Firing practice ...

A detachment of Begovian provincial troops gets in some firing practice, before duties aboard the river boats of the corsairs.

( Some figures from Essex Miniatures renaissance ottomans range, to help man the river corsair boats and also take part in land actions if needed)

What the bells ?

continued from the previous post ....

---oXo---

Red Jack and his men hurried through a wooded area towards the river Oudear for a rendezvous with a boat to take the stolen golden bells to Monrovia.  As they passed an old ruined building the cart with the bells in hit a tree root and tipped over spilling the load on the ground. After righting the cart one of the men noticed one of the bells was damaged.. the looked closer it was made of lead and gold paint

 Red Jack gave the bell a desultory kick...  and gave a hearty chuckle. We'll lads we've been duped. Load 'em up - we'll pass them off to the Monrovians or lose them as we cross the river ..

---oXo---

Meanwhile in Glockstein a coach and cart had arrived in one of St Tyrian's abbey courtyards (they had been escorted by some jagers via a different route). A gentleman stepped down from the coach, introduced himself to the abbot as Georg von Duzberg from the Duchy of Fenwick and said I have two bells for you from the Duke ....

 The cover of the rear wagon was removed ro reveal the two gold covered bells ....

The Bells of St Tynians

The Duke of Fenwick had donated two new bells, covered in gold, to the abbey of St Tynians at Glockstein in Wittenberg. A convoy including the new bells had travelled without incident from Fenwick into Wittenberg.  As the last leg of their route would take them near the Monrovian border Mlle Givenchy's irregulars and a small detachment of jagers were added to the convoy's escort.

Aware of the progress of the convoy, the Monrovians sent the adventurer Red Jack to steal them.

---oXo---

At Glockstein, a couple of the garrsion keep a watch from the town gate ...

The small convoy with the bells approaches along the road towards Glockstein

Waiting in the woods overlooking the road, Red Jack waits with some of his men....

The convoy continues along the road, some of the escort (from Mlle Givenchy's irregulars) cross the hedge to check out one of the adjoining fields...

More of Red Jacks men get into position ....

As the convoy gets into the valley, Red Jack's men approach from the woods on both sides...

The firing starts ......

The garrison at Glockstein hear the musket fire but can't see anything, they report it to the officer on duty ...

The escort, Mlle Givenchy's irregulars and a small detachment of jagers, try to get into a position to defend the convoy as Red Jack's men close in ....

The first two wagons, including the one with the bells, manage to slip through and make as fast as they can for Glockstein...

The escort just manage to keep the attackers away from the last wagon .....

The attackers make a rush on the last wagon .....while the rest catch up with the lead wagons ....

whats left of the escort retreat behind the hedge on the far side of the road, Red Jack and his men have control of the convoy and the valuable bells ....

Red jack and his men take the bell wagon, the other smaller wagon and the pack horse - after rifling through the big wagon they make their getaway ....

---oXo---

Some time later, a small party of dragoons leave Glockstein to investigate ....

They find whats left standing of the escort by the big wagon; Mlle Givenchy (wounded but OK), tells the dragoon commander which direction the attackers went in...

Wittenberg Army refurbishment ...

With the Monrovian army refurbishment done I thought it time that the Wittenberg army deserved a bit of a tidy up and t.l.c. ; a rework of command stands and basing initially - maybe replacing some of the cavalry. As the Wittenberg army is based on that of Saxony; I have been doing some reading.

I've had the Summerfield Book for a while, but bought the Helion books recently for extra info. Also will refer to SYW Project website as well. Overall, there are 15 infantry units and 11 cavalry units to be worked on. The new figures for the infantry (~40 command figs from various sources) and new horses for two units of the cavalry have been obtained. I'm about halfway through the refurbishment at the moment. A couple of completed units .....

LeibGrenadier Garde

Prinz Xaver

The Uhlans

Merry Xmas .....

somewhere in the far north, the last of the reindeers is rounded up for sleigh duty .....

 In down-town Wittenberg, shoppers are out to do some present shopping ....

 At the palace, in the Kings appartments the usual Xmas gathering is in progress

A Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to All

Coming up-stream .....

Down the river Oudear, just off Begovian territory, a small flotilla of corsairs are moving up river ... their target the rich trading routes between Wittenberg, Hesse-Limberger and Saxe-Jarlsberg...

[Foundry Beluchi take on a role as Begovian Corsairs]

Gunnery practice .....

The Leopold now has its full complement of  crew and is out on the river Oudear for gunnery practice...