Cold War Austria 1952

Al and myself managed to squeak in a game last night in between beers and copious amounts of tobacco. This game at Al's wargaming centre was designed for 1952 on the occupying powers in Austria having a fall out and deciding to push each other out of their respective zones.

Looking above we have the Soviets at the far end of the table with their objective being to get down to the other end, while those plucky Brit's have the same mission except to go the other way.

Infantry and Armour is about even, as is Infantry. Soviet air power consists of a flight on IL-10 and a Mig 15. Brits have a Sqn of S-55 Whirlwinds (S-58's actually due to lack of these in real life) which can lift two Coys.

Game on!

Opening moves saw my Il's flying scouting missions to find the Brits while my ground forces rushed forward.

Al had made cards to use instead of troops/vehicles until spotted. This has the hidden advantage of being able to use dummy units and add some confusion and doubt into the game.

Two cards can be seen in the pic. They were actually T54 and T34 Units.

Half of my Recon Company spotted. For a Recon Unit it lasted quite a long time on the table.

The left flank after some decent spotting. IS-2 Tank Coy and two Infantry Battalions seize a crossroads and a heavy grade bridge, while British MP's and Engineers along with a 17 Pounder troop of guns set up shop in the village.

The Brits having seen the IS-2 fan out.

After a rough start with the 17 pdrs the RA finally get their act together and score a blow against my red machine. The MP jeep and crew is toasted next.

Passing a morale check the rest of my IS-2 Company continue the advance, I add a Infantry Battalion to the firing line and hits are scored all round, however never side gains any momentum.

Meanwhile on the other flank a dummy unit and a very real T34/85 Company gain hold of another village and await the Infantry to catch up. The Infantry's transport was used for the other flank.

The Brits are spotted and turn out to be a very nasty Sqn of Centurions backed up with Carrier mounted Infantry. I have now found the main direction of assault. The opposite flank of mine!

First blood to my reds. The tommie super tank burns well with 85mm HEAT. My special rounds however are now depleted. They keep advancing...

More to come!

Incoming!

I picked these ROCO Minitanks vehicles up a couple of weeks ago. Above the M578 (I think) will go to making a workshop unit with the M113 Fitter. I have another chassis without the crane which I may slip in as something else.

A M53 or M55 155mm SP...Only have one of these so the use may be limited in a game, just eye candy perhaps. Really need two to make a Battery. Chances of coming across another one here in NZ is somewhat limited.

MGM-18 Lacrosse, I can possibly use this as a Honest John if I really want to include it in a 80's game. But I may just try and convince Al into a 1960's Cold War game where I can use it as is.

These will be fun to paint up anyway!

M113 Fitter

Falling for temptation once again I picked up another Airfix/JB models M113 just because it was cheap. It arrived today in the post and I have been thinking of a couple of options for its construction. (Anything to cheer me up about the Craptech Hind I am trying to build)

It's probable use will be as a Fitter vehicle, which is a pretty simple conversion. Some good pics of a Kiwi version are shown here.

Of course I could also do a M58 Wolf version which is a smoke generator...But also quite boring.

Kitech Mil Mi 24 Hind F Pt2: The Nightmare Continues

More work on the Craptech Hind. Pleasure ensure you have plenty of alcohol when constructing this as you will need to to cheer you up. Massive gaps that just don't go away.

I have a feeling that I will be needing a new tube of putty as well.

Sometimes the parts just plainly do not fit.

The nose cone is terrible...How is this round? I consider myself not to bad in construction, but this one may be beyond me. Pass the bourbon.

Cheap Glider Wings

When gaming with Al the other night we brushed on the topic of making some gliders for our Airborne forces, after all buying a Horsa Glider down here in 1/72 scale can set you back about 35-40 $NZD, which is way too much for wargaming unless you are Peter Jackson.

So to cut a long story short, I brought a couple of these cheap gliders from a shop the other day to keep the young master quiet for 10 minutes during the school holidays. These have been around since Adam was a cowboy and I can remember getting a few when I was the boys age about 30 years ago.

