FOW Campaign - State of Play

With a bit of a hiatus over Christmas the campaign ground to a little bit of a halt, and I also forgot to post the most recent game results. So a quick update...

The Americans continued their speedy advance but were caught on the hop and forced to hold their gains in a swirling cauldron of fire.  Although they took losses, General Matton's men held on for victory (4-3).

Meanwhile, the 8th Army and the Afrikakorps engaged in a fierce 'dust up' in the desert. The Germans struggled to hold against the waves of British tanks whilst sending a small strike force to cut the British lines of communication, forcing the British to retreat. (4-3)

So, with the campaign extended to the end of January (due to the lack of games in December) the Americans need only a single victory to secure their objective. The British and Soviets have struggled to make gains and the Germans have done well to hold as long as they have.

FoW Campaign - Week 4

It was all quiet on the Eastern Front again, and Montgomery was being characteristically cautious. Therefore the only action was in Tunisia at El Guettar where the hard-charging General Matton had to repel a fierce Counter-Attack from the German forces to keep hold of his rapid gains.

After a slow start, the Americans are now speeding towards their goal, and it seems the key to victory is keeping me off the field of battle.

FoW Campaign - Week 3

That was a quick week!

Both the British and Soviets consolidated their recent gains whilst the U.S. found themselves on the back foot following their reverses in the Kasserine Pass. However, thanks to the dogged defence of their infantry in a swirling cauldron, the Americans withstood and shattered a Panzer assault designed the break their positions (5-2) and were able to begin their circuitous advance towards their objective.

Despite the defeat, this wasn't a bad week for the Germans as all of their opponents are still three victories from success. The U.S. are celebrating their first victory that puts them equal with their rivals.

"You Shall Not (Kasserine) Pass" - FoW Campaign Week 2

Week 2 of the club's Flames of War campaign saw me rolling out my American Armoured Company for the very first time against Andy's DAK Panzerkompanie. It seemed quite appropriate that my first engagement with enemy armour would be at the point when the campaign hit the Kasserine Pass, however, I was slightly concerned that history would repeat itself.

What followed was a learning experience, in much the same vein as how the Americans had to learn after Kasserine.

1500pts US Armoured Company vs DAK Panzerkompanie - Breakthrough

My US Armour:

 - HQ, 2 M1A1 Sherman Tanks

 - Tank Platoon, 5 M1A1 Sherman Tanks

 - Tank Platoon, 3 M1A1 Sherman Tanks

 - Light Tank Platoon, 4 M5A1 Stuart Tanks

 - Recce Platoon, M3 Half-Track (command & bazooka teams), 2 Jeeps (with .50 cals, infantry teams)

Andy's Panzers

 - HQ, Panzer IV F2, Panzer III

 - Panzer Platoon, 3 Panzer IV (Various)

 - Panzer Platoon, 3 Panzer III (Various)

 - Schwere Panzer Platoon, 1 Tiger

 - Air Support, Priority Stuka

With apparently only a Tiger tank, a Panzer IV and a Panzer III to bypass to reach their objectives, the US commander should have been more bold and taken the offensive with his 10 Sherman tanks.

However, a little too sure of the platoon of Stuarts he'd sent to encircle the objecitve, he decided to be cautious and advance slowly under smoke, aware that there would be more prowling panzers in the area.

Initially the plan seemed to work as German air superiority was kept at a distance by a veritable wall of .50 cals, the Tiger was continuously smoked to reduce it's long range effectiveness, and the German command tanks began to be picked off.

When a flanking platoon of Panzer IV's did arrive, they were mauled by the close range killing power of the US tanks. 

However, the tenacious platoon commander held his nerve and soon received support from a platoon of Panzer III's and forced the inexperienced US commander and his platoon to quit the field.

The isolated recce platoon was quickly hunted down and destroyed, forcing the remaining Sherman platoon to depart after their commander knowing that the Stuart encirclement had never arrived.

I was  slaughtered 6-1 and for another week the U.S. would fail to advance in the campaign. In retrospect, I was far too intimidated by the Tiger, and had I been bolder I could have rushed the HQ and Tiger (which wouldn't have been able to kill all of my tanks) and perhaps force a German withdrawal earlier in the game.

As it was I allowed the Tiger to whittle me down and I didn't make any progress towards the objective. I was too cautious, which is apparently not the way to be with Americans. Next time I'll have to be more gung ho. I did notice that once they got up close, the American tanks were really effective and they were also more than capable of keeping the skies clear with their .50 cals.

CAMPAIGN RESULTS

On the Eastern Front, a German counter assault forced the Soviets to engage in a fighting withdrawal, which the Russians were able to execute effectively (5-2). This platform allowed the Soviets to once again launch an attack to encircle Stalingrad, this time the Germans were forced into a fighting withdrawal but their Tigers and AA Guns could not halt the tidal wave of Soviet armour (5-2) and the Russian bear closed its jaws around Stalingrad, trapping the Sixth Army inside.

In Africa, the U.S. Army was once again failed to breakthrough the narrow gulleys of the Kasserine Pass (6-1). However the Eighth Army managed to launch an assault into the outskirts of Benghazi, encircling the defending Panzers and cutting off and capturing the city.

Both the British and the Soviets have made progress towards their objectives, however the U.S. are sadly lagging behind. The Germans had a difficult week, but there's a long way to go.

FoW Campaign - Week 1

With week one of the 'End of the Beginning' campaign complete, it's time to assess the relative progress of the Allied forces...

...there hasn't been any!

