German
DRA60599 - German SdKfz 231 8-rad on the Eastern Front 1941
Dragon Armor has announced in the last few weeks the release of several of their new models planned for the 2011-2012 period, as many will know the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go and Type 97 Chi-Ha have both been released (there are now 2 colour schemes available for the former and 3 for the latter) along with the U.S. LVT-A(1) with 37mm gun turret, and various German light vehicles such as the SdKfz 222 Light Reconnaissance Car and SdKfz 251/22 Half-Track with PaK40 on board. Most recently has been the release of the Neubaufahrzeug from Panzerabteilung z.b.V.40 in Norway 1940. Now due in early 2012 are the German SdKfz 231 Heavy Reconnaissance Car in early war Panzer Grey (a much missed model from all ranges), and a British Infantry Tank Mk.IV Churchill Mk.III (the 6pdr version that served from Dieppe in 1942 until the end of the war in Italy and to a lesser extent in NWE.
Off to sink the Bismark - HMS Hood & HMS Prince of Wales...
While I had the camera out the other day I thought I’d snap a few quick shots of my 1/2400th World War II naval models. I picked these up several months ago off a wargamer in the USA as I had sold off my existing fleets of 1/4800th models (mostly C-in-C) and was planning on replacing them with 1/2400th GHQ models, but took this opportunity to acquire a reasonable German fleet with a couple of British Battleships (Hood & Prince of Wales) and an unpainted Japanese fleet (which is exactly what I was looking for to complement my Crossfire WW2 Pacific land forces). The vessels are all GHQ except for a few of the Japanese which are some very nice resin models (manufacturer unknown). The pictures here are the classic 1941 North Sea vessels (Battle of the Denmark Strait) – but the issue now is what set of rules to use with them…
The town of Vaagso efficiently constructed in 15mm by Michael Stringer of the NWA
Operation Archery, the Raid on Vaagso Island in Norway on 27 December 1941, involved over 500 British Commandos, Sappers, and Norwegians with the intent to take pressure off the Russians and to protect Allied convoys heading to Murmansk – and it’s an excellent action for modelling in Crossfire – check out the excellent recent game played at the Nunawading Wargames Association in Melbourne, Australia, on the Small Sagas blog (which includes the entire town made from “Paper Terrain” buildings). There is also a good historical summary of the raid at Combined Operations if you are unfamiliar with it.
Zulus overrun the camp at Isandlwana - 54mm Britains & Conte figures by The Playset Addict
The following link was posted by one of the chaps on the Colonial Wars Yahoo!Group and features lots of staged photos using the Britains, Conte, and similar 54mm Plastic Figure “Play Sets” and such like – some of the photos are amazing and it’s a wonderful effort – check out the British & Zulus at the The Play Set Addict’s 2011 Zulu Page. And there’s more great stuff (including Romans & Barbarians, Medieval Knights, ACW, Wild West, WW2) you can get to from The Play Set Addict’s Homepage. Highly recommended (and will bring out a few memories of the kid in most of us too)!
"Hunter", A Royal Marine Centaur IV CS Tank, advances in game No.2
My friend Wayne has been expressing interest in Crossfire for gaming WW2 and Vietnam – it’s all part of his WW2 Wargaming revival (see “A Bit Of WW2 Wargaming & Some Nostalgia“) – and as he had reason to be here in Auckland the last couple of days we got together for a bit of a Crossfire introduction and training session… We played a couple of simple generic scenarios with about a company a side and the following is a brief summary and some photos of the games…
Prepare to defend the bridge!
A friend of mine recently sent me some pics of some of his WW2 Wargaming terrain – we used to wargame together in the 1980’s and early 1990’s and his stuff has been mainly in storage for the last 15 years – but he’s been cracking it out recently as well as starting to work on some new pieces.
One corner of the large Oosterbeek Cauldron 1/35th WW2 Crossfire Demo Game.
John Lander’s group once again put on an impressive 1/35th scale Crossfire game in the UK – The Oosterbeek Cauldron (1st British Airborne Division in Market Garden, September 1944) – and you can see more photos at the Wargames Society Forum (scroll down to images 314 to 317). John’s Crossfire demo games & his models are fairly well known in the UK, and have previously been featured in Wargames Illustrated Magazine (issues 221 & 222 from March & April 2006) with Operation Goodwood.
MMS Cromwell VIII F Model
One of the really great Model Manufacturers around is MMS Classic Models – they produce some really high quality World War 2 vehicles and guns for 20mm scale (I believe they are nominally very accurate 1/76th scale on par with Milicast and Cromwell – but don’t quote me on that). Anyway on their site they list all their packs numerically rather than by Nation or any other logical order – this drives me mad!
So I’ve done my own listing sorted by Nation and then logically within each Nation by type of pack.
