Early Khalif's versus Sui Dynasty

Back to basics with this hypothetical battle between 7th Century Arabs and Chinese.  Dave says it's the first time since 2017 that his Chinese have been on the table.  For my Arabs it was the first time I ran with Daylami and Asawira in a very cavalry heavy army.

I got the advantage in deployment.

Feeling very confident!

Skirmishers out on the left,

trotting forward in the centre and

galloping forward on the right,

if that is what camels do.

Ouch!

Long range missile fire spoils a few units on both sides.

Initial charge has not gone as well as it could have.

I go to throw lots of dice but scored few hits.

Follow up fighting is also not going as well as it could have.

Same again with dice except also bad throws for subsequent Cohesion Tests.

At least it wasn't all one sided.

Seems to have been a bit of mutually assured destruction,

although I think the Chinese are ahead in number of remaining fresh units.

But officially it's a draw with the morale of both armies breaking in the same turn.

From Salerno to Rome - Part Five

We are in turn three now, November and a 50% chance of bad weather.

Bad weather means the bridges can't be repaired,

so the Indians and New Zealanders are stuck on the east coast.

Elsewhere the advance continues slowly, albeit the Germans are starting to pull back.

More bad weather sees limited attacks around Mount Versuivious.

But clear skies on the third impulse 

have let the Allies close up to the German lines in the centre and east.

In the west the Germans have pulled back leaving a garrison to hold Naples.

World in Flames via FB - 28

There is a long orange line that is holding on the Eastern Front.

AUSGAME 2020 1942 J/A – OPERATION BARBAROSSA 42 STALLED

M/J EOT rebasing, production and reinforcements and then the BIG roll for initiative! Could the Axis win the JUL/AUG initiative and get two impulses in a row and eliminate the trapped Russian Corps or exploit their bridgehead in the Ukraine? Anti-climax as both the GERM and Russian roll 3’s, Russia wins the first round as the Allies win ties - the GERM demands a reroll (+1 to the Allies), Russia rolled 8 with a +1 to win the initiative and crush GERMs hopes on the Russian front.

US and CW declare Naval with Russia and China declaring Land impulses. Allied shipping sail convs, their escorts and loaded Tpts across the seas of the world. The W Med is again contested as 14 allied planes fly into the 1 box hunting a lone Italian CA – the Axis react and contest the Sea area and also fly 14 acft to the 1 box for the biggest air show in town, but only if they find – no side does. A U-Boat in the N Atlantic runs out of luck as it is sunk by the newly arrived escorting Allied CA’s. Another British HQ, Gort arrives in Archangel. US Subs search for convs in the South China Sea and roll a find and avoiding the Jap Nav air sink 3 convs and abort 2 more – S China Sea OOS and the oil link to Borneo cut again – more pain for the Japanese. Russian land sees reinforcements rushed to the front, including the important A-Tank Guns and a handy 9.6 ARM (the T-34s have arrived) together with replacement FTRs. The trapped Mech, given a reprieve extricates itself from the GERM trap, leaving the Russian Inf to absorb the Axis attack. Arty in Odessa hammer the Rumanian Mountain unit. Zhukov moves forward and reinverts the arty, the two inverted units in the pocket and a couple of reinforcements that railed to the front. China attempts a GS with its only Land Bomber but without an escort, it is intercepted by long range Zeros operating from Hong Kong and is promptly shot down, with its pilots captured and executed by a well rolled 18! An important loss for the Chinese which has limited opportunities to GS (invert Japanese units)

Axis first impulse, GERM declares a LAND and Italy an AIR in order to fly air into the W Med and support bombing missions in Russia to support GERM land Ops as well as opportunities to rebase forward. The Italian GS are mostly driven away by the excellent Russian AA gunners and another Italian NAV attempting a speculative GS is short down, a Russian FTR is also eliminated, although the pilot manages to bail out over friendly territory to fight another day. With few ‘bonus’ opportunities from the GS the GERM only attacks the ‘pocket’ from 5 hexes, with a blitz attack they top the table (25) for a no loss and no invert. Little other activity on the Russian front, as the Russian line has been strengthened and with out the bonus plusses from GS, attacking and inverting too early is not in the GERMs best interests – the GERM Stukas have yet to fly.

