Monday 22 July 2019

Spotted on ebay

Bob contact me about a copy of Minature Wargames which was on sale on ebay recently.

 

'Are those your Poles' he asked me.  I looked at the pictures on ebay and was surprised to see a picture of my old 15mm Minifigs Polish Army on the back cover.  To be honest I have no recollection of what happened to them back then.  I must have sold them on.

Back Cover
Bob took all the pictures back them using his 35mm camera and of course there was no 'blog' or internet to publish pictures on.   He sent some picture of various figures to the editor of Miniature Wargames and clearly the editor used this one.  It relates to nothing in the magazine and their is no credit for the picture or the figures.


The picture brought back some memories of the figures and games against Bob's 15mm Peter Laing's Lithuanian army.  The buildings were made of paper/card and Bob imported them from the old Eastern Bloc before the fall of the Berlin Wall!

Monday 8 July 2019

1866 Austrians and Allies take on Prussians and their Allies

Finally got around to having the game with Jack and Bob that I threatened.  Way too many figures but an opportunity to show them to Jack who hadn’t seen them before, despite making a number of the moulds for me.

It started as a game using Black Powder but quickly degenerated into more of a chatting match.  After Jack had his second glass of Shiraz and a bacon sandwich and we discussed which of us was going to get to the pearly gates first this just turned into a photo shoot opportunity.  So lots of pictures not much text but we enjoyed ourselves which was all that mattered.

On the Prussian left flank is a brigade of light and heavy cavalry consisting of Hussars, Uhlans and Cuirassiers



 
The next to them a brigade of Allied troops from Oldenburg, Mecklenburg, Lippe and Saxe Coburg


 The centre is made up of Prussian infantry supported by artillery



On the right is another allied brigade of troops from Brunswick, Bremen and Waldeck


On the extreme right is another Brigade of cavalry consisting of 2 regiments of Prussian Dragoons and Dragoons from Mecklenburg and Oldenburg. 
  

 The Austrians had a mixed force of Austrian. Bavarians, and Wurtemburgers supported by troops from Nassau, Saxony, Scheswig Menningan, Baden and Hesse Kessel.  On the right was a mixed brigade of cavalry with Austrain Uhlans, Bavarian Cuirassiers and Light dragoons and Hesse Kessel Hussars.
 





Supported by Wurtettemburgers and Bavarians  in the centre and the Austrians on the left flank.






 Jack and Bob plot the Prussian strategy. Which quickly goes to pot as Jack never seeing the opportunity to wait with his cavalry launches a frontal assault on the Austrian artillery and Jagers on the hills to his front.

  



The Mecklenburgh Hussars charge the Austrian artillery.  Needless to say they are driven away.







 The same is true for the first regiment of dragoons who are charging up hill into the Austrian Jagers.




A lot of head scratching about what to do next.  Withdraw the remaining cavalry or plough on!   This is of course Jack and retiring isn't part of his vocabulary so they charge on!


 In the centre the Prussian infantry brigades advance



The Prussian artillery enjoy some success routing an Austrian regiment


 Poor Austrian artillery allows the Oldenburg Hussars to charge home routing the gunners but at the same time running into the Austrian cavalry brigade who drive them back.



 The second regiment of Prussian Dragoons also enjoy success with some pitiful rifle fire failing to stop them they rout the Jagers.



Jack celebrates this brief cavalry victories.


In the centre the Bavarians close on their Prussian enemy.


 The Prussian regiments form a formidable firing line 



The second glass of Shiraz slows the thought process!



The Bavarians quickly try to counter the Prussian firing line.



The combined allied cavalry of the right finally get moving and charge the Prussian Hussars who are put to flight
 


 The Austrian allies and Prussians firing line grows in length.  Unfortunately, the actual firing ranges from feeble to pathetic and even the extra boost given to the Prussians fails to have any effect.




Another Prussian Hussar Regiment is put to flight.





 Even at close range the firing is hopeless



 The Brunswickers and Bremen infantry rush to join the fray.


 Still the deadlock goes on.   The Austrians throw the last of their allied reserves into the firing line but still both sides remain locked in a series of hopeless firing throws and good saving dice



At this point and with 2 glasses of Shiraz and a bacon sandwich having an effect we decided to call it a day.