Tactics II - German Counter Attack - Chain of Command 2

Another game of Chain of Command weaved into the Tactics II campaign, a roll on the scenario table and Allies are having to conduct a delaying action against the might of the German Army.

Located at the T junction to win the game players need to hold this point at the end of game.

The prize is the port city in the Tactic II campaign, where the allies has recently conducted a punchy move racing down the coast road to seize elements of the town. A win tonight would see the British Commonwealth force hold off an Axis counter attack.

Both forces started with a core platoon the allies concentrated in three sections, with the Germans in 4 but only 8 men to a section (yes I tweaked my sections so not the same as in the CoC book). Both players spent their support points having considered the table and mission.

Turn one and the Germans secured a position in a drainage ditch that flanked the outskirts of the town, they were unsure of the allies position but these gave a good jump off point for the push into town.

The Brits has spent their points on a 2 Pdr covering the approaches into town, positioned behind a stone wall they felt pretty good about this position.

The sneaky German player pushes a sniper team up the wadi and can see a number of allied defensive positions. Instead of firing they call in artillery fire on the static gun team.

As HE lands around the 2Pdr the Germans call forward their support option a Pz III they were serious about wanting this dusty outpost back. A 2 Pdr shell bounces off it's frontal armour as it rubbles into cover.

Committing a section of Infantry the allies rushed the last known position of the sniper to clear it away, but caught in the open the MG34's of the German's on overwatched killed and pinned a number of assault team. They sheltered behind the dune to get themselves back into some short of order.

Having stripped the centre of some of the defenders the Germans pushed forward, infantry grabbed the courtyard as the armour and supporting APC pushed up the road machine guns supressing the remaining crew members of the AT gun.

Indian defenders hung on to the low stone wall exchanging fire with the attackers. But they could not stop the German Pz III and 251 from rushing on to the T junction.

A hard fought encounter, with both sides edging forward to try and get to a perfect position, before the armoured punch in the final turns with what some might say a lucky double turns :-)

The Allies are forced back on the map.

Rough losses converted to Bolt Action for the Tactics II campaign. 

Axis forces.

German Sniper Team - 50 Points

Half a section KIA - 50 Points

Allied Forces.

AT gun - 50 Points

Boyes AT - 30 Points

Infantry Sections 1&half 5 - 180 Points

Aztec Warband - Wargames Atlantic

Purchased back in January the Aztec's finally made it to the paint table.

It's amazing what the thought of a new project does to give you a nudge to get things cleared more on that in the coming weeks.

The Wargames Atlantic Aztec's go together really well with plenty of choice on the sprues for the various warrior classes. At this stage I went for a mishmash of types, but will fill out the ranks as the units expand.

The aim will be to use an adapted version of Lion Rampant, their is an excellent series of articles on the - I Live with Cats: Queztalcoatl Blog with a home grown rule set Queztacoata Rampant it will be great to give them a runout in the coming weeks once the last of the box set is complete.

   

First up a group of skirmishers these are commoners, perhaps their first battle or levied troops who have not been involved in action before. Issued with missile weapons to harass the enemy. A skirmish unit in Lion Rampant.

Next up a more experienced class of warrior allowed to carry the macuahuitl as they have proven themselves in hand to hand combat.

Finally a group of Telpochyahqui warriors - young men who have been successful in taking a captive,  a warrior was allowed to wear the ichcahuipilli, a quilted jacket, some carry the Chimalli a shield without feathers.

Just so I remember when the next box appears from the family....

Painting Guide.

Spear Tips - Gun Metal Blue

Tong or padded Jacket - F Raw Linen Light 30C, Boneyard 9B, Rawhide Light 11C, GW Corax White, GW Rakarth Flesh.

