Friday, February 26, 2010

Maharajah Final 2009

Leigh's Death or Glory Boys
v.
Nick's Panzers

2,000pts HTL in Tunisia, Brits defending.
Jim, Joe & Carl also present.

Leigh placed his infantry on the objective, double 25pdrs in rear, 5 Lees + 3 Crusaders in ambush & his 3 Lee HQ on his left.  There were 2x3 Valentines, 2x3 bugs & 3 boffors in reserve.

Nick had 2 88's deployed where their arc reached the objective, 1 Tiger, 2 MkIV platoons & 2 MkIV HQ.

Nick advanced directly on the objective with some caution risking bogs to send a tank over the hills on each side of his advance to hinder Leigh's ambushes.  The Crusader ambush on the hill in the centre did little before being blown away by the 88's.  The HQ Lees worried the MkIV's flank and later took on the 88's.

The Germans drove the infantry off the objective & then finished it off.  Leigh then had to drop the Lees down and rush two forward to dispute.  The Lees did little, but the 25pdrs got the Tiger & suddenly it looked bad for the Germans.  But they weren't done yet, the surving MkIVs destroyed the Lees and a Valentine platoon up from reserve & retook the objective.  The Brits had nothing close enough to dispute the objective.  But once again the 25pdrs came to the rescue by popping the last platoon MkIV & leaving the Germans with noone able to hold the objective.  They then failed Coy morale to give the Brits victory.

So Leigh is the Maharajah 2009 winner & gets his name on the trophy for the second time.
It is interesting that in the competition the Allies won all 10 battles.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Camp Cromwell 23/02/10

Arnhem Bridge: FOW Mission 1 from A Bridge Too Far

Joe's Kampfgruppe Brinkman
v.
Refrey's Brit Paras

Also present: Jim, Byron & Rich. (Steve dropped off some needed armoured cars but couldn't stay).

The scenario sets the terrain & the starting locations for the Brits.  The Germans start deployed on a small area in one corner.  The Germans win the mission by capturing one of 2 objectives.  If they win they gain an advantage in later missions.  Regardless of win or loss of the mission, any whole British platoons are destroyed for later missions in the campaign (partly destoryed ones are brought up to strength).  The Germans get a new Coy for each mission, so losses don't hurt them.  The terrain is the town around the bridge viaduct - the river is actually the RH table edge in the pic & is used for all 4 missions.  For this mission, the Germans have come on in the far LH corner with objectives on the roads on the other side of the viaduct.

The Brits have mostly infantry with just 2 mortars, 2 HMGs & 4 6pdrs for support.  The Germans in this mission have one Panzergrenadier platoon in HTs, one dismounted, a heavy platoon, an armoured HT platoon & artillery off table.

Both sides fumbled a bit in unfamilar territory, but the Germans made steady progress.  The armoured cars took an objective on the German turn 6, but the Brits counterattacked and contested it before the next turn.  Time then ran out (on turn 7) so the Brits won the mission.  With everyone being Fearless Vets casualties were high on both sides.   The Brits lost 3 platoons (with another down to sole survivor), so it wasn't a bad result for the Germans campaign-wise.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Launceston 18/02/10

Nick & Nick's SS Panzer
v.
Jim's 7th Armoured
in
1500 pts Encounter

The Brits started with 2 Cromwell platoons + HQ (2 Croms + 2 Crom CS) on the table - all deployed in wheetfields near the centre.  They had a 3rd Crom & a motorised infantry in reserve.
The Germans had a Jagpanther on one objective & 4 MkIVs + HQ MkIV on the other.  They had 3 armoured AAHTs, 3 Neblewerfers & Panzergrenadiers in reserve.
The Jagpanther advanced on the uncovered objective.  The Brits smoked it and charged towards it.  The MkIV's Mardershuffled.  The Jagpanther fell back as the other Crom platoon came on from the flank near it., but it didn't escape - the Brit stopped the smoke for close range fire & one of the Fireflies popped it.
The German AAHTs arrived to cover the objective.  The Panzergrenadiers also arrived, but on the wrong flank.  The MkIV's moved left & the Panzergrenadiers doubled after them.
The CS Cromwells & 2IC had been left back to cover the Brit left & they rushed forward & destroyed the Panzergrenadiers in one turn.   But the massed Cromwells on the other flank could only manage 2 bails on the MKIVs.  They promptly got back in & the MkIV's reply destroyed 2 of the Cromwell platoons.  The motorised hadn't arrived & thus the Brits had lost 2 of 3 platoons on the table (the 2IC platoon not counting).  Thus they had to take a Company morale test - which being reluctant, they failed.  In one turn the Germans had gone from hopeless to victory.

