Category Archives: World War II

Tanks! Redux

Watched Dunkirk the other night.  Not the new one, the good one.

Duly inspired, I dug out my 1/100 armor with accompanying terrain, and set up a mini-campaign for Tanks!.

Basic premise was a pack of misfit British armor, caught up in the backwash of the Arras counterattack, tries to get to the coast.  Set up random parameters for German opposition, and British crew capabilities.

Since the campaign was “based on a true story”, the rag-tags had an interesting set of crew skills and helpful equipment.  These add-ons provide the abilities to shrug off misfortunes of all kinds. The Germans were faceless, robotic drones.

The tricky part was what each force could see, and if they saw something, how/could that information be communicated.  Did some basic research on tank radios and found there is not that much out there.  So, just had some fun with it, using yes/no, directional, and other random dice.

The British had an armored car for scouting; an A12 Cruiser,  a Mk 1 Matilda and a Mk 2 Matilda.  The German mix could include Pz II, III or IVs.

The unintended consequence of all of this was another trip into the world of computer graphic design.  I’d designed some Tanks! cards with GIMP in the past, but had lost all of my chops.  Downloaded a template over a Boardgamegeek, and  floundered.  Wound up using my old mock-up cards.  Hopefully, I’ll continue to slog away at the new cards.

Again, it’s a real challenge to resist ginning up too many house rules.  Sure, I had to make spot judgments on backing up, Matilda frontal armor and others, but resisted the need to codify them.  Here’s photos of the first two scenarios.  Lots of Hide N’ Seek trying to work through woods along roads/side roads.

Had to pick up this AM.  I’m thinking coastal operations later in the week, or Heroes of Normandie.

A New Mess

Getting close to covering all household horizontal surfaces with wargame related items.

Europa Purists may not want to read any further.

The  is the resource hodge podge assembled for my latest foray into out of kilter Europa scenarios, following in the steps of Fall Gertrude and the “Switzerland Must Be Swallowed” scenario pre-dating this blog.

As with any catastrophe, this one has several causes.  They are, in no particular order, an email exchange with Tim Davis, the publisher of Fall Grun and Empire Reborn, a chance encounter with The Europa Magazine (TEM) #57, and glance at my copy of East Central Europe Between The Two World Wars.

Empire Reborn posits a Romanian-Hungarian conflict in the wake of the Munich Pact.  TEM #57 contains a Macedonian War scenario developed by Frank Watson, portraying a 1940 Bulgarian invasion of Yugoslavia.

Both scenarios are based on ethnic/cultural/geographic grievances which (although centuries old) were the immediate products of the Balkan Wars and World War I.   It is a long and twisted story resulting – as best I can figure – in the following.

Hungary wanted to regain Transylvania from Roumania, and the Backa and Prekmurje regions from newly created Yugoslavia.  Bulgaria wanted much,if not all, of Macedonia from Yugoslavia, and to regain Dobruja from Roumania.

Hungarian revanchism was a result of the Treaty of Trianon (1920), which stripped the country of  land, ethnic Hungarians and resources.  This desire to regain what was lost led  to the creation of the Little Entente between Czechoslovakia, Yugoslovia and Roumania.

Greece, Turkey, Roumania and Yugoslavia reacted to Bulgaria’s territorial grievances by signing the Balkan Pact (1934).  The Pact was intended to maintain the region’s territorial status quo and peacefully solve any differences.

So, I am now ready to begin what Mr. Watson characterized  as “wandering in the Balkan darkness….” in explaining why he limited the scope of his Macedonian scenario.

I will, however, take his guidance and set my scenario in 1940, as “(it) provides a convenient way to do away with great power meddling.”

The shortest distance between two points is to assume a Hungarian and Bulgarian alliance (whatever form that might take) aimed at Yugoslavia and Roumania, all that was left of the Little Entente.

Most available order of battle information begins in 1941, but there are enough  fragmentary sources to take a pretty good guess at 1940.  In each case, the combatants were modernizing and reorganizing their armed forces.

What the hell….it’s worth a try.

It Gets Serious: May II Turn

These screenshots summarize the May II Turn.

