World Wars Experience Day at East Fortune

It was busy weekend for demos as well as helping with the SESWC demo at the Carronade show at Falkirk on Saturday on Sunday I helped put on the club demo at the National Museum of  Flight at East Fortune in East Lothian.  The museum is part of the National Museums of Scotland.  The demo wargames were a small part of their annual World Wars Experience day. 



Our demo was a 28mm game set in the closing days of the Normandy Campaign in 1944.  We used Bolt Action rules and ran it as a demo game but got members of the public involved to roll the firing, morale and command dice.  There was lots of interest in Colin Jack's militaria collection - especially the helmets.  As well as our game Falkirk Wargames club put on a WWI Aerial PP game and a WWI naval game.

Noramndy 1944 game - Colin's helmet collection in background

Our games were in the hangar beside the Museums Concorde.  Very impressive....but sorry no photos...



German re-enactors watching approaching rain

Outside there  were WWII re-enactors in British German and US uniforms with their equipment and WWI re-enactors in Gordon Highlanders uniforms.   In the Concorde hanger there were also dress up stalls for children to try on WWII clothing, design your own boardgame, Miss Dixie Belle’s Parlour for WWII hair dos and even social dancing.

More photos of the event by Derek Hodge at the SESC website
http://seswc.co.uk/2013/05/16/the-wartime-experience/

Jeep at RAF encampment

Interesting event....if invited we will be back again next year.   Here is the link to the museum website
http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/museum_of_flight.aspx

Carronade 2013 at Falkirk

This Saturday I went to the Falkirk Wargames Club's show Carronade 2013.  Gerry Henry presented his superb 10mm Nachod 1866 display as  the SESWC contribution.  I supported Gerry at the display.  I did not know so many people knew about the Seven Weeks War of 1866.

Nachod 1866 - Gerry surveying his terrain

Prussians pour thru the main street of Nachod

Other highlights of the show were the League of Augsburgs 17^th century skirmish game, THEM from Bathgate Wargames club, The Wild Geese from Border Reivers – the latter 2 both being PP games. 

League of Augsburg - really nice terrain for their skirmish demo game



Wild Geese - airfield and DC3 in distance

 The outstanding PP game for me was the 1944 Pacific Carrier attack game by RAF Leuchars.  I really liked it.  The public got to play the attacking Japanese pilots...complete with ceremonial headbands.

RAF Leuchars attack on CV9 PP game and yes those are cherry blossoms.....

US Carrier awaits attack

 The show was busy.....I will be back again next year.

More photos at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157633484219864/

20mm WWII: MTSENSK 6th October 1941

As it was Victory Day in Russia today – 9^th May - I set up a WWII Eastern Front  Rapidfire game at the SESWC.  I supplied the troops and the scenario, Colin Jack and the SESWC the scenery.

German centre armour vanguard under Mr Ray deploys on the highway

The game was a slight variant on the Kamenewo scenario in the Rapidfire Eastern Front scenario book.  I simplified the terrain by omitting the river in the original map – moving it of table and revised the German OB to agree with the models I had available.  Mr Ray Neal, Campbell Hardie and Steaurt Endicott commanded the Germans, Bart Zynda and Colin Jack the Soviets whilst I umpired.

German centre column engages T26

The Germans made an impressive start to the game sweeping onto the table and quickly knocking out the rearguards T26 which was dug in on the highway and wiping out most of the infantry beyond the ridge line.  The Germans PZIIs and PZIVs were making good going beyond the ridge when on turn 6 the soviet BT7s arrived and dealt with a PZII.  Next turn the T34s and KV1 appeared engaging the PZIIIs.  The game was all over in 2 more moves with the German players conceding at the of turn 9 by which time only 1 of their tanks was not knocked out or heavily damaged.  The T26 remained the only Soviet tank loss at the end of the game.  The BT7s proving remarkably effective and lucky not suffering a single hit whilst dealing with 4 German tanks.

The Hero BT7s surrounded by burning wrecks of their enemies

More full size photos and descriptions of the action on flickr at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157633443600811/

Here is the OBs and briefings for the players.

Soviet Forces

Rearguard

HQ:  CO + 3 figures including 50mm Mtr, car
Rifle Coy:  8 figures
Rifle Coy:  8 figures
Rifle Coy:  8 figures
Supp Coy:  82mm Mtr, 45mm ATG, 6 figures, truck
Att Coy:  T26

Reinforcements

4^TH Tank Brigade HQ  - turn 6

T34/76 , T60

1^st Tank Battalion – turn 7

4 T34/76, KV1

2^nd Tank Battalion – turn 6

4 BT7

4^th Motor Rifle Btn: - turn 8

HQ:  CO + 3 figures including 50mm Mtr, car
Rifle Coy:  8 figures, truck
Rifle Coy:  8 figures, truck
Rifle Coy:  8 figures, truck
Supp Coy:  MMG, 82mm Mtr, 6 figures, truck

Support – turn 9

Gds Mortar Bty:  1 SP BM13 Katyusha, FO team, car   

Morale.  Test per battalion.  4^th Brigade tanks are ELITE!

