Kursk Scenario Hill 252.2

We played a Battlegroup Kursk scenario straight from this Book.  I was on the soviet side with Livy and Sparky.  I suggested an attack based on the battle of Leuctra, Livy would attack on the German right up a railway track, Sparky push in the centre and I would hold back on our right.  We had two katushka strikes which we aimed on the anti tank ditch in front of Livy's attack and heavily defended = TARGET RICH, they would arrive on turn one , then turn two.

village in the centre

Panzer IVs ready to repell the Red Horde

AT gun ready to stop LIVY

David Ps German infantry, this single guy destroyed a squad on his own

AT Ditch, this infantry were deployed in fox holes

Ariel spotter but we had no artillery!

One of four TIGERS

FLAK Gun

Sparky loses a T-34

Burning TIGERS!

Livy roared down the right flank, the First Katshka strike pinned a lot of Germans, the second knocked out or pinned six units including one tiger, livy finished off the second with close range T-34 fire(double6 for penertration)

T-34s ramming Tigers

Ironically the Germans couldnt hit these tanks their rolls were so low, the upshot is that in Battlegroup Kursk the German tank crews have no edge. The t-34s can stal, stal right into their faces

Sparky's lead tank in the village

Facing the last Tiger which rolled double 1 on a fire fire order!

This game seemed seriously unbalanced against the Germans,  time for a replay but this time choose our own 1200points.

Battle Group Barbarossa

We played the Hard Road East Scenario with 800 point battle groups.
The Russians had more Scouts and got the first turn

Livi's T-35

This is action in the centre of the table Livi's T-35 was our sole Vanguard unit and held out for a three turns, My Bt-7s with tank riders stormed up the road in the face of David's Panzer 3s and German infantry

David's Panzer 4s Burning

Sparky got these Panzers 4s into a blocking position but a sole BT-7 knocked these 2 out, with two Panzer 2 rolling a Beyond the call of Duty twice in the battle.  A hero of the Soviet Unit, the crew of that BT-7 was forced to bail and was cut down by a German mg crew. This is the very tank below lurking in a wood with one of his burning victims. note he had fired 8 shots at this point

Hero of the Soviet Union!

Livis Guard rocket battery

The rocket battery only fired once in the game, Livi normally only does a barrage but I asked he deploy on the field.  Dont do this it is a serious tactical MISTAKE

David's Panzer 3s

David's Panzer 2s

 The German's nearly took all of the objectives and came forward , the Russians had to mass the BT-7s for the counter attack and the Stal, Stal rule got us back in the game

David's infantry

David's trucks

David brought his trucks right in the forward zone of the battle to stay in the fight.

Livis T-34s

The T-34s delivered consistent fire power and held off the Germans to give us time to build reserves, Livi sent this T-34 forward on reserve move right into the Panzer 3s.  Again a great set of rules which  delivered a see saw battle

Poland 1807

One of my favourite Black Powder battles is Russian v French.  This was a scratch battle French defending  2 players against 4 Russians.The 3 French foot Brigades, one chasseurs and one dragoons.  The Russians had 6 foot Brigades, 2 cuirassier, one dragoons and one hussar.

The French held the Russians back from Noon until 15.30hrs, when two french foot brigades broke however we we still able to march off the table. All the Russian cavalry had been mangled to some extent with their foot thrown into disarray

Massed brigade of Russian Infantry

Russian Hussara

Russian Grenadiers

The German Kirke

My French Line infantry

Russian musketeers

Russian Dragoons

Russian Cuirassier

French Foot

Overlord Falais Gap scenario

Falais Gap

We played the Falais gap scenario today, a fast moving brutal battle which felt pretty loaded against the Germans. This was one of the most marked differences in outcome of any battle we have played.  Germans suffered 46BR to the American 21 BR

German AT gun

Falljeager behind and improvised barrier & on a hill

Panzer scheck team and road block

Sherman ploughs through the orchard to take the cross roads

Charge the Panther!

American infantry storm the objective, kill the shreckteam

heavy car races to the Forward HQ to pull out the Commander

Panzer Schrek team claims a sherman

Out of fuel Panther mobbed!

Review of Battlegroup Overlord at 6 months

We have been playing alot of the excellent Battlegroup rules.  This was an encounter battle, 500 point battlegroups for each player and four players, two German v an american Armoured platoon and my British infantry company with a section of carriers and two 6pdrs.  Most of these pictures are from the victorious allies positions

British infantry advance

Light mortar carrier

Young David's tiger after being bazooka'd by JPs armoured platoon

Young Davids ammo truck

Armooured Platoons dismounted HQ

US carnage

However all the hill tops were taken by the Armoured Platoon

The previous Outlaw reviews of Battlegroup Rules were
" Read the examples in the rules before playing"
"Punishes poor play"
"Game improves as you get a grip on the rules"
"Overlord book too big with too much in it"
Overall rated better than Rapid Fire.

After 6 months they were
"Rewards planning for failure & fire and movement tactics"
" Artillery doesn't reflect Bangs per minute, the big guns get rewarded"
"Gets better and better"
"Infantry top armour in close country"
 

DBA 15mm caledonians

Had a three way tourney of 9 battles with Lewis and Liam two of our younger members.

We had three Batavian v Early imperial Roman Battles then morphed there into Roman civil war, Roman v caledonian, caledonian v Scots Irish and finiahed with A Scots Irish v Scots Irish.

My Caledonains performed superbly The outstanding performance from the Brown horse champion charging up a difficult hill and driving the irish champion back off it before destroying him.  This took a lot of 6s.

Version 3 is good but the Romans dont get the real command advantages and loose out on discipline.  the secret to fight with armies you like.

The General "Blue beard"

Brown cows for the baggage, with the warriors massed

The single warband got gubbed by the Irish in there first game, the black horse champion crossed a river and gubbed two auxilia in turn, the battle ended in a draw.

Black horse Champion

Alba!

1815

Black Powder Napoleonic

This was played as an encounter battle all troops entering the table in march columns. Five Players, Bil and Young David French, myself JP and Livi as Prussians.  Equal numbers in total but the french deployed more and quicker.  The Prussians dominated the table centre and held on everywhere else. Figures provided by Jp (Prussians figures) Young David's french.

French Advance

French Advance

French Advance