Russian Civil War Interlude

I'm finally getting around to posting some pictures of a game I played in June. It was a 15mm Russian Civil War game put on by local gamer Ivor Janci. The figures, rules, and beautiful table layout were his. The game lasted several Wednesday nights over several weeks where we played a few turns each night.

 

The Red forces are defending the village (foreground). The White are approaching from the top.

 

To the right of the village, the rest of the battlefield can be seen.

The Whites are advancing to assault the village.

 

 

 

A Red unit on the hill is preparing to fire on the White cavalry.

The village defenders prepare.

The Reds advance across the central large open wheat field while cavalry are sent to support the village across the stream on the left.

A large Red infantry and Tchanka force moves around the back of the hill to flank the Whites.

The Whites charge across the wheat field near the village while the Reds bring up reinforcements to support the village.

White cavalry engages Red sailors on the wood edge.

The Red infantry climbs the steep hill towards the White right flank.

The Tchanka's are racing around the hill.

Red artillery on the hill opening fire.

A strong Red infantry force supporting the village. The White cavalry has eliminated the sailors on the wood edge.

White cavalry charging a Red battery on the far stream bank and the Red cavalry that just crossed the stream.

A full scale White attack.

Half the White cavalry is destroyed.

White infantry emerging from the wheat field to attack the village. The Red sailors are ready to defend.

The Whites press their attack on the outskirts of the village (above) and have wiped out the Red battery crews. The Red infantry is swarming forward on the left flank of the village towards the small wood on the flank of the wheat field.

The Red infantry is still swarming over the large hill while the Tchanka's are advancing through the gap.

The Whites have taken two of the buildings, with swarms more reinforcements advancing in the distance.

More Red cavalry arriving in the center behind the infantry advancing in the field.

Overall, this was a fun game with simple rules. The stands of troops represent platoons. The table was 12' x 6.'

Summer 1942 Desert Battle: A Spearhead AAR

 Recently we made a diversion from Ancients and played a 1942 Desert game using the Spearhead (SH) rules. For this game, we played a meeting engagement of about 450 pts using the points from the Spearhead Scenario Generation System. Our scenario was basically of both sides having 2 armored and one motorized infantry battalion, entering the board from opposite ends with the option of keeping one battalion in reserve. Victory would be based on defeating 2 of 3 enemy battalions. Regarding modifications to the standard SH rules, we used the following:

• Increased all the game measurements by 33%. In SH, standard measurements are multiples of 3." Thus, 3" = 300 yrds became 4" = 300 yrds.
• Allowed select recon platoons to "disperse" prior to the game, where they can only suppress enemy or be suppressed on a roll of "11 or 12" using 2 x 6D (a rule borrowed from Great War Spearhead). They automatically evade a full move if the target of an overrun or close assault. They behave in all other ways like a recon platoon.
  
• Allowed FO's from artillery battalions to call in an area barrage using a template similar to a pre-planned bombardment.

Below is the order of battle for both sides:

 GERMAN FORCES

Panzer Battalion A, 15th Pz Div (Veterans)
1-HQ Tank (PzIIIG short,), 1-PzIIF Recon, 1-PzIIIG short, 3-PzIIIJ long, 2-PzIVF1 short
8 platoons, BP: 6

Panzer Battalion B, 15th Pz Div (Veterans)
1-HQ Tank (PzIIIG short,), 1-PzIIIG short, 3-PzIIIJ long, 1-PzIVF1 short, 1-PzIVF2 long
7 platoons, BP: 5

Schutzen Battalion C, 15th Panzer Div (Regulars)
1-HQ Rifle/SMG, 9-Rifles, 1-HMG, 1-81mm mortar, 1-Engineer, 13 trucks, 

Attachments: 2-105mm Howitzer batteries & trucks, 1-Sdkfz 6/3 (Diana) Tank Hunter, 1-Flak 88 & tractor, 1-PAK38 ATG & truck, 1-GW38t (Bison), 1 FO & truck.

