Historicon 2009

16-19 July 2009

Sandy Botond calls me up and asks "Hey, want to go to Historicon?" Well, I was planning a
trip to London for August and couldn't afford it. "I'll fly you on Southwest and you can stay
in our room." Okay, twist my arm then.

I can't tell you how glad I am that I went.

First, we stopped by the U.S. ARMY ORDNANCE MUSEUM at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds.

Then on the way to the Lancaster Host Resort, we traveled through Amish country...

Local news coverage of Historicon 2009 (will open in a new window)

Rob Wubbenhorst's Aberdeen and Historicon photos. (will open in a new window)

We also had to stop for the best crabcake ever...
All crab, NO filler!

GAME 1: "Check Your 6", Israel vs. Syria, over Lebannon in 1982.

My Israeli A4s on their way to the target.

First, I have to fly through SAM ALLEY...but I'm covered by the F-16 to the left.

Sandy thought he'd be clever and hang back. Nice missile sponge there, Captain!
(For the benefit of people reading this who don't know Sandy - he is a retired USMC fighter pilot,
so it's fair to give him all kinds of crap for getting shot down.)

There's the target in the distance, and I'm not fooling around about getting there.
(Sandy burns in a thick column of smoke.)

ON TARGET! Massive amounts of bomb damage on the Syrian radar station.
Now that I've dropped my bombs, I can turn and fight!

Holy crap, how do I get back alive?

GAME 2: "Aspern" - half of the battle. We used Column, Line and Square.

Defense of Aspern. I've got the French infantry on the left, outside of town.

The Austrians advance as their cavalry arrives in reserve.
Look at the size of those cavalry units!

Howitzer fire is brutal. Everything touched by the template dies...

That is a single unit of 45 Chasseurs...900 man regiment!

Dick Bryant was my opponent across the table. Doesn't he look thrilled to see me?
I learned a lot from him and really enjoyed the time listening to him talk about the hobby.

He definitely knows how to play...it was tough holding on.

We fed everything we had into the fight, but eventually our defensive line was overrun.
We lost an entire box of troops in one turn of combat (maybe $1000 worth).

I have to show this - post 1809 uniformed Carabiniers at Aspern!
(Notice the 1804 flag on them....)

A nice wide view of the battle...very impressive.

This is the fighting over by the town and church. We managed to hold on.

GAME 3: "Sharpe's Retreat" - I play as a scrub, getting whipped by the British.

It was my job to clean off the hill while the rest caught up with the retreating British.

As you can see, it's pretty clean! Slimey Brits got away though....

GAME 4: "Austerlitz" - I'm Dolgorukov, on the Allied right.

This is my division.

I've got it all nice and deployed in a defense in depth.

We watch the glorious cavalry fight.

It's a huge battle. The Allies are attacking on the left, while the French attack our right.

More time-traveling Carabiniers...

Dave Waxtel takes charge! I think we were winning until then.

The Allies drive back the French right.

We are still holding on.

Oops, my division finally broke. But it took a pounding.

GAME 5: "Snappy Nappy" - I said I would try it.

Russ Lockwood runs a demo game.

The game is quick, bloody and fun.

GAME 6: "Check Your 6" - Finns vs. Soviets.

This was a great scenario - six Finns attacking a flight of bombers and a ton of escort fighters.
I played a Soviet pilot and had to stay in formation.