Jono has been busy...

Readers of the previous article may have noted the amount of equipment on the 'table' - actually a small musicians' stage (which I think accounts for the rather more vicious attack I had to undergo: hayfever). Almost all of it has been due to Jono's industry. I can take credit for the Kiivar foot troops - infantry and artillery crews - and two anti-tank guns in 'factory finish'. The rest is Jono's.

Here's what I mean...

First of all: one of at least 3 infantry guns. This one appears to have been captured by Kiivar forces from Raesharn or Omez enemies earlier in the campaign. That it to say, I borrowed it and one other for the 'Blacklands' battle.
Raesharn Cavalry. Adapted, Jono tells me, from Italeri Mamelukes. Neat eh?
The next three show Raesharn's medium and field artillery. In the Blacklands action, Jono had them all in a single battery. I've recommended that he subdivide them into two: a 3-gun field battery, and a 3-gun medium/heavy. Superb pieces of ordnance...



Raesharn armour. The symbols are Raesharn numerals. Jono allowed they were based upon what he remembered of Mayan numerals. As it transpires they aren't so very similar, but they look plausible and good, all the same. Jono has devoted quite a lot of time, and built up several folios, developing his Sideon IV world.
Here's what I've been doing, aside from building navies. The 'Blacklands' article shows a map of the campaigh theatre. This map has been enlarged with the hope of using it in the same manner as the old Avalon Hill/SPI boardgames - or the 'Civilization' computer game. Here is a section of the map - the Yian Peninsula in southern Kiivar...
The next action will be based closely on the Don Featherstone 'Tank and infantry action on the St James Road'...

The Blacklands of Kiivar ... A photo essay.

Last weekend was something of a trial run for a several items of equipment: artillery, anti-tanks guns and AFVs of various kinds. The premise was a powerful attempt by Raesharn forces to seize, take or carry a strategic crossroads, in the Blacklands near Kavi (see map - not far northeast of the headwaters of the Firth of Kiivar). The action unfolds in the following series of pictures.

A general view of the Raesharn forces on their startline. They comprised two infantry companies, a tank company (4 tanks) plus 3 other AFVs, a battery of 3 heavy and 3 field artillery pieces, an anti tank gun or two, a reconnaissance section of an armoured car and motorcycle combination, and a section of cavalry.
General view of the battlefield. The bridges were built for a smaller scale (that being used here something like 1:35 or thereabouts), and were a bit narrow for this. They were held to be negotiable by wheeled vehicles, but not tanks or assault guns. The stream itself was crossable, but took time, and vehicles risked bogging down. The stretched lengths of pot scourer served as barbed wire entanglements.
Another general view. The Kiivar defenders had just two AFVs but the infantry company was supported by a 2-gun mixed battery of artillery plus a couple of infantry guns, 4 'medium' antitank guns, a single twin-barrelled AA cannon, and a section of assault engineers, who garrisoned the Crossroads Tavern. Oh, yes: both sides could call upon air strikes...

The formidable array of Raesharn artillery.

Fortunately they were lacking in targets on account of the absence of a forward observer. But they could see the tavern, which was bad luck for the engineers therein. Of eleven men, four survivors evacuated the place after the enemy guns found the range...

Raesharn Cavalry, ready to sweep around the Kiivar southern flank...

The Raesharn tank company, together with its riders, ready to go.
Kiivar left - garnished heavily with anti-tank guns...

Kiivar centre. The assault engineers would soon have to vacate the Tavern...

Kiivar right. Nr 1 Platoon in the woods, supported by an infantry gun overlooking the river bridge.
Raesharn tanks advance on the northern flank...

General view from behind Kiivar lines...

First strike! Raesharn aircraft takes out Kiivar's only tank. Their remaining AFV is an assault gun, off to the left. The AA cannon fails hit the aircraft as it flashes by...

Retaliation! A Kiivar fighter-bomber shoots up the Raesharn artillery. Although Raesharn loses half a dozen gunners, the guns themselves remain intact. This proved something of a distraction for the Raesharn commander, who detailed several infantrymen to man the guns. A rule emendment might have to be looked at here...

Second Raesharn strike destroys the entire Kiivar artillery battery, leaving just two gunners surviving. Bad news for Kiivar...

The armoured thrust reaches the stream and begins to cross. This proved a considerable obstacle that slowed the Raesharn advance. The lead tank bogged down when almost across. Though slowed, the Raesharn were not altogether stopped, however.

In the centre, the assault gun heads for the hill. An antitank rifleman lies in wait...

An assault gun tentatively probes the Kiivar right flank. Where are the cavalry?

Kiivar's second airstrike does immense damage: two tanks knocked out, and 6 infantry bite the dust. Methinks wiping out 2 tanks was a bit punitive. Another rule change in order there, possibly. Mind you, exactly the same odds [taking 1 for 6 and 2 for 5 etc] would have left both tanks intact, and just two infantry casualties...

