Sunday 18 December 2022

Hamertheim, the Fifth!

'You're going to open fire with your artillery, sir?' asks Duke Neucheim in confusion. Neucheim's query is understandable. In Mittelheim, artillery fire generally has the reputation of being about as effective as pelting an enemy with crumpets.
'No, firsht, I shall lull dem into a falsh shensh of shecurity by making da enemy tink dat datsh all I've got', replies the general.


(Above) On cue, one of the Vulgarian batteries opens fire with canister on the Bachscuttel Milchfrau Lieb-Garde. It does no damage. Only small numbers of the Bachscuttel grenadiers can reply in kind, and they also miss.

But what Rentall has realised is that Barry-Eylund has misdeployed his flanking units. One of them is deployed a little way behind the others. If Rentall orders his three right-most infantry regiments to wheel left towards the Bachscuttlers, he will be able to mass the fire of three of his infantry units against only two of those of the enemy. The Bachscuttlers will probably start losing the fire-fight; Barry-Eylund will have to focus on rallying his musketeers; the enemy attack against the Vulgarian cavalry will halt; and Rentall will have stolen the initiative from the enemy.
'Advansh to victory!' orders Rentall.
His musketeers wheel left. As the troops advance, there is suddenly a squelching sound. A Vulgarian subaltern looks down and realises that his men are approaching what appears to be a marsh.
'I'm sure that wasn't on our maps', he says glumly.


It is true. The small-minded rules-lawyer, General 'Just Call Redmond' Barry-Eylund, makes it clear that no one is allowed to have any fun by ensuring that the Vulgarian advance runs up against a hitherto unknown area of marshland (above).


The Vulgarian infantry (above) can only look at what might have been. The poorly deployed Bachscuttel flank hangs there, flapping aimlessly like a Mittelheim bishop pretending to be a duck. 


Tired of the cackling rules-goblin that commands the enemy army, Rentall decides that there is now nothing for it but to commit to a full-on cavalry charge. (Above) The flower of the  Vulgarian cavalry (accompanied, it has to be said, by quite a few weeds and some actual geraniums) thunders forwards, swords glinting, and stirrups in!


4 comments:

  1. As ever in Mittelheim the climax seems to be arriving early. Will it all be over by Christmas?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Deke! Odds are good, I'd say!

    ReplyDelete
  3. A true battle of manoeuvre was shaping up - until Eylund went and spoiled it all by finding yet another marsh that just happened to be in the right place at the right time...

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's all Barry-Eylund's got ...

    ReplyDelete