Once More Into the Breach...

Another afternoon of miniature mayhem at the Hamilton Road Games Group in London, ON. Andy and I refereed a game of World War II Disposable Heroes. Kevin and Robby pushed the Canadian figures and Martin and Mike ran the German side. The Germans were to take the large building in the centre of the board as an observation post AND get a stalled halftrack of supplies off the board. The Canadians were to take the building AND escort a Resistance group with vital information off the board. The dice were against the hardy Canadians. (My wife, Beth took the good photos; I took the crumby ones.)


The Canadians advance with the Sherman 76 in support -
a lovely and ineffectual AFV that day.





Canadian troops hugging the hill side.




German troops and their anti-tank gun - which NEVER fired,
since no tanks showed themselves to it.




The MG-43 lurks in the woods with some infantry.
The Panzerschreck comes up behind.




The board and the BIG building. Small house decor by the Dollar Store.
Ignore the Tim Horton's  wraps - It was my lunch.




The Wehrmacht enters the house.
(Andy's paint job, Black Tree Design figs)




The Canadians move out.
(My paint job, Black Tree and Battle Honours figs)




The AT gunc commanded the street, but nobody went a-walking there.
(Andy's gun and crew. Nice!)






















The Canadian mortars threw a lot of smoke and did take out a few troops
with HE. Usually they provide instant frustration.




More Germans upstairs... watching the dollar store houses.
(I've got to paint them and soon!)




Kevin and I watch the game unfold. The dice never did cooperate.




Andy and Robby watch over the cattle. Mike kept attempting
to stampede them.




The Maultier excapes, the smoke dwindles, the Pzkw IV exhanges shots
with the Sherman, and the AT gun crew twiddles their thumbs.





















Amazing stuff:

• A mortar hit something!
• The Panzerschreck knocked out the second Sherman (no pics, sorry! Andy said it was a first.)
• The Sherman fired at the house, hit it, and did zero damage. Well chosen words were spoken.
• My dice are rotten; I'm thinking of putting them in the dish washer... or burying them.

Next week, 1812 reenacting at Fanshawe Pioneer Village. It's the North American Grand Tactical and I expect a huge crowd, of reenators from all over Canada and the US, and visitors. My family and I will take part in an 1812 education day on Friday - Beth will protray Laura Secord, Katie will be a time-traveller taking photos from the Tardis, Robby and I (and Andy as guest musketeer) will ambush the grade 7's as they drill and march down the path. They always scream each time we fire! I'm hoping for a load of photos to share.

Practice makes perfect, so I'm told.

Since my wife and I attempt to play Napoleonics using the Shako rule set and only get in one or two games a year, we decided to find a way to play with smaller forces in order to get better with the rules. We decided that the War of 1812 in North America might be a good way to go for these "scrimages" as we called them. We tried out two (the games were that quick!) at the Hamlton Road Games Club on Saturday.

The first game to be attempted was a recreation of the Battle of Chippewa. Although small by European Napoleonic standards (about 2 Brigades on a side and small brigades at that.), the battle had great influence on both sides of the conflict. The Crown forces finally faced a force of US troops that could not be looked down upon. Winfield Scott's brigade was a regular force in every sense of the word: 4 battalions/"regiments" of US regular infantry, trained to a standard equal to just about any of the British line and maybe better than some. The US Army regained some self-respect and the respect of the Crown forces. Scott's brigade was pretty badly cut up in the battle, but was able to fight again at Lundy's Lane a short time later. (This makes me wonder how good a general Scott was, but I know for certain that he was a better general than me!) The battle between the light troops in the woods to the west of the main battlefield - mostly First Nations warriors on both sides and Pennsylvania/New York volunteers and detatched British light companies on either side- was so brutal that many of the First Nations withdrew from the war and declared neutrality.
In any event, here are some photos:

US Artillery and Infantry advance along the Niagara River. (The battle took place not too far from the Falls.)



Ripley's Brigade advances to aid Scott. (The figures are ANCIENT Minifigs and Ral Partha 15's. I mean, reeeealy old.)




The warriors of the Grand River First Nation battle Porter's light troops -Cayugas and Pennsylvanians- in the forest.




The forces involved were small. Leipzig, it was not! Hence two games.



The US pushed back the Crown forces although taking some casualties from a battery of 24-pounders. The First Nations took serious casualties in the woods and some of the British regulars were smashed up badly. So we had time for a second game.

