The Streets of Liverpool

 Industrialized streets of the Free State of Liverpool. The BUF forces will come from the right while the Socialist/Anarchist front lines occupy the three red and one buff brick buildings to the right...

The main battlefield looking over the defender's shoulders...

The four BUF assault sections pour out of their positions to storm across the street, taking their first casualties...

The BUF militia on the right reaches the fence after taking another loss. But the Socialists get a bad break when they are struck by LMG fire. According to the rules, any unit fired upon by automatic weapons must make a Nerve check, and the Socialists roll snake eyes on two d6! Their Nerve slips to "Jumpy' (red cap)...

On the BUF left, they take down two Anarchists while losing only one of their own...

Again on the BUF left, two squads reach the defended buildings but get another break. The Anarchist fail two Nerve checks, and it falls to 'Suppressed" (yellow cap)...

Back to the right, the Socialists continue to fail Nerve checks as they fall to Suppressed. However, the attacking BUF Militia, which has lost 50%, sees their Nerve lowers to Jumpy. This Squad will soon Rout from the field...

The Anarchists barely maintain their position while supporting fire drops a few BUF who do successfully pass their own Nerve check...

Both the Socialists (top) and Anarchists begin to run.  The Socialist luck runs out as the BUF HMG guns down three of their number, causing them to Rout and leave the table...

Back on the BUF right, the second BUF Militia storms the now unoccupied building to their front...

The Anarchists don't get much further, as the BUF squads catch them out in the open and destroy them. First phase to the BUF forces!

to be continued...

The Approaches to Liverpool VBCW

The Liverpool Free State had stationed a reinforced infantry platoon as a tripwire to their main defenses within Liverpool (top of photo). A BUF force with a Vickers MkII and Matilda I tanks were sent to recon the best route to the city. 

A small village located just outside of Liverpool, was garrisoned by socialist (left) and anarchist (right) sections and were approached by a regular BUF section (bottom)...

The anarchists draw first blood...

Another BUF goes down, but the anarchists lose one as well...

The anarchists were feeling pretty optimistic...until that Vickers MkII showed up near their position!

Forced to fall back, they nevertheless downed two more BUF, but then lost one of their own. A BUF militia squad joins to the left of the line. (Note, you can just make out a Boys ATR to the anarchists right)...

As the anarchists continue to fall back, the defenders Armored truck races down the road and drops more BUF. The Vickers fires at point blank, and misses!

The action on the BUF left finally lights up as a Matilda I smashes through the hedges and enables its infantry support to move forward...

The AC is immobilized by the Vickers, which in turn is immobilized by a Boys ATR shot from the edge of town! The supporting BUF infantry take further losses and are routed from the field...

After taking numerous hits from the socialists to their flank, two BUF sections will continue their advance past the defenders and will reach the outskirts of Liverpool. Mission accomplished despite taking heavy casualties, 24-7!

Assault on the 'Roc'

Following the successful recon mission of the crashed Roc, a reinforced Imperial force arrived. x3 squads ea of Catachan, Royal, and Cadian soldiers, alongside 3x Chimera and a Leman Russ. This is that struggle:

The view taken from the Imperial side moving out into the burned area. (Unfortunately, the Imperial Player forgot the Chimera and so they are marked by the plastic cases)...

View opposite of the Ork forces...The Greenskins fire on (and some excellent shooting by the Orks!) and charge two different Cadian squads...

On the far left, Orks and Catachan exchange some losses...

Even as one Ork Mob is devastated in the center, a rolling mist/fog descends on the right on the battlefield (bottom). Then a chittering sound is heard getting louder and louder, until suddenly, masses of Tyranids appear! A whole new fight has arrived...

In our narrative, the Tyranids followed the escaping Roc from the environs of the space battle mentioned earlier, to land right behind the Orks, and thereby escaping Imperial eyes! 

  Meanwhile on the far left, the Catachan are nearly destroyed in melee. (note the lone Catachan survivor top center)...

Close up of some Genestealers advancing against the Imperial left flank, with the Leman Russ at the top...