Being early in the night we played on to see what would  have happened if the Brits had passed morale.  The motorised arrived immediately, so no more morale tests for the Brits.  The Cromwells quickly destroyed the AAHTs & the Neblewerfers on one objective while the 2IC platoon took the other objective.  The Germans passed company morale, but the MKIVs couldn't cover both objectives on their own, so the Brits won the non-battle.

The club had the usual 30+ attendance - mostly fantasy & sci-fi games but about half a dozen involved in FOW.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Camp Cromwell 16/02/10

Jim & Renfrey's Canadians
v.
Steve & Joe's Speverband

1905 pts Hold the Line, Germans attacking.

The Attacker/Defender dice at the start was probably a bad place for the Germans to throw a good dice.  The Canadians dug in two lines of infantry - one in the cornfield in front of the objective, the other just behind it.  A 5.5" battery was deployed in rear with 6pdrs & M10's in ambush & Priests, Wasps, Crocks, HMGs & more infantry to come.

The Germans advanced cautiously.  On their left the Hetzers & 2 Sperr, on their right Stugs & Pioneers.  Their 105s, heavy mortars, inf guns, Paks & 88's lurked in the rear.  With the support of the Hetzer shuffle in a wood, the Sperr destroyed the first line of infantry, but one of the Sperr platoons, weakened in the assault was destroyed by artillery & the remaining Sperr didn't dare press on alone.

On the other flank the 5.5" battery kept the Pioneers pinned down & systematicaly destroyed the Stugs & Paks.

The Germans made a last desperate attack with the Hetzers coming out to meet the Crocks.  But the patient Canadians finally dropped their first ambush.  The M10s moved up to get rear shots on the Hetzers & killed two.  The Crocks bailed one & they failed morale.  THis left the Germans in a hopeless situation & they conceded.

Pic 1 is at the start.
Pic 2 shows the Hetzers coming out of the woods to their doom.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Field of Glory -- Nick and Carl


Carl was Phyrrus. Nick was a roman general. The victory was most definitely not Pyrhhic -- which is why the roman general's name is forgotton.

Carl outdeployed Nick, then crushed his flanks. At that point it was game over -- even though the romans may have held the phalanx they just couldnt have stopped the cavalry getting into their rear.

Nick in Launceston



Three FOW games. Nick B (sperrverband) vs Starn (Guards Tankovy). Starn lost this on deployment when the Sperrverband got the village to hide in, and then lost the die roll so the Sperrverband got to shoot first. The few German tanks took out one tankovy (shermans). The T-34's lived in fear of the PaK40's. The IS-2's were invulnerable -- but while they were moving up the German artillery killed the Russian arillery, the hetzers snuck through the village and popped the t-34's, and suddenly Starn was on army morale.

On the second table there was a fight between some US paras and the SS. The paras lost their supports early, and were forced to hang on faced with Panzer IVH's -- there wasnt enough terrain for the paras to sneak through to an objective.

There was a third battle but only rumors reached your author -- though Aggro did seem happy afterwards :)

Friday, February 12, 2010

FOW (Late War) at Camp Cromwell

Rich's Canadians
v.
Jim & Joe's Speverband.
1500 pts Roadblock on 6x4, Canadians attacking.

The Germans ambushed the Canadian Crocodiles with their Hetzers & blew them away.  M10's tried to counterattack but missed the wiley German vets & were promptly destroyed by the Hetzers & Stugs.  This left the Canadians with just 3 infantry, Priests & wasps.  The Germans had 105s on the table with their Hetzers & Stugs at the start & they were soon joined by their 2 Sperr platoons, Pioneers & mortars.

The Hetzers went on a succesful Priest hunt while the Stugs waited for infantry support.  The wasps did some damage on the left flank, decimating the mortars & hurting the 1st Sperr, but the Stugs got them eventually.  The Canadian PBI were being pounded by artillery & HMG fire & when the Hetzers destroyed the platoon with the HQ attached, the Canadians failed army morale (& also lost an objective).

The Canadians lucked out from the start.  While both sides were unfamilar with the mission, the attacker seemed to have more scope for suffering from it.  Losing his best 2 platoons in turn 1 made things pretty hard & the Germans throwing almost straight 5+'s for reserves didn't help.

