After a significant hiatus due to Covid and other interests,
this week we reignited A Very British Civil War with a large multiplayer game.
We’ve been playing a lot of One Page Rules Grimdark Future
lately and we’ve been talking about using those rules for a historical period
like World War Two. AVBCW seemed like a good step towards that, so we mocked up
some OPR lists and set to it.
Lists here.
So, picking up where we left off, here’s the narrative for
the Battle of Neville’s Cross, May 1939.
Battle of Neville’s Cross, 23rd May 1939.
During the long winter of 1938 all sides in the war spent
the time rebuilding defences, recruiting new forces, rearming, and
resupplying. Hostilities remained low
throughout the winter, aside from a few border skirmishes, punch-ups in local
pubs, and the war of words in local newspapers. Manoeuvres throughout February,
March, and April eventually brought two factions into the first major battle of
1939, and once again the transport line to the west of Durham played host to
the conflict. The A1 at Neville’s Cross
near Durham was troubled with the rumble of barely fuelled engines and the
ripple of rifle fire as around 9.30am on the 23rd May reignited the
war.
Coming in from the west was a Socialist alliance.
The Chopwell Communists committed a small force of new
recruits, supported by cavalry and a T26 tank acquired from Liverpool. They took
the right flank position along the A1.
The centre was held by a Socialist Local Defence Volunteer
force identified most likely as an anti-Anglican League group from The Sands
area of Durham. Made up mostly of elderly ex-servicemen and Great War veterans,
they had a couple of vehicles and a lot of bravery on their side.
The left flank position was occupied by a force of Socialist
regulars who had deserted from the Catterick Barracks and camped out in the
Dales near Wolsingham over winter. These fellows threw their lot in with Chopwell
and brought one of the very rare Matilda II tanks with them. This behemoth of a modern tank is one of a
very few that made it off the production lines before the outbreak of war.
Advancing from the east was an anti-Socialist force made up
of three longstanding allies.
Facing the Chopwell positions was a skilled and well-trained
force of Lord Lambton’s “Hounds”. Over winter they’d made good use of their time
developing quality infantry tactics. They’d
also acquired a good supply on Lewis guns and bought in a stable of Austin
armoured cars. Lord Lambton was sick of his pride and joy Rolls Royce fleet
getting damaged, so he spent some cash on front line replacements.
In the centre was Lord Percy’s Tenantry. Well supplied with a rag-tag collection of
armoured vehicles, Lord Percy had increasingly moved his garrisons down south
to ring Durham and support the ongoing hostilities there.
And on the left, facing the Catterick deserters were the
Gateshead German League. Rumours of
their terrible behaviour towards the locals in their area have been flatly
denied by the GGL leadership, but what is certain is that the winter saw them
heavily resupplied by imported German arms and materiel.
Each side fielded three forces, each of 1500pts (so 4500pts a side).
We set up the game using the OPR rules, and decided that on
each side’s go, each player would activate a single unit, so each side would
see three units activate each "bound". The
objectives were clear – capture and hold the three crossroads along the A1. We
had 4 Turns to do this, so aggressive play would be needed!
Boths sides set up simultaneously (to save time), and we set
to it with the Socialists taking the first turn.
Turn 1
On the right flank the Chopwell forces found it hard
going. They advanced into a wall of disciplined
Lambton rifle fire. The Lambton units
were well commanded with leaders instilling fire discipline and this told on
the Communist forces stopping their advance well back from the A1.
Lambton’s Hounds pushed up aggressively, taking a solid position
at the road and setting up for a coming surprise…
In the centre, the Sands LDV and Lord Percy’s forces
advanced through a built-up area near St John’s Church at Neville’s Cross. There was a significant exchange of fire
along the road, and rifle fire crackled around the nearby buildings.
The left flank was similarly pyrotechnic with the Catterick
deserters and GGL pouring heavy fire into each other. Antitank guns spat at armour and skilled
riflemen picked each other off at range.
The Catterick boys made better progress towards their objective on the A1
though, forcing the GGL onto the back foot.
Turn 2
Lambton’s Hounds sprang a trap! Their mercenary elites had
snuck across the road in the early morning and hid in a nearby hollow. With the
star of hostilities, these fanatics appeared on the flank of the Chopwell
position. This startling and unexpected arrival threw the Communists into
disarray and their rear support units struggled to counter the withering fire
from these killers. At the same time the
Lambton’s Austin armoured car got in on the action, tearing a Red cavalry unit
to pieces. Reeling, the Remaining Red cavalry charged the Austin and managed to
knock it out! The Austin crew panicked
and surrendered, while the cavalry sabotaged the vehicle to prevent its use.
Despite this minor victory, Lord Lambton’s forces took a commanding position on
the road and the Communists were fighting a losing battle from that point.
 |
| The glorious but doomed Red Cavalry charge takes out the Austin armoured car! |
In the centre the fighting between the Sands LDV and Lord
Percy’s Tenantry became close ranged and bitter. Both sides advanced on the
crossroads and rifle fire was almost point blank. Terrified residents harangued both sides from
their upper windows as rifle bullets fizzed down alleyways. Of course, both sides respected the sanctity
of residential gardens and stayed out of the church grounds, but still…
 |
| Lord Percy's armour advances. |
The left flank continued to batter away at each other, and
the GGL brought up their lancer cavalry to try and reverse the position and
drive out the Catterick boys. A brutal
tank duel emerged as the Catterick forces pushed onto the A1.
Turn 3
Not content with their earlier trap, Lambton’s Hounds had sent
two mercenary fanatic teams out, and the second one now arrived. These fellows had worked their way into the
Communist’s rear area and driven off their supports. They now arrived on the battlefield directly
into Chopwell’s rear position. Meanwhile Lambton’s Houses came across the A1 in
force. The Chopwell position was hopeless, and the few survivors began a
fighting retreat as best they could. Even the help of some Sands LDV troops
coming across to try and take out the Lambton ambush couldn’t save the flank.
 |
| The unstoppable Lambton advance! |
In the centre, the Sands LDV pushed up their transport truck,
Austin Kegresse armoured car, and infantry to take the crossroads. Lord Percy’s
troops matched this move putting their rag-tag armour up there too. Fierce fire
created a carpark of wrecked vehicles! The crossroads remained contested.
 |
| The pile up at the crossroads... |
Over on the left flank, the Catterick boys captured the
crossroads, ably supported by the fearsome Matilda II. The Gateshead German
League attack was blunted, its cavalry gone, and its Panzers wrecked or running
low on fuel.
Turn 4
With the two flanks decided, attention turned to the bitter
fighting in the centre. Both sides had
lost much of their strength, and neither could dislodge the other.
As ammunition supplies dwindled, scare fuel reserves ran
dry, and the local pubs rand the lunchtime bells, the fighting died down and
both sides withdrew for a hard-fought draw.
 |
| Desperate and horrific close quarters fighting. |
After Action
It was an excellent game, and the One Page Rules lists and
rules we’d worked up did the job it needed to. There were a few little idiosyncrasies
as there are with all rulesets of course. The game was a lot of fun with some excellent
swings of fate across the whole table. The drawn result felt like the right
outcome too. We’ll be revisiting this conflict in the north again.
Pictures courtesy of Lord Percy's photography unit (thanks John!)
