6mm 1985 British battle report

Last week, Ian Shaw and I played out a game of CWC.  Ian brought along a T-72 Regiment with 3 battalions of T-72s and a battalion of BMPs.  I had an ad hoc battlegroup consisting of an armoured recce regiment squadron (4 Scorpions, 1 Striker, 1 Blowpipe, 1 infantry with Charlie G, 2 Spartans and a HQ), a Chieftain squadron (4 Chieftains plus a HQ) and a mechanised company (three infantry, 2 Milan teams, 4 FV432, 1 Blowpipe and 1 Spartan, plus an HQ).  The battlegroup CO had 2 FV438s attached, plus a couple of tracked Rapier launchers.  Artillery support comprised 2 Abbot regiments (3 batteries each) and the CO could call on three Lynx with Milan for flank security.

I deployed my armoured recce squadron near woods on my right flank, the infantry in woods in the centre and the Chieftains in woods on the left.  Ian chose to bring his regiment on to the right half of the table, as I looked at it, and proceeded to advance as rapidly as his command rolls allowed, which was only a maximum of 1 successful order per battalion.  In my first turn I moved the armoured recce into the woods in front of the Soviets, taking up concealed positions at the edge of the woods.  I also started to move the Chieftains across from my left to the right.

Ian's next move got him within sighting range of the recce, so they opportunity fired, but didn't cause an enormous amount of damage.  Ian's concentrated tank fire only managed one kill off a Scorpion, but suppressed almost all the rest.  However, a mixture of failed command rolls and blunders contributed to my recce surviving another turn.  In my turn, the three Lynx made an appearance, using their area weapons and ATGM attacks to good effect, knocking out several T-72s in the battalion closest to my right table edge.  I also dropped smoke on the T-72 battalion in the centre, which reduced the shots available against the armoured recce. 

In turn 3, Ian's luck disappeared completely.  He had blundered several times already, without much effect and many units flatly refused to move, but in this turn, with the British recce at the mercy of the massed T-72s, he threw a blunder that resulted in the three units nearest his HQ (his SAM and AA units) take attacks which suppressed two of them.  However, he did manage to take out the recce infantry.  In my turn, the Chieftains moved to get a shot down my right flank, although this turned out to be a bit of a mistake, as massed T-72 fire suppressed them all and knocked one out.  However, FV438 ATGM fire from the centre knocked out another T-72 on Ian's right flank.  I called in an Abbot regiment on the suppressed SAMs and AAs, getting enough hits to knock out the Shilka and Gopher, but leaving the SA-8 Gecko to fight another day.  The Lynx then made another appearance, knocking out most of the left flank T-72 battalion and then turned their gaze on the next T-72 battalion in line.

At this stage, Ian called it a night.  There was still a good chance that he could exit some units off my table edge, but the regiment had already paid a high price having effectively lost a third of their tank strength.  Much would depend on whether the remaining T-72s could keep the Chieftains suppressed and keep the Lynx helos away.

The situation at the end.  The small woods top centre is where the armoured recce squadron were slugging it out with the nearest T-72s, while long range fire from the FV438s was coming in from the upper right quadrant.  The arc of T-72s running from top left and curving around in front of the woods are almost all burning, thanks to the Lynx.  The T-72s in front of the woods were being whittled down by FV438 fire, plus massed Scorpion and Striker fire.  Burning SAMs and Shilkas are just out of sight below the photograph.

The Chieftain squadron, caught in the open rushing to assist the recce.  All are suppressed with the left hand stand knocked out and burning.  The woods to the right are occupied by the mechanised infantry company.

As above in more detail.  The flank security helicopters used these positions to launch ATGM at the Soviet tanks.

The massed T-72s of the Tank regiment arrayed in front of the woods occupied by the recce squadron, as viewed from one of the Lynx helicopters.

A veteran Shakleton ECM aircraft overflies the devastation.  With the Chieftains suppressed, I suspect discretion would be the better part of valour and the recce would be relocating behind smoke next turn - at least those not KO'd or suppressed.

Ian couldn't get his forces mobilised and rolled a stupendous amount of double 6's.  The dice gods had truly deserted him that day.  I suspect on a normal day the recce in the woods would have been swept away by salvo rockets and concentrated artillery, and several turns of tank direct fire could also be expected.  However, the recce did their job and identified where the Soviets were concentrating and had brought valuable time to allow redeployment of local reserves.  Those T-72s move fast when they get a successful order!