Pic 1 is after turn 1.  Note burning Churhills on the road & M10s on the hill.
Pic 2 is at the end.  The Hetzers have taken the objective on the hill in the centre.  One of the smokeballs is a Stug that was Piatted, the rest are Canadian.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Dogger Bank 1915

British (Rich):
5 battlecruisers (3 fast new ones, 2 old), 3 DD flots, 3 light cruiser flots.

Germans (Jim):
3 battlecruisers, 1 Heavy Cruiser, 2 DD flots, 2 light cruiser flots.

The Germans turned for home on running into the British fleet.  The British used the extra speed of their better BCs to close in & the action started with Lion, Tiger & Princess Royal all picking on the Seydlitz, the rearmost German ship whle the Germans spread their fire, one on one (with the Blucher's 8" guns out of range).  The Brits got the range on the Seydlitz & blew the crap out of her.  The Germans dropped her out of the line behind a smoke screen by the LCs & sent their DDs in to disrupt the Brit's BCs.  (See pic - the ships with light blue bases are German).  The Brits turned into the torpedoes & escaped with just a bit of damage to Lion, but the evasive action threw off their fire & the German BCs continued to score hits.

The Germans continued to use smoke to protect the Seydlitz and to keep the Indominable & NZ out of the action while the Brits sent their DDs in.  The Germans chose to damn the torpedoes & kept on hammering at the big BCs.  It was big gamble & it didn't work real well - their secondary batteries shot badly & the CLs were busy laying smoke so a lot of DDs got to fire their torpedoes & all the BCs copped some significant damage, especial Moltke which was nearly sunk & then finished off by the BCs.  Nevertheles, the German's relentless fire did pay off when the Lion sunk & the Princess Royal blew up.

With only the Tiger left of the good Brit BCs, the Germans stopped the smoke & turned on the other two.  The Derflinger got in one tight salvo on the Indominable that nearly sunk her outright.  A second one put her down.  The Blucher hurt NZ, then when the Derflinger turned her guns onto her, she went down too.  But the Kiwis had a salvo in the air as they sank and the Derflinger suffered a flash from a turret & blew up (the Germans fixed this problem after Dogger Bank, the Brits didn't).  That was a critical incident.  Now both sides had just one capital ship left.  The Blucher was outclassed by the Tiger, but the Tiger was badly damaged & had half her turrets out of action, so the cruiser had a chance.  But she lucked out, the The Tiger got the range first & put her down.

This was as big a battle two guys can do in a  night with these rules - it was near midnight when we finished.  Both players were unrealistically gung ho of course - no real admirals would allow such MAD.  The Brits won with 1 BC & a few LCs & DDs left afloat.  The Germans lost all but a few DDs & LCs.  The scenario is in the Brits favour, but the German player was more experienced with the rules & tactics which made it a pretty fair fight.  It was rattling good fun & I can see ways to further refine the rules to make them work a bit better still.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Camp Cromwell 02/02/10

Renfrey's Australians
v.
Jim & Joe's Fucilieri
in a
1500 pts Cauldron on 6x4.
Renfrey spread right out with 2 rifles & HMGs dwn & 25pdrs in ambush.  This made the Itie deployment a bit cramped at the ends of the table, though they were lucky enough to get one in each corner & just managed to avoid an artillery magnet.  The Ities had 100 Hows & 25 pdrs up one end & 2 Fucilieri up the other.  Oz reserves were Matildas, bugs, another rifle & mortars.  Itie reserves were L6s, Lancias, Guastatori & mortars.

The Ities started off sitting back & blasting away with 2 batteries & their 47mms while the infnatry began sneaking forward.  The Ozzies attacked the artillery with one rifle  platoon while hunkering down on the other flank.  The Ities lost their 25 pdrs & half their 100s before te Gusastari arrived to save the remainder.

On the other flank the L6s came on in nice time to support the infantry attack.  With HMGs & 47s in support, the L6s & Fucilieri swarmed over the HMGs & 25 pdrs to take an objective.  The 1st Oz reo was too little too late.  An infnatry counterattack on the L6s was beaten off for an Itie victory.

Renfrey was very unlucky with his reserves - none until turn 6 & then just 1.  But the Ities have learned how to use the new Africa book organisation & played them well.

Monday, February 01, 2010

New Lists

All FOW lists have been rebuilt using a new template. Also added Hells highway, and some lists from Fortress Europe. The British in North Africa is a work in progress, and a particularly difficult list, so use it with caution. It currently lacks the Italian theater lists, Paratroops, and Commandos.