Not Quite a Victory in a Not Quite the Seven Years War Game

Saturday found me in Harve de Grace, Maryland at the HAWKS Club regional convention, BARRAGE.

 Notwithstanding the fact 2024 is the 30th Anniversary of the HAWKS, the two-day show was well attended, including the dealers' area and flea market tables that line the walls around the game tables.

But more of that anon. 

I essentially went down for just some of Saturday's fun, mostly to see folks and for the low stress flea market. 

I did choose to play in one game, though, a HAWKS standard. It's a group project they've run for, well, decades, at this point, their Not Quite The Seven Year War wargame. 

40mm semi-round 18th century figures, painted in the colours of imagi-nation regiments, using "Charge" rules and D6's. 

Did I mention the massive size of the units? 

Big regiments. As in 60 figure infantry regiments...yeah. BIG regiments on magnetic movement trays. 

One of the units I had the fortune to command, was a regiment of Rossmark Pandours, painted by my friend in Nova Scotia, Ross Macfarlane. I asked Rob Dean, who was running the game, if there were any units painted by Ross on the table, that would be available for me to command. 

The 32nd North Polenberg Dragoon Regiment

So I had not one, but two, of these massive cavalry regiments. Needless to say, I did not have to hit the gym Saturday, I got plenty of weightlifting moving big trays of 40mm figures...

"I wanna be in the cavalry, if they send me off to war"

The scenario itself wasn't very complicated, three objectives for my side to take, being defended, of course, by all HAWKS Club members, who knew the rules, etc, etc, etc... Hmmm.... 

That being said, it was nice to hold the right flank of my team. I had a small redoubt opposite me, run by Roger C., whom I know from OttoCon times. My Pandours on the right and the giant hundredweight of cavalry on my left, I surged forward....via written orders, of course. It IS "Charge" after all... 

And fractions. Many, many fractions. 

Truth be told, the rules...um...kind of suck. But when you are pushing big regiments of shiny toy soldiers with like minded enthusiasts, it's not so bad...

Cocked hats and crooked dice, indeed...

I'm sure there's some Victorian-esque wargame doggerel out there to scribble, but I just don't have the mental bandwidth right now. 

How can you not love something like this? 

Anyway, the game was scheduled for 16 turns, and we actually slogged through 10 before we called it at Turn 11. We took one objective, had a decent shot at taking another, if we had more time, and no chance to get the third. I think Rob called it a "draw"...but the post-game recrimination and mud flinging phase was interrupted by Anniversary Cake being served.

As always, the HAWKS put on a great show. The game was enormous fun, and very gentlemanly, too. Proper 18th century play and behaviour. Well, except for maybe the odd taunt... 😏

Already looking forward to next year. 

More about this year's BARRAGE, later. 

Test Drive of The Portable Wargame

 A recent purchase on Wargames Vault of the Second Portable Wargame Compendium and the recent gift of a coupon for the Third Compendium, led me to have a think on using the TPW with my Civil War collection. 

I've got four sheets of foamcore that I used for Ross Macfarlane's excellent Square Brigadier rules. So I decided I'd get something simple out of the One Hour Wargame book of scenarios and have an ACW action to test the rules.

An unnamed farm at an unnamed crossroads in the rolling country of Pennsyltucky

A poor shot of the Union cavalry brigade, four units with a battery (I need to find my limbers..) and a general

And the opposing Confederate cavalry brigade, who seem to have found their limber for the battery

The scenario will be a flanking column of cavalry must capture an important crossroads near a farm and hold it to prevent the enemy from using it as an avenue of approach. Simple. Five units and a general each. 

Even though I set this up last night, I was too tired to play it out. I've class tonight after work, so assuming I'm not completely exhausted, I'll try to get my initial Orders and layout done, then play it over the rest of the week. 

Reports, via telegraph, will be shared as they come...

Meanwhile....Back to Toy Soldiers

 Last weekend I headed up the NE Turnpike Extension to Kingston, PA for a game with the PAWM crew. 

The game on our bi-weekly menu was a semi-fictional bash between Turks and Russians set in 1750-something. Probably in South Central Kerplachistan. Or not. 

The battle lines are formed. 

The rules were Age of Reason, the figures were provided by Darrell S., who also ran the game, and our host was Mike S. 

For the Turks, it was our glorious host, Omar Bin Mike, myself, and John El OFM, as the Grand Visine.

Our Dastardly Russian opponents were Three Guys Named Ivan (Mark C., JIM B., and Jim) and Roger.

Those Dastardly Russians...minus Roger, hiding off camera

I held the Turkish left flank with my Ortas of the Benandjerries and the Peanutbutterjellies, with some rather questionable gents with bows and more with pointy sticks and swords. I had a similar brigade to my right. Pretty, pretty figures, but nothing I'd want to storm the proverbial castle with. 

The game was one of those "line up and bash about" types, which sometimes is just the mental floss you need after a week at work. 

