Further thoughts - WW2 ORBATS

Following from the previous posting methought it meet to add here some of my thoughts upon Orders of Battle - ORBATS, OOBs, TOandEs or what have you.  This time I'll be featuring some German lists for the last 18 months or so of WW2.

Let's start with something exciting: the Panzer Division (I hope one can follow this: I'm copying this over from an EXCEL file, and I haven't quite got the hang of formatting it so that it transfers across neatly).

German Panzer Division 1944-5 - Div Level Commander:  Commander, car 1 SP  Command HQ:  Staff, signals, vehicles Logistics: Supply Column 1 x Lorry with Trailer  6 LOG POL Column 1 x Lorry or tanker  4 POL Recon Abteilung: 1 x SdKfz234/2 Puma 2SP Recon 1 x SdKfz250/1 2SP Recon 1 x SdKfz251/1 2SP Recon 1 x SdKfz250/9 2SP 1 x Towed PaK40  2SP MdAT OR SdKfz251/22 OR SdKfz234/4 4 x recon Infantry stands 4SP Recon Panzerjager Abteilung 1 x Towed PaK40 3SP MdAT 1 x SdKfz251,  3T OR SdKfz11 OR RSO tractor 1 x StuG III G 3SP MdAT/MdAr 1 x Marder II or III 3SP MdAT/OT Pioneer Battalion 4 x engineer stands 4SP Eng 1 x truck or halftrack 4T 1 x bridging half-track 1T Eng 1 x pontoon truck 1T Eng Anti-Aircraft Battalion 1 x 88L56 FlaK  2SP 3AA Hv/AT 1 x SdKfz7 tractor 2T 1 x 37L98 SP FlaK 2SP 3AA  1 x 20L110 SP Quad FlaK 2SP  4AA Panzer Regiment HQ: half-track, 20mm SP Quad Flak 2SP 4AA Panzer Battalion: 4 x PzV Panther  Coys each 1 tank @ 3SP 12SP Hv AT/ Hv Ar Panzer Battalion: 4 x PzIVG-J Coys each 1 tank @ 4SP 16SP MdAT/MdAr Panzer Grenadier Regiment (gepanzert): I Battalion (gepanzert) 3 Rifle, 1 MMG, 1 Mtr, 1 Pz/faust stands  6SP 1 x Armoured half-track 6T II Battalion (motorised) 3 Rifle, 1 MMG, 1 Mtr, 1 Pz/faust stands  6SP 1 x medium or 2 light trucks 6T Panzer Grenadier Regiment (motorised) I Battalion (motorised) 3 Rifle, 1 MMG, 1 Mtr, 1 Pz/faust stands  6SP 1 x medium or 2 x light truck 6T II Battalion (motorised) 3 Rifle, 1 MMG, 1 Mtr, 1 Pz/faust stands  6SP 1 x medium or 2 light trucks 6T Artillery Regiment: FOO with armoured car or light tank 1SP Recon/ Cmd SP Battalion 1 x Wespe or Hummel SP artillery 3SP Light Battalion 1 x 105L28 Howitzer 3SP  Medium Battalion 1 x 150L30 Howitzer 3SP

Notes:
1   Each vehicle or gun represents a squadron, company or battery.
2.  Each strength point represents about 5 vehicles or guns.
3.  AFVs are classed by gun power and protection.  So although the PzIV Battalion's 4 companies have 4SPs (representing 22 AFVs in each)  and the Panther Companies just 3SP (representing 17 AFVs per company), the latter's heavier front armour and more powerful gun should outweigh the PzIV extra numbers.
4.  AT and Ar(mour) classes will modify the number of dice rolled in combat.  The provisional rule will run as follows (this using the Hexblitz/ Megablitz combat system, in which each side rolls for damage to one's own side):

• The number of dice rolled in combat is equal to the current SP value.
• Add 1 to the number of dice if your AT class is higher than the enemy's armour class
• Subtract 1 from the number of dice to be rolled if your AT class is lower than the enemy's armour class
• Add 1 to the hit score if attacked in flank or rear OR armour class is less than enemy's AT class
• Subtract 1 from hit score if your armour class is greater than enemy's AT class.

At the moment the AT and Armour classes envisaged are: Light, Medium, Heavy, Extra Heavy.

For an example of how this might work, imagine a tank battle against a fresh PzIV Battalion (6SP)
attacking a regiment of IS2 (2SP - actually a bit generous, as I think the Red Army heavy tank regiments comprised just 20-odd AFVs - barely even the size of a PzIV company!).

Let us suppose that both sides will take hits on a standard score of 5 or 6 (this is not 'per rule set', but used to illustrate the effects of the system proposed here).

