What a Tanker in the Desert Batrep - Skirmish at Siniyat 1940

The Rejects got together last Sunday for our first game of What a Tanker. BigLee was the ref and what a sterling job he did to! Here's a link to Lee's report on the game.

Four Rejects turned up for the fight, myself and Richard were the Italians, while James & Posties played the Brits.

The Setup

The game was set in later 1940 and represented a side skirmish of tanks that randomly encountered each other. Vehicles from both sides had been sent to the small village of Siniyat which although abandoned by the locals could be used as a supply depot by either side. Four players started the game each with a single Level one tank each but I brought on three more tanks as the game progressed to keep things moving. As this was a 'learning the rules' test game I also gave all players a couple of special cards to help spice things up. The result was an educational experience!

Order of Battle

Italians

   M11/39 Medium Tanks x3

   L6/40 Light Tank x1  

British

   A9 (Cruiser Mk I) x2   

   A10 (Cruiser Mk II) x1

Me and Richard had a simple plan, get in the middle of the field, straight into the village

for a little protection.

Postie and James, set up close to either side of their edge. Posties A9 can be seen top left,

James unfortunately isn't in the pic, but he's roughly opposite Posties tank. 

Oh there he is!

I didn't get enough movement to get me safely over the wadi, so I hid behind some cover.

James is moving very quickly!!

James moves up, acquires me as a target, and shoots all in one go!!

Richard moves into the town getting ready to attack Postie.

OH CRAP! 

That didn't go to plan did it?

Posties first shot, blows up poor Richard's tank!

Sod that then, I ain't moving from this cover!!!

Evil Postie with a shiny head!

Richard got a replacement tank, which can just about be seen on the top right hill.

My Gaming mat. I've already lost 2 dice due to that terror James!

I threw well for movement and made a dash for the village. James followed....

Postie and Richard slug it out hill to hill.

Both sides got another tank, I got an L6 while James got another A10.

Cat and mousse in the centre.

But I got a nice rear shot straight up the Khyber!!

Another shot from a different angle, it didn't get much better than this!

Richard had tremendous movement dice over the next 2 turns and got right around Postie back.

Me and James were driving around the village having a jolly good time!

My two game mats. Note the M11 has only 2 dice left to throw each turn?!?

I make a rush out of the village but James follows.

Here we go again!!

Richard's second tank goes bye bye! This time a long shot from Jame does the damage!

I felt sorry for Richard and gave over control of my damaged M11.

Richard 1 & 2 still billowing out thick black smoke!

Bloody hell, Richard really was the kiss of death in this game.

He didn't even get a chance to move, before his son and heir blew his tank up for the third time!

I called the game there and then. 

We the Italians couldn't handle a 2 v 2 or 3 v 3 let alone a 3 v 1.

My L6 turned around and trundle off back to base.

Conclusion

What a great game, when I looked at the game as we started, I thought it'd be over in no time at all, but how wrong was I. We stared off at 10 and finished at 2.30. All ready for Richard and James (wearing his French footie shirt) to get back home to watch the World Cup final. 

I gotta admit I really enjoyed this game, the subtle tactics and frustrating dice throwing really add to the what the hells going on fog of war.

Can't wait for game number 2, well done Mr H!

Donnybrook - 28mm Ebor French Officer

 You may remember back in December I had the pleasure to be a Minion in the 

8th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, which is run by that mad Canadian fellow Curt!

I received this excellent looking fellow in the post the week before last.

As a pressie for all my hard work in trying to destroy all Curt's and Miles' hard work!

I'm still having nightmares over them files!

I'm sure Col le Campcloche will do his duty on the field of battle.

Thanks Curt, the figure is a beauty, and my photography doesn't do him justice.

WWI Batrep - La Bataille du chemin de l'haie - 1914

It all very lax on my blog at the moment I'm afraid. Hence this batrep being a tad late!!
You can see BigLee's excellent report here! His of course was posted in good time.

After Posties great WWI game at Broadside he decided to play another game asap, to give the rules another bash while we could still all remember them!!!

