Viva Vladivostok

 Place-Vladivostok Docks(Garvald Film Studios)

Time -Sometime in 1919(or Wednesday 18th January in real time)

El Presidente’s forces arrive to dig in and b****r all else.

Docks Mayhem 

Here comes the grey wave.

Our not so air support.

My support in a oner.

    What game do you play when there’s a couple of inches of snow and a wee bit ice on the ground?-A Back of Beyond game in wintry Vladivostok.Well it’s always cold there!I turned up at the film studio to be presented with a great setup and plenty of figures on show. It looked like we were set for a great evening of sparring.On arrival I found that our favourite North Berwick rascal Dave O’Brien was in attendance and it seemed we were not going to be in for a slow evening.The scenario was simple with the Bolsheviks arriving into Vladivostok and doing away with the foreign imperialist scum but standing in their way were the triple pact of Imperialist lackeys who came in the form of Japanese,British and American mercenaries helping themselves to the spoils which should have belonged to the true people of the Soviet republics or something along these lines.

Japanese choo choo.

Japanese Sopwith Camel.

Rear part of Japanese train.

The Yanks are here and we’re staying put!

        The armies were divvied up and although it was suppose to be a joint Soviet effort I could tell by Commissar O’Brien’s attitude it was going to be every man for himself.El Presidente took charge initially of the Allied forces until Andrew appeared later to take charge of the Japanese.

Looking for targets.

A wee bit extra scenery.

Japanese taking a while to get moving.

My CIC looks like Santa working out of season.

    The game commenced with the usual Soviet mass advance and since we were using Setting The East Ablaze rules it meant that everybody got to move so it was just like a massive grey skirmish line heading towards Vladivostok.I had been given charge of a train-talk about a railwayman’s holiday so my plan was to go full pelt into the port and open fire with cannon and machine gun but alas there was a Japanese armoured train with a bigger gun standing in my way.

The Yanks still going nowhere.

The other Soviets complete with armoured car advances.

The Brits in their Shackleton coats.

Commissar O’Brien’s Cheka.

     Commissar O’Brien had showed his usual unselfish side by taking over all the real estate on his drive towards the docks and the houses were all beginning to be bedecked in red flags albeit all in his name.My plan had been to get up close and personal and do away with all the Japanese but alas due to the dice rolls I was getting nowhere in a hurry.

One man and his dog.

More Japanese.

Doing away with my cannon.

Just for show-again!

“Bang a gong-Get on!”

Heading for glory-not!

       El Presidente had taken charge of the Allied forces and spent the first turn getting all his forces of the boats and heading to contact although his Americans weren’t allowed to attack the Soviets only defend.The fighting on the other flank from the Japanese was left to the British and their big Shackleton coats which looked rather ungainly.The Japanese were slowly making their way through the docks but hadn’t fired a shot when dinner was called for.

The commissar looking for a new dacha.

A man on a horse making a good target.

   After a short break for vittles and beer we trooped back into the games room this time with Andrew in tow and settled down to our usual game of one upsmanship.Andrew took charge of the Japanese and started to move them all forward.El Presidente took charge of the special relationship team although only the British were doing any advancing.Andrew’s first action was to take a pot shot with his armoured train against mine but this proved to be unsuccessful.Commissar O’Brien continued on taking over buildings and looking for allies with which he could scrap with.

The Trainboys arrive.

Japanese on the hoof.

         My train took a pot shot at some Japanese infantry without doing any damage.Andrew’s reaction was to repay the compliment by firing again on my train with his causing my train to retreat.The train contained infantry units and a Maxim machine gun so I thought it was to detrain them and get them into the fight.The gun on the front proved to be useless an eventually the train headed for some scrapyard behind the lines.

“Come and get it if you’re big enough!”

More Japanese.

        Commissar O’Brien had finally moved his forces into sparring range of the British who by this time had ensconced themselves in a building and with some cajoling by his commissar(by the way of shooting someone)the Soviets charged into fisticuffs with the Brits and began a boxing match which was to take a couple of turns before a victor was pronounced and alas for the Brits it was the Soviets albeit with only two men left.

The Brits and the Soviets sparring.

The final outcome.

       My lads were slowly making  their way towards their Japanese foes but very slowly due to the vagaries of the movement dice throws.The first squad of mine who came within range of the Japanese rifles took a couple of hits making them retire and seek the sympathy of their commanding officer.He showed them no pity but still rallied them giving them the opportunity to return to the fight albeit with only five men.My Train infantry squad replaced them in the front line and began to trade shots with the first Japanese squad and gave as well as they got.My other two squads were slowly moving forward and one actually took a building-Hurrah!”Put that in your pipe and smoke it commissar.”

The cavalry cometh.

And winnith!

           Commissar O’Brien’s hopes were dashed slightly with the removal of his armoured car by the British machine gun but that still didn’t stop him property developing Vladivostok.My Maxim gun fired and done away with half a Japanese squad only for Commissar O’Brien to do away with the rest of the squad and take the plaudits as well as the victory points.Do you see what I was up against?At least the Japanese didn’t backstab you,they were content to stab you from the front.

The main event of the evening.

We were coming in to the closing minutes and it looked as though we were heading for a stalemate when Andrew was given the opportunity to charge my train infantry with his finally arrived cavalry.This he did but he didn’t get it all his own way as my standard bearer dispatched the two cavalrymen facing him.Well Andrew did roll Snake Eyes.After a bit to and froing  he done away with the infantry albeit with a few casualties..The game was over and the points were tallied and lo and behold a victory for the Soviets but I was then informed that since The North Berwick commissar had accumulated most of the points he was declared the rightful winner.Some people are a bit more equal than others.

The shark waiting on the outcome.

Looks like it’s going to be sushi!

       One last joust was to take place and that was the duel between the two aircraft with the Japanese being in charge of a Sopwith Camel and the Soviets were flying in an unknown aircraft (Czech maybe-answers on a postcard please?).It was a great victory for the Soviet aircraft and  I’m sure surpassed any Soviet ground victory-Heh Heh!A great game played in the usual contemptuous way with the game showing the usual way allies tend to differ.All figs (and there was a lot of them)scenery and scenario provided by El Presidente.I believe we are playing another Back of Beyond and I do believe the Chief Skulker and Fireman Dave could be making an appearance.Looks like we’ll have to check the Soviet windows!,,,,😏

The Japanese victory March.

     See You All When I See You.

     This has been a Garvald Film Studios Production.