Down on the farm

 Yesterday the Cold War Commanders convened in the village of Stone in Staffordshire. Our esteemed colleague Richard Phillips has set up a splendid gaming venue in a unit set in a converted barn, imaginatively named The Unit!

As can be seen, there's plenty of space! I'm not sure of the actual dimensions of the table, perhaps 20 foot x 6 foot. More than enough elbow room for 10 of us to fight out in comfort.

In contrast to the usual massed tank battle, the scenario saw a thin NATO forward screen of 5 roughly battalion sized commands fighting a delaying action against the advancing Soviet hordes. 5 Motor Rifle Regiments of them in fact! Our task was to stop them advancing past the Elbe Lateral Kanal, represented by the NATO table edge (apart from a section of canal on our left flank). My force consisted of the West German 3 Recce Battalion, backed up by a company of Leopard 2s, a battery of 155mm artillery and 2 BO105 attack helicopters.

Here my 2 companies of Leopard 1s move forward to take up position in the woods.

I don't have too many action shots of the game. My opponent, Ian, deployed a tank battalion on to the table as the vanguard of his main force. The rest of his troops arrived behind a shallow river. That plus Ian's ability to repeatedly roll 10s and 11s with every attempted command roll pretty much did my job for me.

In the top right of this photo, in the open valley, Ian's T72 battalion came off second best in a firefight against my Leopard 2s and BO105s.

By 4.30pm Ian had started to untangle the omnishambles of his deployment zone and advance forward. On my left flank Andy C's BAOR seemed to be holding their own against Mark J's East Germans. Further off to the left flank however Mark F's Dutch had succumbed to the increasing pressure from Richard C's red tide and the general retreat was signalled.

We managed 4 or 5 turns before pulling back so probably not enough to call it a NATO win. Still, it was a grand day of gaming and it's always a good day when I meet up with the chaps again. It was particularly nice to see Alan and Roger as this was the first time we've met up since Grimsby 2018.

I don't have long to wait until the next meet up as a group of us will be putting on a participation game at Joy of Six in Sheffield next week.

If anyone is attending then come and say hi!

Cold War at the Club

 Work commitments have been keeping me busy of late but a window of opportunity opened up tonight for a game so I headed over to the Beacon Wargames Club in Elton for a game of CWC2 with fellow Cold War Commander Andy Canham.

The battlefield before we deployed troops. We had decided on a reinforced West German battalion taking on a Soviet brigade. I totted up a Panzergrenadier battalion with 2 companies of Leopard 2  plus 3 M109s and a pair of Phantoms in support and it came to just over 4,000 points. Andy C's force on the other hand was a bit over 9,000 points. Hey ho...

The Soviet horde advanced, with BMP mounted infantry supported by T64s (I think) and on table 2S1 122mm artillery. My Jaguar dedicated ATGM unit managed one shot before the rapidly approaching Soviet tanks blew it away.

Undaunted, my stalwart Panzergrenadiers dismounted and headed for the BUA while their Marders backed up and tried to get out of range of the Soviet tanks.

The hits built up on my Leopard 2s but they gave as good as they got, although several of Andy C's tanks survived what looked like certain death as he rolled a series of astonishingly high saving throws. They make their steel tough in the Urals!

Late in the game an unfortunate command blunder resulted in my flank company charging off their hill and towards the oncoming red tide. Andy took the opportunity this offered and wiped out the infantry and M113s. This blunder had dire consequences for me as it took me to within 1 unit of my breakpoint.

With my battalion morale looking shaky and fresh Soviet forces arriving on-table, I decided that that was enough and left the field in Andy's possession.

A Soviet win and defeat for me then but an enjoyable game nonetheless and a good workout of the new rules. There are a few significant changes that we noticed: Leopard 2s have had an armour upgrade and are now very difficult to kill. I didn't lose a single one over the course of the fight. The change to aircraft attacks, so that AFVs are now hit on a 6 rather than a 4+ has made them much weaker and is not something that either of us agree with. On-table artillery rules seem strange too.

We are heading to Richard Phillips' new unit for a big game next weekend so General Von Klinkerhoffen's Panzergrenadiers will not have to wait long for their chance for revenge.

The Battle Of Hooke's Farm

 The last attempt to fight a battle against m'colleague Neil was thwarted by Storm Arwen. This week we had Storms Dudley and Eunice in quick succession (with Franklin blowing through as I write) but the routes through the Pennines were sort of clear. So, after a somewhat alarming slalom along the Snake Pass, the Army of The Hesse Kassel Reinforcement arrived in Sheffield ready to fight.

After our last game we decided to reduce the amount of terrain so the battlefield had a more stripped down look.

My infantry, in column, waiting to advance.

On the right flank the cavalry engaged in a ferocious melee. The 2nd Lieb-Regiment cavalry were broken but that just cleared the way for the elite 1st Prinz Wilhelm regiment to charge forward, routing 2 French cavalry regiments. Later on the 3rd Miltitz regiment, seen here on the left and already disrupted by melee with the enemy, were broken by massed artillery fire.