To determine the effect of incoming,

• The PzIV battalion rolls 2 dice, +1 for the IS2 gun being a higher class than the PzIV armour - 3 dice in all.  The PzIV also adds 1 to each score to determine the effect, so will lose 1 SP for each 4, 5 or 6 rolled.   The panzer battalion can 'expect' to lose 1.5 SPs
• The IS2 regiment rolls 6 dice, less 1 for the IS2 armour being heavier than the PzIV AT gun class - 5 dice only.  The IS2 also subtracts 1 from each score to determine the effect, so will lose 1 SP for each 6 rolled only.  The IS2 regiment can expect to lose 5/6 of a SP.
• Methinks the Panzer Battalion has caught a Tartar - possibly quite literally!
  
  

  

  Although outnumbered three to one, the IS2 regiment will be no
  pushover for the panzer battalion!

I feel I'm on to something here, but it is looking as if I might have to make considerable changes to the Hexblitz/ Megablitz combat systems to get it to work!

4.  For the moment the values given for LOG and POL are fairly arbitrary until I determine their basis in my armies.

 Panzer Regiment ('Army Level' OOB).  The single StuG
stand represents the various vehicles of the panzerjager
abteilung.

German Panzer Division 1944-5 - Army Level
Command:			1SP
HQ:			1SP
Supply:	Supply Column	1 x Lorry with trailer	6LOG
	POL Column	1 x Lorry or tanker	4LOG
Recon Abt: 1 x Armoured Car (8 rad)			1SP	Recon
	1 x Recon infantry stand		1SP	Recon
	1 x Light Armoured half track		1SP	1T, Recon
Panzerjager Abt:
	1 x Towed PaK40 with		1SP	MdAT
	1 x SdKfz11		3T
	OR 1 x StuG III G		1SP	MdAT/ MdAr
	OR 1 x Marder II or III		1SP	MdAT/ OT
	OR
	1 of the above alternatives @ 3SP		3SP
Pioneer Battalion
	1 x Engineer SMG stand		1SP	Eng
	1 x Bridging half-track		1T	Eng
AA Battalion:
	1 x 88L56 FlaK + SdKfz7		2SP	3AA
	OR
	1 x 37L98 SP AA
	OR other SP AA vehicle
Panzer Regiment:
	Panzer Battalion	1 x PzV Panther	5SP	HvAT/ HvAr
	Panzer Battalion	1 x PzIVG-J	6SP	MdAT/MdAr
Panzer Grenadier Regiment (gepanzert)
	4 infantry stands		4SP
	1 armoured half-track		4T
Panzer Grenadier Regiment (motorised)
	4 infantry stands		4SP
	1 medium or 2 light trucks		4T
Artillery Regiment:
	1 of:
	Wespe		3SP	Lt or Md HE
	Hummel
	105L28 howitzer
	150L30 howitzer

A few things to note. 
1.  Each vehicle or artillery model represents a battalion, unless otherwise stipulated.

2.  Every 2 infantry stands represents a battalion, usually depicted with a rifle stand and some support weapon stand (MMG, Mortar or infantry armed with an anti-tank launcher).  However, unless stipulated in the ORBAT, battalions (much less companies) have no separate identity or existence.  The 4-stand German regiments represent units comprising 2 battalions (c.f. the 6 stands that represent 3-battalion regiments in the Red Army, or the 3-battalion Commonwealth brigades).

3.  My Strength Point regime follows the Bob Cordery/ Tim Gow system so far as AFVs and Artillery is concerned (1SP to 15 AFVs or 12 guns).  For infantry, I have settled upon 1 SP per stand.

4.  Morale, training, troop quality or technical differences are not subsumed in this SP system (here I depart from the Cordery/Gow systems, whilst acknowledging this will add a layer of complexity to the game system).  Those differences will determine the number of dice rolled in combat, and their effect.  Apart from a brief glimpse earlier, how I see this working I'll leave for another time.

5.  AFVs will be classed by weight of anti-tank firepower, and weight of protection (armour).
        In the above list, you will observe that the PzIV battalion is given 6SP, the Panther battalion only 5.  This would translate as 90 PzIV tanks in their battalion (establishment was actually 98, as of June 1944), and 75 Panthers in theirs (est. 78).  But the heavier (front) armour and more powerful tank gun should outweigh the difference in numbers.   

       By the way, 21st Panzer Division on 5 June 1944, had just the one panzer battalion present; the other having been sent to Germany for re-equipping with Panthers (not to rejoin 21st Panzer for more than 6 months).  I suggest the remaining PzIV battalion be given 7SP, or even 8SP, representing the 112 or so tanks available.  I don't know whether the French AFVs with which the absent battalion had been 'equipped' were retained or abandoned.

Next time, I'll add in something at the other end of the excitement and 'cool kit' scale: the Luftwaffe Field Division.  Well, it does have the 8.8cm FlaK, which is not nothing!

German Regular Infantry Division of 1944-5.  The 3
assault gun and SPAA vehicles could instead have been
subsumed into a single Marder or StuG at 3SP.

