Armoured clash at Bad Badger

Comrades!

Today brought us the most glorious of victories!

Even as the burning hulks of enemy vehicles light the night sky, the revolution marches one step closer to eventual victory!

The defenceless hamlet of Bad Badger was today assaulted by the massed armoured fist of the oppressor. Luckily our heroic tank battalion was in the area and moved to protect the innocent population.

Transform and roll out!

I have heard that there are rumours circulating that my cousin was leading the elements of the enemy force deployed directly opposite us and that this was why we did not move to engage them directly. These rumours are malicious propaganda spread by counter-revolutionaries.

Bad Badger being overrun by armour

The glorious people's tank Vanguard of the Revolution ground its way towards the centre of the battle while Matilda made a swift flanking move down the main road.

The enemy was engaged on our right flank with one of there vehicles going up in flames.

Kaboom!

Unfortunately, a lucky shot also destroyed one of our allies vehicles.

And that is where our story ends as it is at this point that we had to withdraw from the field of battle in order to be home in time to visit the pictures deal with important revolutionary matters.

Misc Update

So, somehow, this blog has managed to pick up a couple of followers. Amazing I know.

Just in case you aren't members of the Lincombe Barn Wargaming Society, I thought I should take the time to explain what this blog is actually about.

Hammer and Sickle Time charts the (mis)adventures of the Bristol Bolshevistic Committee during that tumultuous period that never was - the second British Civil war, known to aficionados as a Very British Civil War. Unfortunately, I've never really managed to get into the voice of the leader of the BBC and I've never really been happy with my output here.

The premise of VBCW is that Edward VIII, instead of abdicating to marry Wallis Simpson, went ahead and married her anyway, pissing off a whole range of various interest groups, from the left wing, who were worried by his pro-fascist bent to social conservatives who disapproved of his marrying a divorcee. Scots and Welsh nationalists also decide to throw in their hats causing one massive cluster-f*ck.

However, this setting is often played quite tongue in cheek leading to the description 'tea and hand grenades,' with varying amounts of scorn. The two factions currently playing in the campaign most representative of this aesthetic are those based on a girls school. They're very Saint Trinians, with their hockey sticks and gauche, shotgun armed French teachers.


This 'what if' scenario is played using various rules, in our case a continuously evolving rule set put together by one of Lincombe Barn's committee.

The next game has been a little delayed as I volunteered to design and run it and well... I've been procrastinating. I have a great plan, I just haven't put it together yet. I've got it on my to do list, I'll just have to press myself.

In fact I might chart it's progress on my real but fledgling war-gaming blog over at http://miniaturestrategy.blogspot.co.uk/

Check it out dear follower, if you want to follow something that updates more regularly.

The Crossroads

Comrades!

Today brought us the most glorious of victories!

We received information from the glorious people’s resistance pertaining to the location of one of the traitorous trade union leaders who had barely slipped through our fingers aboard the Badger Express.

We were also informed of the fact that the target was undefended, which, alas, proved to be false. Clearly the resistance was infiltrated by fascist turncoats.

Throwing caution (and the lessons learned in our last endeavour) to the wind we sped to the crossroads of the town ignoring the many sites where enemy ambushers could appear.

Playing chicken, VBCW style (It's more likely than you think)

Having reached the porch of the perfidious wretch in the dashing manner we found ourselves ambushed by the degenerate child soldiers of St Tinians who lay await within and without.

Meanwhile, seeing our erstwhile Welsh allies beset by a throng of capering drunken louts, we dutifully came to their assistance, only to be best by both groups at once.

Drunken louts, VBCW style

We learned later that our target had fled the scene just before we arrived, making success impossible from the outset.

Disembarking in front of the traitors lair

However, even with traitors mauling our flanks and our exit blocked by the army, pernicious rogues and surprisingly violent farmers, we shot our way free of the maelstrom with a totally acceptable level of casualties.

I am sure that the cowardly TU leader tonight lies quaking, afeared for his life in some ditch, and not, as some reports are indicating, drinking brandy in the Senior Girls Common Room at St Trinians.

Attempted Murder on the Badger Express

Comrades!

Today brought us the most glorious of victories!

Having learned of the treacherous intentions of local Trade Union members, we endeavoured to aid the workers in their legitimate attempt to apprehend their organisers and have their grievances heard.

Our plan was formulated when a member of the glorious Railway Workers Union came to our weekly meeting and informed us of the planned presence of the nefarious TU leaders on a local train. We planned to intercept this train and gain access to the answers we sought.

Inevitably, however, the forces of oppression turned out in force to suppress the voice of the people.

As these blackguards are well known for using ambush tactics and seemingly always occupying the choicest defensive positions we dismounted well before approaching the village surrounding the signal box.

Our forces prudently dismount from our transport covered by our Mercenary allies

We were proved correct when the fascists sprung up to open fire on us. Had we been in our vehicles we would surely have all been killed instantly!

