Shoot 'im! Me 'oops are going cold

 HIGH STREET ROBBERY

Deadly Shootout Unmasks Bomb Factory

Terrified shoppers in East Whittington fled to safety as a gun battle erupted on a busy high street, leaving seven dead in it's wake. Laura Sangster (23), mum of two young children (5&3), was shopping at the time and said it was like "Hell had burst out of the ground."

The shootout happened when Special Branch detectives and specialist firearms units of the Metropolitan Police staged an operation to foil a raid by known criminals on a Post Office van carrying £10,000 worth of Postal Orders. Despite the increasing presence of troops on the streets, the hardened criminals planned to ram a brown 1967 Ford Anglia into the Post Office Van and brazenly make their escape in broad daylight.

Instead, the criminals found themselves caught in a deadly crossfire between armed police and Trotsky terrorists. Detective Inspector Ricky Stein told reporters, "This was a textbook operation between units of the Metropolitan Police. Resulting in a gang of known criminals has been brought to justice and several terrorists being taken off the street."

 "Drop it Sunshine!"

 Dave Povey (42) arrested for armed robbery said "I'm an honest hard working villain and these bloody commie Marxist hooligans deserve all they get. If the Sweeney hadn't put a bullet in my leg, I'd have joined in giving them a kicking."

Later in court, Dougie Dinsdale (34) convicted armed robber, pointed at Police witness Rodney Cumberbatch and screamed "you're dead, you !£&@king toerag grass! You're going to wake up in a !£&@king flyover!"

Sweeney doing '90 cause they got the word to go....

 BATREP:

Not sure I can do justice to this game....  I was late in the door on Wednesday so set up directly on the kitchen table. Terrain was simple, a high street with two junctions. A dozen buildings, mostly Metcalfe, conveyed the right impression.

Maff hankered after taking on the role of DI Ricky Stein, and played the opening theme of The Sweeney from his iPhone to set the tone of the game. Then it was Crash! Bang! Wallop! The Povey gang, rammed the Post Office Van and leapt from their car to overpower the van's driver.

Observing the scene from a side road, Stein shouted "All stations, Go! Go! Go!". He and DC Malt leapt out of their R Reg Ford Cortina MkIII. Shots were fired. Shoppers and passersby screamed. A mobile unit and Ford Transit carrying D11 skidded to a halt to block the escape route of the criminals. There were warnings, shots, a criminal fell. Two more ran into Markies. Another grabbed a black market automatic weapon from the boot of the Anglia.

Unnoticed, a young long haired man in a green tracksuit was kneeling in the telephone box opposite the Crown public house, shouting down the phone.  Martin O'Keeley was a member of the IRA's West Belfast brigade. He had come to East Whittington 3 months ago and was living in a garret above his auntie's pub. The Crown. Here, aided by his girlfriend Bridgette, he built a cell from disaffected, anti-establishment   young men and women. His garret had become a small bomb factory and today, all six comrades were busy making the next batch of explosives.

He had been making a call to his handler when the police flooded the street. "It's on! They've come for us" he told Seamus, then rang the flat. 3 long, one short.....

A sash window opened and petrol bombs rained down into the street. One hitting the Post Office Van which erupted in a black plume of fire. Stien uttered "Wha' the !£&@king 'ell!". Then Bridgette appeared from the shut pub to shoot a surpised D11 officer. His mate felled Bridgette with a single burst and pulled his wounded colleague to safety. As he did so, O'Keeley stepped from the Telephone Box and shot him in the neck.

Two other D11 officers by the Transit managed to react in turn and simultaneously fired their weapons at the Irish terrorist. He collapsed like a broken doll.

The curtains above twitched. Inside someone shouted "B@st@rds!". A further petrol bomb fell in front of the pub, catching one officer who rolled on the ground to put out the flames.

The scene was chaos.Two D11 firearm officers and Stein were trading shots with Povey who was holed up in Markies doorway. Cumberbatch, the police informer had legged it through Markies aisles and out the fire exit. Malt and two further Special Branch officers were edging along the shop/pub fronts, beneath the windows from which the petrol bombs had rained.

Povey was hit and dropped his weapon. Stein closed in first and put his foot on Povey's wound.  "What's going on! How many more are there?" 

"Dunno. Dunno!."

"Ok sunshine, bleed to death then!"

 The Crown now became the focus of the police's attention. Malt went through the door first along with a D11 officer. A wannabe terrorist fired a shotgun from behind the bar. It went high. Malt ducked and the MP5 of the D11 officer dropped the terrorist. A shadow could be seen disappear through the back. As the remaining officers flooded the pub, Sally Kiln, startled by the sounds downstairs knocked over the table....

An explosion shook the building. Glass cascaded into the streets below. "Out! Get out!" shouted Malt. Two Land Rovers arrived and soldiers piled out.... 


