Battalion Advance

Normandy, 1944. The allied advance has stalled.

Divisional HQ has decided on probing attacks to uncover weaknesses in the enemy defences while capturing important local objectives. Two infantry battalions, with limited support, are to conduct the attacks. The third battalion of the brigade remains in reserve and is not available for today's operation.

So says the introduction to Keith McNelly's 'Battalion Advance' scenario. Nick and I had a shortened afternoon available to play a 20mm Spearhead game, and this looked like a good sized game to tackle. The scenario is set up to be played on a 4'x3' table with normal SH scale, so we expanded it onto a 6'x4' table using the 1.5 x ground scale. Nick took the British attackers, and I took the German defenders. This is a brief account of the action. The photos are generally taken with a view from behind the German lines.

The British attack came from the top of the photo. Nick opted to focus on his left flank (advancing along the right side of the photo, attacking the German right flank), the first battalion advancing on foot. The second, with armour attached, sat off table in reserve per the scenario option.

The Germans were entrenched.

The advance under way, with Nick having decided to commit his reserve early, seen here entering the table behind the first battalion, complete with armour. He concentrated his entire attack on his left, the German right.

First contact, the British advance comes under mortar fire.

I opted to keep the two StuGIIIs as my two hidden stands. The first was revealed, in its hull down position in the centre of the ridge line that defines the battlefield,  as the British armour crossed its front. The first Sherman was brewed up from a long range shot.

With the focus of the British thrust now apparent, the German left wing German defending platoons advanced across towards their right, hoping to catch the British attackers in flank and rear.

Action is joined between the German right flank defenders, well dug in on the edge of the woods, and the British attackers swinging wide around their flank.

The one sided armoured duel was short lived, but the lone StuG took out the Firefly before the British armour passed from view behind the terrain.

The perilous position on the German right is apparent here when the strength of the British thrust around the German right flank is seen.

And so they continued to sweep around the flank towards the town sector.

With the flank attack capturing the town, the first of the two British armoured platoons moves on past the town, to discover not only the first StuG platoon that had engaged them from long range, but also the second StuG platoon. Oh!!!!

The Sherman platoon is suppressed ..

British infantry close assault some of the German defenders, but are repulsed.

We ran out of time after nine turns, and Nick conceded the game, as casualties had mounted to 11 stands, with only two of the 4 necessary objectives in his hands.

So what was the verdict? This is a scenario I've looked at several times, and perhaps dismissed as a little too small.

Well fool, me! This is an excellent scenario, challenging to both sides. Nick's plan was a good one. His only downfall was in the use of his artillery. He tried to shell the German defenders out of their entrenchments, too hard an ask for the small 25pdrs. More judicious use of smoke might have allowed for his well executed sweeping flank attack to get behind the German positions with far fewer casualties. Had he done so, he still had plenty of moves in hand to capture his objectives and win the game.

Again here is Nick's AAR.

Taking the pressure

It is August 1943, and the battle for Kursk has been abandoned. German forces have been falling back for days now, and the Russian counter offensive must be stopped. The local German Corps commander sees the opportunity to cross the Katurin river and take the attackers in the flank, but to do this he must capture at least one bridge across the river to allow wheeled transport and artillery to follow up and maintain support for the counter attack. The area he chooses for the counter attack has two possible bridge crossings available, and his view of the battlefield he has chosen, looking north, can be seen below.

The two bridge crossings across the Katurin River, seen from the south looking north. The German counter attack goes in form the right

The Commander decides to send a battalion forward to take the town on the left of his axis of advance to hold that flank. His main axis of advance is nor west towards the bridge on the upper right of the photo.

The German blocking battalion is at the bottom of the photo, while the main assault, and infantry battalion supported by a platoon of Tiger 1s, and an under strength battalion of PzKw IVs, is heading nor west towards its objective.

The Russian commander of the 21st Tank Corps has intelligence indicating the likelihood of this counter thrust. He sends a battalion of motorised infantry supported by a small battalion of Su 76 SP guns to take and hold his own right flank.

His main force (a tank heavy Tank Battalion, with motorised infantry cross attached) is sent forward in his centre to act as a central reserve, able to swing towards whichever bridge the German counter thrust is intended to take).

The Russian armour is still equipped with a mixture of T34 76Bs and Cs, and its recon is still undertaken by some of the few BT7s remaining in service.. needs must!!

The Russian right flank defense

Seeing at last the direction of the main German counter thrust, the Russian commander can't believe his eyes as he watches the German forces crossing his flank.

The Russian central reserve is committed onto the ridge line to enfilade the advancing German forces.

The German armour deploys to meet the thrust into its flank

The flank fire proves too much.

Within minutes half of the German armoured battalion vehicles lay smoking.

The German commander pushed on, using his Tiger battalion to spearhead the thrust across the bridge, supporting the infantry battalion.

 ... while the Russian right managed an order change and edged forward to contact the defensive German left and pin these troops in place.

The German PzkwIV battalion failed its morale check and headed away from the action.

Th advancing Tigers were caught in the flank by the Russian armour.

One Tiger platoon destroyed, and the other suppressed.. not looking good for the Germans.

Finally, with all of the German armour either destroyed, or falling back, the battlefield looked like an armoured grave yard.

