Sealion: News from the front!!

By John Sears

A selection of items from the current Sealion 'rumour mill'

At 04.00 on September 17th 1940 German paratroops attacked the forward fighter airfields of Lympne and Hawkinge in a coordinated manner. The defenders resisted with Major Whiteford reinforcing the British troops at Lympne.

By 05.00 the attack at Hawkinge had petered out and the German forces were in complete withdrawal. Defence commander, Capt. Slackbladder is jubilant at his men's sterling effort and has given his chaps a well earned rest for their spirited defence of the air strip.

The holy mothers of the Order of St. Giles the delirious of Christian rapture (or was it desirous of something or other?) have been seen out and about more regularly according to the Postmaster at Newbarn. He goes on to recall that he thought that the convent had burnt down years ago.......something to do with candle usage evidently. Must have been rebuilt or relocated perhaps?

Captain Slackbladder's carrier section commander, sergeant Nelson has radioed in a report that although they haven't seen any enemy, whilst parked up enjoying a brew he did see the no. 159 returning service from Postling to Folkestone shoot past his lads on the B2646 'on the bloody wrong side of the road most of the time!' The good sergeant also noted that although he thought all bus services had been suspended pending the invasion scare he remembered that the bus looked packed to the brim as well 'must be day trippers' he mused.

At 06.00 enemy invasion fleet spotted off of Hythe. Garrison declare that they are hopelessly outnumbered and ask permission to retire.

Also at 06.00 Major Whiteford and his men are still heavily engaged at Lympne.

Imagi-nations...

by Dave Vallance

Wargaming is a fickle hobby, don’t you think?

Tony Bath & Hyboria

We all have our particular interests in a particular period of history. Personally I’m not a ‘modern’ player. albeit I like WW2 history, but to play it, it baffles me .. platoon assets, company, battalions, foo’s, little mortars, big mortars,.....arggh, too many bits..by the way, Mark, I have no idea about Vietnam, not one of my favourite periods, but willing to f*ck it up.

At the other end of the spectrum is ancients, I’m not one of those who knows the difference between a pisillyoi or a peltarse...

...and its always Roman v someone else. I like ancient history, going to Pompeii in September, but to play it?..

I suppose I’m a horse and musket player..

Anyway, back to the point. We have our interests, periods etc, and purchase, paint (never ending if bigger than 6mm), research (itself with a plethora of material) then put a game or or two, run a campaign (or try to, as in my Sikh one). You find battles, orbats, then have to organise your toys to put one game on that usually, on my experience, gets shredded to bits by the players, and you vow never to put another one on ever again.

Many years ago, Charles Grant Snr and Brig Peter Young, contemporaries of Don Featherstone (the Founding Fathers, if you will) carried out a campaign set in the 1750’s but with totally fictional nations fighting one another. I think there was the Veiringte Frei Stat verses the Duchy of Lorraine. Several articles appeared in the wargaming press.

There was another chap whose name escapes me (It was Tony Bath - says John) who did a fictional campaign loosely based on the ancient period, and I think it was called Hyboria.(sic)

I have always fancied doing one of these, a fictional campaign, with fictional nations. Your research is your imagination.

I have roughly come up with some nations, but not quite happy with them, what do you think?

My period is set in early-mid Victorian..about 1859-1860. The armies will be quite small to start with but you can recruit

Version 1 – Nations : Paranoya
                                   Hysteria

Version 2 – Nations : Grossenbuben
                                   Kleinenbuben
                                   Slappentickel

Version 3 – Nations named after beers;

Duchy of Kronenberg, Principality of Carlsberg, Kingdom of Heineken etc etc..this will be more suitable if each player is in charge of each. i.e. Duke Rupert of Kronenberg, Prince Michael of Carlsberg, King Johan II of Stellartois, Bishop Markus of the Bishopric of Hofmeister etc..the players, using imaginations, can if they wish, come up with an amusing history of their realms, families etc. Make alliances, break them, marriages, assassinations etc.

There are some others floating about in 'Daveworld'. Any ideas?

Not sure to have just two nations, or to have a player in charge of his own nation, similar to the small states that made up the Holy Roman Empire

Some ideas.....

Grand Duchy, Duchy, Principality, Kingdom, Republic, Trade Union, Bishopric, Archbishopric, United Duchies etc..any ideas?

Just started painting up a unit of infantry..1st Battalion, 1st Regiment of Somewhere. Yes I got bored..yellow coats, red trousers, black shakos