 

German armor sweeps past the weak ad-hoc French defenses and advances towards the Marne.  Also, the German commander turns loose “Ants” to disrupt the Allied rear areas.  To the north, German forces grind up the Dutch and Belgians,  advancing to the Dyle Line.

The Allies rush armored/mechanized units to contain the Ardennes penetration, while withdrawing from the Dyle line, using Belgian forces in support.  The Dutch attempt to consolidate their defense in order to tie down German forces for as long as possible.

Painful. But It Must Be Done! Fall of France Through May I Turn

I’ve bitched about my Fall of France (FoF) game with Tim, but I am now compelled to report it.

As usual with this site, the graphics will be less than ideal, a condition due in equal parts to my ambivalence towards pushing the boundaries of computer literacy and reliving a wargaming hell.

I was able to figure out how to get screenshots on my ancient Dell Windows 8 machine.  However, the screen shots of the JET board are just that; a shot of what is on the screen.  The JET mapboard takes up more than the screen, so the graphic evidence of this debacle will be from north of Frankfurt.  That’s  OK, because that it is where most of the carnage occured and is continuing to occur. We are now in the Allies Jun II turn, and things are looking very grim for the Allies.  But….. we must start at the beginning.

The Germans have  extremely powerful air and ground units.  The screenshots show only the top unit in the hex.  But, below that scary surface, lies even more panzer divisions, supported by motorized units, lots of motorized flak and artillery.

One revelation was how tough the German infantry stacks were.  Three 8-8 infantry, paired with artillery represents a lot of combat power.

Allied units are solid, but lack  mobility, flak and supporting units.I shudder when I think about the German’s powerful ground attack air assets used to support these armored and infantry forces.

Then, there are the historically based operational rules.  They create a difficult framework for the Allies to work within.

The Germans start off with an invasion turn, which includes all normal Europa turn phases except the exploitation phase.

The Allies do have a reaction phase. However, this is scripted because most northern French units and those of the BEF must enter Belgium  to occupy the Dyle River Line, setting up the historical “Sickle Cut”.

While Dutch and Belgian units can move during this Allied reaction phase, they cannot enter enemy zones of control.

With the Allies sucked into Belgium, the Germans start the regular  May I  turn.During the Allied player May I turn,  no unit in an enemy ZOC (Zone of Control) can move, and all British or French units have their movement factors halved.

The Allies are further hampered by the inability of their combat / motorized units to attack a full-strength or move using full movement during their exploitation phase until the beginning of the June I turn.   This reflects a lack of mechanized doctrine.

To make things even worse, during the May I turn any French  non-mech/motorized unit has to retreat two hexes rather than one if it has fought  an attacking German force with at least one panzer division.

One other note about the graphics.  As I mentioned, JET is a real marvel.  However, it cannot do several things within the rules as written Europa framework.  The result is that you have to tweak things, and the file you forward may have a heading (found in the upper left hand corner of the screen) that isn’t quite accurate.  An example:  You cannot fly CAP (Combat Air Patrol) during the Initial Phase.  You have to cheat, and “fool” the machine by forwarding to your Movement Phase, where it is allowed.  So, on the files shown, the heading on the screen may show “German Movement Phase”, when in fact the file really reflects the Allied Initial Phase.  Confused….good…..misery needs company…..and  the weight of Tim’s advance has had me in a daze since early May.

Allied Setup
Allied Exploit – Move To The Dyle Line
You can see the German penetration through the Ardennes.  Now, the Allies must avoid being enveloped.  Will post up later with more carnage….after I do a better job of figuring out the screen shot sequence.

Always The Last To Know?

The good news is that this isn’t another relationship situation.  The bad news is that it looks like the Tanks! franchise has been discontinued.    No posts in quite a while and no merchandise in the store.

While I use the less expensive Zvezda models, I did enjoy checking out the site for scenarios and information.  I guess I will go over to Flames of War for news updates.

Meanwhile, I continue to build up my late war Germans in anticipation of creating some urban combat scenarios.  Here’s the latest additions.  One more traunch of kits to finish up for a representative set of both German and Soviet AFVs.

 

 

More Tanks

Working on my latest batch of Zvezda 1/100 (15mm) late-war German tanks.

After trying adhesive putty to delineate camouflage, using both brush and spray paint, I tried using a small sponge.

