Tobruk 1941 - Bolt Action

Wyre Forest Club Day and the Battle for Toburk.

April 1941. The British fortress of Tobruk stands alone on the Libyan coast, held by the battle‑hardened Australian 9th Division, supported by British artillery and a handful of tanks.

Rommel’s newly arrived Afrika Korps, fighting alongside the Italian Ariete and Brescia Divisions, launches its first probing assaults. Dust storms, poor maps, and fierce resistance turn the attack into a brutal, confused struggle across wadis, wire, and minefields.

A 6 player game with 3 Allied Players & 3 Axis Attackers - Forces listed below for those who are interested.

Player A – Australian Infantry Company

• 3× Veteran infantry sections,  1× Vickers MG, 1× 2‑inch mortar

Player B – Australian Infantry Company

• 3× Veteran infantry sections, 1× Boys AT rifle, 1× Vickers MG, 1× Forward Observer (artillery)

Player C – Australian Support & Reserves

• 2× Infantry sections, 1× 3‑inch mortar, 1× AT gun (2‑pdr), 1× Carrier section (2 carriers)

Pooled Troops - British Armour & Artillery

• 1× Matilda II, 1× Cruiser Mk IV, 1× 25‑pdr artillery, 1× Bren carrier with engineers

Axis Attackers (3 Players)

Player E – German Afrika Korps (Assault Group)

• 2× Veteran infantry squads, 1× Panzer III, 1× Panzer II, 1× MMG, 1× Light mortar

Player F – German Afrika Korps (Mobile Group)

• 2× Mechanised infantry squads (trucks), 1× Panzer II, 1× 81mm mortar, 1× Sniper

Player G – Italian Ariete Division

• 3× Regular infantry squads, 1× L6/40 light tank, 1× Breda MG team, 1× Medium mortar

Italian Brescia Division

• 3× Infantry squads, 1× 47mm AT gun, 1× Autoblinda AB41 armoured car, 1× Engineer squad (demolitions)

Axis Objectives

• Primary: Capture at least two Allied strongpoints (bunkers, trenches, or artillery pits).

• Secondary: Exit one unit off the Allied table edge (representing a breakthrough).

• Bonus: Destroy the Matilda II.

Allied Objectives

• Primary: Prevent Axis forces from capturing two strongpoints.

• Secondary: Destroy at least one Axis armoured vehicle.

• Bonus: Keep the perimeter line intact for 10 turns.

On the day a score draw,  the Axis forces were lucky destroying the Matilda in the opening exchange having massed their armour on the right flank, a strong advance from the Italians in the centre was held up by Mortar and Bren fire. 

The Australians continued to funnel troops into the forward damaged bunker, the Italians got close but were unable to break in to it. The German Armour reached the lip of the trench line, but the clock ran down.

A fun game with everyone engaged from the first turn. Thanks to Steve the War Photographer for the excellent shots of the game.

D Day - Fox Green, Omaha Beach (Wyre Forest Club)

Last Sunday saw a fantastic D Day outing almost 82 years to the day. Fox Green Omaha beach, but with so many players taking part we also dropped in a bridge for the Para's to defend from any German's looking to reinforce the beach. You can thank AI for the narrative.

The sea was still churning behind them when the first men of the 16th Infantry Regiment staggered onto Fox Green. 

The smoke from burning landing craft drifted low across the surf, mixing with the spray and the grit kicked up by machine‑gun fire. The German lacked that killer blow numerous DD Shermans were hit one vanished in a plume of water and steel before it could even fire a shot. The second crawled onto the sand, turret already traversing toward WN62, only to be struck by an anti‑tank round that punched through its side and left it burning like a beacon on the beach.

The infantry pressed on pinned behind the shingle, the survivors of the first wave were a patchwork of shattered platoons—riflemen without officers, engineers without equipment. The German guns raked the beach in long, merciless sweeps inflicting multiple pins on each squad.

But inch by inch, the Americans began to push forward.