The final dramatic photos have disappeared! (this has occurred twice now and I don't have an explanation) A Tyranid Hierophant next appeared to devastate the Orks on this flank. The Imperials withdrew into the jungle while the Greenskins fell back into their Roc! The fight for Skyren will continue!

To replace the lost photos, Ive added separate images of the Tyranid Titan...

The Return to Skyren

Following the initial battle that taught the Imperium that Orks had arrived on Skyren, a Reconaisance Force was sent out to discover where the Orks had come form. 

You have to use a bit of imagination here as the Ork Roc that escaped from the Tyranid infested Space Hulk moving on the planet Harvest, would be located at the left edge of the table. the crash has created a furrow and a fire burned much of the jungle edge. To the right zre the forces of the IMperium, inc three squads each of Catachan, Cadian, and Skyren Royal Regiment, along with some supporting weapons. A single Greenskin Mob can just be seen below the crest of the furrow...

The view taken from over the Greenskins, showing the Warboss (center bottom) ready for the struggle...

The opposing view, as the Royals can just make out some Greenskins...

Following the opening shots by a Big Shooter, it becomes a casualty to return fire...

The Orks inflict some losses on the Royals as their compatriots advance...

As the Royals get closer, the Ork Mob advance but take casualties...

More Greenskins appear on the right but more losses are taken. Well the Orks are not built for shooting! If only the Humies continue to get closer...

They do score a few hits, as the Royals' Command takes a hit...

The Cadians, led by "Rambo", take their first loss...

The Catachan and Cadins (background) take down their first Orks...

Back on the right, the Royals and Greenskins exchange losses. They are getting closer..

But more Orks go down...

The first charge strikes home and one Royal Squad is destroyed along with much of the command. Total carnage...

On the left, another charge strikes home and a Cadian squad is wiped out. Now the Greenskins are in their element...

The last Royals retire, but do not escape Orkish revenge, and are totally destroyed...

The last Royals are hardpressed on the right...

The successful Orks in the center pay for their exposed position from Imperium support weapons...

Back on the right, it is virtually mutual self destruction...

The Recon comes to an end and the Imperium now knows the location of their hated enemies...

The Jats in the Rubber

 As the Japanese assaulted the main British lines at Jitra, they also slammed into the Jat battalion nearby in a rubber plantation. This game turned quickly into the most lopsided struggle I ever experienced. It involved the Chain of Command Rules surrounding the Japanese using the aircraft bombardment attachment. This required a d6 roll by the British player to determine if they will arrive on time. In three of five rolls, I (British player) a one was rolled which kept three of the Jat squads from entering the battlefield until the end of the turn (x3 sixes in the Command points phase needed in a turn! It turned out that they never did arrive. That meant 3/4 of the defenders would never take part. Needless to say, this meant for an impossible game, but hey, thats the way things go.

On the third phase of the turn, the Jats received their Vickers MMG team which opened fire on the quickly approaching Japanese...

The one Jat squad that did arrive (to the right of the Vickers team), quickly inflicted numerous casualties on a second Japanese squad, although it did receive a lot of Shock in return...

That same squad then took numerous casualties and even more Shock. The unit is nearly suppressed already (Shock markers equaling the remaining figures)...

The Vickers team got exactly one phase of fire before it was overrun and destroyed...

Unfortunately for the Jats, their one squad was now suppressed in the fifth phase!

The Jats get their 2lb ATG which scores a hit on the Japanese Chi Ha tank, forcing it to retire a few inches. Howeveer, it then it is hit by Shock that almost suppressed it...

Closeup of the brave gun crew...

The Jat squad is barely hanging on...

The Chi Ha tank plays cat and mouse behind the native hut...

The ATG is forced to fire against the advancing Japanese squad because there is literally nothing else at the Jats disposal. They do succeed in getting a hit...

The Jats seem to be getting the advantage against the Japanese to their front...

But Additional Japanese troops are now flanking the Jats from the left, who are now Suppressed...

And then they are outed as the 2lb crew is wiped out as well. And that was it, very frustrating...

This game unfortunately reinforces my opinion that Chain of Command is not my choice of WWII Rules. It was however interesting to use their mini-campaign covering Malaya, something you do see very often!