AVBCW: Battle of Little Hereford (Part Two)

Tym and myself were the BUF defenders, and had to prevent the Commies (JP) and LDV (The Bombardier) crossing the river and taking the station (not represented on table). As we were using Went the Day Well ? rules we each drew a card from a normal pack of cards to decided initiative order for each unit – it is not an “I Go, You Go” set of rules. So you may see cards on the table in some of the pictures, a rare departure from my no extraneous cr@p on the table house rule – something all my guests did adhere to remarkably well, so thanks chaps!

My troops deployed next to the bridge over the river Teme that bisected most of the board, before it turned and ran off the edge after about six foot, which meant Tym and I were squeezed into a small area about 4×3, with the attackers, have the full 8×3 plus a flanking area. On top of this, JP had written some rules for finding fords on the river after an anomalously dry spring…

Tym occupied the large pub and the majority of the area to defend against incursions over these mysteriouisly numerous fords. My Cavalry deplpyed mid way the back read to rush to the rescue of any breaches of our line. Both Tym and I came packing field artillery. Just for once I did not use a tank, much to JP’s annoyance as he came with a tank busting crew.

JP deployed his steam contraption, HQ, HMG and a unit of infantry opposite the bridge in an obvious attempt to rush it. Nice and tightly packed… 😉
Though he did use his brand new spangly T26 and a unit of infantry to menace the long front opposite Tym. Along with a standard bearer and female commissar.

The Bombardier’s non aligned (cough) LDV deployed on my flank.

The game started. Unsurprisingly, I targeted my artillery on JP’s nicely packed troops opposite the bridge and drew the first blood.

The road signs, are morale markers. I took out the HMG, suppressed the revolting workers/infantry, suppressed his HQ unit and knocked out one of the weapons turretts of the steam behemoth…Meanwhile the forces jockeyed for position.

Jp then decided to move his steam contraption forward to bring the second turret HMG to bear. Sadly for him, I had mu BOYS rifle team on Covering Fire, and with a single well aimed shot managed to blow it up !!! Right in front of the bridge thus meaning they would not be able to get any of their impressive looking vehicles across the bridge. Oh woe.

More cases of “target acquired” hove into view, as the LDV marched over open terrain against my BUF defenders:

But JP dealt out some damage with his T26 perched on a hill, and Tym’s Women’s Auxillaries decided to make a well timed temporary tactical withdrawal.

I returned from my brief Beastwatch, to find that I’d lost my flank defenders (one unit of BUF infantry), and had not slowed the LDV’s attack. Tym had immobilised the T26 on the bank of the river by a ford, but it was still firing. The Bombardier’s Tankettes had been shaken up by my troops and diverted through a woodland to the river, where they found another ford. The advancing LDV troops on my flank got to the river, and guess what, found a ford.

However, they were facing down the barrel of my field gun, there was an irregular unit of BUF in the cottage, and my cavalry raced round to shore up the flank.

With predictable results for the LDV…

Meanwhile Tym and JP were exchanging fire as they were locked in a stand off. Tym lost his HMG to a stray shell from the T26. JP tried to send a unit of infantry to support the tankettes, but got shot up by my veteran infantry guarding the bridge, and Tym’s troops in the pub by the bridge. This didn’t stop my rapidly depleted veterans defending the bridge being made to withdraw after being flanked by the tankettes crossing the ford. JP’s troops had dug in on the other side of the board and were being hit by Tym’s stray shells he was aiming at the T26 which remained stubbornly in action all game !

In the end, the Commies and the non-aligned (cough) LDV were driven off and withdrew the one tankette still mobile, and the one LDV troops from outside of the river as they realised they did not have enough forces to exploit their small bridgehead as Tym also brought up his reserve unit of troops to support our flank and front.

Loads more photos here.

The Royalists and BUF in Hereford have not been cut off, and have prevented the strange alliances of forces hostile to the crown from joining up…