The September War

It does not matter to me if we are talking about the Battle for Warsaw 1939, Poles crashing back with the Soviets on the Eastern Front or those that flew with the 303 Squadron over Britain, the Polish armed forces are a great interest to me in my studies and gaming. These are stories over men fighting for their country and honor. A Poland many would never see again.

It was a great surprise when I received the email from Mr Avery that the first of two supplements would be coming out the next day covering the German/Soviet Invasion of Poland. Well I was reading this the next day over breakfast and I thought through the purchase carefully and immediately payed the sum of $12 for The September War this 240 page reference material. It covers in detail the history, Big Men  stories and so many scenarios with several for my beloved Black Brigade.

Rules are for IABSM but this will be useful for any company level game (not sure why anyone plays with anything else :-) or even Chain of Command. While I have only read through half of the scenarios these would be interesting to play as designer or for any of the early war powers as many of the weapons were similar.

My only problem is I need to buy more Poles and Germans figures. No problem there, I see an order to Peter Pig and Forged in Battle in my future.  Lucky for me I recently purchased a few TK and TKS and an odd armoured car. The painting table will be getting a bit more crowded. After Action Reports soon to show up.

France '40 IABSM Game

This is not my game but the images needed to be shared. If this is not educational, or a teachable moment, I am not sure what is.

France 40 microarmor game we played last month at Gigabites café in Marietta, GA.
It represents the defense of the 4e Reg Dragoons around the Berthonval farm outside of Mont St Eloi on May 23, 1940, the day after the big Arras attack.

Mark

https://www.flickr.com/photos/6mmgaming/sets/72157644731552314/

30th Corps

Mark and I are looking to June for continuing 30th Corps march to the bridges. I am not sure how the Germans can stop or even slow down the British. But we will continue to keep trying. It also gives Mark and I a chance to work on our infantry tactics, which needs a lot of work.

Here are pictures from our last two games.

Germans for Market Garden

Mark and I have started out on a Market Garden Campaign from TOOFATLardies call Highway to Hell.

It is a rough set of scenarios for the Germans as 30th Corp can just work there way down the road using their over whelming  firepower.

These troops were painted up for the campaign and I hope they are able to offer good service. More on the campaign latter.

Paint Table Tet

Something must be wrong, why is there so little on Jon's painting table? Could he be up to something?

I have been busy getting ready for a game of IABSM for Operation Market Garden. No pictures as I do not want to give too much intelligence to the opposition (Mark and son).

Finished up a small fleet worth of warships for the US, German and Spanish navies. Not sure how to use the flying deck cruiser but is it way to cool to ignore.

So what is going on?

Cassinga Update

Well last weekend Mark and I ran a setup and playtest for the Battle of Cassinga. It went very well for two players that were rusty with IABSM from TOOFATLardies. We even were able to can a player to join in at Dragonhead. We discussed the good and the bad for the game and it looks like he if a convert. He was especially please when I talked of the depth of rules for The Great War.

As we are running the game at Fall In two days (OMG) for now I will just share image from the game. Oh my poor Cubans. Mark, you may have me hooked with the Cubans. I even have a few troops to start me off.

The Battlefield During Setup

 White Cards are South African AT Troops on Blinds

I Hate Airpower and RPG7s

SLA vrs PLO

The South Lebanese Army while investigating the report of an arms cache in one of the neighboring villages came under fire prior to withdrawing, Associated Press has reported today from Beirut.

While it has not been confirmed, unidentified members on staff say it was a poor showing for the SLA. No additional comments have been received from official sources.

Now for the PLO view…

It was a great day for the PLO. Two columns of the SLA attempted to enter the village looking for arms and supplies. One column was to approach the village, clear a roadblock and support the second column approaching the village’s stores and warehouses.

Trouble started early as the right column moved faster than expected and their M-113 was quickly engaged in a firefight from one of the warehouse buildings. After taking three hits by RPGs the M113 retired to check on the damage to the APC.

This left the four squads to secure the warehouse complex. One squad unfortunately had trouble crossing the road and was brought under fire by a PLO LMG team firing from the roof. A squad was able to take one building but was forced to pull back after the M113 and a third squad pulled back. A fourth squad did reach their objective, but was unable to contact the left column. They also pulled back with the other three squads.

The left column was unable to remove the roadblock as they were under fire. Once they secured the PLO position they received orders to pull back to the start line.

