Delaying Action

After a couple of postponements the Sitzkreig is over, the Germans are advancing to cut the British and French armies in two. In this scenario a British platoon supported by a troop of A9 cruiser tanks and a solitary Matilda II are tasked with holding up the German advance, a timed 4.5 howitzer barrage is also available to them. They must hold up the German advance for nine turns to achieve a successful outcome.

Things started badly for the British with most of the infantry not in position and orders seemingly not clear or getting through. Luckily the German advance had slowed down giving them extra time to get in position although once there the order situation was found wanting (new dice!).

Tommies eventually manned the hastily dug trenches dug earlier by engineers.

The Germans advance but it can hardly be called Blitzkrieg!

A timed Stuka airstrike fails to have much of an impact.

The British 2" mortar put down harassing fire in support of the troops in the forward trenches.

German infantry move up but are pinned down by concentrated British firepower.

The British Matilda moves up to counter an advance on the flank by a German 38T tank platoon but breaks down limiting its view!

The British timed barrage has little effect only pinning down an empty Opel Blitz.

The troop of A9 cruisers are sent to engage the advancing German 38T but get short shrift all being knocked out in short order.

However they have done their job diverting them from engaging the British infantry who have done sterling work in holding off the German infantry.

In turn eight the German Battle Rating is exceeded and the German advance is blunted.

Job done!

A tight and enjoyable game for us both. A lot of froth is bandied about on which rules are better than others etc. But in the end they are all means to an end it is the spirit in which the game is played that counts.

TTFN & KBO 

Sitzkreig

I was unable to host the planned 1940 game today due to a hospital appointment coming through. On the plus side I have been able to complete more transport and a Flak36 for the Germans and with the hospital being near Wolverhampton and at 10am, Dave kindly organized a small French Indian Wars game over at GHQ (look out for a report from Tales From GHQ in due course) so I could swing by afterwards.

I have also started to repaint my Fat Frank roads to blend in with my bases a little better.

Now the transport pictures, first a Horch. Kfz15  for the Schutzen Platoon HQ. Car is from Millicast and the crew are AB Figures.

Next a Krupp Kdkfz.69 to tow the Pak36, an old Matchbox kit a kind gift from Matt Bickley.

Next a Sdkfz7.10 to tow the infantry gun (when I paint it) An old Skytrex model I have repainted in Dunkelgrau.

Lastly the Flak36 88, another gift from Matt with Simon's Soldiers and AB Figures (officer) crew.

Bases as always from Warbases.

Pending anymore appointments these should be on the table for the rearranged game next week.

TTFN & KBO

Opel Blitz Kreig

Transport for my German 1940 Schutzen platoon squads.

Ready to Roll resin vehicles, from here

Coming up next a Horch Kfz15 for the platoon HQ and a Krupp Kfz. 69 to tow the Pak36 featured in the previous post.

Hopefully these will hit the table here in OHQ a week on Tuesday.

TTFN & KBO

1940 Project Additions

I have finished off the platoon HQs and anti-tank gun support teams for both sides this week. All being well they will hit the table for the next game here in OHQ a week in Tuesday.

A Zveda Pak36 with Simon's Soldiers crew (available from Wargaming Miniatures in the UK)

German platoon HQ, AB Figures with a lone Simon's Soldiers figure in the middle of the back row.

Early War Miniatures 2pdr anti-tank gun with AB Figures crew.

British platoon HQ, AB figures.

TTFN & KBO

Way On Down South

Today saw us revisiting the War of the Triple Alliance again using Black Powder rules 

The Brazilian forces are marching to join up with their Argentine and Uruguan allies, the Paraguayan force as been tasked with heading off the Brazilian advance brigade before it can join up with it's allies thus splitting them in two. 

The game was set at our now standard twelve turns, there is an advanced Brazilian guard of two battalions and an attached mountain gun battery covering the possible advance of any Paraguayan incursion. The rest of the brigade will be required to pass an order test to join them after turn two, the allies will test to appear in turn five.

Time is obviously of the essence for the Paraguayans, unfortunately this does not seem to have been passed down to the brigade commanders or the ground is tough going. It is turn three before they get near to contact, which doesn't succeed to well both infantry and cavalry assaults are repulsed in swift order by determined Brazilian resistance. By turn eight the allies had arrived in force and one of the Paraguayan brigades was broken, the attack was called off.

Although Dave had a sound plan the dice gods yet again deserted him this day.

TTFN & KBO

Colour Continues

Not much of my own stuff leaving the bench at the moment although I have managed to finish the Byzantine cavalry unit I started last month.

Aventine Miniatures figures, banner and shields,  except the standard bearers which I painted, are LBMS, base as ever from Warbases.

Excuse some of the blurry photos my phone seems unable to focus up close properly at the moment.

All being well we will be revisiting South America here at OHQ on Tuesday with a War of the Triple Alliance game using BP2.

TTFN & KBO

C3PO

No folks I have not gone over to the Dark Side with Star Wars Legion. It's a command base for the Italian Wars collection, the commander is a Steel Fist figure painted in natty guilded armour. I did contemplate giving him a banner but I didn't want to overshadow his ostentatious plumage. His drummer is from the Assault Group, base from Warbases as ever.

I am currently working on the next base of Byzantine cavalry, progress as been somewhat curtailed having being struck down with man flu.

Feeling a tad chipper today, so I will see if I can hold the brush steady and continue.

TTFN & KBO

Even Less Quiet

On the Western Front, following on from the previous game the British have continued their advance. Their objective is to take and nullify the German observation bunker on Church Hill.

 

For this game I used modified WW2 rules from Neil Thomas's 'Introduction to Wargaming' some of my own ideas and bits from Mark Pipers adaptations for Rapid Fire.

The British mass for the assault, they would not know the extent of the damage to the German wire until they got to it. They had support of a Whippet tank, off table artillery and in table mortar and heavy machine guns.

The Germans had taken cover from the British bombardment in their dugouts and the crypt of the church.

The German off table artillery support had been nullified by British counter battery fire do had to rely on their trench mortar and heavy machine guns for support.

Their ammunition must have been of variable quality as they did not cause much of a problem to the British infantry advance, they did however stop the Whippet in its tracks.

Bolstered by their artillery, mortar and heavy machine gun fire the British advance continued undaunted.

Aided by a gap in wire created by the bombardment in the centre and a gap by the Whippet on the left.

The German return fire was sporadic the British fire support keeping them pinned down consistently.

The German spotters were subsequently rendered hors de combat and the mortar had to rely on runners to direct their fire further nullifying their effect in the advancing British.

The granatenwerfer provided some extra support but not enough to stem the British advance. Two German companies were eliminated, despite the casualties the British had three times as many men to mop up the remaining German company. The battalion commander ordered a withdrawal, 

the British advance continues.

The rules worked pretty well we thought, the game unfolded pretty much the same as the previous game using Bolt Action. I will probably stick with Bolt Action for future games until the release of Dave Stone's 'Zero Hour' later this year.

Until next time.......

TTFN & KBO