Napoleonics: French v. Austrians

French:
Steve:  2 cav brigades of 2 dragoons, 1 hussar plus 1 horse gun.
Mitch & Rob: Each 1 infantry division od 4 line, 1 light & 1 gun.
Austrians:
Mike: 1 infantry brigade of 6 line, 1 grenadier, 1 gun
John: 1 infnatry brigade of 6 landwehr,   yeger & 2 guns.
Tyler: 2 cavalry brigades of 1 cuirassier, 1 dragoon, 1 hussar.

The French are on the left.  Both sides put their cavalry on the near flank.  The Landwehr are in the Austrian centre. 

Both side hold back with their cavalry.  The French advance in the centre.  The Austrians have sent 2 battalions on a flanking mission on the far side. 

The French attack on the ridge was successful on their left making a hole in the Austrian line.  But their right was stopped & the Landwehr are counterattacking the French right.

The Austrian flank march was stopped by French deployed in the RH orchard.  The French attempt to widen the breach has been countered.  Mike has been trying to counterattack out of the LH orchard but has been thwarted by bad command dice.

The cavalry has finally started to advance on each other. 
Both Austrian infantry divisions are now couterattacking.

 The centre French infantry division has broken, the other is hard pressed.

The cavalry fight is providing mixed results.

The cavalry fight has ended in stalemate with both sides losing 1 brigade & the other too shaken to continue fighting.  
The Austrian line division has broken, but the Landwehr outnumber the surviving French division & are slowly closing in for the kill.
The French infantry break next move to give the Austrians are hard fought victory.

AWI Musket Action

British: Mike & Steve.
French & Colonials: Mark & Jim. 
Rules: Musket Action = Bolt Action house ruled for the black powder era.
Scenario: 5 objectives - winner determine don objective held at the end.  Casualties as tie breaker.
Set up: Turn 0: Place units as dice drawn within 18" of own edge (no moving or firing allowed). 

The French are on the left. The objectives are: The church, the farmhouse, the two ridges near the centre & the road exit on the near edge (just out of shot).

The Brits rush light troops forward to grab the church & farmhouse.  The French advance in the centre.  The Brits send the Hessians forward left of centre but hold back on their ridge with the Brit regs.  Both side's send their cavalry to grab the objective near the near table edge.  The subsequent cavalry fight was a disaster for the French. They lost both cavalry troops while inflicting minimal losses on the enemy.

The battle is joined all along the line with exchanges of musketry.

The British cavalry are wrapping around the French right. Two colonial coys turn the face them as 3 others take on a Hessian battalion in the orchard.  The French Grenadiers have now advanced on the left of the orchard.

The French grenadiers ahve made a hole in the British line & are ready to attack the ridge.  The  Hessians have fallen back of the orchard to cover their flank.  The British dragoons have disposed on one infantry coy.

On the last turn the French desperately attacked the church & farmhouse but British Indians & Canadian Milita held on to them.  The Grenadiers did take the ridge, but it's still a clear British victory.

It was very likely all decided by the cavalry fight in turn 2.  The decisive British cavalry win not only gave them an objective but meant two Colonial coys had to pulled out of the attack on the farmhouse to cover the exposed French flank.  If the cavalry had gone the other way, the French would not only have taken that objective but the farmhouse surely wouldn't have held out either.

Tank War Sunday at Area 52

I organised a Bolt Action Tank War event at the Area 52 games shop this Sunday afternoon.  The object of the exercise was to give other Bolt Action players a chance to try BA Tank Wars on a big table - which we at Camp Cromwell have decided is the best way to play it. 

There were 2 games each payed on 8'x6' tables with teams of 2 players - each player having a 1,250 point tank platoon.  Both games used the standard tank war scenario with 7 objectives.

Game 1:
John's Brits + Rusty's US v. Steve & Frankie's Germans on an Italian table set up by John.

On the far end, John's Brits made measured advance using cover from ridges & woods plus smoke against Steve's platoon.  On the near flank Russ & Frankie engaged at longer range. 

Steve's Panthers killed a lot of tin cans, but  not fast enough to stop their advance.

On the other flank Rusty's US kept Frankie's huns busy.

