Squadron Sramble !!!

The Crazy Rescue Mission:

The Hun is afoot with mischief. Pierre was barely half way through his late breakfast croissant and 'aperitif' when the distinctive low drum of aircraft engines was heard coming from the East. In the countryside around the Entente airfield troops were out hunting for the "downed" German pilots of the Dawn Patrol's "bag". So unusual for the Germans to come so deep over the Entente lines. Could the crazy Hun be attempting a a bold 'rescue' mission?  Staggering and swaying somewhat Pierre mounted his trusty N17 taking care to taxi a respectful and tactically astute distance away from the 'crazy' RE8 pilot who attracted trouble and mid-air collisions. See below, Pierre is far left, the dangerous RE8 is in the center:

The Hun. Flying low and making for a clearing, out of which a marker flare burns, near the wrecked remains of a German aircraft (see below). Apparently it is possible to "wing-walk" crew over the trench-line! Seeing will be believing ;) 

Given that there was a heavy tactical element of positioning in the first combat of the night (taking three quarters of the playing time) I was amazed at the brutal "up the middle on one" tactics of the Imperial German Air Force. It was as if they had forgotten we carried guns on our planes (see below):

An Albatross makes it clean through the Entente 'fighter' (plus RE8) defensive line (bottom left, model replace by a card for convenience sake) and brutal head-to-head combat take place over on the far right. Pierre is out of camera shot to the far left, trying desperately to get into the action, but the game is literally 'going too fast' for him to catch up with (see below). Will the Germans sweep in and rescue their comrades in under our very noses?

The eagle-eyed gunner of the RE8 has other ideas and the bloody cull starts, first blood to the Entente as the Albatross (and the brave and crafty pilot Kevin) falls to a 'lucky shot' (see below):

Pierre adjusts his goggles and swings his N17 in a graceful arc into the heart of the combat.

38t Panzer "Marsch"

The perils of trying to update a blog on a mobile device mean that I am typing this post again. Perhaps it was my chubby fingers or a "interface error" but here for the second time of telling is the "38t Panzer Marsch" (see below): 

These are all examples of the Fuji 38t 1/76 kit, copiously available in the 1990's where most if not all of the above were collected. Like their namesake Skoda 38t the kits were relatively cheap and easy to put together. Many a pitched wargame battle was fought against the Matchbox French Char 1 bis (one notable game occurred in a London pub's wargames room where "Rommel" as per history took a part.French DCR in France 1940).

They have a lightened "hard campaigning" look about them and so need the balkan black German cross and those 'red and white' large side numbers. One day that will come ;)

The 38t is a nice little model that serves well for the Germans in Poland 1939 (as part of their "Light" Divisions), in France 1940 famously with Rommel in the 7th Panzer Division and also 8th Panzer and even into Russian in 1941. Axis satellite allies also used them post-1942 but there the camo schemes started to go three toned and away from the grey. You could even find them as mobile "train" defenses, carried on flat-beds in "Partisan country" to deter partisan attention.   

35t Solo Panzer "Anton the Great"

This one is a rare Esci original Skoda 35t tank, with the fabled 'dustbin lid' cupola. Serving in Poland, France and early Barbarossa Russia in 1941. They did not survive the winter of 41 in German service, but variants lived on in the satellite Romanian and Hungarian forces (much to the distress of their crews when they faced a T-34 or KV-1).

This one is in the usual "decal free" state and is more an "individual" modelling project than a "company force" wargaming OoB. It is destined to be the last serviceable Panzer 35t in the 6th Panzer Division driving to enigrad in late 1941. Due to mechanical breakdown it was eventually pushed into a ditch. The Panzer crews now fighting on as infantry.

Addictive WWI Dog Fight Game: Based on Blue Max Rules

Found this WWI Air Combat game and it is addictive ;)
http://www.youplay.it/play/cp_dynamicIndex2.asp

A FREE online games based on the infamous Blue Max (which was evolved further into the Canvas Eagles roles)

Tally Ho

So far I have been shot down in three games out of the eight I have started, but there's a motto somewhere in there to help me. Watch out for a crazy late war German plane called the Siemans Schuckert D.IV that is incredibly maneuverable

Footnote: The perils of trying to edit an Blogger posting on a mobile device means that sometimes you can lose the whole content of your post and have to retype it  :(

Panzer II "Marsch"

The early war panzer photograph collection was never quite finished. The Panzer II 'posse' pose together (see below) in France or Poland.

