Tag: military

Winter is coming. The games however are undeterred.

First game of the month was from our GNW collection – “Action at Sychevka” a narrative game.

In this fictional encounter both sides – Russians and Swedes were heading for the village of Sychevka, the Swedes thinking there are supplies there, the Russians because they have heard that’s where the Swedes are going. Both sides had separate columns heading towards the village; the Swedes had a cavalry vanguard under Horn (above) out in front but they got lost and have turned up on the far right of the Swedish advance and are awaiting orders, in the centre a 3 brigade infantry column under Count Lewenhaupt is advancing on the village and out on the left a 2 brigade cavalry column under Major General Creutz is emerging from a defile somewhat surprised to find Horn in the wrong place! The Russians had a 2 brigade cavalry column under Major General Bauer marching on, the centre and left was under the overall command of Field Marshal Sheremetiev comprising a cavalry & infantry force out on the left – 1 x cavalry & 2 x infantry brigades and a similar cavalry & infantry force in the centre with a cavalry brigade leading and 2 infantry brigades following.

Both sides had general orders of “advance to the village of Sychevka” (except Horn who was sitting around wondering what to do) and so senior commanders were having to issue orders as the enemy became visible and as brigades marched on. In the initial stages this rather favoured the Russians whose centre dragoon brigade under Tiernischov duly advanced on the village and got off their horses.

The opening action therefore centred around the dragoons holding the village which they did remarkably well – partly due to a rules cock up by the umpire (me!) and partly due to the normally aggressive Swedes being over cautious.

While the infantry struggle for the village developed the first cavalry action commenced on the Russian right as Kroptov and Golitsyn committed their brigades against Hard and Armfeldt.

This rolling cavalry melee occupied most of the game with Swedish regiments, Taube, Ducker, Smaland and Ostgota taking serious losses – Taube was in fact lost from the battle, while Kroptov’s horse grenadiers, and regiments, Archangelski, St Petersburgski, Tverski and Narvski took equally heavy losses. Both sides saw their brigades fail morale but the difference that decided the day was the better ability of the Swedes to rally.

Back at the village the Swedes had sorted themselves out and orders had been given. Stackelberg’s brigade (seen above) stormed the village driving out the dragoons and entering a firefight with Pfennigbeir’s brigade which ultimately they lost – both Jonkoping battalions were seriously shot up and the brigade retired hurt.

However the other two brigades of Lewenhaupt’s command, Sparre and von Liewen flanked either side of the village and took on Sheremetiev’s remaining 3 brigades – Sparre in fact took on two, Hallart and Golovin and smashed them both up.

Out on the Swedish right Horn didn’t have the best of days. When he received his orders to advance on the Russian left the dragoons he should have attacked had already dismounted amongst some burnt out buildings and proceeded to shoot him up supported by Hallart’s infantry (before Sparre arrived), forcing him to retire – Ostgota in fact left the table badly depleted. However, in an inexplicable turn of events the Russians got a bit cocky, remounted and came after the Swedes who rallied and gave the Russians a bit of a drubbing (seen above), this did however see Horn and his brigade leave the table giving chase to Repnin’s brigade.

We were now getting to the end of things, Sparre was getting stuck in – none of this shooting nonsense for him!

Bauer’s command was in it’s death throws.

The village was surrounded – buildings removed for ease of play.

It was over. A bloody day for both sides but by the end all the Russian brigades were on the run. Great game.

Next up a return to the Pacific with Victory at Sea. A simple equal points game this time with each side given free choice within the 1943 time frame and both sides having a “free” carrier and aircraft either on table or off. As a bit of a “can I do it?” the Japanese player chose to just have the Yamato battleship and the aircraft carrier off table – meant the air cover was slightly delayed in arriving, the Americans chose a mixed force from destroyers up to their own older battleship.

The game was essentially one of the Yamato keeping enough distance between itself and the Americans and preventing them concentrating fire. It nearly worked!

The main worry for the Yamato was the American planes and if the American player had handled them better it would have been a very short game!

However, the American chose to attack piecemeal and this allowed the Japanese player to “zero in” – see what I did there 😂and take out a lot of the American air strength.

