IABSM AAR: Operation Compass #04: Nibeiwa
/A quick battle report from the Stipsicz Hussars, whose excellent blog can be reached by clicking here.
The Hussars return to the sands of the Western Desert to play out the fourth scenario of the Operation Compass scenario pack: the British/Indian attack on the camp of Nibeiwa.
Click on the picture below to see all:
Those of you who read the report will note that the Hussars comment that all the scenarios in the Compass pack so far seem very biased towards the British.
Well, that's because they are designed that way for two reasons: firstly, they are historically accurate; and secondly, the idea is to give the British players the sense of superiority (and the Italian players the sense of inferiority) that were such characteristics of the campaign as a whole. It gets more difficult for the British as the pack goes on!
Japanese Self-Propelled Guns
/With Battlefront bringing out their new range of Pacific Theatre miniatures, I thought it might be about time to catch up on the models I missed from their pre-war Manchurian Theatre range. I do always seem to be one range behind!
First off the production line are the Type 4 Ho Ro self-propelled guns:
So, wanting to put a bit of background in for this post, I've done a bit of research. Apparently only twenty-five Ho Ros were ever produced, which means that I have about a sixth of the entire production run!
They were also not very useful, as the crew had no protection, and you had to turn the whole vehicle in order to acquire your targets. Excellent!
They also fought only in the Philippines and on Okinawa: so no good for Manchuria either.
All in all, an excellent example of a model that I am going to struggle to field on the tabletop. I wonder how many other wargamers have collections full of the same!
IABSM AAR: BoB #3D: Zhena
/The first battle report from the games of IABSM that I ran at this year's Operation Market Larden games day in Evesham.
For those not familiar with the event, some thirty Lardies gather deep in the heart of tractor country for a day of superb gaming followed by a curry and the usual mild drinking session! My thanks, as always, to Ade for organising the event so well.
Back to the action.
My morning game featured scenario 3D from the Bashnya or Bust! scenario pack: a small German force holds the village of Zhena during Operation Bagration. The Soviets are attacking in large numbers, but reinforcements are on the way. Will the vital road junction be held?
Find out by clicking on the picture, below:
IABSM AAR: North of Sitaria by Mark Luther
/Another great AAR from Mark Luther, this time using one of the scenarios from Chris Stoesen's Campaign for Greece scenario pack as the basis for the game.
As Royal Engineers rig a vital bridge for demolition, a German motorcycle recce force hoves into view. Will the charges be laid and the bridge blown in time? And even if they are, what about the next bridge?
Click on the pic below to see all:
IABSM AAR: Avanti Spumanti!
/Great battle report from Dr. the Viking of a game set in the Western Desert: defending Brits versus attacking Italians.
This report appeared both on Dr. the V's blog, which you can visit by clicking here; and on the Lead Adventure Forum, another good source of wargaming chat.
Click on the picture below to see the report in full:
IABSM AAR: A Canadian VC from the Devon Wargames Group
/Another superb battle report from the Devon Wargames Group.
This time they place the A Canadian VC scenario from the IABSM v3 rulebook. Click on the picture below to see all:
IABSM AAR: Petrovskoe
/Another of Mark Luther's 6mm games of I Ain't Been Shot, Mum.
This one is set on the eastern front in late 1941: General Winter has hit the Germans hard, with temperatures of -30 degrees centigrade freezing their tracks solid.
Find out what happens when the Soviets counter-attack by clicking on the picture below:
IABSM AAR: A Game
/I'm at Salute all day today, but just have time to load up a quick AAR from Murphy's Heroes from a couple of year's ago.
I was lucky enough to visit the club whilst on holiday near Delft a couple of years ago, and I will tell you that you cannot meet a nicer bunch of wargamers anywhere. They even let me win the game we played, didn't they, Derk?!!
Anyway, I haven't a report on that game, but click on the pic below to see how this game went:
IABSM AAR: Another Canadian VC
/Here is the third battle report for I Ain't Been Shot, Mum! in as many weeks that uses the A Canadian VC scenario from the IABSM v3 rulebook as the basis for a game.
This time we go back to 2013, and an AAR from the Hotlead convention. CJR, on his blog TwoThreeSixMM (a reference to the scales he plays) describes the action from a double-blind game i.e. played on two identical tables with the Germans unable to see what was on the Canadian table and vice versa.
Click on the pic below to see how it turned out.
IABSM AAR: A Canadian VC
/Sergeant Steiner continues his exploration of the IABSM rules with a game based on the fourth scenario from the IABSM v3 rulebook: A Canadian VC.
See how he gets on by clicking on the pic below:
IABSM AAR: The Battle of the Reichswald
/A quick battle report from the Stipsicz Hussars, whose excellent blog can be reached by clicking here.
Will the Canadian tanks be able to break through the German lines? Click on the pic below to find out...
IABSM AAR: Slim River
/Scenario #10, Slim River, is one of my favourite battles from the Fall of the Liongate scenario pack for I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum.
Taking place on 7th January 1942 (i.e. a month after Pearl Harbour), the Japanese have been hammering down the centre of Malaya, smashing most British Indian troops aside, and slowed only by the efforts of some Gurkha regiments and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. To continue their advance, they launch a sudden thrust down the single road that leads to the village of Trolak, their objective being the bridge there over the otherwise impassable Slim River.
Click on the pic below to see if the Japanese manage to take the bridge: