South African Rifle Co. vs 90th Light Panzergrenadiers

Hi all,

Steve and I played a FOW game last night, pitching South Africans against DAK in a throw together mission. We both came up with our own force lists up to 1500 points.

90th Light - Confident Veteran

Co HQ

2 x Panzergrenadier Platoons

1 x Heavy Weapons Platoon

2 x Pak 38

3 x Pz IIIG

1 x Pz IIIJ Long

3 x Sdkfz 222

4 x 10.5cm howitzer

Limited Air (Stukas)

South African Rifle Company - Reluctant Veteran

Co HQ

3 x Rifle Platoon

1 x HMG Platoon

2 x Valentine Troops (6 tanks)

Recce Troop (3 x Humber AC)

SP AT Platoon 3 x 2lbr portee

SP AA Platoon 3 x 40mm AA Bofors

RA Battery 4 x 25lbr

Limited Air (Hurribombers)

We randomly chose our mission which was Withdrawal and diced off for attacker/defender, with the Germans getting the defender role.

Steve opted for a night attack and advanced across the table towards the German position.

The Germans occupied a ridge in the centre with a patch of scrub on their left and a depression on their right. The three objectives were evenly spaced along the back edge slightly towards the German right.

We played 6 turns, with the Germans withdrawing their Panzers, which were held in ambush, and their artillery, whilst having one of the Panzergrenadier platoons destroyed in an assault.

The South Africans lost a Rifle Platoon, the Recce platoon and one rifle platoon being one base of 50% strength.

My Panzergrenadiers were almost permanently pinned throughout the game and would surely have inflicted even higher losses if they had managed some decent dice.

The final act before we totted up the score was the Stukas came in to the attack braving some bofors fire, only to break off because I stupidly left a group within 16 inches, doh!!!

Good game, German losses in points 14%, South Africans 21%

February 2011 Spanish Civil War 28mm

The Republicans try and early attack on the square

Things that can ruin your day

Reinforcements: Legion no less !

You Cross the Road. No, after you !

This month Chas put on a SCW battle in 28mm. Steve M & me played the brave revolutionaries and Andy & Malcolm were the oppressive communist government.

The scenario revolved around government attempts to take the town of Sesena. A unit of Moroccans were caught resting in the town square and victory was deemed to go to whoever occupied the square a close of play.

The Republicans attacked with regulars supported by 3 x T 26's. This caused some alarm to my Moroccans, as they lacked any distance effect weapons that could damage tanks. The Moroccans duly spread out, manning the barricades and occupying the houses around the square.

A field gun and tow turned up in support and the gun deployed covering the square. The tow truck was used to block one of the roads into town.

A desperate fight for the church ensued and Andy launched several attacks on the barricades, only to be beaten back by the Moroccans.

With both sides receiving reinforcements the battle swung to and fro. The government lost the T 26 on the edge of the square, to a round from the field gun, but the gun crew then withdrew under mg fire.

Given the short ranges, crossing open ground was very costly and a stand off on the approach roads developed.

On our right Steve and Malcolm shot at each other from cover. Even the "Chip Van" could not be persuaded to turn the corner under fire from Steve's Legionnaire's, Civil Guard and Moroccans.

On our left, mg fire from the hill meant the Legion and Carlists could not leave the wood. Equally the POUM militia facing them dare not leave cover.

In a desperate assault Andy took the factory on the left of the square, only to be wiped out by counterattacking Legionaries (who died to a man in the process !).

As darkness fell 3 Moroccans still manned the barricades and a mass of Phalangists moved down the road to reinforce them.

A good game, played in a good spirit to "Rate of Fire" rules.

A little more aggressive use of the tanks and Chip Van might have swung the game. If we had lost the square, then the deadly cross fire from the buildings and barricades would have made retaking it very difficult.

Vince

P.S thanks to JJ for the photos.

German Heavy Metal

Hi all,

Just a few pics of my Normandy Germans. From Top to bottom, (1)Tigers, Stugs and Jagdpanzers, (2)SS Panzergrenadiers, (3)Panthers and Jagdpanthers, (4) Lehr Panzergrenadiers, (5) King Tigers and PanzerIVs. (6) 21st PD Panzergrenadiers.

Jon

Battle of Le Mesnil Patry June 1944

Just a few photos from Gus's game "Battle of Le Mesnil Patry, 11th June 1944". I know Gus is going to do a game report. Just to say, great terrain, great figures, great fun. Thanks to Gus, Jason and Nathan.