Objective

The German objective is to cross the table and advance to Woin.  The Soviet objective is to stop the German advance and drive them back to within 2ft of the fascist entry side. Urraah!

Notes

The Soviet rearguard including the T26 can be dug in any point 2ft north of the south table edge.

Reinforcements enter anywhere along the north table edge.

Woods are impassable to tanks.

The Germans will enter along the road or on their wide left flank due to them crossing the river running along the south table edge.

German left flank armour under Steaurt now shattered by T34s and KV1

German Forces - elements of the 4^th Panzer Division

35th PANZER REGT

HQ: PZIII

1^st Coy: 2 PZIII
2^nd Coy:2 PZIII
3^rd Coy: 2 PZIV
4^th Coy: 2 PZ38T
5^th Coy: 2 PZII

34^th MC Battalion

HQ: CO + 5 Figs incl ATR, 50mm Mtr, car
1^st MC Coy:  9 Figs on 3 MC combinations
2^nd MC Coy: 9 Figs on 3 MC combinations
3^rd MC Coy:  9 Figs on 3 MC combinations
4^th MG Coy: 2 MMG, 81mm Mtr, 9 Figs, truck
5^th Hvy Coy:  50mm ATG, 75mm IG, 6 Figs, 2 trucks
Att
Armd Inf Coy: 10 Figs, Sd251

Support

AA Bty:  88mm AA, 5 crew, tow
103^rd PZ Art Regt:  2 105mm How, 8 crew, 2 tows Plus FO, Car

Morale – Regular.  Infantry test as 1 unit. 

Tanks are ELITE.  Tanks test per company.

Objective

The German objective is to cross the table and advance to Woin.  The Soviet objective is to stop the German advance and drive them back to within 2ft of their entry side.

Notes

The German units must enter in a 1 vehicle wide column along the road and in a 1 vehicle wide column on their left flank.  This simulates them crossing the river Lisiza along the south table edge.

The Panzer Regt must all be on table before any other German units can enter.

Woods are impassable to tanks.

28MM AWI GAME: WHISKEY CREEK 12TH OCTOBER 1777

I got back on Monday from a week away on holiday to Italy.  The weekend before I went I setup a 4 player Black Powder AWI game at my place.  It was a fictional follow up action to the Battle of Germantown in October 1777.

Action all along the line.....the British cavalry move to flank the fence line

Mr Ray Neal and Bart Zynda commanded the Patriots whilst Kevan Gunn commanded the British and Hessians with my support.  It proved a good game and we played 11 of the planned 12 moves.   Each side won on their left flank but the British victory on their side was greater than the Patriots so we agreed between us that it was a British victory.   My command rolls on hte British right proved very bad – my first brigade at the key point of the game not moving for 4 turns.  Eventually they got going but by then the Patriots had awoken lined a fence and broke both my highland units with their fire.  Far too many of my return shots simply hit the fence posts!


Too late - the British right closes with the Patriots

We used my fog rules but the visibility improved to the maximum on 30” on move two and never worsened!

Bart has written a fuller account of the gameplay on his blog at:
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/

There are more of my photos with descriptions on flickr at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157633366039734/

I may add this game as an AWI scenario page.

Background

Following the failure of their surprise attack on the British at Germantown Washingtons’a army retired towards Valley Forge.  The rearguard under Greene camped on the Whiskey Creek on the night of 11 October.  

Earl Cornwallis commanding the British vanguard decided overnight to launch a surprise attack on Greene’s isolated command.   Marching before daylight his plan is to fall on Greene’s camp at first light as had been done at the Paoli massacre.  He is helped in this by well paid local guides.

Except for a few pickets the Patriots are still encamped as the first British troops approach their positions.

The game starts at this point……

British and Hessian left pushes Patriots into the creek....

Outline of Scenario
The Patriots have 3 infantry brigades encamped on the table south of the Whiskey Creek with a further 2 brigades deployed north of the creek.  Two units of skirmishers are alert and deployed as pickets.  All the encamped units have to be woken and ordered to form up individually.

The British start with 2 brigades marching on from in turn 1. They have 2 further brigades marching to the action who may arrive from turn 2.