(The PLO leader at this position has a different stand on this as he was holding off a superior force and he only left once his position was untenable. He escaped with his own life and his RPG team and the truck. It was our only truck.)

While causalities were similar, 7 PLO for 8 SLA, the fact that the PLO held the field allowed them to recover arms from the causalities and check on their wounded.

 Right column bring the warehouse under fire with the M-113.

Left column under fire while approaching the roadblock.

 SLA pulling from one of the warehouse buildings.

 LMG team bring the SLA squad under fire.

 The PLO commander at the roadblock returning the truck.

M-125 Mortar Carrier

With the completion of the M-125 mortar carrier, I have now completed more figures in the different categories than I have bought this year. Mean the lead pile is getting a little smaller.

Waiting on the blank cards to finish out the deck for my SLA game. Right now the led M113 bumped into the Lebanese militia holding up in one of the buildings along the road. So much for the battle plan.

Platoon Forward - Lebanon Style

In getting ready for my first Platoons Forward campaign I used the rules and modified them slightly to fit a Lebanese militia faction. From my rolls I think we come from a religious organization.

The road looking towards the village.

My concern is that in the past my PLO can win a game but normally there are few troops left standing.

As we are guarding the southern approaches to the town we have acquired an old truck that will enable us to move half of the unit at a time.

Platoon Commander (Avg Die)

• Pragmatic
• Religion
• Even

Second in Command (D4)

• Egotistical
• Religion
• Even
• Military Family

o   +1 Officers

o   +2 Major and above

Headquaters

An RPG Team of two men and a radioman

Support

LMG Team of three

Squad #1

4 AKs

1 RPG-7

The Bigman's Headquarters (Looks a lot like a warehouse out of Clear and Present Danger.

Squad #2

4 AKs

1 RPG-7

Squad #3

4 AKs

1 RPG-7

 

 Showing both sides of the road.

 

Squad #4

4 AKs

1 RPG-7

Roadblock on one of the two roads.

Number of squads was determined by an averaging die as the PLO and militias really did not follow any formal TOE/OB.

Next up the aggressor.

Studying (and gaming) History through the News

The events going on in the Middle East today are on par with the opening up on Eastern Europe in 1989.

As a gamer, I have always been interested in the conflicts in the desert going back to the first time I saw Lawrence of Arabia. Today my bookshelves are full of books on this part of the world. These include the Egyptians crossing the canal in 1973 to the Ottomans trying to cross into Egypt in 1915.

While I have no interest in gaming the event happening right now, this does not mean I will not look at events that happened in the past in these countries.

In 15mm (my prefered scale) we can easily do the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-12. Any of the WWI rules will work nicely including TOOFATLardies “Through the Mud and the Blood” and “I Ain't Been Shot Mum”. Figures can be obtained through QRF, Miniature Figurines and Eureka.

Also in 15mm there is the possibility of gaming the (North) Yemen Civil War. This conflict can be gamed using most Cold War rules set. As the conflict occurred between 1962 and 70 figures and tanks are easy to come by.

I left out the more well know conflicts, World War I and II, 1948 Israeli War of Independence, 1956 Sinai, 1967 Six Day War, 1970 Black September, 1973 Yom Kippur War, and 1982 Peace in Galilee. It is a rough neighborhood.

I hope we are all following the news and reading about the history of this fascinating region.  I look forward to any thoughts you wish to share.

 I do love Zeppelins.

The Charioteer Rule

This is a special IABSM rule for the use of armor by the PLO and the Lebanese militias. It is named for the Charioteer tank/tank destroyer used by the PLO, Lebanese Arab Army and the Tigers Militia. It is equally applicable to T34/85s and T54/55s used by these forces. This is to take into effect the lack of training and maintenance.

If the player wishes to use the tank, it requires a ”big man” activation. A single die is thrown.

• On a 1-4 there is no effect. The tank can neither move nor fire. It is just a target.
• On a 5 the tank can only fire its weapons.
• On a 6 the tank can activate as below.

If a tank rolls a 6, than it can move or fire using a single die. That is a single die for movement or the correct number of dice for firing, but not both in a single turn. To keep moving, or firing the big man will need to stay with the tank. This rule does not affect Technicals.

Cold Wars AAR

For me this was one of my better Cold Wars HMGS Conventions.  I ran two games; played in a third and watch a few interesting games as well.  Attendance seemed to be down but that did not deter anyone from having fun. 