Afterthoughts on the Mius Operation...

For a long time, now, I have been exercising my mind (racking my brains) upon the topic of how I am to organise my considerable WW2 collection of ... stuff. Actually, compared with at least two other collections in this town, it isn't all that huge. Not when a friend turned up one day to lay out on my lounge floor his whole regiment of T34 tanks - all 47 of them (not to mention his 20 other AFVs of varying sizes and weights); or that other club occasion when we could not pass up the presence of a temporary boxing ring left over from the previous night's entertainment and ropes and posts removed. A brief dash home fetched what armour we could, and there ensued a great battle between 100 Soviet tanks against 70 German. Almost the entire collection was Nick's; my contribution was 13 - my entire Red Army inventory of AFVs at the time - though I was put command of a further 16. Man that was fun!

But.. mine is not so very huge a collection, but still in want of proper organisation and housing.

My armies have grown since that day, my Red Army now able to field

- 14 x T34

- 5 x M4 Sherman (or 10 if I throw in my die cast tanks)

- 6 x IS2

- 6 x KV Is and IIs, OR  5 may be replaced by KV85s (have swappable turrets)

- 2 x T26

- 1 x T70

- 1 x SU85

- 3 x SU76

Now, highly taken with accessibility and appearance of the game designs of Bob Cordery (Portable Wargame, Hexblitz), Chris Kemp (Not Quite Mechanised) and Tim Gow (Megablitz and Little Cold Wars) - to which one might add a couple of articles by Martin Rapier - I have been wondering how to organise my stuff that I can put together a game without my usual safari among various boxes (and rooms) to hoik out what I want and need.

Overall picture of what my 6th Shock Army will look like.
Present are the Mechanised and Tank Corps; and one of
the four Rifle Divisions. Absent is the Cavalry and
three Rifle Divisions.

The 'formation in a box idea', though tempting, won't quite work with my stuff - not definitively, at any rate, a certain items will probably be 'shared' among game systems. Even the AFVs will be so tasked, with, for example, certain British and Red Army items being roped into a Little Cold Wars type of campaign between the 'Republic' of Tchagai, and the Nimruz S.S.R. - set in the 1950s and 1960s.

Yet I do want at least a settled ORBAT for all the kit, and the recent 'Unquiet Flows the Mius' game took me far along to road towards that goal. I have settled upon a 'Two Tiered' system: what I call a 'Div Level' list, and an 'Army Level' list. I'll start here with my late war Red Army Mechanised Corps.

Mechanised Corps (Div Level) 1944-45

Corps Commander      (1SP)
Corps HQ, Staffs and sigs:   (1 SP)
Supply Column:
  - 2 x Supply Truck with trailer  (6LOG)
  - 1 x Supply Truck or Bowser   (3POL) (Provisional)
Tank Brigade: 

  -  3 x Tank Battalions, each with 1 T34 @ 4SP - (12SP Md or HvAT) 

  -  Motor Rifle Battalion:
           - 2 Rifle stands, 1 SMG stand, 1 82mm Mortar, 1 PTRS ATRifle, (5SP)
             1 medium truck or 2 light trucks:  (6T)
3 x Mechanised Brigades, each comprising:
           - 1 x Tank Regiment with 2 T34 @ 4SP - (8SP Md or HvAT)
           - 1 x BA64 (or other armoured car) 2SP Recon
           - 1 x AAMG quad 1SP 2AA
           - 1 x 45L66 AT gun (or 57mm for a Guards Corps) 2SP LtAT
           - 1 x PTRS stand 1SP CCAT
           - 1 x Field Artillery Regiment with 1x76L39 gun 3SP
           - 1 x Mortar Battalion with 1 x 82mm or 122mm mortar 3SP
           - 3 x Motor Rifle Battalions, each with
              - 3 rifle stands, 1 MMG stand, 1 Mortar stand, 1 PTRS stand
                 1 medium or 2 light trucks  6T   
Light Self Propelled Gun Regiment:
  - 1 x SU76 4SP LtHE, MdAT
Heavy Self Propelled Gun Regiment:
  - 1 x SU152 or SU122 or ISU152 4SP Md or HvHE
Tank Destroyer Regiment:
  - 1 x SU85 or SU100 4SP (Hv or EHv AT)
Mortar Regiment:
  - 1 FOO stand, motor vehicle 0SP, Recon/ Artillery Observer
  - 2 x 120mm Mortar @ 3 SP: 6SP (Represents 2 Mortar Battalions)
Anti-Aircraft Battery:
  - 1 x 37L70 AA gun, towing vehicle 2SP, 2AA
Anti-Tank Battalion:
  - 1 x 45L66 Anti-tank gun, towing vehicle, 3SP LtAT
Guards Mortar Battalion:
  - 1 x BM-13 MRL 2SP 4MdHE
Engineer Battalion:
  - 2 x Engineer SMG stands 2SP 2ENG
  - 1 x Medium engineer truck with trailer 2 LOG
Reconnaissance Battalion:
  - 1 x Armoured Car  1SP Recon
  - 1 x Scout Car Company:
    - 1 x M3A1 (White) scout car  (2T)
    - 1 x SMG SMG recon infantry stand 2SP Recon
Motorcycle Battalion:
  - 1 x Armoured Car 1SP Recon
  - 1 x Motorcycle SMG stand SP1  Recon
  - 2-3 selected, 1 only of each, from:
    - 1 x Scout Car Company, with:
       - 1 x M3A1 scout car (2T)
       - 1 x SMG recon stand (2SP Recon)
    - Halftrack Company, with:
       - 1 x halftrack (2T)
       - 1 x SMG recon stand (2 SP Recon)
    - 1 x Armoured car company  1 x BA32 or similar 2SP Recon
    - 1 x Tank Company: T34/76 tank 2SP MdAT
    - 1 x Artillery Battery: 1 x 76L39, tractor 1 SP LtHE
    - 1 x Anti-Tank Battery: 1 x 45L46 AT gun 1SP LtAT
    - 1 x Anti-Aircraft MG Battery: 1 x AAMG 1SP LtAA

