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Archive for the ‘WWII’ Category

Seekrieg 5 – Alternate Battle of Samar

September 22, 2018

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a Second World War naval game using the Seekrieg 5 rules. The scenario was fictional, but included ships present near Leyte Gulf on 25 October 1944.

US:
Battleships West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Pennsylvania
Cruisers Louisville, Portland, Minneapolis, Indianapolis

Japanese:
Battleships Yamato, Nagato
Battlecruisers Kongo, Haruna
Cruisers Tone, Chikuma

Transport ships of the Leyte invasion fleet were present nearby and provided a potential target for the Japanese.

The models are 1/2400 scale GHQ and CinC. Seven players participated.

: The US ships start at 5 knots, with the cruiser line on the engaged side.

: The Japanese are in three columns, and will take some effort to deploy.

: Color-coded play aids help explain the ship data.

: The US cruisers turn to close the reported enemy, but the battleships are not allowed to react immediately.

: Careful maneuvering avoids collisions as the Japanese deploy.

: The Tone has blown up.

: US cruisers reverse course to avoid land, but damage limits the turning ability of Minneapolis.

We played seven turns in about 4 hours. Of the US battleships, only Pennsylvania was hit and took one tier of damage. Portland took two tiers of damage. Minneapolis took one tier and lost a primary turret. The two Japanese battleships took little or no damage. Kongo took two tiers of damage and lost a primary turret. Haruna three tiers, an engine room, a boiler room, a primary gun and all primary fire control. Chikuma had significant damage and fires. Tone blew up.

Posted in 1/2400 Naval, Miniature Wargames, Seekrieg 5, WWII | 2 Comments »

Bolt Action – Aslito Airfield, Saipan

June 9, 2018

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a Bolt Action game set during the Battle of Saipan. The scenario was based on the Japanese counterattack on Aslito airfield on the night of 16-17 June 1944 and pitted the 23rd Marine Regiment against the Japanese 118th Infantry Regiment.

: Marines ready for the Japanese attack

: The Japanese had three tanks.

: The final Japanese charge was repulsed.

After about four hours of play, the Japanese failed to achieve the required victory conditions. As a result, the airfield was held by the Marines.

Posted in 25mm Miniatures, Bolt Action, Miniature Wargames, WWII | Leave a Comment »

Heroes of Normandie – Behind Utah Beach

February 24, 2018

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a game of Heroes of Normandie.

June 7, 1944 – behind Utah Beach.

Baker Company of the 8th RCT, 4th Infantry Division is pushing inland to the town of St-Marie-du-Mont. However, the route to the town is blocked by the Germans of the 2nd Company, 919th Infantry Regiment. The Germans have placed a PAK 40 ATG to cover the road and dug in around a cluster of farm buildings. The PAK has already knocked out the leading M4 Sherman of Baker Company’s armor support. The scenario begins with Baker Company deployed for a full assault against the German positions.

This used the Attack/Defense scenario. The American point total was around 500, the German around 250 points.

No photos were taken due to the poor memory of the photographer.

We played 7 turns of the 8 turn scenario in about four hours. The Americans had not reached the objective bridge and had lost their light vehicles and some infantry. The Germans had lost about half their units and the outer defense line was gone.

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Heroes of Normandie Demo

January 27, 2018

This weekend the local HMGS-South group tried a demo game of Heroes of Normandie. Five players divided up 3 US and 3 German platoons, including one tank platoon on each side. It was an informal meeting engagement to try out the rules.

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Bolt Action – Edson’s Ridge

January 14, 2018

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a Bolt Action game. The scenario was based on the second night of the Battle of Edson’s Ridge, which occurred on the night of 13-14 September 1942. The ridge was part of the defenses of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. This game involved the position of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion, attacked by Kokusho’s and Tamura’s battalions of the Japanese 124th Infantry Regiment.

: Lunga Ridge, afterwards known as Edson’s Ridge.

: The right end of the Marine position.

: The left end of the Marine position.

: Will it be a ridge to far?

: The Japanese have broken into the left end of the Marine line and destroyed a MG unit.

: The Japanese attack on the right is ‘supported’ by miss-directed Marine artillery fire.

: A second wave of Japanese infantry appears.

: The Japanese attack on the right goes in and is wiped out.

: The left of the Marine position has been cleared of defenders.

: The positions at the end of the game.

Posted in 25mm Miniatures, Bolt Action, Miniature Wargames, WWII | 3 Comments »

Sewers of Stalingrad

October 16, 2017

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a WWII game set in the underground sewers of Stalingrad. The command activation and weapon fire rules from Bolt Action were combined with the movement system from Space Hulk. Three German squads and a heavy weapon team were tasked with clearing four Russian squads and a heavy weapon team from the sewers. They were also to locate and destroy a munitions cache. The result was a bloodbath, with only five surviving Germans and no Russians.

