No Retreat and Combat Mission

No game this week (due to dental appointment) but did manage to get in a solo session with No Retreat! The Russian Front which is always entertaining.

The low unit count and moderate complexity makes this a fun game.

Germans currently threatening around Minsk and Moscow with Russkies doing their usual scrambling to hold in initial turns.

Also an ongoing Pbem game with Combat Mission Afrika Korps with John with a Tunisia scenario 'Hells Hill' with John as Huns and me as Brits

Early stages but the Sherman pictured has just managed to take out a PzIV on turret at 800m with 3 shots.

 

PBEM catch up

Finished PBEM game of Combat Mission Afrika Korps with John in a randomised Meeting Engagement in western desert and was a total massacre of my poor British Force.

Just starting another game which is an adaptation of an ASL scenario 'A Wet Bridgehead' set in Tunisia 1943 and with me as Brits again.

I had no real answer to Panzers having only ATRs after loss of single 2pdr Portee

And therefore result was pretty awful

Also just finished another game on Vassal with Mike of our ongoing C&C Ancients 'campaign' with my Romans being victorious at Bagradas (I - well Vassal - had absolutely awesome run of dice rolls in this one which is very unusual)

Next up in our series is Ticinius River which looks tough for Romans

Couple of new PBEM games initiated.

PBEM games with Mike and John renewed.

Mike chose Command & Colors: Ancients on Vassal and we have started with basic 'intro/learning' scenario 'Battle Of Akragas - 406BC' with Mike as Carrthage and I as Syracusans.

The Vassal module is new to me but pretty straight forward so far, only issue is Evades but nothing too onerous (really only an extra file exchange)

With John it is good old Combat Mission again this time a randomised Meeting Engagement in Western Desert in 1941 with John as Krauts and I as Brits.

Early days in this one and not seen enemy yet just and approaching dust cloud

My armour support such as it is.....................

Combat Mission - Cheux Pbem scenario completed

Finished PBEM game today which has been ongoing with 'NJ John' of the Normandy based scenario 'Cheux'

Scenario ended with a narrow Minor Victory for my German defenders although another turn or two and I would have likely lost the single Flag Objective in village center, losses pretty severe on both sides.

John to select next scenario

The end result with a bloody toll.

Only surviving Stug (of three) with some in game unit detail

PBEM - Combat Mission game ongoing - Cheux

Ongoing Pbem game using Combat Mission Afrika Korps 'engine' to play a scenario set in Normandy re action at Cheux.

I am defending Germans with John M as British on attack.

Hard to believe I have been playing some form of this game on PC since year 2000 !

Difficult to show an overview (as hidden units) but couple of screenshots of German units.

German reinforcements arrive in form of StugIII

I have couple of Flak 36 88mm to try to take on the tough Churchills in British OOB

PBEM catch up and some solo board wargaming

Couple of ongoing PBEM games for which I have neglected to report of late. 

Still in midst of No Retreat! The Russian Front with Mike via Vassal and we are now in Sept/Oct 1944 turn with my Axis forces pushed right back to frontiers of Reich and under huge pressure all along the front. Saving grace is that Russians well off pace in their Victory Point accumulation but that could change.

Breakthrough over Carpathians looking imminent !

Also ongoing game with Combat Mission with NJ John with a newly started game (we finished a Russian Front game last week) set at Cheux in Normandy (but using CMAK data). 

An '88' awaits British (John) advance

Had a solo session with Great War Commander playing through first couple of 1914 French vs German scenarios.

Forgot how enjoyable this version of Combat Commander system is with the various tweaks to scale and WW1 style weaponry, with artillery being especially potent at times as one would expect.

Some excellent counters and general artwork in this one.

PBEM catch up - No Retreat! The Russian Front and Combat Mission: Barbarossa To Berlin

Quick update from couple of ongoing PBEM games I have in progress.

First up Vassal game of No Retreat! The Russian Front still in progress with Mike and we are now up to Turn 13 (May/June 1943) with Russians looking rather powerful as they gain strategic initiative, although I have just about managed to form an unbroken line of defence.

