Mini la Drang - Chain of Command

 

This was a warm up game for a larger game planned for the summer where we plan to re-fight la Drang in the Vietnam War. This was the second warm up game, in the first the NVA won hands down so tweaks had been made to rules. 

https://carportgaming.blogspot.com/2019/09/on-road-again.html

This game was played using Chain of Command with amendments from DMZ v2, then with house rules. The terrain was based on a board game called “It Started Here”. The US had two infantry Platoons the NVA also had two plus some extra sections and heavy weapons.

The game started with a patrol phase in the basic rules. This went well for the US as they managed to control the dry river bed. The NVA had however had the jungle covered hills.

When the game proper started the US capitalised on having the dry river bed and brought on their the majority of their sections. This formed a impressive fire base. The NVA were slower deploying and basically became out gunned. To add to the pain “off table support” in the form of artillery and air attacks just compounded the the problem.

The NVA battle plan was to be aggressive which only made things worse.

As a historical re-enactment of a Vietnam battle, the results were realistic, US firepower is all powerful. However as a game not a good day out for the NVA.

Changes made to the rules were mainly to reduce the casualty rate. This was done by reducing ranges and the addition of a Spotting Dice (lifted from O Group rules). The Spotting Dice if failed made the terrain effect a level better.

Figures used for this game were 28mm mostly Parkerfield Miniatures, West Wind and Rubicon.

Scenery scratch built (except trees), this included the first Ant Hills I have ever made.

Thanks to Andy, Vince, Nathan and Steve M for giving the house rules a good testing.

REBELS AND PATRIOTS in the French Indian Wars

At the last club meeting, Steve M bought along his lovely French and Indian War collection of toys for us to play with. We used the Rebels and Patriots rules by Michael Leck and Daniel Mersey, published by Osprey https://ospreypublishing.com/rebels-and-patriots , using one of the scenarios from the book. Each side had a mixed force of twelve units made up of Regulars, Provincials, Militia, Light Infantry, Skirmishers and Natives. The British side had a team of engineers who were tasked with building a bridge over the river which separated the two forces. The river was difficult to cross, although there was a ford at the far end of the table.

None of the players had played many games using these rules, but they were easy to pick up and provided an enjoyable game, and it is a game rather than a simulation. Activation of units is by rolling a modified 6+ with two D6’s. Roll a Double 6 or a Double 1 and stuff happens. More of this anon. Shooting is worked out by rolling 12D6s for Regular Units, 6D6s for Native Units and Skirmishers. Depending on the quality of the troops, a hit is scored on 5+ or 6+. You normally need two hits to cause a casualty and this is modified depending on cover and formation, so if the target unit is in soft cover or skirmish order, three hits are needed to remove a casualty; a skirmish unit in soft cover needs four hits and so on. Simple and quick. Moral is similar to unit activation. Roll a modified 6+ on two D6’s and your units keep smiling. Roll below and Disordered and Retreating come in to play. Roll a modified 2 or less and it’s time to pack your toys away.

We played the scenario twice, changing sides. As I was on the flank in both games, I will leave it to someone who was in the thick of it to provide a battle report.

He gave a grunt of satisfaction. His planning application for a bridge had been approved, despite objections from the White Coats. No more trekking several miles downstream to the ford for his daily journey to the hostelry on the opposite bank. The work would start tomorrow; he went to bed a happy man.

He was awoken by popping and banging sounds. He thought at first that it must be Independence Day celebrations but quickly realised that was impossible. He went to the window – and stood open mouthed. He knew the White Coats had lodged objections against his application; but this? The opposite bank was covered with them, together with some Natives. None of them looked particularly friendly. To the left of his homestead, opposite them, were some hairy men sporting skirts, and not doing much, unlike the Red Coats lining the river bank, who were busy popping away. To his front, apart from some Red Coat Natives running away on his side of the river, nothing much seemed to be happening, the White Coats having gone to ground in the appropriately named sheep enclosure on the opposite bank. But where in all this mess was his bridge? And then he saw it - and had to look again in disbelief. Far, far down stream, by the ford, the Red Coat engineers were erecting - a bridge.

His bridge.

By the ford.

By the ford!

Maybe the White Coat Natives could dissuade them? Highly unlikely as the Red Coats had crossed the ford and were delivering crashing volleys into their rear.

