HEREFORD SPRING BATTLE REPORT (7) - BATTLE OF WILLERSLEY

The situation was now desperate. Captain Stroganov was forced to withdraw from his exposed position, retreating to the shelter of his Command Car:

Captain Stroganov and his Command Car, right. In the roadway, a Communist A/T Technical
and an ILP (multi machine gunned) Technical.

The Blackshorts in general advance. The badly depleted Communists have retreated to the last hedge
line (top), but have little hope of holding back the hordes of Blackshorts. The ILP throw in their
last remaining asset, the "Tom Tank" (top right).

Mr Benn, leader of the ILP, now gambled upon a counter-thrust to relieve the pressure on his Communist allies - he sent his "Tom Tank", together with the allies few remaining (semi) armoured assets, into a charge "up the road", spraying machine gun fire as they went. Magnificent in conception, the counter-thrust ended badly:

Boom ! The advance of the "Tom Tank" halted by 3rd Blackshorts AT Rifle
The tank burns in the roadway....the rest of the "semi armour" is lost.

A longer distance shot. Imperial Blackshorts have now
reached the village of Willersley (top left) as Third
Blackshorts advance (HQ next to AT Rifle in roadway).

while the Classic Blackshorts complete a flanking manoeuvre to the right of Willersley
Village, breaching the Communist's final hedge-line and reaching the A438 itself.

The end....Captain Stroganov's few remaining Communists - sections now reduced to but one or two men - go "Jumpy" along the A438. The ILP transfer assets to the flank in a failed attempt to stop
the Classic Blackshorts. Stroganov himself, together with his Standard Bearer,
contemplate a sharp exit.

The end...the ILP garrison their last remaining house in Willersley, while Imperial and Third
Blackshorts prepare a final assault. Blackshorts Armoured Car and Commercial Vehicle head
towards the A438.

Blackshort Triumph...with all resistance cleared or departed, the "Commercial Vehicle"
gains "free passage" along the A438 !

Mr Benn of the ILP managed to keep his command more or less intact, despite suffering significant casualties, and retreated in good order from Willersley. Captain Stroganov is now on his way back to Presteigne, facing an uncertain future. In contrast, his Communist raiding forces suffered more than 95% casualties, which statistic provided Commissar Moody of the Presteigne Bureau Desinformitzya with "the propaganda public information line to take":

"The Martyrs of Willersley". A poster produced by Commissar
Moody immediately after the Battle. The heroic sacrifice  of the
Communist troops, it is hoped, will provide an example to new recruits...

In the face of massacre, Commissar Moody's finest propaganda
public information campaign to date....

Communist Casualty Note: those familiar with the "Went the Day Well" Rules may well be puzzled by the extent of the Communist casualties, and wonder why the morale rules did not result in Communist withdrawal before utter annihilation. There are two possible explanations - (1). in the chaos of battle, the players simply failed to implement the morale rules properly, or (2). Eustace Spode's (aka JP's) utter bloodlust....we shall leave you to choose the explanation you prefer.  

Commander Casualty Note: Eustace Spode himself, having been caught in an explosion early on at the Battle of Willersley, is said to be "hovering between life and death" at a Blackshort Casualty Clearing Station, with his uncle, the 7th Earl of Sidcup, weeping by his bedside..........