Don’ know me own rules….

A Tuesday night this week for a return to “Return to the River Don”. The change of evening meant a slight change of cast, with our two Chris’ swapping over. Fortunately we also had a slight change in the weather and the sunshine during the day had rendered Shedquarters a much more comfortable temperature than previous weeks.

Chris took over from Chris running the Whites, and Will held on to the Reds. Phil swapped sides and gave Chris a hand as he hadn’t played the system before.

The game restarted with a bayonet charge on the stanitsa on the Red’s left by an Officer battalion. This was a brave effort against considerable odds, with a worker battalion already holding the buildings supported by a MG company. After a brief melee the Whites were ejected and thrown back to their start line in disorder.

 After this brief showing from the Whites the Reds continued to dominate the middle of the table, pushing their cavalry forward, supported by their armoured cars with the exception of the Garford:

The Whites were holding that area with their artillery and a number of detached MG companies. Whilst their tchankas lost out overall in the exchange of fire the cavalry lead a particularly charmed life, including one sweeping manoeuvre across the front of a White battalion where they incurred no casualties at all.

Meanwhile down the other end of the table Phil sorted out the tangle that the White cavalry had got themselves into and sent them on a flanking manoeuvre, whilst he pressed his infantry towards the railway station. This wing suffered from one of those periodic passages of fortune where a  series of dice rolls created a narrative. The rear most cavalry unit resolutely refused to take orders for a few turns in sequence and had to be forced forward at pistol point by their officers. They never mutinied to any serious extent, just moved forwards in a most grudging fashion (even down to the order cards they drew).

In total, however, this wing was being handled aggressively by the Whites, so the Reds started to dig in round the station, intent on holding on to their gains.

Back at the stanitsa the Whites were ready for another attempt to take it at bayonet point. This time a few salvoes from the White’s field guns softened up the defenders first and as the Whites poured in over the fences the Reds took to their heels and fled, leaving the Whites in possession, -at least for a while.

Will’s cavalry had now pushed right through the middle of the White line and wheeled onto the deployed artillery, cutting it to pieces before likewise being shot into oblivion by the White MGs.

It was at this point that I realised I hadn’t been playing the rules right and seemed to have ignored the morale rules. 

On the positive side it made the game move along more quickly.

So, we ended the evening with game still in balance. I shall tidy up a bit and then hopefully play to a conclusion on Monday evening.