German Schutztruppe 1905-1918
Another of the World War I ‘side shows’ I’m keen on is the campaigns in East Africa against the German East Africa Colony (today primarily Tanzania). I have had some units for this (and pre-war 1890-1914 Colonial actions) for some time (i.e. about 2 years), albeit waiting for basing to be completed… This theatre has lots of opportunity for variety, both in pre-war Colonial actions against native tribesmen, and the Great War period, where the action spilled over into the areas of modern Kenya, Uganda, Rhodesia, Mozambique, & Zambia. This is an excuse to put up some initial pictures of them (albeit with unfinished basing), and the figures depicted are from the first unit each of European and Askari Schutztruppe, and the unit of Seebatallione Marines.
Armoured Opel Blitz transporting the German Tank Recovery Team (Game 1).
A full report of World Crossfire Day with photos has just been published in the latest Miniature Wargames Magazine (Issue 316 – August 2009).
Close Combat in the Valley
Date Played: 04 April 2009 4.00pm US PDT (04 April Midnight GMT); 1830 WCFD Game Time.
Game Report by Stephen Phenow.
The Germans had retreated to the fortified head of a steep valley. Here they had emplaced a very well-camouflaged ‘88’ that was picking off Allied vehicles on the road (off-table). The 88 couldn’t be used vs. targets on-table because it couldn’t depress sufficiently to target the valley, and its view was obscured as well, but it was a menace to the off-table traffic. The British had to send in men to find it and destroy it. They had an air liaison officer who was having problems calling in Typhoons, and the British could resupply infinitely. How long could the Germans hold out?
German Kompanie 2 Commander assesses his deployment
Date Played: 04 April 2009 11.00am BST (04 April 10.00am GMT); 1230 WCFD Game Time.
Game Report by Martin Groat.
Each side has released their respective propaganda, published with this report (see below), and provided here is also the third “neutral” report, and a discussion of the terrain and scenario.
The Germans were given the task of defending 2 pillboxes sitting on a hill in the North West corner of the board. They commanded a road to the West, off board. This road was of some significance to the games that followed and the Allied forces were ordered to seize the Pill Boxes so as to secure the road.
Allied Armour awaits a secure river crossing
Date Played: 04 April 2009 11.00am NZDT (03 April 10.00pm GMT); 0630 WCFD Game Time.
Game Report by Errol Hooker (Umpire).
Table is 4′ x 4’ – the whole table has quite dense terrain all over it – woods, rough ground, hills, hedges and the like – plenty of sight blocks. Down the southern edge runs a river. Elsewhere are two buildings and a supply dump.
There must be plenty of cover for entering Americans, so that they do not get mown down just trying to walk onto the table – some of it contiguous with the table edge, and some sight-blocking features not touching the edge, so that it is possible to get onto the table and be out of LOS of the Germans.
A 6pdr ATG awaits the advancing Germans
Date Played: 04 April 2009 10.30am NZDT (03 April 9.30pm GMT); 0600 WCFD Game Time.
It is 1944 and the Germans are on the retreat. Allied forces are pressing forwards and hoping to encircle pockets of the enemy and force surrenders on a large scale. The Germans, though being forced back, are still resisting well, and have not collapsed. Every game of the WCFD campaign will have some knock-on consequence for later games. Both sides must conserve forces and resources, and yet both are pressed for time. The allies must advance quickly if they are to catch large numbers of Germans before they can retreat and regroup. The Germans must react to the changing situation rapidly to ensure that they are not encircled.
Skytrex Lorraine Schlepper Marder I with AB Figures Crew
The following are summarised Game Situation Reports taken from those actually posted to the Crossfire Group during the course of World Crossfire Day on 04 April 2009.
The Allies today launched an operation designed to cut off retreating Germans in the central salient. Reports coming in are mixed:
Game 1 (New Zealand – 0600 Game Time)
A German force was able to inflict substantial casualties on a small British force holding the front in a surprise counter-attack, during which the Germans managed to recover a Tiger tank that had broken down in a depression. Though other Allied forces were within call, no reinforcements were summoned by the local British commander.
28 Apr 2013, 6:43 am UTC A Wadi near Chunuk Bair Looks like great fun. I note "battalions to assault the mastiff itself." where no doubt it was going to be a dogged defence : )
7 Apr 2013, 1:10 pm UTC Work Begins On Rorke's Drift Awesome! Great post Alan!
7 Apr 2013, 7:25 am UTC Work Begins On Rorke's Drift ZULU (The battle of Rorke's Drift) by Alan Gray "Zulu's attacking, hundreds Sir" the sentry did report "Hundreds?" said Bromhead glass to his eye...
5 Mar 2013, 6:10 pm UTC Getting My 28mm ACW Underway http://refight2013.blogspot.co.nz/ Email chrispacker66@gmail.com The Borodino refight last year was not only epic, but great fun, so this year the...
5 Mar 2013, 6:22 am UTC Getting My 28mm ACW Underway Hi Paul - I didn't even know about it mate - what's happening - is there a webpage for it?
1 Mar 2013, 3:44 pm UTC Getting My 28mm ACW Underway G'day, Are you coming down to Christchurch for the monster F&F Gettysburg bash in July? Cheers Paul