Battle of the Bulge - August 2024

Because I am weak, biddable and easily distracted, I 've had these pictures sitting around for ages and didn't do anything with them.  We played three Battle of the Bulge scenario's using our own (slightly adapted) version of the Memor '44 overlord rules for team games. 

Due to having a few more players than I was anticipating we set up a second board, so that another eight players could get a game in.  We used one set up with five inch hexes and 1/72 kit and another using the original board game pieces. 

The game plays a little faster on the smaller board. 

And we were blessed that I had brought the board game kit along because it would have a bit of swizz if the lads who came along looking for a game didn't get one because of a shortage of gear. 

This if memory serves was the village of Neffe and the battle around it was very tough.  The Germans used their entrenched artillery to good effect and only a costly series of infantry assault by the Americans managed to clear the town. 

General Von Carpenter examining his troops.  We had had some problems representing road before, but a pal with a laser cutter ran up some pre cut MDF sections and they worked perfectly.  These are MDF with a printed texture (sourced from a model railway website) glued to them.  I could probably give them a little extra dirt and shading, but they did the job. 

Who was that masked man?  It was Anto. Anto was the masked man. 

Anto took on the job of keeping score which was tricky in a scenario that had a couple of quite complex win conditions.  His cartoons added a lot of fun to proceedings. 

German Von Casey reflecting that maybe declaring a war on an industrial super power was perhaps not the greatest idea ever. The buildings are 19th European building from Peter Dennis's paper soldiers terrain book, given a light dusting with a white spray and with some snow added to the eaves with modge podge. 

One of the benefits of the larger board is that roads really come into their own.  The players had to consider how to make best use of the mobility they offered, while also managing the traffic jams this created. 

We had some new players along as well, which is always a pleasure. 

The frozen hell of the Ardennes requires proper lubrication of all essential elements to ensure the military machine functions properly. 

Anto's illustrations got more lurid as the game ran on. 

Several of the players at this game were veteran Memoir '44 players, but hadn't played on a big board before.  It definitely shifts the feel of the game from "boardgame" to "proper wargame".  

I can't define a proper wargame, but I know it when I see it. 

As the German offensive slowed, the American counter attack began to gain momentum.  Though the German players extracted a heavy price for every foot of lost ground. 

We used lines of kitty litter to indicate where each board section ended.   They worked, but I've since switched to using some small fences that I based on lolly pop sticks, which I think work (in that they clearly indicate which section of the board is which), but despite being much bigger blend better into the board.  I must run up some snow covered ones. 

Mr E and Mr T sizing each other up while General Savage contemplates how he's going to get his drinks cabinet ten yards closer to Berlin.

The Germans used a lot of heavy armour in these games and they were powerful.  However they often failed to get where they needed to be and had difficulty dealing with entrenched American infantry and artillery.  Extremely dangerous, but not panacea. 

Though they are very scary when you are on the receiving end!

The last game was the American counter attack to relieve Bastogne.  The 6th Armoured got rolling towards Longvilly and the result was a big armoured clash, which was a change from the infantry and artillery heavy battles in woods that we'd been playing in the morning. 

A lonely Sherman bravely faces a pair of Kraut big cats. 

All in all, a good days gaming.  I only regret that it took me over a year to write it up.  The Germans squeaked a marginal win over the three days, but it was hard earned and I don't think anyone felt hard done by.  We all retired to the bar upstairs and got a few pints in and then fell to planning the next one. 

The Battle of Prokhorovka

We’re re fighting the battle of Prokhorovka at the moment using Memoir ‘44.  This was the giant armour clash between the 11th SS Panzer Korps under Manstein and 5th Guards Armour under Rotmistrov.  

The rules are the Breakthrough format of Memoir 44 (using a larger board and specialised card deck) and some 6mm figures and terrain to represent the units.  Each team of players discuss their moves in a WhatsApp group and send them in. We’re doing about two turns a day.

Initial moves were cautious with the Germans refusing their left flank and pivoting to face a Soviet push.  The Sovs spent some time in concentrating, while trying to soften the German defences with air strikes.  The first Soviet attack on the it left is going in now.

#memoir44 #history #secondworldwar #WW2 #boardgames

Stalingrad - Red Barricades Factory

I've been wanting to wargame Stalingrad the last twenty five years or so.  The thing you always run up against is the sheer amount of gear required.  I've played plenty of Stalingrad games in 6mm, never in 1/72 which is my preferred scale. I managed to get the Red Barricades Factory scenario to the table towards the end of 2023.  

