Thursday 28 February 2013

Gettysburg.

 
I managed to squeeze in a visit to the Gettysburg Battlefield Park after my Conference in the USA, and here are some pictures taken there.  It was pretty cold there but the sun put in an appearance which helped and it stayed light until 6ish.
 
I stayed at the Brickhouse B&B in the town which was excellent.  The part on the left of the picture was there during the battle, the nearer part was built in the 1890s.
 
It is located in the southern part of town, right on the line of the skirmish lines on the evening of Day 1 of the battle.  The red brick house seen on the left is I believe where Union General Schimmelfennig hid for most of the battle. 
 
I decided to invest in the services of a battlefield guide who also drove my car so I could take the pictures !
 
This a view of Seminary Ridge.  The tower with cupola atop was used for observation first by the Federals and then by Lee's men during the battle.
 
A typical town building of the period.
 
The beauty of having my guide was that he pointed out small details like the shell still buried in the wall of this house !
 
Initially, the Union cavalry tried to delay the advance of the Confederate forces.  This lovely monument remembers the early skirmishes out to the north and west of the town.
 
This house had its library of books looted by the Rebel troops, with one exception - its Bible wherein a Confederate soldier had scribbled "put this back where it belongs" !
 
Here's a view of the Lutheran Seminary from the other side showing what a good viewing platform that tower must have been.
 
I love the way cannon have been left outside people's driveways !
 
Here we start to see the Confederate batteries lined up facing across to Cemetary Ridge.
 
There are over 400 of them positioned around the battlefield park.
 
This is where Pickett's charge started - such a lot of ground to cover before they could even get to grips with the Federal troops.
 
Another fine monument at the start line.
 
Here's General Lee astride Traveller watching the attack from a distance.
 
I particularly liked this statue of General Longstreet amongst the trees.
 
This is the view over the other side from Little Round top where the Union troops could see the Rebels coming.
 
There was some grim fighting up here as these plates evidence.
 
Up on Cemetary Ridge, this is the furthest point reached by the Confederates.
 
The Union infantry were lined up behind these walls
 
This is where Confederate General Armistead fell by Cushing's battery, the furthest forward reached by a Rebel commander.
 
Another descriptive plate on the receiving end of Pickett's charge.
 
I've got another 200 pics to sort through so I'll call a halt today and put up some more on the blog tomorrow, including better ones of Little Round Top, Devil's Den and Culp's Hill.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Cavalier Sunday 24th February 2013

Back from the USA !

Well, my trip to Kansas City and then Gettysburg via Washington DC went well and when I get some time, I will post some of the 300 pictures I took at Gettysburg.
 
In the meantime, I managed to get down to Tonbridge for the Cavalier 2013 wargames show.
 
And would you believe it, I bumped in to that famous boy band, Postie and the Rejects !  Here's proof that they were actually there ... 
 
Seriously though, it was good to meet them, having followed Ray's blog for some time, its nice  to actually meet the man behind the blog (Ray's on the left, by the way).
 
Cavalier is one of my favourite wargames shows, small as it is, most of the key traders are always present, there's always a good number of games going on, the B & B usually has something of interest and you always get a decent bacon butty upstairs !
 
It was nice to also see Henry Hyde who's full of enthusiasm about the relaunch of Miniature Wargames combined with Battlegames and I wish him well with this. 
 
My favourite purchase on the day were these ...
 
 
A complete regiment of Hinchliff French late Napoleonic Carabiniers bought from Neil Wilson for £30 complete with a couple of general officers too - more than to add these to my collection !

Tuesday 12 February 2013

World War II Cavalry

Cavalry in IABSM III

Rich Clarke mentioned to me the other day that he was working on the Stats for cavalry on the Eastern Front for the up-coming IABSM supplement with the unpronouncable name !
 
He wondered whether it was time well spent as he doubted many of us possessed or even had an interest in the cavalry used in the East.
 
Well, I for one have dug out my 20mm WWII "donkey wallopers" to show I AM interested and will use them, given the chance.
 
Here's a few shots of my cavalry ...
 
These are Britannia Germans.
 
Trotting past a Soviet Farm Collective.
 
Officer rather conspicuous at the front, asking for a sniper shot !
 
And here are the Russians (can't recall the manufacturer)
 
Getting some orders from a senior officer.
 
This will be my last post for a while as I am off to the US of A for a conference in Kansas City and then my cunning plan is to afterwards fly to Dulles International, rent a car and make a trip to Gettysburg before coming home ! 

Monday 11 February 2013

The London Road Battle

Another War of the Roses fight using Sharp Practice.

 
More troops used in this one - but I forgot to add more Big Men which caused Command & Control problems for both sides !
 
The Yorkist hold over the London Road is about to be challenged.
 
The Yorkists advance to line the road.
 
The Lancastrians learn that the farm workers are sympathetic to their cause.
 
Lancastrian bowmen give fire to advancing enemy foot.
 
Yorkist crossbowmen line the wall.
 
Lancastrian knights charge forwards
 
Just as Yorkist ones do in the field next to them !
 
Yorkist hand gunners line the hedges near the woods
 
The Lancastrian knights come off worse
 
And have to retire
 
The Yorkist charges goes in
 
And they force the Lancastrian foot knights back with their leader
 
Other Yorkist cavalry have caught Lancastrian crossbowmen in the open
 
But somehow contrive to make a mess of it and run away !
 
The Lancastrian lord rallies his men and pushes them forwards
 
As his Men-at-Arms on the right tackle the hand gunners
 
They have some success and the gunners retire beyond the road
 
Some Yorkist troops have spied the farm girls !
 
Lancastrian knights charge again

With the foot knights attacking to their left
 
The Yorkist line cracks
 
First the Yorkist crossbowmen run out of bolts
 
Then the local priest insists on blessing them !
 
The Lancastrian knights press home their advantage
 
The Lancastrian foot knights smash their way forwards too
 
The Lancastrian crossbows force back the remaining Yorkist cavalry
 
The Yorkist leader decides to depart with his remaining hand gunners
 
Lancashire receives prayers for the victory.
 
Another enjoyable game with Lancashire the victors this time, so one all in this mini campaign.