Wednesday 30 March 2016

The Scots take on the Germans - Big Chain of Command on the RIGHT Blog!

 
 
 
Some British troops may be in for a shock in a few seconds...
 Thanks to all those chaps who helped advise the way to correct my blogging folly.  Greatly appreciated!

We took advantage of the Easter long weekend in Australia to play a game up stairs of Big Chain of Command.  For quite a few months Ben has been building up a British force mainly consisting of some old style Scots that I have had for a while as well as his own separate force of Commandos.  He has also discovered the joys of researching, planning. building, painting and modelling his own armoured vehicles.  Ben even planned the scenario and gave both his brother Alex and I the choice of force we would like and put together two splendid briefings.  Not bad for his first effort I thought.


It's what wargaming is all about after all!


The table set up from the western edge



Looking down from the point of the British advance at the northern edge


The briefing was made out the evening before.


Patrol phase over and the first German squad deploys

From this angle you can see the vicinity of the Scottish Platoons first jump off point.

On the eastern flank Alex has deployed his first squad and is desperate for some action.  More on that later.

Corporal Cummings leads his men down past the old farmhouse ruin.  These lads were in the thick of the action all day.

Overwatch is an excellent command to give troops in a strong postion

The second German squad deploys to protect the flank of the lead formation that has engaged in a fire fight with two Scottish sections and is so far not getting the better of the situation unfortunately for me.

Having already charged the lead squads rifle section and given them a damned fine thrashing the lads continue on their way until common sense tells the Junior Leader that they have advanced far enough unsupported on that particular path

Lead scouts have been sent out by the German Platoon Commander Alex to see if they can claim an allied jump-off point and force the enemy force morale to start to take a bit of a beating.  The Brits beat him to the punch though! 

Though not 100% finished and still needing their markings, the Recce section of two Universal Carriers arrive on the field

The fire fight between two squads MG42's and the remaining Scots is going as expected - poorly for the allies.


These brave scouts are now left between a rock and a hard place.  Exposed and under fire from the Carriers.




A great, if somewhat blurry shot, of a squad on the move to support

There are those scouts about to cop an absolute shellacking!

Not a good spot to be caught - in the open on the crossroad.

Here comes the 7th Armoured lead vehicles - Cromwell on the move

Another view of the first Scottish section.  They would take part in three close assaults and win them all!

Toilet Tissue bridge made for me many years ago by the famous Matt "Bluewillow" Williamson.  Still
getting lots of use in all manner of genres Matty!

Sherman Firefly appears on the field.  At this stage it is obvious if the Germans will have any armoured support it
will only be in the form of limited support if at all.

The armoured column advances up the road.  Ben had committed his infantry platoon to the western edge at the farmhouse
and had unfortunately allowed all his troops to be sucked into the fire fight.  This armour will be advancing unsupported through poor country - could get ugly.

Still they push on with the Universal Carriers trying desperately to do the absent infantry's job.

Unfortunately you can't always see everything!

Finally the one German support option arrives in the form of a Panzer IV

The Germans have now staved off the Scots assault and are in consolidation mode on the western flank



Alex deploys his third and final squad near the bunker and in good cover

He is still keen for action though and soon that cover will be left and the lads will go Sherman hunting!

Lucky shot...but effective.  After numerous misses from other troops with panzerfausts and having them subsequently shot up by Hull MG fire, young Herman finds the rear of the lead Cromwell an easier proposition. 

After exchanging long range fire with the PzIV and being desperately unlucky the Firefly takes a shell to the fuel tank and brews up like a factory full of firecrackers.

With two markers representing shock a roll of 11 or 12 was needed to hit...well done that man.

Victory is ours1


With the arrival of the German AFV and the unsupported British armour being gutted the battle was over.  The Germans had held on and their decision to go with two infantry platoons proved a wise one.  In retrospect, Ben should have allowed himself another British platoon as he was on the attack against an enemy with the advantage of terrain however the learning curve will rapid.


Alex played a solid game though the "Lets wait and let them come to us" philosophy still needs some work.


The force is strong in that one!



Monday 28 March 2016

Big Chain of Command - on the wrong blog!

"Aren't we meant to be going through some grapeshot lads?.  Where's all that sand come from?' 

Every now and then I have a moment.


Last night I went to the trouble of recording a game played between my sons and I and now realise it is on the wrong blog.
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I have inadvertently placed it on my exclusively "SUDAN" blog and it will remain there for as long as it takes for me to figure out how to move it in its entirety without a major melt down.




Pop over if you are interested and feel sorry for a man whose best days may well and truly be over...intellectually speaking at least!

Sunday 6 March 2016

"Fuzzy Wuzzy" reinforcements are based - finally!

 

Ready for action these Connoisseur Fuzzy Wuzzies storm down the slopes!

"We fought with many men across the seas,
An some of em'was brave and some was not:
The Pathan an'the Zulu an'Burmese:
But the Fuzzy was the finest o' the lot."



After what seemed an eternity I finally managed to get my elf organised and away from other projects to reinvigorate the Sudan collection.  This is a constantly moving feast for me with many figures awaiting painting, basing and/or replacing or touching up.

These particular fellows are from the wonderful Peter Gilder designed Connoisseur Sudan range from the shelves of Bicorne Miniatures

The lads en masse
For anyone who has played the rules in the old Wargames Holiday Centre days or who has indeed purchased a copy of the rules recently, one knows that you go through the Ansar, Hadendowah and Fuzzy Wuzzies at a potential rate of knots.

Though it is very, very easy to recycle them through, I do like to have some massed formations available for games with friends purely for "dramatic effect"! 

As always, these are based seven to ten figures a base as originally detailed from Peter Gilder in order to get maximum bang for your buck.   No matter how many figures care actually on the base, they still represent 100 men or ten figures.

With such big formations possible in these games, the ability to move 80 figures with the push of only eight bases is a wonderful time saver!


Roughish painting style but effective enough in large numbers
Hopefully soon I will be able to post the latest units including a refreshed Naval Brigade and the Royal Marine Light Infantry resplendant in their new uniform and a newly commissioned Commanding Office.


Never toss out the front door mat if you can help it.  It always comes in handy!
 As a reminder we still have some sets of the rules available from the last run and will be setting off for another major Third print run in April or May.

I also will make every effort to start to post a couple of small scenarios to be played through and get some feedback from before the major publication of the Campaign rules and a scenario book later on.

This post is one lifted from my other "Pyjamas through the Desert"  blog which is dedicated to the Peter Gilder rules from the WHC which were never published and have now been printed as The Sands of Sudan.  Pop over if you would like to have a look.http://withpyjamasthroughthedessert.blogspot.com.au/
Until next time.