Here is a reference sheet for the rules (with some post-game modifications) :Skirmish Test revised

Posted in 25mm Miniatures, Bolt Action, Miniature Wargames, WWII | Leave a Comment »

Seekrieg – First Battle of Guadalcanal

September 23, 2017

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a WWII naval game using the Seekrieg 5 rules. The scenario was based on the First Battle of Guadalcanal, with reductions in the number of ships to accommodate the players available.

The game started with no models on the table. The GM determined visibility and provided sighting reports as needed. Rain squalls appeared at random on the east edge of the table and moved west during play.

: The strangely empty sea. Rain squalls are outlined with string.

: The Cushing is spotted by the Japanese, but the US ships have only vague radar contacts.

: US and IJN DDs fire starshell to try to find the opposing forces.

: Atalanta is illuminated by starshell.

: DDs on both sides launch torpedoes. One from the Cushing finds Kirishima. CLs Nagara and Atlanta take damage.

The results after about 4 hours of play were:

CL Atlanta Destroyed.

Cushing (DD) and a Japanese DD crippled.

Two tiers (20%) damage on Kirishima (BC) from torpedo damage.

About 2 tiers (20%) damage on the lead Japanese DD and the Nagara (CL).

Torpedoes in the water would have threatened the San Fransico as we ended the game.

Victory conditions:

CL Atlanta (1 VP), Cushing (0.125 VP)=1.125 VP for the Japanese.

Crippled Japanese DD (0.125 VP), damage to Kirishima (0.1 VP), damage to the lead Japanese DD (0.03 VP), damage to the Nagara (0.05) = 0.295 VP for the US.

Tactical Victory for the Japanese.

Posted in 1/2400 Naval, Seekrieg 5, WWII | Leave a Comment »

Panzer – WW2 Eastern Front

August 27, 2017

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a WW2 Eastern Front game using GMT’s Panzer rules. 3mm Pico armor stands and a 1 inch hex grid terrain cloth were used in place of the map and counters. This was a simple tank vs tank meeting scenario to familiarize the group with the rules.

: Russians

: Germans

: Russians advance on the right. Germans maneuver around the light woods.

: Russian T34/76s occupy woods on the left, but are mostly out of range for their guns.

: Early firing favors the Russians, but eventually casualties mount on both sides.

We played 8 turns in about 2.5 hours.

Posted in 3mm Miniatures, Miniature Wargames, WWII | 1 Comment »

Spearhead – Eastern Front 1944

July 23, 2017

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a WW2 game using the Spearhead rules and 3mm (Pico) figures.

The Belostock Offensive was part of the third and final phase of the Belorussian Strategic Offensive of the Red Army in summer 1944, commonly known as Operation Bagration. The Belostock Offensive was part of the third, or ‘pursuit’ phase of Operation Bagration, and was commenced after the completion of the encirclement and destruction of much of Army Group Center in the Minsk Offensive.

The scenario was the counterattack that was launched by the 19th Panzer Division against the Soviet 50th Army on July 23rd, 1944 near Grodno.

: Russian artillery deployed. They rarely answered the phone.

: Russian infantry reinforcements arrive.

: German advance on the center village.

: German mechanized infantry sweep around the right.

: Massed tank battle when Russian reinforcements enter on the German left flank.

: German fire reduces the defenders of the two occupied villages. The village on the left was taken without opposition.

: Two Russian brigades (one of T34s, one of SUs) have broken and left the field.

The initial Russian forces were able to deploy in two of the three objective villages. The third village was out of command range. German armor advanced on the German left, expecting the Russian reinforcements on that flank, while infantry attacked the center village and mechanized infantry advanced unopposed on the right. After about 4.5 hours of play, the Russians still had toeholds in the two occupied villages, but no reasonable hope of keeping them or retaking them when lost.

Posted in 3mm Miniatures, Miniature Wargames, WWII | Leave a Comment »

Bolt Action – Marines Land Again

June 11, 2017

This weekend the local HMGS-South group played a Bolt Action game. This was a similar scenario to the previous Bolt Action game. US Marines landed on a beach defended by the Imperial Japanese Army. Six LVTs, each carrying an infantry squad and several small support units attempted to land in the first wave. Several grounded on a reef for a turn, but by the second turn all troops were safely ashore. Two LVTs were destroyed on the beach by a Japanese tank. The marines and the remaining LVTs moved inland against hidden or dug in defenders. When the game ended the Japanese still held 2 of the 3 objective strong-points.