The sponge seemed to work best.  I used a couple of umber and black washes to gritty the tank up, and then a little bit of touch-up using a Q-tip.  I do enjoy tanks, because my lack of precision and technique can be superficially covered up by applying dirt, grime and weathering.

The result…. it “looks good on the table” (which is a miniatures equivalent of  “Bless His Heart”).

Here are some dynamic before and after shots taken in the usual crypt like lighting.

 

Destruction of Force Z – Wrap Up

My immediate interest in the game was triggered while reading The Royal Navy in Eastern Waters:  Linchpin of Victory, 1935-1942 by Andrew Boyd.  This is a very interesting and well researched examination of the events leading up to the Force Z debacle.  The author dispels many of the convenient myths surrounding the event.  Well worth the time and effort, especially if you can pick it up when on Kindle sale for $1.99 or so.

The game reminds me of In Magnificent Style, where you have to push your luck to the limit in order to achieve the intent of Force Z’s sortie.  I did this, especially when I reversed course and sailed towards the Japanese battleships, rather than “game” the system and eek out a minimal victory of just a few points.

To compound the British player’s problems, the chances of sinking the Japanese battleships is fairly low, and seemingly not worth the risk, despite the lucrative victory points.  Also, the odds of fighter cover actually materializing is relatively low, and anti-aircraft fire is fairly ineffective.  In this regard the game reflects the operational and tactical  factors leading to Force Z’s destruction.

The optional rules allow the British player some relief; limiting Japanese bomber availability on a per day basis, increasing the Repulse’s capability to avoid torpedoes, and including the carrier Indomitable to provide available and increased air cover.  I would consider a house rule making British surface attacks more effective and, perhaps, increasing the victory points awarded for bombarding the Japanese landing sites, since this was the mission of Force Z.

The rules are comprehensive and structured to guide the player.  This is good as there are simply too many charts and die rolls to remember.  This also enhances replayability because the player can just break out the game, dial up the rules, and start grinding through each turn’s eleven phases.  On the other hand, this grinding slows game play.  But, a typical game will probably not last too long if Japanese searches are effective.  In my instance, the British enjoyed ideal conditions (overcast weather, radio silence, and poor search rolls) and still had little success.

I like the random events and movement charts, and plan to use  variations  in other gaming situations.  The tactical display was fun because it reminded me of playing Midway back in (as it was called then) Junior High.

I’m now thinking about breaking out Avalanche Press’ Strike South and work through the scenario with more detail to reflect the different operational options historically explored by the British before 1942.  A comparison of the two systems will be interesting.

In summary, this is an engaging game providing excellent value and replayability.

 

Destruction of Force Z – Session Report

The game set up, along with the initial dispositions of both forces, is shown in the following photo.  The Japanese flag represents the amphibious landing at Kota Bharu.  Placement of the Japanese convoy, battleship and cruiser squadrons is determined during the Random Events Phase.  Force Z is represented by the British flag in Singapore.   The index card and colored blocks are used to keep track of weather and ship damage.

For the first three turns, Force Z moved east of the Anamba Islands,  then turning north towards the landing.  The Japanese were unable to locate Force Z, which was maintaining radio silence in the overcast weather, until it attacked the Japanese battleships (7 VPs) at night (Turn 4).  I couldn’t find anything specific in the rules, so I decided  Japanese surface units appearing during a turn couldn’t move, also.  Despite hitting the Japanese ships, no damage was inflicted.

After this inconclusive encounter, the British sailed at flank speed towards Kota Bharu to bombard the the landings.  The Japanese were still unable to locate Force Z, and could not prevent the destruction of  their offshore convoy which had appeared off Kota Bharu during the Random Events Phase (Turn 5).

After this success, the British steamed south towards Singapore, breaking radio silence to request RAF air cover (Turn 6).

At this point, the Force Z commander decided take advantage of darkness (Turn 7),  steaming north to again engage the  VP-rich Japanese battleships.  The Japanese cruisers entered the northern part of the map during the Random Events Phase.

Force Z moved into the Japanese square, forcing a surface engagement.  It was here that British luck ran out, as the Japanese search was a success, and no RAF fighter cover appeared to help fight off a massive level bomber and torpedo bomber attack.

