Spearhead - Plugging The Gap - 6mm Part 1

Game today with Stephen and I selected to play an old but oft neglected favourite set Spearhead with my 6mm kit (been doing a bit of tarting up bases lately) and a scenario entitled 'Plugging The Gap' set in Normandy. 

Think this is from Keith McNallys SH site and essentially a scenario based around his excellent Scenario Generation System (for SH and Modern SH).

Anyhow this sees a British Infantry Brigade (sans RASC trucks) with a Churchill Tank Regiment and a 25pdr Artillery Battalion (3 x Batteries of 2 Gun Troops) and a couple of randomly appearing rocket armed Typhoons facing a German PzGrenadier Regiment (1 Bttn in Sd251 the other in trucks) supported by a PzIV Bttn with assets in form of 2 x 105mm Artillery (3 x Gun Batteries each), 2 x Tiger1, 3 x JgPzIVf and 2 x Sd234/1 as Recce. The Hun assets can be split up or formed into an adhoc Bttn (max of 9 stands).

The Brits have weight of numbers but Germans have better attack factors and more Panzers.

Scenario is essentially an encounter type battle with both sides trying to capture the 2 towns and couple of nearby ridges with both having additional objectives to gain a major victory (PzIVs exiting and Brits taking a bridge and adjacent hill).

Stephen chose the Huns (and parceled out the Divisional assets) I had Brits (cross attaching the Churchill Companies to each Inf Bttn) so 3 Bttn formations per side and off we went.

All Bttns on attack orders in order to enter battlefield (no flank moves allowed in this scenario) with Brits coming on on West and Southern edges (not quite up to half way on each) and Huns from Eastern edge.

Jabos appeared early and targeted 6 Tanks over the 2 sorties managing to kill a PzIV but otherwise ineffective.

Once formations came into spotting ranges (SH cleverly uses spotting to allow flexibility or change of orders but constrained by firing ranges) formations began to deploy with my 3 Bttn formations gaining their initial objectives (2 Hills and northern town) whilst Huns grabbed the other town.

It soon became apparent that the German Panzers have a significant advantage over the Churchills being able engage at 18" compared to Churchills 12" so can stand off and ping enemy with impunity.

8 of my 12 Churchills are VII types so good armour but one Squadron is Mark IVs so lesser armour and poorer gun (6pdr AT factor is 1 less than 75mm which is maybe a bit off) and 2 of the MkIVs brewed quickly. 

I also took casualties to my infantry from German indirect and PzGr fire whilst inflicting only a couple of suppressions in return.

The Armoured PzGr in Sd251 are tough to deal with as Inf cant target them beyond 3" (Inf AT range) but the APCs fire out to 9" (those damn MG42s).

We failed to finish the game (played 5 out of 14 turns) mainly as we got a bit confused as to how continuing artillery stonks/adjustments work (both a tad stale on rules knowledge as last played December 2023) so left in situ to complete next week.

Table prior to forces entry. Brits appear from left corner and Huns from right edge

British have invested ridge and town objectives but being picked off from range by Hun armour. (Yellow puffs are Suppression the other colours are artillery targets) 

Brits have also taken other hill but under real pressure (several losses to this Bttn)

Huns occupy southern town (both side artillery targets visible)

Tigers support PzGrs as my PBI hide in woodland

A hard pounding for Brits in south sector

Churchill Mk VIIs have survived several salvoes but unable to reply as out of range

Overview from SW

This Brit Inf Coy will need support. 'Jabo' staged for photo as already expended earlier

Intial advances

Germans all motorized but delayed by river (crossing a half speed)

Tis allowed Brits to get to objective line quicker despite being on foot

However deployment crowded due to 'corner entry area'

And yes that is actually sunlight visible in N.Ireland almost first this year !!!!!!

L'Art De La Guerre - Minoans and Uyghurs get an outing

At Stephens today and due to minimal preparation time we went with trusty old LADG.

We both felt it had been ages since we used Chariot based armies and so first game I fielded my Minoans facing a Hittite force.

