‘Nam - Tanks and Mutt.

The latest additions for the Nam collection sees the addition of some heavy armour units . While often associated with infantry and choppers there is a role for the armoured units providing support and beefing up firebases , escorting convoys etc . 

So first up a pair of M48A3 Patton tanks for the Marine units . This was a resin and metal kit . As ever at this kind of scale a modicum of modelmaking skill is required . I went a bit further adding brass rod replacements for turret rail and the basket as I thought these resin bits might not stand long term contact with Wargamers . Other than that it was a base paint job and weathering using various AK and Vallejo pigments.

 

The kit is resin and metal with the tracks being metal as well as the cupola , gun and a bag of stowage. Other than adding the brass work it went together really well . 

 

I picked up a set of decals from Star in Sweden that let me do two tanks from the same unit . They were 1’72 nominally but were a good match 

 

I have also completed the M151 Mutt by Gringos . I’ve added a spare 50cal I had in the bits box , as well as a whip aerial and a windshield made from a transparent yoghurt pit . 

 

Next was a top up for my Anzac units with a Centurion V with a dozer blade. It’s a resin kit from Full  Metal Miniatures , 

This is mostiy resin bar the gun, dozer blade and stowage 

Decals were again sourced from Stat . 

I really enjoyed doing these . Surprisingly, once built and given a base rattle can green undercoat these didn’t take very long to complete.

I have picked up a few other AK and Vallejo pigments that were used on these and I think they are great 

This sheet comes with the decals fir info 

Gaming - ‘Nam at Battleground show 2022

 Today saw another meet up at out local Wargames show Battleground which is organised by the good guys at Pendraken. We had the Nam stuff out for a display game and just a general meet up and chin wag . A good day was had . 

We were using the mash up rules , of cards/events from Charlie don’t Surf , and the shooting from the Nam . With a 60 min game clock being run down by the last activation side . So a d12 for Communists a d4 for the US . 

Ouch !

 

The Nam collection certainly has a wow factor . 

This game ended with 3 minutes left in the clock - with a major US victory with the high ranking officer recovered , important intelligence recovered , and all the wounded evacuated - no civilians killed . 2 US dead , 6 serious wounds , 6 light wounds - 2 helicopters lost and about 60 communists killed . 

Gaming - Carentan Causeway . Normandy 44

 James and I have had another visit to the Normandy campaign. This time it was to play out the start of the attack on Carentan from the North with the American paratroopers from St Mere L’Eglise area  having to clear and capture the causeways and on towards the edge of Carentan. This time however the opposition would be made of tougher troops than they had encountered so far - German Fallschirmjager.  James would have the Americans . 

There are 3 bridges involved to start with then once crossed there buildings to seize . In addition the first bridge is blown and no crossable by vehicles yet , so it would be an infantry fight.

The attack would begin at night with lead patrols trying to find a way through the flooded areas without attracting the defenders attention .we did this with skill checks for progress and being spotted . 

 

Bridge number 3 turned out to be completely blocked by a heavy Belgian gate , and without any TNT it was slow to get teams past it. Not wanting to attract enemy attention they held off trying to use bazookas on it .  A telegraph pole was hauled to the canal side and also used to get a team across each turn.

 

Most of the night turn had been used up just getting through the terrain elements and only a few lead teams  had made it to the end of the causeway as dawn broke. The FJ had heard them and started to defend themselves.

 

The German defenders finally woke up and started to put some fire down 

There would be short sharp fight for the building as the US paras took it with a brave assault. However the Germans used a panzerscreck to blast the building in response .

A flight of Thunderbolts turned up 

They found an 88 on the main road into town and attempted to bomb it with no success. 

The 88 would fire at the advancing American , but ultimately did very little - other than actually shoot down a P47 in a second attempted strike later in the game . (Damn I need to make some wrecked ones now too!)

More teams had made it across the wetlands , though defensive fire was taking its toll 

 

More support had turned up for the FJ and mortar fire began to catch the second platoon of the Americans in the open ground around the bridges 

American artillery began to make its presence felt -starting to pin down the FJ in places 

The forward FJ defenders were finally overwhelmed - but it had been costly . A small detachment of 1st platoon had worked its way along the flank towards the rear of the German defences to find an HMG position and AT gun. An assault on the MG very nearly worked , but they were driven away . 

More FJ had arrived to counterattack. They pushed into the centre .