Bag & Quiver - Moss Shade 29A

Sling & Spear Binding - GW XV88

Stone - GW Dawnstone Grey

Spear, Arrow - GW Mournfang Brown

Club, Bow Shaft F Bay Brown Shade 42A

Insight of Shield - Chestnut Light 53C

Flesh - South American Flesh Shade 119A, Hight 119C

Wash - Army Painted Soft Tone

Next up 10 more warriors - As a child of the 70's I can't get past Animal Kwackers :-)

Tactics II - Campaign Allied Battle 3 - "Dust up in the Wadi"

Continuation of the Tactics II campaign and a useful way of joining up the odd games. Several months ago the British launched their assault which resulted in 3 games, finally the last game of the set.

On the battle map the allied forces had the choice of Allied Armour as their selection with supports from a veteran Mountain Unit, Up against a German Axis Armoured unit selection.

Using Platoon Forward the scenario was a Point Recon Battle - Not quite the clash of armour I was expecting. 

The random force roll gave the Allies 2 Vickers Light Tanks, an MMG plus a Mortar Barrage not a bad haul but it did give the Axis forces plenty of blinds to position across the front.

The table presented an interesting predicament for the allies on the far left was a string of minefields and wire, with a wadi running through the remainder of the table, plenty of places to hide multiple German units. The main objective was the wadi crossing.

None of the options looked great for the Commonwealth forces so with limited options they decided to go straight down the middle. Under the cover of a Mortar Barrage which pinned a German section.

This allowed the allies to push on to the through the limited greenery still unsure on what they were facing.

They found their way blocked by a fixed MMG which ripped through the Infantry who dived for cover, it took the arrival of a Vickers Light tank to supress the MMG.

The Indians itching to get into the action fixed bayonets and rushed the gun position over running the crew and getting into the wadi.

The Germans had one last roll of the dice a 'C' Class blind in the hope it will be the long awaiting German armour - bad news it was a flaming lorry :-(

Game over.

A short but fun game, easing my opponent into Chain of Command.

The loss of a section and an MMG team for the German's who were forced to fall back on the map, with limited losses for the Allies.

Let's see what the Axis initiative will bring.

Spain in the new world - A new project looms.

Welcome to August and a change from the bouncing between the Crusades and the AWI project.

The start of a new (but planned for as very long time) project and Cortez in Mexico. As I start the snipping and gluing of Wargames Atlantic's Aztec's it gave me the opportunity of dusting off these fine looking chaps from Copplestone.

Lacking for enough clothing for the the battle of Tenochtitlan. They will certainly do for some of the encounters as the Spanish push in land and meet jungle tribes.

 

Clothing was minimal although I did give them a sheath just for modesty purposes.

Now to dig out Aguirre: Wrath of God  to give me the nudge to get the others on the table top.

Tactics 2 Campaign - The probe at El Habira

After the last short encounter, I did not want to waste the table, so linking it back to the Tactics 2 campaign an opportunity to knock over one of the outstanding games and the battle around El Habira the British had pushed into the town and the Germans saw the opportunity to counter attack.

After the last game taking a core platoon a side, I rolled for additional support for each side. The British had been busy and anticipating a further German attack had thrown up some wire on the exposed left flank and a mine field on the right.

The patrol phase feel worked out well for the Germans with jump off points on both flanks of the village, Infantry massed on the lift, while mortar team peppered the village from the left.

The commonwealth infantry were pinned at the rear of the village scrambling to get to fighting positions.

The Afrika Korps set under the cover of the barrage and rushed towards the outskirts of the settlement.

The Germans were not to have it their own way a section of Indian troops had made it into the lead building and poured fire into the advancing Axis forces. The Germans dived for cover from the Indian fire.

The Germans were caught in a cross fire from an emerging section near the oasis.

With the first section under pressure and pinned down, the second German section assaulted the Indian position, driven back on the first assault, they called down mortar fire and went again finally forcing the Indians back. 

With the main building vacant, the Germans set about moving through the other buildings slowing driving the British forces from the village.

A hard fought victory for the Germans, the village was in Axis hands but at the cost of a couple of valuable sections. 

A fun game lasting quite a bit longer than game one. Nor the paperwork challenge of converting two damaged Chain of Command sections to Bolt Action points. 

