IABSM: New Project: OBs for Poland 1939

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Today marks the start of my latest project for I Ain't Been Shot, Mum!: the creation of a set of v3 compatible army lists for re-fighting the September 1939 invasion of Poland.

I have been looking to model a 1939 Polish force for some time but, being someone who likes to have things handed to them on a plate, have been waiting for the v3 Blitzkrieg! theatre supplement to arrive before starting to buy figures. Until now, that is, when I have decided to produce IABSM v3-specific lists myself.

The impetus behind this project are the superb September 1939 campaign army lists for Flames of War that appear on the Anatoli's Game Room blog. Their author, Alexander, has given me permission to use his work as the basis for a set of IABSM lists which, combined with my own (much more limited) research, will appear on this website over the next few months.

The lists will follow Alexander's format of, where possible, concentrating on specific formations, especially for the armoured and specialist units. I'm afraid I don't think I'll be posting the Armoury until all the lists are up...but only because I want to put together all the stats for the various troops, weapons and vehicles on offer all in one go.

Today's launch includes the posting of the first of the lists: the 1st & 2nd Light Tank Battalions i.e. a force built around a company of 7TP jw (i.e. single turret) tanks. The OB also provides the detail needed for those elements of the the two battalions that appear as support options for other lists.

You can follow the progress of the project and download the various lists from the Poland 1939 page, available by clicking here or from the IABSM dropdown in the page header, above.

IABSM AAR: Operation Compass #05: Tummar West

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Another quick battle report from our friends at the Stipsicz Hussars.

They are currently playing through the Operation Compass scenario pack, and have hit scenario #05: Tummar West.

The "three day raid" is now fully underway. Next on the British list is the Italian camp at Tummar West. Click on the pic below to see how they do.

IABSM: Japanese Type 89 Chi Ro Tanks

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Next part of my catching up with the Japanese Battlefront pre-Pacific releases: the Type 89 Chi Ro (aka I-Go) medium tanks.

These come in boxes of five tanks, which is a bit weird really, as they fought in platoons of three tanks with a two-tank HQ. Must be Battlefront economics to always sell this sized tank in boxes of five.

Anyhoo, as you'd expect from Battlefront, these are lovely models: nicely detailed, and with relief deep enough to really bring out that detail when washed. Quality control was very good as well:  no missing parts, no horribly contorted parts, and everything went together very easily. You see, Battlefront, you can do it right!

The five tanks above were painted using the guide on the FOW website: spray undercoated in a deep yellow; camouflage added; then washed with GW Agrax Earthshade. All I would suggest is that you think about where you want the thin yellow line to go before you paint the main brown and then green camouflage stripes i.e. plan your paint job rather than just starting willy-nilly.

The command figures are also well detailed. I love the pointing-chap, but I'm not sure about the bloke with the sword. Leaving aside his grip (that's the martial arts geek emerging from his lair!) I'm not sure that it's very practical to carry a katana, even a WW2 cut-down one, in a smallish tank such as a Chi Ro. Surely that's what a wakisashi is for!

Nice models, recommended for re-fighting Khalkhin Gol.

IABSM AAR: Campaign for Greece #05: Outflanked

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Here's a quick battle report from Mark Luther for a game taken from Chris Stoesen's Campaign for Greece scenario pack.

Here, two largely tank-based forces, one German, one British, fight for possession of a small town in Greece.

Click on the pic below to see all:

IABSM AAR: Operation Compass #04: Nibeiwa

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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

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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 #4F: Zhena

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The second report from the 2016 Operation Market Larden games day. Same village, Zhena, but this time it's the Soviets who start the game on table, with the Germans attacking.

This was a real meat-grinder of a game!

Click on the pic below to see all:

IABSM AAR: BoB #3D: Zhena

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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: The Nikopol Bridgehead

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Another great AAR from Mark Luther: it's back to the eastern front for action around the Nikopol Bridgehead.

Here, the Soviet attack meets with initial success, but then the Germans counter-attack with Ferdinandes and Sturmpanzers.

Click on the pic below to see all:

IABSM AAR: North of Sitaria by Mark Luther

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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!

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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

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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: East of the Nemen

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Sorry about the lack of posts so far this week: real life intervening!

Anyway, to get us back on track, here's an I Ain't Been Shot, Mum! battle report from Mark Luther: a 6mm game set East of the Nemen.

Click on the picture below to see all:

IABSM AAR: North of Luchki

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Another great game of IABSM in 6mm from the archives of Mark Luther.

This time it's T-34s versus T-34s as the Soviets battle the Germans in captured tanks.

Click on the picture to see all:

IABSM AAR: On the Road to Oderbruck

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Another of Mark Luther's 6mm games of I Ain't Been Shot, Mum!

This one, The Road to Oderbruck, is set on January 29th 1945, and features a German rearguard action in the face of a strong Soviet advance.

Click on the pic, below, to see all:

IABSM AAR: Petrovskoe

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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

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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

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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.