Bolt Action Tank War

As Mike had completed a 1500 pt early war British desert armoured force I designed an Afrika Korps Pamzer list for the same period.  Then I realised that I didn't have a 28mm 88.  A quick Google & I had a 3D file & my 3D printer had one ready for action just in time.

The British (Mike & Chris) are on the left with 3 Matildas & lots of support guns & infantry.  The Germans (SteveJ, Mark & Jim) had 4 MkIIIG's a MkII, the brand new 88, & half as much infantry.  

Alas after the fuss of getting the 88 into action, it's performance was a total anti-climax.  In turn 1 the 88 fired just one ineffective shot before the British mortar ranged in & killed the entire crew.  The 88 was later re-manned with a mortar crew & it got back into action late in the battle, but it still failed to achieve anything except immobilising a Matilda that didn't have to move anyway.

Meanwhile the battle had raged on.  The Brits did well early, but Germans hit back & when time ran out the honiours were even, with both sides losing just 4 units, though with others decimated.
 

Maloyaroslavets 14 Oct 1812

Another Age of Eagles scenario fought with 28mm figs & our M2M house rules.
Russians: SteveJ & Chris.
French: Mike, Mitch & Jim.

The French are coming from the far side in a road column, crossing the river & deploying around Maloyaroslavets. 
Cosacks have come on from the far left & the head of a Russian column is about to start deploying in front of the village.

Eugene's Corps is now fully deployed with infantry & artillery in & around the village & cavalry on the flanks.
The Cossack have been charged by French cavalry on the far flank.
The 1st Russian Divison has deployed facing the French right.
A 2nd Russian Division is starting to deploy facing the French left.

Davout's Corps has arrived to support Eugene.
On the far flank French cavalry have forced the Russians into square to make good targets for the french foot.
On the near flank French cavaly is delaying the Russian deployment by forcing them to be careful.
There is an exchange of musket & artillery fire in the centre, with both sides fighting mainly in line.

In the centre Russian columns from the 2nd Division have broken thru the French front line & gained foothold in the village.  On the near flank the French cavlry has fallen back in the face of massed Russian columns, but they have bought time for Davout to reinforce the French left with his 2nd brigade..
Right of centre, the French have pulled back their front line after taking heavy casulaties, but have been reinfoced by Davout's 1st brigade.

On the near flank the Chasseurs have charged the columns & while repulsed, they have further delayed their attack. 
Left of centre, the Russian breakthrough has been beaten off by the French 2nd line.
Right of centre, the French are retiring to a reverse slope position, but still occupy the houses in the village.
On the right a cavalry v. square stalement suits the French, & the Cheveaux Legere brigade is now being moved to the left

On the left, the Chasseurs have been withdrawn leaving Davout's veterans to face the Russian columns, but their attack was beaten off with sufficient loses to break the Division. 
On the right the French infantry have completed an orderly withdrawal to a reverse slope thru the village to avoid Russian artillery fire.
The Russian 1st Divison is still in good shape, but on it's own it has no alternaytive but to withdraw as dusk closes in.
So in our version of 1812, Napoleon's army may have the option of marching south to the Ukraine.  My analysis is that the French use of their cavalry superiority was the key to their victory.  Though the French cavalry were too few to be decisive itself, the French used them well to delay the Russian advance long enough for Davout to stiffen the defence before Eugene could be over-run. 

Weisseritz 27 August 1813

This is a scenario from Age of Eagles.  Bonapart has orderd Victor, with support from Murat, to take the bridge at Plauen in preparation for the battle of Dresden next day. 
Fought using our M2M house rules & 28mm figs.
French: Mark & Mitch.
Austrians: Steve, Chris & Mike.

Pic taken from behind the Austrians.
Victor's corps is advancing on the French left, Murat's cavalry on the French right.
The Austrians have infantry & artillery in the village of Ober-Gorbitz forward of their line, supported by cavalry on the ridge behind.  An infantry division is deployed near the bridge at Plauen.  Another infantry division is coming up in support.

Murat's 1st cavalry division is advancing past Ober-Gorbitz towards the bridge.  The Austrians to their front have formed squares.  Victor is angling his advance towards Ober-Gorbitz.

Victor is attacking Ober-Gorbitz with his infantry.  Murat's 2nd division is advancing past the village on the French right. The Austrians behind the river line on their right have been driven back by French fire.

Murat's 2nd division has charged the Austian cavalry on the ridge.  Victor is making slow progress in his attack on the village.  Murat's 1st division has forced the Austrian infantry into square but the French artillery have not caught up, & it is the cavalry that is suffering from artillery fire in the centre.

After putting up stout resistance the Austrian cavalry are now hard pressed by the superior numbers of French cavalry.  The Austrians in the village are still holding up Victor's infantry.  Murat's 1st division has been withdrawn in the centre, replaced by a French battery.

The Austrian cavalry has finally broken, as have the defenders of the village.  But they have done their job.  It has taken the french so long to sudue them that they have insufficient time left before dark to take the bridge.  The Austrians have won.

The Austrians made a sound defensive deployment.  The French plan to turn the enemy's left took too long due to a bit of dithering, & to stubborn Austrian defence (helped by some hot dice).  The French also failed to properly coordinate their cavalry & artillery in the centre. 

WWII Tank War

Jim's Germans v. Chris' US
Encounter battle using house rules & 15mm figures.

Pics are from behind the Germans.  Their infnatry are on foot so being left behind by the rapid advance of Pak 40's down the road & armour on their right.
The US are advancing in two groups.  Armoured infatry & M10s on the ridge & armoured innfatry, Shermans & Honeys on the other flank.

The Germans are deploying their paks to cover their lefr flank & concreting their armour on the right.

