France 1940: Return to Tagnon (WWII Battlefront Scenario) 2

The Defence of Neuflize:

The German Motorcycle Battalion heads in a condensed (artillery target if ever there was one, why is it you never have a FOO when you need one) spear formation down the road (see below):

Note: In defence to the initial French initial deployments they were taken out of my control and the set-up by the neutral(?) umpire. I would have dearly loved to have ambushed those motor cyclists in the woods or laid an artillery barrage on them. "Cest le Guerre"  

The Germans pay a derisory visit to the village behind Tagnon with an armoured car squadron of 222's and 221's (see below):

The bulk of the German Panzer Battalion, two light companies in advance and a medium company bringing up the rear,  sweeps round to attempt an end-run (see below): 

The German High Command are in good spirits (see below):

A more pragmatic mood holds sway in the German Regimental "Medical Field Clearing Station" (see below):

Meanwhile the French High Command are (typically) all in a dither lost in an 'intelligence vacuum' of their own making (see below):

Next: The Attack Starts

France 1940: Return to Tagnon (WWII Battlefront Scenario) 1

Part II of the France 1940 Game:

As the ferocious infantry battle rages in Tagnon (see earlier post) the French defenders of the river line pensively await the Nazi onslaught. The river line is defended by two under strength battalions holding three key crossing points. The central position (see top of photograph below) has an under strength infantry battalion with a reinforced infantry company holding the French right flank (see bottom of photograph below): 

On the left flank behind Tagnon (see below, top of photograph) a composite force of French Divisional Reece and Cavalry hunker down in their second line defences hoping to be bypassed by the action. The area around the middle defensive position has been deliberately flooded to impede the progress of the Panzers (see below, bottom of the photograph):   

At the rear portion of the table, described as the French "third line", armoured/mobile H-35's and AMR's (a form of rapid reaction force) French troops start arriving from their dispersal points (see below behind the main defensive village):   

To the far French right a powerful Panhard armoured car company races to the front line in search of reliable intelligence of the reported German "ghost" Panzers (see below):

Like a hoard of small black insects the "panzers" appear (see below):

A panzer battalion supported by recon companies and a whole motorcycle battalion appears, arcing down the German baseline intent on performing an audacious 'end-run'.

The Infantry Battle: "Many Face a Few" (Vienna Battle Part IV)

The battle drew to it's climax. 

My wing of horse 'pulled back' (tactical not cowardice) to delay any combat on my flank for as long as possible. My mission was to guard the flank of the Protestant guns (who had dealt death all day) while the infantry went in and won the battle for the Protestants Princes (see below)

My wing (above) was the one part of the battlefield where the HRE outnumbered the Protestants as in the centre of the battle field the situation was dramatically reversed (see below): 

The HRE troops faced a devastating "combined arms" attack as guns, shot, pike and mounted pistols all spoke (see below):

The Catholic troops in the centre were brought within a a stand of demoralisation and could not continue to fight it out at a distance (see below):

Meanwhile I was trying not to "lose any men/ground" or "give the HRE any glimmer if hope" as I prepared to face a HRE 'death or glory' charge (see below):

In teh centre the HRE commander decided that desperate times called for desperate measures as the HRE infantry and their "C-in-C's cavalry" piled forth 'while their morale was intact', hoping for 'sixes' from their dice and asking for 'ones' in return from their enemy (see below): 

It was not to be a day for HRE 'heroes' as the HRE  central command broke, ending the game and opening the road and this starting the 'Siege of Vienna' justr this time not y the Turks (see below):

Inches away from combat the HRE cavalry backed away and I did not even have to roll a combat dice all game, but still even as a mere spectator it was a 'job well done' and a satisfying game played to a conclusion in an entertaining evening (which is a big plus).