Also have an ongoing PBEM game with NJ John of (the venerable) Combat Mission: Barbarossa To Berlin.

We have been playing one of the Operations (mini campaigns) entitled 'Dergatschi Roadblock' set in March 1943 and now coming to a crunch as Johns Nazis forcing their way into town enroute to bridge objective beyond but time now against them.

Fascists in town center

My T34 force has been decimated by much faster firing Panzer foes !

 

A bit of PC Pbem action with Combat Mission: Barbarossa To Berlin

Few turns into another Pbem scenario with 'New Jersey John' playing a scenario entitled 'The Mouse Commander' set in November 1942 during Soviet encirclement of Stalingrad. 

Scenario pits elements of 22nd Panzer (John) against units of 26th Tank Corps (yours truly) in and around a fog bound village.

My initial force of foot sloggers supported by numerous T26 Tanks (truly abysmal piece of kit) and have just about gained a foothold on edge of village with several T34s now arriving.

Germans encountered thus far have comprised of infantry with Pz38t/PzII (?) support and a couple of Pak 36 which are easily a match for the T26 horrors which are manned by mostly green crews, so many Soviet AP hits have resulted in 'shell broken up' even at close range !!

The fog has both assisted and hampered in equal measure as able to advance unmolested but stumbling into unseen enemy and I expect heaver Hun kit will appear (PzIII or IV ?).

T34s wade through a sea of destroyed T26 minnows

Vision limited by foggy conditions and plenty of hiding spots for ambushing Fascists 

Hard to credit that I have been playing the various CM titles since 2000 !!!!!

This is original ad that sucked me in and recall it taking ages to download the file 

Combat Mission II - PBEM game finished

Play be Email game of venerable Combat Mission II: Barbarossa To Berlin finished this evening.

Been playing a scenario 'Eye Of The Storm' (set December 1942) with John from good ol' USofA, for last several weeks and it finished today with a win for Russians (ie me).

Sort of a last stand for Germans against a swarm of T34s and infantry

So glad this still works on current PC (Win 10) as still very enjoyable game.

Overview of situation at game end with Russians swarming over town objective after leveling the place !

The AAR score card and not often I experience  "You have won......" in any format :-)

Combat Mission Pbem game completed.

Pbem game with Mike I had ongoing with venerable Combat Mission Barbarossa To Berlin completed with his Ivans gaining a minor victory.

Scenario was Izyium Diet Plan set in May 1942. 

I had taken a couple of 'Flag' objectives early on but a troop of PzIIIs on my left flank were annihilated by a T34 and a KV1 in short order and this allowed Mike to push a T70 onto one of my objectives to contest it (no Panzerfausts this early on)

On right we had a ding dong with my Stugs and PzIVs and his armour. Lots of lowly T26s dispatched but again the KV1 is of sterner stuff.

I had at one point 3 AFVs with damaged guns which fairly stymied my hitting power. 

A veritable flood of Ivan infantry appeared and again Mike was able to contest a 'Flag' to gain the win despite suffering marginally higher losses.

This was a cracking encounter.

Overview of 'table' from Hun right

Annoying T70 contesting a 'flag'

The final result and casualty tally
 

 

Combat Mission - PBEM game resolved

Have been playing a Combat Mission Barbarossa To Berlin (venerable in PC terms as released way back on 2002) game with Mike via Pbem which just resolved today.

Scenario was set March 1945 at a spot called Golzow with a foggy encounter between heavy weight German and Soviet forces with lots of Panthers, Tigers, JSII and T34/85.

Very much a close range slugging match that the Germans (me) managed to win.

I lost 13 Panzers (mostly Tigers) whilst Ivans lost their entire force of 25 Tanks and failed to exit any for Victory points.

CMBB is still such a great game.

Foggy conditions added to by smoking wrecks at game end

Destruction at ground level from one of my surviving Panthers