Scrivsland: Spanish Civil War with the big guns

Yesterday evening I had a great game of Chain of Command with Rich Clark, Nick Eyre and James 'El Cid' Morris at the White Hart.

Overview with jump-off points

This was an excellent opportunity to try out the scenario for my demonstration game at Cannon in Retford this weekend.

Two platoons of Bando Nacional infantry with support of armoured cars, Panzers, machine-guns and artillery are attempting to dislodge two platoons of Ejército Popular de la República with slightly less in the way of goodies.

Rich took the Moroccans while Nick had the Falange, myself and James played the Republicans.

The Falange made huge strides on their flank. The Republican 75mm gun deployed to deal with any Nationalist armour was swiftly over-run after only a couple of ineffective shots at the Nationalist Bilbao armoured car. James quickly responded to this upset and recaptured that position but his troops came under intense fire from the well sited Nationalist machine-gun.

The Republicans were deduced to trying to drive off the Bilbao with machine-gun fire, but to very little effect.

Our right-wing commandants

Meanwhile the Moroccans set up a base of fire in the taberna and swept through the olive grove in the centre and closing in on the Republican lines. Then disaster fell, just as the Republican platoon succumbed to the concentrated fire from the Falange and their supporting machine-gun the Nationalist Panzers arrived in time to support the Moroccan attacks on the Republican centre.

Initial Republican deployments

After a swift and deadly bayonet fight in which the Moroccans were initially repulsed the remaining Republicans fled the field leaving the wounded to their fate.

Rich had driven up specially from St. Albans to meet with us so I hope he had a good time being on the winning side and all.

All the figures, vehicles and terrain are from my own collection