The Raesharn AFV mounts the hill to take a hull-down position, and comes under the concentric fire of two AT guns and an AT rifle. In the ensuing exchange of fire, the vehicle was hit twice, but managed to take out half the crew of an AT gun before it succumbed. The AT gun on the extreme left of the picture - still in its factory finish (i.e. unpainted) - did the deed.

The AT rifleman takes care of the Raesharn AFV on the right, taking two shots to do so.

General view. Things aren't looking so good for the Raesharn offensive. They have lost 4 AFVs out of 7, and the armoured can was knocked out by an AT gun whilst standing near the bridge.

Raesharn forces push across the stream on the Kiivar northern flank. Kiivar infantry wait anxiously in and behind the woods...

Here come the cavalry...

There go the cavalry... Charging into the woods was always going to be a chancy proposition...

Touched up view of the north flank action. Raesharn tank comes under heavy fire but the Kiivar assault gun delivers the coup-de-flamade...

Another touched up pic of the final moments before the Raesharn commander calls of the action. Raesharn losses amounted to 5 AFVs, and armoured car, 7 cavalrymen, and perhaps a dozen other personnel. Kiivar lost a tank, two artillery pieces, and about 15 men (assault emgineers and gun crew). A fairly comfortable defensive victory, but it was against an inexperienced opponent. The next action - a Kiivar counter-offensive - might tell a different story...

Battle of Guarda - Part Three

Continuing the narrative of the Prince of Essling, the Marshal Massena to his Emperor, le Tondu in Paris, concerning the French victory over the Army of Portugal at Guarda.

Having determined the location of all our enemies, we were able, Sire, to put into immediate effect our overall plan of enveloping the southern flank. In the meantime, the holding action of Mermet's Division continued to pin the defenders of Guarda itself and the mountain upon which the town stood. By midday, the place was almost surrounded already, and the Portuguese line infantry keeping open the road northwest out of the town was taking heavy losses and barely hanging on. A battalion of 6eme Legere had already infiltrated behind the town and cut the west road.

Meanwhile, it transpired that a battalion of 38th South Staffordshire was waiting behind the northwoods to take in flank any push by our people along the north face of Guarda Hill....
Had 4th division been able to push the Portuguese out of the North Woods, the position of 38th Sth Staffs would certainly have been compromised, but the enemy refused to budge, even after II/25th Legere enveloped their right flank whilst a battalion of Labassee's 8th Brigade engaged them in front.

As the action around the town proceded thus indecisively, events were taking their planned course aloung the stream that flowed westward from the southwest corner of the village. As the Allied infantry hastily scrambled back across to their own side of the stream, General Loison's light infantry were swiftly following up, supported by the battalion columns of line infantry.


Bent in a right-angle as the Allied line had become, naturally a weak point had developed at the point of the angle. Already the Duc d'Elchingen was striking at and through that point. Despite their valiant resistance in that sector, the defending English artillery and infantry (9th Devonshire) were overrun, many of the guns destroyed if not captured, and the English colours taken by 6eme Regiment de Legere. But even before then, as mentioned earlier, elements of our light infantry were established firmly upon the western slopes behind the town.
Fixed as they were along the river line and defending the village and its environs, the allies foung it difficult, despite the presence of large reserves to contain the irruption of French troops into the angle of their position. Brigade General Simon's chasseurs and voltigeurs were bringing the disordered Allied infantry under fire already...
...and soon masses of our troops - Simon's 9th and Marcognet's 6th Brigades were pinning down and wreaking heavy execution among the defenders.
A general view of the battlefield. General Loison (Geoff) and Marshal Beresford (Ross) contemplate their next moves...


Not content simply with holding his position behind the town, Ney ordered Bardet's 7th Brigade to exploit on through the woods at the foot of the far slopes of Guarda Hill. There they dropped into fire action behind an Allied company of Light artillery before either was aware of the other (Fact was, Ross - General Beresford - his attention fixed on the riverside action, hadn't taken enough notice of events in that part of the world, which meant the infantry of 6th Light got into the woods without coming under fire from the guns). Although the Allied guns hastily turned upon the backs of the French skirmishers, their fate was soon sealed when they were overrun by another French unit following up.





As the day drew on with the Allies found themselves under unremitting pressure, the English Marshal suddenly ordered a general withdrawal. The Guarda garrison managed to break out by the last road available out of the town, and the enemy made off after incurring heavy loss.
At a cost of perhaps 1300 casualties on our side, we inflicted, we estimate, three times that number upon the enemy, and took some 450 prisoners (100 of them English). The trophies of the day included 14 guns and two stand of colours (one of them from 9th Devonshire Infantry).
Guarda remains in our hands, and we believe our position between the Allied wings will afford us certain advantages in the coming campaign.

I remain, etc etc
Andre Massena, Prince d'Essling, Duc de Rivoli, commanding L'Armee du Nord.