Game Notes

Formations
The first 2 brigades of the British can move onto the table in any formation.
The other reinforcements arrive in march columns coming down the entry roads (battalion by battalion) so it will take a couple of moves for a complete command to come on.  Attack columns are not permitted - this is the AWI….

Fog Rules
This battle can be effected by early morning fog. Here are simple rules for this.
Visibility at the start of the game is 24”. D6 from the 2nd turn onwards.
Score 1,2 - result is visibility falls by 6”.
Score 5,6 - result is visibility increases by 6”.
Worse visibility is 12”, best is 36”.
Troops cannot fire at any target outwith the visibility level. Charges can only be ordered if the target is visible at the start of the chargers turn.

Command Ratings
Command rating of all commanders is 8.
However orders to wake/form up the Patriot units encamped on the table start at command level 4 on turn 1 and increase by 1 each turn until it gets to 8. Individual unit orders have to be given to form up these units - not brigade orders.

House Rules/Terrain
We used our usual House Rules.  The houses on the table are symbolic and it is their boundary fences which have an effect, counting as an obstacle to movement and giving a +1 Morale Save to units behind them.

Time
Each turn is 20 minutes. Game ends after 12 turns or exhaustion.....

Loyalist butterfly gun gets last blast at charging Patriot militia....

British Army order of battle
General Earl Cornwallis (8)

1st Brigade BG Edward Mathew
Comb Guards Battalion                  24 figures

1st Grenadier Battalion                   24 figures
4th Foot                                           24 figures

Lt Inf Det                                         12 figures
Foot gun

2nd Brigade MG Grant
Loyalist NY Foot                               24 figures
42nd High Foot                                 18 figures
71st High Foot                                  18 figures

Lt Inf Det                                           12 figures
Butterfly gun

Hessian Brigade MG Johann Daniel Stirn
Erbprinz Infantry Btn                       24 figures
Donop Infantry Btn                          24 figures
Grenadier Btn Minningerode           24 figures
Hessian Jaegers                             12 figures
Foot gun

Cavalry detachment
Light Dragoon Sqds                          12 figures
Legion Sqds                                      12 figures

Patriot Army order of battle
General Nathaniel Greene (8)

South of Whiskey Creek

Right Wing Continentals Major General Sullivan
2nd Connecticut Regiment             24 figures
4th Connecticut Regiment              24 figures
1st Virginia Regiment                     24 figures
5th Virginia Regiment                     24 figures
Morgans Rifles Sk                          12 figures

Left Wing Continentals Col Hartley
1st Maryland Regiment                  24 figures
2nd Canadian Regiment                24 figures

2nd Pennsylvania Regiment         24 figures

Militia BG John Armstrong, Sr.
Pennsylvania Militia                        24 figures
Pennsylvania Militia                        24 figures

Pennsylvania Militia                        24 figures
Pennsylvania Skirmishers              10 figures
Butterfly gun

North of Whiskey Creek

Cavalry Captain Allen McLane
Delaware Horse                               8 figures
Continental Lt Dragoons                  6 figures

Brigade MG William Alexander, Lord Stirling
North Carolina Regiment                 24 figures
New Jersey Regiment                     24 figures
New  Jersey Militia                           24 figures
Gun

FRANCE 1940 - 28mm BOLT ACTION

This weeks game at the SESWC was a 28mm Bolt Action game of a fictional French counterattack along the River Somme in May 1940.  Bart Zynda and Mr Ray Neal  commanded the Germans and Colin Jack and I commanded the French.  We fought the game over a 8ft by 6 ft table using the clubs terrain.  All the figures came from the collection of Campbell Hardie who wrote the scenario and acted as umpire..

SOMUA S35s on the bridge

 It proved to be a French victory with my cavalry tanks and supporting infantry pinning the German infantry and light armour around the vital bridge.  The reinforcing French infantry tanks under Colin crossed the ford on the far flank and supported by my artillery and AT gun overran the German armour holding the high ground.    The Luftwaffe and Armee de L’Air both made successful ground attacks and a random bombing raid near the end of the game disrupted the Germans.



BF109 shoots up my 75mm gun

There are more of my photos with descriptions on flickr at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157633343935671/


Here are the OBs

GERMAN
3 inf. sections - 2 SMG, 1xLMG, 9xK98
Command
3 SdKfz 251/1
MMG team
Light Mortar team
ATR team
PzKpfw 38(t)
PzKpfw III
PzKpfw IV
FAO - air support

Reinforcements
Section of infantry as above
Panzerjager I
FAO - artillery



French infantry tanks roll past the burning panzers

FRENCH
3 Sections of inf. - 10 MAS36 and LMG
2 Somua S35
Command
MMG
Med Mortar
25mm ATG
75mm Field Gun
FAO - air support 

Reinforcements
2 x Renault R35
1 Char B1
6 Sections 8xMAS36 1xLMG

Bart has added an article with a fuller description of the game on his blog
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/

28mm WWI: BART-SUR-AISNES SEPTEMBER 1914 (3)

This report covers the second days play in this fictional action.  For this continuation we had 6 players each commanding one of the sectors of the action.

