Battle of Ashby Folville

After the defeat of the People's Army of Socialist City of Leicester by the Duke of Rutland and the capture of Gaddesby the city was coming under a new threat from the Dukes forces. The Duke moved toward the village of Ashby Folville in an attempt to both secure resources from the local area and cut the supply lines to Nottingham for the city. However, the Socialists Council reacted to this threat and gaining intelligence of the attempt to village of Ashby Folville they moved forces to counter the move and take the village for the city's aims. Again the Duke used his trusted men from Melton Mowbray, the troops who had just defeated the Socialists forces at the Battle of Gaddesby and the Socialist's sent troops for the Anchor Boot and Shoe Co-operative Society, the Humberstone Scout Troop and the Farm workers of the Humberstone Militia.

The Setup

So the Socialist forces developed from the city side rushing in to take advantage of the cover provided by the hedges and walls surrounding the village with the forces of the Duke slowly making there way in from the Melton side and developing into the village The objective for both sides was to capture and hold the church of St Mary's, a good omen for the chaps from Humberstone as their parish church is of the same name.

The Humberstone Scout making good of the cover the hedges

The men of the Post office Rocket Team and the Humberstone Militia's Farmworkers Section also take advantage of the hedges

The Shoeworkers Section and MMG support of the Humberstone Militia look to secure the Farm House

The Assault troops of the Melton men move into position near the village.

The Dukes Armoured Car moves into the village itself

The Dukes BUF section moves into the church yard

With the Duke's men taking up position in the Churchyard the Socialist's Shoeworkers section advanced in the farm house to take advantage of the cover and to open fire on the BUF. This was supported by the Humberstone Militia's Support MMG providing covering fire and aided by the Post Office Rocket Team. The Humberstone Scout Troop dished across hedge and road to take up new positions in the hedges of the church. In the meantime the Farmworker's Section opened fire on the Assault troops as they crossed the field to close the gap on them. The Dukes artillery started to rain down on the Socialists MMG with the Armoured Car also pouring fire onto them. Meanwhile the BUF section fired at the Shoeworkers in the farm building to little effect.

Shoeworkers entering the Farm Cottage

Humberstone Scouts in the churchyard hedges

The Farmworkers Section firing on the Duke's Assault troops

Socialist Support coming under serious fire from the Duke's artillery and armoured car

The Duke's artillery firing

The Melton assault section taking advantage of the cover of the hedges

The Dukes Armoured Car and BUF section in the churchyard

The BUF section found itself in the middle of the churchyard and fired upon the Shoeworkers in the Farm House who in turn left the Farm House and advanced into better positions along the churchyard hedges and caught the BUF section in the open. The Humberstone Scouts then crossed over the churchyard and into the church itself and poured more fore onto the BUF, but a lucky hit from the Post Office Rocket team saw the church yard turn into a graveyard for the BUF men. The Duke's assault men and ladies poured fire onto the Farmworkers section causing a number of casualties among them and the Duke's artillery blew the Socialists Vicker's team away.

The BUF section in the church yard supported by the Armoured Car

The Shoeworkers section move into better positions and catch the BUF in the open.

The Humberstone Scouts take the church

The Melton Assault section pouring fire onto the Farmworkers

 The Farmworkers taking casualties

 Post Office Rocket team firing upon the Assault Troops.

The Shoeworkers section carried on firing into the BUF graveyard but still they stood until all of the laid dead and wounded in the graveyard. This left the Scouts in total control of the Church of St Marys' and took up defence positions and fired upon to no effect the Duke's Armoured Car who returned the favour. Now the Dukes Assault troops advanced out of their cover and destroyed the Farmworkers section and the Duke's artillery took out the Post Office Rocket team.

Shoeworkers section finishes off the BUF section

The Scouts fire upon the the Duke's Armoured Car

The Duke's Assault section finishes off the Farmworkers

The Duke's artillery destroys the Post office Rocket team

The Melton command move into cover

The Socialist commander moves up to the churchyard hedge to aid with support

Now the Duke's assault troops gather to make an assault on the church in an attempt to take the objective and the Duke's armoured car fires upon the Shoeworkers causing casualties among them but with the Socialist command then the Shoeworkers steady their nerve and firing on the assault section with supporting fire from the scouts and the assault fails and the assault section falls back to Melton. Leaving only the Dukes Armoured Car and artillery left to give battle the armoured car carries on firing at the shoeworkers and the artillery starts shell the scouts in the church. The Scouts in turn fire at the Armoured Car hitting it in its weak side armour and cause the vehicle to be crew to be stunned. Seeing this the Dukes command decides the battle is lost and make their way back the Melton using the walls of the village for cover and the battle is over with a victory for the Socialists.

The Scouts fire upon the Dukes Assault troops

The Dukes Armoured Car firing upon the Shoeworkers

Socialist firing upon the Duke's Armoured Car

The Duke's Armoured Car with its crew stunned

The Heroes of the day the Humberstone Scout Troop

The Dukes command retreating back to Melton Mowbray

Victory for the Humberstone Scouts and the Socialists

Again another good and enjoyable game with Leics_Gamer using the Bolt Action rules. We are getting into the rules now and finding them rather easy to use. The only thing I am not totally sure about and maybe you Bolt Action players might be able to help with is when shooting at a vehicle. Now the rules state that you have too have a Pen value to be able to damage a vehicle but if you are shooting on the side or rear you get a +1 or +2 bonus, so can rifles, LMGs and MMGs take out a Armoured Car?