He was distracted by a cry of ‘Double Une’ to his left. The White Coat Natives, wearing not a lot, were charging across the river straight at the hairy men in skirts. He supposed it must be their battle cry as he had heard it several times from the White Coat’s side of the river. The Natives were finding it hard going crossing and eventually floundered to a halt. They’d have found it easier if there had been a bridge there, he thought wryly. The Natives sporting not a lot were no match for the hairy men sporting skirts. There was another cry of ‘Double Une’ and the White Coats, who seemed to have lost interest in the Red Coats, started using the White Coat Natives as target practice. ‘Pour encourager les autres,’ he assumed. It didn’t seem to be working as there were no White Coats, Native or otherwise, anywhere near the river.

He watched in bemusement as a group of Red Coat engineers proceeded to start to erect another bridge – in front of his homestead. He found it hard to reconcile the two words, ‘Military Intelligence’. Another party of engineers was also coming into view from the direction of the ford. Maybe he would get his bridge after all. But something wasn’t quite right. With an uneasy feeling he peered again towards the ford – and realised there wasn’t a single Red Coat in sight. All he could see were some Natives, White Coat Natives, lots of them, on his side of the river, heading towards the engineers, or at least where the engineers had been. They too, like the Red Coats, had vanished.

As had his bridge.

With a resigned sigh, he started to fill in another planning application form.

My thanks to Jason, Ian and Nathan, who gave me, Colin and John a damn good thrashing in both games, and of course, thanks to Steve M for organising the game and running it in such good spirit to
say nothing of his endless patience.

Escape from Warmington on Sea - Chain of Command

Scratch built E-boat makes its Dad's Army debut

Yesterday was an unusual club day at the DWG as the club contended with its usual annual problem of looking to support our local wargaming show, Legionary 2018, which tends to fall on the same Saturday as our monthly club meeting.

Thus half the club members were at Legionary and there is a brief report on the show at JJ's Wargames for those interested in what we were up to there plus some other games that caught the eye.

Legionary 2018 - JJ's Wargames

Other members of the club were at our usual gathering to get some final play-testing done on a Dad's Army game planned for next month up at Chez Chas in North Devon.

German naval assault teams close up on the beach wire as small arms fire echos through Warmington

These warm up games are important to work out what's needed to make the bigger game planned work and Chas and the chaps have found this an effective part of the planning process with other games we have played over past years.

Wartime Britain and its blown up piers

Yesterday's mini scenario had a downed Falschirmjager team desperate to get their commander clear of Warmington with a set of secret plans and drawings facing a sharp battle from the defences as they attempted to get to the beach and waiting Kriegsmarine support.

The disabled Glider marks the start point for the downed FJ unit

As these games are played additional units get to appear on table and yesterday was the first appearance of Clive's scratch built E-Boat seen at the top of the post plus some additional buildings based on the online map of the fictional Warmington on Sea.

With the church bell ringing Home Guard units start to assemble at their muster points

The FJ team cautiously make their way towards the beach

In addition the chaps were testing out specific weapons that were deployed by the British Home Guard defences including beach placed explosive drums acting as improvised mines together with the dreaded Blacker Bombard seen in the pictures below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacker_Bombard

Rumors of fifth columnists and German commandos put everyone on their guard

The Blacker bombard is deployed to cover the beach front

As mentioned the buildings detailed in the map of Warmington have also been scratch built and will add to the feel of the final game next month.

As the FJ get closer to the beach they come under heavy Lewis gun fire

The game ended after some vicious close in hand to hand fighting and a lot of covering fire from the E-boat close inshore that saw our FJ officer make it to the beach and the naval team waiting their amid a hail of Lewis gun and Enfield rifle fire, leaving the rest of his squad to await capture by the British troops.

The German navy do their best to provide covering fire

Big Chain of Command, 1944(ish)

Last month Nathan and I put on a multi-player game of Chain of Command, using the Big Game Amendments published by Two Fat Lardies recently.

German commanders await their turn

The scenario was a delaying actions with the Germans trying to slow down the advance of the American advance.  The Americans had 3 platoons, one of US Paras, one US Armoured Infantry and a platoon of 5 Shermans.  Facing them the Germans had a Panzergrenadier platoon and a platoon of 4 Tigers.  Nathan had somehow found a prototype of a Jagdtiger in July 1944 and added that as well. In Nathan's defence, he can't help it.  He suffers from that rare disease of "Tigeritis", where he has to have more Tiger tanks in his collection than the Germans produced in WW2. 

