UWS Programme for 2026

Although we usually have several games running at each of our monthly meetings, we encourage members to commit in advance to run at least one game per month. That way we hope to ensure there's at least one thing happening every month!

The table below shows what is planned so far and what happened.

David M.

Date	Period	Scale	Rules (if known)	Organiser(s)
10 Jan	Napoleonic WSS    Dark ages Ancient	28mm 10mm 28mm 28mm	Sharpe Practice FOB 3 Pillage Hail Caesar	Jeremy D, Chris and David M Gary Leslie Andy
31 Jan	AGM Cold war naval WW2 French and Indian war	6mm 28mm	Skyhawk Combat HQ Sharpe practice	Jeremy Dowd Jeremy Mulholland Mike Leathem Jeremy Dowd
28 Feb
28 Mar
25 Apr
30 May
27 Jun
25 July
29 Aug
26 Sep
31 Oct
28 Nov
Dec	No meeting. Provisionally ??th January

 

 
 

Overview 31st.

Good turnout this month. I believe we had 22 people involved in playing 3 games.

The games were : 

• French and Indian war using Sharpe Practice.
• Modern Naval using Shipwreck.
• WW2 using Combat HQ.

Setup time.

The Black Sea Incident.

A Black Sea incident circa 1991. 

Using SHIP WRECK in 1/3000th scale for the ships and 1/1200th for the helicopters.

Organized, using terrain and models and umpired by Jeremy Mulholland.

AAR by Gary.

Players

Squadron 1 : Stephen Brittan, David Brown, Charlie Dickinson.

Squadron 2 : Gary, Josh Dickinson , Ian Smith.

Squadron 3 : David Pentland, David Taylor.

Commander of the aircraft carrier Kuznetsov was Neil Simpson. 

I participated in a naval game run by Jeremy M and others using Ship Wreck rules. 

The setting was 1991 with three naval squadrons each of three ships, of the Black Sea Fleet operating on said sea area under the overall Command of an Admiral (Charlie).

Each Squadron had a Commander and two other players commanding individual ships (to simplify matters no aircraft or submarines were available)

My ship (chosen randomly) was a Sovremenny Class Guided Missile Destroyer accompanied by another Sovremenny (Ian) and with our Commander (Ross) using an upgraded but vintage Nanuchta (I think) cruiser type. 

Note my knowledge of Soviet ship names/classes from period/game is ropey at best

Here is the information sheet for my craft (note showing damage and weapon system losses)

The rub for each squadron was that each ship additionally had a note to the effect that the crews loyalty was either pro-Moscow or pro-Kiev (Ukraine having just recently separated from Soviet Bloc) but no players was initially aware of where any other ships loyalties lay.

Overall scenario was that the Kuznetzov Aircraft Carrier had set sail from Sevastopol on a 'special mission' and it was then revealed via fleet wide radio transmission that the crew of the carrier had mutinied and orders were to intercept and return the vessel to Sevastopol or for those of a Muscovite proclivity to assist its escape from Black Sea via Bosphorus Straits.

Plotting board for operational area with note of my Ukrainian loyalty at top, table area was 4' x '4' (or a 'fight in a phone box' as Ross termed it). 

It should be noted that the three separate squadrons were set up on separate tables initially (although all part of same 4 x 4 operational area meaning no squadron had an exact location for the others until radar detection (Passive or active including some ship-borne helicopter activity) revealed locations. 

Once the location of Kuznetzov was revealed all squadrons would transfer to a single table for shenanigans to proceed in full.

Once the message re the mutiny by Russian scum was revealed then searching began by each squadron and individual ships.

In our squadron I was lead ship followed by commander with Ians to rear (both he and I had scouting Ka-25 helos) but not knowing the loyalty of my squadron pals I broke formation early trying to put some nautical miles between us.

My ship leads the Squadron with helos being launched (Black chips denote radars set to passive, Red was for active), I then headed to 12 o'clock as they continued towards 2 o'clock but only for 2 turns before the big target appeared in close proximity to my 11 o'clock and all went to master table.

After a couple of turns of movement and radar detection the Kuznetzov was soon revealed to be in the company (i.e. it was using them as a screen) of several merchant ships or tankers from various nationalities (Turkish, Iranian, Indian and Italian).

This lead to all ships being transferred to the master table and as it turned out my ship was almost on top of the traitorous carrier !

It seemed no-one was wanting to declare their loyalty too soon (ie no shooting) but I decided to instantly raise my flag by shooting a warning shot across the bow of the carrier hoping to divert its course or stop its progress, this was of course ignored and then suddenly several ships in the vicinity launched missiles and blasted away with guns after seeing my action.

Indeed one fellow Ukrainian crew (Dave P) managed to send a missile my way (diverted by a target decoy) which thankfully missed.

The fleet Admiral sent out urgent and vehement messages (from Kiev) to all ships to stop all firing upon the carrier or indeed each other despite firing of a few salvoes of his own.

I dutifully did so only using my ordnance defensively but not so other traitorous crews and commanders with my squadron mates showing their Commie credentials by hurling waves of missiles and guns rounds at my ship. 

I soon took a ton of hits despite shooting down several SSMs and lost several weapon systems before damage was enough to send my heroic crew to the depths with their ship, Slava Ukraine !

Things then heated up for as players revealed (well mostly) their true colours with more exchanges of weaponry.

