Wednesday, 11 March 2020

South Essex in the Rear Area 1940

Thinking they have a cushy number guarding the back lines the South Essex are in for a rude awakening suffering a glider landing on the bridges and a para drop right on their airfield. they struggle to deal with the elite of the German Fallschrimjager. There are two bridges and Sargeant Hakeswell watches while the bridge guard are wiped out them makes a run for it.  Lt McCoy leads a charge by the carrier section off board in reserve making it a close run game



Hakeswill spits the dummy



This bridge is taken!

McCoy's carriers brew up

Decanting Paras

The bridge guard


Meanwhile the valiant French hold German Motorcyclists at the Cross roads



While a French Dragoon Platoon try to break through


At the airfield they chalk up all this noise to jump Frenchies. Until the silent Parachutists are amonst them, the busted gliders were there simply to represent busted French aircraft left to block the runway.


Carrier section in the Forecourt of the billet

Carriers sweep up some paras

A firefight

HQ Team hard at work


Saturday, 15 February 2020

Bolt action South Essex v Panzer Grenadiers


France  1944

Major Sharpe and the Light Company of the South Essex have detailed to guard a french village which has suffered the attentions of strategic bombing some time ago. Disappointed by the poor prospect of loot the bored Tommies are awakened by the noise of approaching engines.    A Unit Of Panzer Grenadier, bypassed in the night, is determined to punch their way through the Village and escape from Northern France.  As the fog of dawn rises the South Essex must hold the line from an unexpected direction the rear.



The Major in his jeep




AT Section strikes
German HQ
The German HQ takes to a copse of trees above the town,the HQ Section gets pinned down by sniper fire, this also attracts a patrol led by Sargeant Harper, the Big Irishman gives the Captain a taste of steel and recovers a rather nice luger.

Sniper Hagman

Even more of the Boche!
The South Essex are forced off from the table with resulting deaths anomgs prisoners on both sides.

Monday, 2 December 2019

2nd Day Gettysburg

We were using the familiar Johnny Reb rules and maxed out on everything in the boxes
Peach Orchard



Union tenaciously holds

Rebs advance on Little Round Top



Serious fighting

Saturday, 24 November 2018

Battlegroup Sniper Kursk 1943

We wanted a straight forward infantry fight in a urban landscape, 1943 lists were used but no specific attack/defense scenario. The goal was get a good game.   This was our second try out  of this urban set up  this time we had two German players with 600 points attacking 400 points of my Heroic Soviet Infantry.  again the Germans can keep their squads as 8 men then brake off the MG team when they choose.

Soviet 400 point army List 
  • FHQ, Forward Aid Post
  • Rifle Company with 3 76mm L/16s with loaderTeams
  • 4 Sniper teams and 2 Foot Patrols
Buildings scratch bulit JP and from the extensive collection of the Provans this time from Hovells.

Fascist had 600 points to play 300 points for each player.  Each player was rolling separate command dice. We had three objectives on table the Brewery (in the Soviet deployment area) and the cross roads and a church on the square just outside the Soviet deployment zone but overlooked by the German deployment zone.

My plan was to fight in two blocks on the soviet left and one house on the right.  Soviets got the first turn by dint of outscouting the Fascists
foot patrols lead the way
Move one Soviets advance on the cross roads my wrecked T-34 marks the spot.  It is quite hard to form up a platoon in a street but those two blocks were critical for me.



Facists cant see anything yet!


T-34 in the centre  of the shot here and the battle did revolved around this block on the right and the next one down the street.  Three hours of fighting for the Fascists to take this.  However they still didnt get the cross roads which were contested through the whole battle.  The Germans were reduced to trying close assaults  from the blocks and rubble after pinning my heroes in the next set of buildings with fire.  Hard to do with regular infantry .  My battle plan worked here

Pinned down fascists.

On the other flank the Germans had snipers in a bid to out diddle the Soviets, however this is where the 76mm infantry guns came into their own area firing on the tallest building on the German table side as soon as their HMG and Sniper moved into the second floor.  this was kept up for six turns eventually killing the sniper team and driving out the HMG which had to be tactically co ordinated to get away.  

static prevented many turns of fire
Poor communication rolls blocked German mortar fire for at least four turns followed by a period when the Command group had to focus on tactical co ordination.  Again it took over six turns to dig out the frontline snipers.  The snipers were driven back on the secondline housing them killed but once the germans were in these houses the 76mm kicked in.


Favourite building with Soviet sniper team on ground floor


My 76mm infantry guns after the battle

Brewery with company commander in GAZ parked inside

Both German commands racked up BR close to their limit, but the first to fail were my Soviets.  An intense urban battle taking over four hours with few rules glitches.  Battlegroup is so easy to play once the glitches are sorted out.

Monday, 29 October 2018

Wavre 1815 Vandamme's First Strike


We were playing this What If scenario based on a Vandamme's corp attack at Wavre.  Four players using the Over the Hills Rules, which seem to us to capture a better flavour of the period than Black Powder.  Figures are all 10mm.


Prussian defenders weather the French cannons


French storm the first bridge
We rapidly adjusted the rules for opposed bridge crossing into a built up area by breaking it down by combat rounds.  First turn only the bridge counted, second turn only the built up area counted and finally if the french were in the buildings there were no tactical disadvantages.  this interpretation gave the french at least the prospect of a break in.

French finally storm into Warve

Russian Prussian legion awaits to counter charge

Fire fight on the Dyle


Prussian garrison of the mill


Swiss storm into the mill backed by a division of infantry

Prussian Cavalry Brigade


Even More French

This game played well and Vandamme was able to pass over the Dyle, took Wave, but not drive the Prussians off the table.  we took this to be a victory for the French