Operation Caravan - Raid on Barce.

Sometimes you look at other peoples collections and think wow....

Thanks to John F for putting on this great game at the Wyre Forest Club a pleasure to play.

LRDG Orders.

The destruction of aircraft, infrastructure and material in the Barce sector would severely hamper axis offensive capabilities. 

Primary target is the Italian Airfield at Barce. Destroy as many aircraft as possible, causing the maximum amount of damage and disturbance to the enemy. 

Secondary objectives should also be destroyed, but only if this will not prejudice the success of your primary task. Fuel Storage facility and Supply dumps within the Airfield,  Administrative infrastructure in Barce. Headquarters of local Italian Command, the vehicle park and camp.

The LRDG massed off table to launch there raid, 10 jeeps each armed with multiple HMG's and Twin Vickers, it was dark and the Italians were not expecting any visitors.

Racing on to the table, the LRDG gunned down the main gun emplacement before the crew even knew what hit them.

Racing down the road they shot up the Italian HQ, but things were getting hot on the main street as the defenders threw grenades from the roof top.

In out and away... mission accomplished the LRDG left the airfield and it's burning wreckage.

They had lost two thirds of their jeeps, but the Nazi war machine would not be using this airfield for quite a while.

A job well done.

A fantastic looking game, following historical events the raids were able to hit the main Italian camp, HQ and airfield before the Italians were able to muster a proper defence. The loss of two vehicles to lucky grenades on the main road was a blow, but the fast moving column was able to dodge any formed defence.

A great game, with some great collection. Now back to my own stuff I have a lot of catching up to do.

28mm DAK Warlord Games - Western Desert.

 A mid week update.

Having received two command/support packs, I thought this one would make a senior leader base with a commander and Radio Operator, together with another casualty pin marker base.... 

Considering the number of ranges of Western Desert figures there does seem to be a real scarcity of injured dead and wounded for pin markers across German and Allied forces, suggestions welcome.

Also coming off the paint table an Anti-Rifle, useful as soon as any vehicles arrive on the table.

Finally a bunch of officer types, to keep the the DAK in order.

That's all folks.....

Warlord 28mm Africa Korps

After the testers from a couple of weeks back the first Africa Korps squads roll off the paint table.

A mix of tunics and head gear to give them that campaign feel. These are all from Warlord games and look better proportioned than the commonwealth foe to my eye. 

I opted for 8 figure sections, smaller than the French and Commonwealth squads, but my thinking is using Bolt Action the Germans will get more dice and therefore more flex on the table. Each section armed with an MG34, loader, two MP40's.

A couple of extra's to bolster their number, a forward observer and a medic or pin marker depending on points or scenario.

These were really fun to paint and cleared the paint table relatively once I got my eye in. 

Looking across the mass of undercoated models there are at least 3 more batches. Standby for lots of German pics over the next month or so.

Wragaming the Battle for Suxy - France 11th May 1940 - Bolt Action.

Club day and a trip to France in 1940 as elements of the 10th Panzer Division and Motorised Infantry Regiment Gross Deutschland head towards the small town of Suxy which brought them into contact with the French 1st Cavalry Brigade, the French were taken by surprise, but tenaciously defended the town.

The view from the German approaches.

The view from French side, to add to their lack of preparedness the French selected a unit and then had to dice for the entry road. The 1st Cavalry had to halt the advance of the German invader.

Using the 'Blucher' order dice the Germans roll high for the French, but the French roll low for the Germans, French advance units fill both roads.

The slow moving Char B had barely entered the town when the German 222 with seen racing towards the cross roads.

High Noon - The Panhard Armoured Car poked round the corned which sent the little 222 reversing backwards out of line of sight.

Members of Gross Deutschland filter through the orchards and hedge rows on the approach to the church 

In true Blitzkrieg fashion the Panzer III crashes through the gardens but is stopped dead by the French Armour. Suxy will be a tough nut to crack. 

Stripped of their armour cover the Germans Infantry scattered as the French Armour came into view, the SDKFZ 222 blasted away but the Panhard was firmly focused on the foot sloggers.

With French Infantry pouring into the Church the German's retired to away the Stuka's.....

A bad day at the office for the Germans, the activation dice fell fortunately for the French allowing them to move quickly and in greater numbers into the Suxy before the Germans can bring more forces into play. An aggressive opening moving did put the French under pressure with the Armour hitting the cross roads early, but the loss of armour and the Infantry AT capabilities made it a tough ask for the Germans.

Good fun all round despite the result.....

Dispatches from the front XXVII - Care Packages & Testers.

The first dispatch of 2023.

The desert campaign is progressing at pace, but a distraction arrives in the post. Fighting over the same land a mere 832 years earlier. An excellent kickstarter campaign from Footsore Miniatures with their latest release for the Baron's War rules.

