Map of Ukraine 1943/44: Strategy and Tactics 118 - The Tigers are Burning

Although this is an old S&T Ziplock game from way back when (in 1988, when I had stopped wargaming, RPG's and the like, foolish child that I was, instead my head was full of  busy computer science undergraduate stuff). The territory and the underlying terrain are now all too familiar subject matter for students of the 2022 to 2025+ Russo-Ukrainian "Continuation War" (see below, since 2014 this has been fought over between these two protagonists, before that there was the Second World War, before that the Russian Civil War, before that the First World War, before that the Russo-Turkish War, before that the Crimean War and it goes on and on): 

Not sure at all how history will play this one out!

Board Game Geek Link: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameversion/28271/strategy-and-tactics-magazine-edition

WW2 American Infantry Experience in European Theatre of Operations (ETO) - Audible Book: Closing With The Enemy

I can highly recommend my current Audible book on the US Army in the ETO (European Theatre of Operations) and how they fought .. or .. rather how they changed the way they fought from the Normandy beaches, through the bocage through France and into Germany. Incredible detail, particularly with reference to the urban combat (Brest and Aachen) and the ingenuity employed (see below, another book I pick away at during car journeys and walking the dog): 

Particularly as it gives great reference to US learning experience and their adaptation in confronting challenges - on the fly changes and inventing doctrine that worked (like pulling a M12 155mm SP howitzer into a street fight to emphasise a point to some defending Germans and positioning artillery perpendicular [aka already flanking the position to be attacked] to teh axis of attack on a village, so that there is no longer a problem of short rounds [blue-on-blue] and the attacking infantry can "pounce" on still stunned defenders). 

The Blue and The Grey (and The Portable Wargame)

A long, long time ago, when I was in a far distant country (Scotland) I acquired a large collection of Revell American Civil War (ACW) figures [Union and Confederate Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery] with the intention of using them for Stars and Bars Rule Set. I then discovered Fire and Fury Brigade level ACW (15mm) and my interest waned. The hassle of re-basing for F&F and being "the wrong scale" to what other people gamed in, put me off. So they lingered unloved in many boxes in the attic. However twenty four years later "there time has come" as Bob Cordery's Napoleonic (extended to ACW, which is a hop skip and a jump away) is the key to the door. I have started base painting teh first Confederate units (see below):   

I can see these formations fitting nicely into hex grids - be it Portable Wargames or "bringing to life" old Strategy and Tactics or Avalon Hill games. All that is required is a little TLC (see below, the Confederate Grey line):

The colour palette seems pretty basic so a factory production system should be able to be set in motion (see below): 

The Vallejo Game Colour paints seem more than adequate!