A Bit of a Rum Do off Cadiz

Once again our intrepid reporter rushed across time and the Mediterranean to meet a small Spanish treasure fleet returning from Montevideo to Cadiz in October 1804. Little did they know that the British had their covetous eyes on the gold and silver. Almirante Banks sailed his flotilla onto the table and instead of heading for the safety of Cadiz harbour veered towards the oncoming British. This was going to be interesting. Phil, Tony and Malcolm turned to intercept undaunted by the sight of a Spanish 3rd rate heading towards them. Chris’ flagship ploughed on but with its inexperienced crew found its gunnery less-than effective. Tony and Phil took damage but headed on towards their main prize, the merchantman.

Over on the other side of the table it looked like a small ships war would ensue as a trio of Spanish Brigs emerged from Cadiz harbour to meet their British counterparts. Shots started to be traded but Spanish progress was painfully slow.

Back with the Atlantic fleet, Chris behemoth tried to manoeuvre but found that a large ship, inexperienced crew and frantic changes of course was a lethal cocktail. This looked entertaining. Having been seemingly abandoned by Almirante Banks the merchantman was stopped by a Tony taking a ram and then boarding. Spectacular if unorthodox tactics. Phil then fired into the merchantman administering the coup de grace and also setting it on fire. Watching his inept Admiral finally crash his flagship onto the large island.

 

Dave and his Spanish frigate hove into view pursued by Malcolm.

The Spaniard poured fire into Tony’s stricken frigate and another ship began to blaze.

Back at Cadiz harbour things looked grim for Spain. Two brigs caught fire and sank leaving Rob’s frigate to deal with three British Brigs. Although not sunk it too was reduced to a fireship and would not be welcome in Cadiz’ teeming harbour.

With two brigs, a frigate and the merchantman ablaze, plus the mighty 3rd rate foundering on the rocks, it was a pretty decisive victory for the British at least in numbers of ship losses. However Captain Tony RN had lost his own ship in the process and the gold was last seen slipping into the icy waters of the Atlantic.

After the battle a monster from the deep was detected in the area…

Simon

Nastiness at Narasara

Once again our intrepid time-travelling war reporter packed his travel bag  and headed from the Golan in 1973 to Armenia in 336AD. The forces of Imperator Constantius II codename “Malcolm” was facing the Sassanid General Narses otherwise known as “Phil”.

In the run-up to Thursday there had been some surprise as to how few units there seemed to be. Sassanid double-armed cavalry and Roman Legionaries are pretty powerful troops....but pricey in points!

Phil had deployed with a largely infantry centre and cavalry flanks. Malcolm responded in kind albeit with weaker wings and a powerful centre. It looked like a game of which would collapse first, the Sassanid centre or the Roman wings.

Undeterred by numbers and quality Phil pushed his centre aggressively forward. As usual Chris had a sluggish start on the Sassanid left and Rob advanced on the Sassanid right albeit he did seem fixated on the elephants.

Malcolm pushed the massed cohorts to engage leaving Dave and Tony to try to hold the wings.

First blood went to Rome as a Sassanid light cavalry unit died in a hail of archery. Unfortunately for Rome that was to be their sole “unit kill” that day. Malcolm’s seasoned legionaries moved into combat but inflicted a single disorder, suffering two in return. This wasn’t in the plan!

The superior Sassanid cavalry soon began to wreak havoc on the Roman flanks. 

 

Tony lost cavalry and found himself facing elephants emerging from the woods.

Dave lost light cavalry and cavalry, but was holding the flank until Chris sneaked a unit of lights through a gap to dash for, and capture the camp.

Malcolm lost a Legion to a determined unit of javelin men, and then Tony lost more cavalry. Chits of 1 and 2 saw the adjacent light cavalry break and it was Game over....

All a bit of a massacre.

Over in one hour twenty.

Best summed up by a plaintive cry from Walkern Road....”we haven’t even had time for coffeeeeeee....”

Next week we try to find our sea-legs and head back to the world of “Black Seas”. Will we remember the rules??”

Simon

Return to the Golan Heights...

Thursday night saw our much travelled war reporter return to the bitterly contested Golan Heights in October 1973.

The game was set in the desperate first 48 hours of the Syrian offensive as the Israelis tried to prevent the massed Syrian armour breaking through before Israel’s reserves could enter the fray.

Six tough T55s took on a trio of Centurions supported by a pair of Supershermans.

With their “poor gunnery” and only 8 turns to play with the Syrian armour surged forward....except for one of Rob’s tanks that decided that sitting in a copse engaging in a long-range gunnery duel was a sound tactic.... if only to guarantee personal survival.

The Centurions rushed into their prepared defences and started to fire, but to little effect. Chris’s Shot Cal then became a magnet for all the Syrian crews and eventually died thanks to a flank shot.

Things looked grim for the embattled Israelis as they failed to take out Dave’s lead T55, and the Syrians began to outflank the Israelis. The first lucky break came as Malcolm drew his chit from the bag ahead of Dave, and scored a catastrophic strike on Dave’s 2nd T55’s flank.

 

Phil then advanced his Supersherman, using Chris's burning Shot Cal as cover. Unfortunately he drew the fire of several T55's and quickly succumbed.

As the Israelis began to give ground and retire to other positions they were amazed to see one of Tony’s tanks appear over the hill and ram a Supersherman. Effective as the Sherman crew bailed out but ultimately futile as the T55 itself fell to Greg’s gunnery. 

This left the Israelis with two operational tanks vs three Syrian. Through the dust and din of battle the Syrians began to hear the squeal of tank tracks as the Israeli reinforcements rolled into action....

The game had proved very tight, and quite balanced. It could have gone either way, which for me makes a good game.

Simon