Notes:
1.  Strength points (SP) based on numbers only, not troop quality.  Although the systems in use have the virtue of simplicity, I've never felt fully comfortable with combining quantity and quality in the same SP system.  One tank represents 1 Battalion or half a regiment; each SP represents  5 tanks, roughly.

2.  Though the 2 tanks comprising the Mech Bde tank regiments count as separate 'units', they may never be separated by more than 1 grid area.

3.  I've labelled the weight of anti tank according to 5 categories;
CC (close combat, viz AT Rifles and bazooka-type weapons), Light, Medium, Heavy and Extra Heavy.  For the moment I haven't settled upon a definition.  Apart from the question of gun ranges, there remains that of effectiveness.
3A.  I have left open the question of AFV protection (armour) for the time being.
3B.  I'm thinking of modifying combat outcomes by adding to the SP factors for firepower, protection (self and external), type shooting, type of target, experience/ quality.

4.  The idea I have in mind do complicate the game, but I am hoping not unduly, and not such as to detract from the action.

5.  A lot of the 'extra bits and pieces will get subsumed in the Army Level ORBAT:

The Mechanised Corps (sorry about the picture quality)

Mechanised Corps (Army Level) 1944-45

Corps Commander 1SP
HQ: staff, sigs etc, truck. 1SP
Supply Columns: 4 POL and 4 LOG (Provisional)
Tank Brigade:
  - 1 x T34, 1 x SMG:  5SP MdAT
    (Represents 3 tank battalions of about 20 tanks each, plus motor rifle battalion)
Mechanised Brigade:
  -  Tank Regiment: 1 x T34: 3SP Md (T34/76) or Hv (T35/85) AT
  -  Brigade Infantry:
     - 3 x Rifle, 1xMMG, 1 x Mortar, 1 x PTRS 6SP
  (Represents 1 tank regiment of about 45 tanks plus 3 motor rifle battalions).
Mechanised Brigade:
  -  Tank Regiment: 1 x T34: 3SP Md or HvAT
  -  Brigade Infantry:
     - 3 x Rifle, 1xMMG, 1 x Mortar, 1 x PTRS 6SP
Mechanised Brigade:
  -  Tank Regiment: 1 x T34: 3SP Md or HvAT
  -  Brigade Infantry:
     - 3 x Rifle, 1xMMG, 1 x Mortar, 1 x PTRS 6SP
Mortar Regiment:
 - 1 x 122mm Mortar 2SP MdHE
Recon/motorcycle Battalions
 - 1 x Armoured Car 1SP Recon
 - 1 x SMG stand and M3A1 Scout Car 1SP Recon
 - 1 x motorcycle SMG stand  1SP Recon - provisional on availability of motorcycles.

Artillery, Self-propelled guns, Anti-tank, Tank destroyer, Anti-Aircraft and Engineers are treated as Army Troops.

Notes:
1.  Here, each tank represents a battalion or regiment.  Each SP represents about 15 tanks, but the Tank Brigades get 1 extra SP for the additional SMG stands. The Tank Brigades act as a single integrated whole.
2.  The Mechanised tank and rifle elements are not so integrated, the tank and rifle elements being able to operate separately.  However, I am likely to place a restriction upon their separation.

Mech Corps with Strength Points allocated.