On my left flank my light brigade advanced through the woods and over the hill to Hooke's Farm. The mounted Buckeberg Carabiniers did not advance any further but their presence alone deterred a French line battalion from moving. Unwilling to turn their backs on cavalry, the French line battalion stayed put and took no part in the unfolding drama in the centre of the field. My Jaegers and dismounted Buckeberg Carabiniers fired into the flanks of the French central infantry, mostly causing nothing more than a nuisance. That is, until the end of the battle when the dismounted Carabiniers unexpectedly produced a devastating round of carbine fire and broke a French line battalion in one volley.

As ever though, these flank engagements were mere side shows. The battle would be decided by the infantry clash in the centre. Unlike previous battles I managed to keep my artillery in line with my infantry so they could support the infantry volleys and help offset the French numerical advantage. With my firing line set I waited for Neil's French to advance towards me. After the first few volleys and a French bayonet charge we had both sustained losses so Neil's infantry pulled back slightly to allow his second wave of infantry to come into the line.

Here my elite 6th Grenadier regiment are marching into the line to fill the gap left after the 7th Erbprinz infantry had broken. After that brief pause the volleys ensued before the Hessians fixed bayonets and charged in.

That final bayonet charge was enough to shatter the French front line so General Neil offered the honours of war. My remaining infantry were in bad shape and time was getting on so I accepted and took the minor victory.

Another narrow win for the Hessians but it was a close run thing and, once again, I think that the quality of my trained battalions won out over Neil's mostly conscript force. However, this is a campaign not a battle. Half my infantry and 2 out of 3 cavalry regiments have now been reduced to conscript status after the losses sustained today, severely reducing the qualitative advantage I have. Neil's French remain a mix of trained and conscript battalions and his numerical superiority may prove decisive in the next battle.

Like a general without a mission...

 The plan for yesterday was for me to cross the Pennines to meet up with m'colleague Neil for a game of Maurice, the next in our Succession War. The Wintersmith and Storm Arwen had other ideas however and Neil woke up to 4 inches of snow on his street. The Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass were both closed due to heavy snowfall so we had to abandon the fixture.

So here is Giovanni Di Tripponi, the latest Notable attracted to my cause who was set to be appointed as my Chief Of Staff. We shall have to resume our war on another weekend, when the passes have reopened.

I love the smell of pastries in the morning: The Battle For Denmark Day 2

 Having only taken 6 photos on the first day, I was determined to do better on the Sunday. By the end though I had only managed 11 and one of them was just of a tape measure that I had taken by mistake...

Day 2 in the West German sector saw my infantry finally mop up the remaining Warpac troops in the woods. Ian's reinforcements arrived in the shape of another infantry BTR60 battalion and T55 battalion. Having bravely advanced into a storm of Milan, Racketpanzer and Jagdpanzer Kanone fire, it was clear that they would not be able to breakthrough and this part of the battlefield seemed secure. On my left flank the situation was less favourable.

Mark W's Danes had been having a torrid time on the left, being assaulted by 2 Soviet naval battlegroups and waves of helicopter attacks. The 2 homeguard companies defending the docks had been swept aside so the Danish defence was centred around the town of Haderslaf. To the left of this shot, a company or so of tooled up Spetsnaz had landed and were occupying the other side of the bridge. In the top left a battalion of BTR mounted infantry are preparing to cross the river.

To the Danish front and right, naval infantry had taken cover, waiting for a recently landed T72 battalion just visible in the top right.

In a bid to relieve some of the pressure on our Danish allies I brought on another 2 companies of Leopard 1s that has been held back on day 1.

My other Leopard 1 companies, meanwhile, had taken cover in "Blockbuster Wood" and engaged the Soviet tanks & ATGMs on the heights. This certainly achieved the desired effect of catching their attention, as it brought down a hail of response fire upon me.

Meanwhile, over on the NATO centre, the Soviets had reinforced and continued their attack on Vojens airfield.

The British defenders of Vojens airfield resumed the Fury v Wilder-esque slugfest of the day before.

My recently arrived Leopard 1s took up a hull down position on this hill and engaged the T72 battalion.

Late in the game, the T72 battalion charged the remaining Leopards in Blockbuster Wood, including their Gepard who gamely blazed away at the oncoming Soviet tanks, almost managing to take one out. The T72s then started taking casualties from my Leopards on the hill.

We called the game after turn 11. At this point it was clear that the Danes and West Germans had done enough to to stop Haderslaf from falling, though they had been flanked by the battalion of infantry that had crossed the river. On the NATO right the USMC had successfully defended Ribe, but the British had finally succumbed to overwhelming pressure and the Soviets managed to break through at Vojens.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. My thanks to Richard P for organising the game and his amazing scenery and to Andy H and Steve G of Grimsby Wargames Society for hosting us and keeping us fed and watered. My thanks also to all the old friends and new who took part in the right spirit of competitive yet gentlemanly gaming, along with plenty of laughs and robust banter. Let's not leave it as long before the next game!

The Battle For Denmark

 It's our annual big CWC meet up this weekend. After last year's cancellation (after last year full stop really) it's been great to catch up with the chaps and meet a few new faces too. This year we have returned to the Danish-West German border for the game. To my shame, I've been enjoying the game that much that I've only taken a handful of photos.

