The story so
far:- Communist agitators have raided the Tower of London. Whilst the attack
was easily beaten off, it was enough to rattle the King, who, without
consulting Prime Minister Mosley, has ordered that the Crown Jewels be split up
and sent by diverse routes to his residence in Madresfield. Alas many of these
packages have become lost on the way, causing factions throughout the country
to seek, locate and squabble over the contents.
Within
spitting distance of Madresfield, a portion of the Crown Jewels has been
discovered near the Malverns in Herefordshire. Their location has been narrowed
down to three farms (
see earlier post) and the Malvern Hills Conservators,
eager to show their loyalty to the King, have decided to retrieve them. However
the local chapter of Blackshorts, keen to enhance their prestige, are also
searching for the jewels. Thus these hypothetical allies renew their rivalry
and clash once more…
 |
| Bottom to top: Brookfield Farm, Grange Farm, Bridge Farm |
We set the
table up in a rough approximation of the map given in the ’38 Fest briefing,
and were initially to field a platoon each (the standard force size in the ‘Went
The Day Well?’rules). However considering the size of the table we decided to
add an extra section each.
 |
| A portion of the Blackshort platoon |
My
Blackshorts (‘red’ force) consisted of the HQ (including a medic and standard
bearer), three infantry sections (the regular Marches section, the less
well-trained Metropolitan section and the elite Sidcup Highlanders), two
cavalry sections (‘Iron Hoof’ BUF cavalry and a squad of local militia), and
HMG team, two tank hunters and two improvised armoured vans (‘Eulalie’, with a
small calibre gun, and ‘Madeline’, with an anti-tank rifle).
 |
| Some of the Malvern Hills Conservators |
Giles fielded
a force of Malvern Hills Conservators (‘blue’ force), including infantry, a
mortar team, armoured cars and shotgun-toting farmers. Both platoons deployed
along the long side of the table, and began to advance…
 |
| The Blackshort line |
We had three
objectives – the three farms. Deciding that I couldn’t fight for and/or hold
all three, I decided to concentrate on the nearest two, trusting to luck that
the jewels would be found within one of them.
 |
| Brookfield Farm occupied |
The bulk of
my force therefore headed for Grange Farm, in the middle of the board, possession
of which I predicted the bulk of the fighting would take place. The Iron
Hooves, with their greater mobility, raced for Brookfield Farm on my right,
followed by the Irregular Metropolitan Blackshorts, who were to occupy the farm
and hold the flank, while the Iron Hooves moved forward to support the fighting
in the middle.
 |
| Irregular cavalry demonstrating |
On my left,
the irregular militia cavalry were ordered to demonstrate in front of the stone
walled Bridge Farm, keeping out of harm’s way but hopefully distracting the MHC
sections who were sure to occupy the farm (the track leading to it being near
their deployment zone).
 |
| Advance into Grange Farm |
With the
armoured vans, followed by the tank hunters, keeping to the road, the rest of
my force duly clambered through the hedges to reach Grange Farm. The Sidcup
Highlanders quickly occupied the barn, while the Marches Blackshorts made short
work of the rough terrain along the side. The HMG team slowly dragged their
Vickers machinegun towards the nearest farm building.
 |
| When vans attack! |
Crump! The
retort of a light cannon shot out! Facing my armoured vans was a similar
vehicle in the green livery of the MHC, which fired at ‘Eulalie’ and scored a
direct hit, taking out her own cannon, damaging her drive and rattling the crew.
‘Madeline’ duly returned fire with her anti-tank rifle, but failed to make an
impression.
 |
| MHC advance into Grange Farm... |
Meanwhile
the remaining MHC moved, with a section of militia rushing into Grange Farm
from the opposite side, skirting the windowless rear wall of the main building
and racing up the side stairs before the Highlanders in the barn across the
courtyard could draw a bead on them. Grange Farm was thus in 50/50 possession.
 |
| ...and also Bridge Farm |
Stone walled
Bridge Farm was quickly occupied by another MHC militia section, supported by a
Lanchester armoured car and a veteran section who lined the hedgerow-lined
track to the farm.
 |
| Mortar fire causes havoc |
Boom!