The US Forward Observer was able to get into an advantageous position ,just as some extra fire missions became available and caught the advancing FJ in the orchard blunting their attack 

 

This provided enough cover for the 2nd platoon the deploy on a hedge line and pour fire into the German position which again pinned them enough to make an assault less risky - this finally did enough damage for the FJ command to decide it was better to give up the fight and live to fight another day . 

Another good game . We played out 16 turns altogether . 

Full view of the table 

Not Forgotten

“NOT FORGOTTEN”

Gaming - ACW - Fort Donelson

 Yesterday was an outing at the renamed Old Guard group - now the North Riding Wargames Club. Stig and I had booked to play another ACW game using Alter of Freedom. We are going to work our way through the scenario book over time and this is the opening one for the Western battles . 

It’s a small battle - the table was 4.5 x 4.5 (as we are using 10mm we have increased the size /ranges/movement by half )with 3 Union divisions commanded by US Grant - the only issue being he does not turn until the end of turn 5 , which made it difficult to prioritise and coordinate the attacks . 

The Confederate general was hesitant which makes his command ratings variable each turn , again you can’t plan forward , just need to react to what’s happening. 

The aim is for the each army to break the other - which is losing 4 brigades , or have control of a key road leading of the map - the Confederate escape route at the end of the 10 turn scenario. 

I had build an earthen wall fort from 10mm XPS to represent the fort 

Stigs Union forces advance toward the outer works 

The map with the key road markerd. The Union start on across the bottom 3 squares.  

The outer ring of defence works are manned .

My Reb cavalry was able to outflank a couple of Union brigades coming  toward the fort which blunted the attack . Grants absence was being felt.

At turn 5 it was looking like a Union defeat , with the Union army taking casualties and having being thrown back . Grants arrival turned the tide with some key dice roles that rallied broken troops . 

From then on I was playing a holding game trading space and time with my Rebs and trying to pinch out Union units that came near the road . A Union cavalry unit was able to get through and overrun a rallying brigade and more importantly the corps HQ I had placed behind Dover . This meant rallying troops would rally to the fort on the other side of the battlefield .

The fort continued to hold off various Union assaults

The final rolls of the last turn saw a Union brigade supported by artillery seize the road junction .

Overall another great game - that gave lots of tense moments . From looking a near certain Union defeat to snatching at the end it was great fun . 

We will be doing a small Vicksburg campaign coming up . 

Gaming - Nam at The Other Partizan

 It’s been a great weekend down at Newark for The Other Partizan. I had help from guys from the club with a Vietnam demo game . We made a weekend of it staying over the night before with a few beers and a curry , then an hour or two on the Letxscape gaming cafe that stayed open .

Sunday turned into a really busy day for me with lots of interest in the game ,the terrain and figures and a lot of great feedback. It was a real social event with lots of guys from the blogging and You Tube community popping by for a chat . I did an interview with Wargames Illustrated as well , they took a load of pictures and video . I barely left the table all day and didn’t get round to much shopping , although I don’t often buy much from shows . I did pick up some ferro sheeting from Cortani to line the Vietnam figure trays for magnetisation, they also had some pre painted small paddy fields I snapped up along with some more 10mm ACW from Pendraken . 

I had a good chat with Ged from Gringo40s about the range , what might be in the wings and what else I would like to see adding - this project still has real legs .

 

All quiet before the storm 

 

The US entry points .

 

A Slick carrying a senior officer has crashed - now was it malfunction or something more sinister . A rescue was to be mounted . There have been some reports of VC activity in the area.

The Huey Cobra lead the way to provide firepower 

Is it all innocent in the village?

Transport and CasEvac arrive 

 

Hang on that’s NVA in the village

Extra squads are waiting to deploy on big Chinnok

The badly wounded are loaded onto the first flight out

There are VC closing in on the downed chopper from the jungle area 

A Napalm strike on the jungle edges blunts the VC moving to the landing zone.

It’s become a hot LZ

The Skyraider watches as the injured senior officer has been spirited away into the village - it can’t take a chance on firing.

 

An RPG bang on target hits the Chinook just after it’s squads have exited . But they are under small arms fire too

A last ditch rescue charge is foiled by an RPG that blew the M113 to smithereens .

 

The captured officer is put onto a sampan - destination the Hanoi Hilton

The US , lost 6 dead , 6 injured , an officer captured . A destroyed Chinook , a damaged Cobra and Huey , and a blown up M113 .A total failure . The VC and NVA lost over 60 guys so it was pretty painful.