This one was North Point in the Chesapeake campaign around Baltimore. Here Maryland militia, still smarting from their defeat at Bladensburg, defended a rail fence as the British column came up to attempt to threaten Baltimore. (Althought Washington, DC was burned -to the eternal delight of many Canadians- Baltimore was the more strategic prize, being the center of privateer action on the Atlantic seaboard of the US.) In the actual battle, the Marylanders were to hold up the British advance so the fortification around Baltimore could be completed and although they lost the battle, they succeeded at delaying the British advance. The British commander, General Ross was killed in the battle by an American rifleman and that seemed to delay the column further. The British advance finally reached the completed fortifications on the land-ward side of Baltimore, but withdrew without taking on the 15,000 militia entrenched there. Fort McHenry guarded Baltimore harbour and that proved to be more than the fleet and invading troops were willing to handle. (cf. The Star-Spangled Banner, all verses)



The British left - line infantry and Royal Marine Artillery Congreve rocket
batteries- advanced to fix the Maryland militia in place. The rockets were
fun - totally inaccurate and bizarre to fire.




The militia defends a rail fence... although it looks like a stone wall.
(I'm proud to say I painted the Maryland State flag carried by the
troops in the centre of the photo.)




Sailors and Royal Marines (masquerading as Highlanders) turned the US
left and drove in the line. The Maryland rifles sniped from the bog.






















A British light infantry battalion counter-snipes from the farm. They should
be in red, but there's only so much time to paint.




















Since I didn't put enough woods on the board (compared to the real terrain), the British were easily able to turn the US left and send the militia packing. I suppose the miniature Baltimore was put to the torch.
So how does Shako work for the North American war? Not real well, to be honest. It's written for mass battles in Europe and the War on 1812 just does not measure up in stature. We knew that from the beginning. But it does work! What this exercise DID do was permit us to practice the rules with minimal forces and less to carry to the club. More importantly, we had fun... which is why we do this in the first place! The most fun was trying to keep track of the Congreve rockets as they toured the Maryland countryside.

My wife has done me proud.

In case you didn't know, my wife is a wonderful person, far better than the like of me deserves. (She does drive me nuts at times, but I'm sure that's my fault.) She has finished by uniform jackets for our 1812 reenacting and I could not be more pleased!



the uniform coatee - 1812 pattern with the 1813-pattern
"Tombstone" shako, the only one that would fit my head.



This morning was a fine sunny day and I was looking
into the sun!



The US pattern summer roundabout jacket in white linen
- much cooler than the wool.


























Details of the chest braid and buttons.


























Infantry pattern buttons on the linen jacket.

























Beth says she enjoyed doing these coats. I know it was a lot of work... and I'm grateful to this woman I love.

Some various Warhammer notes

My son has decided that Wood Elves are the way to go. (I'll allow it.) Until he can get all his Wood Elves painted, he's been using my old Empire troops to play against his friends. Just a few photos...

Stirland's finest. Oddly enough, the heraldric colours are the same as my
old high school.

A posed photo of the artillery.



The mercenary Black Company - in the service of the Elector of Stirland-
battles some guy on a horse... I don't know.






















The Black Company from a different angle. They're named for Glen Cook's
fictional mercenary unit in the Black Company books, which I'd recommend
to anyone.




More Stirlanders fighting pistoleers.



Commmando strike at... noon...

{This sounds like a very bad, B-movie on "Schlock Theatre.}

Really, it's an after action report from Saturday's Hamilton Road Games Club gathering. It was a "scripted scenario" where I ran all of the Germans and the other players (Brian, Robby, Lainn, Stephen, with Andy supplying military advice and colour commentary) ran British Commandos for a coastal raid on a listening post. Their mission: to destroy or disable the listening post. The Commandos were and elite force of crack troops. (Disposable Heroes calls them elite and gives them sky-high morale) but the German defenders were Festungsinfantrie whose morale was less than stellar (-1 from standard infantry) and whose eyesight proved... how shall I say it? Oh, heck! The sentries were blind! The German reinforcements who would arrive when certain conditons were fulfilled were a column of Security troops with an AFV.

So here was the set-up:



The listening post with a 3.7cm AA gun in the near tower (No, it's NOT a
T-34 turret!) Sentries are at the gate, the near wall, the seaside wall, and the
corporal is in the middle tower. A radioman and the staff sergeant were in
a small hut in the compound. Everybody else was sleeping.



Another view, including the ruin where a watch post was set up but unmanned.

