Blitzkrieg Commander

Played my first game of Blitzkrieg Commander.  Very impressed.  Gave a good feel and quick and easy to play.  It's now on my wish list.

http://www.blitzkrieg-commander.com/default.aspx?Area=BKC

Field Fencing – Part 1

This is a Xmas project and hopefully there will be a Part 2 within two weeks (the time I have off), however at the moment I’m into painting Napoleonics so it might not happen.

I purchased this Peco Lineside kit and decided that for wargaming purposes it would be best to make up into ten separate strips.  Pop sticks made the perfect base.  I originally started to collect the pop sticks by saving them from ice creams, but I soon realised that was a fattening idea.  I ended up just taking ten from a self service drink stand were they were supplied in lieu of teaspoons.

The end of each segment was a bit tricky, but actually went together very well.  I had no luck with the centre struts and so left them off.  PVA glue worked fine to secure the fence to its base.

Now they are ready to paint and flock.

Here's to a relaxing Xmas and all the best for 2012.

Stalingrad – Russians – Crossfire

These are my two Russian companies that I have dedicated to the Crossfire Stalingrad scenario.

They have been relabelled with red brown on white for the first (rifle) company and white on red brown for the SMG company.

The figures are a mix of Esci, Atlantic, metal (one Hinchcliffe, but the other metal are I think GHQ).  There is even one Matchbox hard plastic figure in there.

I hope next time I get to play the scenario the new labels aid playability.

Leipzig Table A Scenario – Napoleon’s Battles

On 4 December we played the Leipzig Table A scenario, but noted how if we were playing the full battle there would be many decisions on other troops that would be available – this was some of the fun we were perhaps looking for.  So far the two scenarios we have played have been totally isolated

The French chose the Mockern road and while it took time to get their long march columns on the table they quickly deployed facing north.  Command was an issue as Ney is only 4 and Marmont is a 7.  Both have a 10” command span.  The special arrangements for the command of continuous columns is something that has recently been commented on in the Napoleon’s Battles Yahoo Group and it was certainly a factor in this game.  See http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/napsbattles/message/14643

The Russians arrived on time and passed thru Lindenthal as can be seen in the first photo.  Note the model used to denote the village of Lindenthal was actually moved (saved) and placed with Mockern as its position on the table edge were a lot of movement was occurring put it in jeopardy of being knocked onto the floor.

The Allies felt hemmed in by the French and decided to delay the arrival of the Prussians for an hour which gave them time to enter deployed and a fair way down the French left flank.  I think this gave them a significant deployment advantage in time and flexibility. This was rule 6.1.4.1.1.

The Prussians then followed up their successful attack on the French left with an all out assault and the next two photos show the before and after situations.

The Allies kept up the pressure and at the end held Mockern.  Some of their units had been badly mauled, but they had inflicted worse on the French plus captured a lot of the French artillery. The troop quality at this period makes the units very fragile.

This is how the battle ended up:

The Prussians and the French Marines (in dark blue greatcoats were from my collection and mainly Essex with a few AB figures).  The Russians and French were from Richard's collection and are Old Glory.

The game took about seven hours, but I'm a rather slow player these days, especially when attacking.

If I was to do this battle again I would move the map significantly to the north west and have the south bordered by the Elster River and the east by the stream that flows from Gohlis to Gross Widderitzsch.  The reference material I have that would best aid me in constructing this is the Napoleon at Leipzig board game by OSG.  Maybe for a future post ...

Stalingrad - Germans - Crossfire

These are the two German companies for theCrossfire Stalingrad scenario.

After the last game I decided to relabel them so they are clearer and in the order Platoon/Company which seems to be the more natural way of reading the markings.

The white background is the first company.  The figures are a mix of Airfix, Airfix clones, Matchbox, Esci or Revel (?) and maybe more, plus a few metal figures in the 3rd Plt of 2 Coy (which is the Veteran unit).

Operation Mercury - Final Installment

25 May

After finding an Allied Task Force in Candia Bay the Luftwaffe make a poorly coordinated attack but still manage to sink the DD Kelvin.

The Germans air land more troops at Maleme.  They also finally capture the Retimo airfield as the Allies start to retreat.

In the afternoon the Luftwaffe make another determined effort against the Royal Navy and catch Task Force A returning to base low on ammunition.  They sink the DDs Greythorn and Griffin and damage DD Vendetta.

The Germans air land troops at Heraklion.  The Allied retreat is going well as their rearguard puts up a tenacious defence.

26 May

The Retimo sector has now been vacated and troops are evacuating at Sfakia and Tymbakion.  A devastating attack by the Luftwaffe at Sfakia sinks the CL Dido and DD Kimberly and damages the CL Ajax.  The afternoon sees the Royal Navy move back out to sea, but the Luftwaffe continue their success and sink the Ajax and damage the DD Janus.

During the night the Allies complete their evacuation.

27 May

The convoys ferrying survivors to Alexandria are attacked mercilessly.  The DDs Imperial and Isis are sunk and the DD Janus, Kingston, CL Abele and Carlisle all damaged.  The Luftwaffe return for the kill in the afternoon, but are largely driven off by allied naval AA.  The transport Glenroy is damaged however.

Only eighteen Allied units escaped.  Sixteen ships had been sunk.  However, the German losses amongst their elite paratroops were very heavy.  The final victory points came in as 215 to 327 which gives the Germans a substantive victory.

Summary

An excellent simulation and a good game well suited to solitaire play.  While not complex, I did make a few mistakes, but nothing that couldn’t be accounted for by die rolls.  I could have handled the German land attacks better and also the Royal Navy.  I was satisfied using the Luftwaffe for interdiction on land and sea, while it requires good luck, there is no risk to the Luftwaffe so it gets to keep on attacking and eventually it will get through.

Operation Mercury - Part 6

24 May

The Allies are starting to run short on supplies.  The Germans are faced with low supply in the Retimo and Heraklion sectors and are buoyed by the Luftwaffe’s continued interdiction to slow the Allies down.

The main Luftwaffe force goes after the Royal Navy and in Almivos Bay and the DD Kipling is sunk.  Two German convoys are headed for Retimo and in the early morning one gets through unscathed while the other is shot up losing a lot of its heavy equipment.  The amphibious landing is successful and the Germans at Retimo now have significant reinforcements and the battle for the airfield continues.

At Heraklion the Germans succeed in air landing some reinforcements as well.  The subsequent fighting is not so successful, but things have tipped in their favour. 

At Suda the Allies continue a fighting withdrawal to avoid being outflanked.

In the afternoon, the Allies, short on supply and even low in some sectors (except Suda which has its own problems), with the Germans holding Maleme airfield, a strong grasp on the Heraklion airfield and fighting for the last airfield at Retimo, having suffered excessive losses (well over 70 steps) beginning thinking of evacuation.

The Luftwaffe launch a massive attack on the RN as it attempts to interfere with the German naval landing in Almivos Bay, but are driven off by heavy AA fire.  The RN sink the German convoys, but it is too late as the bulk of the German reinforcements were already ashore.

The Germans drop some more reinforcements into Heraklion and airland troops at Maleme.

The Allies start to withdraw.  During the night the Germans start to follow up, but the Allied retreat has now commenced.