Nery 1914 game

I hosted my first 1914 game the other day at my store. The game was to represent the action at Nery between British and German Cavalry. The British had one HMG section at the Sugar Factory, one gun section of 13pdrs in the hay field (L battery) and two dismounted cav troops in the town (11th Hussars). They had a reserve platoon but did not know what it was or where it was going to come in. It was a troop of mounted Guard cav in delayed reserve but more on that later.

 The Germans had a full battery of 7.7 guns, one HMG section and two mounted troops. The guns were deployed on the ridge and the players were given the option to have the cav mounted or dismounted, they chose mounted.
The first turn the Germans were the attacker and got to fire first but not move. The British started pinned down to represent the surprise and the lifting fog.
 



After some exchange of fire and maneuvering, The German Artillery had been reduced to two guns while L battery stayed whole. The German cav charged across the field at the guns and took a  few before they were shot to pieces. The troop that was trying to take the Sugar factory was mowed down by the HMGs.



 In the end the Germans went below half strength and not having a CO failed company morale. The British lost L battery but held the field. It was a good game and all had a grand time with many cheers and laughs. Thanks to the players for entertaining me and my WWI obsession.

FoW, SDS (61/65) and Warhammer projects progression

I have completed a few more parts to the many projects I have in the works.

First up is a Flames of War early war Panzer IIC platoon. I really dragged my feet on doing these because I was not enthused about them. Thier stats are not that great - Rof 3, AT 5, FP 5, but they are a required combat platoon for the Czech tank company that I have. I have been having trouble with the big tanks of EW, Char B, T34, etc. and could not see how these little guys would help. My air support was not making it through the AA fire. Well they can't help on the monsters but they are a good light vehicle/infantry killer so they can be good for holding an objective.

These are 28mm tents that I have been molding for my Song of Guns and Shakos/'61-'65 games. I found a really old resin tent and just made a mold with 3D Gel and Plaster of Paris from the craft store. The molds only lasted three pours each so I will need to find a better molding compound for my next project. Once dry I will paint them to seal and protect them but they will be fragile.

On the table now is another unit of archers for WHFB, and some French ATGs. I am considering a Hungarian Assault gun company for a FOW 1750 challenge pyramid we are going to start at the shop. Just what I need, another project in the mix. We will see...

FOW WWII Early War game

It has been some time since I last posted. My new venture http://www.huzzahhobbies.com/ has been keeping me very busy. I did manage to get a few hours this last Sunday to get a game in. I am a fan of the early war period of World War Two and with the new release of Blitzkrieg from Battlefront I have been working on a French force to go against my Germans that I did some time ago. We only got in a half a dozen turns before I had to give up the table to a customer so they could get a game in. We called it a German minor victory because they had destroyed one platoon with none of theirs destroyed. The Stukas showed up almost every turn but did not always hit. My French unit is a DLM so can not take AA. Need to look at the other lists!

It was a fun game and who knows what could have happend.

More German EW Cavalry

I just finished a half troop of Peter Pig German Uhlans. This finishes off the German cav from the lot I bought last year. This gives me enough mounted bases to table a Squadron for EW/MW. I really like teh Peter Pig figures. I just wish they had a command pack like the British.
I need to scratch/kit bash one or two HMG wagons to go with them and then I need dismounted. I will probably do another German Artillery section next and then maybe move to some LW Canadians but we will see.

Back in the WW1 saddle!

Well I am finally back at my WW1 life long project. I just finished a half troop of Peter Pig German Dragoons. They were from the huge collection I obtain last year. I stripped them and repainted. I really like them but I wish they had a command pack and a few more poses.

Next are a few pics of some recent ebay purchases. The first is an FT-17 TSF from an unknown manufacture. I have it assembled and base coat painted. I plan on making an extension on the skid for the antenna wire and it has a hole for the antenna. I think it will make a great little model.

Next are some Iron Brigade Miniatures also from ebay.

This is a very cool truck. It should go nicely with the Minifig ones I have (pic).

This is a Mk 1 tank. I am really excited about this model. Should make a nice piece.

It looks to be about the same size as the Peter Pig Mk IV model.

Last is an Austin A/C. I have it pictured with my QRF modified model. I will keep this for my Russian army. It may be some time!