I may have gone a little OTT with my backing, sooooo much lead and a resin fort, enough to keep me going well into the summer of 2023....

I am looking to strike a balance between the Baron's War campaigning option but also recreating Standard Games Outremer from the 1980's. 

With a couple of projects now in the pipe I need to focus but the urge to get these on the paint table is strong despite a growing pile of WW2 Western Desert forces for the Exporter Campaign.

On the subject of Exporter reinforcements arrive from the Perry Twins in the shape of more Vichy French and the crew for an 88, as if the Allies did not have enough to worry about.

On the painting front the first of the German's clear the paint table, these are from the Gentleman's War set from Warlord Games and bolstered by several freebies donated by club members, plenty more to do which will eventually bring the number of German squads to 8 plus supports.

I was a little uncertain as to the right palette so tried a couple out, I am really pleased with the results, I wanted a mix of the Olive Green Tunic for some and the locally bleached tunics to blend in with the desert terrain for others.

Both were dulled down with with an Army Painter flesh wash, the mix of tunics should look great on the table top and give that lived in campaign feel.

For those interested this is the paint guide.

Tunics, Caps - Vallejo Iraqi sand or Vallejo Yellow Green.

Helmets Gasmask Container - Vallejo Green Ochre.

MG Strap, Rifle Pouches - Foundry African Flesh

Boots, Water Bottle - Vallejo Flat Earth

Gaiters, Water Bottle Top, Entrenching Tool Cover - Vallejo English Uniform

Webbing, Bread Bag and Shirt - Vallejo Stone Grey

Rifle - Foundry Tan 13B

Flesh - Foundry  125C Med Light Flesh

Bayonet, MG - Black

WW2 Narrative Campaign - Initial thoughts.

We have all been down this road one or two great games leads to a discussion about a campaign, the initial enthusiasm wains after the delay between games, players lose interest and the whole campaign falls apart.

With several players in our group currently amassing forces for the Western Desert, I was looking for a way to link games at a local and wider theatre level. I have been toying with a number of ideas around a narrative campaign but weaving in a number of command decisions for the officers on either side of the conflict.

Steve over at Wargames With Toy Soldiers: 1685 - 1985: recently posted his thoughts about running a campaign in France 1940 and striking a balance between sweeping campaign moves and games on the tabletop.

Given the challenge maintaining on going campaigns, logistics, book keeping and maintain momentum,  the best route is likely to be a narrative campaign as mentioned previously Platoon Forward has some very useful mechanism for low level units and the introduction of personality traits for each leader.

But I want to expand on the post battle follow up and it lead me to think about what's next and what choices would be available to a leader after an engagement. If you have a successful encounter what does that mean for you as a leader of men, if you fail or receive more than acceptable casualties what does that do for your career and reputation amongst your peers?

Everyone has some one they report in to. Commanders at all levels want to showcase there successes, be it keeping their men safe, seeking promotion or covering their own backs if things don't go to plan. Anthony King latest book Command, The 21st Century General is an excellent book on some prominent battlefield leaders.

With a number of players in a potential campaign, how to keep them interested in between games and give them command choices after each encounter.

I thought back to the early 80's and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series where 'adventurers' chose their own path with a dice-based role playing element, each choice taking you through a different path to victory or an untimely death. The reader would typically follow a non-sequential numbered section fighting monsters along the way. I wonder could this mechanism be adapted to WW2 gaming?

I wondered if it had been done before and searched the web and found an interesting number of publications from Col John Antal such as Armor Attacks in the story you are the leader of a U.S. Army Abrams Tank Platoon, you are forced to make a number of important tactical and operational choices.

This feels like something that I can use for my campaign, where depending on the tabletop outcome players are given a number of simple choices.

Reflecting on the last game - what choices would be open to the opposing commanders?

Allied

• Offensive - You now picture of have a clearer of the enemy defences, send in your men again. (This would show your tenancy and would build on your reputation, but only if you can keep casualties to an acceptable level and succeed.)
• Defensive - After being beaten back from the town, send a portion of your command to the northern flank to encircle the town and cut off and reinforcements. (This would show your initiative despite the earlier set back.) 
• Static - Hold position and await reinforcements before assaulting the town again, (The higher ups might view this as a failure given the urgency of the need to clear the town, but it could be seen as understandable given the opposition.)

Vichy

• Offensive - With the Allies beaten back - Follow up taking the high ground to the south of the town where a battery of artillery has been shelling the town. (This shows good initiative but be careful to not weaken your defences so much to expose the town.)
• Defensive - Withdraw from the town reforming to stronger positions. (You gave the allies and bloody nose and kept your command intact.)
• Static - Hold your position - Dig In - For the expected further attack. (This is our soil the higher ups recognise how you brought them time to organise their defences deeper in country and to perhaps reinforce your position.)

