Wednesday 19 June 2019

Juno WW2 Rommel scenario

With the 75th anniversary of D-Day nearing on I took out my Max Hastings Overlord for more inspiration I enbarked on trying an invasion type scenario.
        I have long been a ww2 wargamer since early seventies.Actually ww2 was the only era that interested me. Warlord and victor comics Look and learn ,Readers digest ,World of Wonder ,any literature on ww2 was consumed.
It all started with Gavin Operation Warboard borrowed from the local library and since we eventually had to return my cousin typed two copies .Mine was the back copy with red print.Bound with a sewing machine which I still have somewhere  
    All this was in 20mm until I got my first 1/300 Heroics and a copy of WRG 1925-1950 rules in 1981.
Then went through WRG 2nd edition ,Newbury Cambrai to Sinai ,B R Taylor Firefly,Command and Decision and Clash of Armor by Clash of Arms.Then interest shifted to ACW and Napoleonic but that’s another story.
Recently I came across Kampfgruppe  Commander which was a 2nd edition of Clash of Armour which I had really liked its initiative system. I played  a couple of games but realized I was no longer in minute detail ,spotting ranges and barrage templates.
  That’s until Rommel.Sam Mustafa WW2 Game.It puts you in a commander role where combined arms is the key. And at 1 sqr Km/6inch there’s plenty of room for great battles.
  

Juno is the Canadian beach in operation Overlord.I have never played an invasion scenario as it was never easy te recreat a balance betwwen a machine gun in a pillbox a men trying to wade ashore under fire. With Rommel the allied first two brigades land jam packed with no exit in the 1st tactical  phase .Unless an exit is opened by the end of turn 1 some remaining units of the first wave  will have nowhere to land due to stacking and will be shattered.So all 10 ops points will have to go to invoking subsequent tactical phases.3 defending squares were concentrated on and by the 3rd tac phase an exit was opened .
The allies cannot afford using offensive tactics but must push hard bt invoking as mant tactical moves as possible at all costs . Casualties is the price to pay.The defender receives reinforcments by the 21st panzer Division which counter attacked aggresivly. we still have to conclude and will update accordingly. I am including some photos taken during the game kindly taken by Mike .



First wave going in

must be turn 6 with 21st panzer coming in

Stugs and Marders of the 352 inf Div

depleted allied 7th Brigade

from the defender's rear

allied out numbered but fight on



red marker tipped

Saturday 1 June 2019

Airfix HMS Devonshire

Out of sheer nostalgic memories and the challenge of an old kit I took the plunge for an accurate small model of Hms Devonshire

Sadly no plans for this particular ship although still not feasible paying for large scale plan

Lot of photos of the class but they have to be of the actual ship

The actual model is far too inaccurate
main issues
forward superstructure short and far too back
main mast on wrong structure
Aft deck too short