D-day at Gauntlet 2014

Some older photographs that I've not been able to download from the phone until now.  This is a beach landing scenario that I played with Ian Clarke and Ian Shaw using Battlegroup WW2 rulesat the Deeside Defenders Gauntlet Show back in the summer.  These are quite fun, but infantry on foot take an age to get anywhere.  The scenario was quite generic, bit would fit well with Sword or Gold beach.

First wave landing.

Another view of the crowded beach and surf.

The landing craft are a mixture of mine and Ian S's, largely from the Scotia Ship to Shore range.

The infantry swarm over the sea wall and start to push inland.

The German hinterland, largely devoid of troops until 21st Panzer arrive.

I thought these were worth sharing as the beaches looked quite spectacular.

Thanks for looking.

21st Panzer Division counterattack - the British perspective

Thanks to Will for his write-up and photos, on his new Hudl, of the weekend game, written from the British perspective (linked below).

http://willwarweb.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/d-day-afternoon-in-6mm.html

It was nice for the German player to be able to use the limited artillery to good effect, multiple suppressions and occasional outright kills of the infantry in the open was about the only effective way of slowing the relentless advance.  Especially when the British could call air strikes, Naval gunfire and two Priest Regiments worth of artillery down on anything that fires.

Thanks for looking.

21st Panzer Division Counterattack - the conclusion

Day two of our games weekend dawned to a typical foggy November morning.  We got on with the action, which largely consisted of the various elements of 21st Panzer hunkering down in any suitable obscuring terrain (mainly Lebisey woods and the outskirts of Caen and Epron), while the British artillery (both Naval and Field) and Typhoons plastered anything in the open.  II Abt of PzRegt 22 lost a couple of PzIVs and Somua S35s to this, but they mainly made it into the woods and took up positions on the northern edge of the woods.  The Pz-pioneers eventually debussed at the edge of the Caen BUA and deployed along the edge of town, with 88mm Heer Flak assets in support.  The 21st Panzer FAOs called down battalion barrages on anything that looked like a concentration of infantry and any armour they could include in the beaten zone.  A recce Stuart stand tried to locate infantry in the woods, but was close assaulted by a pioneer and panzergrenadiers, becoming a casualty.

We called it a day in the early afternoon, having reached c. 6pm in game time, with the 21st Panzer firmly establishing a stopline in Lebisey woods and the edge of Caen and still contesting Epron and Blainville, both of which, especially Blainville, remained vulnerable to British advances, although probably at a high cost.  In the end we agreed that the British and German artillery, while unpleasant to be on the receiving end, was probably pretty realistic.  We thought the use of air power was probably too effective and discussed possibly allowing a random sortie to be available on a random basis, say a 50% chance, but still needing to be called in as usual.  We also felt that the game would have benefited from a wider table layout to allow more room for 21st Panzer to sidestep the advancing British, as they did in the actual battle.  We also considered using a more random appearance for the British (e.g. 6 on D6 on turn 1, 5 or 6 on D6 on turn 2, etc.) and German (6 on d6 on turn 3, etc) off table forces, to simulate delays getting off the beach for the British and Allied airforce interdiction delaying the Germans.

All in all a really enjoyable game with quite a nice flavour for the period.

The British infantry suffering the effects of suppression from artillery as they advance between Mathieu and Epron.  Losses were particularly high in infantry and supports in this area.

 Epron and Caen to the right with Lebisey woods in the centre background/.

 Looking north showing 21st Panzer deployed in Lebisey woods and Epron, with one stand surviving in  Blainville (to the right and behind Lebisey woods).

21st Panzer troops at the edge of Lebisey woods and the stalled British advance beneath Perriers Ridge.

 Looking south from Benouville.

 Looking southeast from Perriers Ridge.

Thanks for looking.

21st Panzer Division counterattack AAR



It's a Deeside Defenders games weekend.  We (Ian and I) had planned a big Sword Beach game incorporating airborne and beach landings plus the push for Caen, but we would have needed about 6 players.  In the event, Will joined us for the day, so, with three players we scaled the game back to 3rd British Divisions push for Caen by 185th Brigade and the counter attack by 21st Panzer.

 

The photo below shows the view of the table looking south with Perriers Ridge at the far end, the eastern table edge representing the Orne River and the outskirts of Caen in the foreground.  

 Looking east.

 Looking north.  A parachute battalion started the game dug-in in Benouville, east of Perriers Ridge, with a company from II Battalion PzGren Regt 192 in Blaineville just beyond and the remainder of the battalion in Lebisey woods.  88mm AT gun assets were placed with the II Batt and in the outskirts of Caen along with Heer AA assets.  The game was scheduled to begin at 3pm game time with the three battalions of 185th Brigade, plus an attached Sherman regiment, entering the table using mobile deployment from north of Perriers Ridge (at the bottom of the photo).