They even got a chance to attack the American carrier.

And damage the Chicago and Houston.

The duel of the “big boys” saw the sinking of the New Mexico.

But you can’t fight against multiple ships and not take damage and the Yamato took some unlucky hits which slowed her and the sharks (aka American destroyers) began to circle.

Multiple torpedo hits and it was the end for the Yamato 😢

Our next game was a return to long neglected ‘modern’ skirmish, this time in our Syrian Civil War ruins set up.

Our basic scenario was Hezbollah and Islamic Front units clashing in the ruins of Aleppo. Both sides had a couple of squads plus a tank – the Hezbollah squads were smaller but better trained and they had a T72, Islamic Front were bigger squads but their tank was a T55, although they did have a truck mounted ZSU.

Both sides advanced cautiously, partly because it was the right thing to do and partly because we were a bit rusty with the rules – it had been over a year since our last game.

Both sides worked their way around the central hospital building utilising the cover as best they could.

One of the Islamic Front squads detoured into one of the wrecked buildings, a bad decision which effectively kept that unit out of the majority of the game as it picked it’s way through the wreckage to no advantage.

The “oh shit!” moment that can only happen in a wargame 😂

Fortune favoured the T72. Scratch one T55.

The bad luck streak continued for Islamic Front continued when their ZSU gunner was cut down before ever firing a shot.

Islamic Front fighters press on.

“man the barricades!”

Oh dear.

Both sides took losses but ultimately the losses were more severe for Islamic Front and they withdrew, ceding this piece of war ravaged ground.

Our next effort was a roll out of the Timurid project. This has been a long running saga of me rebasing (twice!) and reconfiguring all my old Mongol, Ilkhanid, Russian, Persian and Mameluke figures into a representation of the armies of Timur, Tokhtamish and sundry others of the C14th. There are far better and more accurate figures out there nowadays but the sheer expense alone was enough to kick that idea into the bin and frankly in a lot of instances the differences are marginal and the set up is for home consumption only. The rules are a version of the proven Successors rules and as a first run out I was really pleased.

Our armies were a Timurid force in two divisions both containing formed & skirmish cavalry plus an elephant and an allied division of White Sheep Turcoman. Facing them was a Golden Horde Mongol force in two divisions containing formed & skirmish cavalry, a Guards division of elite formed cavalry and skirmish cavalry and a division of Russian allies containing boyars and Polk.

Both sides advanced steadily and the skirmishers went into the wargames representation of cantabrian circle.

Once players got the hang of the idea that is was a game about shooting – nearly everyone has a bow, the arrows started to fly.

However, the stars of the show were the boyars who hurtled across the table, shook off casualties from bow fire and smashed a hole in the centre of the Timurid line – well that was unexpected!

Elsewhere it was all about the shooting and the person who managed to concentrate the most fire at a critical point had the advantage – in this particular run it was the Golden Horde who grasped the concept quicker than their Timurid opponent.

The collapse of the Timurid centre had enough of a ripple effect for the Timurid player to concede and we had quite a chat about the rules and the game – all positive and some good suggestions to go forward with, next task, rebase all the Russians to take on the Golden Horde.

Next up was a ‘reconquista’ game featuring a Norman excursion into Andalusia where they are met by a united front. The sides were pre set out so it was just a question of writing any orders and having at it.

The Normans were deployed in three divisions, strong right wing of knights, centre of spearmen covered by skirmishers and a left of allied light troops. Naturally it was the knights that started the action and all seemed to be going well.

Into contact, encouraged by their General and still going well. This is going to be easy…..

Meanwhile the Andalusian right gets into action and as the allied light horse fell away the General leads in his nobles to stabilise the situation. You know where this is going…..

“kill!”

And then there were two dead generals and it was all over. Oh dear 😭

Final game was a ‘back of beyond’ away game where the British were landing once again to plant the union jack where it had no reason to be opposed by two afghan hill tribes allied to Red and White Russians – history was a distant second here.

Each side had it’s own set of objectives, some easily achieved, some downright impossible, but the scenery and figures did look very nice.

Hill tribesmen ready for the conflict – they didn’t fire a shot 😂

White Russian Cossacks attacking an armoured car.