The Armour have come within range of each other.  The Germans have lost a MkIV, but the paks & Panthers are taken out 2 Shermans & 2 M10's. 

The US armour has struck back, taking out the Mk IVs, but the Panthers have in turn destroyed all the US armour.  The US infantry on the ridge on the right have been pinned down by artillery fire & the other platoon has lost the race for the village.  

The US infantry on the ridge have failed morale & are withdrawing under a baraage of artillery, tank mgs & infantry fire & with that the US fail army morale.  It is  decisive German victory.

Medieval 28mm

Lancaster: Mike & Chris
York: Jim
Rules our M2m house rules.

The Lancs are deployed on long ridge, but to negate that advantage the secenrio rule stated that the Yorks win if the Lancs don't defeat them.  The Yorks deployed first trying to use the patches of wood to their advantage.  The Lancs deployed all their cavalry on their left flank & immediately made a general advance.

The Yorks redeplyed their left flank cavalry to counter the concentrated enemy cavalry, advanced their left & set up a defence in the centre.

Both sides are winning some & losing somne in the cavalry fight while the foot slog it out in the centre.

The Lancs have won the first round of teh caavlry fight but the Yorks are countattacking. The Lancs foot are gaining the upper hand in & adjacent to the wood, but the Yorks are winning  left of centre.  On the far flank the Yorks men at arms have charged with bowmen on the flanks providing support.

The Yorks cavalry have been broken as has their right flank foot.  But their centre is holding & their left flank has got the upper hand.

The Yorks centre has redeployed to face the victorious Lancs left flank foot & horse which is preparing to attack.  The Yorks left has finished off their opposition & are moving to support their centre. 

The first Lancs cavalry attack has been beaten off by spearmen but the cavalry have renewed the attack while their bowmen rain arrows on the rest of the Yorks line.

The second wave of cavalry was too much for the Yorks foot & it has broken thru. It's all over for the house of York.



 

WWII: Reprise of Attack/Defend scenario

We did yesterday's scenario again with more players.
US: Mark & Mitch.
Germans: Jim & Chris.

As the US players were not present yesterday the germans used the same hidden deployment.
But this time the US deployed their entire force on their left flank.

2 Honey's were popped by Pak ambushes before 3 of the 4 Paks were knocked out.  The germans are re-deploying one infnatry platoon from the left to the centre.  They have also moved their Panzers to teh right where they are engaging the motorised infantry coming round the german right flank.

The Sherman troop has deployed hull down on the far escarpment to engage the MkIVs.
The US motorised infantry are advancing on the Germans right flank platoon. front & flank.

The tabk duel is so far indecisive but the German right flank platoon has been destroyed by a converging attack.

The US infantry is now attacking the germasn platoon in the church yard. 
The 2 surviving M10's & the 2 surviving Honeys have moved up to support the Shermans while 3 Shermans advance.   After several turns of indecisive between the Shermans & MkIVs, a flurry of sixes from the Honeys & a Bazooka turn the tide & the suddenly MkIV platoon is broken. 

With their supporting armour gone, the remaining German infantry have no chance againsy overwheming numbers & the germans concede.
 Better US strategy & a German mistake provided a much different result than yesterday. The Germans should have advanced their Panzers past the wood to close the range on the Shermans & knocked them out before the M10's & Honeys arrived.
  

WWII: US v. Germans: Attack/Defend Scenario

Jim's Germans defending v. Chris' US.
Figures: 15mm FOW.
Rules: Our house rules mix of FOW & BA.

The US are coming on the far side of the table with the objective of breaking thru down the road past the church.  The US have a numerical advantage of 33% & are entirely motorised, but the Germans are dug in, hidden & in ambush.  The German units are placed on a tray with cards face down corresponding the their location. They will be revealed either when they open fire or the enemy come within 12". 

The first germans to be revealed are Pak 40's opening up from ambush. 

The Paks have taken out 3 AFV,s but have lost 3 themselves.  German infantry have opened up with rifle & mg fire on the open topped vehicles & Panzerscrecks at tanks.

A troop of MkIVs have appeared on the ridge on the German left.

The Panzers have lost one to artillery fire, but have destroyed the US right.  They have now turned right to assist their right flank.  The US infantry had dismounted & asaulted the fence line, a move that coudl ahve turend the battle in their favour, but the Germans beat them off & they are pinned down behind their half tracks.  The Shermans have turned right to take on the Panzers.

The US infantry have broken under  heavy fire from the German infantry & tank MGs.  been The Sherman took out 2 Panzers, but the remaining 2 passed morale & fought back reducing the Sherman platoon to one tank.  It passed morale, but as the only surving US team has no choice but to retreat.  

The result indicates that the attacker may need a bit more advantage in this scenario than we gave them.
 

 

Salem Church Scenario 1863

US: Mitch, SteveJ & Chris
Confederates: Renfrey & Mike
12x6 table. 28mm figs. M2M house rules.

The Rebs deployed a brigade on the table wioth the objective of defending the ridge on the right beside the church.
The US deployed second on the left hand side with 2 brigades.
Both sides have reinforcements coming, but don't know how many & when. 

The Rebs have deployed part of their brigade in a skirmish line in the woods in the valley in front of their position around the church.
The Union have one brigade dvancing in the cnetre & another on the far flank.

Reb reinforcements have arrived & iare advancing to support the skirmish line.  Part of their 1st brigade  has moved to the right to mmet the Union's flnaking force.
Another Union brigade has apeared behind their right flank.

Firefights now extend right along the line witht he Rebs giving ground. 

Another small brigade of reinforcements has arrived & deployed in & beside the chgurch, but the main Reb line is being driven back up the ridge.

The rebel force has failed it army morale test before nightfall so the Union have won.  The Rebs failed to make enough advantage out of defence to make up for the Union's superior numbers.