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Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 11:49 am
by sharnydubs
Looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday mroning

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:33 pm
by Atheling
Pics gents.... please, pretty please :D .

Darrell.

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 4:29 pm
by Dale
Well Alma was worth the wait. Solid ranks of multitudinous Russians stood resolutely against the cream of the British army.

What am I talking about. The idle British seemed to be stopping for tiffin on the hour, every hour whilst the real work was done by the brave sons of France. Every French battalion and battery crossed the Alma and scaled the heights in determined fashion whilst the Turkish division went on parade for a day and a half.

Brigade after brigade of Russians fell where they stood. A better fate than the ones who fled and there were many of them.

However, the glorious advance of the flower of France was all to no avail as the brave soldiers noted that most of the British army was still on the wrong side of the Alma River. With six French charges to go in on very fragile sections of the Russian defence, Bob the Umpire called a halt to proceedings awarding the win to the Russians. Any other result would have been a travesty. Why did we ever trust those pesky Brits.


I have it on good authority that one Turkish officer got mud on a sandal and another snagged a thread in an otherwise perfect banner.

OK, seriously Gentlemen, that was an excellent game conceived, organised and run by Bob, not to mention the thousands of figures provided by Bob in a labour of love spanning many years. Well done Bob and I look forward to the next Crimean game whenever it is.

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:01 pm
by barr7430
I am glad to see that even YOU Dale have recognized what defeat looks like. The Russian Bear swatted away the poor efforts of those lightweight western European barbarians. We barely committed one third of our infantry and used a cavalry division to hold off the majority of the the British Army which had tentatively planted its stilletoes on the south bank of the Alma as the sun set after 8 hours of battle.
We the brave Russians were also puzzled by the lacklustre performance of the perfidious British who appeared to want to fight last and to the last non Brit! After Lord Raglan caught a cannon ball in his teeth in the first hour of battle his successor DeLacey seemed inclined to inactivity.

The British Guards Brigade LOOKED beautiful but did not match the spit and polish with bullets and bayonets.

I am sure our glorious Prince Menshikov will be further rewarded by a grateful Czar. Our naval port of Sebastopol is undoubtedly under no threat from the rag tag army of colonial adventurers and blasphemous heathens.

Love live Mother Russia!

Thanks Bob it was literally and metaphorically

MASSIVE

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:32 am
by sharnydubs
The Czar will indeed be pleased with the efforts of his brave and noble commanders who stoically defended the Alma from the combined British, French and Turkish forces. Prince Menshikov looks forward to hearing of the exploits of Divisional Commander Adrian on his return from an extended holiday in the French Riviera.

I can see from his position at the foot of the cliffs (almost a game of snakes and ladders for the French) how Dale might have mistakenly thought that they had managed to break a Russian brigade. Alas for the French it was not so as the Russians maintained their entire infantry integrity throughout with not one infantry brigade being lost the entire battle, indeed those brigades under the control of both Peter's suffered no casualties. Barry interpreted his "defend" order in typical Russian fashion, seizing upon every opportunity to harass and destroy the British and French. Special mention must be made of the Russian sappers and skirmishers in their stout defence of the woods and town until the fire forced their withdrawal.

A glorious and honourable victory for the Russians. Thanks Bob for organising and providing the troops. It was a great spectacle.

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:03 pm
by charge0.wanadoo.co.uk
Cutting through the Russian propaganda (which failed to mention the 42nd Black Watch led by Sir Colin Campbell which crossed the Alma and stood their ground against the attack by five Russian battalions, routing the only one that got close and counter charging before reforming and turning to thumb their noses at the Guards wading the Alma) let me add to other comments thanking Bob for an outstanding weekend. The organisation, planning, painting etc all came together to make a most memorable weekend. It was spectacular and huge fun from start to finish.
Credit too to Barry’s Republic to Empire rules (with some local amendments for the Crimea) which not only worked really well but by Saturday lunchtime we were all sufficiently comfortable with all but the most complex resolutions to get on with it and let Barry have a game as well.
Thank you all for your excellent company and a special thank you to Bob.
Yours aye, Charles (and Oh yes - propaganda apart, well done to the Russian bears, well deserved winners.)

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:24 pm
by obriendavid
I can only assume that the Brits were on a permanent tea break as my glorious turks transversed 26 feet of terrain much of it up steep cliffs to threaten the main road to Sebastopol. It was only the very fast running of the Russian troops that stopped them being impaled on my bayonets. The British Guards and Highlanders looked superb on their manouevers but it's not war.