The Allies 2nd impulse sees the CW and Russia take a land and the US a Combined. A search in the W Med which fails to find the Italian CA or the Axis acft stack – a continuing trend, and somewhat expected as either need 2’s since the Axis aborted their Convs. The US aborted ‘at risk’ tpts sitting in several sea area ‘zero boxes’ to Ireland and in the Pacific naval reinforcements arrive in Pearl from the US. Two ships, a tpt and the CV Saratoga being reinverted by the HQ in Pearl. The CW land sees Saudi Arabia’s capital, conquered as their 1.5 Camel Corps is overwhelmed by attacking Australians and Indian Corps and Lisbon is assaulted in a less than a perfect attack of +16 as a number of British Heavy BS remained in Gibraltar rather than sail to provide essential shore bombardment. Defiantly defending Lisbon, the Portuguese defenders eliminate a British Div as the first combined US/CW assault struggles to a 22 for a 1/2 loss and ½ invert – it would appear that the US and Brit Paras will take the rest of the J/A turn off. Russia steps back a few hexes and straightens its front line, now a very strong front line that extends from the Black Sea to the Baltic, from Odessa to Riga, leaving few opportunities for the GERMs next impulse. Several Portuguese distant territories were occupied by CW Territorials and MIL. The Russian’s content in stalling OP BARBAROSSA, declined a +8 blitz attack against some Axis minor allies as GERM Stukas could interfere with it and an early ‘poor roll’ would see Russian units inverted on the Russian front line – what the GERM wants to see, but certainly not what the Russian wants early on in the turn.

Summary

Somewhat slow night with rebasing and builds followed by CW/US Naval actions – the first IMPULSE naval moves for these ‘big naval’ powers always take time. The loss of the initiative for the J/A clear weather turn was not the start the GERM was looking forward. Having spent heavily on O-Points to break the Russian line in M/J and ending it – his double impulse turn was lost on the two failed initiative rolls. All at the table recognised the lost opportunity that the GERM had created, albeit with a lucky EOT roll of a 3, on the last turn (M/J). A better, morale lifting session for the Japanese who shot down the only Chinese Land bomber and its pilot for no loss, finding and inflicting minor losses on US subs, convs and CA’s and having ‘cleaned up’ pesky Partisans in Manchuria and re-established their front line in China.

The Allies cleared up (conquered) some minor countries (Saudi Arabia and Portugal) and the US seemed less than confident to contest the S China Sea until CV and land based Ftr reinforcements arrive from the W Coast of America. Next session a full day as we have a Holiday Monday here in West Oz, this should see the end of the fine weather in Europe 42 with J/A and S/O being played out, depending on the length of the turns, the Axis may start passing rather than the Allies now to slow the Allied advance!

JA 42 Russian Front - a straight front line from the Black sea to the Baltic

- tough work ahead for the Axis

Army Gp North defensive cities, river lines and AT guns halting the breakout.

Army Gp South - Russian ARM and MECH slows the GERM advance in the Ukraine

The great Air war in the W Med - all these 28 acft are in the 1 box -

Russia is well pleased that they are in the Med and not the Russian Front

The W Med Lisbon falls at the cost of a Brit Div and all the paras inverted.

The Far East - China stabilised for the moment

South China Sea - yet to be contested this turn, Jap Convs lost

Saudi Arabia now in allied hands

C'est Magnifique !

Even if I say so myself.

I've been meaning to sort out all my French for some time.  Mustering for the recent Snappy Nappy game reminded me of what a mess they were in.  This little activity will also now permit their cataloging on a page on this blog for future referencing.

All these figures are based for Napoleon's Battles.  And while they look like battalions or squadrons, they represent regiments or brigades.

Well over thirty years of collecting in this lot.  Variety of sources and manufacturers.  All 15mm.  There will be a page dedicated to them shortly, providing more information.

From left to right

Cavalry, Light Infantry, Line Infantry, Guard and Guard Cavalry

Artillery to the fore along with Corps Commanders

Drone's eye's view

The more common view of my army

There's about 800 foot, 220 mounted and 24 guns.

And I'd missed out these models:

.

From Salerno to Rome - Part Four

Our playing seems to have bogged down just like the real campaign.  In this post I will try and articulate why we only got about three impulses completed in this latest session.  At least we finished the October Turn.