The Commandos landed in small boats since I couldn't get the Higgins boats models done. (Paper ones; very nice; write me and I'll share.) Each boat had a Bren gun. The Commandos - 2 sections, 1 command section, a sniper team, a mortar team, an extra Bren team, a Vickers gun, and a section of Engineers... with a flamethrower, about which I'll say more later. The Commando sections and Engineers were carrying explosives. The boats landed safely since it was night (-2 to spot) and the sentries were myopic. The corporal saw *something* but didn't sound the alarm. He called the command post and the staff sergeant ran over. (Andy says staff sergeants don't run... ever. He also says sergeant majors stay still and let the universe move around them... at whatever speed the SM decides.) The commandos threw up grappling lines and begain to climb the walls. A sentry came out of his stupor and fired a shot at the climbers. He missed and got knifed by a commando.



Robby's command section + Vickers + PIAT go up the ropes!
The sentry (on the wall) senses something unusual is happening.

 

Lainn's Engineers, loaded with boom-stuff and a flamethrower head for
the steps.




Stephen's commandos and sniper team move to cover the road as they hear
motors off the board.




Brian's commandos interdict the road on the other side of the place.




















The staff sergeant hit the alarm and fired a signal flare. The corporal engaged the commando on the wall opposite him. (He would have been in line for a promotion had he not been "killed.") Three LMG crews woke and ran to their weapons. The three-man AA gun crew ran to their weapon as well. The lieutenant, two other privates, and the gate guard ran into the court yard. Herr Leutnant made it to the CP, but the other were taken out by rife fire and the assembled Vickers gun. The engineers ran for the tower with the antennae on it - a good guess of where the listening equipment was. Lainn gleefully flamed the tower where the German staff sergeant squeezed off a few shots while the rest of the RE section headed for the listening tower with charges. Robby's mortar fired smoke to no effect, but lobbed an HE bomb onto the listening tower where an LMG crew was busily and effectively engaging the commando on the sea wall. The mortar bomb ended that. Three commandos took on the staff sergeant hand-to-hand on the tower. They beat him, of course, but he took one with him.


The very efficient corporal in a better time.




The staff sergeant faces down three engineers... for a moment.
Note the no-longer so efficient corporal.




The mortar crew - actually DOING something constructive.




The Security Troop begin to arrive led by the beloved Pz 38t.
(Andy and I both have one. Bring-and-buy specials!)



Now the motor were nearer and Stephen placed charges in the road while his sniper team took pot-shots at the crew in the towers. Brian's boats and commandos pinned down the AA gun crew and finally caused them to run back into the lower level of the tower, less one crew member after firing at one of the boats. His section watched for the relief column as well. Robby's command section went in with knives against the LMG on the sea wall tower. This conversation ensued:

"Dad, there's one MG crewman left. Can I throw him off the wall?"

"Roll to see if you hit him first."

(Rolling) "I hit him; can I throw him off the wall?"

"If I roll {this number or more}, he goes off the wall."

(Rolling)  "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Thud!"

(This why it's called WarGAMING!!)

Stephen set the satchel charges well (with assistance and advice from Andy, Lainn, and Brian, military veterans all), because it blew up the second truck with all aboard. Brian's commandos fired at the tank which returned fire, failing to hit anything. The Commando side pointed out that small arms couldn't hurt the 38t, so all this firing would only make the tank mad. It did end up chasing his section right down to the beach.

Lainn's engineers set off the charges which destroyed the listening gear. The last man standing on the roof, the LMG section's sergeant, dived off the roof to his death. Lainn also hosed some more flame around "for effect." (He seemed to be having a load of fun.) Robby fired the flair signalling "Recall" and the commandos headed back to the boats. The 38t chased Brian's section to the beach but couldn't hit them in the dark. The number 1 truck unloaded troops at the gate, but the rest of the convoy was stuck behind the burning truck as the commandos faded into the dark of the Channel.

The 38t in pursuit. The CP is under the imaginary roof;
the lieutenant and radioman are barely visible.



Well timed!



Another view of the Open Blitz blocking the road.

Back to the boats, lads!



We all enjoyed ourselves in this short scenario; a few of us had to leave early because of other committments. Next time, maybe there'll be fewer LMGs on the boats; that was too deadly, or the shore will be further away. (There are only so many tables that we can use.) Andy wanted to try to use tan and blue felt squares to represent beach and sea and they seemed to work well.

I knew that the Fortress troops couldn't stand toe-to-toe with elite commandos. As it was, even in hard fortifications, they were pinned easily because of their brittle morale. These were not top of the line troops on the coast! Maybe next time, TWO relief forces and HMGs in the towers. I think in gaming, balance is a result of experimentation and trial-and-error.

A few last photos.



The front gate at least looks impressive.




The 38t tears up the ground in a high-speed night-time chase... 8" per move.




The Red Skull didn't fight in this game, but he made a "propaganda" visit
with a photo-op! Maybe the next "Where Heroes Dare" game!



Paper skiffs. They served.