Room For A Few More

 Recent weeks have seen me busy getting various commissions completed so that they could be delivered before the Christmas rush, I have however managed to squeeze some of my own painting in too.

First up a Brazilian volunteer battalion for the War of the Triple Alliance project, another Paraguayan battalion is a third of the way to completion too.

You may recall I said I might need a German MMG team in cold weather garb for the 20mm collection. Well of course I did.

Whilst I was in 20mm mode I dugout some AB Figures in winter looking clothes that I had bought at a York show, goodness knows when.

No games planned until the new year, although I may play the third game in my solo Chain of Command campaign I started during lockdown, we will see.

All remains is to wish you all a Merry Christmas and many thanks for all the kind comments, encouragement and inspiration throughout 2021

TTFN and KBO

Solo In The Snow

 So I set to on my last solo outing of 2021, lets hope I do not have to start the new year with one, yes I am looking at you Boris.

The game would be a German attack on a forward British position to clear the way for the main attack, the game would last until one side exceeded their Battle Rating or at 00.30 hours whichever came first.

Captioned photos of the action follow below,

A British Vickers MG keep watch down the road.

Steiners's foot patrol advance through the copse to probe the British right flank.

The German StugIII advances in the centre with an infantry squad in support.

It soon comes under British mortar fire.

The British Cromwell comes up in support.

The Germans counter with a PzIV.

After a lengthy duel the Cromwell comes off worse, however the PzIVs ammunition is almost exhausted in the process.

The Germans attempt a flanking move on the British left but are intercepted by British reinforcements and destroyed.

The Stug moves up in support of the PzIV although the Stug itself is low on ammunition, expending it on destroying the Vickers team.

The German mortar support is less than satisfactory.

The British Sherman moves up.

Table overview.

The Sherman engages the PzIV without much success.

However it forces the PzIv to respond with similar results, it does exhaust its ammunition though.

The problem when I roll for both sides is things rarely get hit so 00.30 soon arrived, time to assess the situation.

The British had lost the Cromwell and the Vickers team, with a reserve section still to come up and only having lost a third of its Battle Rating was still in pretty good shape.

The Germans had only lost a full squad and a Panzerschrek team, however the PzIv was out of ammo the Stug had one round of fire left and four infantry units were pinned, their Battle Rating only had a third remaining.

It was evident that the Germans were not really in a position to carry on with its remit so I decided it would withdraw.

I think the mat really looks the part and I think from the photos most will concur.

Next Tuesday it will be over to GHQ again when Don Baldini will once again fight for control of Howardsville.

TTFN and KBO

Winters Coming

 With the latest B and C dictate my wife is working at home full time again, as she needs the dining table to work on games at OHQ have been curtailed for the time being. Having recently taken delivery of my Geek Villain winter mat I am determined to see it used before the new year. A solo outing is in order, also practice for when after our "fictional" Christmas parties are done and dusted we will no doubt be put in lockdown again, double, triple jabs notwithstanding.

I will post a report in due course, in the meantime a picture of said mat ready for battle follows.

Waiting For The Bus

 Readers may recall that I had purchased the Roden Models Vomag with 8.8cm flak gun mount, here it is together with a couple of other additions to the 20mm WWII collection.

The Vomag is painted to represent one of the two that were in Budapest in 1945, I have recently learned that they had been refitted with gun shields. Perhaps this suggests they were used in a ground role? Either way this will most likely be used as set dressing or an aide memoir I have an off table 88 shot.

My other additions are a graveyard for Bikkelheim and a platoon HQ in greatcoats to go with my platoon in winter gear. The figures and the Vomag crew are from ABFigures, the grave stones and walls are from Anyscale Models, they also do the walls in 1/56th.  

TTFN

A Pummelling At Pendeheim

 Gaming returned to OHQ today with a 1945 game using Battlegroup rules, a Volksgrenadier platoon with armoured support was holding the outskirts of Pendeheim hoping to stem the allied advance into the Reich.