And destroying it.

I’m really not sure who won the game, it was more of a case who didn’t. The White Russians and allied hill tribe definitely failed, The Reds obliterated one British force but I’m not sure that was their objective 🤔, the other hill tribe didn’t appear until the end but the second British force disembarked and captured the railway station with minimal casualties so I guess they won. In these kind of games it doesn’t really matter, they are played for a laugh and plenty of laughs were had.

Some painting and modelling was done. Here a mosque for the 10mm set up.

Bridging units.

AA fire support.

Thureophoroi for the Successors.

This months reading. The McNab was an ok generalist assessment of the Roman Army, I wasn’t completely convinced by some of his takes. The Tom Clancy I read because of our interest in Cold War gaming and all I can say is, no wonder we were all paranoid in the 80’s! Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia is very much of it’s time and obviously not a Beevor mighty tome but in a slim volume it tells you a lot about the war in the snapshot of time that Orwell was in that particular front, still worth a read.

Well that’s it for November, Christmas is coming but there are still games to play before we drink and eat ourselves into oblivion so keep well and play nice.

Wow! It’s been a hot one but we have ‘soldiered on’ undeterred by the heat 😎

Our first game of the month was a re-fight of the battle of Oriamendi, 16th March 1837, in the First Carlist War.

In the actual battle the Carlists under Sebastian de Borbon attacked the Liberal Government forces the Liberal Government forces under General de Lacy Evans and routed them, including the sizeable British Legion who occupied the strategic hill of Ormiamendi.

Details are sketchy but we managed to scrape together enough information to put up a reasonable representation. The Government left was held by the British Legion supported by mountain guns and rockets and the right by the main government army. The Carlists had three commands, a force marching on from their right, an infantry centre in front of the town of Hernani and a strong left wing of mixed horse & foot on rising ground.

The main Government attack started on the right and in fact finished on the right. Throughout the game this mixed body of horse and foot slogged away against the Carlist left in what at times seemed like a doomed venture. Battalions routed and rallied but with the help of some well placed artillery shots they eventually stormed the high ground and turned in on the outskirts of Hernani.

On the hill of Oriamendi the British were in pretty good shape at the start of the battle and fired away unhindered.

But as the Carlist flanking force got itself into action that hill didn’t seem quite the greatest place to be.

The guns were in a pretty precarious position at one point but counterattacks saved the position enough for the Legion to hang on while the main army did the heavy lifting.

Our next effort was the first in a hoped for series of naval battles representing the Guadalcanal campaign, first up the battle of Savo Island.

We represented Mikawa’s force ship for ship and the Allied Southern Group and Northern Group ship for ship including the ill fated Canberra.

Our resident expert, Gerard, put in place rules adaptations and constrictions to represent the fact of fighting at night and the lack of co-ordination between the two allied fleets.

It was just as confused as the real battle and the Canberra went to the bottom in a re-run of history along with the Chicago.

The rest however was a bit of a divergence from history; the Japanese lost the Furutaka and the Americans came away with more of their ships intact than their historical forbearers. Looking forward to the next one.

Next up was a big one! We planned a 2 day Cold War gone hot game, an encounter battle between a Bundeswehr Panzer brigade and a Soviet Tank Regiment somewhere in Germany.

We planned a 10,000 point per side game using the Cold War Commander rules with 5,000 points coming on table on the first day, but without air or artillery support, and the other 5,000 on the second day.

I wont say it wasn’t hard work, we fought both games during the intense heat, which I think affected our ability to think properly on occasion and it was a lot of stuff to keep track of.

Conditions not withstanding we had a fine game. The Soviets arrived a broad front on the first day with three tank battalions, the elite T80 battalion entered the town at the northern end of the board and remained there for the bulk of the first day. The two T62 battalions entered in the centre and toward the southern end of the board, the centre battalion advanced as far as the main autobahn (on a raised embankment) and the southern advanced on a hill with a church on top for a splendid view.

The Bundeswehr had formed into four combined arms groups, copying cold war doctrine, and on day 1 deployed two of these, one to the south and one to the north. Each group comprised two company’s of Leopard 2’s, one company of troop carrying Marders and a Gepard platoon.

