Wednesday, January 3, 2024

La Ferme aux Rennes (More like Foxes than Lyons)

A very fun game from last Friday hosted by Arofan using his More like Foxes than Lyons rules.  This scenario is inspired by Turenne's Winter Campaign.   It looks like the French are on the defensive but they accualy have to attack. 

I was commanding the French I planned refuse my right flank and attach the Imperialist on the left.  My attacking force was four squadron of Gendarmes de France and the two battalions of veteran infantry from the Bresse Regiment.  Regiment Perche and the artillery held the center while another two squadrons of Gendarmes de France

Bill commanded the Imperialists with infantry and cavalry as shown above. 
My troops move forward quickly forward on the left ans the imperialist advance or wheel to counter my attack.  
Thats a lot of Germans infatry and battalion guns with some real artilery and dragoons in support.  German heavy cavalry is rushing to counter my Gendarmes 
The start of a slugging match that would last all game the 4th & 3rd Starhemberg battalions would give Bill Yeoman service standing for at lest 10 of the 12 game turns we played agaisnt everything I could throw at them. 
German Mercenaries charged by Gendarmes  with the marshal at thier head ... Geman's where thrown back in confussion. 
The German's are bent back in a fish hook with my troops hamming them 
Gendarmes charg again throwing infanty into confusion starting a cascade of german moral checks and units break. My other force of Gendarmes advances driving the dragoons back.. 
Geman cavalry tries to counter attack but it fizzles the battalions of Starhemberg begin to break and run.... this is an intesne game played over several hours for us but represeing about 10 minates of intense combat.  

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Girl Scout Cookie time

My Daughter Evie is Selling Girl Scout Cookies you can order at this link: Cookies!

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Fort Devens Museum Game Day

 On November 18th Fort Devens Museum hosted it's annual game Day 

Bill Greenwald ran Command and Colors Seven Years War.

Gabe Landowski ran his home brew Damned Human race rules.
A crazy battle for control of "Mars"
Bob Rioux ran Kasserine Pass using Bolt Action.
I got to play Frank Shepard's Naval Theater Battle of River Platte. I had the Graf Spee. I'm a big fan of these rules which Frank is in the process of preparing for publication (or so I believe)
I played Kris and Mark running the Royal Navy. 
I was able avoid fire for the first turn using this handy rains squall...
But it didn't last . I blew HMS Ajax out but Graf Spee was dismantled by fusillade of Six and Eight inch shells.
I ran The Leeward line again Kris running the French and Spanish while Mark and I ran the Royal Navy.
As happened historically Royal Sovereign attempted to break the line 
But the French successfully grappled her. 
A confused melee took place with two French ships locked in combat with the English 1St rate. Three French ships struck their colors it looked like an English victory was ensured.
But the Santa Ana, Indomitable and the other Spanish ships got in a numbered of key hits forcing four English ships to strike 
The remaining Spanish and lone French survivor are badly battered but they came off the winners in this scenario. 

Saturday, September 9, 2023

The Leeward Line Trafalgar at New England Gaming Flea Market

The Leeward line Trafalgar I have the Royal Navy and Bob Rioux has the allied fleet . 

The French Frougeux opened the ball firing on the RN flagship

With the rang closing Santa Ana added her fire scoring it's first (of many critical hits) slowly Royal Sovereign and disordering the RNs formation. Royal Sovereign raked Pluton in return.

The second English squadron led by HMS Tonnant cuts the line and rakes the stern of Pluton..

Blowing her out of the water and battering p with it's other broadside.

Royal Sovereign is Raked and loses a mast. Santa Ana unleashed a point blank broadside into HMS Bellies her return board seems paltry by comparison.

Foruguex is sunk by HMS Mars two French down with two to go but Royal Sovereign, Belleisle and Tonnant are all badly damaged.

Tonnant and Belerophon hit Algesiras setting her ablaze and killing numerous crew.

Then Royal Sovereign sinks as does Algesiras... but then both Belleisle and Tonnant strike. Bon had a lot of good criticals getting a Mast critical twice on Royal Sovereign and knocking masts off two other ships.


Wednesday, August 2, 2023

State of the Fleets World War II edition

 I have shared my various sailing fleets here is the more modern edition all 1/2400 scale ships. 

The Royal Navy a York class heavy cruiser and a King George V class Battle ship. 

The USN USS Lexington, USS Washington, USS Massachusets, 1 Atlanta class,  two New Orleans class, one Portland class, 1 Northampton class, 2 Brooklyn class, 4 Fletcher and 4 Benson class destroyers
Two Italina destroyers 
Kriegsmarine 1 Deutschland, 1 Admiral Hipper 2 Scharnhorst class Battleships/battle cruiser 1 Bismark class Battle ship and 3 destroyes. 
The Imperial Japanese fleet Kirishima, Hiei, Kongo, Agano, Nagar, Takao, Aoba, Furutaka, Mogami, 4 Matsa Class dewtroyers also 1 Kagero class and the Shimakaze
Two perascope Submarine marker I'm poud of these 
Six cargo ships built with popsicle sticks 

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

The di Brassi incident Panama 1938

 Report of  Lt JG Carriere June 10th 1938

The Gun Boat Onondaga processed into the interior to investigate a group of  missing American women.

I was ordered to take a landing party of sailors to investigate a supposedly abandoned warehouse.
Within minutes of landing we we attacked by bandits.
Chief Sullivan and his boat crew entered the warehouse and encouraged a mob of orientals and Americans. They began firing and we had to respond. Firing was out of the question so fists, gun butts and bayonets are the order of the day.
Fortunately the Americans in the room switched sides (why they were originally opposing us is "unclear") but with their assistance we subdued the orientals.  Then more in Japanese army uniforms came out of a trap door. We just husstled the prisoners and Americans out we killed the soldiers and sent a grande into the tunnel before more men could come up!
The Onondaga sank a boat with additional japanese troops
We got the Agents, women and prisoners on board the ship.
With the help the Marines we established a perimeter to allow for an orderly withdrawal. US Army Air Corp and locals (Able Seaman Ramirez was able to interview a pair of locals)  located an encampment and later investigation found the tenants of an extensive camp but little other evidence. 


Thursday, May 25, 2023

State of the Fleets

Over the weekend at Huzzah several people asked me how many ships I had at this point and I decided that I should probably do an inventory because honestly I wasn't sure. Well I still don't know for sure(haven't counted the small stuff) but I can speak to the major fleets British, Spanish and French. 
The Royal Navy 1 Ship Sloop, 12 Frigates, 1 4th Rate, 3 small 3rd Rates, 11 large 3rd Rates, 4 2nd Rates, and 2 1st Rates. There are also quite a few Brigs, cutters and Indiamen not pictured here.
The Spanish Armada 1 Schooner, 1 Brig, 2 Frigates, 2 Small 3rd rates, 4 Large 3rd rates (2 more in the Painting queue) and 3 1st Rates including the Princessa Evelyn which with it s purple paint scheme may or may not see the table (but I do have one more spanish 1st rate in the painting queue)
The French 3 Brigs, 1 Corvette/Sloop, 6 Frigates, 14 Large 3rd rates, 2 1st rates. 

Over the weekend I had 35 ships of the Line battling each other about as big a fight as I want to run without a co-gamemaster.  If someone wants to run Trafalgar or First of June or some other mad project let me know and we can see how much we need to add to the Order of Battle .