Another loud bang! Plumes of smoke and splinters of wood erupted from the trees
by Grange Farm. An MHC spotter team had zeroed in on my advancing Marches
section, signalling for their mortar to drop a round on them. One direct hit
later and a handful of men, including the Lewis gunner and platoon standard bearer, lay dead. My CO,
advancing alongside, was lucky not to be killed too…
 |
| Iron Hooves trot out |
This mortar would
have to be dealt with, so, leaving Brookfield Farm, the Iron Hooves, supported
by the Metropolitan section, cantered out into the open on the MHC’s left
flank. With any luck their infantry would be busy fighting for Grange Farm,
leaving the BUF cavalry relatively free to swoop in on their rear, sabre the
pesky mortar team and hopefully pounce on their HQ.
 |
| Keep 'em guessing! |
In order to
succeed in this, I needed the MHC on the other flank to stay put, so the
militia cavalry trotted on, keeping the MHC at Bridge Farm guessing.
 |
| Exchanging fire |
With ‘Madeline’
duelling with the MHC armoured van, and neither doing much damage, the tank
hunters moved forward under cover of the otherwise useless ‘Eulalie’. Meanwhile
my HMG team had reached Grange Farm in the centre and set up in the cottage alongside the Sidcup Highlanders in the barn, who had been exchanging fire across
the courtyard with the MHC militia in the larger building.
 |
| Farmers leap forward |
I admit to
being surprised at the MHC’s next move, for they rushed their section of
shotgun-toting farmers into the courtyard and along the windowless flank of the
barn, hoping to take the Highlanders from the rear. Knowing full well how
devastating a short-range volley of double-barrel shotgun fire would be, the
Highlanders broke off their firefight and rushed out of the barn to meet them,
their automatic weaponry stopping this audacious move in it’s tracks and
sending the devastated survivors racing back to their lines.
 |
| Lurking around Bridge Farm |
A random
event card forced the MHC mortar to fire every other turn. This encouraged the
Marches and Metropolitan sections cautiously moved forward, whittling down a
militia section and forcing the MHC spotters to pull back. At Bridge Farm the
MHC were reaching the stone walls facing my militia cavalry. Desultory fire was
exchanged but the horsemen withdrew slightly before the MHC’s automatic weapons
could be brought up – no charges into the valley of death on this flank!
 |
| Attempting to turn the flank |
On my left,
all that stood between the Iron Hooves and the MHC’s rear was a lone Lewis
gunner, defending a fallen tree. Before he could set up the black-clad horsemen
charged and the threat was neutralised. Realising the seriousness of the
situation, the MHC pulled their veteran section from the track leading to
Bridge Farm and raced them along to plug the gap.
 |
| Scarper! |
Having
suffered casualties in their advance, it was the Metropolitan section’s turn to
suffer mortar fire, which again landed a round into their number with uncanny
accuracy. These inexperienced Londoners, fed up with traipsing through smelly and
muddy Herefordshire farmland, turned and fled back to Brookfield Farm, followed
by a loudly cursing NCO.
 |
| MHC whittled down |
Despite this
setback, the situation was looking grim for the MHC. Their flank had been
turned by the Iron Hooves, and their militia in Grange Farm was close to
breaking point after being raked by HMG fire, in addition to the machinegun fire
and grenades courtesy of the Sidcup Highlanders. (At this point it’s worth
pointing out that we had tweaked the morale rules a little, so that sections
could only benefit from any HQ morale modifier if they were within line of
sight, which these guys were not!)
 |
| "What the..?" |
By now ‘Madeline’
had finally scored a hit on her opposite number, disabling it’s weapon.