The following photo shows how I handled the “tactical” aspect of the game.

Both British ships were in the square, so each can be attacked by bombers.   D6 rolls determine the number of attackers and what ship(s) they attack.  The rolls indicated a mixed force of 12 torpedo and 25 level bombers, all of which  concentrated on the Prince of Wales.  The first attack was by the level bombers.  Each ship has a maximum of 10 d6 anti-aircraft rolls.  These rolls either eliminate attackers, or are indicate to hit modifiers.  Bombers need a modified roll of 10 to score a hit.  A further damage die roll is made for each hit.  The rolls are shown below.  I use the dice, rather than the tally sheet included with the game to record rolls, and then use the result to determine hits.  A die that “hits” is then placed above the “tactical display”, as a reminder of the rolls needed for determine damage.

The torpedo bombers were handled in a separate series of rolls.

The Prince of Wales somehow survived, taking five hits, two less than the number to sink. Five hits reduced its movement rate to one square per turn.  After this mayhem, a surface action occurred.  The Japanese battleships and Prince of Wales were unaffected, but the Repulse took one damage hit.

The Repulse was ordered back to Singapore, while the stricken Prince of Wales could only hope for a failed Japanese search, or the intervention of the RAF.  The ship was located and the RAF again failed to provide air cover.  The level bombers did not find the Prince of Wales, but the torpedo bombers did.   An attack by 27 aircraft sank the ship.

The Repulse continued south during the night (Turn 10), while the Japanese made another landing at Singora.

Repulse was able to return to Singapore before the Japanese Turn 11 Search Phase.  This ended the game.

The Japanese victory point total breakdown was:

  • +8 Points for sinking Prince of Wales
  • +1 Point for one hit on the Repulse
  • +1 Point for each Japanese landing
  •  -2 Points for the sunk convoy

The net is  9 Japanese victory points.  The historical total was 18 points.

Wrap-up in the next post.

Destruction of Force Z – Overview

Downloaded this  awhile ago over at Wargame Vault, based on reviews at Boardgame Geek.  It’s a Minden Games solitaire offering  originally published in Panzerschreck Magazine #16.

As is the case with most solitaire games, there are  lots of charts and wristage.  I skimmed the rules and decided to just start playing.  The rules are laid out in turn phase sequence, so I just set up the IPad beside the game and went at it.

Each turn consists of up to eleven phases.  These are:

  1. Weather – Roll 1d6 for either clear or overcast conditions.  Overcast is a +1 modifier for Japanese Search.
  2. Radio – British player can break radio silence.  In doing so loses a -2 drm during Japanese Search.  But, gains possibility of Air Cover to help attrit attackers.
  3. British Ship Movement – Can move up to 4 squares (cannot move diagonally) three times a game, or one-three squares.  Damage reduces movement.  During movement British ships can be attacked by minefields and/or submarines if in same hex.
  4. Random Events – Dictates appearance of Japanese transports, cruiser or battleship units.  Can also effect movement of Japanese submarines, shore landings or allow “shadowing” which is a -1 drm for Japanese Search.
  5. Japanese Ship Movements – Ships on map roll 2d6 for random one to two square movement.
  6. Japanese Search – Rolls 1d6 (3 or less) to sight British ship(s).
  7. British Air Cover – If Radio silence is broken, presence of air cover over British ships determined by die roll.  If present, roll 3d6 for number of fighters.
  8. Japanese Bomber – Includes both level bombers and torpedo bombers.  Roll 1d6 for contact.  If contact make separate 1d6 roll for number of level and torpedo bombers.
  9. Combat Phase – Roll 1d6 for individual attacks by Air Cover, then 1d6 Anti-Aircraft fire to eliminate/abort/or effect aim of bombers.  Then roll 1d6 for success by individual level bombers and torpedo bombers.
  10. Surface Battle – Takes place when opposing force ships in same square.  Roll 2d6 for hits and then 2d6 for effect(s).
  11. Bombardment – British in same hex can shell Japanese landing sites, automatically gaining victory points.

There are 18 different situations where wristage and charts are involved,  in addition to  Air Cover attacks, Anti-Aircraft, and Bombing attacks handled on an individual aircraft basis.

Having Second Front air phase flashbacks and may need this to get through a session.