Presidential Gaurd Principality of Kastriot

I recently finished these miniatures from the old 1/72nd Esci Spetsnaz range. I painted them for the Guild "Green" painting competition. They will become part of my Presidential guard in my modern Imagi-nation, the Principality of Kastriot.

Cheers

Matt

Australian War Memorial Open Day

I have been meaning to post these pictures from the Australian War Memorial open day back in April, I concentrated on the displays outside as I always manage to drop in at least once a month for a look through the galleries inside the memorial.

Australian Light Horse Display
from left to right
1920 -  1935 NSW Lancers uniform, 1914-19 Light Horse uniform, NSW Mounted Rifles 1899-1902 (Boer War) uniform

1920 -  1935 NSW Lancers uniform, 1914-19 Light Horse uniform, NSW Mounted Rifles 1899-1902 (Boer War) uniform

Bushmaster

Vietnam Era SWB Landrover with 105mm recoilless (the bright green seat covers are wrong.....)

WW1 era Ambulance

Japanese Ha-Go light tank, captured at Milne bay, September 1942

Soviet ZPU-2 captured in Afganistan

Cheers

Matt

Normandy 44

Another Club meet Game in June, most of the boys played in this nail biter, some lovely terrain by Boydelli, Mick and the Cardinal. Starkadder, Rhino, RCT and Dave played also. Figures are mostly Valiant and the vehicles are mixed Raventhorpe, Britannia and plastic kits
The table

cheers

matt

Battle for Bodange, Belgium Sept 1940

At the June club meeting myself and Ian rolled out a Early war game. I have a single batn of Chasseur Ardennais that I have had for ten or more years, that has only ever had one other outing, I also have a frontier cyclist batn that has never been in action. A few touch ups were required before I put them on the table for the game. 

At some stage I also plan too add a Hurricane fighter and some T15 and T13s and another coy or two of Belgian line so I can feild a full Btn.

I wrote a scenario based around the villages of Bodange and Wissembach andñ the river crossings they commanded. Historically only the 5th company of the 1st Division of Chasseur Ardennais defended these villages and put up such a great defence the Germans thought they were fighting a whole batn, they held up the lead elements of the 1st Panzer Division for a whole day, only a few men remainded when they surrendered, tired and out of Ammunition. Today the road from Fauvillers to Bodange in thier honour is called "Rue des Chasseur Ardennais".

The scenario required elements of the 1st Panzer division to get off the table through Bodange in ten turns, all of the belgian troops started in prepared dug in positions. 

Order of Battle Belgians

Frontier cyclist battalion 
1 HQ coy  inc 50mm mortar, 1 x MMG,  OC and 5 ORS
2 x coys of 8 infantry (cyclists)

Deployment
Defending the Bodange and Wissembach crossroads
Special Rules
Start game dug in hard Cover, test at 25% casualties 

Chasseur Ardennais
1 x HQ coy, 1 x 75mm Mortar, 1 x MMG, OC and  medic, 3 ORs
2 x coys of Chasseur Ardennais 8 figs
1 x support coy 47mm AT gun, 1 x HMG

Armour
2 x T13 47mm  (in the game I used FT17 37mm as stand ins)


Belgian Chassuer Ardennais Deployment
HQ in Bodange
1 coy Bodange
1 coy  Wissembach
Support coy  Bodange
2 x FT17 Wissembach

special rules Cassuer Ardennais test as Elite fore as regulars.

German 1st Panzer Division
Recon Btn
Armoured car coy

1 x 222
1 x 232
1 x Coy in 251 8 figs
1 x coy in Steyr 8 figs
1 x  coy on MC and MCC 8 figs
1 x support coy inf gun, 1 x MMG 6 figs

Schutzen battalion 1
1 x HQ coy 6 figs 50mm mortar
3 x coys 251 8 figs
1 x supp coy Inf gun, 2 x MMG, 1 x 37mm AT 9 figs Trucks x 2

Panzer batn 1
HQ coy 1 x Panzer IB, 1 x sdkfz 265
1 Coy 2 x Panzer IIA 2cm KwK 30 L/55 
1 Coy 3 x Panzer IIIA 3.7cm KwK 36 L/46.5
1 Coy 1 x Panzer IVA Kwk 37L25 75mm  

German Deployment

• Recon batn sets up on the south eastern road or may enter along the sawmill railway line from Radelange or the Warnach road.
• Infantry and armour arrive on the Warnach road.
• Dice each turn for arrival of each coy, 4 + they arrive.

Special Rules

• All Belgians start the game dug in heavy cover.

• Enemy units may only target troops dug in after successful observation

• Belgian Bunkers have 3pts before detroyed.

• German Armour may only use open country the forests are unpassable.

The Game

With more than 50% casulties and captured the Belgians fail the morale test and surrender.

A great day out and a close one, 

Changes I would make.