It ended in a  decisive Allied victory with the Allies finishing with 6 of the 7 objectives. 

Game 2:
Mike's US & Daryll's Brits v. Rob & Tyler's Germans.

On the near flank, Daryll's Churchills faces off Rob's Panthers.  The far flank Mike's Yanks face Tyler's Mk IV's.

The big tanks on both sides achieved little.  The MkIV's & Detroit's finest kept each other busy witht the Germans getting the worst of it.  But the German's gained the advantage with bold use of their three Panzergrenadier squads & their recon.  One squad rushed forward, detrucked & took out a Churchill with their fausts.  On the other flank a squad too out a Chaffey.  In the centre the third squad advanced thru the village, took heavy casulaties from an M10, then blew it away.

In another bold move a half track roared down the road to take out an M10 with its doorknocker.

After taking out the Chaffey, Tyler's Panzergrens took teh rocky hill from the GI's.

The Germans won a ripping game with 4 objectives to 2 (one not taken), having shown that Tank Wars is not all about the big pussies.

We are fortunate to have such a good venue where we can put on events like this.  Everyone enjoyed the games & are keen for more such non-competitive events.     

More Big Bolt Action Tank War

2 x 1250 pts Late War platoons on 10'x6' table.
Mark & Mike: US v. Jim & Steve: Germans

Jim's Hetzers & Mk III's on near side left.  Steve's Panthers on the right.
Mike on the US right, Mark on US left.
There are 7 objectives. 1 at each place where a road enters the table (6" from edge).  1 at the farm house, 1 in the village & 1 on each of the two ridges nearest the centre.
The round tress are orchards =  BA standard woods - can see in or out of but not thru, no doubling.
The pine trees on the hills are thick woods.  Visibility 6". Max move 6". No wheeled, tracked take bogging roll if moving: tanks bog on 1, half tracks bog on 1-2.  Bog = stop & go down for this move.

On the left the Germasn have grabbed the objective on the road, but the US are winning the tank duel.  The US get to the farmhouse first, but a Hetzer & 2 panzergrenadier squads are disputing the objective.  There are lot of tanks dancing around the woods & orchards on the far flank.  The Germans have taken the objective in the village. 

On the left the Hetzers have struck back & destroyed all but 1 US tank with 2 Hetzers left (1 in the orchard beside the house).  The German attack on the house resulted in MAD, but the Hetzer secured the objective.  On the right the tanks traded blows as the US inf moved up to attack the village.  A Sherman sent ona  flaking mission on the far table edge struck a telling lucky blow by taking out a Panther in the village in a front on fight. 

After turn 6 the Germans held 5 objectives to 2.  In turn 7 the Germans in the village held off the US attack, but on the left the remaining Jackson ran thru the fire of 2 Hetzers to take the road objective & on the far flank that damn Sherman dodged Panther fire to take the road objective in the German rear, so the US staggered over the line to win 4 objectives to 3.

It was a rattling good game.  The first turns took a long time, slowed by much US indecision & a lot of units to be actioned one at a time.  But as casualties mounted the game sped up & we finished in 2 & 1/2 hours.

Bolt Action Tank War

Each side had two 1250 pt tank platoons.
Steve: 2 King Tigers & a halftrack with Pak 40.
Jim: 3 Hetzers, 1 MkIII, 1 Puma & 2 small panzer grenadiers.
Mark: 2 Sherman, 1 Cromwell, 1 Firefly, 2 small vet inf in bugs, 1 PIAT.
Mike: 3 Shermans, 2 M10's, 1 M8 A/C, 12 inf in M3 HT.

The Germans are on the left, the Allies on the right.  Steve's pussies sat back on the left with a good field of fire, the Hetzers moved up hull down behind the ridge in the centre & the infnatry & light armour advanced through the village & orchards on the German right.
Mike's US are on the Allied right, Mark's Brits on their left.

The armour traded fire mostly at long range & from hull down.  The Allies never got close enough to do hurt the KT's & concentrated fire on the Hetzers.  The Hetzers had a charmed live while the Allied armour was  slowly whittled away by the heavier German shells. 
The German attack through the village did no go well for them.  The Puma was poped as soon as it showed oit's nose.  The MkIII was was popped by the PIAT.  The Panzergrenaders cleaned up most of the Brit infantry, but were themselves destroyed by the mg fire of the bugs & M8.  