Chain of Command 2 - Back to the Desert

The past week or so has almost been as hot at the Western Desert.

Another opportunity to give CoC2 a run out, an encounter between a platoon of Afrika Korp and Commonwealth infantry, I borrowed the infantry stats from the unofficial campaign the Battle of Gazala 1942.

A simple patrol game with a cluster of adobe buildings near an oasis with a platoon each.

The patrol phase pinned the allies back on the outside of the village with the jump off points behind the large dune and the oasis.

The Germans held the cards and using the wadi were able to gain a strong position to the front of the village. The AK advanced forward being caught in the open by HE rounds and Indian Infantry who crested the dune firing into the first squad, the junior leader was killed instantly.

The Germans returned fire driving back the Commonwealth troops behind the crest in the distance.

A double turn for the allies and got back into some kind of order with their senior leader getting the troops back into shape and a concentration of fire into the German position, another junior leader killed.

Despite the Germans having entered the village two leaders down the patrol decided they did not need the village that badly....

One of those games where casualties are light but the unlikely loss of leaders and a couple of CoC Dice change the outcome of the game.

I suspect the Germans will be back.

The Battle of Princeton 1777 - Rebels & Patriots.

The 250th Anniversary of the birth of America tempted me give the AWI forces a roll out. I picked up a copy of the Live Free or Die rules on PDF, the scenario's are great, they come with detailed maps and force breakdowns they need a little bit of work to convert to Rebels and Patriots.

Borrowing directly from the scenario with a slight tweak on the number of turns given the potential for commands to fail within R&P.

The game begins at 7am and lasts 10 turns, until mid morning. 

The British earn a victory if they can maintain control of road exit to Trenton or Princeton and inflict higher losses than they sustain at the end of the turn limit. This would delay Washington long enough for Cornwallis to react. Any other result is an American victory. 

The British deploy first on the left of the table with the US and Mercer command opposite on the main approach.

Washington begins on the table with Cadwalader’s brigade on the far right flank.

The British Light companies and Grenadiers advance knowing the they have to strike an early blow. They advance swiftly taking the fight to the American militia.

Cadwalader’s Brigade starts to take casualties before they had a chance to line out the first militia unit fell back disrupted. 

On the left flank the Mercers small militia brigade was under pressure from the German Jaegers pushing through the wood. 

Reinforcements for both sides start to flood the able the “Recruit/ Convalescent” regiment arrives on Turn 3 for the Brits together with the 55th Foot arriving on Turn 5 crossing the creek/ 

For the US Hitchcock’s brigade arrives from a logging trail on Turn 3. Fermoy arrives in column from Turn 5, and Mifflin arrives in column on Turn 7. 

Things were starting to get interested in the centre as the US pushed forward only to be countered by the experienced British every time the Militia lined out they were brought under fire by the thin red line.

Fermoy's mounted militia rushed forward on the left flank, driving the British backwards.

A vicious fire fight amongst the dense woodland, slowing the Americans gained the upper hand but at a great cost.

The clock was winding down, the British held the field, their Light Infantry and Grenadiers were being whittled down but a numerous American militia units were broken or down to half strength,  History was not to be repeated and the road to Princeton or Trenton would remain closed.

A fun battle the Rebels and Patriot rules flow really quickly, with 4 times the points recommended in the book, but still fought to a reasonable conclusion in under 3 hours. Each brigade was a drawn randomly to to decide who activated and in what order, this created some interesting challenges beyond the risk of activations within each brigade. 

HISTORICAL OUTCOME Heavily outnumbered and surprised to find himself facing the entire Continental Army, Lt. Col. Mawhood put up a tremendous fight. He was unable to defend either road exit, and the broken remnants of his command reunited with Cornwallis that night, at a cost of 400 men, or 30% of his brigade. The Americans pressed on to take Princeton and earned Washington his first victory over British regulars in the field. Remarkably, American losses numbered just 100 men, but famously included Washington’s friend.