Plastic Soldier Co. Ltd 15mm T 34's

Battlefront Pz38t, Plastic Soldier Co. T 34 & spare turret, Battlefront Stug D

Long Island August 27th 1776

The first club game of 2011 featured an AWI clash using the "Hold the Line" board game rules and fighting the Long Island scenario.


On August 22nd 1776 General Howe landed a British army of 15,000 men at Gravesend Bay on Long Island. On the 26th he marched with 10,0000 men of his force towards the key geographical feature on Long Island, the long narrow ridge known as the Heights of Guan. It was pierced by four passes. Howe feinted against three of the passes and General Putnam the US commander accordingly positioned most of his available troops to cover them. Then on the night of the 26th Howe's main body marched through the one unguarded pass to turn the American flank. Our game started at that point and the first picture shows the British line on the left facing the Americans on the ridge, with the British Light troops ready to enter the nearest pass (Jamaica Pass).


The British force had to destroy seven American units before the games end (22 turns) whilst the Americans were trying to evacuate seven units after the half way point, or eliminate six British units.


Initially the British quickly moved their light infantry and dragoons around the American flank, taking out a unit of militia on the way. This forced the American to fall back off the ridge on that flank and attempt to refuse it. Meanwhile the remaining British units attempted to close as quickly as possible, some using force march to pin the remaining US troop on the ridge. The Guards on the British left flank assaulted the militia and destroyed them.


The early success achieved by the British was cancelled out by their inability to keep their army together. Their eagerness to close with the enemy and shoot and assault left them with to few command points to bring up their remaining troops thus causing the half the British infantry to be left on the base line.



At the halfway point in the game it was 2 victory points to nil in favour of the British, and following a quick half time beer much talk about getting stuck in and finishing the Yanks off. Things didn't quite go to plan. Suddenly the Americans started to get the better command die rolls enabling them to move more troops in as reinforcements, and just as importantly cause weaker units to be evacuated. In addition the variable time control dictated by rolling a d6 and reducing the time left by the score started to move in favour of the Americans. Before the British knew what was happening the Americans had a 4 to 2 victory point lead and the games end loomed.
In a last desperate attempt to close the gap the British launched an all out attack on the defences of the Brooklyn camp, with a Grenadier unit breaking into the fort and destroying a continental battalion and capturing General Washington. The American army had however escaped to fight another day, winning the game 8 to 5.
The rules played very well and everyone had them mastered very quickly which enabled us to get through the moves and finish the game in good time. Thanks to all involved for another fun time.
Jon

Northfield, Minnesota, Bank Robbery

Hi all,

The annual Xmas game in North Devon was something a bit different, something you come to expect when Chas invites you over to his place. The game was based on the raid carried out by the James-Younger Gang on September 7th 1876, see the link for more details.

www.angelfire.com/mi2/jamesyoungergang/northfield/html

The gang led by the infamous Jesse James and Bob Younger decided to do a job in the North, so it was rather amusing to find after randomly assigning characters to players, that the gang were run by the South Devon contingent of me(JJ), Steve M, and Vince vs the North Devon citizens run by Chas, Clive and Nick.

As in the original raid the start positions had Jesse, Bob and Clell Miller in the bank holding up the staff, the other gang members were in two groups guarding the route out of town should things "kick off". As the gang we needed a quick resolution of the hold up (decided with a die roll each turn) before to many townsfolk became aware of the raid and decided to take up arms against us. The gang managed to grab the cash by turn two and Bob and Jesse were on their horses ready to leave. Clell, however chose to adjust his saddle just as the alarm was given and was immediately shot in the back by a citizen wielding a six gun as he came out of a neighbouring building.

What followed was a painful battle up the centre of town as the two leaders gradually worked their way towards the bridge out of town, fending of shotgun/rifle wielding enraged townsfolk taking potshots. The other gang members gave support fire from the bridge and the stagecoach(conveniently parked up in the town), and using innocent unarmed townsfolk as cover enabled the gang to move without actually killing anyone.

The game reached its climax as the final dash was made for the bridge and safety. Both sides upped the anti with a local "pistolero" fanning his six gun at the robbers, killing Cole younger, and one of the gangs horses. In return the gang now started to shoot to kill in an attempt to relieve the pressure on their rearguard, felling four townsfolk in two turns, with citizens being ridden down on the bridge by Bob Younger as he left his gang to get out.

In the end the gang were able to make good their escape leaving two of their number dead and six murdered townsfolk.

Really enjoyable game, thanks to Chas, Clive and Nick for setting things up.

Happy new Year

Jon