Category Archives: World War II

Nordic Saga – Part 1

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II

Another late post.   This time it’s about the Operation Jupiter game played with Tim several weeks ago.

The lead-up to this game was a comedy of errors even by our broad standards.  The scenario is in The Europa  Magazine (TMO)  #41, entitled Arctic Thunderbolt, simulating  a late 1942 invasion of Norway.  The magazine contains special rules, orders of battle, and a map for the scenario.  We decided to play this game during a phone conversation back in October.

This is where the fun started, because, the scenario was re-done in the boxed game Storm Over Scandinavia (SOS).  I studied the scenario as presented in the game.  Tim used the scenario in  TEM.

We set up the SOS maps and started to play.  But….nothing matched up.  The OBs, locations on the map, special rules were all different.  The game was out of phase, and we were losing our minds.  The only thing to do was stop, settle on using the TMO rules, maps, etc, and start again in December.

As the Allied commander, I spent the next few weeks in a funk, grappling not only with the involved Europa naval rules, but also the challenges of the invasion.  Things were just too depressing struggling with these “options of difficulties” and staring at a soul less black-and-white magazine, so I copied and garishly colored the map.

This was a very tough mission.  Suitable landing sites were limited, weather could disrupt the landings at any time, and the invasion fleet(s) would have to run a gauntlet of German aircraft.  To top things off, the Allies had a very aggressive schedule for the withdrawal of naval assets after the initial turn.

We played a couple of days before Christmas, squeezing in a session  between a visit to other friends in Portland and football viewing.  The SOS maps proved so cumbersome we used my little map.  Even with my invasion plans completed, we managed just a single turn.  Lots of naval movement, naval patrol , danger zone and mine field roles.  After this session, I re-did the little map, which is shown below.

map

For the new game, my amphibious forces would land at Alta, Narvik, Bardofuss and Andenes.

I realize the following illustration sets a new low in media crudeness for this site, but it’s a matter of communicating effectively, and spending my time gaming, rather than focusing on developing media presentation skills.

Landing # 1  – Narvik (United States):   6 Pt WNTF-1, 6 Pt WNTF-2, CG-1 (F4F & SBD), NTPs and LC for 85th Div. 1x 2-8, 1×3-8 & HQ, along with 4 SPs at Hex 0811.

Landing # 2  – Andenes (British):  4 NTPs & LC for 102 RM 3-6 & 10 Eng 2-3-8 along with 4 SPs at Hex 0512

Landing #3  – Alta (British):  16 Pt ENTF-1, 8 Pt ENTF-2, CG-1 (with Sfire, F4F & Albacore) & CG-2 (with Sfire, & Fulmer) , NTPs and LC for 46th Div.  1x 2-8, 1x 3-8 & HQ, along with 4 SPs at Hex 0532.

Landing #4  – Bardofuss (British): 8 Pt ENTF-3, NTPs & LC for 2x 3-6 RM (101,103), 2-8 Layforce along with 4 SPs at Hex 0608.

Landing #2 was scheduled for the Exploitation Phase when – it was hoped – all German air assets had been used for naval patrol or strike missions.  The engineer unit  build an airfield.

Tanks…..And Stalin’s Tanks

Aircraft & Vehicles, World War II

Finally finished up the late-war Soviet and German tanks purchased some time ago.  They were languishing  in a painting induced purgatory, victims of my incompetence.

Painting early war tanks is straight forward.  Single color, weathering, dirt & grime…done.  Later war Germans are something else.

There are some excellent resources on the web about how to paint them (#1 and #2) .  The problem is I just couldn’t leave it alone and do what I was told.

Instead, I tried using the Blu Tack (or its far less expensive counterpart Blue Stik), along with spray paint and, just to make things more interesting, ignore cleaning out some stray landscape flock from the painting box.  The result was ridges along the color lines, and grit all over the tanks, like a molted zimmerit paste.

It took a awhile to psychically recover from this screw up.  But, in the spirit of clearing out all the miscellaneous bits and pieces before the next  big project, I trudged to the finish.  The results……..well……..(let’s blame it on the bad lighting).  If they look glossy, it’s because I finished them in gloss coat.  Perverse, but they seem to look better this way.

Undeterred from this episode I bought some more late German and Soviets.  Exotics.  What started out as a “let’s get a few late-war tanks and fight in an urban setting” has ballooned into something else.  And, don’t even get me started on the continued scale printing problems with the paper buildings.

During this sad process, I picked up a copy of Stalin’s Tanks.  Had read some positive comments, and remembered it as something I thought about buying way back when.  The hope is I can mash up this rule set along with Tanks!  to add a little depth  to a beer and pretzels game from another beer and pretzels game.

Fall Gertrude – Botched……..And Boxed.

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II,

To borrow from Christopher Shores….a “Bloody Shambles.”  And as bad as the TV Show.

Axis forces now in a cul-de-sac.  I’m sure there is a way out of this (desperate airborne divisional drop?), but lack the time and patience.

So, where did it all go wrong?  Feel like Jeff Goff looking at Super Bowl film.  I’m so Kubler-Ross.

Think this sequence sums it up……

Ready to Break Into Asia

Too Many Units Mopping Up

Go South, Not East!

Instead of East, I should have moved the Panzers South and East, to the Anatolian Plateau, and tank country.  Needed to either quickly eliminate,  or mask,  the by-passed Turks west of Istanbul, and move the bulk of the infantry east  to maintain pressure there.  Too much reliance on speed and luck.