This was a great game that was very bloody with Hittites gaining the win.

I did manage to lose a General (Lch Impact Armoured Elite a unique type) in a single round of combat after suffering 3 hits and General dying on required roll of 1 !!

Second game I used Ugyhurs (Central Asian Turks) with Tibetan Allies and Stephen used T'Ang Chinese.

This was more of a blood bath for my lot as a deluge of ones saw numerous hits from shooting (nearly everything in T'Ang shoots) blunting my hitting power.

Combats were more even but my center imploded and things went south fast.

Ulster Wargames Society - Combat HQ game in 6mm

Club meeting today and I took part in a 6mm (been a while) WW2 game organized by Mike and Bryn using Combat HQ rules.

Game was British vs Huns in NW Europe but no specific scenario as such. 

Terrain was set up then sides and deployment areas diced for with Bryn and Mike taking Germans in defence and Simon and I the Brit attackers.

We had two full Battalions of Infantry (one Experienced) and an Armoured Brigade of 9 Shermans, 6 Cromwells and a couple of Achilles and two towed 17pdrs. A few armoured cars acted as Recce and we had support from two batteries of 25pdrs.

Germans had two PzGr Battalions a couple of Pak 40s and an 88mm Flak 36 some Sd222 and Pumas and an Armoured Regiment with several PzIV, Panthers and a Couple of Tigers. They also had a couple of Stugs and Hetzers. Their force was also rounded out with two artillery batteries of 105mm. 

Huns set up first (no Blinds used today) and then Simon placed an Infantry Bttn on table with rest of our forces in reserve.

Simon set up just to left of centre but unfortunately a full company got caught in forming up areas by a Hun barrage and were forced to retreat in suppression whilst rest advanced into a large wooded area.

We then decided to use half our staff orders to bring on our entire reserves in one fell swoop with the second infantry Bttn coming on on right under my command and our Armoured Brigade coming on in center making a massed charge forwards.

This bold move of course seen the Germans commit most of their reserves as well with a large tank battle taking place in middle of the table.

The superior range and firepower of the Panzers soon made itself felt.

I managed to get the two Achilles and half the Cromwells into a wood which offered some protection but failed with the 17pdrs to inflict much damage.

Mike on our left then pushed forward pinning Simons infantry whilst Bryn flooded the center and our right with Panzers and the Tigers and Panthers had a jolly old time pinging Shermans and the rest of Cromwell units.

My experienced Infantry advanced into wood and pushed up on right to a hedge line forcing commitment of last of PzGr Companies.

I did 'charge' with one company of Infantry weathering a deluge of fire to get within PIAT range and managed to dispatch a Stug Platoon.

Whilst this death or glory assault caused much consternation in Hun ranks (Panzers got shy of advancing) it ultimately cost my entire Company.

With our Tank force decimated and surviving Platoons scattered the chance of our advancing any further was gone and an attritional exchange of fire was all we could manage for rest of battle and we had to succumb to the inevitable, that plus Mikes wife was arriving to collect him :-)

Fun game with a playable set of rules (I find some stats a bit unexpected) with a nice dice based Orders system and really good to see 6mm toys in action.

View from German right

British Armoured Brigade advances to their doom in center as Panzers have rare old time (bottom)

Shermans at least gave it a go

Cromwells and Achilles hug cover

Brit Infantry form up on right

Thankfully they managed to advance unscathed across mostly open ground

Overview of the massed charge

These woods soon filled with British units

Shermans in uneven firefight

PzGr defend central town

The table at start from British right

Initial Hun deployment taking place

Several others games at club (think we had 20 players in action across 5 games) and as ever no idea as to how these progressed.

Phil put on another British vs German game in 20mm with own rules

Jeremy D had a Chain of Command 2 game going with again British taking on the nasty Nazis this time in 28mm

And another WW2 game in 15mm this time by Dave M set in Egypt with at least some Italians on display

And lastly but not leastly the two Daves had a FOGR game with Samurai against Chinese in 15mm