World in Flames 40

As things ticked over to November/December 1942 it is fairly quiet on the Eastern Front.

 Bad weather - good.

No partisans - disappointing.

Although the pockets are tieing down enemy troops who otherwise would be doing partisan duty.

The USSR seem to be doing more naval than usual...

All quiet in China as well.

In the Pacific the US did have a better turn against the Japanese.

Here is an excerpt of Mike's write up that he posts to the Facebook World In Flames Group regarding the US in the Pacific:

"they searched and found the CV Akagi and its escorting CA on an excellently rolled 3 – just what they needed, japan rolled an 8! Enjoying a 3 to 1 majority in the air they promptly shot down the Akagi’s FTR air group, but cleared through the Akagi’s Torp/bomber group, but then rolled a 6+ on all of their 4 dice AA roll which blew the attacking CV bomber to bits! Ironically the Japanese 4 dice AA counter roll saw him roll the expected 2, aborting only 2 points of attacking 6 NAV points. The Japanese were a bit luckier in their saves as both D’s were saved, and with no air groups left on the Akagi aborted the sea area. The search outside Pearl was also successful for the US damaging the Jap CA and shooting down another CV airgroup, with no air cover the Japanese vacate the sea area"

 

Trial of Strength - January and February 1943

Richard and I had another session yesterday.

 The Axis start to attack Stalingrad.

 At the same time advancing east from Voronezh.

It is a slow process, so no risk of a breakthrough.

 The defenders of Stalingrad are dwindling.

Reinforcements are heading  to the Caucasus as the Soviets there are being pushed back.

 February and the die roll for Allied progress is negative.

This means the Italians stay around and that the Turks get encouraged to enter the war.

 Stalingrad falls.

Soviets pull back as the crisp winter weather is about to end

and some of their units will be out of supply.

Turkey eagerly enters the war.

Up until then I had been hopeful I could launch an offensive from the south.  There was also one planed for around Orel where I had been collecting armour.  However I think it is time to call it quits.

I also found out I had been overstacking Soviet units and this would have meant even worse outcomes in some previous battles.  

A very interesting game system and the hidden nature of units really makes for a different kind of play.  Armour is extremely powerful and I really needed to have built more forts.  Also would have helped to have had a better understanding of the rules.

This game, along with playing World in Flames at the same time, is also a bit too much Soviet misery!

Carthaginian versus Classical Indian

This time with Impetus Second Edition, 400 Points.

My Carthaginians fielded two commands.

One being cavalry and light troops.

The other the infantry.

 We advanced.

 My skirmishers are buying time till the infantry can get into position.

 The skirmishers proved ephemeral,

but the infantry is now engaged and that is what it is all about with this army.

End of the fourth turn.  

One Indian wing had routed,  

Both Carthaginian Commands were close to 33% . 

As it was getting late I felt it appropriate to call it a draw.

One of the issues with Second Edition is the VD numbers for units calculated using the Army Builder spreadsheet are sometimes different from the original lists.  Dave and I hadn't coordinated this so I am not sure we were consistent.  We also hadn't settled on the optional rule that has commands fight on till 50%.

Austrian Cuirassier Regiment No. 5.

The last of the Austrians on lead mountain to be tackled during the time of COVID19.

 All lined up

 These were a joy to paint.

 I really like how some of the guys seem to be talking to each other.

And this guy is perfect for a casualty marker.

World in Flames 39

The Axis maintain pressure on the Soviets and the Ural pocket starts to collapse.  The bad weather has not been bad enough, but maybe the current storm may help (at least there won't be any activity by the Luftwaffe).

There has also been desperate fighting in the eastern Caucasus.

The air and land war has been merciless.

The Nationalist Chinese withstood an onslaught in an amazing show of puck and damn good luck!

However the US Navy has not been so lucky, suffering significant losses for nothing in return

The brave Soviet Baltic fleet is hunting for the German convoys,

while trying to avoid the Scharnhorst.

My write is is nothing compared to Michael's which appears on the Facebook World in Flames Group.  His photos are better too, but I haven't included them.

