Battle os Zaragoza

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

Campaign game at club, French (Steve) attacked Spanish (Jeff) in Zaragoza.
Steve and Arthur commanded the French, Bob and myself took the Spanish as Jeff was unable to make it.
The Spanish had big walls and plenty of troops.

The French gave it a good go and attacked the outer fort heroically, however the walls proved too thick to breach and the French tide was broken on the walls.

Spanish reinforcementrs arrived on far side of river, safe from the French and started a bombarbment and counter battery fight with French guns.

The Spanish cavalry arrived on the left and under Bobs cool leadership proceeded to destroy a horse battery.
With 4 units broken on the walls and the lost guns, the French decided to withdraw and the Spanish allowed them to leave.

Of note the garrison consisted of 2 cavalry units. The lancer bravely left the town and charged the French around the fort helping brek up the atack. Twice they charged and helped the defenders before withdrawing covered in glory.

Been a while since my last post, with the club moving location and my shifts, not been down to play agame for a few months.

Our story of the move xan be found here -

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/wargames-society-new-base-battles-11840533

with follow up article here -

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-war-gamers-win-battle-12079032

So on to my first game back at the new location-

Sunday 6th November 2016

This was a set of several small 40k games between Adam, Mark and Myself.

We played each other using just 2 squads each chosen at random, with rules for squad compsistion.

Basically, each squad was a max of 200 points with no 2+ armour saves and if vehicles max armour of 12, no lords of war either.

First game - Mark v Me (Fast & Elite)
Mark picked a Land Speeder and Dreadnought whilst I went for Hellhound and Eldar Wraithblades.

Was an easy win for Mark, with my Wraithblades failing to get near to the Dreadnought and were cut down by good Autpocannon fire. Game endedwith a 15-0 win for Mark

Second game - Adam v Mark (Heavy & Troop)
Adam faced Mark in this one as winner stayed on.
Adam took a Predator and Tactical squad in a Drop Pod, whilst Mark also went for a Predator and Tactical squad, but in a Rhino.

Bit harder for Mark this time but came out 13-0 winner.

We played 2 points for a winner and VP as a sort of goal difference. So after 2 games the table was as follows -

                   Plyd       Won     Lost       PD      Points
Mark             2             2          0         28            4
Adam            1             0           1       -13            0
Andy             1             0           1       -15            0

So with just Adam to play me it was a fight for second.
Third game - Adam v Me (Heavy & Elite)
I used Bullgryns and an Eldar Prism Tank, Adam went all Necron with Deathmarks and Doomdday Ark.

Good game, Necrons being hard to kill, but I manaaged a 13-0 win.

Final table -
                 Plyd     Won      Lost     PD     Points
Mark           2           2           0       28           4
Andy           2           1           1        -2           2
Adam          2           0           2      -26           0

Mark was overall winner of the mini tournament with 2 good wins

As a final gameMark with 3 squads faced Adam and myself wit h2 squads each.
Mark took a battering but had a lot of troops still on table, however due to casualties sustained was decided Mark lost.

Also at the club Arthur, Jeff and Bailey were playing Chain of Command from 'Too Fat Lardies' looked a good game and caused me to get a copy and plan on getting some 25mm WW2 myself.

Sunday 29th May 2016

Campiagn Game
Somewhere in North East Spain

London Gazette -
Diasaster in Spain, Moore lost.

Britain and her allies humiliated by the Craupards.
Moore prisoner of the Corsican Ogre!

 Just north of Zaragoza two Spanish and one Britsh corps were trapped betwen two French corps and tried to escape south.

Battlefield was spilt between 2 tables, North and South with allies deployed on both and a French corps on each side.

North - Adam and myself (Spanish) faced Steve and Lee French)

South - Bob (British) and Mark (Spanish) faced Les and Rob (French)

We had a plan, but didn't stick to it. Instead decided to wait a turn or 2 in the north before launching a counter offensive.
However, the French didn't want to play.

North table -
Troops were lined up and French deployed most guns onj the Spanish left, whilst infantry were ready to go on the right.

Main attacks cam on the allied right flank an dsoon came forward, with charge and counter-charge all across the battlefield. The Spanish lancers did well with 2 regiments holding up 3 French regiments, before reinforcements, slipped passed the British and arrived in their rear.

 

Initial worries about Spanish being wavering, were not founded and only 2 battalions were lost from this throughout the day.
The infantry held up the Fench attacks and several battalions were swapped by French, but carried on gallantly.

 

To the left the French attacks were slower with initial cavalry charges, clearing away the Spanish cavalry. Despite help frmo 2nd Corps they were soon overwhelmed. The infantry however held on and by battles end the corps was broken but ther right flank was withdrawing in order.

South Table -
The British deployed half and half across the river, whilst eh 2nd Spanish corps took the right flank.

The main French deployment was on the allied left facing the British, whilst a small holding force was depolyed on the right.
The French had a large gun line facing the British and took no time in sending their troops forward, pining the British before they could do anything.
On the right, any thought of advancing to the weakened French line ws stopped by cavalry pressure from in front, with repeated charges. 
WIth the loss of some artillery, the second corps was able to start movingn forward, but this was only by battles end and was allowed to escape. 

Whilst reinforcements from Zaragoza, arrived in the French rear, but too late to have any effect.
On the other side of the river the British were being pounded, and add to this the retreating Spanish from the north table along with the pursuing French, the end was near.

Wounded and unable to carry on, Moore gave orders for troops on the west side of the river to escape south, with hopes of reaching Lisbon. Whilst the surrounded and beaten troops on the east side lay down their arms ans surrendered.

A black day in British military history.
A good win for the French, they came up with a plan and stuck to it.

Adam with half of 1st corps, performed a good holding action, followed by withdrawl.

Whilst Mark with 2nd corps, held off initial attacks andn was starting to make good forward progress.