Mexican Revolution - Mud & Blood - Part 2

At the close of day one we left the fight for the town nicely poised both the Federales & the Zaptistas  forces had rushed to grab as much of the built up areas as possible. The Federales had entered the church grounds and were sheltering behind it's high walls with Zaptista's on all sides.

It was nice to turn up and be straight into the action. The Federales waited for a number of turns waiting for the cards to land in the right order and then stepped up to the wall, the turns leading up to that the Rebels had the initiative and went on to over watch, which would have stopped the Federales dead.

The Government troops blazed away looking to drive off the gunners and beat back the riflemen, whilst another group ran out of the compound and captured the machine gun after a bloody fight. The battle was starting to turn.

With the centre falling back the Zaptista's pushed down the right had side. The police unit in the compound could do little to stop this as to come outside was sure to result in a bloody firefight where they were now numbered 2:1.

In the centre the Zaptista's prepared their assault on the church having reinforced the attack by falling back from the left flank.

They had to hurry as the Federales pushing up the left hand side with a number of infantry squads.

The attackers drove off the government troops who had over run the machine gun and drove the Infantry back into the church grounds but caught in the open they took heavy casualties and were forced back.

The rebels morale faltered, whilst they were pushing on the one flank, the Church was firmly under government control and the loss of the heavy weapons made victory difficult.

Game over.

A great game and nice to get all of the toys on the table. Mud & Blood was showing it's age a little when compared to some of the refined mechanisms in Sharp Practice 2 and Infamy Infamy. We might give this another run out using Sharp Practice and some modifications.

It's certainly given us a taste for the bigger games.

Mexican Revolution - Mud & Blood - Part 1

Over a cuppa the other week we chatted about games and periods that have had limited game time or in some case have simply never made the table.

The Mexican Civil War was a great example, my wargaming buddy started out his collection as a faction for the multiple western skirmish rules which got out of hand, but the whole force has never made the table.... So here goes.

A straight standup fight between the Federales & the Zaptistas using Too Fat Lardies - Mud & Blood Rules spread over a couple of days. 

The Objective hold the town and beat back the attackers.

The Zaptistas get an early break and rush forward securing several of the outbuildings and pushing forwards towards the Church in the centre of town.

On the Federale left a lone Police unit is one of a few units who had been able to make it far enough forwards with order to block the rebel advance.

Meanwhile on the right the Federales deploy their heavy machine gun covering the road in the far corner as infantry rush forwards.

The race is on and with the Federal Cavalry (ok British WW1 proxies) first to dismount and scale the wall they felt they had a slight advantage but who would be brave enough to pop their head up as there were a lot of Zaptista's surrounding the Church.

The Zaptista's massed in the opposing compound.

With Zaptista's now starting to lap around the Federale flanks the seen is set for quite the bust up in the days ahead....

Incursion along the coast, South of Tanga 1905

Another outing for Mud & Blood and a trip to SWF's gaming studio.
This time a trip to East Africa.

Taxed heavily and reduced to agricultural servitude, South-eastern tribes led by the Kibata rebelled in July 1905. A witch doctor had preached that a magic potion, Maji-Maji, could stop German bullets and several other tribes quickly joined the rising.

With only 588 Schutztruppe Askaris and 458 police in the south the Germans were unable to contain the outbreak. Missions and trading posts were destroyed. Mahenge and Songea were besieged and soon about 20 percent of the colony was in rebel hands.

With the main German force fighting in the south of the colony the British in Mombasa look for any opportunity to enter German East Africa and take advantage of the huge oil fields believed to be sitting on the land along the Pangaru River south of Tanga.

A team surveying the area two years before believe they discovered all the right signs for there to be oil. Britain must have that oil but is reluctant to have hostilities with Germany unless it can establish it is there. The border has always been in dispute and now the timing of the Maji-Maji rebellion couldn’t be more perfect.

