20ww WWII RAPIDFIRE: CASSEL MAY 1940

Yesterday at home I organised a 20mm RapidFire game for the Gothenburg Gamers based on the Battle of Cassel in May 1940.  This was a rearguard action fought by 145 Brigade against 6th Panzer Division during the withdrawal to Dunkirk.

I have left the game setup as we intend to finish the game in July after which I will post a full report here which will include the OB.  Next time I will find my Stuka.  Thanks to my wife Helena for preparing the pre-game dinner which was a great starter to an enjoyable evening.

The troops came mainly from my collection supplemented by contingents from Donald Adamson, Dave O'Brien and Bill Miller.  Here are  some of my photos. 

Town centre - British hidden in the buildings with the two  East Riding Cavalry squadrons reading to counter-attack

German Recce Battalion of Kamfpgruppe Esenback sweep towards the east of Cassel

Main German force from Kamfpgruppe Kolb drives up the road to Dunkirk

Tank Coy moving on the Water Tower at the west end of Cassel

Luftwaffe FB attacks the East Riding MKVIb Light tank

20MM RAPID FIRE: LISSJANKA 1944

On Thursday I played a 1944 Eastern Front Rapid Fire scenario at the SESWC.  It was the Lissjanka scenario from
http://www.worldoptions.com.au/fourpipers/…/lissjankarf2.pdf

It proved a bloodbath and a draw. Luckily the Soviets go first in the game and I managed to decimate the leading Panther unit with my Pakfronts first volley.   I provided the Red Army (sadly I forgot my Sturmovik) and Bart provided the Germans.

Pakfront faces massed German armour

Soviet armoured reserves - Frontline resin T34/76s

Bart's burning Panthers

Here is the Red Army OB all regular

Elements 5th Guards Tank Corps

20th Tank Brigade

HQ T34/76, BA64 a/car

1st, 2nd & 3rd Battalions each 2 x T34/76 (AT3)

1499th Anti-tank Artillery Regiment

16 figures, 4 x 76.2mm ATG, 4 x medium trucks

Motor rifle battalion (test @ 20 casualties)

HQ CO + 3 figures, ATR, car
1st, 2nd and 3rd Companies each 8 figures, medium truck
HW Company 12 figures, MMG, 82mm mortar, 57mm ATG
37mm AA, 3 x medium truck
Gun Company 3 figures, 76.2mm ATG, medium truck

Sturmovik 2 x 37mm, 2 x light bombs

20MM RAPIDFIRE: THE ROAD TO DUBNO 26TH JUNE 1941

Having been inspired by last week’s Mtsensk game I put together another 20mm Operation Barbarossa Rapidfire game for my visit to Falkirk Wargames Club.  I supplied the troops, scenario and most of the scenery.  I setup a scenario so that I could use my T35 tanks.

T35s rumble onto the table and one breaks down!

Background
On 26^th October 8th Mechanised Corps was ordered to counter-attack attack the German advance.  Its 34th Tank Division and elements of the 12th Tank Division advanced northwards, cutting the main road between Dubno and Brody.  The 34^th then advanced east towards Dubno.  This forced the 16th Panzer Division to wheel round and attack the 34th Tank Division in the area of Verba in order to clear the road. 

The 34th Tank Division was the only division equipped with T35 tanks.  They had previously served with the 50th Tank Brigade - the Moscow parade unit. 

BT7 and T26 battalions lead the advance

How the game played

This is a tank heavy meeting engagement and both sides were limited in the numbers of units that could enter each turn.  Dave Paterson commanded the Soviets, Kevin Bowman the Germans whilst I umpired. 

