Visit to Dumbarton Wargames Club

I like to try and visit other clubs from time to time and had the opportunity this weekend for a trip down to Dumbarton.  Thanks to the members who made me feel welcome and my opponent Andy, with whom I had an enjoyable game of Great War.

The club meet at the Masonic Sports and Social Club on Church Street where they hire a large hall.  They have the use of it from 17:00 to 23:00 which allows for a good session. If you live anywhere near it is certainly worth a look at.

This was only my second game of Great War and Andy had not played for a while so we were a bit rusty with rules, but managed fine.  My limited number of German late war figures means that I have to emphasise quality over quantity so I used 2 stormtrooper companies with support from 2 machine gun sections and a flamethrower team.  Andy fielded a 1918 BEF list with three companies supported by two machine guns, a mortar section and 2 18pounder field guns.  It looked as if I was outnumbered by about 2 to 1 and with the British having 2 Lewis guns per platoon I felt rather outgunned as well.  The objective was to take the hamlet in the centre of the table.

Andy got the first move which was not in the plan as I had hoped to get smoke down to cover a rapid advance using infiltration tactics which gives an additional (variable length) move.  The two platoons on my left were pretty much caught in the open and taken out by the company opposing them, supported by one of the field guns.  It was a disaster of a start.

My second company had benefited from more cover and was able to sprint forward in the centre and soon took shelter in the nearest building, which they were to occupy for the remainder of the game.  My two machine guns, sited to the right of centre, kept up a heavy weight of fire for most of the game.  They took out the other 18 pounder and the mortar which was caught trying to reposition itself.  Further damage was done to the British company on my right flank.

To my furthest right I had deployed the flamethrower team.  They started in the cover of a hill and fortunately I was able to get some smoke down to cover their advance to the crest.  Emerging from the smoke they were able to get in two phases of fire, taking out one company and distracting another which was as much as I could have hoped from them.

As the game drew to a close a pretty much unscathed British company was streaming around my left flank.  I had managed to keep a toe hold in the village but was really down to one platoon and the machine guns which were now looking exposed in the open.  I am sure if the battle had continued much longer it would have resulted in a British victory but my occupation of one of the houses allowed me to claim the narrowest of wins

Thanks again to Andy for a great game which I hope we will be able to repeat sometime.

 

 

The Hall which is a very good size indeed

 

 

The Germans atempt to scamper over open ground to get into cover

 

The British on their left, with no visible enemy to their front at this stage

 

The doomed left flank stormtrooper company just about to get mown down

 

Link if you are interested in finding out more about the Dumbarton club http://dumbartonwargamesclub.webs.com/