19 platoons, BP 10/13

 BRITISH FORCES (All Regulars)

Armored Regiment 6, 8th Armored Brigade
1-HQ Armored Car, 6-Crusader II, 2-Crusader CS, Attached: Armored Car Squadron 3-A/Cs (Diamler 2#), 3 platoons
12 platoons, BP: 6/8

Armored Regiment 7, 8th Armored Brigade
1-HQ Armored Car, 6-Lee/Grant, 5-M3 Honey
12 platoons, BP: 6/8

Motor Battalion, 8th Armored Brigade 

1-HQ Rifle/SMG, 6 Rifles, 3-HMG, 1-Eng SMG, 1-3" mortar, 3-Carrier Platoons, 2-2pdr Portees, 2-6pdr Portees, 12 trucks, Attachmens: 2-25pdr howitzers & tractors (on table), 2-25pdr howitzers & tractors (off table), 1-4.2" mortar & truck, 2-40mm Bofors AA guns & trucks, 1-FO & truck. 

25 platoons, BP 13/17

Both players made their plans & gave orders. An account of the game is below:

The battlefield. The buildings were treated as light cover. Lighter areas are sand (1/2 speed). 

The British Motor Battalion enters and goes directly towards the oasis & buildings. 7th Armored Regt is to their right (Grants/Honeys). 6th Armored Regt is off board in reserve.

A close up of 7th Armored.

 

Both German Panzer Battalions enter the board. The Schutzen Battalion is in reserve.

On turn 2, the 6th Armored Regt has appeared from reserve and shifting towards the left flank, while the Motor Infantry is approaching the oasis, leaving support platoons behind on the ridge.

 

 

6th Armored Regt (Crusader 11's & Diamler A/C's). AEC A/C is the HQ platoon.

 

The Panzers spread out.

 

 

 

Motor Infantry approaching the oasis.

The British have occupied the oasis. German Panzers moving above battle speed creating dust (upper left).

 

7th Armored has reached it's objective and is trying to change orders so it can advance further.

Panzer Battalion B advancing on the oasis.

 

 

Panzer Battalion A advancing between some ruins (rough) and sand. Armored Regt 6 starting to deploy on the ridge, while a Bofors, 2pdr portees, and a 25pdr are deployed for action.

 

 

Panzer Battalion B starting it's attack on the oasis.

The Schutzen Battalion is activated from reserve and enters the board.

 

7th Armored is finally able to change orders and moves forward through the sand.

Overview of the battlefield.

 

 

7th Armored clears the sand. Are they heading towards the German infantry or the flank of the Panzers?

 

 

The Germans lose a tank platoon (the red puff marks a burning wreck). British in the building are firing AT weapons at the Panzers.

 

 

6th Armored is still deploying to engage the Germans below.

 

 

The British lose 2 A/C's, and a portee, but the Germans lose 3 Panzers due to a combination of indirect artillery, 2 pdr A/C, tank,& portees, plus Bofors fire. Another portee is suppressed (white & black puff).

 

Another portee (6pdr) on the ridge is suppressed.

Due to orders they can't change, 7th Armored veers left towards the Panzers instead of the Schutzen, presenting their flank to the German gun line on the ridge. Moving at top speed to make dust, 7th Armored tries to obscure their tanks.

 

The Germans are pressing their attack to overrun the Motor infantry, who are only in light cover in the buildings.

The Germans have lost another Panzer, while the Brits lose their remaining A/C and a Crusader.

The fortunes of war definitely favored the Motor infantry, whose AT weapons destroyed 3 Panzers (three sixes in a row were rolled!). Panzer Battalion B is decimated and broken. Meanwhile, 7th Armored has lost 3 tank platoons and 1 suppressed due to 88mm, Diana, & PAK 38 fire from the opposite ridge.

 

 

The German gun line on the opposite ridge.

 

 

Panzer Battalion A has broken off, one platoon away from a morale check. The Germans have lost the engagement.

 

 

The battle proved costly for the British, as the German gun line destroys 4 more tanks of 7th Armored, who was unable to change orders and they fail their moral check.

Overall, it was good to play WW2 again after a long hiatus. Once the forces came into effective range, the action was fast & furious. The British infantry were lucky with their AT fire, it could have been much worse for them. The Spearhead rules are fun and orders are very important, as 7th Armored found out.

