Cruiser 2009 - a short photo-report

The following images give a flavour of the events that took place during Cruiser 2009.

Michael Curry's DR WHO game pitted soldiers from UNIT against a variety of different aliens. The game proved to be very popular with young and old alike.

The FLETCHER PRATT NAVAL WAR GAME in full swing. The scenario involved a British attack on a Japanese-held fortified harbour. A Japanese Kongo-class Battle Cruiser was moored just inside the harbour and the British attackers had to try to sink or damage it.

Tim Price MBE delivering his lecture about THE USE OF WARGAMING IN THE MODERN BRITISH ARMY. Professor Philip Sabin – who is seated in the front row of Tim's lecture – also delivered a very interesting and thought-provoking lecture about USING WARGAMES TO UNDERSTAND MILITARY HISTORY.

Daniel Shaw's wargame about the 1st BATTLE OF NARVIK was praised by everyone who took part in it.

James Kemp ran a game about World War I trench raids entitled HOT BLOOD & COLD STEEL. It used terrain created from individual painted offset squares.

Wayne Thomas attempting to survive a bombing mission over Germany during World War II. ON A WING AND A PRAYER was developed by members of Wargame Developments Display Team North – including Tim Gow seen here running this particular game – and allows players to understand why so few aircrew completed their allotted 30 missions.

Other games that took place included:

• DAMAGE CONTROL run by Jim Wallman. This game used deck plans of HMS Belfast, and the players had to repair battle damage – including fires and shell holes as and when it occurred.
• 'TIS TO GLORY WE STEER run by Jerry Elsmore. This game allows players to experience what it was like trying to climb the promotion ladder in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.
• THE GAME OF NAVAL BLOCKADE run by Richard Brooks. This game was originally designed during the later nineteenth century to help young naval officers understand the tactics of imposing – or running – a blockade.