The Germans started the game sweeping onto the table with their 2 companies of Panzer IIIs which the Soviets countered with thei T26 and Bt7 battalions.  In turn 2 the Soviet T35 land dreadnoughts drove onto the table but one of them immediately broke down.  A single heavy damge hit caused the BT7 battalion to flee from the table.  The plucky T26s and the giant T35s fought on eventually destroying both companies of Panzer IIIs.  However the Germans finally got their antitank unit and lighter vehicles into action and they dealt with the T26s – one surviving tank fleeing the table.  The 2 mobile T35s were then destroyed by the Panzer IVs and that effectively ended the game.  I am going to restage this game at the SESWC in 2 weeks.

German armour advancing but 1st company is in trouble

Historically the 34^th Tank division had no T35s surviving on 27 June – just 5 days into the campaign.

OB

34th Tank Division

68th Tank Regt

1st btn: 3 T35 Land Dreadnoughts *
2nd btn: 4 BT7 fast tanks
3rd btn: 4 T26 light tanks

34th Motor Rifle Regt, 1st btn

HQ:  CO + 3 figures including 50mm Mtr, car
Rifle Coy:  8 figures, truck
Rifle Coy:  8 figures, truck
Rifle Coy:  8 figures, truck
Supp Coy:  MMG, 82mm Mtr, 6 figures, truck

34th Recon Btn

2 T37/38 Light Amphib Tanks, FAI armoured car (Note:  I forgot this unit for the game so substituted a flamethrowing T26 tank)

NOTES

Morale – Regular.  Infantry test as 1 unit. 
Tanks and armoured cars are poor except for T35 battalion which are elite. 
Tanks and armoured cars test per battalion

*T35s are unreliable so after moving dice and on a 6 the model breaks down.  It can still fire but cannot move.

Tank battle in full swing.....

Two T35s burning -a  sad end to a gallant action

 

16^th PANZER DIVISION KAMPFGRUPPE

2nd PANZER REGT, 1^st Battalion

HQ: PZIII Cmd

1st Coy: 2 PZIII
2nd Coy:2 PZIII
3rd Coy: 2 PZIV
4th Coy: 2 PZII
5th Coy: 2 PZII

16th MC Battalion

HQ: CO + 5 Figs incl ATR, 50mm Mtr, car
1st MC Coy:  9 Figs on 3 MC combinations
2nd MC Coy: 9 Figs on 3 MC combinations
3rd MC Coy:  9 Figs on 3 MC combinations
4th MG Coy: 2 MMG, 81mm Mtr, 9 Figs, truck
5th Hvy Coy:  50mm ATG, 75mm IG, 6 Figs, 2 trucks

16^TH Recon Battalion

Coy: 2 Sd231 6-rad armoured cars

16^th Panzerjager Battalion

Coy:  Panzerjager I
Coy:  3 37mm ATG each 3 crew and tow

Artillery Support

16 PZ Art Regt:  2 105mm How, 8 crew, 2 tows off-table
Plus FO, Car on-table

Morale – Regular. 

Tanks are ELITE. 
Infantry test as 1 unit. 
Tanks and armoured cars test per company.

Update
As stated above I did restage this game this week at the SESWC with slightly changed forces as I had sold a T35 and once again it proved a German victory.  Bart has written a full account on his blog at
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/dubno-brody-1941.html

20MM RAPIDFIRE: MTSENSK 6th OCTOBER 1941

Dave Paterson and I had not decided on our game at Falkirk on Monday so I quickly adapted a game that I played previously.  I supplied the troops, scenario and the club provided the scenery.

The game was a variant on the 1941 Kamenewo scenario in the Rapidfire Eastern Front scenario book.  I simplified the terrain by omitting the river in the original map – moving it of table and revised the German OB to agree with the models I had available.  Dave Paterson commanded the Germans, Kevin Bowman the Soviets whilst I umpired.