The first days play had seen almost no German casualties amongst the defenders in the strongly built mine buildings.  This all changed on the second day as the French got their machine guns within effective range and brought on reserves from the eastern flank march.  The German fire was very ineffective with their MG completely missing for 2 turns!   The French stormed the 2 mine buildings and wiped out the flank guard.   The Germans detonated the demolition charges on the eastern temporary bridge but that did not halt the advance.  At the end of the game a small German remnant was still holding the mineshaft but the position had fallen apart.

Eastern bridge explodes in front of the French

In the centre the Belgians continued the struggle along the main highway.  The Minerva armoured car was driven back from the bridge but rallied and returned.  The Belgian infantry were all but wiped out but this action and the heroics by their cavalry charging a ford allowed further French reinforcement to close on the river bank. 



Belgian cavalry reach the riverbank and ford

On the Western flank the British supported by their massed artillery silenced the German MGs covering the western bridge.  Their first dash over the bridge caught the German engineer by surprise and he went down clutching the unused matches for the explosives!  The successful bridge stormers were wiped out at the walls of the western foundry but the British were now streaming over the secured bridge.  An attempted German counterattack was broken by the British artillery fire.

Up and at them lads - the western bridge falls intact to the BEF

So at the end of the action the allies had been successful on both flanks but Bart-Sur-Aisnes itself was still securely held by the Germans.  Given this I declared the game at least a German minor victory.  The Germans were been outnumbered by the allies 2 to 1.

All the photos with descriptions are on flickr at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157633170732433/

The Zeppelin manned by the ladies of the Fliegerschule proved the least effective unit on the day failing to score a single hit from its light machine gun!


The shape of things to come......

 

Good game – it was a rare outing for our WWI figures.  The vast bulk of the figures are by Renegade Miniatures except for the Belgians who are Great War Miniatures.  We really need to add artillery to the French and Belgian forces and we probably need more cavalry.  Is there any source of early WWI French artillery crew other than Foundry FPW figures?

28mm WWI: BART-SUR-AISNES SEPTEMBER 1914 (2)

This blog covers the opposing plans and the first days play in this fictional action.

Opposing Plans

Germans

Their plan was to hold the river line and the Col St Bart and hopefully to counter-attack on their eastern flank.

On the east of their line around the Col St Bart mine the German defenders deployed 4 infantry units, their cavalry, a MG and a field gun.


Col St Bart mine

A further 3 infantry units, 2 MGs and a field gun were deployed on the west of their line covering the temporary bridge and the nearby foundry. The rest of their army they deployed in the buildings of Bart-Sur-Aisne covering the main bridge and the eastern temporary

bridge with its nearby fords.

Defenders of Bart-Sur-Aisnes

Allies
The allies deployed with the French on their eastern flank to attack the Col St Bart and the eastern temporary bridge.  As well as their frontal assault they put 3 or 4 units in a flank march against the Col St Bart. The Belgians were allocated the centre of the line with orders to take the main bridge at Bart-Sur-Aisnes.  The British with all the artillery in the allied force were on the western wing allocated the objective of the western temporary bridge.

First Days Play

On the approach of the allies the Germans took up their defensive positions and the bridge guards on the main and western bridges were committed to delaying defensive actions on the south bank of the Aisnes.  The French attacked Col St Bart frontally but suffered heavy casualties from the accurate German fire and three French units were destroyed for almost no German casualties amongst the defenders in the strongly built mine buildings.  At the end of the first days play 2 units of the French flank march force appeared to the east of the Col St Bart and engaged the German reserves beyond the hill.


French close up on abandoned bridge guard camp

The Belgians struck up the main highway led by their Minerva armoured car which led a charmed life against all the Germans could throw against it as it secured a position on the main bridge.  The follow up Belgian infantry units suffered heavy casualties but they did wipe out the bridge guard unit. 



Minerva under shellfire as it approaches the bridge



Minerva on bridge - watched by German engineer

On the Western flank the British made slow ground held up for a long time by the German bridge guard who took up a position in a stone farmhouse and sold their lives dearly.  The three British guns proved remarkably ineffective throughout the action.  However by the end of the days play the first British unit was within a move of the western temporary bridge.  A German engineer on the bridge watched their advance with interest.

German rigid airship supports the defence - yes its crewed by Frauliens

 

The German secret weapon makes its appearance....