De Gaulle - Part One

I'd seen a previous movie on De Gaulle in 2012 at the French Film Festival here in Perth, Western Australia. It covered the critical six weeks in May/June 1940 plus back story to De Gaulle's family. I found it to be a very moving film due to the scenes with his family fleeing as refugees with a handicapped daughter.  This new film, while not associated as far as I know, effectively takes off from were that movie finished.  

The political twists were amazing and also how De Gaulle was able to bounce back after various setbacks.  There was much I didn't know and while I am sure there was a good deal of artistic licence (which generally makes for an engaging movie after all) I consider it an excellent war movie, up there with anything the Americans have produced.  

One thing I found interesting was only one passing reference to the Russians and nothing that I can recall about the Italians.  The major battle depicted, Bir Hakem, certainly involved, on my follow up research, significant action against Italian forces.

I am looking forward to part two.

The Pacific

Disclaimer: I have just found a heap of posts that got left/lost as drafts.  This one was from sometime in 2021 I think. 

I had purchased the deluxe (it came in a tin) DVD boxed set a good many years ago after thoroughly enjoying Band of Brothers.  So I knew I had something to look forward to if I was ever laid up.  Thankfully the opportunity has only recently arisen, when I was in need of some convalescence after some hi-tech medical intervention to tune up my heart (AF ablation - highly recommended if you have an irregular heartbeat and advancing years.  Get in before it becomes an issue and you have to compete in with Covid clogged emergency departments.)

It then became a race against time to finish the series before I went away on some r&r (which seemed to be in keeping with the pace of the series and perhaps deployment in the Pacific Theatre).

Not as good as BoB as I found it muddy in both ability to follow dialogue (wish I had used subtitles) and to recognise who was who (as in combat one marine looked very much like the next).  By halfway through I had started to understand what was happening (and it also helped that I knew a little about the Pacific campaign).  Certainly brings home the horror and senseless destruction.  A quality production, although I was conscious that it had been filmed in Australia and that knowledge, rather than any visual flaw, kept springing to mind.

As it neared to a conclusion I found myself wishing that it had been a proper documentary with non fictional characters.  I was totally surprised when the end credits popped up showing the actors and the real person they were based on and a small note about that person subsequent life.  Thankfully most of the marines who survived went on to lead decent lives.

Your Target For Tonight - Start of the Campaign

I participated in another test game of YTFT and it was so successful (the game play more than the outcomes) that it was decided to start the campaign.

The first mission was a devastating raid on the airfield at Bernay, Normandy.

Nine bombers were shot down along with some escorting fighters,

but the airfield was destroyed.

The second mission was a raid on another airfield.

Luftwaffe activity was not so pronounced 

but the airfield did not suffer too much damage all the same. 

The third mission was a raid on the U-boat pens that can be seen in the above image.  Very limited Luftwaffe engagement, but heavy flak and a hardened target made it somewhat of a failed mission.

Your Target For Tonight

Another new game to try my hand at.  Still a work in progress by Simon, but it looked fantastic and was playing well.

Northwest Europe full of targets.

I was in charge of the Luftwaffe defending the oil storage facility.

It had already been visited by the RAF during the night.

Note: the FW190s have been de-swastika-ed.

Here come the bombers!

Nimitz

Simon, as the more experienced gamer, commanded four ships of the RN while Lee took the Hipper and Königsberg.  I had the Scharnhorst and Leipzig. The models are Lees.  It had been a while since I last participated in a game of Nimitz, but it quickly came back to me.

The German fleet sailing in from the right.

If you look closely two ships are facing the wrong way,

always a challenge with this scale.

The Royal Navy ably represented by the somewhat lumbering Queen Elizabeth.

The fleets engage at long range.

The two British light cruisers have sailed off

 leaving their heavier sisters to face the full German force.

The Hipper has been sunk and the Scharnhorst seems unable to hit anything.

Note: The cotton puffs are meant to denote speed.

The more puffs the slower which is a bit challenging

 as when you are out of puff it meant you were going fast

 which I suppose has some kind of logic to it.

After another German ship is sunk,

the Scharnhorst and Leipzig bravely flee.

Only the HMS Blackpool received any serious damage.

The HMS Clacton was unscathed due to the daring-do of its famous commander.

Torpedoes and Tides - Making a Beginning Twice

The first game of the Making a Beginning scenario pitted Simon in command of the returning S-Boots against Stephen with three MGB out for revenge.

The S-Boots spot the Britishers and make a sharp turn to starboard.

Unfortunately, this means the S-Boots are silhouetted by the moon

and one is immediately sunk.

The remaining S-Boot is hit and set on fire but did manage to get in at least one shot.

However, the S-Boot couldn't survive the combined fire power of the three MGBs.

For the second game we repeated the scenario, but Simon took over the MGBs and I commanded the S-Boots.