Mark Kinsey and myself ran two games dealing with Lebanon 1982 and Dr Mercury had two 28mm games covering the conflict as well. All in all the Vista Room in Lancaster was a little bit of Lebanon (in the Middle East that is).

On the Purchase front I picked up a pack of Modern Havoc 15mm Insurgents to add to my PLO.  These twenty additional figures are armed with AK47s and RPGs and will add a lot of additional figure poses for the table. Unfortunately I had to increase my figure count by the same twenty. Oh bother. Also picked up trees for the village. This was not a big purchase show for me.

Now on to the battles and After Action Report

The first fight was “Lebanon 1982 - Fight at Ishiya” This is a village in the Bekaa were the IDF is looking to move north as fast as possible while destroying as my of the PLO infrastructure as possible.

The Battlefield - Image from Doctor Merkury

Unfortunately it didn’t work out that way. The IDF had a platoon of infantry with Magach support.  While they had two perfectly good roads to use, they set up on the table edge and started to move through the rough terrain. Now as a game master I should have place the figures on the road and said you start here. My fault.

The IDF started by approaching a cluster of houses and found a PLO arms cache, but also civilians, militia and a news crew. Now after failing to spot the news crew (even though I had figures on the table) they proceeded to use the machine guns and Magach tanks on the people and buildings getting a clean kill on the entire news crew.

Things could not get worse for the IDF, well they could and did. For over three turns they continued to pummel the buildings. It took an order from over the radio to get them moving, ever so slowly. In desperation (on the game master’s part) I said something like, “I paid a lot for that latex road and you guys need to use it.

Once they got on the road they moved towards a market building and encountered a second PLO team with a machine gun. This slowed up the column again and the reinforcements. The IDF received a jeep platoon.

At this time the Syrians appeared on blinds (we were using a Lardies rules). It was funny that the IDF was not concerned about the new column approaching the village center. The Syrians had two platoons of T55s and a platoon of BTR60s.

It was only when the command tank was hit by an RPG and received engine damage that the IDF realize they were in trouble. The command tank earlier lost their commander. The Syrian Infantry and lead platoon of T55s fired on the tank and the crew bailed to a building. More on that latter.

The rest of the IDF column made a run for the edge and it looked like they were going to make it, until the PLO moved their one heavy asset, a Charioteer, to stop them. There is something humorous in having a 1950s tank (or tank destroyer) frightening off the IDF. Only by luck was the PLO tank unable to get the last M113 in the column. (In the future I need to write up some PLO specific tank rules. Should make for interesting and comical battles.)

Back to the tank crew. They were holding up in a building being shot at by a platoon on Syrian and a defiant group of PLO. There situation did not look good, so the jeep platoon went in to recover them. Luck was still with the Syrians as they were able to get into a firing position and disabled the jeeps and captured their crews and the crew of the tank.

This game was a PLO and Syrian victory. I think the IDF commander was lucky to have been an early causality, if not Ariel Sharon would not have been happy with the results.

The second battle was “Clearing the Orange Grove”, an infantry fight based on a scene in Waltz with Bashir. This was to have the IDF moving through an agricultural area on the coast road.

This operation was smaller with only a platoon of infantry. Each player had control of a M-113 with three fire teams. 

This operation followed doctrine with the infantry working with the APC. This time the PLO came off for the worse. Their teams put up a good fight, but the combined firepower of the IDF contained any PLO threat.

This is a game I will want to bring back to a convention.

I want to thank all of the players and Mark for taking part in the two games. I hope to use Mark’s Orange Grove (that he forgot) in the future game.

Please look at Daddy’s Little Men and Doctor Merkury’s Lab for more (and better pictures) running a game does not allow time for taking pictures.

South of Sidon by Macaulay Connor

7 June 1982

South of Sidon

by Macaulay Connor

Today this reporter came upon the results of a recent and bloody Israeli sweep south on Sidon. At least three IDF soldiers were killed in an ambush.

On this the second day of the Israeli Operation Peace for Galilee Israeli infantry were sweeping north through an orange grove near this unnamed market town. While there were reports of Fatah militia in the area, numbers were unknown.

Two roads bordered the grove and heads north towards the market. The IDF appears to have been following these parallel roads when an ambush occurred causing the loss of three soldiers who were on an M113.

While we cannot approach the village at this time I can say we can hear heavy weapons coming from the village itself.

While the IDF is limiting their comments on this engagement, this reported was able to find out from resident that Fatah did take some losses.