Four Matchbox/Revell and two Fujimi, the chap with the commander is the really early war variant (see below). They are crying out for decals (black crosses in particular) and I want to give all the early war crew tank commanders a little individual attention.

I do have one other Panzer II still in DAK colours and I am debating what to do with him, whether to turn him grey or camo him up for the recon vehicle.

From the Fires of Hell, "Dragon's Teeth" are Drawn

The Maximilian Landsknechts have to pull it out of the bag somehow.

The demise of the Swiss Knights (see below) to a devastating rear attack by now the psychotic Germanic Men-At-Arms out for revenge, taking great pleasure in still being 'fresh' due to their deep formation (claiming Impetus) and additional 'rear attack' bonus dice. The valuable (3 VP) Swiss Knights became mere paper confetti, their far off Cantons mourning the loss of their noblemen. Remember the Maximilian break point is "ten", the Swiss "fourteen", so the parity in VD is slightly misleading as the Maximilian's are still behind.

Victory Point Count: Maximilian 9 VD to the Swiss 9 VD

Then tragedy stikes! Damn those unstoppable Swiss Pikemen the Maximilian camp is lost (see below), the army break point is reached, but the Maximilian "turn" must be completed before the game can end. On the up side the Swiss Pike has come within point blank range of the Maximilian artilery. 
Victory Point Count: Maximilian 11 VD (Army Morale Breaks) to the Swiss 9 VD

Mwanwhile the second Swiss Pike Block finds itself flanked by "shooters' delivering a devasting point blank volley. This point in the game is reffered to as the "Execution of Swiss Pikemen by Firing Squad" (see below):

Followed by the "Burial of Swiss Pikemen" phase, a base worth 3 VD is removed (see below):
Victory Point Count: Maximilian 11 VD (Army Morale Breaks) to the Swiss 12 VD

It comes to the last dice rolls of the game. A little tickle by some pesky skirmishers mounts another casualty before "The Big Guns" speak at point blank (a mere eight attack dice). A cloud of smoke obscures the Swiss Pike block from sight ...

When it clears it is apparent the "The Swiss have Fallen", (a base is removed worth 3 VD) their banners and pennants are seen to waver, the Swiss morale morale breaks and they retreat (see below):

Victory Point Count: Maximilian 11 VD (Army Morale Breaks) to the Swiss 15 VD (Army Morale Breaks)

The Game is drawn, a bloody draw at that, but without wanting to sound blood thirty it was a great game to play:

Relief that Lady "G-Spot's" is not pillaged by the Swiss (see above), but what did we learn apart from always pay the Swiss to be on your side or you have to pretty much kill all their army before you stop them? You had better face up to the fact that sooner you will have to kill at least one of their Pike Blocks!
Next time, next battle ... I'll have a painted General ;)

The Swiss bleed Maximilian's Men

First to go are the shooters as surviving a second round of combat is too much to ask for (see below). The Swiss Pike merely stand disrupted (green poker chip):

Victory Point Count:  Maximilian 6 VD to the Swiss 2 VD

Attention turned to the valiant Maximilian mounted crossbowmen (aka 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse'). Having severely damaging the Swiss Knights previously by inflicting missile casualties the mounted crossbowmen find themselves in a finely balanced battle that could go either way. Defending the hill makes it an even three attack dice apiece (see below).

They were brave but not lucky enough (see below):

Victory Point Count:  Maximilian 6 VD to the Swiss 3 VD

Then there was the big one, Swiss Pike Block versus Landsknecht Block. Was there ever any doubt. The Swiss just don't loose their edge/ Maximilian's men fall (see below). The Landsknechts have bloodied the Swiss Pike but not enough to strip a base away, in return Maximilian has lost three, each worth two victory points: 

Victory Point Count:  Maximilian 6 VD to the Swiss 9 VD

This is savage as the Maximilian break point is "ten" whilst the Swiss are far away from their beeakpoint of "fourteen". There is no room now for any further loss to Maximilian even that of a lowly skirmisher. There are however two silver linings to this cloud of despair, firstly the army is not in rout after also losing its general (nobody notices) and it decides to fight on, secondly the Swiss Pike Blocks are now exposed to withering point-blank missile ('shot' and 'crossbow bolt') fire (see below). 

The Swiss Pike make a desperate charge to loot and pillage the Maximilian camp which would have ended the game there and then but the Swiss just fall short of the necessary contact distance (see below), "A" class troops or not. Note also the mounting casualties on the rear base of the Swiss Pike, their 'steam' could be running out or alternatively we might have just annoyed them!

Are there any twists left to this tale?

Next: The Landsknecht last hurrah!