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For the 4th month in a row we were in the Millennium "Annex" by ourselves. They even left the air conditioning on full blast and it was 64 in the building when we got there around 10 AM. We turned it down to 70 but it still felt really cold the whole day. We had what has become an average day, maybe 18-20 people. Not to many signed in so there were only 13 on the log, but more were there. Bob Titran, Frank, Mestre, and Rob Winslow were on vacation so that cut in to attendance. Tom P, Bill, Jeff and Mark finally got a chance to play Enemy in Sight. We only got in one round with I think Tom P. leading. We broke up the Enemy in Sight game when the others arrived to play Struggle of Empires. This game drew 5 players. I will let them comment on the action. Other games played that were recorded, Alhambra (Tom Dunning), We the people (Mike Cardwell), Ticket to Ride Europe (Tom Dunning), Amun Ra (a couple of games but one won by Tom Dunning), Zombies, Undercover, Puerto Rico (Mark Gartland), a couple of games of Memoir 44 (I think Jack Morell won both of them), Paths of Glory. I am sure there were more. The Puerto Rico game represented Steve Cuyler's first defeat so now he can go buy the game, and he claims he is now ready for WBC. (Ed note: yes, it was my first defeat - I tried out a different strategy and discovered that it doesn't work. Also, I've now lost the stigma that goes with the "invincible" mind-set. With any type of luck at all, I should place well at WBC - though I'd love to win!) Many of us will be out of the area at WBC from 2 to 7 August. See the rest of you at the August 20th Meeting. Mike wanted to learn the game, so we played, he was the Colonies. The first 3 years were mostly placement of PC, I didn't want to come down too hard on the wayward provincials hoping they would see the error of their way and come back to the royal fold. Generally Britain held Northern New England and from Virginia South. Until 1779 the end date stood at 1779 so in '78 and '79 there was more action with contests in Southern NE. At the end of '79 the 1782 card came up creating a long war situation but 1780, '81 and '83 hadn't shown up. The Frenchies showed up in '80 along with the Declaration. What hurt the King's cause was the isolation and clearing of Tory PC's in much of the western Carolinas. Several battles took place in Tidewater Virginia with at least 3 armies jostling around the country trading knocks. Overall the British cards were good, but no campaign cards were drawn while Washington drew 2 minors that kept tension high. The last American card was Major Campaign (1781), which allowed 2 armies to descend on Rhode Island and Connecticut, winning them back for the US and lowering British control count to 5. The last British card was War ends in 1781! Based on the fate of the last cards a fledgling Republic is born and Mike dons his powder wig to become the father of his country. (All Hail President Cardwell! -editor) Mike and I played the first 2 scenarios for WBC this year. #1 is Gallabat & Metemma, who ever heard of those, they sound biblical but occurred in East Africa in 1940 when the British were trying to end Italian presence there. Bill Slim (later CinC in SE Asia) was the Brigade CO. The Italians are well dug in with artillery backing. The Brits have a small force of tanks for support. In the first go, I was the attacker. A deep wadi divides the defensive position, crossed by a bridge, which the defenders hold; this divides the attack as well with the strength on the left. My early rush with armor took serious damage and ground the main left flank attack to a halt while long range artillery and tank fire tried to soften the defense. This produced little result as a large number of retreat flags were rolled which the dug-in defenders ignore. An all infantry flanking on the right finally cleared Metemma and threatened the Italian artillery, while a slow tank-infantry effort through the hills on the left made headway and caused some defenders to change position, exposing them to fire and breaking the position, resulting in British victory. Score was 4 medals for the Brits with 2 for Italians. The body count was also very close -16 Italian,15 Brits. We switched sides and Mike showed how to use artillery in a powerful offensive manner, moving it aggressively forward thus increasing the effect. The artillery, combined with the Royal Tank Regiment and Indian sepoys captured Gallabat and destroyed the Italian right. Fortunately his infantry attack on my left met with disaster, getting hung up on the defensive wire, and was repulsed. This freed the surviving defenders to concentrate on the successful Brit attack now trying to cross the wadi bridge and clear the remaining holdouts. His attack was anxious and piecemeal (he could smell the laurels and career advancement, maybe even a mention in dispatches to London). The final fights were close in and desperate but the defenders got the required kills first and so Italy won 4 medals to 3. Losses Italy 18 (about 75%) and Brits 30. Second Scenario Then second scenario was Yellow Beach at Dieppe 1942. British Commandos were tasked with destroying the heavy guns at the Goebbels battery that covers landing beaches. The Brits have 7 elements of elite infantry landing at two sites, separated by a high bluff. The defenders have dug in guns and infantry protected by wire and backed by reserves of infantry and combat engineers. In the first go, I was Commandos and the plan went just as Viscount Mountbatten had planned. My card draw allowed a quick rush ashore, cutting through the wire, shooting and grenading the defenders before they were awake. Axis reserves were caught in cross fires and reeled back. The casemated guns were attacked from two sides and after a hard fight destroyed. So swift was the attack that one boatload of commandos never left their boat. A model win, which proves "fortune favors the brave" and the guy with the right cards. Then we switched sides. Mike didn't draw a like hand of great cards like I had in the first go so his attack was more deliberate. This allowed the Germans to bring reserves forward and meet his attack as he broke from the beach. The continued attrition on his lead elements sapped the force of the attack and eventually defeated it. The survivors were taken prisoner since the boats that landed had pulled off the beach and didn't return. In his After Action Report Lord Mountbatten summarized, "the disaster at Dieppe has taught us valuable lessons for future amphibious operations..." |