After Action Report

It has been to long since Mark and I play IABSM and it showed. We missed adding in a few of the IDF cards and took a couple of actions before we got back our sea legs.

Unfortunately this effected Mark’s IDF more than me. He ended up get a M113 to far in front of the column and was hit by RPG7s. Between this and AK47 fire the M113 came out the worse for ware.

Once Mark was able to get his two infantry sections on the table he was able to clean out the militias with limited loses. His superior Big Men allowed the IDF to move faster than my running Fatah troops.

The game came to an end when the IDF was able to get to the village and than faced a HMG. Over all I (as the PLO player) feel that the PLO won as we destroyed (ok immobilized) an M113 and killed 4 IDF soldiers, three of which were in the M113. The PLO lost only 12 men (out of 18 active men).

This was fun and I look forward to have a go with my new village. Mark and I both have the ability to have villages set up at our respective houses, which will make gaming easier. 

Pictures from the Third Battle in Lebanon

Our Saturday battle was a good time as we got our friend Doc Mercury over to play. He now has a large force of PLO/Militia to paint up and got his first taste of Lebanon 1982 with Mark and myself.

This battle changed many times as we were setting it up and at times as the referee I was not sure what the players wanted to try out. (I need to remember to always make the IABSM/CDS cards and the sides set before I get to the gaming venue.) Mark wanted Syrians, Doc did not care and I was planning on using PLO (that is what I had cards for).

The action was very fast as the two platoons headed across the town looking for PLO and a way to exit to the north.

Here is the long road with the referee in the distance.

The PLO was found by the IAF (or was it a drone) running towards one of the major buildings.

After a couple of inefficient shots by the PLO the IDF found this relic on the battlefield and fired on it. The IDF player was a little miffed that it was all caught on camera and the T34/85 was not operational. Always remember to not fire on anything near a mosque.

The tank as a decoy allowed the PLO to assault the tanks. Luck was not with the PLO today as none were damaged and the infantry cleaned out the building.

As the Merkavas went past the market a group of Syrian commandos attacked the column. They had as little luck as the PLO.  They held the market only a turn before being forced out by the infantry.

Here we have the infantry holding the market.

While all of this was happening the Syrians brought on three T55s. There only success was against an empty M113.

A good game and a great learning experience for me the referee. I look forward to our next game.

Charlie Don't Surf for Lebanon

Honest, I only bought these rules to read up on the section dealing with victory conditions but I have to say these will now be the basis for all of my Lebanon 1982 games.

This rule set is from my friends at TooFatLardies and once again Richard out did himself. You can see that they are built on I Ain't Been Shot Mum! and Troops, Weapons & Tactics. Yet the rules are more than a modern (Vietnam War) version of its World War II brethren.

The use of helicopters, amphibious vehicles (more on this latter) and non-standard victory conditions lend themselves well to Lebanon. And before someone points out that there is very little jungle in Lebanon, the refugee camps and the urban environment lend itself well to the rules dealing with hidden movement.

Lastly you have to take a look at a rule set that not only allows the press to be present but also requires a die roll to see if the press is an attached to a unit or battlefield. I also like the fact that an inadvertent death of a report can affect the victory conditions of a battle in a decisive (as reported in the media) way.

Tanks for the Memories

Civil Wars are famous as come-as-you-are conflicts. You use what you can find in the local arsenal or what you are able to capture. If you are lucky to have the support of a major power, you can often get from them, what their armies do not want. These hand me downs are often too old for their reserves or militias.  Sometimes they may even not work.

This does not only apply to Lebanon, but the following list of what may be available to the different sides proves my point. I have broken these down by factions. In Myth Buster fashion, after the name I rate these vehicles as Confirmed, Plausible or Busted.

Confirmed means I have seen evidence that there were used. An example is the M113 used by Lebanese militias. There is lots of photographic evidence to prove they were used.

Plausible means I have seen evidence, but it is conflicting. The Charioteer is reported to have been used during the Civil War but I do not know if it lasted into the 1980s.

Busted is that the vehicles are reported to have been used in the conflict, but never used by anyone in the Middle East. I have seen the T10M reported to have been used by the Syrians against the IDF even though none were ever exported out of the Soviet Union. (The T10M is a great vehicle to have on a battlefield though. As I have a regiment of them in 3mm from PicoArmor.) 