The dockyards, scene of a Soviet naval landing and more fantastic scenery by Mr Richard Phillips.

My Marders. After dropping off their infantry they set up a "Milan screen" and helped put Ian's T55s to the sword. Behind them my Leopard 1s have taken cover and started shooting up the Red Peril.

Ian's BTR mounted infantry withstood a barrage of fire but continued to advance bravely. In the background his T55s lost out in a long range firefight with my Leos and Marders.

Looking to my right across the other sectors of the battlefield defended by British infantry and the USMC.

The high mark of the Soviet advance in the centre. The battle for the airfield developed into a right tear up as Soviet T64s engaged a handful of British Chieftains and Milan posts at point-blank range, before being repulsed.

Meanwhile, the battle for the woods in my sector was turning into a bloodbath as Ian's Soviet infantry repeatedly close assaulted the West German defenders.

On my right another couple of infantry companies mauled an advancing Soviet infantry battalion.

So at the end of day 1, the NATO centre and right are looking secure. On the left however, the Danes are struggling to hold back the Soviet naval and airborne landings...

The Battle of St Germanus of Auxerre

 Apparently 31 July is the feast day of St Germanus of Auxerre. It was also the day that I crossed the Pennines to meet up with m'colleague Neil for the first time since late 2019 for a game, so that is the name we adopted for our battle. This was a 7 Years War encounter using the Maurice rules. We've had plenty of battles in this setting before but this was the first time that I had a complete army so we designed 100 points ish armies using the Succession Wars rules. The game would pit my Hesse Kassel Reinforcement of His Britannic Majesty's Army against Neil's Frenchies.

The battlefield and initial deployment. My Hessians are on the right, Neil's French on the left. We both made use of National Advantages and both had picked Deadly Volleys and Cadence.

My Light Brigade formed my left flank, consisting of the Buckeberg Carabiniers mounted and on foot plus a battalion of Jaegers. Their job was to occupy the town and woods to my left.

The infantry formed my centre, here in columns ready to march, while my cavalry brigade took the right flank.

Neil's French, in line and ready for battle. The infantry unit in the foreground are a Scottish Jacobite regiment that he forgot to move in his first few turns and so played no part in the battle. As they were one of his more powerful units this was a costly error.

The game started with both armies advancing to contact. It quickly became clear that the open valley in the centre of the battlefield was where the action would be decided. I took advantage of the Cadence advantage and quickly deployed an unbroken line of 4 battalions, with Jaegers in the woods to their left and decided to let the French come to me. We also selected some Notables for this game. One of mine conferred a +1 to hit on any unit it joined. I attached him to the Lieb Regiment, one of my infantry battalions. However, some careless deployment saw the Lieb Regiment form part of my second line so could not use this advantage until late in the game.

On my left the Light infantry had quickly garrisoned the town and a wood to its right. The Buckeberg Carabiniers, scouting forward, found the French artillery within charge range and unsupported. This was too tempting so they unsheathed the sabres and charged the guns. Through some poor dice rolls (poor dice rolling became a feature of both sides' cavalry during the battle) the close assault was inconclusive and the Carabiniers fell back. Next turn Neil invoked a volley, the French gunners calmly loaded grapeshot and blew the Carabiniers away. First blood to the French.

On the right, both army's cavalry became embroiled in an ineffectual melee. As usual, it was the infantry who would decide the day.

My infantry, deployed into 2 lines, waiting for the approaching French.

After a few volleys one French battalion had broken. The French fixed bayonets and charged the Hessian line. After the numerous melees had been resolved, the Hessian 7th Erbprinz Regiment and 5/8 converged Grenadiers had been broken, with no French losses. However, their exertions had left several French battalions in a perilous state. A bombardment from my artillery was enough to break the French Grenadiers and, once my second line of infantry had marched forward, a few more volleys were enough to break several more French battalions. Meanwhile, on the right, my cavalry had slowly started to get the upper hand and had routed a French cavalry regiment. At this point, General Neil offered his sword and I accepted the honours of war.

Final positions, as the continuous volley of muskets takes its toll on the French and their centre starts to collapse.

So, first blood to the Hessians and, despite the final butcher's bill, quite a tight game until the very end. This is the first time that we have chosen our own forces, rather than use a historical scenario. The various armies in Maurice are all quite similar, so it was interesting to see how different our 2 armies are. My Hessians are a small force, but all trained. Neil by contrast has gone for a mix of trained and conscript, resulting in a significantly larger force but of a lesser quality. In the tight confines of this battle he could not bring that numerical superiority to bear, so in the end I think that the quality of my troops made the difference. In a more open field this situation could be reversed.

In the post battle admin my broken battalions have been reformed, but of conscript quality (even my elite converged Grenadiers frustratingly) and my 1st Prince Wilhelm cavalry have become elite. That very useful Notable who conferred a +1 to hit modifier had apparently decided that they'd had their shilling's worth out of him and retired.

Neil has added a write up of the battle from the French point of view on his blog over at asandboxinsheffield.blogspot.com