The S-Boots make a dash for home.

They are making good progress.

But the MGBs are closing in.

The S-Boots engage the leading MGB.

But the MGBs close in and smother one of the S-Boots in well aimed shots, causing it to sink.

The MGBs score hits on the remaining S-Boot as it flees to safety.

Another excellent game.  It's time to start thinking of a campaign (which is provided by the rules).

Blucher - The Battle of Oslo

Part of the 2026 Nordic Film Festival, this excellent movie almost got away from me.  I was really pleased that I had the chance to see it, front row with all the full-on sound effects. 

Told in two interleaved parts: the 1946 military inquiry (shot in black and white) and the actual engagement in April 1940 (shot in colour)

The location and atmosphere really brought things to life as a setting to the command decisions faced by Colonel Birger Eriksen who was in charge of the Oscarsborg Fortress.

Being in the cinema with its superior sound really made an impression as the big guns in the fortress fired and the subsequent air attack by the Luftwaffe on the fortress.

A fascinating bit of history, but also with lessons for our time, particularly around being prepared.

Until 1940 Norway had been at peace for 120 years.

False Nose Job - A Scenario for Torpedoes and Tides

Mark B took on the job of a secret mission to XXXX and deliver XXXX.  It was all very hush hush.  For the mission he was given two British Power Boat 72' Motor Gun Boats (MGB) and a Vosper 70' Moter Torpedo Boat (MTB).  He chose to enter from the top left-hand corner.  One of the boats carried the XXXX which was to be delivered to one of the red beacons on the far coast.

A German patrol of two Raumboots and a Kriegfischkutter are out on patrol. 

 It is a moonless night.

We decided not to use blinds as we were under a bit of time pressure.

The German patrol easily spotted the intruders.

The Raumboots are somewhat under-gunned and the British boats are hard to hit...

However, one poor MGB was soon hit.

Was it a decoy?

While one of the British boats takes a pounding,

the other reaches the rendezvous point and starts to unload.

Whatever it is it is going to take a while.

Both sides now have a badly damaged boat.

The secret mission continues, but at a slow pace.

With one MGB now battered the Germans try to close in on the Vosper.

The captain of the other MGB must be telling the spooks to get a move on.

The captain of the battered boat has a plan.

Smoke!

With the unloading finally completed it is now necessary for the British

 to stop the Germans from sticking their nose in, false or otherwise.

More smoke hides the mysterious activities.

But both sides have scored additional hits in the confused night action. 

Mission accomplished.

Time didn't permit us to play on and make good an escape.  Also, I decided that the Germans needed to actually spot what had been delivered (they had three turns) and that the automatic spotting at medium range does not apply.

All in all, another exciting game of Torpedoes and Tides and a nicely different scenario.  

The mechanics used by TnT give an excellent feel for confused fighting as I am sure occurred with small boats coastal forces at nighttime in WW2.

RAF Take Two

Time for the second scenario which is a four-day event.  We just completed three and sadly had made a few errors as we are still learning the mechanics.  

Some aspects are frustrating, but the overall system seems to work well.

RAF

Introductory scenario for the operational level game of the Battle of Britain.  We played it twice through, changing sides to get the full feel for the game's systems. The scenario was just on day of raids, the cards for which are listed on the right-hand side (a random/hidden draw).

First time through we made a mistake with deployment giving the RAF had a few extra squadrons.

Second play through resulted in very similar outcome.

Next, the four-day scenario.

Hunting The Hunters - Twice

This is semi fictious scenario that is supplied with the Torpedoes and Tides rules:

Intercepting MTBs was not easy, especially before reliable radar became available. The British developed a special type of fast attack craft, the Motor Gunboat, to hunt down German S-boats. They would lie in wait near a German base and pounce on boats returning from a sortie.

The returning S-boats are coming in from the right.

Mark B has four MGB hoping to intercept them.

So far the Germans have not been spotted.

But that all changed quickly.

The black smoke indicates damage

most of which they commence with.

One German boat is speeding off, but the second boat looks like it might be trapped.

The last German boat is having some difficulties maintaining a course

The second German boat is having a hard time 

and that last German boat seems to have lost its course.

Well, the first German boat might have escaped, but the second one has been sunk.

What will be the fate of the last German boat?

It is struggling to make progress and is close to the shore 

A triple roll of ones on the red dice!

Understandably the crew lost its nerve and ran the boat aground.

Time For A Rematch

No blinds this time, action was immediate.

I have control of the MGBs,

The S-boats are keen to get home.

The MGBs attack but lack firepower

In the confusion collisions occur.

It is a moonless night.

One S-boat has been sunk, but the other two look like they are getting away.

Only one MGB seems able to give chase and it is battered.

The MGB crew lose their nerve and decide to break off.

The Germans escape. 

Truely a delightful game!