The whole inventory is to be organised as 6th Shock Army (fictitious) which comprises:
8th Tank Corps
5th Mechanised Corps
4th Cavalry Division (under strength)
88th, 259th, 301st, 316th Rifle Divisions
Army Troops:
     275th Howitzer Regiment
     332nd Howitzer Regiment
     1163rd Gun Artillery Regiment
     508th Tank Destroyer Regiment
     765th Tank Destroyer Regiment
     22nd Guards Mortar Regiment
     1069th Anti-Aircraft Regiment
     259th/828th Engineer Battalions.
Attached (this is a non-historical formation after all) will be:
    44th Heavy Tank Regiment, with KV85 (briefly) and then IS2.
     200th Heavy SP Artillery Regiment with ISU152

The following pix are of my proposed Rifle Division and Tank Corps.

Rifle Division:

3 rifle regiments each with 6 stands, 1 horse or tractor-drawn field artillery, 1 horse or tractor-drawn anti-tank gun, LOG elements (wagon, pack animals or lorries). Divisional command, signals etc.

Rifle Division with horse drawn heavy weapons and
logistics elements

Rifle division with SPs allocated

Tank Corps:

3 Tank Brigades each with 1 tank and and 1 integral element of tank desantski SMG infantry;
1 Mortar regiment, 1 recon/motorcycle composite unit, POL and LOG elements, command, sigs etc.

Tank Corps.  The SMG elements are integral to the Tank
Brigades, and tanks count as their transport.

Tank Brigade with SPs allocated.  This really is a terrible picture,
but I hope the idea is clear.

The varying base sizes of the infantry have no significance apart from a long, long history of not being able to make my mind up what size the stands should be. As much as I admired the Command Decision game system, I always had a problem with the base sizes as far too small, especially if you wanted properly to accommodate MMGs, mortars and anti-tank rifle teams.

To be continued.




   

Bits and Pieces

My last posting showed an interesting and useful pile of stuff sent to me by a fellow blogger from the Land of Oz (Mark, of One Sided Miniature Wargaming Discourse} .  Here is what I have done with them in the last week or so.  The T70 and the BA64 I touched up with a lighter green and some weathering, and added identifying numbers (usually, I paint them on, as here, rather than using transfers)

This picture compares the assembled 122mm howitzer with the semi-scratch-built I made some years ago,  This new addition doubled by 122mm howitzer inventory!

The Nebelwerfer came already assembled: you've seen it before.  The metal 7.5cm infantry gun, limber and RSO tractor I assembled, and I've given them a very basic paint job.  The tracks and washes and such have yet to be done.  The half tracks are still awaiting their weaponry. The background buildings I will touch on later in this posting.

Before I do, I should mention these items.  The civilian volkswagens were given me by a friend quite a while back.  I don't know whether these models were ever used as staff vehicles by the Wehrmacht, but painted with camo, they do look the part.  The white metal 15cm howitzers I bought at a bring-and-buy several years ago, but assembled only this last week.  The recoil slides are a bit munted, about which I couldn't do much, but I figure that if the thing looks like what it's meant to be then that is what it is.

...And these four items made up half my purchases from last Saturday's bring-and-buy at the Club: two Daimler scout cars, and two Bedford light trucks.  These are die cast models, something I didn't fully appreciate until I got them home (my eyesight really is becoming a problem...).

Now, these things.  Having got myself inveigled into grid war games, I needed to obtain buildings that were suited to my 4-inch square and 4-inch 'short-diameter' hex grids.  I have seen some impressive approaches to the problem on several blogs. The 2D (or 2.5D) approach by Foss1066 (Skull and Crown)  and Chris Kemp of Not Quite Mechanised. I find attractive, and it is only storage issues that give me pause about taking that line.  The former very kindly offered my a sample of his work, but as they are designed for 5-inch grids, and felt I had to decline.

I have gone instead for the 3D approach using very under scale buildings, rather similar to that taken by Bob Kett ("A Village Hex").  What gave me the idea was in fact the wooden 'town in a box' building set used by Bob Cordery and others for their games.   What you see above is a town or city-scape of home made, downloaded and assembled, and commercial card buildings.  For twentieth century warfare, I felt the need for some 'high rise' edifices, simple, '5-minute' jobs that at least look the part.  They are simply tea and Tabasco sauce packets, painted overall grey, given a low parapet and with doots and windows drawn on.  The large ones exactly fit the oblong formed by the opposite sides of my grid hexes.

Considering my interest in the Western Desert campaign, not to mention Medifluvian (Mesopotamian) operations carried out by the Ruberian Army against the Turkowaz Enpire, I bethought myself to make a few vaguely Middle Eastern/ North African style buildings - mosque, administration blocks and what have you.  

I don't show them in the above pictures, but here are a few  'built-up area' profiles that will be used for my hex-grid.  If buildings need to be removed to make way for soldiery of equipment, the grid area will (I hope) still be recognizably representing a village, town or city block.

Still working on Operation Crusader

Ariete Division.  'First draft'.