My pals Sydney and KT came over and we gave it a run through.  As a first draft of a table, it wasn't bad. 

There are some things I'd like to fix before I go much further, but it's getting there.  

The table setup 

The scenario briefing; 

"By mid October the fighting amidst the rubble of the Red Barricades Factory Complex in the northern section of Stalingrad had drawn in more and more of the German 6th Army’s forces. On the 22nd the 79th Infantry division, supported by engineers, tanks and artillery, launched an intense attack over the Railroad embankment toward the Barricades Factory.

Under heavy fire from dug-in tanks and Russian snipers, the German troops slowly made ground toward the Factory. The Soviet line finally broke, but by day’s end only a corner of the factory had been taken.

The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history."

KT regarding Sydney with perplexity as he advances

I need to do some more work on the table.  Having the buildings sit on the white table without some attempt to blend the two together doesn't look right. 

German infantry probes making their way forward.  

Sydney was very careful to use his armour to destroy barbed wire to clear the way for the infantry.

Soviet infantry contesting the bombed out buildings as the German's advanced. 

The building in the foreground is a 3d print that was very kindly supplied by KT and painted by Capability Savage.  I had a shortage of suitable buildings for the board, so I subbed in some European buildings that I build for our Bastogne game. These were taken from the European Buildings book by Peter Dennis published by Helion.  These are scaled for 28mm, but they worked just fine for 1/72.  The paper buildings went together very quickly and needed no painting strictly speaking.  To make them work for the winter board, I gave them a quick dusting with a white spray paint and then added snow effect flock to the rooves. 

Soviet infantry (foreground) being outflanked and surrounded by German infantry (background)

A strong push on the German left by infantry forced the Soviets out of their initial positions.  The Germans then began to put the Soviet second line under pressure.  German engineers are clearing land mines, but they were taking casualties from the Soviet snipers.  The snipers were deadly, but they didn't cause enough casualties quickly enough to stop the German advance. 

Once the infantry had cleared the way, the Panzers started to roll. The barbed wire marks barbed wire (obviously enough), but the shell holes actually mark minefields.  I use these because the minefields have a concealed effectiveness, being rated as 0, 2 or 4 depending on how thickly the mines are spread.  The 0 minefields are dummies and using the shell holes allows me to put a slip of paper underneath to show how effective they are.  The German player only finds this out when they either enter the minefield or probe it with engineers, while the Soviets can check at any time. 

Soviet infantry fleeing encirclement. 

You can see that the forward German armour unit has taken one hit, which I've marked with a blast marker. 

The scenario actually uses  Beach Obstactles to represent rubble that is impassable to tanks, but which infantry can shelter behind.  As I didn't have anything suitable, I used the Beach Obstactles I built for our last D-Day game. I had a look for photos of Stalingrad and I know that the Soviets made extensive use of tank traps, so I'll substitute those.  KT very kindly 3d printed some for me. 

After developing the German attack on his left, Sydney begins pushing on his right. KT's Soviet artillery managed to find the range after several turns of lack lustre shooting and rains shells down on the advancing German armour. 

The final move

Having pummeled and out outmanoeuvred his opponent, Sydney unleashed the panzers. The Soviets just weren't able to withstand the pressure and that ended the game. 

I think Sydney definitely had the upper hand throughout the game as KT found it hard to co-ordinate a response because of the Soviet command rules.  Sydney was also more methodical in his approach, carefully bringing infantry, armour and artillery to bear to crumble the Soviet defences.  He was also better at evacuating badly mauled units from the front line which prevented KT finishing them off and scoring badly needed victory points. 

A fine game with two good friends.  I hope to do it more often, but this year keeps getting away from me. 

Lastly, I've actually got back into shooting recently, something I really enjoyed as a youngster and that I would like to go back to again.  Heading out to the range with a rented .22 was a lot of fun. There is something very satisfying about poking small holes in bits of paper far away.  I'm not sure if I'd take the plunge of getting my own kit, but there was a lot of entertainment in knocking about with rented stuff.  Perhaps I make a habit of it. 

US Airborne

Give 'em hell!

