Here Come The Planes,They Are German Planes-Made in Britain!

Date- Wednesday 9th November 

Place-Some future Ryanair airport in Sicily.

Our lads having a quick fag before hostilities.

          Back to basics tonight after a few weeks hiatus due to exotic diseases and whatever.I arrived at the Garvald Film Studios with my Pulp rules in hand expecting a rip roaring Lurkers of the Deep game only to find that the gaming table had been set up for an attack on a Sicilian airfield.What made it even more peculiar was all the aircraft were straight out of a WW2 aircraft handbook with planes of different nations due to the fact that that was all the planes El Presidente had.There was even a Sopwith Camel in Japanese markings.It looked just like a 1950’s war film using any type of plane they could find.Also in attendance was North Berwick’s most wanted Dave O’Brien so it wasn’t going to be a sightseeing game.

A “selection”of “German”aircraft.

Another “German “aircraft.

Yet another “German “aircraft.

             The scenario was based on an attack by the Royal Scots Greys on the airfield where in reality about forty aircraft were destroyed before German reinforcements arrived and chased them off the pitch.Dave took on the mantle of the Allies whereas I took my usual Teutonic guise.We were later to be joined by the perineal latecomer Andrew who has decided in his infinite wisdom along with his lovely wife Lesley to bring up a very lively Cocker Spaniel pup called Barley.Good luck with that.

Waiting for the whites of their eyes.

“Come and get us!”

A proper German plane wit AN Other.

    The game kicked off in the usual way with Dave trampling over the airfield fence with a Sherman tank and hoping to end the game quickly and for a while it looked that way.My men were all in ambush ready to pick off the interlopers.The problem with ambush rules in Bolt Action is that the enemy don’t know that they are there even although physically they are so we have the lack of activity in the firing range of the defenders.As if my puny bullets were going to do anything to the Sherman except scratch the paintwork.”Wait till my Tigers arrive!”I guffawed.”El Presidente doesn’t have that many Tigers”he replied with his usual cackling.

My Stug comes on to save the day.

Dave’s forces arrive.

Ready to dash for the hangar.

           When I finally opened up with a machine gun I managed to do away with one solitary figure before it felt the wrath of the Sherman and the accompanying heavy machine guns.The one good factor to come out of the skirmish was that the British squad didn’t move for the rest of the game.Dave’s objectives were the destruction of all the aircraft and possession of the hangars and the control tower so he began the onslaught on my aircraft right from the start causing the sight of some burning aircraft.My plan was basically to hang on for dear life to the buildings and let the planes smoulder.This was to prove valuable in our eventual victory.

British flamethrower team-who did b****r all.

A “German”plane aflame.

           My reinforcements arrived on the park almost immediately so I set about the task of doing away with the intruding Sherman with some accurate gunfire from an arriving Stug.Fine chance!After a pathetic shot from the Stug the Sherman replied in kind and set the Stug on fire.Bummer(in German)!This was going to be a long evening.My only anti tank capability rested on the iron shoulders of my other tank a Panzer IV which emerged on to the playing field and done away with an encroaching Priest SP gun.”Rache!”but only for a short while.Half time was called and we trooped of to the local Gasthof for ale,pizza and steak pie.

Priest hunting.

And it takes care of business.

        The second half resumed with Andrew in attendance paving the way for El Presidente to take charge of half of the allied forces and indulge in some inter unit rivalry with Dave.Dave’s Sherman was waylaying most of my aircraft.It took him a bit of time as missing the barn door was a phrase oft used.Our solitary tank was given the task of taking out the Sherman but alas he didn’t have his shooting boots on and missed giving the Sherman a chance to fire back which he did and although he didn’t damage it,it had to retreat right into the line of fire of El Presidente’s 17 pounder which turned it into scrap metal.Our evening just got worse.

Stug coming to a sticky end.

“Booyah!”

              After that debacle it was just a matter of getting into buildings and let the Allies dig us out.This we did and was to prove to be the turning point of the evening.El Presidente decided in his infinite wisdom to call for an artillery strike on two of the remaining aircraft.The first salvo was delayed and when it eventually came it rained down on his own forces cowering in one of the hangars causing them to retreat. This gave my lads the chance to enter the previously occupied premises and prepare to repel boarders.My command squad took possession of the vacated premises and held it by the skin of their teeth until the full time whistle albeit with the close attention of some heavy machine guns.

Plane hunting.

Closing in.

      The allies went for broke with Dave moving his tank and half tracks forward to take the control tower even throwing his PIAT team in for a bit of hand on hand but too no avail as Andrew’s lads held on first decimating the machine gun team and then filleting Dave’s command squad.When the full time whistle was sounded the Germans had held on to the buildings and on totting up the victory points  a victory for the defenders was acclaimed.As if it was ever in

Hanging on for dear life.

doubt.

     A good game played in the usual  hostile way.  All figures,scenery and scenario were provided by El Presidente .      See you all next week for our Lurkers of the Deep after match report.

    This has been a Garvald Film Studios Production.