All in all a great game.  I enjoyed it, not just because my forces did well, but it felt the units were doing roles that they were designed for.  Lots of fun.

Thanks for looking.

6mm Shakleton updated

Having updated my 1980's Lynx and Gazelle helicopters with Hurlbat rotors, I've ordered enough to update my US Marine helicopters.  I also ordered some of the 1cm diameter tail rotors as I thought they would be useful as propellers for piston engine aircraft.  So, I upgraded the Shakleton model that I did for Crisis Point Arctic Strike back in 2013.

As with the helicopter, I think the addition of propeller discs seems to make the aircraft come alive.

The Shakleton makes a high flypast over the lines during last week's first outing for my 1985 British battlegroup.

Thanks for looking.

15mm Soviet Motor Rifle Co dismounts

I've finished the infantry for my BMP Motor Rifle Company.  Each platoon comprises three 6-man sections armed with AK-47s and an RPG, plus a 2-man command element, allowing the entire platoon to be transported in 3 BMPs.

The entire company, three platoons, each of 3 6-man sections plus a 2-man platoon HQ, plus a company HQ of 5 men.

Attached from the battalion AT platoon are two teams of AT-4 ATGMs (These from QRF).

Three AT-3 (Sagger) ATGM teams (again QRF figures).

A pair of 75mm recoilless rifles, used as SPG-9s, with 2-man crews.

A larger 105mm recoilless rifle (B11 or equivalent), with 3-man crew.

A pair of medium 82mm mortars with 3-man crews.

A 120mm mortar (actually from the WW2 range) with 4-man crew.

Extra figures forming 2 5-man scout teams or dismounted crew figures from the BMPs.

 

Nice figures from Peter Pig's AK-47 range.  These are all helmeted regulars (except the ATGMs and crews from Quick Reaction Force).  The medium and heavy mortars and small and large calibre recoilless rifles are generic heavy weapons from the AK-47 range.

 

 

These figures will serve as Soviet infantry from the 60's through to the 90's. They will also see service as Arab troops in the Middle East (Syrians, Egyptians, etc.) and even Cuban advisors in Africa or Latin America.  Together with my mercenaries (Regulars in berets) and US Marines, they allow me to play a variety of periods and settings.  I'm trying to resist adding the "hardened militia" and militia figures, but can feel my resistance waning.  I've also got some modern French Foreign Legion troops to finish and that's before I succumb to Peter Pigs Vietnam US and NVA/VC range.

 

I'll post some pictures of the BMPs, together with armour support shortly.

 

Thanks for looking.

Lunchtime surprise

Well, I was surprised this Tuesday lunchtime just gone.  Was at CJs butty van in Deeside (the one in Flintshire rather than Aberdeenshire) when I looked up and saw this parked up.  The passenger got out and ordered some food.  He even smiled pleasantly when I pointed in a random direction and suggested "Afghanistan was that way"!  I couldn't decide if it was a WMIK or a Defender that had been cut down to look the part.

Thanks for looking.

Another AK-47 battle in Tonkistan

These are some pictures that I grabbed early on in last weeks big club game of AK-47.  The legitimate government of Tonkistan, mainly represented by Aiden's hodge podge of infantry and scratch built vehicles, bolstered by US aid in the form of my US Marines, Ian's US army and Phil's Israeli infantry and armour took on the communist backed insurgents of Pete's dictator army, Mark's ?Jordanians and Ben's ?Syrians.

Here my US Marines M60s cautiously advance to gain good firing positions in the fields on the right of the picture.

Israeli infantry occupy the town, while their heavy armour take up good firing positions in the side streets.

A convoy of ?Syrian technicals advance somewhat incautiously.

Pete's superbly painted Peterpig dictatorship army - had to get some pictures of these as they were fantastic.  Here a unit of Buffels, loaded with militia, with an AML-90 on point advance on my marines.

A unit of Pete's T-55s supported by a bewildered group of militia (bewildered as they wondered where the tanks were heading off to in such a hurry).

A units of Mark's infantry starting to become entangled with Pete's milita as they both make for the wheat field in front.

