Long Time, No See !

Apologies for my absence, folks, what with work travel (Nigeria this time) and two eye operations (no see - get it ?!) my blog has taken a bit of a back seat.

Lets' s see if we can put that right by giving you a report of Friday's game over at Steve Clarke's.

We decided to return to Sharp Practice and continue our campaign with Fondler.  Our next scenario is Chapter 11, Fondler's Surprise, where Fondler and his Rifles are supporting Major Angus McDougal's red coats and Major Brock's rocket troops charged with rescuing Colonel Grabbe-Goulies from the clutches of the evil Colonel Daniel Laroux and his men holed up in a convent.

 Here's the battlefield from the British entry point

 Here are Laroux and Grabbe-Goulies in the convent

 French light troops in an advance position on high ground

 

The French in strength at the convent

 

McDougal's men advance in column towards the convent

Harassed by the French skirmishers

 

Major Brock decides its time to deploy the rockets

 

As the skirmishers have started picking off the officers and NCOs

 

But at this point, French troops emerge from the Convent presenting another target

 

To everyone's amazement, a rocket actually hit the target (in a roundabout way of getting there!)

 

And at this point, Fondler and his Rifles appear in the valley

 

 Giving fire to the pesky French skirmishers

And proceed to scale the heights to their right overlooking the Convent

 

 The French hurry forward

thinking they can catch some Rifles in the flank

 

 Only to find that they are attacked in the flank by other Rifles led by Fondler

 Which sends them fleeing to the protection of the skirmishers on the adjacent hill

As they find themselves threatened by the British column to their rear too

 

The ringing of the Convent bells has alerted some French cavalry

 

And the French also wheel out a small cannon to fire at the Rifles on the hill

 

As the cavalry consider charging up there to alleviate that threat

 

 McDougal's column advance resolutely towards the Convent

 And despite taking casualties

 charges the French line blocking the way

and smashes through the left of the line

 

(thanks to dice throwing like this !)

 

The rifle fire was so effective that the cavalry and the artillery were driven off

 

whilst McDougal's column battered their way into the Convent, defeated the remaining defenders

and released Grabbe-Goulies from Laroux's captivity !

 

A most enjoyable game, especially as we stopped for a pie and a pint in The Chequers at half time.