Battlefront Miniatures painted by and from the collection of Bob Pavlik.

 

 

Early Germans vs Huns: Another 100pt ADLG Battle

 Recently, we had another ADLG battle. We enjoy the effects that ADLG allows horse archer types during the game, such as evading and distant shooting. ADLG is also a step-reduction game, where the elements/units are worn-down step by step in combat, whereas in games like DBA, the units are mostly either recoiled back a short distance or destroyed outright.

In our latest game we used the Early Germans (250AD) vs the Huns (374AD), so an out-of-period battle where the armies existed about 124 years apart. We used Huns from a period prior to Attila (who appeared about 433AD). Below is an order of battle for our game. Note that each army below is made up of a single corps or command. The latest version of ADLG now requires 100pt armies to be composed of two commands, so we will adjust our armies for future games:

Huns:

1 x Brilliant CinC (Mundzuk) & Elite Heavy Cavalry, Bow

1 x Heavy Cavalry, Bow 

12 x Horsemen: Light Cavalry, Bow

Total: 14 units

Germans:

1 x Brilliant CinC (Arminius the Younger) & Bodyguard of

 Elite Medium Cavalry

2 x Horsemen: Elite Medium Cavalry

4 x German Tribes: Impetuous Heavy Swordsmen

2 x Veteran Germanic Tribes: Elite Impetuous Heavy Swordsmen

1 x Skirmisher: Light Infantry, Bow

3 x Skirmishers: Light Infantry, Javelins

Total: 13 units

Below is an account of our game.

The Hun army deployed at the crest of a low ridge. The Hun Nobles are in front of the camp, with 2 wings of bow armed horsemen. A small wood is in the lower right of the photo.

  Another view of the Huns.

The German army deployed opposite, also on a low ridge (no effect for game purposes).

An overview of the battlefield. The Germans (left) have moved their left flank javelin-armed skirmishers towards the field (outlined with rocks), supported by their medium cavalry elite horsemen. The Huns (right) have advanced forward into the valley.

 

Another overview of the battle.

 

 

The Huns ride up to close range and shoot into the German tribesmen.

The javelin armed German skirmishers attempted to engage the Huns in the flank, who subsequently evade away.

The Huns about face the next turn and engage the skirmishers with bow fire. The Hun bow fire on the near flank is ineffective.

The Germans try attacking the Huns on the near flank, who evade. 

The Huns have routed a skirmisher in the field in close combat, and scored bow hits on the others.

The Huns close in and rout the rest of the skirmishers in the field.

 

 

The Huns on the far flank reform and begin to work around the German flank. The near flank Huns have turned around and moved back into bow range.

The German line starts to break up. First, the German Elite Horsemen move forward past the field towards the Hun Nobles. Some German tribesmen charge the Huns on the near flank, but the Huns evade.

 

 

Far flank Hun horsemen move towards the flank of veteran (elite) German tribesmen, while the near flank Huns turn around and come into bow fire range of the Germans.

The veteran German tribesmen turn & face the Hun horsemen on the far flank. The German elite horsemen charge the Hun nobles, who evade (upper right).  The German tribes on the near flank are reforming their line as the Hun horsemen approach.

The far flank Huns (upper left) are engaging the veteran German tribesmen with bow fire. The Hun nobles (upper right) have made an about face and move into bow range of the German horsemen, while another group of Hun horsemen is on their flank. A Hun unit on the near flank has routed a German skirmisher unit (not shown). 

 

Clockwise from upper left: One group of Huns have evaded the German veterans while another moves into bow range, The German horsemen are engaging the Hun nobles but it is going badly as all three German horsemen units have taken 2 hits each from melee and bow fire, and the Huns on the near flank are moving into bow range again and inflicting hits on the German tribesmen.

 

The last act clockwise from top left: The Huns have reformed to attack the veteran Germans with bow fire, the Hun nobles (upper right) have routed all the German horsemen, and the near flank Huns (below) are firing for effect on the German tribesmen. German casualties have forced army demoralization at this point, including the 4 units in the photo disordered from bow fire.

Another hard fought exciting game (well, exciting for the Huns anyway). Miniatures are 28mm Old Glory figures.