Miniature Wargames

Seekrieg 5 – Newcastle Raid

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a WWI naval game using the Seekrieg 5 rules. A German squadron has bombarded Newcastle and is returning home but is spotted by a British dirigible. While still 200 miles from Heligoland, it is intercepted by a British squadron to the SSW.

German Squadron:
Armored cruisers Roon, Yorck, Prinz Adalbert
Light cruiser Pillau

British Squadron:
Armored cruisers Defence, Shannon
Light cruisers Arethusa, Aurora

The Pillau uses its speed to pass the head of the British squadron. The British light cruisers are at the rear and attempt to close with the German line without fouling the range for the armored cruisers.

A lot of shooting but no significant damage. The Pillau holds her fire to avoid interfering with the heavier ship’s gunnery.

The Arethusa is blown up by the Prinz Adalbert.

View from the east. The Pillau runs down the back side of the British line, taking heavy fire and launching a torpedo.

We quit after 11 turns due to the time. On the British side, Defence and Shannon were lightly damaged with no critical hits, Arethusa was gone and Aurora was down to 16 knots with boiler and engine damage. On the German side, Roon had more than 40% damage and had lost a main turret, Yorck was gone, Prinz Adalbert had light damage and Pillau had medium damage.

Bolt Action – Eastern Front Late War

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a Bolt Action game. It was a meeting engagement on the Eastern Front.

Both sides advance onto the table, leaving mortar and heavy MG units in woods at the table edges.

View from the Russian right flank.

A Russian squad twice attempts to knock out a German tank by close assault, and fails.

Mortars destroy each opposing side’s heavy MG. A German tank is set on fire twice. The second time the crew bails.

After six turns the Russians led with four enemy units destroyed to one.

RJW Japanese Fleet

The Japanese fleet in 1/6000 scale.

Organization as of February 5th 1904.

Organization as of May 27th 1905.

Japanese and Russian destroyer units.

Empire 1809 French vs Austrian

Saturday the local HMGS-South group played a Napoleonic game using a modified version of the Empire V rules. The game pitted two corps (four divisions) of French against a similar force of Austrians.

The Austrian division on the left flank advances.

The Austrian center right in the foreground.

The Austrian right flank division is ordered toward a small woods. The French division opposite occupies that woods and most of the raised ground on this end of the battlefield.

The French center left division advances to meet the oncoming Austrians.

Infantry firefights break out along the length of the front.

The Austrian right flank division pivots to face the advancing French.

French infantry units break and the Austrian left flank advances toward French a battery

Austrian infantry advances on French guns in the center.

French units advance into the void and move to overwhelm the Austrian right flank division.

The French success on their left seemed more significant than their losses on their right, but overall a closely fought battle.

Hail Caesar – Medieval AAR

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a Hail Caesar game. The fictitious encounter was set after the battle of Grunwald (or Tannenberg) in 1410. Surviving Teutonic Order forces are attempting to escape to the west. Polish–Lithuanian Union forces block the retreat while others arrive in the rear.

The mounted Order units attack the blocking force while the foot units block the pursuit.

Several command roll blunders hinder the pursuit force.

Top right: Order knights are fought to a standstill by Polish infantry. Polish Knights all but destroy an Order mounted division.

The Order attack to the west has failed and the Polish knights are finally ready to charge the Order foot.

The confused battle lines at the end.

After about four hours of play the casualties were about even but very heavy. The remaining Order units seemed to have no chance of getting safely to the west.