The Photos below show the main set up and some details of the tabletop - and some original photos
Friday, 24 April 2020
Pegasus Bridge 20mm Wargame - The Defence Of Benouville and Le Port - Part 1
Well, time to go a little off-piste with the lockdown solo games. So the current setting up is all aimed at letting me refight what happened at Pegasus bridge - but not the Coup de Main effort just after midnight, my game will take place after the bridges have been seized and the troops have to create a defence perimiter around Benouville and Le Port.
The Photos below show the main set up and some details of the tabletop - and some original photos
The Photos below show the main set up and some details of the tabletop - and some original photos
Thursday, 16 April 2020
Oosterbeek Wargame 20mm Rapid Fire Fast Play Rules
Well, after. Mitten and the ronsons brewing up, I’m going back to RF basics - a tough refight of the siege of Oosterbeek from the Rapid Fire Market Garden Campaign Guide
the paras deploy for the siege of Oosterbeek, as I don’t have 59 X 4 paras I’ve reorganised the game, Oosterbeek will be defended by a para brigade, three battalions plus the air landed howitzers and Freddie Goughs recce squadron. All thoroughly unhistoric but I’m going with what I’ve got. Next up, the Germans deploy!
two first probing forces from the East and West are heading in to Oosterbeek to test the resistance points. From the west the Herman Goring training rest (ok it’s elements of my Luftwaffe field battalion, nearest I had!) head for Hartenstein Hotel through the woods, and in the west the Assault Gun Brigade 280 probe with their two Stugs. Just about to use the special rule again to see which other German elements are willing to move!
Did someone say Tigers?
the on table and off table HE is unhelpful to paras, reducing every building The end is nigh! Too many turns left!
The final stages of the game led to nightfll, still with too much time left to play =- some paras escaped to the chuirch and then the river beyond off table. Tough battle - poor dice throwing continued for the paras, and the German off table and on table HE was powerful. Great game though!
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| Oosterbeek Wargame 20mm Rapid Fire Rules |
the paras deploy for the siege of Oosterbeek, as I don’t have 59 X 4 paras I’ve reorganised the game, Oosterbeek will be defended by a para brigade, three battalions plus the air landed howitzers and Freddie Goughs recce squadron. All thoroughly unhistoric but I’m going with what I’ve got. Next up, the Germans deploy!
 |
| Hartenstein Hotel Grounds |
two first probing forces from the East and West are heading in to Oosterbeek to test the resistance points. From the west the Herman Goring training rest (ok it’s elements of my Luftwaffe field battalion, nearest I had!) head for Hartenstein Hotel through the woods, and in the west the Assault Gun Brigade 280 probe with their two Stugs. Just about to use the special rule again to see which other German elements are willing to move!
Did someone say Tigers?
the on table and off table HE is unhelpful to paras, reducing every building The end is nigh! Too many turns left!
The final stages of the game led to nightfll, still with too much time left to play =- some paras escaped to the chuirch and then the river beyond off table. Tough battle - poor dice throwing continued for the paras, and the German off table and on table HE was powerful. Great game though!
Thursday, 9 April 2020
Operation Mitten June 27th/28th 1944 Rapid Fire Wargames 20mm
Planning my first new solo game in the new Dundee gaffe, last room to be even looked at is the toy room obviously. So planning Operation Mitten from Normandy Battlegames. Joiner not available for now, obviously, so I’ve squashed the 6x5 into a 6x4, apologies. .
So this is how the battlefield was laid out!
A slight crush to get the Rapid Fire Normandy Battlegames 6 X 5 onto a 6 X 4 - but we can't all be perfect.
Deployment time: Operation Mitten starts! Opening dispositions for 21st Pz. 2nd Bn 125 Pz Gren Regt, and the SP Lorraine’s and their OP Lorraine, two Pz IVs, the battle group HQ and the 88 deploy! 5th company in the left flank cottage, 6th company and Bn HQ in the chateau, 7th company in the right flank woods, and the two tanks and Lorraine op at the earth bank, hull down. Let the British appear!