Still on the job hunt but the ebay business is keeping my head above water.

I have one more half troop of PP German Uhlans on the workbench along with a number of GW items heading for ebay. Then on to the TSF and Mk 1. Hope to get some gaming in with my mates next weekend.

Nery and German Uhlans Cavalry Command

I just finished reading Nery, 1914 - The adventure of the German 4th Cavalry Division on the 31st August and the 1st September by Major A.F. Becke. It is a detailed look at a cavalry vs cavalry action. There is also a nice website on the action - www.chakoten.dk/nery_100914_2.html

The GWSH yahoo group has a nice scenario on the action also. I have created a FOW1918 version and will post it in the files section once I have play tested it.

This book along with the delay in receiving my German infantry from the painter, more on that in another post, I have decided to use the remaining German cavalry figures I have from the big purchase to create a Squadron to game with. I only had a few Minifigs Uhlans so I decided to use them as the Squadron Command.

I had to strip them of there original paint job. The horses are not Minifigs but I am not sure what manufacture they are.

While I was working on the Uhlans I also did two more command stands. One is for the artillery and the other will be for the Cavalry HMG teams.

I am now working on another 7.7cm gun section, the German Horse artillery batteries had four guns and I will need a full battery for the Nery scenario. I am also working on the remaining Peter Pig German cavalry I have left. They need major stripping and cleaning. Four stands of Dragoons and four stands of Uhlans. I plan on mixing them in with the Minifigs stands i have already completed to make two full troops.

More progress on the EW project.

I am getting more and more excited about gaming 1914. I really feel this is where the rules and game will shine. I have started to collect scenarios and modify them to FOW1918. I am concentrating on the BEF retreat at the moment since they are ready for the game table.

Above are a few objectives I created for the 1914 games. Very generic but would be fine in an open field or abandoned village.

This is a half troop of German Hussars (Minifig). I modeled the officer after a picture I found of the Totenkopf Hussars. I also did their penants in black. Not sure if it is 100% accurate but I think they look cool. Sorry the pictures are not that great, they look much better in person.

Now if I could just get my Germans back from the painter!

Next up are a full troop of British Guard Cavalry (Minifig). I just stripped them of their previous paint job and should be to work on them soon. Another batch of German Cav (Peter Pig) are in the stripping soak tub at the moment.

Flee market time!

I am posting a few extras I have For Sale. All are of an average to low paint level but good enough to game with. If interested let me know, prices are negotiable. Shipping will by via USPS.

Irregular Miniatures EW French gun crew, 14 figures $7.00
Minifig LW German Infantry, 11 stands (30 figures) $15.00

Peter Pig HMG teams, 12 figures, $6.00

Peter Pig British EW HQ stands, 8 figures with tables and acc. $5.00

Minifig crews, Peter Pig 18pdrs, 3 guns and crews $10.00

Irregular Miniatures EW British gun crews, 12 figs, $6.00

German Limbers

Artillery limbers are not something that we get excited about. They are only on the table for a short time if at all but they represent an important piece of the game, especially in EW.


I was never really happy with how my LW limbers turned out. I did them with one pair of horses on a medium base. It just looked insufficient in the way it did not match up with the gun base and was not strong enough looking.


Actual limbers had six horses as pictured above.


I considered making custom bases. Long enough to hold all six horses and the gun would have been really cool but instead I went with what I had to save money and time. I mounted them on a large base which had room for four horses. It matches up with the gun base and looks strong enough. I need to create a mounted command team so the unit can have mounted and dismounted pieces.

Trench Raid Mission

This past Monday (12/28) I put on a Trench Raid game for the DAHGS.
This was the first play test for this mission with others and I was really looking forward to their feedback. I had played it solo and enjoyed it. I will post some ideas on how to do this in the future.
I let them pick sides and nations. Jan and Frank chose the British and Attackers and Josh (with my help) was the Germans and Defender.
The British had a raiding force of three full infantry platoons. Since the rules allow the attacker the Kampfgroup rule they created a fourth platoon using the 2IC and teams from the existing platoons. The Germans had three infantry platoons, an HMG section, a Marksman HMG section and two SOS barrages.
The British chose to attack at night. For those not familiar with the Night Fighting rules this limits movement (no double timing) and visibility (each platoon must roll for visibility each turn).
After the placement of the objectives, six in all, three placed by each side, the Germans plotted their SOS barrages. The British then placed their platoons and wire gap markers.