"Don't worry boys. We've fought yer battle for you". Came dryly from Stein. "Now let's go 'ome before me 'oops get cold".


Result:

1 Dead D11 officer, 1 wounded D11 & 1 wounded Special Branch officers. 2 wounded and 1 dead criminals. 4 dead terrorists, 1 escaped.  

Figures: ex-Hotspur
Rules: USE ME: Modern Warfare



Cheers
Mark

Ross on Wye NEWSFLASH

Reports are coming in that armoured units belonging to the London based Ten Field Force have been ambushed by terrorists supporting Welsh freedom fighters in Ross on Wye.

Thames Weekend News has established that the recent heavy rains and flooding forced the armoured column to use suburban streets in an effort to find alternative routes of advance. At least one tank has been destroyed and several others damaged. The Clash Action Front have claimed responsibility.

More on this story on News at Ten.


Cheers
Mark

Freikorp you know the score!

Remember back in March I mentioned I had started a new Freikorp project? Well I made quite fast progress and have finished enough figures for a few units.I just need to finish the bases, paint on loads of swastikas and do the heavy weapons. I also need to think about the opposition. I don't want the Freikorp to fight other WW1 Germans as it would look too boring. So I was thinking maybe some armed sailors or civilians. One of the guys in the club has a stash of German model railway building so I can see this becoming a game pretty soon. 

For rules we will use our ubiquitous 38 rules adapted from  the Foundry Old West set. They give a simple fast game and stats are available online for just about every AFV of the era. We actually used these rules for a 79 game involving geezers, terrorists, armed police and army patrols and they worked very well. You just have to keep things simple.

Mike

SITREP

Well that was an intense week! Seriously feels more like a month has passed since last weekend in what has been a tough week, with the added stress of two professional exams. Enjoyed the experience nevertheless in a strangely masochistic kind of way. I guess in part because I have come away with increased confidence after last years neurological issues, which still leave me with some residual memory issues.

I returned home on Friday with raging 'man-flu' and have spent the weekend 'bravely' lying up and taking things easy. So, my workbench remains as I left it last week. Whilst resting up, I read more about the American Militiaman movement. What prompted this was twofold. Jon at Khurasan getting in touch, which resulted in me finding some new goodies on his webstore that would suit my Possee Comitatus project. Followed by the NatWest Bank's 'glitch' with their IT systems.  I just thought to myself, "right after UK banks have been downgraded. What a wonderful way to begin an economic apocalypse!"

This led to TIME Magazine which has a very interesting article The Secret World of 'Extreme Militias' profiling the Ohio Defence Force. I pulled several ideas from the article about potential scenarios. Including a Jihad Dawn remake of the 1984 classic, Red Dawn, using Khurasan's 15mm Neo-Arabs. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: with a twist.

Of course I also wanted to see what parallels could be drawn between the American militia movement and our Winter of '79 scenario in Britain. In fact, when you think of it, were the 'private armies' Britain's own response in terms of a militia movement, but in a more typically British way of course?

At what point would the ordinary householder in 1979-81 Britain take up arms? With inflation hitting 17.4% in November 1979, would the axiom that "society is only nine meals away from anarchy" hold true when the Fish Fingers ran out?



Cheers
Mark

20mm Falklands 1982 Argentinian Infantry Greens

Mark from MJ Figures sent me this taster of his upcoming 20mm Argentinians for his Falklands 1982 range. Over the phone, Mark told me about the support weapons including mortars and recoilless rifles plus a range of resin dugouts he's had created specifically for this range.

MJ Figures Falklands 1982

Argentine Infantry WIP

I also received a couple of samples of new British Paras from him, tucked in with an order. They are both bareheaded and wearing helmets (photos to follow). The bareheaded Tom is particularly good makes a nice character figure! All in all this range is shaping up nicely.

 A Free Wales Army raid on a Rupert billet in Monmouthshire

A quick SITREP at this point won't go amiss.  The recent downpours in the south of the country have left Maff with the unenviable and costly task of stripping back his interior walls and flooring.

After final effort, I have all the Land Rovers I need - well, almost. Long Wheel Base, Short Wheel Base, 1 Ton and Airportable. A couple are in Berlin Brigade schemes for 10 Field Force, who are going to have a more urban role going forward... fires on "the mersey and the thames and the tyne..."

I've been focusing on course work for some professional exams coming up next week. Bearing this in mind, I'm in 'lockdown' from now until Friday 22nd, when I hope a big celebratory drink will be in order. See you then!

Cheers
Mark

 

Fighting in the middle of the road....

 In 1979, Paddy Griffiths developed an urban skirmishing game called 'Young Team' that was aimed at moving away from the traditional wargame rules for low level combat and trying instead to understand and model the combatant's inner personal psychology and will to fight. In this particular case, 'Young Team' was a game created from Glasgow gang fights and based largely on James Patrick's study A Glasgow Gang Observed.