I have been given the command of a party to cross into German East Africa and discreetly look for oil. At the same time, I am to incite the local tribes to rebel against their German oppressors.

Setting off from Mombasa in the “El Zafir” a large sternwheel gunboat and travelled along the coast entering up into the Pangaru River.

I set up base camp near a local village and have started to erect a drilling rig to establish if there is indeed a reason to go to war with Germany. The “El Zafir” has left to resupply back in Mombasa. They are due back today.

Drilling is going well when smoke is seen on the bend in the river.

The River Bank

The Drilling Station

The defenders all hidden behind blinds.

Not quite what I was expecting that's not the “El Zafir” but a German Steamer with infantry and sailors in row boats behind. I issue rushed orders for the defence of the river bank and base camp.

 

As the gunboat comes into view I fire a salvo from the native gun looking to slow the German advance. That's a lot of Germans when I considered the make up of my own scratch force.

A lucky strike and a shell lands in the middle of the row boat as it strikes for shore. That should slow the German advance.

 

Things were not going well for the Germans even the wildlife was on the side of the King, as the soldiers and sailors swam for the shore men were dragged below the waters of the river taken by crocs and the weight of their own kit. Eventually the troops reach dry land.

Having regrouped and with no sign of the any British defenders the Germans cross the beach and crested the main rise catching a unit of Masai Warriors who had been scouting the river bank. A short firefight and the landing party drive off the natives.

The Landing party had stirred up a real hornets nest...  fire erupted from the undergrowth as sailors, natives forces and colonial troops looked to halt the incursion. The Germans on the hill fell back and the troops leaving the gunboat were stopped in their tracks.

 

1pm and finally “El Zafir” turns up. The unlucky sailors who had been blasted, bitten and drowned were no shot on the open beach. It really was not there day.

Meanwhile the battle for the inlet continues, more Germans and their Askari troops are ashore but the defenders are bolstered by the Royal Navy who poor fire into the German police looking to flank the native forces. The cannon is back having been rushed back from it's vantage point on the beach.

The gun boats enter into a vicious exchange of fire, the German gunboat is crippled with multiple hits to the engine room and wheel house, fires spring up in multiple locations, the British paddle steamer is no better. With the loss of it's helmsman the steamer crashes into the river bank. A German shell lands squarely on the main gun taking it out to the delight of the under pressure Germans. The British landing party head for dry land.

The shows over...

The Germans were pinned on the beach by the British defenders and more were sweeping across the beach. The German gunboat's rear run was still causing the brits some trouble as it continued to blast holes in the beached steamer, but they would not be reaching the drilling platform today...

A great days gaming.... and nice to get some new toys on the table.

 

Battle around Janow, Lemberg, Galicia 1914 - Mud & Blood

Back in 2015 we started a short WW1 Campaign.

See the earlier battle here.

Events Previously.

Early Austro-Hungarian advances into Russian Poland had been made from Galicia northwards to the city of Lublin. During the advance the Austro-Hungarian First Army met and drove back the Russian Fourth Army around Krasnik on August 23^rd.

The Austrian high command had failed to appreciate that the main Russian offensive was to be made in the direction of Lemberg (Lvov) in eastern Galicia. Here Austro-Hungarian forces had been thinned to meet commitments in Serbia and to support the advance of their forces into southern Poland.

The Russian Fifth Army supported by the Russian Third Army advanced to Lemberg where they encircled and defeated the Austro-Hungarian Third Army. Russian forces began entering the outskirts of Lemberg.

However all was not going Russia’s way as its supply lines had been severely stretched and the advance was called to a halt whilst supplies were brought up to the front.

Whilst awaiting resupply the Austro-Hungarians  launched a counter attack to the south of Lemberg. Elements from the Russian Fifth Army defending on the outskirts of Lemberg were able to halt the advance. The bridges at Lemberg were held and this counter attack repelled.