Closing to Contact (Vienna Battle Part III)

My "wing of horse" follow orders and "pins" my adversary within 20 cm to stop any 'march movement' away from the enemy and also protect the vulnerable flank of the Protestant guns which are blasting away at the enemy Pike in murderous fashion. I am tempted to charge in and turn the Catholic flank but that house is probably full of hidden musketeers (see below):

The Protestant infantry chase away the 'newly revealed' Catholic 'wing of horse'. As four legs is faster than two legs they disappear using multiple march moves (see below):

To my concern they reappear facing my side of the table. Perhaps this is not going to be so quiet for me after all. I pull back my Pistol armed cavalry and place my Dragoons in anticipation of holding off an attack on the valuable Protestant guns. My light cavalry are left as a harassing screen to stop this 'march move' nonsense going too far (see below):

A wider panoramic view sees my flank in the context of the central infantry assault going in (see below): 

The Protestant killing infantry attack is poised to go in. Already two Catholic artillery stand have been lost as well as a Pike and Shot unit. The Catholic centre is already approaching its break point (see below):

Next: The infantry "musket volley" and "charge"

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Flushing the Enemy Out (Vienna Battle Part II)

The HRE target the advancing Protestant infantry and by scoring a good dice roll remove and enemy unit of shot, exposing the vulnerable Pike behind. First blood to the HRE (see below): 

Retribution is swift as the Protestant Princes target the (superior) enemy artillery piece and it is a troublesome gun no more. This does not bode well for the HRE Pike blocks. The Protestants have a 3:1 advantage in artillery now (see below):

My wing of horse are in no particular rush to do anything in particular as they suspect the built up area is teeming with hidden shot units. All I do is to make sure I do not occlude any potential targets for my artillery (see below): 

The Protestant infantry soon mount "the hill" to see what they can see (see below):

A wing of HRE horse that is flushed out of its hiding place (see below):

The HRE sub commander does not fancy his chances against the Protestant forces so uses his interior lines to retreat the left facing infantry along with his 'wing of horse' into the centre of the HRE position. At least they should be cosy and warm there!

Renaissance Campaign: The Road to Vienna (Vienna Battle Part I)

The HRE has detailed a force to side astride the main highway to Vienna. The rules are DBR and the HRE troops are roughly outnumbered by odds of 3:2. They have been instructed to "die hard" and inflict as many casualties on the enemy as possible. The HRE is not present but his thoughts are with his troops. Two infantry commands are placed on the board. The third (cavalry?) is kept off table as it is "out of line of sight" of the Protestant Princes (see below, leading off the photograph is a huge patch dead ground obscured from view by a large hill in "no-man land")

The Germanic Princes deploy their infantry mass (supported by blocks of Pistol Cavalry) to "walk" straight over said 'obscuring hill' to see what is over the other side. In the centre is a large cannon with two supporting guns (which intends to pick on some Pike Blocks) with the Protestant right wing comprising of horse (Dragoons, Pistols and Light Horse) in a "hold the flank role" (see below): 

My (Protestant) flank:

Three Dragoons with some very nice "rough cover in front of them", a block of six Pistols (the type that like to get stuck in rather than shoot at range) and four Asiatic looking fast light horse who again go hand-to-hand rather than shoot (see below):

Against the infantry block of shooters in front of me (in a terrain piece "to boot") I think I'll probably be watching most of this game.

However I cautiously advance to stop the enemy from march moving away, which effectively means keep something within 30 cms but outside of the 20 cms which is the Shot shooting range (see below): 

Meanwhile the "mass" of Protestant infantry steadily advance to wards the hill (see below, the beginning of the hill is just seen to the left of the photograph):   

Next: What lies over that hill?

The Thity Years War Campaign has now "Started"

The glorious campaign map from the GMT game (of same said name, i.e."Thirty Years War") in the flux of opening play (see below):  

Of extreme interest is the opening rapier like strike into the heart of the "Catholic" Holy Roman Empire by the Germanic "Protestant" Princes threatening the very "Gates of Vienna" itself (see below):  

Despite his forces being heavily outnumbered the Holy Roman Emperor decides fight outside the capitol in the hope of buying time (at least another turn) rather than by holed up inside Vienna like a rat, awaiting the simple siege roll of a dice (unable to effect the outcome). Her at least he stands the chance of inflicting damage on the attackers which ultimately may make his relief attempt easier.

So much for the grand strategy, what about the battle?