 Just Reissued!

 The Sarrie Heed: or The Young Team Mk III devised by Jim Roche for the Conference of Wargamers 1990 (COW90), is a very playable revision of Paddy's original work and remains one of the reasons why I love my small stash of worn and well read Wargames Developments Annuals. If you ever come across them you will find they make superb reading. Wonderfully eclectic, each one brims with ideas, inspiration, evocative rules plus full or partial game systems.  

The Sarrie Heed  is one such gem, taking up no more than a double page spread at the centre of The WD Annual 1990.  The basic premise of the game as played at COW90, is that late one Saturday night, fuelled up and bellicose, the punters at The Saracen Head spill onto the Gallowgate looking for trouble with the punters from The Quarter Gill. The winner is the 'team' - figure, player, who demonstrates the greatest 'bottle' in the ensuing clash, without getting themselves arrested by the 'polis'.

Naturally the potential of the game doesn't rest there...."Teenage guerillas on the tarmac, Fighting in the middle of the road" (Up Against The Wall, TRB).... with plenty of application for us within a Winter of '79 context, a game is already in preparation as part of our ongoing campaign.

Cheers
Mark

Radio Go! Go! GO!

On a parade ground somewhere near Fort Benning........

"Rangers, as you know, Operation Prompt Anger has been authorised by the President.

Amongst the mission targets is the local radio station at Santa Maria dos Los Paraguayos. The station is located at the end of a street forming a T junction; it is adjacent to the local school and so we are unable to seize it by a direct assault. Instead Bravo Chalk will rappel from helos at the end of the street and move onto the objective with speed. Alpha Chalk will provide LZ security. Local resistance is however expected to be light.

Rangers?"

"LEAD THE WAY! HOO-AH!"

Several hours later in the Caribbean....

Reef Radio promises "Good Skanking Tonight, Every Night".....

But something else is in the air...

"This is Chick Two we are on LZ over. Go! Go!"

"This is Mother Hen, negative Chick One slated to land first over"

"Chick Two here, we are off course, ETA 2 minutes over"

"This is Chick One, we are landed, holding LZ.......over"

Despite the confusion both Chalks land and form up but....

"Incoming!"


"Enemy heavy weapon 12 o clock!"


"Enemy infantry! 11 o clock!"


"Man down!"

Local militia and a DUSHKA
(dug in outside the Radio Station)
open up on the Rangers

"BRAVO! Move right, Rangers lead the way"

"Grimes! Get your 203 on the DUSHKA! Smith! LAW that DUSHKA !"

"STOPPAGE"

"Grimes, you're useless."
"DUSHKA suppressed!"

"Supressed is no good to me. I want it DEAD!"
"Sniper! Sniper!"

"Eyes up! Nail that sniper! This is Alpha, under sniper and small arms, targets moving on our LEFT!"

And on the right......

"BRAVO! Move up, get over the railway tracks!"


"Enemy in sight 12 o clock!"

"Man hit!"

Bravo engaging enemy infantry on the wrong side of the tracks

"This is Mother Hen, we are holding LZ but Bravo stick is heavily engaged on the right flank over"

"Move up ! We are Oscar Mike at the edge of the shacks. Enemy infantry ahead!"

"Don't these guys give up?"


"We can enfilade the DUSHKA! Go Go Go!"

"This is Alpha, enemies to left neutralised , we can see Bravo at the radio station."


"Man down! Alpha! All eyes for that sniper!"


"Got him, target neuralised."


"Good shot Lohn."

"Bravo. Stack up. Prepare to breach. BREACH!GO GO GO!"

"an dat was Prince Buster, an it's a fine morning with Reef Radio....WHAT? An deres a helicopter outside an guys are sliding down ropes BANG Leroy, catch that WAILERS disc, it's signed! An theres shooting in the street, in the bush an BANG there goes mantovani....no real damage eh Leroy.....? An dere's more shooting....."

"GO GO GO" SMASH! "US ARMY RAISE YOUR HANDS!"

"Hey I'm de DJ, you got a request, you PHONE it in like anyone else!"

"This is BRAVO, target secured, wait up. SMITH! check the windows! What's that noise?"

"Cuban armour! Approaching up the railtracks!"

"Rangers! Check LAWS! Mother Hen....we have a situation here .....

To be continued.............

Ranger two Chalks, each 6 Rangers, assorted car15, m16, 203, sniper and LAWs.

Costaguans - assorted militia, DUSHKA and sniper (in the power units on the station roof) - regulars.

Figures - Hotspur (dushka Pltn 20), tank - AIRFIX, terrain, you've seen it all before amigos...

 

Rules, CW83 with even more mango and a hint of rum

 

Cheers

Maff