In North Africa, the British rushed headlong into the guns of Rommel's Afrika Korps which they had surrounded at Benghazi and came away with a bloody nose (5-2), and the Americans lost a bloody free for all against untried Panzer divisions in Tunisia (4-3, I think). This means that the Reich still has a strong foothold in Africa and will be able to keep their European forces focused on the Eastern Front

Meanwhile, the surrounded German forces just outside Stalingrad were able to hold their positions and repel numerous Soviet attacks (5-2) to keep the corridor open for supplying the Sixth Army in the city. There was news of other fighting on the front, but reports have not yet come in as to the consequences of the action.

More fighting is expected in all theatres this week, and I suspect that German resolve will once again be tested.

The beginning of 'The End of the Beginning'

This week saw the opening salvoes in the club's Flames of War campaign, 'The End of the Beginning', which I happen to be running. The premise of the campaign is that it begins in late 1942, just after El Alamein, Operation Torch and Stalingrad when the Axis suddenly found themselves on the defensive on all fronts. Three teams of Allies (U.S., British and Soviets) are each competing to reach their objectives (Tunis and Kursk) before the others. Meanwhile, the German players (along with Allied players in German hats) are trying to hold back the Allies until the campaign finishes at the end of December.

This week, I donned my figurative black hat to attempt to stop Pete's Soviets from stealing an early march.

1500pts Mid War Eastern Front. 

Grenadierkompanie vs Gvardeyskiy Tankovy
Scenario: Surrounded

My Grenadiers:

HQ Command + 2 Mortar Stands (attached to Pioniers)

Grenadier Platoon

White Pionier Platoon

Recce Platoon

2 x PaK40

3 x Marder IIIM

Looted KV-1

Priority Stukas

Pete's Guard Tanks

HQ T-34

6 x T-34

5 x T-34

Armoured Infantry Platoon

Sporadic Air Support

The German forces established their perimeter around the small village containing the objectives, with the Marders and KV-1 on one flank, and the Pioniers and PaK40s on the other.

The massed Soviet armour launched a major assault on one side of the German defensive position (we later discovered that we were playing the scenario incorrectly).

As they advanced, the lost tanks to the Luftwaffe (who thanks to the proximity to their own lines, would spend the rest of the battle clearing the skies of Soviet aircraft), and Half-tracks (including all of their passengers!) to the Marders.

One platoon of T-34's launched an assault against the German lines, but were unable to dislodge the White Pioneers from their entrenchments. When the PaK40 anti-tank guns we finally brought to bear over the top of the hill, the Soviets were made to pay; even losing their command tank.

Another Soviet push saw their infantry advance through the woods towards the enemy. However, sustained fire saw them lose their company command and the attack was halted.

Two attacks had failed, Soviet losses were mounting and the Germans had only taken a handful of casualties. The last platoon launched a death or glory assault into the village.

And in the face of stiff resistance, they managed to push the Grenadiers out of the buildings and were closing on their objective.

Although the objective was still secure, the Germans now took the initiative and climbed from their foxholes to assault the infantry trapped in the woods. The contest was one-sided and the leaderless Soviets were forced to quit the field.

The Germans held their positions with minimal losses (only the Marders and a few stands of infantry) for a 5-2 victory. Whether this is enough to stem the Soviet advance this week remains to be seen, as there was another Eastern Front game in progress as I left.

Next week, I'll be breaking out my Americans for the first time ever. I'll be playing against German tanks (including at least one Tiger) in a place called the Kasserine Pass...I'm optimistic...

Very British Civil Warpath

After a long hiatus in the ongoing struggle for the fate of South Yorkshire, the Wortley Royalists once again tangled with the Handsworth Militia over control of the villages surrounding Sheffield. A B.U.F. armoured column was despatched to eject the socialists from a small farm and secure the produce for the royal cause.

The Handsworth Militia were dug in around the property boundaries of the farm. They included several squads of well armed militiamen bristling with Lewis guns, a field gun, ex-army sharpshooter Jeff Thompson, and the firebrand Reverend Chisholm.

With the Handsworth men dug in, the Captain Granville Cadd led the B.U.F. and Wortley infantry through the hills toward the farm, whilst heroine of the Right, Heather Brown and the motor platoon took the road...

...supported by a Mark II Brighouse (Steam) tank.

The royalists advanced on all fronts, with the Vickers machine gun mounted on the tank inflicting heavy casualties on the entrenched rebels.

A smattering of ineffectual return fire pattered off the armoured hull and the Handsworth artillery realised that they had insufficient ammunition. Seeking to do something the halt the fascist advance, Lieutenant Arthur 'Spongy' Wiggins led a small machine gun detachment out to sweep the hills clear of the enemy.

However, Wiggins men stumbled into a killing zone, and although they returned fire, all but a handful were cut down by the ruthless supporters of Edward.

Meanwhile, the motorised attack faltered as the fascists experienced fuel shortages and both their vehicles were stranded, leaving the motor platoon unable to support the assault of the tank...

...which had roared off into the distance, clanking and hissing. In a desperate move, Reverend Chisholm and Captain Bamford, with fire support from Jeff Thompson, launched a suicide assault in an attempt to get to the tank's vulnerable rear.

  Although it cost Bamford his life, the assault was successful, and the tank went up in flames. The royalists were forced to withdraw, although the significant casualties that they had inflicted meant that the Handsworth men would not be celebrating.

We played the game using Matt's conversion of Mantic's Warpath beta rules and I have to say that this was may favourite game of VBCW yet. The fast flowing rules played well with a setting that is not meant to be too serious and the alternate activations makes for a more tense experience that the typical igougo format of the GW stable. I still need to work out how to use the tank effectively, because despite its power, it's still vulnerable. Until the tank blew I was in control and about to mow down the remaining socialists and claim the farm.

Gah! Next time...