US infantry advances

The initial turns say the American infantry push up on the left,  with the Paras sweeping the right with its more open spaces.   They were relying on their superior training and experience to make up for the lack of cover.  Both US platoons had opted not to take any extra Bazookas as they had Sherman support, which proved to be a mistake.  The Germans deployed their infantry to face the American infantry, hoping the Tigers could stop the Paras.

Germans try to stop the US advance

 The sheer number of German LMGs caused some delay to the infantry advance, but supporting fire from the 30cals, mortar and a couple of Shermans meant the German infantry were suffering loses of their own and soon had to fall back.

The Tigers made an appearance and their heavy fire soon drove the Paras into cover, with their shortage of Bazookas making it hard for them to cause any worries for the Tigers.
 

As the game went on the American infantry were decimating the German troops, but there was no effect on any of the Tigers.  The mortar FO called in a barrage, which shocked the crew of one Tiger for a little while, but nothing could touch the Jagdtiger. 

Two Tigers appear

When we called it an end the German infantry were down to one squad at about 50% with the CO commanding them directly.  Their force morale was shakey, but they were still holding.  The Tigers were undamaged and had only lost a couple of force morale points due to the infantry losses.  The US Armoured infantry were holed up in cover, trying to stay out of sight of the Tigers while the Paras were a bit shakey, but still fairly combat effective while skulking in the woods.  The Shermans had lost one tank and, despite concentrated fire on one of the Tigers, had failed to kill any of the enemy tanks.

What the heck is that?

Everybody seemed to enjoy the game, but we did come up with an issue for tank platoons with no supporting infantry being able to still advance against enemy infantry.  That and the strange 1944 Jagdtiger.  ;-)

Muskets & Tomahawks

 
One of three games run at this month club gathering was a Muskets & Tomahawks affair with six of us each putting together a mixed force of Regulars, Indians and Irregulars to the sum of 300 points.

British forces moving up the valley from the river

With three of us taking the French and three taking the British, the mission had the British landing in boats and marching on a French held fort that they intended to destroy. The French were tasked with holding the fort and driving the British off destroying their landing base and boats.

French regulars at the fort

Two French forces were off table able to deploy as and when, so the British had to watch their rear area as well as sweeping the flanks to guard against ambush and counterattack.

The French stand to as the British approach

British regulars move up the centre with Indians and Rangers on the flanks

The British methodically worked their way up from the river, putting the Regulars into line and moving through the open terrain, whilst putting the Indians and Light troops out in the woods on their flanks.

On the look out for an ambush

British Grenadiers, Militia and Indians guard the boats

 As the British approached the fort and the first French volleys greeted their arrival together with some round shot from the cannon: the French light forces moved to the attack hitting the British Indians on their right flank and destroying them in hand to hand fighting.

Moving swiftly to the wood line the French light troops opened fire on the rear of the Ranger unit, surprising them and causing a recoil. At the same time the British hat men in the centre were taking hits from the woods and the French regulars to their front recoiling back as well.

British Light Infantry comb the woods on the left flank

The British Light troops on both flanks were gradually destroyed by the counterattacks of the French Indians and their Irregular allies and this brought a halt to the British advance in the centre forcing a withdrawal under fire back to the boats.

Rangers and Regulars prepare to fire on the fort's garrison

Rangers keep watch on the woods to the British right flank

More regulars support the attack on the fort

As the British ranks thinned the French light troops became more bold in their attacks and started to press forward into the open ground only to be greeted by musketry that drove them back.

The British fall back as the woods erupt on both flanks with French Indians and Irregulars

Eventually the British boat guard decided to come to the aid of their colleagues by moving up to try and relieve the forward units as they fell back. However the pressure continued to mount and the British fall back became a general retreat.

Coureur de Bois with Indians poor fire on the Redcoats

The French regulars and the cannon add their support to the ambush

The British light infantry hold their own 

The British are forced back losing men under the continual sniping

The stragglers fall back to the boats

The rules played very well and a fun time was had by all. As you can see, we had quite a few troops on the table but this did not impact on the game running very smoothly, and in time, despite many of us being new to the game, we were working through the combat factors with little need to refer to the quick reference sheets.

Thanks to Chas, Vince, Steve, Andy and Tom for a very fun game.