Our Dastardly Russian foes slowly beat our gallant Turkish hordes and then finally ground us down in several turns of gritty, chart-busting die rolls. (hint: I'm not a fan of AOR, but that's just me)

John El OFM's Big Whomping Gun gets whomped itself, by Cossacks (BOO! HISS!)

Just when you think your Janissaries are doing what they...Orta be doing... 

They fall apart...with the Russians arguing about how good it is to be Russian... 

All in all, a fun game. I like the Seven Years War. But I'd rather play Honours of War or Post of Honour. Too much chart busting with Age of Reason for me. But fortunately, Darrell knows the rules and we have a good group. 

More D-Day Ohio Pictures

 Whilst I'm sure the last thing anyone really wants to see is a 50-something playing at Soldiers (especially when he is a real part-time Soldier and KNOWS better), here are a few shots taken during the recent D-Day re-enactment in Conneaut, Ohio.

It's truly a wonderful experience to participate and educate the public on what occurred on 06 June 1944, especially those who do not fully understand the contribution of Canada to the war. 

Making Jambon et Oeufs for my section

Again, it was such a privilege to represent my Canadian heritage at this event and to fall in with some wonderful like-minded people. The "Boiler Regiment", aka Regiment de la Chaudiere, are a fine bunch of folks and it was an honour to hit the beach with them and try to re-create a small part of history. 

I hope to keep on working with them at events in the future. 

"Aere Perennius"

I Have Been To...The Frontier Army Museum

An exercise planning conference at Fort Leavenworth, KS required my attendance, so I was duly given notice, a set of travel orders, and transportation and sent to the land of sunflowers and Kansas City style barbeque. 

Fortunately, that meant I was also able to visit the Frontier Army Museum. The last time I was here was several years ago when I was afforded the opportunity to attend the Military History Instructor's Course. 

Taught by professors who do an American Idol style competition to see who gets to speak in front of a group of Army history nerds, it was an amazing two-week experience which included being allowed "behind the scenes" at the museum to see how they conserve materials and interpret displays. 

Aisles and aisles of artefacts from the Corps of Discovery to the Pershing Expedition

This sleigh was built for and used by Colonel George Custer and his wife

One remarkable display involves the Rocket and Mountain Artillery Battery from the Mexican War

Uniform worn by one of Teddy Roosevelt's 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, aka The Rough Riders

And a Curtiss Jenny biplane used in the pursuit of Pancho Villa... operated by the US Army Signal Corps, of all things. 

It was wonderful to see the artefacts they currently have on display. I highly recommend this museum, even if you have to go through the kabuki dance of going through the visitor's center process to get on post. It's a real treat. There is so much more to see, wagons, kit, weapons, artefacts from Lewis and Clark's expedition, than I can show here. 

I hope you get a chance to see this very interesting part of US military history. 

Labour Day...A Bit Late

It was brought to my attention by someone, that perhaps there was a misunderstanding about what some folks do for a living versus what those folks actually earn. As well as the conditions by which someone might earn those wages. 

In case there is any misunderstanding about where my sympathies lie... I would ask you to view the following videos. I have spent most of my life on the managerial side of things, but that doesn't mean I have forgotten from whence I came. 

And my former profession... 

I don't often get upset, but if you ever want to know how I feel about the average worker and what we have to do to make a living, please feel free to ask me and I'll tell you. 

Take It From Day To Day

Being of a certain age and, of Canadian heritage, I used to listen to the late Stan Rogers as avidly as I listened to Stompin' Tom Connors, Woody Guthrie, The Limelighters, Schooner Fare, and many other folk musicians. 

One of the songs I really enjoyed, being a merchant mariner, was Stan's song "Take It From Day To Day", which was about a person sailing on the RCMP's vessel "St. Roch", during its transit of the Northwest Passage during WW2. 

The captain of the vessel was a fellow by the name of Larsen. 

Okay. Good song. Sounds like a tough master of the vessel. Right. And? 

Soooo..... during my voyage to Oslo, sure don't Sandy and I decide to visit the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the Fram Museum. The Fram is dedicated to polar exploration and has two of the most famous vessels to ever engage in polar exploration and navigation, the Fram and the Gjoa. 

In the hall that holds the Gjoa, I'm looking at the presentations and interpretations of various artefacts and what do I espy? 

This would be THE uniform of Henry Larsen

Born in Norway, Henry Larsen immigrated to Canada in 1928 and joined the RCMP. Being a seaman, he naturally gravitated to the St. Roch and wound up in command of her in short order. In 1940-1942, the St. Roch travelled the Northwest Passage from west to east and patrolled the Arctic being THE representation of Canada to everyone there. She then returned the same route in 1944. 

Just to emphasize, the St. Roch has a crew of eight men. These eight RCMP officers covered the whole of the Arctic during their voyage. If that's not a movie that needs to be made, then I don't know what could make for a better script. 

As a historical miniatures wargamer, there's a number of scenarios, including prevention of a German attempt at establishing a weather station on Greenland, that I could see these guys being a part of. 

It's a heck of a good song, so it might make a heck of a good wargame and maybe, just maybe, one amazing movie if a Tom Hanks or a Steven Spielberg would take it on... but that's just me.