AUSGAME 2020 – S/O 1942 (Cont)

Axis impulse with only rain in the Artic and clear everywhere else sees the GERM and Italian players both take Land impulses. This could be their last impulse (2) for this turn if the Allies risk a pass to end the turn on a 1 or 2. Italy’s first Land for a long time allows then to reform their N African/ Algerian front line with the help of a GERM Mtn Corps which was flown in Aug. In Egypt, a marginally unsuccessful GStrike on Cairo sees the Italian looking for easier prey, as they swing North to overwhelm the 1 factor TER XXX defending Jerusalem. Cairo is surrounded, and the Suez falls into Italian hands. GERM launches multiple GStrikes against the defenders of Magnitogorsk, the Caucasus and the Gomel Pocket with no success as two of the GERM bombers are shot down. But it is not one-way traffic as two of the defending Russian FTRs are also shot down, including the valuable 7 Factor which has caused the GERM a lot of lost JU88s. One of the FTRs was shot down conducting a ‘bounced combat’ against a Stuka which is always annoying for the attacking FTR, but a double 1 from a rear gunner will do that! So, no attacks for the GERM in this partial fine impulse, a great relief for the Russian and the Allies. The GERM will risk another impulse as he has extra aircraft to improve the odds as all the Russian FTRs have now flown. In the Pacific, Japan’s combined sees a rebasing of several TPT/AMPHs and a +9 land attack against GEN Chiang fails badly. A not untypical roll for the mixed performing Japanese land Army of 3 for a one loss and all inverted. What should have been the clearance of this ‘Chiang pocket’ and the release of the Southern Army for ‘other’ operations – like the Philippines and Batavia, sees this Japanese ‘Army of the South’ inverted and mired in wasted and futile losses – more than a little frustrating. 
Allied impulse and another ‘Big Three’ conference decides that with the Allied naval moves from the previous impulse having secured the convoy lanes, all the Axis subs having already sailed, and the Russian  line unchanged, the Allies decided to all take a pass to attempt an EOT roll of 2. The Russian player with a similar result as JUL/AUG fails to save the Motherland rolling a 9!

The Axis, much relieved that they have a further impulse roll a 5, modified 6 with the weather remining unchanged (Rain in the Artic and N Monsoon) but advancing the EOT by 2. Japan taking advantage of the failed pass impulse, port strikes the Pacific Fleet (3x CVs) at Midway, again complete surprise with 2 – 10 split in Japan’s favour. Despite the rain and with no AA roll, the long-range NAV from Kwajalein sinks the USS Hornet in the minor port, shifting the naval balance for at least the short term, back in Japan’s favour. The CA Vincennes is also caught outside the Marshall Island with no air cover by Japanese NAVs and sunk – it has been an expensive two impulses for the US with the loss of a fast TPT, the CV Hornet and its air compliment (both sunk by Port Strike)  and 2 x CA’s for no loss to the Japanese. The US has been significantly unlucky with the Japanese rolling 2’s and 3’s for their last 4 search rolls and the US 9’s and 10’s, compounded by several failed save rolls. Japan knows this won’t last much longer but is buoyed by its Naval successes after its land failure. The Japanese invade a random Island of NEI preparing landing sites for the Batavia assaults in N/D. The GERM takes a land to launch their SEP/OCT offensive with 4 x GStrikes with an inversion against one of the defenders of Magnitogorsk, this offsets the rain, and an attack is declared. An average dice roll sees the city fall with a ½ invert and a 1 loss to the GERM. In the Caucasus the attack fails with an ordinary roll and  despite the two Corps being inverted for +4, +2 for the HQ at 2:1 odds,  the Mountains remain in Russian hands after a 1/1 loss each – no break through this turn for the GERM, the grind continues. The Italians advance to surround Cairo and await an inversion of the OOS Indian MIL. The GERM player fails to end the turn on a 1 and the Allies ‘have a go’.