Well, I'll tell you what: this project is proving a deal of harder work and searching than I originally thought.  I had what looked like a very good and detailed source for the Orders of Battle (OOB)- and discover I have reason to doubt its veracity.  On the other side of the coin, working out the SP values for the scale of game we're looking at is also being subjected to a review.

Italian XX Mobile Corps.  Ariete on the
mat. Trieste behind it.

One who has been following my progress so far has obviously been down this same road before, and amassed a deal of knowledge (thanks Neil).  Against that I have a source that, owing to comprehensive and circumstantial detail seems persuasive.  For a wild moment I thought the OOB referred to a later time, but the presence of Savona Division (surrendered at Bardia, January 1942 and never rebuilt) and RECAM (disbanded not long after the Crusader Operation) indicated I wasindeed reading a November 1941 Orbat..

On the other hand, it would appear that the inclusion of the Semovente group is mistaken (552 and 553 Battalions).  I have two OOBs printed out, one that includes the assault guns, one without.  The latter I unearthed buried among other bits of paper.  Pity: I would have liked to include them.
... 
Having said that, since I took the photos a couple of nights ago, I thought I'd post them here anyway, as a kind of 'first draft' of what Ariete division and XX (Mobile) Corps will look like.

The Order of battle of Ariete Division will henceforth be based upon this:

132 Armoured Division 'Ariete' Gen Mario Balotta

32 Armoured Regiment 

• I Lt Tank Bn
• II Lt Tank Bn
• III Lt tank Battalion detached to RECAM

132 Armoured Regiment

• VII Md Tank Bn
• VIII Md Tank Bn
• IX Md Tank Bn

8th Bersaglieri Regiment

• III Battalion
• V Battalion
• XII Battalion

132 Artillery Regiment
Battalion/ 26 Artillery Regiment (attached from Pavia Division
Battalion attached from 24th Corps Artillery Group.

No: no armoured cars, no Semovente.  'Jacko': I hope you are not disappointed!

But the Corps Troops do have truck mounted 102mm AA/AT.

****************************************************

On a personal note, I have very likely another operation in train. For the last thirteen years the vision in my left eye has been badly impaired by cataracts.  And at last, in the last few weeks I have noticed a marked deterioration in the vision of my right eye.  Yep.  Cataracts.  Confirmed by a visit to the optometrist last Thursday.  I now have an appointment for a consultation at the St George's Eye Care on Monday, 1 October.

Mixed plate.  Toothsome?  Oh, yes!

In a species of 'anti-celebration, Karen and I followed that evening's grocery buy with a feed at the 'Food Court' at the Eastgate shopping ... place.  This is what I got.  Mixed plate (lamb and chicken) with salad, chips (fries) and topped with BBQ sauce, sweet chili sauce, and yoghurt.

A unsolicited, unapologetic plug.

It was a bloody dam jolly good feed!

'Operational Art' - and other stories...

These are just my German AFVs and artillery

I have been fascinated by the World War Two operational level game developments by a number of gamers and game designers who began exploring such game systems for several decades now.  Names such as Bob Cordery, Tim Gow, Chris Kemp and Martin Rapier come to mind, each with their own signature stamp on the concepts.  One ought not perhaps overlook Neil Thomas's One-Hour Wargames, and perhaps I have rather neglected to investigate further into the Sam Mustafa Rommel game system.

I'm a newbie to this type of game, for years being an aficionado of the Command Decision systems.  But when a couple of years back I set out a CD game, it remained on the table for several weeks with just two or three moves played, and was then put away again.  It was just too much effort.   Since then I have played several Not Quite Mechanised (NQM)/ Hexblitz/ Megablitz games and found them a lot of fun.

BUT... I know it not what you'd call 'good form', but I do feel the need to adapt such systems to my own inventories.  Although I know of at least two collections in this town that are orders of magnitude larger than mine, I have over the years amasses a fair inventory of kit...

You know what they say about gondolas, eh?

Of course I want to use it (it is also high time I organised it all).  It just wasn't happening with Command Decision, and the formerly popular Panzer Marsch! wasn't getting any traction lately, neither.

'Jacko' (Paul Jackson) and I have been much taken with the upscaled 'version' (insofar as it has any 'formal' existence) of  NQM, and have conducted some experiments along those lines.  We tried adapting the system to a hex grid game, using some Hexblitz mechanics, and we got a pretty exciting game out of it.

Continuing the saga, Bob Cordery has revisited his earlier Operational Art game system with a view to conducting an Operation Barbarossa campaign.  Exciting stuff.  Meanwhile, Jacko and I have been working on a game based upon the 1941 Western Desert relief of Tobruk, called Operation Crusader (18 November - 20 December, 1941.

So far I have been working on the Orders of Battle for the belligerents, and have come up with something that looks like this.  This is only the New Zealand Division and the Ariete Armoured, by way of sample ORBATS.
....

