forces were too strong for the Albertines who start to pull back before they are overwhelmed, much to the relief of Lord Brisco and his household. They are leaving behind the wreckage of a burnt out fire engine and a number of dead and wounded men. But the Royalists had paid for the ground they had taken, the Vickers Tank would not be back in action for some time and they now know one thing the West Cumberland Army of Prince Albert has air support. they will have to be more careful in future advances.

Albertine forces start to pull back

So a strong victory to the Royalists, the Albertines simply failed to make any significant headway against the fire power of the Regular Border regiment Troops.........but they now have one advantage

to be cont...........

The Spring Offensive : VBCW

Not done much blogging recently just been too busy....but that doesn't mean things haven't been progressing in a number of different directions.

We are back in Cumberland 1939. The Royalist forces in and around Carlisle have been amassing a sizeable force with a view to pushing the Albertine forces back towards the coast. Alberts' Army of West Cumberland has been getting a little too close to comfort for the people of Carlisle and have had the audacity to carry out a number of localised but high profile raids into Royalist controlled territory (see previous reports under VBCW).

To facilitate the 'Spring Offensive' The Border Regiment has been training new recruits and building stocks of ammunition. Although their true objective is as yet unknown they have started the campaign with a series of probing attacks around Thursby.

The start of the 'Spring Offensive'

Although reports are sketchy it is rumored in the Pubs on  Botchergate that two battles have already taken place. It is not clear to the commanders of Alberts forces if these are feints to draw their own reserves out of position before a more direct drive to the Solway Coast, perhaps along the railway or along the B5307 corridor. With this uncertainty additional Albertine forces are being brought into the Area including newly arrived Scottish Volunteer Regiments, who fed up with Edwards' claim to Scotland, have sided with Albert as a way to further their own cause............we will await developments from the front.

Note we have some new forces, a new campaign and an objective. I was contacted by Simon at Solway Crafts and Miniatures asking if I would put on a demonstration game at Albanich 2016 (Dumfries Show Sat 12th March this year), I have been thinking about this for a while so it was the perfect excuse to have a go at a demo game. Plans are well in place although I have quite a bit to complete. The game at the show will form part of the Spring Offensive which giving time will develop further before March ! in fact I am quite excited. I will blog more of the preparation and of course the Battles for Crofton Hall and Micklethwaite which have already been fought.