Gettysburg at Durham, 2022

On Saturday I was again the guest, along with FLW author PHW, of the Durham Wargames Club as we'd been asked by Mike S to umpire their Gettysburg game.  We'd previously visited back in 2019 for the Waterloo game.  Two tables, each 5x20 feet had been set up and around 1200 54mm toy soldiers gathered.  Mostly these were provided by DWC member Conrad while several other club members brought figures.  We had about 14 players plus the two umpires.  I contributed around two thirds of the Confederate I Corps and also topped up supplies of artillery.

The game was set on day two of the battle and the forces were deployed more or less in their historical locations, with several units arriving over the course of the day.  Being rather busy running the game, I took only these few photos but I'm sure they'll convey the look of the thing.

I'd rationalised the orbats to make it easier to set up.  Broadly the US were in brigades of 12 figures, the Rebs in brigades of 16.  Figures were almost exclusively plastic, from a variety of manufacturers including HAT, Armies in Plastic, Italeri, A Call To Arms, Replicants, Timpo, Deetail, Conta, Imex, Barszo, TSSD and no doubt others.

General Longstreet engages in world class pointing and hat-wearing.

Hood's Division advances against surprisingly light opposition

Play began at 1030 real time (0600 in the game) and ended at 1530 (2100).

And who won?  In the northeast the Yanks have been forced back giving the Rebs a toehold on the hills.  However, the Rebs are too tatty to push on and the Yanks to weak to counterattack.  In the centre (northwest) it could go either way and it's getting very bloody.  In the southwest, Longstreet's I Corps is pushing forward, it's right flank against only fresh air so there's every chance the  door could shut on Meade's army from the south.  That said, there are more US formations still to arrive so day three could be interesting.  Hopefully some of the players will comment and take issue with my summing up!

Gettysburg - the Avalon Hill boardgame

Having been invited to help run a 54mm Gettysburg game later this month I’ve been doing a little reading up.  I have long been a fan of board games as a source of maps and research, even if I don’t often play such things.  However, I chanced upon a temptingly priced copy of this old AH game which has the right sort of complexity for me - not much!  

Last weekend I set the thing up to play through the Day Two (2 July) scenario. The board is undeniably pretty and the counters clearly printed.  I mostly took photos at the end of each pair of turns (CS then US) and shared them as I went along on a couple of WhatsApp groups. 

0600-0800.  The Rebs take Cemetery Hill….

…and fend off Yankee counterattacks. 

0800-1000.  More carnage on the hills, with the Rebs trying to maintain their foothold and fragment the US line. 

1000-1200.  The Feds looking a bit shaky but there are loads of the sods. 

1200-1400.  More carnage and a possible US comeback. 

1400-1600.  The font lines fragment. The white stripes on some units indicate that they’ve been flipped to their weaker side. 

1600-1800.  This is now a real slogging match with US reinforcements still arriving. 

1800-2000.  As night finally falls, some Confederate units go under. 

The final result was - on points at least - a clear win for Lee and his chums but it felt a lot closer during play. Really quite a nice game.  I particularly like the combat system where if you lose you retreat.  If you lose by quite a margin you take a step loss and by a large margin two step losses. 

And yes, I know I got some rules wrong (this is me remember!). 

My thanks to all those who gave virtual shouts of encouragement on WhatsApp - Paul, Mike, Diego and Russell. 

And finally, I’d be remiss in failing to mention Tim C’s impressive 6mm Gettysburg game he ran at the Joy Of Six show on the same day:

Blandford books

 I’ve made reference in posts to several of the Blandford series of books over the years.  I have mine gathered in one shelf within easy reach of my painting table.  Here are all 43 of them, inevitably sharing space with various terrain bits and a few figures, including a 1/32 gorilla.  Don’t ask.  

I used to have rather more but I’ve hung on only to the military(ish) stuff.  I gave the car and rail related books to a local RMBI care home which particularly wanted books on these subjects for a couple of residents. 

To save your eyes I also photographed the books in batches.  Let me know in a comment if you’d like to see more of any particular volume. All but three are hardbacks and I don’t think more than half a dozen were bought new. 

This pair were the first Blandfords I owned - from c1980.   One still wears it’s price tag - £3.75 - though I suspect it was actually cheaper. 

As to picking a favourite, that’s always going to be tricky.  This one, however, is a particularly well-thumbed tome, containing as it does all manner of outlandish stuff!

I mean, what sort of maniac would build anything like this?

Fort Fisher - recommended reading

After the game we discussed books.  I had been brandishing and quoting from the Fonvielle book during the game and I don't hesitate to recommend it.  It contains a lot of research, period quotes and photos and some fabulous maps.  Despite it's weighty content it remains an engaging read.

This was my main reference for the game...

...and part of it's excellent map of the fort.

Pete mentioned a couple of books he has on ACW combined ops and sent me this photo:

A couple of the players asked if I could recommend a single-volume history of the ACW.  There are several well-know such books but this is one I picked up a few years ago - it's a very good read.

And of course I took the opportunity to mention the splendid and lavishly illustrated Golden Book:

I first saw this mentioned only a couple for years ago on Mannie Gentile's blog - click here to read his post on the book.

Fort Fisher revisited part 5 - redoubts and regrets?

 

The US infantry storm ashore under the dubious cover of the monitor's guns...

...but the grapeshot kept on coming.  Luckily it was mostly inaccurate.

In the distance some Reb infantry have at least appeared.  Too late to save the day?

Having captured a couple of batteries a US regiment stormed across the ramparts  - both side's infantry squared up.

The double battery continued to spew forth party popper grapeshot.

Egged on by Colonel Lamb - perched atop the lookout tower - the CS infantry exchanged a withering hail of musketry with their opposite numbers.

Endgame.  As the double battery was about to fall and Reb infantry were being listed as 'out of stock' we drew a veil over proceedings.  We agreed that the Yanks still had enough strength to overcome the few remaining defenders but that without a fleet they were vulnerable to any CS counterattack - should such an event be forthcoming.

So the fort has fallen but at the cost of the US fleet.  It's not looking good for Adm. Porter!

As always, the game was made a success by the efforts of the players - thanks chaps!

Fort Fisher revisited part 4 - that sinking feeling

 

As we return to the action US troops have been lowered into little boats for the hazardous landing part of the operation.

Best photo of the day (by Russell).  The brave lads set out in their boat.

As it turned out, this was quite a good time to leave the fleet as a ship soon foundered.

Mind you, it wasn't all plain sailing (sorry!) in the assault boats.  One took a direct hit from a Reb gun and Sharkie was soon on the scene!

By now the fleet was a shambles, with two ships sunk, a third full of holes and of course only one out of three ironclads still in action.

Under the guns of the last (and cheapest!) monitor the Yanks storm ashore...

...to be met by a hail of party-popper grapeshot!

Meanwhile, Cdr Rhind, having been sent back to the Portland by an irate Adm Porter has succeeded in detonating the charges.  At this point we all obligingly shouted "bang!" 

So, there are troops ashore but an increasingly well-fed shark.  Stay tuned for the thrilling next (and final) episode!