So during the 2 minute construction phase I could not help but notice that the wings are about the same size an shape as a Horsa.

While this may fit the bill for a DFS 230. No painting required...Just thinking out loud.

Kitech Mil Mi 24 Hind F

After the wife whisking me away for a early anniversary weekend surprise, I have returned to construct a another one of the notoriously crappy Kitech kits, this time it is the Hind F. I believe it is a copy of the old ESCI/Italeri kit, but with bad detail and warped parts.

I decided to build this to give Al's North Korean Forces a little bit of clout in the aviation department. NK has at least 24 of these so it is not a stretch to use. I will just be making this a generic marked model with just the aircraft serials, so I can use it on other fronts.

Instructions are fine and more detailed than the Huey Cobra I made a few months ago, but the fits are dodgy.

The exhaust nozzles ate a total waste of time, too late for me. I suppose I will have to paint a little detail into the cockpit now.

AAR Korean Delaying Action Pt4

My AH-1 Flight continued to hound the built up NK Infantry. Above a aiming disc is used to calculate the damage to be inflicted. Spread your Infantry out whenever you can.

With four turns of Gunship available, the NK's suffered. SAM stands are a must in the modern field of conflict.

ROK Infantry and the single M48 Platoon reach the bridge, well ahead of the NK advance.

A hasty defence of the bridge is arranged

Sped up with the BMP's the NK's arrive on my flank and start to give pressure. While the Jeep transport is looted.

Looking from back on the bridge the Divisional Train squeaks past.

ROK Engineers prepare to depart with the bridge wired.

The last remaining Platoon of NK Armour arrives within range of my M48 Platoon. The T-80 fires a salvo of 125mm HEAT at my M48's with embarrassing results...Plink...The rounds bounce off!

M38's burn.

With my ROK forces safely off the bridge the game is over. Roughly five hours of epic gaming completed.

My ROK Infantry Battalion came out of this battle with only a few casualties, while my two Platoon M48 Company was down to one Platoon. However the NK's Armour has been hammered and the Infantry rebuffed where possible.

Both Al and myself have been most impressed with the use of Helios's on the battlefield, and I will do something for the battle of Seoul that gives Al some comeback on this front.

Great game, cheers to Al for the competition.

AAR Korean Delaying Action Pt3

As reported in Al's posting http://20thcenturywargames.blogspot.com/2011/07/cold-war-korea-game-3-part-2.html we carried on our Korea 1985 Cold War what if game using CD3 Modern rules. Above my ROK Infantry Bn leap back into covered positions in the Ville gardens. The M48 Platoon in the hull down possie receives a pinned marker due to the state of its destroyed Company. A little worried here that it was going to get cut off.

Al's NK Militia run rampant on the uncovered flank. A 3-4 km line is way too long to cover with a single Infantry Bn, he who protects everything...Protects nothing.

Al's Motorized Infantry board the BMP's at the same time. They hold the Ville which I had previously evacuated, In the nick of time I might add.

Snake strike! Cobra arrives on station and locks onto a bunched Infantry Company.

Infantry Company destroyed!

The last of the Divisional Train makes it to the crossroads. At the end of this turn I had succeeded in my objectives. However I wanted my ROK Infantry Bn back across the bridge so I could use it in the next game.

The fall back continues, with the last Company out of the crossroads and the M48 Platoon receives notice it is no longer pinned and able to rejoin the withdrawal.

Militia Units continue to sweep round the flank. A M38 Jeep Column is left open. I thought it wiser for my Infantry not to board the transport. With BMP's about to arrive, being in soft skins on a open road is plain madness.

Chopper time again, to be continued...

Tamiya SdKfz 251/10 Conversion Pt4 More Halftrack!

Al has just left, and we completed our latest Korea 1985 game of which this week, he gets the first posting of the results. Meanwhile Dave has sent me another update of his 251/10 conversion.

He has been washing and drybrushing the interior, to good effect.

All it needs now is some cigarette butts, stubbed out on the floor.

Exterior work and painting next. Cheers Dave.