 View along Perriers Ridge, looking west at the end of turn 3.  The British battalions have crossed Perriers Ridge and are approaching Lebisy Woods.

 View looking south at the end of the third turn (3:45pm).  Elements of Kampfgruppe Oppeln are on table moving along the east bank of the Orne, while Kampfgruppe Rausch are partially on table in the suburbs of Caen.

 KG Rauch moving into Epron and the eastern edge of Lebisy woods.

 And again.

 I and II Abt from PZ Regt 22 moving up behind Lebisy woods anchored on the Orne River to the east.

 By move 6, the Germans had learned the power of British artillery and air support.  KG Rauch had lost most of its armoured transport to 105mm Priest artillery barrages, while I Abt of 22nd Panzer had been eliminated by repeated strikes by Naval artillery, Priest barrages and Typhoon strikes.  In the photo the void left by the demise of 22nd Panzer I Abt is to the east of Lebisy woods in the right mid-ground.  KG Rauch has been reduced to dismounted infantry hunkering down in Epron and Lebisy woods,  II Abt Pz Regt 22 and more Pz-grenadiers are moving up behind the woods.  In the distance, the British battalions on the German left and centre have both experienced some Hun hate in the form of concentrated 105mm and 150mm arty barrages, which have hurt the leg infantry quite badly, stalling their advance up to now.

 Looking east, the killing zone between Lebisy woods/Epron and Mathieu/Beuville where movement for both sides is currently a problem.

 Looking south towards Caen in the distance.

This is where we called it a day for Day 1.  Tomorrow will be an interesting contest between the might of British arty and air assets and the pluck of Jerry infantry trying to hold the stop line around Caen.  Interestingly, this is where the 21st Panzer did stop 3rd British Infantry Division historically, although they did manage to get a company of Pz-grenadiers onto the beach before pulling back to Epron at the end of the day.

All in all a fun days play with some interesting thoughts and experiences, particularly the frustrations of getting moving for the British and the devastating effect of British arty for the Germans.  Thanks to Ian and Will for a great game.

Thanks for looking.

21st Panzer Division - Normandy - Kampfgruppe von Luck

The last battlegroup, KG von Luck.

Stab Pz-grenadier Regt 125, CO/HQ in Kubelwagen, pioneer platoon in S307, motor-cycle combination recce platoon and Pak38 with Laffly tow.

II Batt/Pz-grenadier Regt 125, front right HQ in ex-French half-track with 8 Schwere Ko behind with 2cm Flak 38 in U304, 7.5cm Pak 40 on S307 and 8cm Reihenwerfer on S307.  To left, 5 Ko, three infantry stands plus one MMG and four ex-French/Itlian/British truck transports.

6 & 7 Kos from II Batt/Pz-grenadier Regt 125, as 5 Ko above.

On left, 3 Pz-gren Ko from I Batt, Pz-grenadier Regt 125.  On right 4 Ko from I Abt Pz Regt 22, 3 PzIV platoons.  Behind them are a stand each of Reihenwerfer on S307 (10 Werfer Ko - Pz-gren Regt 125) and a 15cm Lorraine SPG (9 SiG Ko - Pz-gren Regt 125).

 I Batt Pz Artillerie Regt 155, 1 battery of 10cm K18 and 2 batteries of 12.2cm FH396(r), all towed by Laffly prime movers.

 Stug-Abt 200, in centre HQ with Lorraine half-track, with 2 stands of 2cm Flak 38 on U304s behind, surrounded by 5 Kos, each comprising a 10.5cm Lorraine SPG, a 7.5cm Pak40 on S307 and a Pzbeobacht Lorraine FAO.  Unfortunately, I seem to have forgotten the 2 stands of pioneers in S303s that should go with the HQ.

So, that should be it for the three KGs as they appeared on D-day, assuming I finish a couple of pioneer stands plus transports for Stug-Abt 200.  For completeness, I've yet to finish off Pz Aufklarungs Abt 21, but they only became available to von Luck late in the day of D-day.  More importantly, I need to put together the six stands of Pak43/41s for Pz-jaeger Abt 200 for defending the approaches to Caen, the SP Flak 38s and Flak 41s for Heer Flak Abt 305 and a R-Vielfachwerfer on S307 for 10 Werfer Batterie of Pz Artillerie Regt 155.

I'm not aware of anyone making a Vielfachwerfer, so might have to cannibalise a Katyusha rocket launcher to mount on a S307 half track.  Alternatively, I might just use a Reihenwerfer vehicle as it would historically provide KG von Luck with off-table fire support.

I think these should be able to keep the paratroopers at Ranville busy for a day or tow.

21st Panzer Division - Normandy - Kampfgruppe Oppeln

We're planning a big D-day game at the next club gaming weekend in mid-November. I've spent the last couple of weeks finishing off a 21st Pz Div project that I started several years ago, but never completed.

