Kent 1940 WW2 game - after action report 13-2-10

Situation:

This is another ‘What if’ game involving a suppositional German landing in Kent in late 1940.

This game, it is assumed the German Paras (Falschirmjagers) have landed and grouped around a farmhouse, in approximately platoon strength.

The British have gathered a full platoon of regulars and a platoon of Home Guard

The regulars have the support of a Matilda 1 tank, the guard a Morris armoured car.

The battle:

The Germans used a hidden deployment, so the British split their forces.

The armoured car an 4 Home Guardsmen were to reconnoitre the German position...

... then the regulars were to push toward the farm down one road, while the H.Gs were to go down the other road. The Matilda was between these forces.

The Home Guard platoon was to move down the left.

As per orders, the Matilda, with a Vickers gun and crew riding ‘Desant’ moved slightly ahead of the advancing lines of infantry, and was ambushed at short range by a section of Germans hiding in rough ground beyond the stream. The Matilda was undamaged beyond rattling a little under the hail of bullets, but the Vickers team was wiped out.

The Matilda, together with the supporting regulars, did eventually managed to force the ambush party to retire...

… but another newly arrived German squad began firing from the regulars right, preventing them following up. The Regulars took several casualties in this action.

The Home Guard armoured car ran into a third squad hiding in rough ground...

…while the main Home Guard force met the Falgschirmjagers command group.

The Armoured car fell back and gave long range supporting fire with its Bren, and with the support of a squad of Home Guard they managed to force their opponents to withdraw as well.

The Falschirmjagers command group lost its radio team to the Home Guards fire, and in a typically gutsy German move, ran down the hill to cover in front of the Home Guard position.

Some of the Home Guard panicked after taking a couple of casualties and fell back to better cover in the rear.

By this time however, the German centre and left began to fall back covering one another.

They had wisely decided that being attacked by twice their numbers of enemy with armoured support was not a winnable scenario.

Conclusion:

The Germans ended up taking about the same losses as the British, but the rate of loss could not be sustained by such a small force for long.

One would imagine this British force getting broken up by a German counter attack soon after this engagement as they were in France so often. But who knows?

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Seven Years War AAR 6th February 2010

Situation:

The Russians deployed in the open facing a Prussian army deployed in front of a town. The Russians vainly hoping the more broken terrain around the town would hamper the vaunted Prussian maneuverability.

The Russians deployed with a strong double line of infantry flanked on the left with Kuirassiers, dragoons and a regiment of Hussars. Most of that wings light cavalry, together with some dismounted Pandours deployed in the infantry line facing a steep hill.

On the right they deployed one regiment each of Kuirassiers, dragoons and Horse grenadiers. An additional regiment of dragoons lacking horses joined the infantry line. In front they deployed four regiments of Cossacks and Kalmuks, the field being most open on that flank.

The Prussians deployed in two lines of infantry as well, but the second line was less solid as several battalions were placed in support of their strong right wing cavalry.

On their left they placed two Kurassier regiments and a dragoon regiment, supported on their left by the Garde du Corps Kuirassiers.

The Battle:
The Prussians began a measured advance on their left but were countered by the Russian left wing cavalry. The Russians had correctly assumed that if they stayed in place the Prussian infantry would have driven them from the field. Instead, they launched attacks against the Prussian cavalry in a desperate battle of attrition.

On the Prussian left, they sent forward a battalion of frei korps skirmishers to harass the Russian cavalry.

In short order these fled before a ferocious Cossack attack. Seeing the Russians pushing round their flank the Prussian heavy cavalry moved forward to engage.

The Cossacks attempted to flank charge them as they manoeuvred, but one regiment of Cossacks were driven off by canister from the Prussian guns, and the regiment which charged the flank of the Garde du Corps was routed by them, despite the Prussians taking damage from supporting bow fire from the Kalmuks.

The Garde du Corps chased the routing Cossacks across the front of the Russian centre, but choosing to then attack a battery of Russian guns rather than rally back were destroyed by accurate Russian canister shot.

This flank then settled down to relative inactivity with the Prussian cavalry skirmishing with the Kalmuks, but feeling unable to attack the well placed Russian guns and foot.

On the Russian left, the Prussian numbers gradually wore down the Russian cavalry. Soon, they had forced the Russian cavalry from the field – but the Russians had prevented the wing from collapsing long enough to force a draw.

Conclusion:
Neither sides center had engaged, the Russians because of the risk of exposing their flanks to the Prussian Kuirassiers and the Prussians because of the weakness of their center infantry. Neither side could realistically claim outright victory, both sides had taken losses, but neither side was crippled. However, what Frederick would feel about the loss of the Garde du Corps must be left to your imagination!

(Pictures by Lawrence and Richard)
(Figures mostly by Old Glory - Prussians, and Lancashire/Essex - Russians)

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Samurai Skirmish Rules available for download

I've just added Richard's Samurai skirmish rules to the download section (see link above). I'm pretty sure these are the latest versions but I'm sure Richard will provide me with updated ones if not!

Please leave any feedback here and Richard will respond.

Enjoy!

Andy

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Important rule changes!

Please note the rules in the download section have been updated.
Most recently the Medieval rules and Seven years war rules have had some errata corrected!
Please feel free to download them. I cant promise you will like them though!

Happy Gaming!

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Viking Saxon battle

After action report on Viking/Saxon game 16/01/2010

Situation:
A band of Viking raiders on their way to sack some Saxon settlement are intercepted by the local Fyrd (Militia). The terrain, being somewhat wooded, meant that the forces started largely out of sight of one another, and that conventional shield wall tactics would be difficult to perform.

The Vikings formed in 3 groups, light sword and axe raiders on the left, the archers and most of the hirdmen in the centre and on the right.




The Fyrd were a mixed bag of spearmen, with a few peasant (ceorl) archers on their right.



Both sides moved forward to engage, except the saxon left which chose to await the mass of the Viking centre and right.


Faced with damaging shooting from the Saxon archers, the light Viking raiders on the left disobeyed orders and ploughed straight forward, scattered the bowmen and drove straight into the Saxon shield wall-- with predictable disastrous results.



On the Viking right, the Hird initially held back while their few archers shot at the Saxons.

The Viking centre, seeing the defeat on their left launched a desperate charge to try to break the Saxons before being outflanked by their victorious right wing.

Despite the belated help from the Viking right, they failed to make sufficient headway, and with their centre breaking up under fierce Saxon counterattacks the Viking command signalled the retreat.



Time to find a softer target…..!

(Pictures by Richard and Lawrence)

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