Emboldened, she trundled forward to engage the MHC Lanchester which, after floundering
in the mud at Bridge Farm for most of the game, was coming back to support the
MHC’s defence. Turning a corner on Bridge Farm lane, ‘Madeline’s’ crew were
surprised to see the Lanchester bearing straight at them!
 |
| "Reverse thrusters!" |
In an
audacious move on Giles’ part, both MHC armoured cars had been ordered to ram
their counterparts in order to gain vehicular superiority. ‘Madeline’s’ crew
failed a morale test and opted to hurriedly reverse, backing across the road
and straight into a gate, becoming well and truly bogged down.
 |
| MHC reinforcements |
This, in my
opinion, was the turning point where my almost-certain victory began to change
into probable defeat, for the dice gods suddenly abandoned me and I began to
roll some terrible results.
 |
| "Attention, this vehicle is reversing..." |
After some
head-scratching on how to resolve a head-on ram, The Lanchester smashed into ‘Madeline’,
driving her home-made front plate into the engine and forcing the crew to leg
it. The MHC’s armoured van performed a similar move on ‘Eulalie’, which also
opted to get the hell out of the way, reversing through the militia cavalry
which had galloped back to support my waning attack.
 |
| "ARRRGH!" |
Sensing my
chance, the remaining tank buster (his mate being felled my MG fire from the
advancing Lanchester) was ordered to run up and pop a grenade up the enemy’s
exhaust, only for him to fail a morale test too! He paid for his cowardice (or
good sense) by being run over by the MHC’s van.
 |
| HMGs final moments |
At Grange
Farm, combined fire from the HMG and the Highlanders was as hot as ever, but my
to-hit rolls were suddenly becoming dreadful, allowing the rattled militiamen
in the opposite building to concentrate on the HMG and wipe out the crew.
 |
| Counter-attack! |
My bold
flanking move was also running out of steam. While the Blackshorts had
managed to shoot up the mortar crew and put pay to that nuisance, their mounted
allies suddenly found themselves on the receiving end of an infantry charge
from the newly-arrived MHC veterans. Again I rolled abysmally and the Iron
Hooves fell back.
 |
| And again! |
Barely
stopping for breath, the MHC veterans then charged the remainder of the Marches
Blackshorts, who also fell back! At least by now the Metropolitan section had
rallied, but with the end of the game in sight (cue increasingly chilly texts
from Her Indoors) opted to stay at Brookfield Farm and search for jewels.
 |
| Counter-counter-attack! |
With the MHC
veterans cutting a swathe through the Marches section, the Iron Hooves settled
their nerves and counter charged into their rear, only for their target to turn
around and, thanks to some more bloody awful dice rolling, force them back
again!
 |
| Cementing my position |
The
initiative had well and truly passed to the MHC, who had weathered the
Blackshort storm and, thanks to some admirable audacity, struck back to gain
the upper hand. All I could do was consolidate my half of Grange Farm by
sending in the militia cavalry and, with Brookfield Farm in my possession, hope
that the Crown Jewels would be discovered in my half of the battlefield.
Giles,
having being declared the victor, rolled a D6, revealing the Crown Jewels to be
in…
…Bridge Farm
– the farm that throughout the entire game had been in MHC hands!
A very disappointing
end to the game for me, made worse by my sudden reversal in fortunes. On the
plus side I was very happy with my tactics. I had managed to tie down two
sections of enemy infantry and an armoured car by simply trotting the
poorly-trained militia cavalry back-and-forth. I also came within a deuce of
forcing the MHC out of Grange Farm, after practically wiping out two other
militia sections. In addition my flanking move had come within an inch of
succeeding, but hats off to Giles for pulling off some brave and ultimately successful
counter-attacks – bravo!
We had a
fantastic game in which the advantage really see-sawed between us. It’s all too
easy to blame the dice (a bad workman and all that), but this time around I
really think that, had I rolled a little better, I might have weathered Giles’ applaudable charges
a little more, and perhaps that final die would have landed
the jewels into Blackshort hands.
In
conclusion, does anyone know where I can buy some luckier D10s?
Giles' side of the story can be found
here,
here,
here,
here and
here.
Oh, this weekend I also played the Songs of Blades and Heroes fantasy skirmish rules for the first time, with my six year old daughter. She really enjoyed her first wargame - happy days lie ahead.