So, here is Kampfgruppe Oppeln, based on a core of Pz Regiment 22.  I should apologise for the pictures, they seem to be plagued with poor depth of field due to low light levels, so I'll have another go at photographing them once I've finished the whole thing.

Stab Pz Regt 22, front row l-r PzIII recce, PzIV CO, Bergepanzer III, rear row, 3 stands of Flakpanzer 38t.

1 Abt Pz Regt 22, rear PzIII recce, PzIV HQ, 1 Komp, 2 Komp and 3 Komp (each three stands of PzIVs).  3 Komp may be reduced to 2 stands based on a strength return just prior to D-day.  4 Kompanie is detached to Kampfegruppe Von Luck.

2 Abt Pz Regt 22, rear PzS35 recce, PzIV HQ, middle 5 Komp (1 PzIV and 2 PzS35), 6 Komp (1 PzIV, 2 PzS35, 1 PzH39), front 7 Komp (1 PzIV and 2 PzS35) and 8 Komp (1 or possibly 2 PzIV B/C).  For D-day action, there seems to be a lot of debate about whether the French tanks made an appearance or not.  If not, then the entire Regt is represented by a 4 stand composite PzIV Kompanie.

I Batt, Pz-gren Regt 125, rear HQ and 15cm Lorraine SPG, 1 Komp and 2 Komp (each 4 U304 transports, 3 stands of infantry and 1 MMG stand).  3 Komp is detached to KG Von Luck.

1 Komp Pz-pioneer Batt 220, 5 S303 transports, 3 stands of pioneers/engineers with flame, 1 MMG stand and 1 81mm mortar stand).

III Batt Pz-artillerie Regt 155, 2 10.5cm Lorraine (7 & 8 batteries) and 1 15cm Lorraine (9 batterie) stands, each with a Pzbeobacht Lorraine FAO stand.

So, there you have it, the armoured fist of 21st Panzer - 2 armoured battalions and 1 armoured infantry battalion, made up of infantry and pioneers.  Of course, if the French armour was withdrawn as 2nd Abt personnel were withdrawn to be re-equipped with PzIVs, then the force is down to one armoured battalion and one armoured composite company, plus the equivalent of an infantry battalion.  These will be up against the 3rd British Infantry Division pushing inland for Caen on the afternoon of D-day.

Most vehicles are Heroics and Ros, except PzIVs without bazooka screens which are from Irregular.  Infantry are mainly Adler, with one or two Heroics and Ros, mainly mortar men.  Bases are a mixture of ERM and Minibits.  All paints are Vallejo.

Thanks for looking!

D day fortifications in 6mm part 3

Added some more models today.  Here we have an artillery observation tower, based I think on the example at Ouistreham in Normandy - I can't find this on the Baggage Train site, so guess it must be new, together with a couple of R667 50mm AT bunkers with left and right enfilade walls respectively.

The observation bunker from the front.  Space on the top for an AA gun, I'm thinking either single or quad 20mm AA gun.

And from the rear.  The underground entrance on the right is covered by an MG position under the concrete lintel at the far end.  A tough nut to crack.

A left enfilade R667 50mm AT bunker.

The right enfilade version.

Detail of the rear of the bunker, same for both models, showing the rear blast wall, which prevents direct fire at the rear entrance to the bunker.

Just got the sea wall sections to finish off, but there are a lot of them, almost a metre in length on the table top, so about enough to stretch from La Breche to Lion sur Mer in 6mm.

Thanks for looking!

D day fortifications in 6mm part 2

Just finished flocking these, so without further ado, here they are.

Open artillery casements - being replaced by fully enclosed artillery bunkers on D-day as the artillery pieces and crews are pretty exposed to naval pre-programmed or counterbattery fire in these positions.

 An open casement with French 155mm artillery piece for scale.

 An M262a artillery observation command fire control bunker.

 An H669 right enfilade garage bunker, viewed from the sea side.

 The business end of the H669 bunker.

 Another H669 garage bunker, this time a left enfilade version viewed from the land side.

Thanks for looking.

D day fortifications in 6mm

I'm in the process of finishing the flocking on some D-day fortifications that I bought from The Baggage Train at the Gauntlet shows back in 2012 and 2013.  I'm getting these ready for a Sword Beach game we're thinking of laying on in November, and of course, the 70th anniversary is next June, just ahead of the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War.

This is, I think, the two part bunker for 20mm AA gun.  I'm planning on mounting a quad 20mm gun in the firing platform.

This is the R622 infantry bunker - I'm thinking of using this for the core of the Hillman bunker complex - for BKCII it should form a large bunker with capacity for a HQ and a couple of infantry stands.

Still working on some AT bunkers, artillery pits and bunkers, observation bunkers and some sections of sea wall in various stages from painted through to still in packets.

Thanks for looking.