The game "La Bataille du chemin de l'haie" was set early in the war.
The French Army is defending along a long line of hedges anchored on a small village. The German Army must trim the hedges along with the French Army.

The Order of Battle
German
7th Armeekorps - Gen der Kavallerie Von Emen
      13th Infantry Division - Generaleitnant von dem Borne
              25th Infantry Brigade  - Generalmajor von Unruh
                      IR 13 - 3 Battalions
                      IR 158 - 3 Battalions
              26th Infantry Brigade - Unknown General
                      IR 15 - 3 Battalions
                      IR 55 - 3 Battalions
              22nd Artillery Regt - 6 x 7.7cm (2 Batteries)
              58th Artillery Regt - 6 x 10.5cm (2 Batteries)
              16th Uhlans - 4 Squadrons
              6th  Uhlans - 4 Squadrons (from Cavalry Corp)
    
French
5th Armee - 18th Corps d'armee - Gen de Maudituy
      36th Division of Infantry - Gen Jovannu
              71st Brigade - Gen Bertin
                     34e - 3 Battalions
                     49e - 3 Battalions
              72nd Brigade - Gen de Seze
                     12e - 3 Battalions
                     18e - 3 Battalions (Reserves - Arrived about turn 3)
              14th Artillery Regt - 9 x 75cm (3 Batteries)

The Battlefield

Me, James and Richard were leading the German Imperial Army.

Facing us were The French Smiffy and Lee

The French left was very weak, so we decided we would concentrate our attack there. Richard and James would attack while I would move forward and try and hold our left.

I was facing the village, in each building were cowardly French troops stuffing their faces with 

pain au chocolat!

I spy with my little eye

"I have a cunning plan!"

I moved up to fire on the French in the village.

Richard moved up very quickly on the right.

James was hampered by the hedges, so his movement was a lot slower.

We decided to blast the town to get the French out.

What shall I do with the Uhlans?

The thin Blue French line are hugging the hedge

Richard also has a unit of Uhlans. His are going around the flank!

Our artillery in bombing the hell out of the French far left, are there going to be any troops left to attack?

See what I mean?

After the first 2 games I know how hard it is to attack buildings, so I spread my lines to give 

rifle fire instead.

The French started to take heavy casualties.

James finally got free of the hedges.

The French were knocked back on their far left. Can Richard get to the hedge before 

the French reinforcements get there?

Doesn't look like it?

Although Richard's Uhlans have dismounted and could take the flank?

Now here's where the game changed.....literally 

I HAD to abandon the game and go and watch Harry Kane and co smash Panama.

I was ridiculed by the rest of the Losers Rejects, who stayed and played the rest of the game

but come on the World Cup's every 4 years, its been a long wait!!

Here's a pic from Lee's blog as I left the shed!

So I've pinched a few photo's and Lee's quotes from his blog to finish the report.

Cheers Lee!

The German Uhlans have dismounted and charged into the flank of my positions. Fortunately (and in the nick of time) I manage to get one of my reserve Battalions up to the hedge line to defend the ground.  Meanwhile in a last ditch attempt to dislodge my infantry Richard launches assaults with several other units against the front. I have managed to regain my position here fill every gap I can. With the whole right flank in melee its now just down the the luck of the dice which side wins.

Wow. I win all three melees inflicting serious casualties on the German units and throwing them back from the hedge line. This is a significant moment of the game and represented the Germans last best hope of snatching a victory. 

The next turn seals the fate of the German assault as rifle file destroys all but a handful of the German infantry companies. The Uhlans on my left flank have been cut in half and virtually nothing remains in front of my lines. 

With the German assault on our left in tatters and the realistic prospect that I can bolster the defence of the Centre the German players wisely decide to capitulate. They simply do not have enough battalions remaining to stand a chance of breaking through. On the extreme right flank Mark still has two undamaged battalions that have guarded the woods and the approaches to the town. Ray returns from the football to find his fellow generals have lost the game as conclusively as Panama lost to England in the footie. His remaining battalions are still trying to work around the town (still in French hands!) but there is little he can realistically do with them. 

Stan & Ollie

Not sure which ones which? stand and gloat over their victory!

Boo!!!!