Germans advance confidently against the weak Soviet rearguard

The Germans made an impressive start to the game sweeping onto the table and quickly knocking out the rearguards T26 which was dug in near Woin.  The Germans panzers were making good going when on turn 6 the soviet BT7s and T 34 command appeared on the scene.  The shooting of these reinforcements was uniformly abysmal. Next turn the T34s and KV1 appeared and their shooting was not much better.  The game was all over in 2 more moves with the Soviet player conceding at the end of turn 9 by which time their only remaining tank on the field was the T60.  The Germans lost one tank destroyed.  This was a complete reversal of the result the last time I staged this game.  This game has inspired me to do another 1941 game next week

PZIV heavy tank company covers the motorcycle troops

Here is the OBs and briefings for the players.

Soviet Forces

Rearguard

HQ:  CO + 3 figures including 50mm Mtr, car
Rifle Coy:  8 figures
Rifle Coy:  8 figures
Rifle Coy:  8 figures
Supp Coy:  82mm Mtr, 45mm ATG, 6 figures, truck
Att Coy:  T26

Reinforcements

4^TH Tank Brigade HQ  - turn 6
T34/76 , T60

2^nd Tank Battalion – turn 6

4 BT7

1^st Tank Battalion – turn 7

4 T34/76, KV1

4^th Motor Rifle Btn: - turn 8

HQ:  CO + 3 figures including 50mm Mtr, car
Rifle Coy:  8 figures, truck
Rifle Coy:  8 figures, truck
Rifle Coy:  8 figures, truck
Supp Coy:  MMG, 82mm Mtr, 6 figures, truck

Morale.  Test per battalion.  4^th Brigade tanks are ELITE!

Objective

The German objective is to cross the table and advance to Woin.  The Soviet objective is to stop the German advance and drive them back to within 2ft of the fascist entry side. Urraah!

Notes

The Soviet rearguard including the T26 can be dug in any point 2ft north of the south table edge.
Reinforcements enter anywhere along the north table edge.
Woods are impassable to tanks.
The Germans will enter along the road or on their wide left flank due to them crossing the river running along the south table edge.

Soviet armour burning in front of the German right flank

 

German Forces - elements of the 4^th Panzer Division

35th PANZER REGT

HQ: PZIII Cmd
1^st Coy: 2 PZIII
2^nd Coy:2 PZIII
3^rd Coy: 2 PZIV
4^th Coy: 2 PZ38t
5^th Coy: 2 PZII

34^th MC Battalion

HQ: CO + 5 Figs incl ATR, 50mm Mtr, car
1^st MC Coy:  9 Figs on 3 MC combinations
2^nd MC Coy: 9 Figs on 3 MC combinations
3^rd MC Coy:  9 Figs on 3 MC combinations
4^th MG Coy: 2 MMG, 81mm Mtr, 9 Figs, truck
5^th Hvy Coy:  50mm ATG, 75mm IG, 6 Figs, 2 trucks
Attached
Armd Inf Coy: 10 Figs, Sd251

Support

AA Bty:  88mm AA, 5 crew, tow

Morale – Regular.  Infantry test as 1 unit. 
Tanks are ELITE.  Tanks test per company.

Objective

The German objective is to cross the table and advance to Woin.  The Soviet objective is to stop the German advance and drive them back to within 2ft of their entry side.

Notes

The German units must enter in a 1 vehicle wide column along the road and in a 1 vehicle wide column on their left flank.  This simulates them crossing the river Lisiza of the south table edge.  The Panzer Regt must all be on table before any other German units can enter.

Woods are impassable to tanks.

20MM RAPIDFIRE: BERLIN 1945

In November at  Hugh Wilson’s we completed a long term project which was a refight of our 20mm Rapidfire Berlin 1945 game.    We first played this game in my garage in 2008 but we decided that we needed to do more work on the game.  Over the years we obtained more large ruined buildings including a considerable number loaned by Kenny Thomson of Falkirk.  In addition Hugh improved the Tiergartern area by adding shell holes and all the shell blasted trees.  Colin Jack and I provided all the figures.  For this version I painted and based 40 extra Soviet and German vehicles to be used in the city area.  They included lots of heavy Soviet armour - IS2s, ISU152s and ISU122s.