Still, it was way too much fun getting the Turks on the Europa Table, and exploring a might-have-been scenario.  Persia next?  I think there is a Europa Scenario for that…………

Fall Gertrude – Axis Turn 5 Movement and Combat

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II,

Axis armored units contined to move east into the teeth of the Turk defenses.  Slower moving infantry units moved to the southeast.

Overall View End Of Axis Movement. Air Units Shown Near GS/DS Hexes

The attack on Hex 0619 was at 49:8, or 6:1, -1 for Rough Terrain.  A “6” was rolled, for a DE result.

Infantry Attacks Hex 0619

The riskier, but necessary armored attack at Hex 0513 was at lower odds, or 4:1.  The Turk mixed fighter unit did abort an He-111 unit, but a roll of “6” makes up for that kind of setback.  This was a DE result.

Armor Advances After Successful Attack On 0513

Fall Gertrude – Tim’s Take

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II,

I was looking at your last post on your blog and I thought I would pass along some comments.

  • If the unit in 0119 has a ZOC the German spearhead is out of supply.  Either way, I would move that unit onto hex 0219 to block the rail line.  Can the Turks use any naval supply?  There is a port in 0219.
  • I would move the 3rd Infantry Division from hex 0617 to hex 0417.  Occupying that hex cuts the supply to the German spearhead.  Since it is a mountain hex behind a river, it will be a tough nut to crack.  Hex 0417 is a pretty important one.  It has good defensive terrain and divisions there have ZOCs which will make it tough to move though the chokepoint in hex 0418.
  • I would think about throwing somebody into hex 0418, just to make it harder to attack 0417.
  • I would move the Fifth infantry XX into hex 0517.  This will support hex 0417 by making it harder to redeploy German units to attack it.
  • I would move the 20th Infantry XX into 0615 or pull it back across the river into 0717.  The former move puts more German units in enemy ZOCs and might make it more difficult to attack 0417.  The latter puts it in a better defensive position.
  • From an operational POV, I would have attacked along the railroad towards 0816.  You’re going to need that RR to supply any deep thrust into anatolia and the terrain is more open, which helps your armor.  It also would have the benefit of making the Turks come to you if they are going to cut your supply line.  I would have grabbed 0417, but left the rest of any attacking force on the west bank of the Sakarya (is that the new name for the Meander?).  Once hex 0417 is occupied, any prospective counterattack on your supply line would be across a river and coming from either rough or clear terrain (and would be vulnerable to counterattacks).
  • Do you have any engineers with the spearhead that could build temp airfields?  I always forget to use them, but they can be really handy supporting a rapid advance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Gertrude – Turkish Movement Phase Turn 4

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II,

The reinforcements delayed during Turn 3, now appear on the battlefield, providing desperately needed support to the Turk MLR, allowing for some defense in depth.

The  fighting has moved far enough east that many of the best Axis air assets are either out of range, or have to stage up to reach the battlefield, and return to Istanbul’s overcrowded airfields.

This will be a difficult turn for the Axis, as Fall and possible bad weather is approaching.

Fall Gertrude – Axis Combat And Exploitation Phase Turn 4

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II,

Axis forces continued to move aggressively towards Ankara via the narrow valley  just north and west of the capital.  In addition, the SS Corps drove south in an attempt to flank the main Turk defenses.

The main effort was against Hex 0414.  The basic odds were 41:8 with a -1 for rough terrain, and a +3 for AECA.  Turkish A-19 and H-111 squadrons flew DS, but were countered by Luftwaffe assets staging up through Istanbul.  The final odds were 5-1, +2.  The die roll was a 2, modified to a 4, for a DH result.  The surviving Turkish units retreated one hex.

The SS attack fared eaven worse.  Despite 6:1 odds with a +1 modifier, a 1 was rolled, for a DR result.  Ugh!

Rather than continue blasting away in the south, the SS corps exploited back northeast to assist in the now tenuous main effort.

Turkish Forces At 0414 Have Retreated To 0514. Axis Forces Will Occupy Vacated Hex. SS Corps Has Already Occupied Hex 0520 Vacated by Turkish Division.

 

End Axis Exploitation

Fall Gertrude – Axis Turn 3 Combat and Exploit

Boardgames, Sessions, World War II,

Two attacks for the turn.

The first was against Hex 0315, Duzce.

Initial odds were 19:8, +3 for AECA.  Threw a lot of air at the hex in order to increase the odds to 5:1.  The Turks came up to fight, and attempted to bypass the two escorts.  The P-40 was shot down on a roll of 2 (!).  The Mixed Fighter unit got through, but could not shoot down the targeted Stuka unit.  Turkish flak was ineffective.  The combat die roll of 2, was modified to 5, for a DE result.

Here’s the air matchup.  Note that only six air units were eligible for the mission (one per RE), not the eight shown.

Illustrating My Mistake Using Sophisticated Photo Editing Skills

The second attack was against Hex 4625.  The odds were 5:1 (with some help from a single Axis air unit), with a -2 for wooded rough terrain, and -1 for the defending armor cadre’s AECD.  The die roll of 6 was modified to 3, for a DR result and a ZOC kill.

The Axis pushed up through the Turk defenses during the Exploitation Phase.