The engineers were the first to break the paralysis. Crawling through sand and smoke, they cleared a narrow breach in the seawall helped by naval artillery fire. It wasn’t much—just enough but it was the first crack in the German grip on Fox Green.

The Rangers surged up the bluffs.

At WN62, the defenders fought with grim determination. MG42s chattered from concrete embrasures, and mortar rounds burst among the advancing Americans. The cost was brutal—men fell in clusters, some never even seeing the enemy who killed them. But the Rangers flanked the position, scaling a ravine under covering fire from the destroyers offshore. When they reached the bunker complex, the fight turned to close‑quarters chaos—grenades, rifles, and raw desperation.

By midday, WN62 fell silent.

To the east, WN61 held out longer. Its guns had already claimed one of the Shermans and dozens of infantrymen. But with WN62 neutralized, the defenders found themselves exposed. A coordinated assault by the remnants of two rifle platoons finally overran the trenches. The last German gun crew surrendered after their ammunition ran out.

WN64, isolated and battered by naval fire, collapsed soon after.

The Sherman's advanced up the draw.

In the rear the Germans faired no better in attempting to break through the para's defending the bridge. Every attempt to break though the cordon was thwarted, multiple German vehicles - all that was left to was to face against each other on opposite river banks.

Back to the beach when the firing finally died down, Fox Green was a landscape of wreckage—burning tanks, shattered landing craft, and the bodies of men who had crossed an ocean to reach this strip of sand. The Americans had secured the beachhead.

They had lost two tanks and numerous men, but the bluffs were theirs, the strongpoints silenced, and the path inland open. The cost of Fox Green would be remembered, not for the ground gained, but for the men who refused to yield it.

A cracking days gaming - end to end action with everyone engaged. German firing was rather poor but it was still a tough ask for the Allies to break though. Thank goodness for the Naval Gun fire to keep jerries head down.

Played using Bolt Action V3.

The Battle for Foy - Easy Company lead the way.

Club day and an opportunity to go beyond the usual 6x4.

A WW2 Bolt Action outing and the The U.S. 506th PIR (Easy Company and supporting platoons) attacked the German‑held village of Foy during the Battle of the Bulge. The Americans had to cross open, snow‑covered fields under fire from entrenched German defenders.

The German's held strong positions in the town with the added challenge of the occasional armoured element, marvellous.

Faced with an expanse of open ground Easy Company swung left, trying to keep a number of the Germans out of play and bring the US superior fire power into play.

A large amount of open grounded was covered with limited casualties, until they hit small arms range and then the pins started to mount.

The Germans stripped the line and rushed to counter the flanking move.

Having reached the village outskirts the remaining US Platoons rushed from the tree line, as Easy Company fought to get a foothold in the village and the petrol station.

The clock ran down.... looks the Jerry might need softening up before the next push...

A cracking game with challenges for both sides.

Sino-Japanese War 1937 - 1945 - Chinese Infantry WW2

Something a little different for 2026 and the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War Project.

Lots more to come but I thought I would start with a small section in a bluish-grey uniform, this was common in northern China with Khaki dominating in the South. The Nationalists appeared to have a patch work of uniforms due to the lack of centralised manufacturing so the plan will be to paint up a number of sections each in a different uniform shade. This will tie in with the mix of kit ranging from British, French, Russian & even German kit in the early years of the war.

These are all 3D prints from Kyoushuneko Miniatures and my first large collection of prints instead of metals or plastics, they have a reasonable range of sculpts but with a choice of 4 different heads in some of the packs and with a snip or too on the others you get quite a range to put on the table.

The greatest challenge is sticking them to the circular base as they don't print with a moulded base- Super glue is your friend here. They can be a little brittle in some areas but they represent great value for money when being printed locally.

They take the paint really well and have just the right level of detail without to many buckles, smaller elements that are missed when on the table.

For this cohort these were the colours used.