View from the Tiergarten

Ruined city centre

Defenders look down on Soviet armour

The game is a race by 2 soviet armies, one starting at each end of the table for the honour of planting the red flag on the Brandenburg gate.  It took us 2 nights to play thru the game – in 15 turns the Soviets had broken all the German defenders including knocking out the mythical Maus.- but had not raise the red flag.

Panther engages IS2s

ISU152s batter the Tiergarten defences at close range

 
For more photos and descriptions see flickr at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157649797746105/

The full OB is already on Bart Zynda’s blog at

http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/judge-dredd-berlin-update-sedzia-dredd.html

Soviet heavy armour column winds thru a side street

Mythical Maus explodes - shot in the rear

20mm WWII: BATTLE OF MAIRY, LORRAINE, 8 SEPTEMBER 1944

We played this game at the SESWC 2 weeks ago.  It represents the attack of the 106th Panzer Brigade on the 90th US Infantry Division.  Historically this attack was as disastrous as the later attacks that month by Panzer Brigades on the 4th Armoured Division.  The game is based on a scenario which I got from Mark Piper’s 20^th Century Wargaming site on the internet.  I slightly revised the OB to agree with my available models. I supplied all the troops for the game and Colin Jack and I provided most of the roads and buildings.

German AA Cover - but no allied airpower arrived

Scenario Outline
The Panzer Brigade advances onto the table and is met by the HQ elements of the 90^th Division.  Three US infantry battalions with attached supporting units arrive in stages around the battlefield as the game progresses.  The game starts in darkness, which limits all movement and visibility, the arrival of dawn is randomized as is the last move of the game.  Unusually the Germans have an objective of withdrawing 2 of their attacking companies of their own base line.  This is because Hitler had limited this Panzer Brigades involvement in the attack to only 2 days.

Panzer Brigade commander - looking for the Allies - before his rapid strategic withdrawal

How the game played
The German commander took the bulk of the German forces and attacked towards the Foret de Landers but was delayed by the limited movement in the dark.  Finally after a struggle he managed to clear the forest despite the effective off-table US artillery fire.  His advance beyond that point faltered as the US reserves filtered onto the table and even the M5 Stuarts proved effective shooting into the rear of the German armour.  The game lasted 14 turns and ended as a draw with the Germans achieving  2 of their 4 objectives – clearing the forest and withdrawing 2 companies of their baseline.  For once I forgot to take my explosions and smoke to the club and this combined with umpiring limited the number of photos that I took.  Bart Zynda who played the part of the overall German commander has written a more detailed account of the action on his blog at
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/panzer-attack-at-mairy-pancerny-atak-na.html

Victory Conditions

German Objectives

Clear Mairy for at least one ‘turn end’
Clear ‘Forêt de Landres’ for at least one ‘turn end’
Exit 2 companies off table edge at A5 or A6 by game end – the German start point
More American troops destroyed than German.

Germans achieve:

4 Objectives: Major German victory
3 Objectives: Minor German victory
2 Objectives: Draw
1 Objectives: Minor American victory
0 Objectives: Major American victory

Game End

The game lasts 10 turns initially. Then ‘Sudden Death’ turns start:
1.         Roll 1D10 at the beginning of each turn.
2.         If 1D10 < (Sudden Death x 2) then game ends.
Example: D10 Roll = 5.   Game ends if it is ‘Sudden Death’ Turn 3 or higher.

Visibility

The game starts in the early morning hours of darkness.
‘Darkness’ Turns – Visibility: 6”
Maximum movement - Roads: 9”, Other: 6”
‘Dawn’ Turns – Visibility: 12”
Maximum movement - Roads: 15”, Other: 6”
‘Day’ Turns – Visibility: Unlimited
No movement restrictions

‘Darkness’ to ‘Dawn’:

Roll 1D10 at the beginning of each turn.
Divide the die roll by 2 (round down).
If this is less than the turn number, ‘Dawn’ has arrived.
‘Day’ arrives automatically two turns after ‘Dawn’.