The game went well for me.  My tanks used the cover of the cultivated fields to good effect, shrugging off various tank and A/C shots and eventually knocking out both T-55s and keeping other units at a healthy distance.  The USMC infantry flank marched, taking Pete's Buffels in flank and breaking them before digging in against a couple of units of militia advancing on foot.  In the centre, the Israelis lost a lot of their armour to artillery, air strikes and other unpleasantness, while on the far left, my US Army buddy managed to let his M60s stray too close to militia in cover and were RPG'd out of the fight.

Still a bit slow, but we are picking up speed as we get more familiar with the rules and Pete and I enjoyed our own little private struggle on our edge of the table.

Thanks for looking,

6mm 1985 British miscellaneous supports

These are stands I've completed, but are not yet part of complete units.

First up, two FAO stands, each an FV432 and an FV432 with Cymbeline mortar location radar, plus a couple of individual prone infantryment and one of the tripod rangefinder deelies from the Rapier Heroics and Ros kit.

A pair of FV432 engineers vehicles, equipped with Ranger automated minelayer systems and a bar mine plough.

Three batteries of 105mm light howitzers.  These will be available to support the TA battalion that I am preparing.

Three batteries of FH70 155mm artillery.  These will be available to support the regular infantry battalion in Saxon apcs that I'm preparing.

Three batteries of Tracked Rapier air defence vehicles.

So, quite a bit done, but still a battalion of infantry in Saxons and a lorried TA battalion, plus some additional supports and some aircraft.

Thanks for looking.

6mm 1985 British Recce Regiment

Here we have a complete Corps Recce Regiment for a 1985 unit based in Germany for the upcoming Cold War Commanders game at Broughton in September.  the Regiment comprises three squadrons, each with a HQ, 4 Scorpion FV101 recce vehicles, plus a FV103 Spartan APC with scout infantry dismount and an FV102 Striker with Swingfire ATGM.  A squadron is at the front, with B and C squadrons behind and the HQ squadron at the back.

A squadron (B is identical), Scorpions at the front, Striker, Scouts and Spartan behind and HQ in Scorpion at the back.

C squadron is organised like A and B squadrons, but for variety I've put the HQ in a Ferret scout car.

HQ squadron, with an FV106 Samson LAD on the left, an FV105 Sultan command vehicle as Regimental HQ in the middle and an FV103 Spartan with dismounted Blowpipe or Javelin man-portable SAM on the right.

I suspect these might not perform too well against massed Soviet armour, but I suspect they could be pretty unpleasant for smaller units of armour or APCs, especially if terrain allows hit and run tactics.  One interesting tactic that Striker allows is to dismount the fire control system, which allows the vehicle to fire ATGM from concealing terrain.  This function isn't catered for in CWC, so might need a house rule.  This would help survivability enormously!!  They will be used as recce support within the rules system.

All vehicles are Heroics and Ros, infantry is Mainforce.  Paints are all Vallejo, except Tamiya British NATO green and Wilko Nutmeg emulsion pint for the bases.

Thanks for looking!

15mm Israeli infantry

To wrap up Phil's AK47 Republic force, he asked me to paint up some Israeli infantry from Peter Pig.  I painted them up as I did my Israelis for Force on Force (http://sedimentswargameblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/15mm-israeli-infantry-company.html), but they are based 4 figures to an infantry base (8 bases) and 2 figures to an RPG base (4 bases), plus two three figure command bases.  This style of basing will work well for AK47 Republic and also for the FoW Arab-Israeli war rules.

The whole group, four groups of three bases as used in AK47, plus command.

One of the command stands plus a three stand group (2 infantry and 1 RPG).

Another group plus command.

Detail of some of the infantry figures.  These are from the AK47 moderns range from Peter Pig and are superbly detailed figures which paint up really well.  There is a lot of deeply etched detail which really responds well to ink washing techniques.

Not sure if I like the basing.  The stands are painted using a Wilko sand house emulsion paint, with random splodges of Vallejo desert basing medium and some Gale Force 9 arid static grass.  I have to say that I hate this particular type of static grass with a passion - it is always clumpy and clogs up my applicator dreadfully.  Compared to the meadow green static grass that I use from Kallistra, which is a joy to use, it is horrible. Moan over!

Thanks for looking.