Several ships were hit with some damaged including critically whilst the Carrier and Merchants steamed south (before having to turn SSW toward straits).

Dave T (hero) did mange to impede the Kuznetzov forcing it to stop for one turn but at cost of his ship as pummeled by various traitors.

Fleet flagship (Charlie) was then set upon by his other Squadron mate (Mr B) whom he thought was Kiev friendly. 

As these exchanges of fire occurred time had to be called and with Ukrainian losses (3 of 4 ?) and Carriers progress (still well short of Straits but unlikely to be thwarted) it was declared a Russian success.

Just what the rest of world would think of this was a matter of much debate.

A lot of work put into setting up and running the game (10 players involved) and was good fun with an interesting scenario and period.

Rules being new to most of us Jeremy had a lot of queries to sort but it seemed to go well overall.

I found the sorting of available weapon systems and firing arcs, ammo usage the most confusing to comprehend initially. 

It is a D10 system with missiles firing first which can be intercepted or decoyed then guns/cannons open up in 6 possible sub-phases so a lot of shells can be fired depending on gun types, ranges and arcs. 

Not a lot of pics as not much to see initially and busy playing.

The initial maneuvering tables the wall being North for plotting purposes.

Action has now transferred to master table (my ship beneath the waves at this stage) with Kuznetzov at bottom right hiding in cowardly fashion behind merchantmen.

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Editorial photos : 

Taken during the day and shown in order of the time they were taken. I have no idea what is going on.

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Photos curtesy of Gary and the Editor. 

Confrontation at Caen.

A Game of the second world war, France 1944. 

Using Combat HQ in 6mm.

Organized, using terrain and models and nominally umpired by Mike Leatham.

AAR by Simon Reid.

Players

British     : Mike, Andy, Simon.
German  : Bryn, Andy.

Forces: 
British     : Two Infantry Battalions and an Armoured Battalion. 
Germans: Two Infantry Battalions and an Armoured Battalion. 

British had a superior number of points. Game set in 1944 in a generic area around Caen. 

The AAR is from the British point of view as inevitably being British I wasn’t privy to the full German forces or plan. 

The Map

Initial Deployments

The Battle 

The British plan was to send the 1st Dorsets up the left of the road and the 2nd Dorsets up the Right. They were to take Aubrey farm and St-Pierre Farm by mass assault and create a position for the 12th Hussars to then be deployed. 

Mike leading the 1st Dorsets was somewhat slowed by a hedge line in his way and getting spotted early by the German outposts. 

Andy leading the 2nd Dorsets unobstructed and with failed spotting rolls by the Germans was able to rapidly race to St Pierre Farm getting three full companies deployed at close range. 

The combined effect of the 2nd Dorsets firepower was able to rapidly destroy the German outpost at St-Pierre clearly causing some consternation in the German ranks as the infantry deployed behind a wood behind the farm bugged out back to their main position along the Rued – Rouget farm line. 

The 1st Dorsets took a bit longer to clear Aubrey farm but eventually completed the task but then came under fire from a German infantry company and Hertzer Company deployed behind. 

Simon commanding the British Armoured Battalion sent forward a company of Archers to St-Pierre farm to bring fire on the Hertzer’s in support of Mikes attack. They had their effect driving off the German Armour as Mikes infantry threatened to close on them.

As the German outpost line began to collapse under the pressure things seemed to be going well. The Germans raced up from reserve some more infantry and AT guns to their main line along a line from Rued Farm to Rouget farm to the northern wood. 

British Artillery forward observers plotted a barrage on the German AT units coming up the road and the scene seemed set for a great success as Andy and Mike began to prepare for phase two. 

Photo : Picture Below from German point of view 

Photo: The British Push, 

Alas a constant series of command failures cancelled and prevented the barrage. The terrible sight of a full company of German Panthers and Tigers and a Company of Stugs coming up and forming a line between Rouget and the wood. More German Infantry and AT reinforcing between Rued farm and Rouget farm made it clear that further advance would be difficult without a co-ordinated attack. 

The Archer company which had been driving off the Hertzers along with Mikes Infantry was rapidly destroyed by the hail of German long range AT fire. 

Mike and Andy were largely bogged down at this stage under fire. A decision was taken for both battalions to drive forward with Andy inclining to the north to join with Mikes right flank and his mass of infantry to form a screen as the British Armoured battalion entering on the extreme northern side of the table moved up in a mass column behind the infantry aiming for the point between Rouget farm and the wood , hoping to use the infantry to screen them until they were close enough to take on the German heavy armour at close range and overwhelm them by mass.

Alas the day came to an end and the British could only claim they had at least pushed in the German Outpost line. 

Photo: The Final position before nightfall.

Key Take Aways

The Germans acted very historically using an outpost line of infantry to soak up the initial British advance and slow it forcing units of their blinds and thus slow down. By the time the British had cleared the outpost line the Germans had formed a formidable line ahead.

In retrospect the British, had they used their staff orders early before command failures started they could have used their armour in mass in the centre whilst the two infantry battalions pushed the outposts back and this might have allowed them to get closer to the German main line before the German heavy Armour deployed. It was only when too late and only with a chain of command failures did the British recall they could have put down a smoke screen which would also have helped against the German long range fire power. 

The Germans had held the line.

A good game played in good humour by all. 

Editorial pictures.

During the day I took some pictures of the battle, these are presented in order of the time taken.

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Photos curtesy of Simon and the Editor.