Alas it was not to be the inexperience of the young grenadiers showed and despite the reinforced and hard cover received a severe drubbing by Monty's boys.

Below are some still photos taken from the propaganda newsreel before the action to show the folks back home that Germany was not yet out.  

 

Gaming returns to GHQ next week for an Italian Wars game.

TTFN and KBO

More Paraguayan Progress

 First up the Argentine batallion previewed in the previous post and a Uraguayan batallion, "Libertad"

A post by The Tactical Painter, Mark reminded me that I still had six figures to paint to finish off my WWII German platoon in winter attire for 1945 games. I imagine I will now need to get the MMG team in greatcoats as a support option 😁

TTFN

Lest We Forget

 

Wot No Tanks?

 With all games being played over at GHQ at the moment I thought I would post these recently released late war tank crews from Empress Miniatures.

I still need to build and paint the vehicles but couldn’t resist getting the crews painted up ready.

Onward!

Roast Pig For Supper

 During our last game via Zoom, Matt said he was looking for something in between Lion Rampant and Kings of War for Dark Age games. I suggested that Neil Thomas's Ancient and Medieval rules my fit the bill and that I would host a game using them and our house rules.

We met up remotely on Sunday and played out a Saxon attack on a Romano-British village using the standard eight units per side in the rules.

Defending the village would be three units of militia and a unit of archers supported by a ballista crewed by some ex auxiliaries, coming to their aid was a unit of Arthurs infantry and a unit of cavalry. These would appear at the start of turn two needing 5 or 6 on a D6, 4, 5 or 6 the following turn and anything but a one thereafter, when they did appear another roll of a six would see them appear on the Saxon flank just passed the half way line.

Needing to get stuck in and also be wary of the flanks the Saxons surged forward, the cavalry arrived in turn two, fortunately for the Saxons not on either of the flanks.

The militia seeing the advancing Saxons immediately formed a shield wall, the archers stood their ground and failed to evade the charging Saxon horde.

Over on the other flank the Saxons made headway into the village.

The ballista failed to stall the Saxon advance and was over run in short order.

While the militia stubbornly held on to the village a ray of hope appeared with the demise of the Saxon leader but rather than dispiriting the Saxons it had the opposite effect.

A Saxon warband storms towards the baseline, when an infantry unit exit the table in Neil Thomas's rules the enemy must immediately withdraw two units to represent the morale effect of enemy in the rear and looting the camp.

The British could not withdraw two units without the Saxons being able exit another unit which would reduce them the two units which signifies a defeat in the rules.

A well fought game by Matt, aided also by some abysmal dice rolling by yours truly, two casualties from my cavalry in five turns, really? Only the one militia unit in shieldwall could claim any glory, valiantly holding off the Saxon horde from turn two.

No more games here at OHQ for the immediate future my father in law passed away in the early hours of Sunday 10th and we are away for my wife's birthday next week coupled with funeral and other arrangements all games will be at GHQ or via Zoom until further notice.

Harold Walters

1928 - 2021

Rest easy dear Sir.

TTFN

 

 

Un Paseo Al Sol

 A return to 1930's Espana for this weeks game. The scenario saw the Guardia Civil holding an important rail crossing held up in the adjacent station building with an approaching Republican popular army force.

Coming up in support was a platoon of Foreign Legion with two squads of Moors in advance of them.

This was a most unusual game using Bolt Action rules which are usually blood baths over such relatively open terrain both sides causing few casualties to each other. The game ran to a seventh turn with no clear winner a winning draw for the Republicans being decided upon.

Photos from the action follow below.

The Republicans Advance

La Legion Advance Through The Copse To Counter The Advance On The Right

The Moors Hold The Centre

A Squad Of Carabineros Advance In Support Of The Republican Advance

An enjoyable game, but still lacking the feel for the conflict I get from reading accounts. I am still unable to put my finger on what is missing, food for thought, perhaps the late Robin Hunt nailed it when he wrote in his Military Modelling article, "to really understand you have to be Spanish"

Until next time continue to be careful out there and KBO.