Uniform - GW Russ Grey 

Helmet - Foundry STorm Green Shade 27A

Blanket Roll - GW Eshin Grey /GW Straken Green

Boots - Black.

Sword Sheath = GW Catachan Flesh

Flesh - GW Kislev Flesh

Rifle/chin strap - Foundry Chestnut Shade 53A

Nap sack - Foundry - Rawhide Light 11C

Webbing Foundry - African Flesh Light 126 C

Wash - Warpaint Fanatic - Soft Tone.

Sened Station, Feb 1943 - Bolt Action

Sunday at the Wyre Forest Club and a Bolt Action outing..... Limited pic's I am afraid juggling seven players and umpiring.

The Italian Briefing.

Comandante,
Here is your operational overview for the current situation at Sened Station.

Comandante, we are positioned at Sened Station, a minor rail stop in southern Tunisia—minor in size, but not in importance. Though Allied air superiority prevents regular use of the railway, German High Command, under General von Arnim, has insisted that we maintain a forward presence here. His rationale is clear: if the Allies advance east from Gafsa, this station becomes a potential corridor to deeper Axis supply routes. Holding it signals that the Axis line in central Tunisia remains unbroken.

Your garrison consists primarily of troops from the Centauro Division, we do not have immediate armoured reinforcement—German panzers are reserved further north and will not respond quickly unless a major assault develops.

Recent intelligence indicates that the Americans are reorganizing after their earlier setbacks in Tunisia. Among them is a new formation—the 1st Ranger Battalion, commanded by Major William Darby. These Rangers are not conventional infantry. They are trained specifically for deep‑penetration raids.

We believe the enemy has begun employing these forces to test our defensive lines and to probe for weaknesses. The rugged terrain around this station—broken rock, ravines, and low ridges—offers ideal cover for infiltrators.

In summary, Comandante: our position is significant, our troops are capable, but our defences are thin for any raid and the enemy has exactly the kind of force designed to strike an isolated outpost like Sened Station.

The approach road to Sened Station, Italian trenches can be seen outside of the town and on the high ground on the right.

Bad luck strikes for the Rangers a ranging shot from the Italian defenders hits a lorry full of troops, 6 men were killed without firing a shot.

Revenge is sweet, on the left flank the Rangers debus and set about clearing the German defenders from the slit trench.

Allied armour rolls forward as the Italian defenders were proving tough to shift despite Artillery battering their lines.

As the allies pushed forward, the German Panzers appeared on the base line. Sened Station would be staying in Axis hands for now.

Great fun and a couple of new recruits getting bloodied at the club, now firmly thinking about painting up forces. It feels like mission accomplished on a several fronts.

Dispatches from the front XXXVII - Last post of the year.

It's been a while since the last dispatch from the front....... 

Time for an end of year review and some annual awards to dish out..... :-)

Unit or Unit of the Year.

Looking back over this years painting efforts I thought it would be interesting on which units where the most enjoyable to get on the table. 

The paint count this year was not to bad at all.

Over 150 15mm Foot Figures, 24 Cavalry, 220 28mm Foot, 30 28mm Mounted Figures and around 20 buildings and Terrain pieces.

The winner has to be the men of Massachusetts. 

At the time these 10mm Pendraken miniatures were far too many in one go... but 10 months later and reflecting on the overall output it was great to get 5 units on the table in one go. 

Rule set of the year.

It has to be Lion Rampant - They are so flexible and have provided numerous well balanced games. The Outremer games have kept the paint table ticking over.

More next year that's for sure.

Game of the year.

This was a tough one, but based on the look, feel and challenge playing VC forces against a mobile well armed US force it has to be La Drang Valley - Dust, Tears & Dice: Ia Drang Valley 1965 - Force on Force. We played using Force on Force which gave a great feel for the period.

Book of the Year.

Saul David - Tunisgrad a great read that takes you from the trenches to the generals map table. Inspiration for future games that's for sure.

Near miss.

