Sunday, 15 June 2014

HMS Belfast

Last week, my wife and I were treated to a visit to The Shard in London by our daughters, when suddenly it occurred to me, I had never visited HMS Belfast which was right below us !



The views around London are quite spectacular - these are from the restaurant on the 32nd floor


Anyway, The Shard visit over, I next persuaded Her Ladyship that a visit was indeed most timely !


Before she could object, we were over the gangway


and exploring the ship !


Trust a wargamer to find another angle on a day out !


Monday, 2 June 2014

Partizan, 1st June, Newark



This year, it was held in the grounds of Kelham Hall, in a very large and bright marquee.  Personally, I liked it as everything was cheek by jowl and easy to find.

Drinks and eats were over by the cricket pavilion, as was discovered early on by the revered editor of Miniature Wargames/Battlegames magazine, none other than Henry Hyde ...


and your gentle blogger has also caught a certain Mr Perry with pint in hand too !


"Pissoirs" seem to be the in thing this year.  Too Fat Lardies had one at Salute in their Chain of Command game and now the lads from Southend had one in their early WWI game ...


Here's some of the action with troops utilising the flat roof of a chateau to spy on the enemy across the canal


and here's some early air power


a bit of armoured support for these lads
 and I hope these chaps bought a return ticket ...


I particularly liked this Retreat from Moscow scene


from the new Perry Miniatures range


Too Fat Lardies had a busy day ... here's Richard Clarke surrounded by other blokes in shorts

The famous Sidney Roundwood showing off his prowess in a Through the Mud and The Blood game

and there's nowt to compete with his superb WWI Western Front terrain

The Perry Twins and Rick Priestley had a superb WWII Desert game going on

using Bolt Action rules




A big Age of Reason battle certainly brought the house down ...

Lots of colourful uniforms in this one



I saw plenty of traders in high spirits with a steady flow of customers.

All in all, I think it worked well - where will Partizan be next year I wonder ?

Tuesday, 20 May 2014

German Counter Attack 1918

A Through the Mud and the Blood game.



Advanced sentries with a Lewis gun see some movement


Oh my God !  Its a German attack !

More troops are spotted

The Lewis gunners pick off a couple

But they in turn are hit

Other British troops in a wood are still concealed

As, further back, is another section plus a field gun

The section in the woods opens fire revealing their position

As the Germans storm across the open fields

Those in front of the woods see their NCO go down

and two men, finding he is still alive, carry him from the field

The German CO orders forward a heavy MG to bring down some supporting fire

Just as the British field gun gets its firing orders

The foremost German unit attacks the woods

but the British repulse them - 4 Germans killed to 3 British.

As the Germans are thrown back

the German HMG opens fire on the woods

as a German light MG team skirt around the woods

and attack the remaining Tommy at that end

Over on the other side, a British unit is rushed forwards to try and stop the Germans getting to the cottage


and their heroic leader picks up the abandoned Lewis gun and hits the leading Germans

despite the carnage in the woods

the Germans try again

the field gun hits some of them

the attack goes in

and the British forced from the woods

the British sergeant being the only man left, is captured

Away right, the British have driven off the Germans with their heroic officer taking on four enemy at once !

However, with the key woods position in enemy hands, the British troops are ordered back to regroup.

Round one to the Germans !