With each impulse you have to make difficult decisions about which units to activate.  This becomes harder as a turn goes on and Activation Points run low, you have to try and out guess your opponent who is going through the same process and your Divisions have become fragmented and/or worn out.  A division represents three to six counters, so when you are down to a few Activation Points, you don't get to move much, but what you do have may well be critical to your campaign.  Then there is weather, terrain and other activities to consider.

While basically an I Go You Go system,

during your go your opponent can take action.

In the above image the US have prepared for an attack,

only to be thwarted when the last unit gets into position 

and is hit by a successful ground strike from the Luftwaffe.

Not only are units susceptible to airstrikes, but moving adjacent to enemy units can see them hit by surprise bombardments.  Alternatively, some of the more nimble German units can decide to move away from a build up, or reinforce a key area.  There are lots of player interactions during an impulse.

The Allied offensive has continued to be focused on the spine of Italy.

A furious German counterattack achieves little,

despite a massive four column shift (the roll of a six).

This was a bad weather impulse,

not much happened.

Both sides spent minimal activation points.

But the Allied offensive continued as the Germans pulled back.

The 1st Canadian has raced ahead, 

while the US 3rd and 36th Divisions have out flanked the German troops on the Naples plane.

November reinforcements have been deployed. 

To Freidland by Snappy Nappy

First up big thanks to Darren for organising this game at the NWS last Saturday.  Brilliant bit of Napoleonic wargaming!  There were four players on the French side, three on the Russian and Darren umpired.  I was Napoleon :-)

This is the map we were provided.  

The Tables were not marked and I have subsequently, 

while on campaign, sketched them in.

Looking North on Table X

Ney and Mortier with the VI and VII Corps respectively

will be marching through the village of Posthenen on their way to Freidland.

Table T

Could this be Freidland?

Table Y

Victor and the I Corps are already defending Heinrichsdorf.

Expecting a major Russian attack this way,

Napoleon with the Reserve Corps and Imperial Guard are marching to join him.

Grouchy has detached a light cavalry division to probe to the north east, towards Schwonau.

This latter move is to protect against any surprise move by the Russians against the French supply depot at Koningsberg.  With the benefit of hindsight I can say that this move might have won the game for the French.  Read on.

Napoleon arrives at Heinrichsdorf, but there are no Russians to be seen.

On to Freidland!

Ney and Mortier are about to engage Bagration.

Freidland

Where in a unexpected development, Grouchy's scouting cavalry have appeared

(unfortunately not in the image, but at the road end on the left hand side).

Note the Russians marching in that direction...

The off table connecting road boxes.

All those troops in the red tray?

That's Napoleon and his army heading to Friedland.

That one unit by itself?

That's the scouting French cavalry beating a hasty retreat from Freidland!

Victor has arrived at Freidland and caught the Russians redeploying.

It seems they are expecting an attack from where the scouting cavalry had appeared.

Wrong!

Napoleon with Lannes and Grouchy and the Guard arrive to really put the pressure on the attack against the poor Russians now trying to head back to Freidland.

Ney has defeated Bagration and will be soon heading to Freidland as well.

The French attack at Freidland has been very successful

and Ney is just about to arrive (top right hand corner).

The Russians are driven into the Alles River

as Ney sweeps into their rear,

Victor approaches the Friedland CBD

and Napoleon and Grouchy mop up.

The major French loss had been Lannes in a series of unfortunate die rolls.

Thanks again to Darren for organising and running this game.  The Russian figures were all his while 99% of the French were mine.  The terrain was mainly Darren's with the rest provided by the club.

The Snappy Nappy rules offer an interesting approach to Napoleonic wargaming.  In our game each unit represented a division and at that scale I would like to see more emphasis on command (by accruing benefits for being on attack or defend orders for example) and less on tactical considerations (such as forming line/square).  Having ideas for "improvements" is one thing, getting them written down and articulated is another.  Time will tell.

World in Flames via FB - 27

After surviving a taste of Russian winter, the Axis launched a massive offensive to break the Soviet defences ahead of summer campaigning season.