Each commanders simple selection might lead to an alternative encounter on the table.

for example

Defensive vs Static - The Vichy forces slip away - when the allies enter the town they find it empty.

Offensive vs Offensive - Players might dice off to see who has the initiative perhaps totalling battlefield casualties from the first encounter or by asking players to pick a time of day to launch their sortie? What if the French are out when the Allies attack?

Defensive vs Defensive - The French are forced to fight a running battle to escape the table or are ambushed trying to leave the town?

Giving the players limited campaign choices will allow me to control the broad direction of the campaign but giving the commanders some interesting challenges which link directly to the battlefield encounters whilst focusing on their career goals, nurturing their forces, growing their command and building their reputation.

Right back to the brushes, both the Commonwealth and Vichy are in need of reinforcements.

Operation Exporter - Deraa June 08 1941 - Advance of the 3/1st Punjab and the 4/6th Rajputana Rifles

To keep the momentum going on the painting front, thoughts turn to campaign games and how events in the wider theatre could impact the tabletop battles.

I do like Platoon Forward as a mechanism and blending with Bolt Action should make for a number of fun encounters in the the assault on the Vichy held Levant and perhaps even an intervention of the Axis forces. But for now let's assume Operation Exporter took place as planned. 

Scenario

On the 8th of June the Allies invaded Vichy Syria and Lebanon. On the desert flank, in Syria, the 3/1st Punjab and the 4/6th Rajputana Rifles, moved across the border and had surrounded the town of Deraa by 6 a.m. after having met little opposition.  

A flag of truce was sent into the town with a demand for surrender. When the car carrying the party was fired on by artillery and hit by a shell which did not explode the envoys bravely continued on foot, but their demand for surrender was rejected. 

Rolling up a couple of Officers within Platoon Forward to give me certain character traits.

At 7.30am the Indian artillery opened fire. After a brief bombardment the Allies send in two Indian companies to attack and occupy the town.

That's the fact now for the game.

Captain Leonard Salter of the 6th Rajputana Rifles a 'sensible' officer but motivated by and a respecter of wealth, he will seek it out by all means legal.

Captain John Preacher of the LRDG a Scholarly man, Pious and Devout, holy text comes before the drill book, imagine finding yourself in the holy land.

Within the game each have orders from headquarters to seize the town but also have a personnel sub plot to achieve. Salter has heard that Deraa has a stash of Chateau Musar, he has a buyer back in Cairo who will pay good money for these bottles. Meanwhile Preacher is on the look out for a local cleric who has been stirring up the locals, if he was to be killed in any house clearance, that would be quite the accident.

The Allies plan for a two pronged attack from the North and South it can be assumed that the preliminary shelling had supressed some of the defenders but their strength is unknown.

Captain Salter leads his command up the wadi, immediately Senegalese Infantry are encountered in the main dwelling who open up with little effect on the Indian troops.  

Wasting no time the Indians rush forward to take the fight to the Vichy. In a hard fought battle the Senegalese are beaten back room by room.

The Indians have their foothold in the village.

On the far northern approach Preacher and a section of Punjab's make there way through the tents when they come under from French Infantry defending the outskirts.

Preacher and his men work there way forwards and secure a building (no cleric in here.) across the street from the French defenders and a vicious fire fight breaks out, with neither side showing no quarter. The Vichy French would not budge, these legion guys were tough.

On the north the Indian's had hit a wall the French were well dug in and were pinning the Allies every time they attempted to move forwards.

Disaster strikes - Salter knew he needed to urge his men on, they were hunkered down. He crossed the lines of olives rushing forwards when the French LMG team from a nearby roof top caught him in a withering fire. There will be no expensive wine for Captain Salter.

A plucky sergeant moves his section forward to grab another house which had been home to a sniper team which had been causing the allies all kinds of problems. 

With Preacher heavily engaged on the far side of town and with additional French bolstering the defenders. The Allies lacking senior leaders were forced to fall back.

A Vichy French victory as Deraa remains in the defenders hands.

After the engagement and back behind their own lines the Allies regroup.

Captain Preacher is asked to take a formal leadership role within the 6th Rajputana's replacing Captain Salter whose body was still lying out there on the outskirts of Deraa. 

Reinforcements are scraped together bring the unit back to fighting strength, a MG is attached to the unit for the next engagement.

Meanwhile in Deraa Captain Belette, an idealistic support of the Vichy Government was not having things all his own way. His men were reporting that they were down to 50% of there Rifle Grenades. Belette had also a rather angry exchange with the commander of the Artillery a greedy man who claims that headquarters had other priorities than Belette's command, but for a price he might find a way to give him some support his beleaguered command.

An enjoyable encounter which was touch and go through out the battle, the loss of the Allied senior leader really knocked the wind out of the allied attack, they might not be so bullish in the next engagement, but with plenty more on the paint table across a number of players the force make up could change significantly.

Options for both commanders to consider before the next game.