The Glasgow Uprising

Yesterday I ran a Dark Age DBA campaign… one would think I’d get on that report first… but this afternoon I ran a game of Ever Contemptible Victorious Little Black Powder Armies (of DOOM!) (a mash- up of a few rule sets that I kind of like…). The report for this seemed quicker and easier… so…

A number of people had originally indicated they would, but most bailed at the last minute or just simply didn’t show up… Which, on one han,d was a bit of a downer, but honestly, I am glad everyone bailed... I'm not sure I'd have gotten through another multi-player game without my head exploding... so Terry and I just played the game on our own.


Near Glasgow, Spring 1939.

SITUATION

Socialist Agitators form Liverpool have come to Glasogow to help the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party lead an uprising. The army of the Scottish Republic has been brought in to squash the rebels. The have been fighting for a few weeks now and a group of the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party have been pinned against the River Clyde in a bombed out industrial area near Glasgow.

SCENARIO

Elements of the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party Uprising are situated in Buildings along side the river. The Army of the Scottish Republic must crush these rebels before reinforcement arrive. The Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party must hold on and repel the attackers!

FORCES

Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party
Commander – Comrade Commander Euan MacDougal
2IC – Comrade Commander Bryan Davidson

2x Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party Volunteer Militia (14)
1x Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party “Regulars” (14)
1x Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party Special Assault Division (8)
1x Chinese Mercenary Mortar Battery

Army of the Scottish Republic
Commander – Brigadier Terrance MacThorn
2IC- Colonel Jock Buchannan

4x Scottish Infantry Battalions (15)
1x Battalion of 7ieme Regiment Etranger Infanterie (15)
1x Naval Brigade Battalion (15)
1x Scottish constabulary (10)
2x Scottish Army MG detachements
2x Scottish Artillery Batteries.


THE GAME

I too the defending Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party and Terry took the Army of the Scottish Republic.


(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


The Army of the Scottish Republic are in the foreground preparing to assault the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party positions, pinned in the ruins against the River Clyde.


Three Battalions of Scottish and a Battalion of the French Foreign Legion (sent by the French Government to help prop up the new Republic!)


More Scottish Infantry along with a naval detachment from the Scottish Navy and The Scottish Constabulary (along with an Officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who volunteered to help out during the troubles in the homeland).


The Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party positions in the bombed out industrial area by the Clyde.


Another unit of Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party Volunteer Militia in a field (and the Chinese Mercenary Mortar Battery on the hill).


Ka-BOOM – opening shots – the Chinese mortarmen take shots at the Scottish MG detachments (and miss!)


The Scottish counterbattery fire was equally ineffective)


The MGs managed to shoot up the Chinese pretty good though!


The Brigadier urges his troops onward!


The Scots crest the hill before the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party Volunteer Militia.


BOOM! The Chinese Mortars blast a hole in the Scottish battalion on the next hill!


The Scottish Artillery also switches to the Volunteer Militia in the field and causes a few casualties.


The Scottish MGs finish off the Chinese.


The Scottish Police take some withering fire from the Volunteer Militia in the rubble (and I think they failed their first morale test and went to ground at this point!).


AS the Scottish crest the hill before the other Volunteer Militia they are cut down – silhouetted against the sky. Return fire caused a few casualties but isn’t nearly so devastating.


As the Naval Brigade crests the hill at the other end of the battle, the Volunteer Militia there cut them down as well.


A general view of the Scottish advance.


The Scottish Artillery ranged in on the Volunteer Militia and cut them to pieces!


The exchange of small arms fire was devastating for both sides.


The remains of both units gave up and departed the field of battle.


The Scottish Constabulary and Naval Brigade units halted and went to ground and exchanged fire with the Volunteer Milita in the ruins.


Niether side gaining much advantage or causing any real damage – just slowly whittling away at each other. (of course the problem was the Scots had MORE units to bring up…).


The Brigadier advanced his men!


The MGs had slowly moved up their positions and started to bring fire down on the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party “Regulars” – casuing some casualties.


The Volunteer Militia cut down the men of the Scottish Constabulary with some withering fire!


With the Peelers out of the way The battalion of Scottish Regulars was able to bring down fire on the Volunteer Militia and it was terrible..


The Scots move ever forward preparing to assault the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party positions.


The Scots on the right of the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party almost in range…


On of the Scottish MG detachements suffered a jam! Much to the relief of the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party!


The last of the Volunteer Militia are cut down by the fire from the Scottish (well the commander was still there, but with five morale tests to make… she didn’t hang about long!)


The Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party Special Assault Division moves up to take the place of the Volunteer Militia and await the charge of the Scottish Regulars.


Two Scottish Battalions line up to assault the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party positions.


The Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party fire is telling.


The Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party Special Assault Division prepare for the close assault…


The Scots Charge!


The melee is confused! The Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party desperately try to hold their ground.


Eventually they are obliged to retire… but at a great cost to the Scots!


The Scots assault the Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party Special Assault Division


The Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party Special Assault Division are whipped out bu they sold themselves dearly… The Scottish battalion took 80% casualties against a force half their size!

