Recently discovered are a series of photos and documents from old club games on an old CD. I am publishing them here for posterity.
The photos on the CD is dated 24/03/2003, so guessing that this game was about or before this date.
Figures are from Steve's collection.
Game Introduction:
Known locally as the Blue Ribbon Gang, due to the exclusive import and supply of French “Blue Ribbon” Brandy to the London Markets, you have had unmitigated success moving your illegal cargo through the English countryside with little or no hindrance from the local authorities. You have the circuit Judge in your pay and you are confident that no one will stand in your way. But hold on, this is a war game, and we know that this can’t possibly go on!
The core of the Blue Ribbon Gang is made up of 24 full time smugglers with the local populous providing another 40 to 60 men depending on who turns up on the night. The majority of your gang has firearms. Some of the locals will come armed with clubs (know as batmen) and others usually help to load the goods onto the carts.
Game Briefing:
Tonight’s little exercise will involve some thinking and some pre game movement. “What” I here you all say, “we only came here for a drink!”
The first thing you will need to do is to decide upon a beach on which to land your illegal goods. There are four to choose from:
The second thing you will need to do is to let me know at what time you want your operation to start. This should include the time when you want to move the wagons from your base at Frowley (See map) and move them and your men to the intended beach. As soon as you do this, the clock is running.
The ship coming from France is expected at 02:00. It is June and sunset will be at 20:20, with complete darkness around 21:00. A full moon is expected and it looks like it could be a cloudless night. The ship will signal you on its arrival with a “flash” from its lantern. You are to answer back with two “flashes” from your lantern. After receiving the reply the ship will launch a rowing boat and start to off load its cargo.
You can either be on the beach ready and waiting for the ship or stay hidden (terrain allowing) until the signal is received.
To help carry the cargo from your chosen beach to one of the pre-determined “escape” routes across the gaming table you have the use of 4 carts and 4 packhorses. You may want to hide these until they are required using any appropriate terrain available. Each wagon can carry up to 300lbs of cargo and each packhorse up to 50lbs of cargo. You are expecting to receive approximately 1200lbs of cargo. . You then have to move the wagons and their cargo to Packam wood where you usually store them until it is safe to move them to London.
Objectives
To come up with a plan to get all of the wagons to one of the beaches, loaded and safely to Packam wood.
THE BEACHES
Option 1
The Cliff
This landing point is below a steep cliff and has two access/exit points. If you use this option detection by government troops will be harder.
The first access point is a steep path up the face of the cliff. If you take this option any cargo will have to be manhandled up the cliff to the Wagon Park. The Wagon Park can be located near the edge of the cliff face or in some old run down farm buildings not too far away. In doing this it offers the best getaway route once your cargo is loaded. The wagons can be hidden in the farm buildings until they are needed.
The second access point is at the end of the cliff face and will allow you to bring the wagons down onto the beach. This will reduce the amount time it takes to load the wagons. However, this access point could turn into a trap if government troops gain control of it as it is the only way out once the wagons are on the beach. There is a cave where you can hide your team and the wagons whilst you are waiting for the ship.
The old abandoned farm buildings can also be used as an observation point.
Option 2
The open Beach
This landing point offers little protection and is devoid of any cover. Being an open beach your movements will easily be detected.
This landing point will allow you to bring the wagons down onto the beach and will reduce the amount time it takes to load the wagons. It will also allow you to move the wagons off without any hindrance from terrain.
Option 3
Sand dunes
Before the main beach can be attained, wagons and pack mules have to negotiate a series of sand dunes. Wagons may get bogged down if they are brought through these and onto the beach. The sand dunes offer some protection against detection. There is an old abandoned building on solid ground just before the dunes are reached where the wagons can be corralled and it is easily defended against attack having a stone wall around the circumference of the building. If you use this building the cargo will have to be man handled from the landing point to the Wagon Park.
Option 4
Under their noses
With your gang being so confident with its recent successes, this beach offers the ultimate in impudence and audacity.
This is an open beach and is under the watchful eye of the revenue service who are based in a watch house. However, if you work fast and plan correctly you could seriously delay any intervention by government troops. Since the inception of the watch house you have been observing the activities of the revenue men. Their watch routine is as follows:
The watch house is approximately 100 yards from the beach (5 feet on the table)
2 men are on permanent watch concealed on a rise behind a sand dune.
Every 2 hours a relief is sent out and the 2 men return to the watch house.
You estimate that there are no more than 10 revenue men in the watch house.
You don’t necessarily have to wait for the ship to arrive before you take any action. This beach hasn’t been used for some time but if you are successful and get away with your cheek many victory points can be obtained if this option is taken.
Since Friday the following events have taken place.
Being very much in with the smugglers some of the locals noticed the activities of a number of militia moving around the area. Not wanting to miss out on their free tot of Brandy they reported to the smugglers that they had seen 10 militia at Birchams and a further 10 at Framely.
Aware that there would be a good chance of running into the militia if the smugglers kept to the roads, they made their way to the beach at 12:20 and kept away from the villages by using little known farm tracks. However, in doing this they had to come very close to the village of Framley where they knew that the local militia were still loitering.
It is now 02:10 and the smugglers are on the beach just having received the signal from the ship. There is no sign of any militia as yet.
 |
| Tabletop Map |