The Fifth Army dug in defensibly around Lemberg. Ammunition and food had been resupplied and morale was high after the defeat of the Austro-Hungarians only days before.

The Fifth received orders to advance North of Zolkiewskie, a small hamlet on the outskirts of Lemberg, where the 255 Highway runs through.

Elements of the Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army had circled around and were attempting to block all Northern supply lines into the city.

After fierce fighting around the north of Zolkiewskie the Russian Fifth Army again defeated the Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army keeping the 255 Highway open to resupply.

The Russian Orders are as follows.
Fresh orders have arrived instructing you to advance North West through Janow a suberb of Lemberg and into the countryside beyond. Austro-Hungarian forces are massing for another counter strike to retake Lemberg.

You are to advance to this location and reconnoitre the area. The strength of the enemies’ forces must be established and reported back to High Command.

Take the fight to the enemy and secure the area to the North West.

Round One and the enemy cavalry appear at the far end of the road, the Russian artillery is deployed to counter the advance. Shot and Shell sends them heading for cover first blood to the advancing Russian forces.

On the far right the back and forth of the hedge row begins. The Austro-Hungarian blind forces the sailors to unmask. 

Out numbered 2:1 the defenders poor fire into the advancing sailors who charge the hedge line driving the Bosnian's into the woodland with numerous shock.

Whilst beaten backwards they had held the line long enough for additional blinds to come on the table and bolster the right flank.

Switching to the left wing the Russian blinds (OK French stand in's.) were massing behind the hedge row, Bosnian infantry and Machine Guns had seized the low stone wall and further troops were coming on behind them.

Sh*t or bust after a number of turns with both sides probing the line, battle is joined. Gambling on breaking the Austro-Hungarian line in one strike, the Russians threw all of their main force and reinforcements on the right flank rushing forwards towards the stone wall.

Despite a number of Russian companies slowed by killed and shock, others were able to drive the defenders from the wall at the point of the bayonet over running the Machine Gun team and driving the Bosnian infantry backwards with several shock points.

On the far right the German reinforcements who had moved through the woods charged the sailors who were holding the hedge row driving them backwards. The Sailors gave ground but inflicted a number of losses on the fresh German units.

Whilst the Germans had reversed the initial assault by the Russian sailors, the front had crumbled on the left not helped by the appearance of the Russian cavalry, who charged down the retreating Bosnian's and breaking the line.

Game over.

A great days gaming with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

The Too Fat Lardies Mud and Blood rules give a great gaming experience with over 100 figures on each side fought to a conclusion.

Let's hope we can get the next game in a little quicker than 4 years next time......

Japanese Cavalry - Russo Japanese War 1904 - 1905

If you read the news January is supposedly the most depressing month, Blue Monday, bills to pay, enforced diets, but in wargaming terms it's the month where new ideas and projects start.

The paint table is full of blister packs and bubble wrap of projects planned for the next 12 months and that's before show season starts in March with Hammerhead and WMMS where shinnyitus is bound to take hold.

I really need to hold my nerve and crack on with the stuff that's been outstanding from 2015.

Buried under the bubble wrap were these Empress Japanese Cavalry from their Russo-Japanese range based and under coated in November they have waited patiently while other toys jumped the queue.

These will bolster the Japanese forces and give me a more mobile option in future encounters and give me opponents for the Russian Cavalry.

The lighting was not the best, they are somewhat less shiny in the flesh, but they are great sculpts as you would expect from the hand of Mr Hicks.

I have been using Mud and Blood from the Too Fat Lardies, but may well give Sharp Practice 2 a try when it's launched in April given that the expanison of the period covered.

With these complete, an opportunity to switich to some of the new projects, but where to start, the first Chechen game in two weeks, I still need a few odds and ends for that scenario. Figures for the planned Hammerhead game in a month so far I have the Title "The Water Margin" but little else or some of the other distractions hidden amongst the bubble wrap and brown boxes..... Chinese Frostgrave anyone?