The remaining Scottish Democratic Socialist Workers Party members surrendered. The loss of this force was a devastating blow to the Glasgow Uprising.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

The Report of the Dark Age DBA Campaign… maybe tonight… maybe tomorrow..

Kazubushistan 1918

I thought I’d try and organize some semi-monthly game nights on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. I missed out on the 1st one this month (as the plan hadn’t fully congealed), but got it together for the 3rd! Last night John and Rick came over and we tried out a mash up of Ever Victorious Armies and Contemptible Little Armies (with a few ideas stolen from Black Powder). What we ended up with seemed to work out okay. We spent the first hour just catching up (I haven’t seen John in months) and didn’t get started until after 8PM and the game was pretty much wrapped up by 10PM or so and in the meantime played a pretty big battle...

I should really write down some of the rules and stuff – beyond the QR chart I have… and I need to sort out tanks and aircraft… among other things…

Kazubul, Kazubushistan, November 1918

SITUATION

A couple months ago Allied forces crossed over from Persia into the Russian territory of Kasubushistan. A Scots Brigade and a battalion of French Foreign Legionnaires have set up a depot in Kazubul for supplying counter revolutionary forces. The situation has deteriorated for the Counter revolutionary forces in Kazubushistan and the Bolsheviks have decided to capture the depot at Kazubul before the allies can pull out.

SCENARIO

The Bolsheviks objectives are the train station and the town itself – both are wharhousing considerable supplies.

The Allied forces objective is to deny the Bolsheviks their objectives.

FORCES

Allied Forces

Brigadier Hamish McBoorden C-in-C
Colonel Pierre Lepeieu – Staff Officer

7th Scottish Rifle Regiment (15)
12th Royal Highland Regiment (15)
2 field batteries Royal Artillery
1 battery Machine-Gun Corp
2/7iemme Legion Etranger (15)
Railroad workers and local militia (10)


Bolshevik Forces

Comrade Joseph Trotsky C-in-C

Comrade Lowelski – Staff Officer
3x Bolshivik Rifle Battlions (15ea.)
1x Machine-gun battery
1x Field Battery

Comrade Bertelinov– Staff Officer
3x Bolshivik Rifle Battlions (15ea.)
1x Machine-gun battery
1x Cossack Squadron (9)

THE GAME


(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Comerade Lowelski plotting the downfall of the imperialist stooges.


The Bolshevik Horde deployed for action.


The Allies prepare to defend their depot against the Bolshevik horde.


Ka-BLAM! The Royal Artillery takes it toll.

A turn or two later the Bolsheviks got their gun set up on a hill in range of the town and for a few turns the guns pounded each other with counter battery fire. Eventually the Russian guns were silenced, but they had afforded the Infantry a few turns of relief… but not nearly enough…

We decided, in general, we need more GUNS on the table for this sort of action!!


The bolshie horde surges forward again.


Onward!


Bolshevik Cavalry tries to charge the town.


…but are cut to pieces by the MGs deployed in the town and the Highlander waiting outside of the town.


One of Comerade Lowelski’s battalions has already been cut down by machine-gun, artillery and rifle fire. The remaining battalions would advance a little further and try to engage the French in a firefight… but they ultimately lost.


The remaining Cavalrymen failed two morale tests and could advance no further. The following turnt hey were finished off by the MGs.


Comerade Bertelinov’s lead battalion was apparently formed of elite marksmen!? The shot the crap out of the Highlanders on the outskirts of town. The Higlanders were down to five figures when the near-full-strength Bolshevik battlion advanced past the shattered Cavalry and were nearly within assaulting distance.

Antoehr turn of shooting took out three more - requiring three morale tests of the highland unit now whittled down to two figures and already having two moral failure markers. They PASSED ALL THREE tests!


They next turn, however, the Bolsheviks assaulted and whipped out the rest of the Highlanders. WE actually rolled for the close combat, but as I was writing this I realized they should have been destroyed on contact (units with two moral failure marker that are contacted by an enemy unit are automatically destroyed) – the outcome was the same, so…


Bertelinovs follow on battalions slowed at this point, unable to keep pace with the elite 1st battlion.


The first battalion pushed through the Highlanders position and assaulted the town. They stuck in the town for a turn or two but were eventually defeated by the Scotts.


The MGs and artillery were starting to take a toll on Bertelinovs battalions…


The last roll I made for my MGs – hitting on 4+… doh! must have jammed or something.

Definitely more guns required... I have three more British/Canadian 18-pounders, Two German Krupp 77mm, and another Russian gun to do... I should pick up a few more for everyone!

Anyway, good fun was had by all (I think...). We’ll have to try it again after the Dark Age DBA campaign weekend. The next two game nights (February 1st and 15th) will probably be devoted to DBA to get people up to speed before the campaign on the 25th. In March we should get back to some Great War and Colonial wargaming and maybe some other stuff… War of 1812? I found a starship fleet combat game based on HOTT that I’d like to have a go at.

For the next five weeks, however, I’m going to have to get busy with the painting of the Dark Age warriors. I have two armies I had planned to have completed before the campaign!?

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Some Norman Crossbowmen!