However, under fire from ourselves and our glorious mercenary allies*, we pushed forwards, and the cowards ran from their positions like the dogs they are!

Regular forces abandon their position and fall back to regroup

The village, however, had been infested by the enemies of the people. Every residence had been emptied of its occupants and fortified by the oppressor!

In typical cowardly fashion, a fifth column developed on our left flank, with traitors gunning down the men they had formerly declared loyalty to,

After a gruelling battle the majority of the Regular forces opposing us had been vanquished.

Vanquished Regulars with infested village in background

Our message to the TU leaders has been well and truly driven home! Wherever they are, they are quivering at the thought of their close brush with the will of the people they are supposed to represent.

*They are of course motivated by revolutionary fervour. All monies paid were used to cover the cost of the exotic, and expensive, ammunition types they used.

The Battle of Badger Moor

Comrades!

Today brought us the most glorious of victories!

Do not listen to the spread by the organs of the parasites! They hide behind falsehoods, claiming that it was they who halted our advance across Badger Moor, where it in fact the brave volunteers of the peoples militias that ground the advance of the forces of oppression into the mud.

Our pernicious foe made the fatal mistake of relying on the services of tools of capitalist oppression in the form of local military units. These men, not fired by the spirit of Communism and in step with their fellow man, but rather serving for pay alone broke and ran after being cut apart by our new armoured car; a glorious fruit of the peoples labour. Abandoning their own vehicle (a shoddy piece of equipment – built by the exploitation of our brother workers) the fascists left flank was open and our brave leader led a glorious advance to capitalise secure these gains.

Seeing the plans of the oppressor thus stymied, our bother comrades on our left flank made a committee decision to leave the field of battle at speed, as our work was completed, leaving our foe to wallow in the swamp.

Some have asked if this stretch of marsh was worth the losses of Comrades McLean and Whyte who were cruelly gunned down by the enemy.

I have this to say to them. Badger Moor may look like a barren, fetid wasteland. It may appear to have no tactical or strategic importance whatsoever, but our comrades made the ultimate sacrifice for this piece of land, their blood flows deep within its currents, and that is why we must fight for it.

Some may point out that McLean and Whyte’s blood would not have been shed if not for the telling blow we struck the oppressor here today in the first place, and I have this to say to them. Shut up.

A Little-Bother-on-Sea

Comrades!

Today brought us the most glorious of victories!

Unfortunately, I, The Secretary General was overwhelmed by the gloriousness of it all and seem to have forgotten most of the details.

The Little-Badger-on-Sea Sunday school Easter egg hunt started out pleasantly enough with the many groups who had come to attend that day’s festivities making their way towards the centre of this delightful town, searching every bush, hillock and distinctive terrain feature for eggs.

Unfortunately, when reaching the cliffs some big boys in armour decided that they were going to ruin everybody’s fun by shooting at us. Down by the docks as well, egg poachers could be heard attacking the other attendees.

When the party crashers took cover in their cave, however, they were smoked out with grenades. They did not rise again.

The Bristol Bolshevik Committee, severely short on their share of eggs rushed to meet the other attendees and were greeted with an exchange of celebratory gunfire. Having thus been informed as to the other groups intention not to share everybody went home for tea.

The Battle of Badgers Deep

Comrades!

Today brought us the most glorious of victories!

While it may seem to some that amongst ephemeral allegiances and motives of this revolution there are few certainties and fewer truths, know that we alone, hold our path straight and true.

In our latest engagement we demonstrated our commitment to The People as we attempted to protect the hamlet of Badgers Deep from marauding opportunists led by the noted criminal and enemy of The Revolution, Lady Bagshaw, who had, that day, augmented her warband of child soldiers with bloodthirsty mercenaries, known to have direct links to Fascist Regime of Chancellor Adolf Hitler!

We proceeded in good order, supported by our brother communists and detachment of regular troops.

As we approached the centre of the settlement our foe revealed their utter contempt for the lives of civilians by beginning a heavy bombardment. Luckily for us their shots were as wildly misplaced as their allegiances and we – and our allies - escaped unharmed. The fact our artillery landed first just went to show our dedication to protecting Badgers Deep from the attentions of our invidious foe.

The fighting on our left flank devolved into biter close quarters fighting almost immediately. However, the righteous spirit in which we execute the will of the people allowed us on the right to pin or eliminate our adversary, except for the gutless mercenary troops who cowered in the shadow of a small copse. The enemy once again brought their improvised mortar to bear, further endangering civilian lives, destroying The Peoples roads and slaughtering wildlife in The Peoples duck pond.

One casualty of note was that of The Colonel – a man who spent most of his ‘military’ career machine-gunning the various native peoples subjected to the illegitimate ‘Empire’ to which he swore allegiance. While we hoped we had rid the earth of this man he has apparently escaped with the loss of only one eye. Nevertheless, The Revolution shall make him answer for his crimes against The Workers of the world.