1. The Militia line of defence should of been unflankable on the left it would of held on longer. Also a AT gun in support would of made short work of the A/C, they did manage to destroy two coys of Inf though so the bunker worked well with the MG.
2. I should of only made the roads passable for tanks.
3. The Germans managed to knock out the AT gun with a dive bomber, we should of used the arty obeservation and radio rolls when it had fired.
4. The amount of PZIII was too high, perhaps more panzer I and IIs would of been better.
5. The FT 17 is a shite tank........say no more...Two T13s would of made a bigger difference!
6. No supression of infantry in defences, for two turns the Belgians were suppressed after failing HE tests on one bunker. therefore the whole batn was supressed on the whole defensive network.
7. defensive Arty for the Belgians would of helped.

Figs
Belgians
 Militia and Chassuers Blitz/batlefeild ranges
FT17 Matchbox

Germans
Various plastic
Matchbox
Revell
Hasegawa

cheers

Matt

Battle of Kodziowce & Sopockinie Poland 22 Sept 1939

Battle of Kodziowce & Sopockinie Poland 22 Sept 1939

Down at the club this month we decided to have a early war rapid fire game, so I decided that we would have a Polish vs Russian game, (as my Poles have not been out for some time) finding scenarios for this part of the war is tough as they mostly concentrate on the German invasion in the west. So I had a quick read through a number of my books and online and settled on my version of the battle of Kodziowce. I made up the troops around some field reports and came up with this order of battle and scenario details.
Ian and Leigh supplied the Russians.

Special rules and victory conditions

Russian; all artillery must use direct fire as per doctrine in this period.
The River must be crossed at the bridge for artillery, trucks and Infantry. A recon can be done once for each 1 ft section, a successful crossing will be found for tanks and infantry on a 5 or 6 on a D6.
Game lasts 10 turns.
Setting up aircraft arrival, roll for each turn on a D10 which turn the Russian aircraft are available, then record, then roll for each turn that Polish aircover is available. Then roll for fighters or bombers 1 to 3 Fighter, 4 to 6 bomber. Then match the Russian and Polish arrivals, Fighters drive off other fighters on highest roll and automatically drive off fighter bombers.
Church offers heavy cover, other buildings light cover.
Observation, Movement, Woods, terrain, as per RF rules.
Game lasts 10 turns.
Setting up, roll for each turn on a D10 which turn the Russian aircraft are available, then record, then roll for each turn that Polish aircover is available. Then roll for
fighters or bombers 1 to 3 Fighter, 4 to 6 bomber. Then match the Russian and Polish
arrivals, Fighters drive off other fighters on highest roll and automatically drive off
fighter bombers.
Church offers heavy cover, Polish may only use the church on a successful roll of 6 on a d6 other 

buildings light cover.

Observation, Movement, Woods, terrain, as per RF rules. No shooting through the village as it is a BUA.

Victory conditions

Polish total victory if both R35s escape off the table and the russians do not clear both villages of Kodziowce and Sopockinie.
Russians minor victory if Kodziowce cleared of all enemy, and one R35 destroyed.
Russian major victory if both villages cleared and both R35s destroyed.

Russian 15th Tank Corps, 2nd tank Brigade
Infantry Command
1 coy of two BA 10 A/C
3 Coys of infantry trucks 10 figs each
1 HQ coy 10 figs radio truck and car
1 support coy 2 x MMG and 1 x mortar
1 bty of two M1902/30 76mm Inf guns
two coy of cossack cavalry 10 figs each mounted
1 AA gun horse tow

armoured command
1 coy of two BT26
2 coy of two BT7
1 x BA 20
2 coy Inf trucks 10 figs each
1 coy of two 122mm artillery tractor tows

Aircraft
Aircraft 1 Polikarpov I-16 and one Fighter bomber Polkarpov I-15 max six turns permitted combined

Turn 1
1 coy of two BA10 A/C on the table Northern road

Turn 2 

arrive on Northern edge between river and table edge
3 coys of Infantry in trucks each 8 figs
1 support coy in trucks (9 figs, 2 x MMG, 81mm mortar) and HQ
1 bty of two 76.2mm M1902/30 FG
1 coy of two T26
1 coy of two BT7

Turn 3 dice for aircraft cover

Turn 4 arrive of southern road
2 coy cossack cavalry
1 x A/A gun horse towed
Turn 4 arrive on Northern road
1 coy of two BT71 BA 20
1 coy Inf in truck 8 figs

Turn 5 arrive on northern road

1 coy of infantry truck 8 figs
2 x 122mm M1910/30 How, 8 figs, tractors

Polish Wołkowysk Cavalry Brigade  101st Polish reserve cavalry Regt

1 HQ coy AT rifle, sniper, 46mm light mortar 10 figs

3 coys of Infantry each 11 figs LMG

1 support coy 2 x MMG, 1 x 81.2mm stokes mortar
1 coy calvary 8 figs (in Sopockinie)
1 coy two R35

1 Coy two Vickers 

1 Coy one FT17 MG

1 coy horse 75mm arty and truck tows and observers (in Sopockinie)

Air cover 
1 fighter and fighter bomber 6 turns total of cover rolled at start PZLP.11 and PZLP.23

All units unless noted set up in the village of Kodziowce and may dig in 

Alas my poles could not stand, the successful flanking arrival of the BT7s and my bad AT fire really let me down along with poor observation rolls for the artillery. A minor victory to the Russians .An enjoyable game, a few tweaks to the scenario and it would work better as it was too easy to cross the river on a 5 or 6.

cheers

Matt