Next: Battle for the Road to Vienna

HMS Kipling's "missing part" comes through the post.

HMS Kipling's spare parts have arrived from Revell Germany (see below):

Which means the "assembly" phase of HMS Kipling is finally over (see below):

Nice little kit and plenty of scope to buy more kits in the HMS Kelly variant or another HMS Kipling style as the J-K class was a popular RN breed of destroyer. 

Great News Skytrex is "Back from the Dead" :)

Skytrex Models 

Newsletter


Skytrex (2013) Limited is pleased to announce that it has managed to purchase the remaining assets of "Skytrex Ltd" from the administrators.

The model railway side of the business has been secured largely intact but several of the wargames and naval collectors ranges have been sold on to other  manufacturers.  These will be listed on our website when it is up and running once more - we have some re-structuring work to do!

Our model railway websites are now functional, we have established a PayPal function on the site and we intend to add SagePay payment facility as soon as possible.

All messages received during the administration period have been made available to us and we will follow up on these where appropriate.

Subscribers lists were also passed on to us and we look forward to resuming contact with you all.

All the company contact details are the same as they were before.

We will send out another newsletter as soon as the wargames site is ready to roll.  Thank you for your patience - just a few more days!!

KM Blucher (Cont) "Moving Towards the Stern"

With the "bow" and "amidships" done it is time to move towards the "stern" of the ship, please note the obligatory cup of shipyard "tea" (see below):

All the gaps are now covered over (see below):

Just a case of building up the "pointy bits" at the back (see below):

Note: The KM Blucher had a brief combat life (1939-40), but her sister the KM Admiral Hipper lived through to 1945 (even venturing forth into the North Atlantic and fighting in the Battle of the Barents Sea) as did her infamous big sister KM Prinz Eugen (same armament but a bit longer and more sea worthy, Battle of the Denmark Strait and the Channel Dash).

Plastic Soldier Company T34/85 and T34/76 (1943)

Cue "Great Patriotic War Music"  as the T34/85 rill onto centre-stage (see below):

The robust "Panzer Killer" with pointing tank commander (see below)

And slightly over sized barrel? (see below):

Fully "accessorised" with stowage and fuel tanks (see below):

A nice feature being the interchangeable 85mm and 76mm turrets akin to the old Airfix model, which effectively gives you two models for the price of one (see below):  

Like the real T34 the utilitarian design adopted by the Plastic Soldier Company (PSC) of just a few parts makes a quick build that pays tribute to this little war winner. A recommended purchase, three for the price of one with other manufacturers offering many more parts but no discernible improvement in details. I need to get cracking    

British WWII Late War 20mm Platoon 20 PBI (Cont)

The fleshy parts have been added to the first batch of 'odds-and-sods' to finish (see below):

Getting there ;)

Reviewing the "September Surge" of postings

During September I tested myself with a "thirty day challenge" as inspired by the TED talk 'You can try anything new for thirty days'.

To post (as it turned out at least) one a day for the whole of September. Whoppee, not quite the life changing event such as giving up sugar or caffeine, or even climbing Mount Kilimanjaro .. AND .. I did stack up some postings in advance (cheat, cheat) via the Blogger "scheduling" feature. For example, I had the "Chain of Command" game series of posts 'in the bag' all lined up ready to go, but I seemed to be posting the night before for at least half the time (which explains some of mypoor spelling and punctuation, ahem to "Boldy Go" sticks out in my mind).

The posts also seemed to be (at least to my mind) smaller and 'snappier' (almost curt) and looking at a picture for the most part. A big downside being my beautiful wife and spouse was also snappier "Are you on that computer again, it's past your bedtime! Never mind what the TED talk said!" 

I think the posts were a little more varied in topic as begets more thoughts on future projects appeared as well as what I was currently doing on my immediate painting table, no secrets left ;)

In Summary:
Experiment over, as I type this on the 30th September (as befitting a night before posting) I can safely say that during October, November and December I will 'step down a gear (or two)' or risk burnt food at the dinner table as well as Blogger exhaustion.

:-O

Your thoughts as always ever appreciated ;)