Friehecklsberganhoff 1757.

It was down to three of us to play this very interesting Seven Years War game(unfortunately Brian has had the week from Hell,so didn't make it.) So Paul and Graham took command of the Austrian Army,whilst I took total control(?) of the Prusians.

This is the scenario and terrain map-each side had to throw a dice to decide,morale,artillery shots and when the reinforcements came onto the board!

Opening moves and volley fires-grand looking stuff(real wargaming!!)

Graham defended the Farmhouse brilliantly,but his attack on the town was a disaster,as I kept replacing shattered regiments with fresh ones,and used cannister shot to great effect-hurrah!!

As the infantry battle raged on,the cavalry battle was in full swing,with,initially, neither side gaining an advantage-then I started to lose melee after melee,leading to a victory for Paul's Dragoons and Cuirassiers!

I thought I had pulled off a tactical "Coup" by combining my reinforcements and a couple of front line regiments into a vast column,hoping.by weight of numbers,to overwhelm Graham's troops in the farm area-but it wasn't allowed!! and the column (who I'm sure could have "pushed" the wall over!) had to disperse leaving the Austrians victorious!!

At the end of the game the Town was still in Prussian hands,and that was the objective! so technically it was a Prussian victory,but with the failed "Column Attack" and the cavalry beaten soundly,I suppose it was an Austrian victory-which ever way you look at it it was an interesting and exciting game,so well done lads,and roll on next Sunday-if Brian is ok it might be Vikings vs Dark Age Irish!!!!

Battle of Idleberg 1760.

Last night saw Paul,Brian,Graham and I fighting a very colouful and exciting game using our 28mm 7YW figures..................

This shows the table at about move number 3-Paul and Brian are attacking the central town,held by the Prussians(commanded by Graham and myself),whilst messing us about on both flanks!!

Paul's attack on the town was very impressive,using a combination of volley fire,to pin the defenders,and a most audacious attack across the bridge!!

This shows the action all along the line-neither Brian or I wanted to commit our cavalry too soon,so held back for most of the game(which is very out of character for Brian!!)
On the right,Graham and Paul were having a "ding-dong" battle on the river bank-this was great to see and great wargaming too!

The "ding-dong" battle continues,but Paul's Austrians were getting the worse of it,as he tried to cross the river against Graham's "magic"(for a change) dice throwing-hurrah!!

The cavalry are still looking at each other-it will happen at some point,you know it will!!-but who will charge first???

I did!!!-my first line of "heavies" charge across the river,to be met by a counter-charge by Brian's-the melee was horrendous!!,with more and more squadrons being fed in where necessary-wonderful to see!

Paul's Austrians have stormed and captured the town-this wasn't meant to happen-however,Graham with wonderful foresight,saw what was about to happen,and sent two Prussian regiments to restore the Status Quo(whatever you want!)-this was edge of the seat wargaming!

Paul is being "sent packing" all along his front,and with the town now back in Prussian hands,Graham and I were declared the winners-of course Brian claimed that he would win the cavalry battle on his flank,and wanted a draw(again!!) but to loads of verbal abuse,he had to capitulate!!
Another great game,roll on next Sunday.
As a long time resident of Westerhope,I was made to feel proud when this commemorative seat was erected last week,in time for Remembrance Day-we will never forget!

A permanent reminder from a grateful nation.

Battle of Carlsberg 1760

Last night the "Terrific Trio" ie. Brian,Paul and I had a very interesting and testing game,involving Prussians and Hanoverians against Russians and Austrians.

Top photo shows the Scenario,and bottom photo shows the table before any movement.
I commanded the Prussians and Brian and Paul commanded the Russians.By way of a change to our "normal" games,we didn't have any order sheets,but relied on a written battle plan,and points written on plastic attached to the bases of each unit-it worked out okay,apart from a couple of "hitches" when recording when a unit had to retire and reform-there's no such things as problems-only solutions!!

Paul's Austrian gunners open the battle-Paul was defending the Church with one brigade of infantry and this gun battery,but it took three(yes,three!!) brigades of Prussian and Hanoverian infantry to take the position!!-the man's a demon!!

My Hanoverians are advancing against the Church,backed up by a Prussian brigade,with Horse Artillery on the left flank-Paul casually destroyed not only the Hanoverians,but the Horse Artillery too!!!-send in more troops!

Has Paul been shot in the arm??-this is Brian's flank,holding steady-my plan was to make no aggressive moves at all against the village,but to pile all my troops over to the Church area.This  perplexed Brian a bit,and he held two brigades,plus cavalry and a gun battery in this position for most of the game!

This shows my first attack being met with ferocious resistance by the Austrians-Paul has moved his central troops forward to try and stop my advance,and cavalry are moving onto my flank!
Brian has "twigged" what I am doing on my right,but their battle plan is preventing him from doing anything about it-yet!!!

This shows my second brigade attack-Paul is weakening,but his cavalry move against my flank is causing me some concern-luckily I have some Dragoons moving up to help-hurrah!!
In the background,Brian is stirring his troops in the centre and left into action-ooh er!!

All Hell is breaking loose,all over the table-Paul shouted to Brian to implement "Plan B" to which Brian replied that he couldn't remember what "Plan A" was never mind "Plan- Bloody- B"-hilarious stuff,great wargaming!

While Brian tries to remember "Plan A",Paul is putting his coat on and is deserting his co-commander-oh dear,is this "handbags at dawn??"
My third brigade,sent to the attack,has sealed the fate of the Austrians in the Church,and the game is all over.This was a great game,and well played by everyone,the atmosphere and "bon homie" were what wargaming is all about.One last shot(and very rare!) of me................

