Hovels - La Haye Sainte (12E5 & 15E5)

Above are two more buildings that have been languishing in my 'to do' box waiting to be painted..... This time it's Hovels La Haye Sainte farm house and corner barn (12E5 & 15E5). I'd purchased just these two from the set, along with the gateway/dovecote, to create a small farm complex. Need to dig out and paint the gateway and some walls to complete.

These buildings have tested my photographic skills as I've found it difficult to capture the different tones I've applied to the white walls. I'll keep practising and post some more if I can improve on the above. Even so it looks like I still need to do some finishing off, ...... photographs do focus my eye to bits I've missed !

Hovels - Row of three houses (4B5)

After the recent game, I was fired up to do something with my vast amounts of unpainted wargaming stock. One item that caught my attention was a building that had be languishing in my WWII buildings box. It had been under coated many moons ago but I'd not had the inclination to take in any further. After a few evenings dabbling around with brush and paint it's finally finished. It's not brilliant but it will do......

Hovels Battlefront Buildings

This little task has, at last, renewed my enthusiasm for painting.................where it will lead we will have to see..........

Waldrundstadt (Aug 1944) - Game report

After much indecision and juggling with units to achieve the 800 points, I eventually put on the table three reduced infantry battalions. One battalion with M3 half tracks as transport and a reduced tank company as support. The other two battalions had reduced heavy weapon support, no transport and no towed Anti Tank guns. I was, however, able to allocate a solitary Hellcat as Anti Tank support to these two battalions. Artillery support was provided by two 105mm howitzers from the 82nd regiment support units and a divisional (off table) battery of three 105mm howitzers. I tried to factor in some air cover then decided that to clear and take the woods I would need as many ground troops as I could muster.

Americans advance towards the woods behind the barrage and a paltry smoke screen.

I was unsure of the size and position of the force facing me. Being convinced that Mark would have the German infantry dug in in the woods, I'd planned a advancing barrage. This was to be laid down through the woods by both artillery batteries starting on turn one and ending on turn 5. Two battalions of infantry were planned to advance behind this barrage starting on turn two. All turns, up to turn 7, had timed moves marked on my command map/plan. One rule I always struggle to understand in Rapid Fire is the laying of a smoke screen ......why only a 5/6 on a D6 to lay smoke ..... it always disappoints.

There was a lot of close assault and short range firing within the woods.

All seemed to be going well until turn 10. My two infantry battalions were holding their own in the woods, gradually gaining ground. My advance on the left flank was under way. Then I made the mistake of not using the 'chance observation' tests, if I had, I may have spotted the infantry lurking in the woods on the left and the Panzer IV skulking behind the barn. Turn 10 and 11 brought havoc on my left flank, (loosing two half tracks complete with two companies of infantry and the 76mm Sherman destroyed). Somehow the infantry and tank companies survived the following turn's morale test.

Turn 10 just after the two half track have been hit and destroyed.

Unfortunately it was getting very late in the evening. With my left flank faltering and the German attack also faltering in the woods, neither of us had achieved our objectives. May be if we had a couple more turns........ but no..... as it was close to 1:00am with work the next day it was decided to call it a night.

It was a good game with some elements of the rules being understood a little better, also new sections of the rules being brought into play. We do need to organise a follow up game sooner than 6 months though.........

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German brief

All along the front it appears that the whole German army is in disarray and falling back, seemingly to Berlin itself. Your sector is no different. It does however give you some hope that just 40KM to your rear "substantial" forces are being assembled to push the invaders back to the sea.

It is at this point that you receive a broken message from no less than Field Marshal Keitel's office - Your order is simple. ...."Stop falling back....... Assemble closest units to you....... Retake the town that you have just vacated..... Nothing could be simpler....."

You realise the task is next to futile. Especially as the town holds no strategic importance, so much so that you can't even remember its name.

The one thing that you can be sure of, is that should you fail to take the town you will bear the brunt of the 'Teppichfresser' himself. Should you fall back even further than you currently are, his displeasure would be even more severe.

Victory conditions

Take the town - Major victory

Clear and retake the woods - minor victory

All else - fail.

Rapid Fire German force points value 550pts

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I do apologise for the quality of the photographs but I forgot my camera and had to rely on my phone for taking the them.

Game on - Waldrandstadt (Aug 1944)

Well ...... we have a game planned for next week. Not the Napoleonic that I was planning but a fictitious WWII game. I've been handed the following brief:

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August 1944
All along the front the American Army is racing towards Germany and it surely cannot be long before you reach Berlin. Just imagine the glory and honour of being the first units to enter what remains of Hitler's capital. As the vanguard of your sector you have just taken a town and started to reform your units in what remains it - what was its name?

The time it took to clear the town and the size of the forces that were at your disposal meant that no real headway though the woods themselves could be achieved. At least you can rest a while until elements of your main division start to arrive. That is until a broken message arrives from "Ol Blood and Guts". The message is blunt, "Move your big fat ass .... take those woods and the buildings beyond ....... stop being pussies...." It is not for nothing that he gained such a name for himself.


Victory conditions:
Take buildings and woods - Major victory
Clear woods only - Minor victory
All else - fail

Rapid Fire points value for the American force 800pts

A rough sketch of the proposed table

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It's been a while since I brought my Americans to the table. I'll have to dust them off and see what force I can make for 800pts. I know my opponent has been painting up a small German army and has been eager to get them into action. I think he has some Fallshirmjager and at least one battalion of Wehrmacht with full support so this will not be an easy task. I would imagine the opposition will be around 550 pts unless the scenario is for German counter attack when my opponent might be fielding a 1200pt force. The way he keeps saying it will be interesting I just wonder......

I need to decide what losses my vanguard force has suffered from previous days' fighting and how to represent this within the 800pts. My battalions will not be at full strength and will have some equipment losses. Also what support can I call upon from my main division? How much artillery support and/or air cover can I include in the points allowed? Need to get the rules out again and have a skim though them to refresh some of the finer points.

Should be interesting.............after the game I'll hopefully post the German brief, a game report and pictures.