Feldwebel Verwirrung Puts Up A Fight.

As a change from Battlegroup, Bolt Action hits the table for our World War Two outing this week. It took us at least two moves to get to grips with the rules again with Battlegroup mechanics popping into both our heads at times as well👴🏻

Petit Rawslie, the crates etc. mark one of the British objectives.

The British M5 scouts forward.

In the centre the British infantry advance using the knocked out Sherman from a previous engagement as cover.

Over on the left a British section advanced to draw German fire.

The dug in Germans on the rising ground oblige, the drums etc. denote another British objective.

The Germans in Petit Rawslie await the British advance.

British reserves advance up the road to support the main attack on Petit Rawslie.

The M5 thunders down the road in a bold move to clear the German Platoon HQ from its position and secure a British objective.

The Germans in the opposite building prepare to give it a hot reception.

A panzerfaust roars and the M5 pays the price. The boxes denote the other British objective.

Meanwhile a British assault section armed with Sten SMGs prepare to assault the first house in Petit Rawslie.

The Sherman softens up the Germans deployed there. The assault goes in, the fight is short and brisk the Germans are wiped out to the man no quarter asked or given.

The Germans bring up a Stug III from reserve, the British deploy their 6pdr to take care of business.

KABOOM!

Meanwhile another British section works around the second house, the occupiers being kept under fire from the opposite side.

With the Germans in the second house being taken care of by combined mortar and tank fire the British assault the German HQ taking Feldwebel Verwirrung prisoner and gain an objective into the bargain.

This enables the British in the other side to claim another objective in turn seven, had the game ended on turn six the Germans could have claimed a draw but it was not to be.

The remaining objective on the other flank is still contested but is of little consolation they will soon be surrounded and for them the war will be over.

We will be fighting over the pond in the colonies next week over at GHQ.

That's all for now..........

TTFN & KBO

Building Bikkelheim

Another building for the fictional town of Bikkelheim leaves the work station.

A Volmer model purchased via EBay, the gate was missing so I added a brass etched piece, part of the Ainsty cemetery entrance,  the wall is a resin piece from Anyscale Models, cobbles from Wills and a bespoke base from Warbases.

We have a Bolt Action WWII game scheduled here tomorrow using my 28mm collection, a shot of the table appears below.

A report will follow, until then.......

KBO

Best Laid Plans?

Well it all started with getting maybe a dozen AB Soviets to swap out the others in my collection wearing great coats or telogreika to play games during Operation Bagration. Sad I know but any excuse to paint more AB Figures🙂
Somehow I seem to have ended up with a Platoon of them and now support teams😂

Mortars and anti-tank titles to come, I have anti-tank and infantry guns covered.

Or do I🤔

A return to Bolt Action here in OHQ next week weather permitting.

Until then........

KBO

Rahnstadt Station

Whilst the battle was raging in the industrial area further south another action was taking place around Rahnstadt Station to pin German forces there and prevent them assisting the beleaguered troops further north.

The action did not go well for the Germans, we stopped playing on turn nine. The Germans had less than half their Battle Rating remaining and only one tank and a RSO with a mounted Pak40 with one round left to support the remains of the Volksgrenadier Platoon.

 In contrast the Soviets had over 75% of theirs remaining and although the SU100s had run out of ammunition they had done their job taking out two Panzer IVs leaving the three Shermans to mop up the remaining one.

I could easily blame orders not getting through and reinforcements not arriving in time but the truth is I commanded the defence totally ineptly🙄

In mitigation I did seem to spend more time on running the game than organising the defence.

Not many photos as the game did not have much movement and it was decided that the Germans would be unable to stand the final assault so we called a halt before time as mentioned above.

Until next time.................

TTFN AND KBO

More Blitzkrieg!

A third German squad musters off the painting desk. Figures are from Simon's Soldiers available in the UK from Wargaming Miniatures, round cornered bases from Warbases naturally.

Rifle team.

LMG team.

Stand by for some 1945 action on the Eastern Front.................

TTFN & KBO

Late Finish

Despite my misgivings I managed to finish this unit of dismounted Paraguayan cavalry for the War of the Triple Alliance before the year end. An eight figure small unit in Black Powder terms mounted on two 50x50mm bases from Warbases.

Over the year I painted 343 figures, 39 vehicles and 27 pieces of terrain. Here in OHQ I played sixteen recorded games, I am not sure how many I played over at GHQ, on the show front I visited WMMS, both Partizans and Colours. A satisfying year on the hobby front I thought.

Yesterday I popped over to Dave's for the first game of the year where I managed to scrape a win, be sure to pop across to Takes From GHQ for a fine report of how the game played out.

Until next time I wish you all a Happy New Year and as ever KBO.