O.M.G.!!-it's enough to frighten the bairns!!!!
I had a call from Dave on Wednesday night and he asked what I was doing-well,I said,it's a Wednesday night,so what else would I be doing except making Kamikaze Headbands!!(for our participation game at Stockton on the 9th July)-everyone who takes part will be given a headband(whether they want them or not!!!)

16 made so far!-the Japanese symbols say(I think and hope!) "I won" or "I am a winner",so they could be quite appropriate on the day.

Battle of "Wamberg-Bamberg" 1756.

The "Super Six",Brian,Graham,Paul,Dave,Richard and I had a spectacular Seven Years War game last night,involving Austrian,Prussian,Russian and Hanoverian troops.

This is the information the "lads" were given,we drew lots,and Paul ended up as the Prussian commander with Graham and Brian  his sub-ordinates,whilst I was Austrian commander with Richard and Dave as my sub commanders.
But first let's get the silly photo's out of the way.............................

There now,that's better!!-With that "wig" on I think Brian has more than a passing resemblance to Dolly Parton!!!

We are just about to start the game in this shot-Paul and I had to give objectives to our sub-commanders,which were to occupy and hold the villages,and to advance in the centre and give the enemy hell!!-simple but effective!

Brian and Richard both move into Wamberg,and a "ding-dong" (doesn't that sound Christmassy?) tussle took place for most of the game,with infantry being sucked into the village.

Meanwhile,on the other flank,Graham and Dave are both contesting Bamberg village-this looked great,the Green of the Russians contrasting with the Red of the Hanoverians.It was swings and roundabouts for most of the game,and nail-biting stuff too!!

The open ground on the Austrian left flank was ideal Cavalry country,and soon both Richard and Brian were moving their respective cavalry forward to try and gain an advantage,and out-flank the enemy.

With Paul concerned about his right flank,leading to un-characteristic inactivity,I led my white-coated Austrian infantry forward,and a massive fire-fight ensued!!! Paul is a renowned good(lucky!) dice thrower(we all know one) but on this occasion I managed to come out on top!!!! Although not without taking a lot of casualties from his Gun Battery.

Richard's cavalry are pushing onwards towards the Prussian lines,but a well placed gun battery took horrendous casualties off his leading Cuirassiers and forced them back-what a tussle,and great wargaming!!-the village is still being fought over!!!!

Come on Richard,you can do it!!-the fire-fight was so close,you could almost smell the gun-powder!!

Graham has thrown everything at the village of Bamberg,but the Russians are holding out,and the Russians would hold it until the end of the game-hurrah!!

In the centre,a combined Austro-Russian assault is proving to be successful,and the Prussians are in trouble,and then.........................

Dave launched a magnificent,and winning, cavalry attack on Paul's flank-hurrah!!!-with the centre gone and Bamberg still in Russian hands,and Wamberg still being contested,the Prussian commanders admitted defeat!!
This was a splendid game,played in the best of wargaming spirit by everyone-well done lads!!
We won't be playing before Christmas,but hopefully we'll get a couple of games in over the holidays,so best wishes for a Happy Christmas,and a Peaceful new year to you all.
One last photograph,entitled-"How could you not love that little face?"

Easily, comes the reply!!!-Have a great Christmas,Ho,Ho,Ho!!!

















































.

Battle of the River Ems 1760.

Last night Paul,Brian(who is much better now!) and I had a fantastic 7YW battle,involving Hanoverians,Austrians,  Prussians,and Russians.
The scenario was that the Prussians,awaiting their rearguard of Hanoverians,were guarding two fords over the river Ems,as well as a bridge,and had to hold them against an attack by the Austrians and Russians(commanded by Paul and Brian respectively)

The opening moves involved a fair bit of manoeuvering,I was trying to get my Hanoverians into a position between the woods and the bridge,and my right/centre into a position between the same woods and the "redoubt" guarding the right ford.
Brian came on in grand style,attacking immediately-it was going to be touch and go if I could get into position in time!!
Meanwhile,Paul was holding steady with his troops,watching to see if I moved forward on my left-no chance!!

I'm in position and the fighting has begun,but........look at the body language of these two-clenched fists!!!-steady on lads it's only a game!!!

While Paul and I opened up with volley fire and artillery in the centre,Brian,who had put his best troops on his left,attacked the "redoubt" position,and,despite being cannistered and losing his Colonel,took the position at the point of the bayonet-the swine!!!

A lull in the centre gave Brian the opportunity to start singing the American National Anthem!(at least I think that's what he's doing-but with Brian you never can tell!!)

My fierce counter-attack has driven the Russians away from the redoubt,and is giving Brian some grief(or is that wind?-with Brian you can never tell!)

The centre is now ablaze,and Paul is moving his reserves to his left-a cavalry battle is also developing between my centre cavalry and Brian's in the foreground-this was to prove crucial!!

Paul's combination of artillery and volley fire has taken it's toll on my centre troops,and I am having to fall back-Brian has knocked out my other gun,leaving only one to stem Paul's inevitable thrust against me(now,now, no silly jokes!!)

Having spotted an open flank,I have launched my Cuirassiers against Brian's infantry-I thought that this might be a winning move-and I did take out one regiment,but things were not going too well in the central cavalry battle!!

Paul put in a magnificent charge with his Austrian cavalry,and after a good "tussle" he won the battle-damn!! Things are not looking too good for the Prussians!

The winning move-Brian has won the central cavalry battle and has penetrated my rear(I said no silly jokes!!)-this put ,my whole line in trouble,forced my Hanoverians to retreat,and foced me to capitulate!!
This was a great game,played with tremendous spirit,great banter,fast flowing and tactically correct-what more could you want from a wargame?

Roll on Thursday,probably an Ancients game.