IDF
Merkava I - Confirmed

Merkava II - Busted
M113 Zeldas  – Confirmed

M113 TOGAs - Confirmed
Magach - Confirmed
Shot w & wo skirts - Confirmed
NagmaShot - Plausible
M163A1 - Confirmed
M109AL - Confirmed
BM24 - Confirmed
M-107 - Confirmed
M-151/MUTT - Confirmed
M3 Mk. A - Confirmed
M3 Mk. B - Confirmed
M3 Mk. C - Plausible
M3 Mk. D - Plausible
M3 TCM-20 - Plausible

Syria
T-55 – Confirmed
T-62 - Confirmed
T-72 - Confirmed
BTR-50 - Confirmed

BTR-60 - Confirmed
BTR-152 - Confirmed
BMP-1 - Plausible

Zil 157 - Confirmed
Unimogs - Confirmed

Lebanese Militias
Charioteer - Plausible
Sherman - Plausible

AMX13 - Plausible
M41 - Plausible
M42 Dusters - Confirmed
AML 90 - Confirmed
V-150 Commando - Plausible
M113 - Confirmed
MUTT - Confirmed
T34/85 - Confirmed
BM24 - Confirmed
Gun Trucks w/ZPU2 - Plausible
Gun Trucks w/ZPU4 - Plausible
M-151/MUTT - Confirmed
M3 Mk. A - Plausible

South Lebanese Army

Sherman - Plausible

M50 – Plausible
M51 – Confirmed
M113 – Confirmed
MUTT - Confirmed
T34/85 - Confirmed
BM24 - Confirmed
M-151/MUTT - Confirmed
M3 Mk. A - Confirmed
M3 Mk. B - Plausible


This is a work in progress that will be updated often. Once done I will add in stats for Troops, Weapons & Tactics and I Ain’t Been Shot Mum! so they can be used with Rock the Casbah.

The picture of the Charioteer is from QRF. It is to cool of a tank for me not to have at least one of them. I look forward to having it for my militia.

Michelin Guide Anyone

In the rules supplement Rock the Casbah (RTC), there is an area called Michelin Guide Anyone. As I wanted a physical map for the campaign I header off to my local Barnes & Nobel. While there were no Lebanon maps I did find a Lonely Planet guidebook on the Middle East. It was a cute read with a nice size chapter on Lebanon with nice city maps. Their web site is also well designed.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/lebanon

I like the aerial views of the existing camps. This is a resource I am sure all sides would have loved to have had.

I ended up getting the map from my friends at Franklin Maps in King of Prussia. It is a fun store to wander through.

The map is 1:200,000 scale so it has most of the villages I need. Or at least I think so as the spellings are a little off. That is a problem I have had for as long as I have gamed this part of the world. With an interest going back to the 1916 Arab Revolt to Lebanon in 1982 every writer has his or her own take on spelling. It gives hope to this poor Catholic school speller.

Contestants

Personally I think the title sounds like a game show, but saying sides made me think of elementary school gym class. What I am talking about here is what are the factions for playing Operation Peace for Galilee. I am initially looking at the first part of the operation from 6 June 1982 to 12 June 1982. Latter I may also add in the earlier Operation Litani, the Lebanese Civil War of the 70s, the battles for the Beirut-Damascus Highway, and the UNMNF.

While concentrating on these seven days a gamer will find a lot to choose from. The IDF and Syrian bring almost very type of formations in the arsenals. The Israelis have every type of tank from the M-48 (ok this one is debatable) to the Merkava I. Syria has both mechanized as well as motorized formations and T55. T62 and T72s added. With Syria you also have Gazelle anti-tank helicopters.

The PLO brings their light infantry with Katyusha rocket launcher, dug in T34/85s and T54/55s and cool run down looking camps.

The Lebanese have the most diverse forces. The troops are as varied as the factions. Transport is limited to personal cars and armored vehicles can include the Panhard armored cars, T34/85s and lent Israeli M113s, M50s and M51s. Troops can be uniformed in either Israeli kit for the South Lebanese Army or in come as you are Middle Eastern kit for the religious militias. As for the faction, there is over a page of known factions in Rock the Casbah.

What is nice is it is easy to get started. A Lebanese militia only requires a few figures for an IABSM/TWT game. Using Peter Pig figures you need a pack of command, one to two packs of riflemen with AK47, an RPG pack and possibly a LMG or heavy weapons pack. For around $25 you are ready to take on…well if you are Lebanese that could mean anyone in the Middle East.

Israelis and Syrians are a little more expensive as you will also need APCs and tanks, but who can turn down those hot looking Merkavas.