Late War Chain of Command

We've been playing a few games of Chain of Command at the club recently.  Here are a few pictures from a pick up game using US Infantry and Fallschirmjäger:

Dux Britanniarum: Raiding a Border Tower

We thought it had been way too long since we had managed to get the Too Fat Lardies' Dark Ages rules, Dux Britanniarum, to the table so we staged a game at the club a little while ago.  Here are some pictures of a Raid on a Border Tower:

First Play: What a Tanker

Having heard good things about the Too Fat Lardies' new tank combat rules, What a Tanker! (WaT), I thought I would give them an outing at the club.  We ended up playing two games and much fun was had.  Here are a few photos of from the games:

Obviously WaT leans more to the game rather than simulation; however, it does make you think and gives you some difficult choices so provides an entertaining experience.  I hope we can get more people interested at the club so we can run some form of campaign.

Besieged in Belhipur

Part of my appalling backlog of posts includes this one from a wargaming weekend over a year ago!  This was the final game of the weekend and a first outing for the second edition of the Too Fat Lardies' Sharp Practice rules using my Indian Mutiny collection.

A small group of ladies have been caught in the village of Belhipur by a large force of mutineers.  But rescue is on the way in the shape of a mobile column.  Their objective was to fight off the mutineers and take the women to safety.

Here are some photos from the game:

Initially all seemed quiet in Belhipur

But then the Mutineers arrived

The ladies all react differently to the crisis!

A small unit of Sikhs is on their way

Followed by some loyal Bengal Native Infantry

The Mutineers form line to fend of the British

But they advance regardless

Mutineer cavalry attempts to outflank the advancing British

Sicilian Skirmish 1943

I had planned to run a game of Chain of Command at the club this week - setting it as part of Operation Husky in late July 1943.  But I had somewhat more interest than I anticipated and so I decided to expand it and use the Big Chain of Command supplement.

So we had a US Infantry platoon supported by a platoon of M4 Sherman tanks advancing into a small Sicilian village on the flank of the main advance.  Expecting desultory resistance from the Italians the Yanks were in for a bit of a surprise as a platoon of Fallschirmjäger had taken up residence.

Starting with some stereotypical shock and awe, the Americans laid down a pre-game barrage and following the patrol phase deployed an infantry section which then advanced quite casually - expecting that any resistance would still be dazed by the artillery.  They were in for something of a surprise as, wandering across an open space they came under fire from not one, but two, MG42s both directed by NCOs.  Needless to say the result was pretty unpleasant for the GIs.

The Americans had their revenge however, as quickly following the encounter, two Shermans deployed and shelled the house containing the offending machine guns with high explosive!

The firefight continued despite the shelling and the rifle section of the advancing US squad took heavy casualties, including their Corporal, and promptly routed.

The next US platoon was somewhat more circumspect with their advance, leap frogging from building to building whilst the tanks continued to fire on the MG positions.  With the German squad pinned by the HE shells a lucky shot made the building unstable.  The German platoon sergeant leapt into action, rallied the squad and led them to safety just before the building collapsed.

Meanwhile the second US squad had been spotted by the German artillery observer who called down a barrage on them from his supporting 8cm mortar battery, much to the distress of the Americans.

With the infantry advance slowed by the mortar barrage, the tanks decided to advance alone.  On narrowly escaped an ambush from a Panzerknacker team whose teller mine failed to damage the tank.  But when it advanced a little too far without infantry support a Fallschirmjäger section close assaulted it with some improvised anti-tank weaponry, grenades attached to jerry cans of petrol.  The first failed to damage the tank but the second was luckier and the Sherman was knocked out.

With another Sherman advancing on the flank supported by two US infantry squads the German FO became a little over confident and called for his mortars to fire for effect without a ranging shot.  Unfortunately they fell rather too short and fell on his own position!

A desperate fire fight ensued between the Germans, now mostly sheltering in the church and the advancing GIs.  With two more of the tanks immobilised by the panzerknacker team, their advance slowed again and with dusk beginning to fall the Germans withdrew.

Overall a very interesting game with each player taking away some painful lessons!  Here are a few photos:

Something for the Weekend, Sir?

A little weekend reading - the new version of Sharp Practice has just been received at The Wargames Shed (in pdf - the hard copy is on its way) - great service, as always, from Too Fat Lardies...

Summer Lard!

The latest Too Fat Lardies summer special is out.  This season's edition includes:

• Blitz to Boulogne - A complete mini-campaign for Chain of Command
• Action at the Crooked Billet - AWI scenario for Sharp Practice
• Glowaczow - AN IABSM scenario from 1944 with Soviets versus Germans
• Hadgranate! - Tracing the development of hand grenade tactics in the Great War
• At our Convenience - A mini-campaign for Mud & Blood (or Great War Chain of Command) centred on the battle of Loos in 1915
• Fight for Sesna - A Spanish Civil War tank action for CoC Espana!
• Straight out of Central Casting - Adding characters to your Bag the Hun games
• Taking the Biscuit - A complete guide to using Sharp Practice for Garibaldi's 1860 campaign in Sicily. Rule suggestions and five scenarios
• Quadrant 13, A Point System - Robert Avery provides a point system for his popular Sci-Fi rules
• The Roundwood Report - Sidney talks Lardy Games days with three veteran organisers
• Fork-Tailed Lardies - Using the P-38 in Bag the Hun
• Le Hameau - A 200th anniversary Le Feu Sacre scenario
• Hunting Charlie with Captain Jack - A Charlie Don't Surf Scenario for Vietnam
• Arise to Lard - Applying 1940 air tactics with Bag the Hun.
• Scotland Forever - Try to capture the Eagle with the Scots Greys at Waterloo. A complete game to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the great battle.

Weighing in at 133 pages overall this should keep any Lard enthusiast quiet for a while and for £6 its looks pretty good value to me.

Market Gardening

I have a little remiss in my updates of late - so a little later than planned...

Lenin popped over again recently and we played a couple of tabletop games including a slightly impromptu game of Chain of Command.  We played Scenario Six: Attack on an Objective from the rulebook and set it around Operation Market Garden.

A British Airborne platoon supported by a section and Sherman from XXX Corps are trying to capture a crossroads held by the Germans.  Lenin took the British and I prepped my defensive position (and a little surprise for them).

The Paras advance on the left...

... and the right of the road

Moving through the crops

Rushing across the open field

The Paras advanced rapidly across the whole width of the table and, whilst my troops were in hard cover, they were also lower quality and unable to concentrate their fire.

An overview showing the crossroads

I moved more men up into the upper storeys of the buildings to gain a greater arc of fire and so be able to concentrate it better.  Unfortunately Lenin then deployed his Sherman and took out the upper storey of one of the buildings entirely!

My surprise - a Tiger!

Whilst my Tiger came as an unpleasant surprise the Paras kept the initiative long enough to inflict a large quantity of casualties before I could get the Tiger into position.  When I did it shook of a couple of hits from the Sherman and a PIAT and then took out the Sherman.  But it was really too little too late as more casualties broke my force's morale and we withdrew.

Another enjoyable game of Chain of Command which presented to really interesting challenges.