Monday 7 September 2015

InvUSA 1922 - USA Strikes Back p1

The 3rd Canadian Flying Column had been stopped just outside of Fargo, North Dakota.  It's commander had pulled back to a small township of Argusville to re-group.  Some reinforcements had arrived to bolster his force, however the Canadian commander awaited fresh orders.  News had reached the Commander that British Empire troops had landed in Canada & were heading for the front.  He was ordered to dig in & hold his position.  A few days passed, but then, out of the early morning mist, tanks of the US 66th Armored Regiment rumbled forward.....

General 'Mad Dog' Hoolahan (aka Amy) would lead a combined force of US Regulars, the 66th Armored Regiment, the North Dakota National Guard, Artillery batteries & Air Support. Yours truly, the defending Canadian flying column & the British Empire relief force.

This was a 'monster' battle, far exceeding the standard 'Hordes in the Trenches' standard game.  HITT is based on the DBA variant 'Hordes of the Things' rule set.  Some of the elements involved such as HITT 'Aeroplanes' are based on the 'Dragon' element  from 'HOTT' & the HITT 'Barrage' is based on the HOTT 'God' element.  As such, it requires the player to expend 6 PiPs to deploy such elements.  A very tense time ensued, 'praying' for a few 6's to be rolled on the PiP dice!  Each force would consist of three commands.  Two of the Canadian/British force would start on the table the third would require another '6' on the PiP dice.

The Battlefield

The Canadians dug in


General 'Mad Dog' Hoolahan launches the 1st attack & promptly  shells the town with poison gas...
(I am shocked, Amy is giggling away, who raised this crazy child of mine...?)

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! fiss fiss hissssssss

The 66th rolls forward

Onward! The North Dakota National Guard attacks...

Poison Gas seeps into the trenches & destroys some Canadians

& again....

Canadian Artillery takes out the US A/Car

National Guard 'Rough Rider's spot the incoming British Empire Reinforcements

HA!  A couple of 6's on the PiP dice, bring on the Royal Air Force!

Down goes the other A/Car

Rapid moving Cavalry on the US right flank, they attack the train but fail to stop it. 

The US Infantry dismount from their attached trucks

Forward the National Guard!

Indian troops arrive, cheers ring out from the Canadians!

The Royal Air Force spring straight into action

The British relief column advances

The  RAF scream across the field

BOOM! 

GAS GAS GAS

The heroic Indians resist

The National Guard cavalry attack

The Canadian tank rumbles forward

The RAF attack

Take out the Renaults!

A fast moving British A/C attacks

The RAF bomber dubbed 'the flying chocolate Viennese finger' by Amy is a menace, forcing back the US column

The other RAF bomber is sent packing

At last! the US forces gets a break.... 

Bring on the Army Air Corps!

& the 'Dreaded Barrage'.  Amy lands it smack it the middle of the town, all that Infantry.

Poison gas takes out some more Canadians

Flight Lieutenant 'Ginger' Harris, Hero of Palestine, sees the Barrage land in the town.  He banks his plane & heads for the US Artillery Battery on a suicide mission.  Many years later, National Guard veterans would speak of a lone British Bomber flying low over the tree tops, an English voice could be heard singing 'Land of Hope & Glory'....
(In HITT, a bomber element can be sacrificed to nullify a 'Barrage' element, by flying off table)

The other bomber attacks

ATTACK!

Another 6 on the Pip dice & the British Barrage is deployed.  I go for the US Tank column.


It's Total War at this point!!!!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Good Pips for 'Mad Dog' & the RAF is attacked by the Army Air Corps

Amy goes for Air Superiority....

The US bomber strafes the Canadian defences

The US secret weapon, the Mark X Super Liberty Tank advances.....
Supported by an Anti Air unit. 

Forward!

A dark day for the RAF as the aircraft are shot down by the yanks!

NOOO! down goes 'the flying chocolate Viennese finger'...
until next time.....

4 comments:

Natholeon said...

An epic battle! I hope the Canadians can pull through, but those Mark Xs look like the kind of beast that will tip the battle - especially with the RAF swept from the skies.

Don M said...

A truly spectacular battle! It could have easily gone either way, visually stunning as well. Looking forward to the next installment!

Robert (Bob) Cordery said...

Yet another excellent battle report!

I love the way this campaign is developing, and the interaction between the ground and air elements. Is there any chance that there will be any naval action in and around the Great Lakes?

All the best,

Bob

MrF said...

Cheers fella! The game is on a knife edge. Though Stu Rat, how do you feel about a few Cricket pitches laid out in North Dakota....lol

all the Best
MrF & MadDog