At this stage the German commander ordered a withdrawal, and his infantry resumed their withdrawal in the face of the overwhelming Russian counter attack.

The game was played using 20mm equipment, and the Spearhead rules. The forces were roughly shaped using the Scenario Generation  System, with approximately 420 points per side. Stan commanded the Russians, and Nick the Germans. Andy and I were subordinate commanders.

The story line for this AAR revolves around the bridge, but  the game was actually objective based, with 5 objectives determined using the SGS. At the end of the game the Russian forces held 3 and contested another. One was not held by either side.

Nick's report on the battle can be found here.

SU 76s finished.

The latest addition to the 20mm WW2 Spearhead Soviet army (for 1043) is these two SU76 SP guns. The kits are by UM - here is a review of the kits. These vehicles form a light SP regiment supporting a 1943 Russian Tank Corp attack list. I have four on the list but two will do for now.

As with their 76mm guns, these are 'modellers' kits. This kit comes with photo etched detail that simply went too far for me, and I chose to leave most of these parts off. The fit of many of the parts was superb, but I have to confess that this is the first kit set that I have ever assembled that came with individual track links, certainly not this war gamer's ideal solution to accurate track assemblies for AFVs. The last time I assembled individual track links was on the real thing during my army days serving on M113 APCs.

I had always thought of the SU76 as an open topped SP, and so was surprised to see this as a fully enclosed version of the famous vehicle. Having said all of this, they appear to be almost the only 1/72 or 1/76 version of the vehicle available, and I am happy with the end result. Just a couple of 122mm artillery guns to go and the project is pretty much wrapped up (unless I decide to add an aircraft,... or some SU122s, or... oh bother!!).

This is most likely my last post for the year.. whatever your preference for the holiday season, I hope you have a happy and safe one.

Warpath 2.0

We played our first game of Warpath 2.0, the latest play test version of Mantic's SciFi rules set. We had previously played Warpath 1.0, and frankly weren't that impressed, but I did download the latest version 2 Beta test edition anyway. Reading the rules set I felt that they had promise, but as always with these things it's often only when you get to push plastic around on the table that you start to think deeply enough, and maybe uncover flaws that might otherwise not have occurred to you.

Tonight's experience wasn't one of those 'hmm, well that might work' experiences. It was one of those 'Aha, GW you have some serious opposition here' experiences.

Game play begins with initiative, and uses an activation system to move units on each side. The system begins with first unit activation occurring automatically, the second and third units becoming more difficult to activate, requiring successively more difficult die rolls. The player always has the choice of passing on activation to the opponent once the first unit has been activated and this is a significant subtlety in the system. It is better by and large to pass on the second activation because a failed activation test on a unit means that that unit sits idle for the remainder of that turn. The skill lies in determining when it is worth the risk to try to activate additional units.

Many of the Kings of War systems carry over into Warpath, with nerve tests and firing procedures using the same methodology..


A significant difference lies in the removal of individual figures in Warpath. This fits with the style of the game. Kings of War is much more a unit based game, whereas Warpath is more akin to a skirmish level game.

The game played quite quickly,  we were only 'messing around' with 700 points per side. The nerve test system under which a nerve test required that the firer inflict 50% casualties base on strength at the start of the action means that units tend to hang around for some time. Consequently there is more to 'play for' in the game beyond the first 2 or 3 turns. It also means that support weapons can play their correct role. Units can be 'softened up' so that they are more likely to fail a nerve test later in the turn, or they can be 'prepared' for a later assault within the turn.

We will play Warpath 2.0 again. We feel that this is a game shaping up to replace Warhammer 40K on our gaming table.
.

That was HotT Carnage for another year

Today's big event was the annual HotT carnage tournament (the 5th). Six players took the field, and below is an assortment of photos of the day.

First up, the highlight of the day was Mark O's new army: a 'My Little Pony' army, a powerful combination of knights and an aerial hero..

Gordon had added to his Dwarven army with these great Dwarven riders, and a God.. who else but Thor.

Some more shots of the Ponies, against Nick G's Numidians (whose God came... and went..)

Nick G then took his VSF army against Nick S's African safari army.

Nick's stronghold.. a water hole with resident hippos.

More shots of the Ponies against the Dwarfs.

Mark faced Nick's African army, and went down in his only defeat of the day when Nick battered his way through Mark's army to the point where Mark had lost 11 APs and Nick 10. Nick finally got through to Mark's stronghold.. all over, rover!!!

Gordon trotted out his Vietnam Aircav army for his last two games.. a few shots here just because I love the Iroquois flyers.. (sounds of 'Ride of the Valkyries' here)!!!

Gordon was facing Nick G's Rhaetian Goblins in their last game.

On came Gordon's dragon, C130 (??) equipped with chain guns.. ouch

Nick G's last game using his Undead against Kevin's Adventurer army...  loved these wee flyers..

It didn't however end well for the Undead when Kevin's Aerial Hero ( a former WW1 ace and all that, eh wot??) attacked Nick's newly arrived dragon.. scaredy cat, Mr Dragon!!

Thanks to Mark O, Nick G, Stan, Gordon, Kevin and Nick S for playing, and congratulations to mark who won the tournament, making it twice in the same year.