Union repulsed

All figures painted by Young David Provan, this was an hasty attack by "green " union commanders against a Veteran Confederate rearguard using the excellent Jonny Reb rules

the union

Union elites

rebs at the ready

more rebs

 The reb line looked thin but the blue bellies would find out they were ready to fight

Union centre was held up by the cornfields

the union about to come to grips

Young David pounces on a weak centre

Dave senior decimates one union battery

then finishes off the next with extreme range fire

Oh the horror, the divisional commander watches is artillery run for it

A brigadier is cut down throwing shaking his brigade

the union sweeps around the right

more waiting rebs

/union still hold the ridge on the right

I have them! confederate divisional commnder

Rebs surge forward

Rebs take the battery then charge again

Zouaves cant stop them

My brigadier shot and returning to the base followed by his own zouves at the roll of a double 1

Barbarossa Defence Line

Battlegroup Barbarossa Defence Line

750point battlegroups Russian Infantry defending v German Panzer Attack  this saddled the Soviets with plenty of elements but not a lot of command control

This AT position held for six turns under gun, tank and MG fire, the German initial probe

Russian trench position

Russian Left and centre

This hill was an objective overlooking the brown stream which was difficult going, the Russian held it through the whole game.

Second objective The Bridge

The mill house was booby trapped, the infantry gun had been pinned down in the bombardment, later it pulled back and fought 5 panzer 3s , had two Beyond the call of duties before the crew was destroyed

Burning Panzer 3

The Cavalry arrive

The reserves try to counter the German break through, T-28 to the rescue, again this infantry gun had fought through 6 turns

German victory

The Panzers finally take the bridge and the Russian Battlegroup has suffered 39 BR, initially 36

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!