Day 1 was a day of jockeying for position. In the north the centre T62 battalion took on the northern combat group, who had coalesced around a wooded area, and came off worse, retreating out of line of fire. The combat group then got themselves into a shooting exchange with the T80’s in the town which then came off badly in.

At the southern end of the battlefield the other T62 battalion got itself onto the hill and the as the day drew on on exchanged shots with the Bundeswehr below them who were slow to advance – reflecting afterwards the Bundeswehr player saw this as his major error in not pressing the attack (he would pay on Day 2).

Day 2 dawned with the arrival (or not due to the vagaries of the dice) of both sides reinforcements heralded by the dreaded HINDs.

The Soviets came with a motorised infantry battalion who headed straight into the already busy town – everyone getting in some duty free shopping 😂. The rest was off table artillery – mortars and rocket launchers, some self propelled on table guns and air cover in the guise of the HINDs plus Frogfoot and Fitter ground attack aircraft.

The Bundeswehr came with two more combat groups and some M109’s being directed off table. One of the combat groups came on to the south to beef up the push for the hill and a planned sweep up the flank of the Soviet positions and the other came on in the centre planning to push through and link up with the flanking move – it didn’t work out 😒

Although not battle winners in and of themselves the HINDs and air were a substantial threat. The Bundeswehr centre thrust got caught and slowed enough to prevent it making the progress needed to split the Soviet positions. A consolation was shooting down a HIND and forcing it out of the battle area.

The additional southern combat group did turn the tide on the hill and even overran the Soviet command post but it shouldn’t have needed 16 Leopards to take out 9 T62s. In reality this was a bit of a hollow victory because the Germans were now exposed to ATGWs being slung at them from the T80s in the town.

As we progressed it was increasingly obvious the Bundeswehr were on a bit of a hiding to nothing and when we looked at the mandated rules breakpoint check the Germans were well over it and so we called it as a Soviet victory.

A good game but hard work in the heat, The perennial problem for the Bundeswehr player is whether to follow doctrine and counterattack whenever possible or be a sensible wargamer and sit back in cover with better armour and better guns – tough choice.

Our final game was a Wars of Religion game, Spanish v Dutch.

The deployments were pre planned, players just needed to dice for sides.

Both sides had a single massed cavalry wing conveniently placed opposite each other 😁

Elsewhere across the table the Dutch had a strong right wing of English allies/mercenaries and Sea Beggars under Sir Francis de Vere facing off to the lesser Tercio’s – Brabant and Walloons while in the centre the ‘good’ Tercios faced the Dutch centre holding a village and hill.

Not surprisingly the bulk of the action was taken up by the cavalry. The massed regiments came at each other in a rush (mainly 🤣) and then settled into grinding melee, retreat, reform and come again for the whole of the battle.

Initially the Spanish had the edge and saw off a cuirassier regiment and a Reiter regiment but the commitment of the Dutch lancers stabilised the line and the conflict swung in favour of the Dutch ultimately leaving them the battered victors.

In the infantry engagements the Dutch had an early stroke of luck when the colonel of the Brabant tercio was killed and the regiment had a catastrophic reaction, routing back to the camp. Their fellow infantry didn’t really care but the lack of numbers told when they got into harquebus range of de Vere’s command and the shooting started, they simply didn’t have the firepower to sustain the fight.

In the centre the Tercios rumbled forward supported by artillery fire but it was a long journey and the Dutch were in no hurry to come and meet them!

Ultimately the Lombardy tercio got into contact sweeping aside it’s first opponent but held by Zealand, mainly due to the slow attrition faced by Lombardy as it advanced and Zealand being fresh as a daisy.

With night drawing on and 10 colonels dead on the field we called it. From the Dutch perspective they had regained the initiative in the cavalry maul and nothing was going to change that now, on their right de Vere was wearing down the Walloons and the Germans with little loss to himself and in the centre the tercios were being held. A good day to be Dutch.

Holidays and the heat have meant that not much has been achieved on the painting table although I have got some more Iran Iraq command stands done. What time has been available has been spent on my renewed effort at sorting rules for the Timurid collection so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy the sun and enjoy your gaming.