Terrain Notes

Many roads had hedges which blocked visibility
Numerous open areas should have fields

The long German column -too long -  the head is finally nearing the forest

German OB

Germans are Conscripts

Stossegruppe 1, Panzer Brigade 106

Stossegruppe HQ

1 Pz V ‘Panther’
1 PzIV ‘Wirbelwind’ w/qd 20mm AA

3 Panzer Companies

Ea 2 Pz V ‘Panthers’

Attached Volksgrenadier Company (attached & riding on tanks)

8 SMG figures

Composite Armoured Panzer Grenadier Btn

HQ of 6 figures, Sd 251Halftrack w/3.7ATG
2 Coys of 8 figures , Sd251 Halftrack
Coy of MMg, 3crew, Sd251 halftrack
End Coy, 8 figures incl Flamethrower, Sd251 Halftrack
Wpn Coy:  20mm Drilling AA SD251 Halftrack
 

US Weapons company deploys

American OB

Americans are Trained

Elements 90th Infantry Division HQ units start in the wooded area: ‘Forêt de Landres’.

90th Div Signal HQ Company
8 Figures incl bazooka
1 M8 Armored Car
 
90th Div Artillery HQ Company
8 figures incl Bazooka
1 M7 SP How

949th Field Artillery Battalion

1 FO jeep + 3 155 Howitzers (off Table)

344th Field Artillery Battalion
1 FO jeep + 3 105 Howitzers  (off Table)

The following Infantry Battalions enter as reinforcements.

I/358 Infantry Battalion enters table edge H6
Attached Company: M4 Sherman
II/359 Infantry Battalion enters table edge D1
Attached Company: 2 M4 Sherman  (1 75mm/1 76mm)
III/359 Infantry Battalion enters table edge A2
Attached Company: 3 M5 Stuart

Each Infantry Battalion enters in the following order:

Turn 3: Infantry Company
Turn 5: Battalion HQ Company + Weapons Company
Turn 7: Infantry Company + Attached
Turn 9: Infantry Company

Each Infantry Battalion has Headquarters & HQ Company

HQ: 6 figures
Weapons Coy:  57mm ATG, Hmg, Mmg, 81mm  Mtr  and 11 crew, transport
3 Rifle Companies ea 10 figures incl Bazooka

20mm WWII: STOUMONT 19 DECEMBER 1944

Before our friend Mr Ray departs again for the USA I set up a WWII Battle of the Bulge Rapid Fire game at the SESWC.  I supplied the troops, scenario, buildings and the SESWC the scenery.  Mr Ray Neal and Tim Wilson commanded the Germans, Bart Zynda and Campbell Hardie the Germans whilst I umpired.

German armor start on Stoumont road

 The game was a slight variant on the Stoumont scenario in the excellent Rapid Fire Battle of the Bulge scenario book.  I changed the terrain increasing the table to 6ft by 4ft and revised the OB to agree with the models I have available.  In the original scenario the US have a 90mm AA gun and a company of 76mm AT guns – I replaced the 90mm with an immobile M36 TD and the 76mms with 57mm AT guns with a few APDS rounds.  I also made the mist lifting on turn 4 slightly variable.  I allowed the German vehicles to move at full speed on the road in the mist.

Last stand of the GIs at burning Roua

The Germans made an impressive start moving quickly splitting their forces with the tank coy and an infantry unit going straight for Stoumont whilst the rest of their initial force moved cross country towards Roua.  At the edge of Stoumont the leading Panther was heavily damaged by the string on mines and then knocked out by opportunity fire from a 57mm ATG. 

This held up the attack on Stoumont.  The German reserves appeared on turn 3. The infantry unit moved to reinforce the advance on Stoumont and the other units moved to join the attack on Roua.  The attack on Roua went well for the Germans and the engineer’s flamethrower set fire to both the buildings and the defenders were wiped out as they emerged from the blazing buildings.   The Panther trying to maneauvre on the road from Roua was heavily damaged by the concealed M36 which was heavily damaged in return but managed to expend all its ammunition.