New Zealand Division setting out for Tobruk

2nd New Zealand (NZ) Division: Maj-Genl B. Freyberg  car SP=1      4th (NZ) Bde:           18th, 19th, 20th Bns - 3 stands (1) - 3SP + 1 (Veteran) = 4SP      5th (NZ) Bde:           21st, 22nd, 23rd; 28th (Maori) Bns = 4 stands 4SP + 1 (Veteran) = 5SP      6th (NZ) Bde:           24th, 25th, 26th Bns - 3 stands Basic 3SP+ 1 (Veteran) = 4SP      27th (MG) Battalion (2) - 1 Vickers MMG stand - 1SP +1 (Veteran) = 2SP      4th, 5th, 6th Field Rgts each with:           1 x 25pr gun/how, Quad tractor; 1SP, 1 LOG (or grouped as 1 piece 3SP)      7th Anti-Tank Rgt:           1x 2pr AT gun with portee mount; 1SP      14th LAA Rgt: 1 x Bofors AA gun, tractor: 1SP, 2LOG      Divisional Cavalry: 1 x bren carrier, 1SP Recon      Divisional Engineer Companies: 1 Engineer stand, 1 truck, 1SP, ENG      Reserve MT Company: 1 truck, 4T,; 1 POL/Ammo truck 1LOG Note 1:  I'm considering add a command figure to this 3-stand formation.  This figure   would bring no SP to the group.  See infra) Note 2: I'm thinking of modifying for quality and training by +1 (experienced, Soviet Guards) and +2 (Veteran or Elite); +1 for AFV or Medium-heavy artillery and mortars, and possibly rockets; +1 for AFV armed with cannon (so not L3s or Lt Mk VIs); +1 for heavy AFV: +1 for superior equipment at any level (the idea being that a Panther, Firefly and T34/85 gets the +1 for superior medium tanks only) Note 3: I see that I gave 2SP to the artillery and AT stands.  That was actually a mistake, but I am  considering letting it stand, with a premium for certain weights or characteristics of artillery  (+1 Quick Firing; +1 100mm-140mm; +2 149mm and heavier. Total Strength: 23SP; 18 stands (excluding transports).  Exhaustion point: -8SP   This formation would look. I believe, practically identical to a Bob Cordery or Tim Gow set up.  But instead of SPs assigned to every stand, they are assigned (this applies to infantry, cavalry,  and some recon units) to groups of stands representing regiments, brigades, and sometimes Divisions.

At the beginning of the Tobruk relief operation in Novemkber, 1941, the New Zealand Division
comprised nearly 20,000 officers and men, according to the Official History,  By this time, the average Russian Rifle Division could consider itself fortunate if it had as many as 5000.

Now, let's have a look at some of the opposition.

Ariete Division:  HQ: CO, car, Sigs vehicle 1SP
Supply Column:  Medium or heavy lorry LOG=3
POL Column: Medium or heavy lorry or fuel tanker LOG=2

132 Armoured Regiment:
     7^th Armoured Battalion – 53xM13/40  1xM13, 2SP +1 (Tank) -1 (Poor Equipt) = 2SP
     8^th Armoured Bn – 53xM13; 1xM13 2SP
     9^th Armoured Bn – 53xM13; 1xM13  2SP

8^th Bersagliere Regiment
     2 Rifle stands, 1 MG stand, 1 Mortar stand; SP=4
     2 trucks, each 2T
    1 AT stand (47mm AT gun), 1SP, truck or portee mount 1T

132^nd Artillery Regiment
     (24 x 75L27 field arty; 10 x 105L28 light arty, total 34 pieces)
     1 x 75L27 @ 2SP OR

     1x 105L28 @ 2SP
     1 x 75L27 @ 1SP PLUS 1 x 105L28 @ SP=1
    

552^nd/553^rd Semovente Battalion: (4 ACVs and 16 AFVs): 1 x Semovente; 1SP +1 AFV = 2SP.

4/132 AA Battalion/ 2/24 AA battalion: (18 Hvy AA) 1 x truck portee 90mm AA OR 1 x 8.8cm FlaK SP=1; 2AA

Divisional Troops:
     3^rd ‘Lancia di Novara’ Battalion: 33xL3.35 – 1 x L3/35 1SP Recon
     3^rd Regiment ‘Nizza Cavalleria’: 40xAB41 – 1 x AB41 A/Car 1SP Recon

