IABSM AAR: Operation Martlet #02: Pushing On

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Fellow Lardy James Tree has been converting the scenarios in the Chain of Command Operation Martlet pint-sized campaign pack to I Ain't Been Shot, Mum, and posting the results on the IABSM Facebook page.

Here's the report from the second scenario in the pack: troops from the British 49th Infantry Division push on against some rather battered opponents from the German 12th SS Panzer Grenadiers.

See how they get on by clicking on the picture, below.

Best of all, James makes it easy for you to play the scenario yourself. Please do...and send your own AARs in to admin@vislardica.com.

IABSM AAR: Operation Martlet Game

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In addition to publishing the company-sized WW2 game  I Ain't Been Shot, Mum, the TooFatLardies also publish the very popular platoon-sized WW2 game Chain of Command.

In addition to the rules, TFL also publish a series of "pint-sized campaigns": scenario booklets for CoC that cover very specific actions over the course of 6-8 games priced, as the name suggests, at the price of a pint of beer.

One such booklet covers Operation Martlet:  the combined arms operation launched by the British 49th Division immediately prior to Operation Epsom to seize the Rauray Spur from the defenders from 12 SS Hitlerjugend.

The pint-sized campaigns can be fairly easily translated for use with IABSM, and this is what James Tree has done for his latest AAR, lifted from the TFL Facebook page.

Click on the picture below to see how he got on...

IABSM AAR: Eastern Front 1944

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Another AAR from Burt Minorrot's excellent Spanish language wargaming blog Las Partidas de Burt or Burt's Games, Burt's Stuff.

It's action on the Russian Front this time, as the Germans try to break through Soviet lines and get their men off the other end of the table.

Click on the picture below to see all:

As I've said before, I still haven't heard back from Burt that I'm okay to reproduce/translate his work onto this site, so I hope he doesn't mind. Apologies for any errors in translation btw: they are all mine.

IABSM AAR: Cognac and Cabbage in Edinburgh

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Knowing I was in Edinburgh, fellow Lardy Derek Hodge was kind enough to invite me over to the South East Scotland Wargames Club for a game of IABSM.

We played Derek's adaptation of a scenario that I wrote for the Xmas 2005 TwoFatLardies Christmas Special: Moiste Cabbage and a Quick Cognac.

A great game, and played using Derek's 10mm collection rather than my usual 15's.

Find out how Captain Cognac and his gens braves got on by clicking on the picture, below.

IABSM AAR: Kolonie by Mark Luther

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Talking of Mark Luther and the GA Lardy Day (see last Sunday's post), here's another great after action report from Mark and friends.

This is a 6mm IABSM game played at Giga-bites Café in the Spring of 2017. The starting point for the scenario is the action that took place on the outskirts of Kolonie on the Belgium-Dutch border on the morning of September 14, 1944. 

The Allied bridgehead was held by the 5th Coldstream Guards (11 Armoured Division) with C Squadron of the 15/19 Hussars just down the road. The German units coming down the road straight for the canal consisted of 6 Luftwaffe BewahrungsBatalillon zur besondere Verwendung (a Luftwaffe penal unit) and Sturmgeschutze from 2/559 schwere Heeres Panzerjager Abteilung.

Click on the picture below to see all the action.

IABSM AAR: A Small Town in Belgium

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Those of you who follow this blog regularly will know that in addition to posting after action reports from all the company-sized games from the TooFatLardies being played now, I like to trawl the Internet and re-publish reports from games played way back when.

It makes this site the official, unofficial archive for IABSM, CDS and Q13 and their variants, and also often means that content on blogs that are now moribund is preserved (well, at least until I pop my wargaming clogs!) and content on live blogs that is so old that it has just about disappeared from view is given a new lease of life.

Here's an example of the latter: a one-off IABSM battle report dating back to 2010 from the Scattergun Gamer blog which I hope he doesn't mind me reproducing here. Only three pics, but good ones: I especially love the water-tower and marines.

Click on the pic below to see all.

IABSM AAR: Russian Front 1943

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Here's another IABSM AAR from Burt Minorrot's excellent Spanish-language blog Los Partidas de Burt...which I've always translated as Burt's Stuff but the wife, who speaks more languages than a half-elven bard, tells me actually translates as Burt's Games.

Anyhow, hopefully my translation of Burt's words is slightly better than usual, as the Memsahib helped with the really difficult bits i.e. those bits that Google Translate mangled beyond all recognition. 

Click on the picture below to see all:

IABSM AAR: All American #10: Neuville au Plain

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Another great after action report picked up from the IABSM Facebook page.

This time, Desmondo Darkin leads his Luftlande Grenadiers into action against the 82nd Parachute Infantry Regiment in a scenario taken from the All American scenario pack.

Click on the picture below to see all:

IABSM AAR: Breakthrough in Normandy

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In addition to four ready-to-play scenarios, the IABSM v3 rulebook contains a random scenario generator allowing you to quickly and easily build scenarios of your own. 

There are six basic types of encounter detailed in the generator, the fifth one being "Breakthrough": where a strong, fast-moving force attempts to break through an enemy position.

Here's an AAR from Carole Flint using the "Breakthrough" scenario generator, with a game set in Normandy, 1944, and detailed on her excellent blog Hippolyta's Tiny Footsteps.

A force of British tanks and their supports attempts to punch a hole in the German defensive line. Click on the pic below to see all... 

IABSM AAR: Heavy PaK Front by Mark Luther

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Another great 6mm IABSM AAR from Mark Luther. This scenario involves the Germans advancing into a hail of fire from Soviet anti-tanks guns...and then there's the JS-IIs to contend with as well. I'll play the Soviets please!

Click on the pic below to see all:

For those who are interested, I will be at Colours tomorrow, Saturday 16th September, probably for most of the morning.

For those wishing to join me, you can find details of the event by clicking here. At only £6 entry, it's got to be worthwhile, either as a shopping trip or a chance to see the demo games. I personally can't stand the venue, but the show is always good.

Rock the Casbah AAR: The Al Bass Crossroads

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Another brilliant Lebanon 1982 battle report from Anton Ryzbak's blog, Anton's Wargame Blog.

This AAR, from 2012, covers the further adventures of the Israeli column featured in his last two games, and is actually written by fellow player Justice and Rule. 

The report features vast numbers of pictures (seventy-five in all!) showing off some of the wonderful terrain they were using. Viewing is highly recommended. Click on the pic below to see all:

IABSM AAR: A Canadian VC Re-Visited

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You may remember that when I posted James Tree's AAR using the A Canadian VC scenario from the rulebook, I posted links to all the other battle reports using the same set up.

Well, James had a look at some of them, and decided he hadn't quite played the scenario correctly...so there was nothing for it but to play the game again.

Click on the pic below to see how it worked out this time: take two!

IABSM AAR: For the Honour of France...Again

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Rather than immediately clear away the rather nice set up for the For the Honour of France game played a couple of weeks ago (click here to read the AAR, opens in a new window), I decided to use the same scenario for a game that I was umpiring between John and Dave that took place last weekend.

A very different game from last time. Click on he pic below to see all:

Second Polish Infantry Platoon

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Here they are at last: the second Polish infantry platoon. These are a mix of Forged in Battle and Battlefront figures, but mostly FiB.

Love the Poles as an early war army, but thirty-six man platoons are a killer to paint, especially as they're all in khaki! Only one more platoon to go now.

It will soon be time to start on the armour. I'm just waiting for PSC or Zvezda to produce Vickers and/or 7TP tanks, as I need about three squadrons worth, which could get rather expensive if I go the Battlefront route.