AUSGAME 2020 1942 M/J (EOT) – OPERATION BARBAROSSA 42

The Axis kicked off their Barbarossa ‘winter’ impulse with a Naval by Italy, Combined by Japan and Land from Germany – much to the relief of the CW, the GERM U- Boats stayed in port during the bad weather. Italy’s naval saw a Tpt embark a useful Italian ATK Gun from Libya and also sail SCS to both the E Med and Italian Coast to protect shipping and Convs. A search by the British sub patrolling the Italian Coast, hunting Italian convoys continued the trend of the poor performance by the RN as it breaks the surface rather than use its periscope and is promptly found and dispatched by two escorting BS, Italy rolled another 1 as the Sub failed to save its X. Japan’s Combined saw a Tpt sail to the Sea of Japan and embark the Tokyo MIL which lands, inverted in China to bolster the front line and stem the Chinese onslaught, Jap convoys sail out to the sea of Japan under the cover of the storm and are not found by patrolling US subs – they needed 1’s in the storm. There is little other activity by the Japanese as the weather precludes any land attacks, and movement . In Russia the GERM attempt’s a GS on the front line to draw up Russian Ftrs, but the Russian isn’t playing that game, and the GS goes through with a bonus inversion of a Russian Corps. The GERM front line consolidates and reinforcements are railed as Axis units advance occupying empty hexes in E Poland and Latvia – No attacks as the weather is atrocious, and with a guaranteed (well almost) fine weather the GERM Army prepares for the next phase (impulse) of their Barbarossa offensive.

Allied 3rd impulse, possible EOT roll on a 1 – the Russian gets excited with the unexpected snow in Artic. Russia takes a land and commits to attack the two inverted GERM MECH/ARM of Army Gp North with all the available white prints (5) that it can muster. The attack is at a +7 and rolling a 14, they destroy a 7.6 MECH (1 more on the dice would have seen both the MECH and ARM destroyed – so close) and blitz the other ARM back to Germany for a half invert. Russia elects to upgrade the 6 INF to a 9.4 GBA and advance a hex. The line is strengthened in the North as rivers are defended and AT Guns arrive from Leningrad. In the South, the Russians advance West to meet the GERMs and prepare for the fine weather assault of phase 2 of OP BARBAROSSA. The US takes a naval and the CW a combined as both Navies decide that ‘discretion is the better part of valour’ and abort the S China Sea, leaving it to the Japanese – morale victory to the Japs. The next impulse is likely fine weather, and the Allies access that will be outmatched by the Japanese CV Air groups and Land based air. Being storm, several old battleships are left behind and a CA is sent to the top box to have a speculative search for the Jap fleets in the hope of a large split and a sink on a Jap CV. The CA’s search is a disaster for the crew of the Wichita as it finds the Japanese fleets but with no split it is sunk by 18.1 inch gun fire from the Musashi and Yamato, other Naval searches also fail to find with a predominance of 8’s and 9’s rolled. In the W Med the combined Allied air forces now have air parity – both are at 13.9 on the A2A table – no finds as both roll too high. The CW makes a DOW against Saudi Arabia as it occupies their oil fields – it is always about the oil. The SA 1.5 Cav (Camels) trot back to their Capital to await the British arrival.

Axis 4th Impulse – and as it happens, the last impulse of the turn. The weather roll is a 4, fine everywhere bar the N Monsoon which is rain. The GERM takes a land supported by the Italian air force and declare a Land Offensive with Rundstedt taking the lead and spends a further 5 O-points reinverting Rommel in the North. In total 18 O-Points are spent, leaving only 1 point left. Four Stukas and land bombers fly GS against the front line with average results, with a Russian Corps inverted in each stack - An Italian bomber is shot down by an elite 6 Factor Russian Ftr with its pilot going down in flames. Army Group North, led by Rommel launched a Counter Attack against the recently promoted 9 factor GBA at +8 Blitz rolled 8 (16), forcing a retreat. In the South, there are two attacks as Manstein’s +10 assaults the first hex of Russia and rolls a 11 (21) for 1S. From Rumania Rundstedt launches a bold, and potentially disastrous +5 Blitz to break the Dnieper River line – “trying to create something”, success! as he rolls an above average 13 for an 18 Blitz – the Axis have crossed the Dnieper River and potentially have pocketed their first Russian MECH stack. Average rolling, it could have been worse, could have been better for either side – importantly for GERM no awful low rolls of 3 or 4 which would have cost major units lost – he had his attack roll of 3 last week. The GERM player wipes a sweaty brow and breathe a sigh of relief. Japan takes a combined and sails convoys into the S China Sea to re-establish their convoy chain to the oil of NEI and resources from China. The Army of Manchuria steps back and readjusts its line, removing a dangerous salient and acknowledging that their offensive in the North is over. With their war going badly, it is a time for consolidation and force preservation as they start to focus on retaining their possessions rather empire expansion.