Total Strength = 19SP, 13 stands, Exhaustion point -7SP
Notes:
1.  I am counting 30 tanks or assault guns as 1 SP; 24 guns as 1 SP.  This is double the Cordery system, and I do admit is not altogether commensurate with the upscaling of the infantry.  This will require testing, but I have hopes it will work out..
2. Each line represents a unit.
3. The Bersagliere Regiment may include a command figure to which the SP marker is assigned.
If used, this will apply also to the NZ and other brigade groups.  4.  Multi-stand units may occupy two adjacent or 3 (hexagonal) or 4 (square) co-joined grid areas
5...Recon units:
My thinking is this, and owes something to the Chris Kemp game system.  It is intended as an aid to attack, can fight a little, but is really designed to improve attacking chances.  At the moment a units attacking a defensive one requires (in 'my' system) a 6 to hit an enemy in 'D' mode - defending or 'dug in'.  But suppose the enemy position were not reconnoitred ahead of time?   This should give the defenders the chance to get their licks in before the attacker can (so the attacker takes losses before rolling for its own attack).  This applies only to the first turn of the attack, subsequent turns will be held to have developed the enemy positions well enough for more effective attacks.  I am considering also bringing back the 5-5 and 6-6 hit requirement for the first round of an un-reconnoitred attack. 
6.  MG, infantry gun, mortar and heavy weapons (HW) stands that are integral to infantry and cavalry units I am considering allowing distance combat out to 1 grid area, at 1SP per stand.  This will be allowed only if the unit as a whole has no enemy in an (orthogonally)  adjacent grid area.
 

As I don't have the Italian inventory, I'm hoping to take some pics of 'Jacko's' kit to show what the Ariete Division would look like.

Should the NZ artillery comprise 3 gun stands, or just one?

    

Sidi Rezegh - A Hexblitz Scenario

Having played out this scenario, I reverted to my original intention and played it as a Hexblitz game.  Having had a chance to rethink how I was going to do this, the thing actually played more quickly than the Portable Wargames Development (PWD) system did.  For anyone unfamiliar with these rule sets, they spring from the ideas of Bob Cordery whose own blog spot you'll find here.

I won't go into a detailed account, however, mainly owing to my camera choosing mid-battle to run out of battery.  That in fact I did have a fresh set in plain sight (having failed to find them after an extensive search) I did not discover until the action was almost over. 

The action followed lines similar to that of the PWD game, except that this time, I started the 361st Afrika Regiment slightly further to the east.  The clash between 15th Panzer and 4th Armoured Brigade also took a different path from the first battle, neither approaching further west than Sciuearat or Zaafran.

But the main point to note was that I used the Moving/Stationary/Defending system, and priority chits.  Instead of priority chits by unit, which was such a hassle in the Operation Uranus action, I tried them by formation instead.  That limited the priority stack to 1-7 - for four Eighth Army and three Afrika Korps formations.  The respective commands I left free.  Otherwise we would have been looking at 15 chits a side: 30 altogether.  The reduced number seemed to work very well.

This version of the action seemed to be the more exciting somehow, although whether this had to do with the the game mechanics or the dice rolling, or simply the effect of chance, I couldn't say.  One thing was certain: it was easier for units to drop out of the action through losses - and several did.

The first to do so was I Battalion 361st Afrika Regiment.  The picture below tells the story.  The 2/ Rifle Brigade and I/ 361 Rgt had both already taken one hit each.  In this particular turn, the Afrika Rgt (4 units) drew the '4' chit, the 7th Support Group the '6'.  I use these in numerical order.

Combat resolution is 'competitive': both sides roll, initiated by the 'Moving' unit(s).  First went I/361, SP=3 plus 2SP from artillery support: 5 dice requiring 6s to hit.  Three hits! Wunderbar!  2RB reduced at once to 1SP only.  Return fire: SP=4 plus 2SP also for defensive artillery support, 4,5, and 6s to count: Three hits - about what you'd expect.  Of course, that wiped out the remaining SPs of I/ 361st, which accordingly fell back out of the action.  Naturally, it was not long before 2RB also fell back and retired from the battle.

Meanwhile, the arriving 15th Panzer and 4th Armoured turned upon each other, mauling each other to a standstill in fairly quick order.  Although in the picture the Germans look to be getting the better of the battle, the Honeys were to prove hard to eliminate outright.  In effect the two formations cancelled each other out for the whole action.

It was about this time the camera batteries gave out. By the time I could resume taking photos, the action was nearly over.  The Afrika Korps had cleared the escarpment either side of Belhamed and carried the feature itself.  But the Afrika Regiment had but one battalion still in action, and that much depleted.  Sidi Rezegh was still held in strength, and it was clear that 21st Pz was not going to force any time soon 22nd Armoured Bde away from Ed Duda.  On balance the end result was rather less conclusive than the PWD version.

On the whole I liked the way this game played, but I probably ought more closely to have monitored the time scale.  The ground scale being roughly 8000:1, the time scale of roughly 90:1 is indicated.  That suggested for a winter's day in North Africa, maybe 6 x 90-minute turns.  The \overnight' turn could have restored to the surviving depleted units, say, half their lost SP values.  I didn't keep track of the moves, but I am pretty certain the action lasted well into the second day.