This was a fun one... Projects or Rabbit holes that almost resulted in another project - Inspiration can come from a range of things. A weekend trip to Barcelona and a sense you had seen this building before. 

Several years ago I completed a Nationalist Spanish force - I was almost tempted to build an CNT Militia force I put it down to too much sangria.

Find of the Year.

Blitzkrieg Workshop - Printed and Painted WW2 vehicles - Items for sale by blitzkriegworkshop | eBay

£22.50 for a ready painted Tiger I

Now that's good value for money.

Save from the brink.

I must be getting old but the past 12 months I have seen several trusted brands wind up or retire. It was great to see Pendraken acquire Ironclad Miniatures and keep them in the market they had a great range of figures and terrain it would have been a shame to see them disappear. 

It's been a productive 12 months it was good to finish off the American War of Independence project with more than enough completed for most encounters especially using the Rebels and Patriot rules they play really well and have resulted in some great games - This year finally Lexington and Concorde over a couple of days.

The Crusades project is almost complete definitely a project that got out of hand.... so many cavalry. I bloody hate cavalry. With two more Arab units to go... the aim is get these done before the return to work on the 5th.

So what for 2026

The Christmas haul is a hint.

The occasional Aztec project continues with some additional cavalry, more Japanese for the January project more on that below and some US Rangers for Operation Torch - Curse you Saul David.

I have taken my first dip into 3D prints, having purchased the occasional mini this is the first major army purchase. I can't see myself buying a printer especially as there are lots of people popping up with print on demand businesses. Good to get a friendly local supplier who I can chat to about purchases and get them picked up within a few days. 

A couple of shots of the work in progress.

With an eye for the lesser known periods I fancied some Chinese for WW2 I already have plenty of terrain for the Far East and Japanese troops already painted they seemed like the perfect choice. There are some great files available for the Chinese army in a mix of headgear and supporting armour from Panzer II's to French FT17's.

These are the first batch a mix of the 88th Division in German kit.

Plenty more in British Issue helmets.

With a mix of uniforms ranging from Blue to Khaki they will certainly look that little bit different on the table... Not overly bother by Rules at this stage - Perhaps Chain of Command, Bolt Action V2 or even Xenos Rampant (Tweaked for WW2)

Having gone all in and purchased enough for 6-8 squads plus supports it will be a refreshing change from the Crusades.

Have a great new year everyone.

Monthly games round up.... September.

A glut of games recently, nice to get some of the boxed up collections back on to table.

First up a trip to the back to North Africa and the launch of a mission by British regulars into the slave states to free the local minister and numerous other captives.

Rank and file was the order of day as a number of crashing volleys sent the Arab guards and angry locals heading for the hills.

It been a while since we gave The Men Who Would Be Kings A run out they are subtly different to some of the other rules in the stable. Despite their simplicity, they offer meaningful tactical decisions—especially around unit activation and leadership each leader trait can make a big difference to unit performance.

A cracking game but perhaps a couple of tweaks to allow units to retreat or go to ground once pinned or they simply become target practice. I might explore borrowing pinned results from Rebels and Patriots which forces units backwards when we next play.

Roll on to club day and a mid week conversation about early war gaming turned into AVBCW discussion and next thing you know Operation Sealion was on the cards.

Kenneth Macksey excellent Invasion Book and the what if landing on the South Coast.

German Paratroopers defending the landing grounds behind Hythe hold on awaiting the German break through on the beach head.

British Home Guard grabbed their helmets and rifles and headed to the crashed glider, Bobbies armed with rifles and pistols set out to arrest the invader.

Great fun watching the boys in blue scrambling all over German recon units to shut down the recon units. 

Bolt Action 3 gives a fast game, but I still have a problem with a couple of the improvements over V2. the rules appear to be more lethal with less opportunity for ducking and diving, the rally rules where all the pins are removed on one roll feels a little unfair given the effort that goes in to pinning units down and planning your suppression plans.