In the end the Germans lost 2 tanks, Puma & 2 infantry sections while the Allies lost 5 tanks, 1 inf, Piat, jeep & bug, so a decisive German win. 

American War of Independance

After several good small games in the period using our Musket Action rules we decided to try a bigger AWI battle with our Hail Napoleon rules.

British: Mike & John.  1 British brigade of 4 line, 1 grenadier & 1 light inf, 2 German mercenary brigades of 4 line inf, 1 cavalry brigade of 3, 2 guns & 4 Indian bands.  Command 9.
Colonials: Jim & Mark.  1 French brigade of 5 line & 1 grenadier, 2 Colonial inf brigades of 4 line, 1 cavalry brigade of 3, 2 guns, 4 Indian bands & 1 woodsman rifle battalion. Command 9 except Colonial infantry 8

The British are on the far side.  From the left of pic: Cavalry, British, guns, 2x Germans, Indian in woods.
Colonials from left of pic: Cavalry, guns, Colonials (2nd line) , French, 2 Indians, Colonials, 2 Indians & woodsmen (in woods).  

The Germans are advancing on the village with Indians in the woods on their flank in the woods.
The Colonials are advancing into a defensive position in the village, the french are advancing on their left.  The Colonials& guns on the left have failed to respond to orders to advance.

The cavalry has slowly advanced to cover their army's flank.  The French & British infantry are exchanging volleys.  The British artillery has stopped the French advance on the left of the orchards.  The Germans are assaulting the village & orchards. The Indians & woodsmen are skirmishing indecisively in the woods.

The French, fearing that the outnumbered Colonials won't hold the village have attacked with their cavalry on the left & turned the right of their infantry right to assist the defence of the orchard.

The French cavalry attack had mixed success, but heading for stalemate.  In the centre there are heavy losses on both sides, but the fresh Colonial infantry reserve has now moved to the front.  In the orchards, the Colonials got a bit of luck & with the help of the French on their left broke the German brigade in the orchards. The other German brigade has taken the church, but the battle seems to have suddenly turned in favour of the Colonials.

The cavalry of both sides has fallen back to rally.  The colonials in the centre have been driven back by British fire, but the French have rolled forward again.  The British guns continue to keep the French right back.  The colonials in the village are making a fighting withdrawal from the 2nd German brigade.  The Indians & woodsmen continue indecisive skirmishing in the woods.

A charge by the French grenadiers on their left broke through the British line.  The Colonial Indians in the centre advanced through the orchards & flanked the British line which is now breaking.  The Brits now have lost 2 brigades broken out of 4 while the Colonials have lost no brigades.  The British fail their Army Break test.

The Colonial/French plan - to bog down the enemy in the village to gain superior numbers for an attack in the centre looked a bit shaky when the well sited British artillery drove back the centre of the French/Colonial line.  But the support of a French line unit & some heroic dice throwing from Mark in the orchard got the plan back on track.  The Inexperienced Colonial infantry reserve was slow to move up & not very effective, but in the short time they staying in the front line they added enough casualties to the Brits to allow the French to make a second & decisive drive at the end.

Sunday Bolt Action at Good games

Jim's Australians v. Chris' Japanese, 1,000 pts, Demolition Scenario.

Deployed for battle.  The scattered trees represent jungle with visibilty 12".  The green & yellow patches are open ground.  The huts near the rear table edges are the objectives.

The Australians push forward on the whole front.  The Japanese advance on their right.

The veteran Australians are getting the upper hand over the regular Japanese & have swept forward on the right where the opposing light tanks are trading ineffective shots.

The Australians are now attacking across the whole front, but at the end of turn 6 the Japanese commander & an infantry unit are still defending the objective - so still a tie situation.

The dice decreed a 7th turn U though the Japanese tank popped the Honey, it copped a PIAT round up its rear end & also died completing the total destruction of the Japanese force & an Australian victory.

John & Rusty were also fighting Bolt Action on another table.