Our man in Budapest sent me these pictures of his latest output, some US Airborne which will hopefully be parachuting in in the not to distant future. These will be supplementing my US forces for Memoir '44 and will open up a variety of scenarios set around D-Day and beyond. 

A lot of grenade chucking going on there

Charlies Angel - BAR edition

We're just shooting in all directions...

British Paratroopers

A collection of prone figures - a PIAT gunner, a rifleman and a Bren gunner

I've had a chance to a little bit of painting over the last few weeks. I've been chipping away a few British paratroopers. I managed to put together sixty or so out of  the plastic stash. These are a mix of Revell and ESCI and I'm quite happy with how they've turned out. 

A PIAT gunner and rifleman take aim

The figures were washed in the dishwasher, then based. I gave each one a coat of PVA and they were then undercoated in white. They were painted in slightly watered down Vallejo acrylic. 

An officer, a radio man and two squaddies. 

I'll mostly be using these for Memoir '44 which has quite a few scenario featuring British paras. Unfortunately, I have not yet got a figure with an umbrella - but wheels are in motion. 

A mix of ESCI and Revell poses. 

Unusually for me, these aren't painted according to instructions from the Battlefront website.  I have some painting instructions scrawled on the back of an envelope, which I presumably got some somewhere - but where exactly is lost to the ravenous sands of time. 

Nameless wargamer - whose notes I have followed.  I salute you Sir. You are a boon to your fellow man and I only regret that I cannot give credit where credit is due.  

The camouflage was a bit of a struggle as I detest painting it, but needs must where the Devil drives and all that.  I just gritted my teeth and ploughed on.  The figures were given a water down wash of Devlin mud as the original colour was quite stark.  I think it's done the trick. 

I particularly like the Bren pose. 

The cats bedroom has changed somewhat

(I must get a lamp shade)

Paratroopers aren't the only things being painted around here at the moment. Sir Harry Flashman's bedroom has changed a little bit - but he seems to be adapting rather well.  Hopefully the new arrivals will like it. 

Another new arrival

This was the most recent new arrival - presumably an advance party. He answers to the name Johann Sebastian Bark.  I think he'll fit in just fine. 

In the mean time, we've been sorting out some pictures for the new room. Probably the most important bit really. 

Refugees

This poor soul pushing his earthly possessions in a cart

I got these figures nearly fifteen years ago, painted them a little after and only finished basing them recently.  At the time they were used to represent Dutch and Belgian civilians fleeing in 1940. I have always felt the need to include civilians in my games, not out of any misplaced sense of guilt, but because it forces one to think about the reality one is recreating on the table.

Closeup

When I was a small boy, I saw a documentary called "The World at War" which was voiced by Sir Laurence Olivier. I remember it being very good, but otherwise little more about it, but one line in particular stayed with me. The episode concerned the end of the war and the vast dislocation and hunger that covered most of Europe at the time. There was footage, I think of German prisoners of war, and food was being thrown at them. Olivier was talking about how those born after the war will not really understand what they were seeing and said "Remember that is a real man scrabbling for a potato."

An elderly couple helping each other & a lone woman

I don't agonise over the conflicts I represent on the tabletop.  It is after all a form of entertainment, of vicarious living, albeit quite a staid one. I doubt Mrs Kinch worries about the victims poisoned, stabbed and shot in her Midsomer Murders.  I rarely people the empty villages and towns my troops fight over, but it would seem unjust not to give their inhabitants some scrap of the stage from time to time.

Thankfully this is not a real man scrabbling for a potato. 

Somewhere in the Ardennes

Somewhere in the Ardennes

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One of our local hostelries has a small alcove squirrelsd away on the way to the smoking area. In it, you will occasionally find small diorama. The most recent addition is this impressive piece of Second World War work, set sometime around around the Battle of the Bulge.

Royal Tiger & crew

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The figures are in 1/32 scale I reckon, but I wouldn't hazard a guess as to the manufacturers.

SS troops leading American prisoners away

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The whole set up is about 18" x 18" and I have done my best to try to capture the look of the thing albeit with a camera phone and poor lighting. They don't show up too badly despite having been taken through glass. 

German motorcyclist with sidecar

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The previous  diorama was made up of Prince August Romans in 28 mm and I am kicking myself I did not get a picture at the time.

Another angle 

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This is another of the idiosyncrasies that make this particular pub appeal to me so much. I really must find out who did the work and find out what we can look forward to in the future.