The whole weekend, social and gaming was terrific and probably one of the best we have had and to get to play with Bob's fantastic collection was a real priviledge and I can't wait until we can arrange another Crimean game and hopefully we'll have a lot more French painted up and not need Dales 'reinforcements' (the guys that were there will understand what I am talking about). I was also interesting to see how good Barry's figures looked even though they were painted over 15 years ago and one of his units finally got to fire their first shot in anger after waiting all those years.
Cheers
Dave

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 4:40 pm
by obriendavid
I take back everything I said in the previous posting and Bob should never be allowed to put on a Crimean game again. For the last 3 years I have managed to control my butterfly tendencies to wargaming and concentrate on Napoleonics but following the weekend, chatting to Barry this morning and looking at all my Crimean references (big mistake!) I can feel a fluttering coming on :shock:
Thanks Bob!!!

Dave

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:05 pm
by General Schnapps
Many thanks Bob for setting up a great game and it was a real treat to see and play with such a fantastic collection and like Dave I can feel a distraction from my current projects coming on.
Now to all this Russian and Turkish propaganda nonsense. While our Allies on the right flank enjoyed a stroll across the battlefield covered by the guns of the BRITISH fleet and completly unmolested by the Russian Infantry and handfull of guns deployed on the heights we plucky Brits bravely FOUGHT our way across the Alma against massed artillery , the entire Russian Cavalry force and a defended village, all the while under the constant threat from the guns bristling from the imposing Redoubts atop the heights to our front not to mention the hordes of Infantry who decended the heights towards the end of the engagement.
Not one British Brigade was lost in the real fighting in our sector of the field and we were still advancing at the close of play having occupied the bulk of the Russian forces for the entire battle in order to take the pressure of our ungratfull Allies.

Thanks all for a smashing weekend :D
Kev

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:26 pm
by obriendavid
General Schnapps wrote: we plucky Brits bravely FOUGHT our way across the Alma against massed artillery , the entire Russian Cavalry force and a defended village, all the while under the constant threat from the guns bristling from the imposing Redoubts atop the heights to our front not to mention the hordes of Infantry who decended the heights towards the end of the engagement. Kev
If I remember correctly those plucky Brits were actually French and Turkish cavalry, did the British cavalry actually trot forward?
Cheers
Dave

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:58 pm
by General Schnapps
Dave,
Certainly the Light Brigade trotted forward, infact the 17th Lancers put a glorious charge into the rear of some Russkie cavalry . Unfortunately their enthusiasm got the better of them and in true British Cavalry style they chased them clean off the table and were never seen again.
As for the French and Turkish cavalry I was wandering who those foreign johnnies were !
Kev
aka Lord (you aint seen me,right) Lucan

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 9:18 pm
by obriendavid
Nice one your Lordship! :lol:
Cheers
Dave

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:49 pm
by thinredline
Now gents, that was "only a commercial" for things to come 8)

Theoretically, the Allies should have forced the issue, but Maj. Gen Khaletzski had obviously not read the script, or followed orders , or both :!:

As it stands, I believe the Russians may have "toodled off " having stymied any Allied advance down the road to Sevastopal for some "vodka and chips" to celebrate their win. 8)

Now the Allies have to prove themselves on the Chersonese before Sevastopal, stand your ground - and remember men "there is no retreat from here - you must die where you stand" :( :(

Still, it was enjoyable to watch "Khaletzski run rampant with his Cavalry Division, awe inspiring to watch the Turkish flanking movement, more so have the medics tend the blisters on their feet. Even after that mammoth flank march, to arrive so close to a rear attack yet be denied by darkness must have been heartbreaking. Not only that, but the Moscovski must have been absolutely dumbfounded by the awe inspiring appearance of the French 3rd and 4th Divisions :shock: :shock: . I solemly promise to rectify this into the more austere version of men in blue tunics and red trousers :lol: :lol:

Most amusing - to see our RN Angus ducking and weaving from the tabletop RN 64 pounder lancaster rifled ship borne broadsides :wink:

If you enjoyed it gents, its all down as much to you, than me as the provider of lead figures, thanks 2 you all :D

Biggest disappointment - the sad absence of and scottish malt whiskey on the gantry of the "Airlie" :twisted: :twisted:

Thinredline

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:04 pm
by barr7430
Yes Dave, thanks for reminding me that this was in fact the very first occassion on which my Crieman models, painted all of 15 years ago, threw dice in anger. It was nice to get them on the table and see what a waste it was to keep them in a box.
More to come... and the pdf for R2E finally


Happy days

Re: The Alma - June 18th - 19th 2011

Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:32 am
by obriendavid
Angus has posted a review and lots of pics on his site.
http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%2059.htm

As is typical of Agnes he has to have a dig at Barry's rules saying that they are slow and complicated yet 12 players fought for about 29? moves with over 3,500 figures on a huge table and most of them had only ever played the rules once about a year ago. There's no pleasing some people! Perhaps Agnes could arrange a similar sized SYW game using his rules and see how well we get on :shock:
Cheers
Dave