The US decides to focus on N Africa as he now owns the bulk of the Allied land units ‘in theatre’ and takes a land, with both the Russian and CMWLT electing to take combines.  The CMWLTH hoping to cause some attrition on the Axis acft and SCS in the Bay of Biscay searches unsuccessfully, He decides to Strat bomb Paris again, but drops leaflets instead of bombs and returns home unimpressed. Surprisingly unlucky multiple GStrikes for the Allies against the Italian Army in North Africa results in not a single inversion, and so no attacks are declared. It was however not all good news for the Axis as two of the three valuable FTRS in N Africa were shot down by the Allies over Algeria. Embarrassingly one was lost to the Bolton Paul Defiant – really, attack them from the front not the rear, they may look like a Hurricane, but they are not. Russia sails the Leningrad fleet to hunt for the last few GERM Convoys but fail to find with a rare 10 search roll, Scharnhorst the escorting BC rolls declines intervention by rolling a 9 – apparently nothing to see in the grey seas of the Baltic. The Russian land units cover the single loss in the Urals and a Gstrike by the last Russian Long-Range bomber finds and inverts Rommel on a 1, an important result as he is the leading HQ. The Russian recognising every +1 is important spends 4 O-Points to reinvert HQ Timoshenko in Chelyabinsk, effectively adding a -$ to the next GERM attack. Again, the Soviets fail to end their EOT roll on a 3, with the turn advancing by 2 with a bonus impulse for the Axis.

However, the excitement of the bonus impulse mellows as finally the weather Gods lend a helping hand to the Russians – apparently Stalin has opened the Orthodox Churches, and a 9 is rolled for weather. Storm in the N Monsoon and most importantly in the Artic, Russia is safe this turn. Overall the weather for S/O has been in favour of the Allies (poor/bad weather every impulse) but balancing that out has been the EOT rolls have in favoured the Axis. The Land war for the Axis has been poor with only one of four land attacks during the turn being successful, due in part to bad weather and poor GStrikes but mostly to low rolling. However, the attack against the Urals city of Magnitogorsk was an important success and in the Pacific it has been Japanese success at sea mitigated by 1 awful land roll (3) . Next session will see Japan taking advantage of the US distraction in ‘lands’ in N Africa and take a Naval to hunt US convoys hoping to put US forces OOS at the EOT. Italy will attempt to GStrike Cairo and take the city, and GERM with most of its Land Army inverted may decided to take a Combined and sail the Bismarck against British convoys although it does have a +6 ordinary attack against the Urals city of Chelyabinsk if he is feeling ‘lucky or he may be simple patiently and wait for Nov/Dec when his HQ’s and air-force is upright and the weather might improve.

1/76th ish inventory - Commonwealth

This post kind of completes the inventory of my 1/76th and related scale forces.  There are more models in bits and pieces and quite a few as unmade kits.  So it goes.  Same goes for figures.

In looking at the various things I have included in this post, some are very old and some quiet new.  There is also evidence in evolution of my thinking as to painting, basing and organisation styles.  Note: Some of this units have been posted previously, mainly when I started this blog ten years ago.

 Mainly Airfix.  

There is a Hasegawa Grant and a Matchbox Firefly.  

Some scratchbuilding evident bottom right hand corner.

Some TLC is required.

 What looks like a complete armoured regiment.

Most of the Shermans are one piece plastic castings, brand unknown.

I can see that I lost heart halfway through when the second squadron turned out very green.

 A flash looking Matchbox Humber.

 I'm so fond of this model that you get two pics of it.

Detail looks sharper without the flash.

 This formation has been extensively posted on before.

This is as far as I have got with the great 5oth (Northumbrian) Division - Tyne and Tees.

As someone born north of the Humber I claim an historical connection!

 Some odds and sods (I have many more loose figures).

The three vehicles on the right are diecast by Oxford and are literally to die for.

 Looks like I started out with these guys for Command Decision

 and then started to move to Crossfire.

Note scratchbuilt Boys A/T rifle and PIAT.

The slender Airfix figures have a distinct early war feel to them

(unlike the more stocky Matchbox figures used for the 50th)

Some very old figures, based up for Crossfire.