Another great roll for the Axis as they roll the EOT on a 3, it sets up for the GERM a potential ‘double impulse’,– nice roll as all the GERM HQ’s and their bombers were all inverted. If they win the next turns initiative, they have the opportunity to pocket 3 x Russia Corps including a MECH and MOT and Mech Div. If that happens, having successfully crossed the Dnieper they will link up the two Armies of the South – Romania and E Poland. The EOT roll also denied the Allies the opportunity to reset the Russian front line, attack Japanese convoys, conquer Portugal and launch further Chinese assaults against the already stretched Japanese line – a great, well timed roll.

Partisan roll 1 – no Chinese again – fifth failed Chinese Partisans in a row!, the Japanese army is winning the ‘hearts and minds’ as an occupying force, not so much the British in India and the Japanese puppet Govt in Manchuria as a partisan turns up in each.

Summary

A better session for the Axis after the bad (worst you can roll) weather. GERM use of his O-Points and average rolls has allowed him to break the Dnieper River defence and in his words “create something”. With a lucky roll at only +5, the GERM was able to cross the Dnieper and potentially pocket 3 Russian Corps including a handy Mech Corps and link up his two Army’s of the South (Rumania and the Army from E Poland). For the Japanese another ‘No Chinese Partisans’ roll has saved his resources and given him a breather, with the handy EOT roll of 3 the Japanese has finally been able to establish convoys and ship resources and oil back to Japan. Japan’s contesting the S China Sea has secured for a turn or two that valuable sea area. The Axis EOT roll meant that the Allied failed to conquer Portugal, wasting another turn for the Allies and makes the major port of Lisbon unusable for rebasing and redeploying.

The losses for this session have been more than expected for the Axis – 20 BPs, and the loss of 3 Italian acft (2 x Nav and 1 x Land) will be missed in the next few turns. The loss ratio was 20 BP for the Axis and 15 BPs for the Russian – not the outcome the GERM was hoping for, but if the Axis can win the JUL/AUG Initiative they will trap 3 Russian Corps and exploit their bridgehead across the Dnieper. In the North progress will be slow, although the GERM reinforcements of ARM/MECH/ACFT will be arriving from East Prussia.

From the Allies perspective, the EOT was annoying as they were not able to reset the Russian line and extricate their units from the potential trap that the GERM has orchestrated – it will now depend on the initiative roll – both sides will want it, so there will be a re-roll next turn no matter who wins the first roll. The Russian line is still intact and only two hexes are in GERM hands, importantly the Rumanian/Russian city of Chisinau remains in Russian hands and the bonus winterise attack that the Russian was able to effect, generated an INF GBA and cost the GERM a 7.6 MECH. In the North the terrain, rivers, AT Guns, Siberians and GBA’s will make progress there somewhat slow, as the GERMs have yet to clear E Poland or the Baltic States. Russian build is not affected and the Allies LLease can now start being shipped in earnest now they are at war. Most importantly for the Russian, the GERM has spent all its O-Points and there are no more coming for the JUL/AUG turn so defending will be significantly easier knowing there will be mass doubling of GERM attack factors. The US submarines were unable to have another chance to search for Jap Convs and the Chinese were keen to have another attack on the hard pressed Japanese front line – and kill more Japs. The Communist Mech Corps will arrive in the recently liberated Peking which will be concerning to the Japs. Singapore, Batavia and Manila are all double stacked and in supply. US Submarines operating out of Batavia continue to threaten Convs and the Japanese lines of communications, and the US is another turn closer to the arrival of the first two Essex class CVs (Bunker Hill and Yorktown II) – the clock is ticking.

The Russian Front J/A 1942

Army Group South - its a trap - J/A initiative is huge for the Russian

Army Group North - still fighting in E Poland and Latvia.

Saudi Arabian Oil falls into the hands of the CW (BP)

The Far East - the Japanese seize control of the South China Seas from the Allies.

Manchuria - the Japanese start their withdrawal.

China - looking grim for the Japanese - but at least there are no Partisans

Allies consolidate in Singapore and Batavia - MacArthur - watches on.

The West Coast of France - Axis Mech and Arm head inland away from GS allied air.

The Western Front - all quiet.

Portugal is invaded, but not conquered

Losses - axis losses mounting - the Russian losses from Op Barbarossa are sustainable.