The German armour supporting the attack on Stoumont suffered an ignominious fate – the Sd251/9 and the Wirbelwind were both destroyed by direct hits by mortar bombs and the Panzer IV was destroyed by Joe from da Bronx who made a heroic action and hit the tank with his bazooka.  However the German infantry managed to storm 2 of the buildings in the town.

Joe from da Bronx gets the Panzer IV!

Wirbelwind hit by mortar fire

At that point we had to end the game.  It was a draw with the Germans holding 4 of the buildings.  The US still had both their Shermans in action with the Germans reliant on their remaining seriously damaged Panther.

More photos and descriptions on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157633656417420/

 

Here is the OBs and briefings for the players.

The game is based on Kampfgruppe Peiper’s attack on the village of Stoumont on 19^th December.  The game lasts 15 turns.

German objectives

To win:  capture Stoumont and drive all US forces from the buildings.
To draw: occupy and hold a minimum of of 4 buildings in Stoumont and/or Roua.

US Objectives

To win:  prevent the German force from achieving its objectives above.
To draw: prevent the German force from holding more than 4 buildings at the end of the game.

Small Arms Fire
German infantry firing groups add +1 to their fire effect rolls.

Observation

The first 3 turns are played in mist which reduces visibility to 12 inches.  Roll from turn 4 for the mist to lift on a D6 score of 3-6.

Movement

The ground is muddy.  Reduce all of road vehicle movement by 1/3^rd. 

US Order of Battle 

All troops REGULAR

3rd Btn, 1119^th RCT, 30^th Inf Div  - test @ 20 casualties

HQ:      CO + 5 figs inc  60mm mortar, lt truck
Coy A:  10 figs inc  Bazooka
Coy B:  10 figs inc  Bazooka
Coy C:  10 figs inc  Bazooka
Wpns Coy: 11 figs with HMG, MMG, 81mm mortar, 57mm ATG, 3 jeeps, truck

Support

Coy B 743^rd Tank Btn:  2 M4 75mm
Coy A 823^rd Tank Destroyer Btn:  2 57mm ATG, 6 crew, 2 M3 ½ TR 
(ea 57mm has 3 rounds of APDS - AT 2 at short and medium range)
C Coy 110^th Tank Destroyer Btn:  M36 TD (Note - immobile with only 4 shots!)

Deployment

US troops must deploy west of the line US-US except for 1 coy of infantry which must be deployed within 8” of Roua for the first 8 moves.   

Note

Support coys are independent units.

Daisy chain of mines

The US battalion has a single daisy chain of mines to use only on roads.  One figure must reach the roadside to deploy the mines.  Test only for the first vehicle to cross.

German panzergrenadiers and paras move on Roua

German order of battle

All troops ELITE

Initial Force

Btn HQ:  CO + 5 figs, Sd251/3 Cmd

9^th Coy:  8 figs, panzerfaust, Sd251, Sd251/9 75mm*
9^th Eng Coy:  8 figs, panzerfaust, flamethrower, demo, Sd251/7 Eng
Para Coy: 11 figs, mmg, panzerfaust
Tank Coy:  Panther, Panzer IV

Reinforcements

Tank Coy:  Panther, Wirbelwind SP AA

11^th Coy:    10 figs, panzerfaust, 2 Sd251
12^th Coy:    120mm Mtr, 3 crew, Sd251, Sd250/9 75mm *

* count as 3 figs for morale

Note

Tank coys are independent units.  All others test as a single unit on 20 casualties

Deployment

All German troops enter on the south road to Stoumont.  No German AFVs can operate south of the Stoumont road.
Reinforcements can be diced for from turn 1 – needing a D6 score of 3-6 to succeed – and appear 2 turns later.