The extra HMGs are just because, 

but also show a different attempt at a quick basing style.

The cutting of the Vicker's front legs, while tricky, pays off.

Trial of Strength - Turns 16 to 18 - December 1942

Yesterday Richard and I finished the December turn  which saw a bit of excitement with Soviet attack disrupting the siege of Stalingrad.

 Stalingrad has been surrounded,

but a Soviet attack to the west has cut the supply line to much of the besieging Axis forces.

 In the subsequent fighting the Soviets were able to briefly open a resupply path to Stalingrad.

Closeup of the action round Stalingrad.

The last turn of the year was quiet as both sides repair lines and build up for the new year.

Carthaginian versus Sassanids

This week it was the turn of Mark B's Sassanids to feel the wrath of my Carthaginians in a game of Basic Impetus 2.0.

 Deployment

 By the end of Turn One both sides were within spitting distance.

The Numidian cavalry had already had their first charge.

 Turn Two and the armies are fully engaged.

Turn Three and the fighting ground on.

Come Turn Four the Sassanids conceded after losing two of their cavalry units, including their general.  Sadly the photo op was missed.

Trial of Strength - Turns 11 to 15

The war continues.

 Nothing much happened on the first two turns - it's mud!

 November and it is now snow.

 There have been a few attacks by the Axis and some counterattacks by the Soviets.

The Turkish border has been reinforced by the Soviets,

as has the Finish front.

The Soviets are hoping for a better time in 1943.

1/76th ish inventory - Soviets

Armour and infantry.  Not sure what the armour equates to, but the infantry is built on the Command Decision OOB for a Rifle Regiment.

In this post and the previous one I have not included my Germans and Russians that are based for Crossfire for use with the Stalingrad scenario.

 Some of the wheeled vehicles are repurposed Matchbox diecast models.

The basing of the Zvedza AA and AT guns represents my new(ish) big basing style.

What follows are my notes from a long time ago when I was building this force and how I was structuring it to cover all variations.  It is interesting that with two infantry stands of two figures per company that would match one of my 15mm infantry basings and is close to my Crossfire basing.

Russian Rifle Regiment for Command Decision

                                        41 42 43 44

     ___ Infantry Battalion

          Headquarters

          cmd stand                     1  1  1  1

          ___ Rifle Company

         inf stands                   2  2  2  2

          ___ Rifle Company

         inf stands                  2  2  2  2

          ___ Rifle Company

         inf stands                  2  2  2  2

          ___ Machinegun Company

          MMG stand                    1  1  1  1

          ___ Antitank Rifle Company

          PTRD ATR stand1               0  1  1  1

          ___ Mortar Company

          82mm mtr stand (ds)          0  0  1  1

Stand Type		Walk/Run	Weapon ROF   Range		Notes
Cmd		8/16	1	-
Inf		8/16	1	8" eff
MMG		8/-	2	15" eff
82mm Mtr (HIW)		8/-	4	54" idf	HE:1"/4
PTRD (ATR)			1	Direct
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 8:-2 7:-2 6:-3 5:-3 2:-4   -    -    -    -
PTRS (ATR)			2	Direct
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 8:-2 7:-2 6:-3 5:-3 2:-4   -    -    -    -

Notes:

1.   PTRD replaced by PTRS after 1942

     ___ Rifle Regiment                 41 42 43 44

          Headquarters

          cmd stand                   1  1  1  1

          eng stand                   0  0  1  1

          recon cavalry SMG stand     0  0  1  1

          Antitank Rifle Company

         PTRD ATR stands1            0  2  2  2

          Submachinegun Company

         SMG stands                 0  2  2  2

          Antitank Company

          gun crew stand              1  1  1  1

          45L46 AT gun2                1  1  1  1

          limber                      1  1  1  1

          Regimental Gun Company

          gun crew stand (ds)         1  1  1  1

          76L16 regimental gun        1  1  1  1

          limber                      1  1  1  1

          Mortar Company

          82mm mtr stand (ds)         1  1  0  0

          gun crew stand (ds)         0  0  1  1

          120mm mtr                   0  0  1  1

          med truck                   0  0  1  1

Stand Type		Walk/Run or Road/CC	Weapon ROF   Range		Notes
Infantry		8/16	1	8" eff
Submachinegun		8/16	2	2" eff
Cavalry		15/25	-	-
82mm Mtr (HIW)		8/-	4	54" idf	HE:1"/4
120mm Mtr (L)			2	108" idf	HE:2"/6
Command		8/16	1	-
Patrol		-/16	-	-
Limber		15/8	-	-	Cargo 0/H
Med Truck		70/15	-	-	Cargo 2/H
14.5 PTRD (ATR)			1	Direct
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 8:-2 7:-2 6:-3 5:-3 2:-4   -    -    -    -
14.5 PTRS (ATR)			2	Direct	>42
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 8:-2 7:-2 6:-3 5:-3 2:-4   -    -    -    -
45L46 ATG (L)			2	Direct	HE:SA/25"
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 9:0  9:-1 9:-1 6:-2 4:-2 2:-3   -    -    -
45L66 ATG (L)			2	Direct	HE:SA/25"
Direct AP (>42)	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 9:4  9:3  9:2  7:1  4:0  3:-1 2:-1   -    -
Direct HVAP (>42)	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 9:6  9:4  9:3  7:1  4:0  3:-2 2:-4   -    -
76L16 InfG (L)			2	180" idf	HE:1"/4
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 9:-3 9:-3 6:-3 3:-3 2:-3 1:-3 1:-3   -    -
Direct HC (>41)	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 9:x1 9:x1 6:x1 3:x1 2:x1 1:x1 1:x1   -    -

INFANTRY REGIMENT Russian 1941-44 Rifle Division

(continued)

     ___ Rifle Regiment                 41 42 43 44

         

        Headquarters                   1  1  1  1

     Infantry Battalions            3  3  3  3

Total

          Type           HQ   Bat  Reg

     cmd stands           1   1   4

     82mm mortar stands  1   1   3

     gun crew stands      3   0   3

     PTRD ATR stands     2   1   5

     SMG stands          2   0   2

     recon cavalry SMG   1   0   1

     eng stands          .1   0   1

     120mm mortar         1   0   1

     med truck            1   0   1

     76L16 InfG          1   0   1

     45L46 AT gun        1   0   1

     limbers              2   0   2

     inf stands           0   6   18

     MMG stands           0   1   3

Stand Type		Walk/Run or Road/CC	Weapon ROF   Range		Notes
Infantry		8/16	1	8" eff
Submachinegun		8/16	2	2" eff
Cavalry		15/25	-	-
Medium MG		8/-	2	15" eff
82mm Mtr (HIW)		8/-	4	54" idf	HE:1"/4
120mm Mtr (L)			2	108" idf	HE:2"/6
Command		8/16	1	-
Patrol		-/16	-	-
Limber		15/8	-	-	Cargo 0/H
Med Truck		70/15	-	-	Cargo 2/H
14.5 PTRD (ATR)			1	Direct
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 8:-2 7:-2 6:-3 5:-3 2:-4   -    -    -    -
14.5 PTRS (ATR)			2	Direct
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 8:-2 7:-2 6:-3 5:-3 2:-4   -    -    -    -
45L46 ATG (L)			2	Direct	HE:SA/25"
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 9:0  9:-1 9:-1 6:-2 4:-2 2:-3   -    -    -
45L66 ATG (L)			2	Direct	HE:SA/25"
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 9:4  9:3  9:2  7:1  4:0  3:-1 2:-1   -    -
Direct HVAP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 9:6  9:4  9:3  7:1  4:0  3:-2 2:-4   -    -
76L16 InfG (L)			2	180" idf	HE:1"/4
Direct AP	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 9:-3 9:-3 6:-3 3:-3 2:-3 1:-3 1:-3   -    -
Direct HC	2"   5   10"  15"  20"  25"  30"  40"  50" 9:x1 9:x1 6:x1 3:x1 2:x1 1:x1 1:x1   -    -