Operation Mitten, the British deploy! As a solo game I’d decided to bring each of the two infantry battalions on one flank each, but I drew cards to deploy the tanks, sadly they decided to head straight for the hull down panzer IVs!! This may not go well. I doubt the Lorraine OP will need his ranging poles, and Von Luck seems to be very relaxed at his command post! Alan McCoubrey might just recognise the British infantry! Arrived today so a quick swap to get them battle tested!
Operation Mitten, Bad news from the front! Well for those of you wondering what would happen if two hull down a Pz IVs spotted two Sherman’s in the open, wonder no more! As the British commander I had sneaked the firefly out of the way and onto the other flank, whereupon it was spotted by the 88.
Time for a brew! The British infantry in the centre, with good MMG support drive the German infantry out of the wood. But British infantry casualties on the other flank grew from the MNGs upstairs in the chateau and the cottage representing La Londe. With no armour left and little chance of hitting any of their objectives the Brits will retire for another day. Which is exactly what happened in the first assault on the chateau in the real encounter, except that was led by shelling from HNS Belfast and then led by crocodiles, who came a cropper.
The real life second assault was successful, but at a pretty grim cost. Thoughts on the scenario, deploying the Germans is a challenge, the chateau and the earth bank effectively create a huge divide on the battlefield for AFVs and vehicles, so you need to get that right from the start. For the British, I think they need beefier support. If I replay it I will add a bit more into their side. Great fun. As the German I was victorious. As the Brit I made a tactical retreat.... yeh right! Oh and my wife was upset with me because she thought I had a box of burning martyrs!!
So this is how the battlefield was laid out!
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| Operation Mitten Battle Field Overview |
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| Chateau de La Londe Looms |
A slight crush to get the Rapid Fire Normandy Battlegames 6 X 5 onto a 6 X 4 - but we can't all be perfect.
Deployment time: Operation Mitten starts! Opening dispositions for 21st Pz. 2nd Bn 125 Pz Gren Regt, and the SP Lorraine’s and their OP Lorraine, two Pz IVs, the battle group HQ and the 88 deploy! 5th company in the left flank cottage, 6th company and Bn HQ in the chateau, 7th company in the right flank woods, and the two tanks and Lorraine op at the earth bank, hull down. Let the British appear!
Operation Mitten, the British deploy! As a solo game I’d decided to bring each of the two infantry battalions on one flank each, but I drew cards to deploy the tanks, sadly they decided to head straight for the hull down panzer IVs!! This may not go well. I doubt the Lorraine OP will need his ranging poles, and Von Luck seems to be very relaxed at his command post! Alan McCoubrey might just recognise the British infantry! Arrived today so a quick swap to get them battle tested!
Operation Mitten, Bad news from the front! Well for those of you wondering what would happen if two hull down a Pz IVs spotted two Sherman’s in the open, wonder no more! As the British commander I had sneaked the firefly out of the way and onto the other flank, whereupon it was spotted by the 88.
Time for a brew! The British infantry in the centre, with good MMG support drive the German infantry out of the wood. But British infantry casualties on the other flank grew from the MNGs upstairs in the chateau and the cottage representing La Londe. With no armour left and little chance of hitting any of their objectives the Brits will retire for another day. Which is exactly what happened in the first assault on the chateau in the real encounter, except that was led by shelling from HNS Belfast and then led by crocodiles, who came a cropper.
The real life second assault was successful, but at a pretty grim cost. Thoughts on the scenario, deploying the Germans is a challenge, the chateau and the earth bank effectively create a huge divide on the battlefield for AFVs and vehicles, so you need to get that right from the start. For the British, I think they need beefier support. If I replay it I will add a bit more into their side. Great fun. As the German I was victorious. As the Brit I made a tactical retreat.... yeh right! Oh and my wife was upset with me because she thought I had a box of burning martyrs!!
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