Turn one through three were fairly uneventful as the British moved through the wire and into the trenches quietly in the dark and the Germans did not successfully roll for any troops (reserves). The British did manage to take two objectives (I made a mistake on the first one and allowed them to capture the first one incorrectly). To counter this I gave the Germans an extra die for the next two turns for reserves.

One turn four the Germans were successful in calling in both SOS barrages and receiving two platoons. They rolled a 2 and 6 for location of entry. The six being the left side front trench that the British had not set up a blocking unit like they did on the left (location 1). The Germans entered an infantry platoon at this location. Location 2 was the right side support trench which the Germans brought in the HMG section. From this point the left side was afire with grenade blasts and rifle and MG fire pretty much the rest of the game.
The Germans assaulted the British, forcing them back and successfully holding the objective in that location.
The British had obtained two objectives and needed a third to have a minor victory. Their right flank was in a struggle costing them casualties so the left went for a bold move to capture a deeper objective on their side. Luck was with them as the Germans had a difficult time unpinning their platoons and allowing the British to sneak a few teams up and eventually taking the third objective. The German HMG section on that side must have had extremely bad night vision because they were never able to see farther than 4”.

Now all the British had to do was get it’s platoons off the board. Easier said than done!
Their tactics were text book as they left Lewis gun teams to cover the escape and it was working on their left. Their right was another story and before the last teams could escape their casualty numbers caused a moral test which they failed reducing their number of platoons that had captured an objective to two. A Minor victory to the Germans.

A good time was had by all! The only tweak to the mission is to reduce or eliminate the 8” distance from the table edge requirement for the objectives.

More EW figures done.

Since I sent my EW German company out to be painted I have been working on some smaller units for my EW armies. I can usually only get a few minutes every few days at the painting table so it goes slowly.

This is a British Artillery section. The figures were already painted (fair) so I just did some touch up and re based them. I did not mount the guns allowing the unit to have 4.5" How (pictured above - QRF model) or 18pdrs (pictured below - Peter Pig). Crew are Peter Pig.

I did the same thing with the German Artillery section. I repainted the figures completely with these. This is with the 7.7cm Field gun (Peter Pig)

This is with the 10.5 How (Peter Pig). Crew are also Peter Pig.

This last pic is of German Cavalry dismounted. They were just touched up, dipped and re based. They are Peter Pig figures.

I am currently removing some French Colonial Zouaves (Blue Horizon Miniature figures) from there original bases, touching them up, dipping and re basing but more on them in another post.

1917 Nivelle Offensive game

Last night some friends came over and we tried a new scenario I created,
1917 Nivelle Offensive.

The Germans had full knowledge of the attack and prepared well. The French tanks were a disappointment and the artillery was not well coordinated.

The Preliminary bombardment did little to the one German platoon in the trenches, only pinned them but it was effective on the wire creating a few large gaps.

This is the French starting off.

By turn three the Germans call for one of there SOS/defensive barrages and it catches a Schneider tank and sets it a fire. The French rolling barrage is starting to get away from the infantry.

Turn four the second SOS barrage falls but does little. The French continue to push forward as the barrage rolls pas the front trench and the Germans start to man the line.

The French get into the trench and try to fight their way down the line but the Germans put up a stubborn defense.

The French left tries desperately to get up the trench as the right takes the trench but is then pinned and never recovers. Eventually they are ground down on the left and the game goes to the Germans.

It was a lot of fun and played and flowed well. The German HMGs caused major problems for the French.

I will post the scenario on the FOW1918 yahoo group.

1914 German Infantry - The repaint begins

I have started on the EW German infantry that I obtained recently. I was hoping that they would be as easy as the EW British but after review I will be doing a complete repaint.

I did the CO, 2IC and the HMG Section as a sample to see what I was getting into. It is not to much, though the little detail of the red piping and such will slow me down.

The platoons are huge, 17 bases each. So this part of the project will take longer than I had hoped but better to do them right the first time.

I am fighting the urge to follow my gaming mates and do a DBA RRR army. I will eventually do a French one based on The Three Musketeers but for now it is back to the 1914 Germans.