Friday, March 15, 2024

"Hell on Wheels" - US 2nd Armoured Division in 15mm: 2nd Squad ready to serve

And the 2nd Squad is done now and so the infantry squads of this US Armoured Platoon are ready for action (HQ, 1st and 2nd Squad); the weapon squad with the two MMG teams and the mortar team are already on my painting table.

Battlefront plastics again, this time I used Lavender flower tufts on all bases for easy identification on the battlefield.

Finished 2nd squad

Back view

Bazooka and BAR team as part of the squad


Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Chain of Command AAR: Operation Husky - Attack on an Objective

Last Saturday Max and I met up for our monthly CoC game, this time at Roll the Dice, a tabletop shop with lots of tables to rent for games.
We chose "Attack on an Objective" as the scenario, Max wanted to attack another village defended by my Airborne with his Bersaglieri.

Thanks to my FR of +4 and that of his Bersaglieri of -4, he was already guaranteed 8 support points, plus the 8 additional points rolled, which gave me 4 support points.
The Bersaglieri were thus supported by a FOO with a mortar battery, an AB41 armoured car, a Brixia 45mm mortar and a 20mm anti-aircraft gun, while my Airborne could only count on the FOO and some of the mortars of their regiment.

We both started at 9 for Force Morale: Max rolled a 3, I rolled a 1 (with +2 because of Elite).
So my Airborne didn't seem to be particularly motivated today ...

All quiet on Sicily ... at least for now

Situation after patrols made contact and with the resulting JoPs established

FOO desployed in one of the houses and a lone 60mm mortar team ...

The Bersaglieri push forward, accompanied by the 20mm FlaK, the source of increasing pain for my airborne.

Isolated 45mm Brixia in the background, maybe he has lost the way? A few moments later after a salvo from my Airborne squad it is gone ... first blood!

But there is no respite as an armoured car advances against the positions of my Paras.

Unequal Firefight with mounting casualities on my Paras as the low hedges provides no cover against the HE from the 20mm.

So my FOO has to call in a barrage from the mortar battery.

In the meantime more Bersaglieri push on from further North and lay down Covering Fire against my Paras in the South.. But at least one of their squads had have enough after fired upon from the Paras and the battery and breaks. Unfortunately not the nasty FlaK ...

But somehow the contact to the battery got lost and the barrage ends abruptly after just a few salvos (Max used a CoC-Dice) and the Bersaglieri had all their 3 Squads deployed, pushing my Paras harder and harder.

Casualities mounting, my 2nd squad had lost his LMG team ... the situation is getting increasingly desperate for the Paras.

Second try for another barrage ... but much too far away to cause harm ...

The odds are getting higher and higher.

We had to stop at this point because the Roll the Dice was closing.
Both sides had suffered heavy losses, although the Bersaglieri were able to cope with them much more easily than my expensive Paras.

However, the force morale of the Bersaglieri had fallen to 4 too, while that of the Paras stood at 6 - but one of the Para squads would not be able to hold out for much longer.

We agreed on a draw, as the pendulum of fortune could easily swing in favour of either side.


Sunday, March 10, 2024

"Hell on Wheels" - US 2nd Armoured Division in 15mm: 1st Squad

After a little break with painting historical miniatures I´m back on track and so the 1st Squad joins the platoon.

Miniatures are all Battlefront plastics, used white flower tufts on all bases for easy identification on the battlefield.


The complete 1st squad, Squad leader is single based for CoC, where he acts as Junior Leader (JL)

Bazooka and BAR teams



Friday, March 1, 2024

Chain of Command AAR: Operation Husky - The Flank Attack

The Bersaglieri are not letting up and have "bitten" into the US Airborne, this time we chose Scenario Five: "The Flank Attack".
While the Bersaglieri platoon receives support from an MMG, Light Mortar and an AB41 armoured car, my Airborne are just able to lay a minefield to secure their right flank.
The lieutenant also manages to organise another Bazooka-Team, but that's all he can throw against the Italians ...



Under increasing pressure from the Italians and in the absence of reinforcements, my isolated US Airborne platoon had to retreat to a small village and set up defence there.


The first section of Bersaglieri appear at the edge of the forest, supported by a light mortar, but the combined fire of 60mm mortar, LMG and the Garands hold them down.


Close-up of the Bersaglieri


Another section of Bersaglieri advances on the village under cover through the date palm plantation.


he isolated, forward-positioned MMG of the Italians - easy prey for the covering fire of the Airborne.
Even though it is supported shortly afterwards by the AB41 armoured car, the losses add up and the team has to retreat, while the AB41 cannot decide on a more energetic advance for fear of an ambush by the bazooka teams - a clear case of "Bazooka Fear" 😎


Gradually, the Airborne's losses add up, especially as the Italians begin to deliver effective suppressive fire, effectively holding down the heads of my Airborne.


Conclusion
The Bersaglieri attacked too uncoordinated and too hesitantly, the AB41 froze like a rabbit in front of a snake out of fear of the two bazooka teams, the MMG was too isolated and thus too vulnerable as soon as the Airborne could concentrate a section's fire on it.
All of this ultimately led to the Bersaglieri's force morale dropping to below 3, forcing them to retreat (as per Scenario rules).

Nonetheless, it was an exciting and hard-fought game right to the end, in which Fortuna's pendulum could easily have swung in the other direction.

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

15mm Terrain: Two more mediterrranean buildings and a well for the village

Two more mediterranean buildings and a well for my still growing mediterranean village are done.

Both buildings and the well are 3d printed, STLs are made by Jens Najewitz (3d print terrain), but as they had a thatched roof I rebuilt the roofs completely from scratch so they match with my other buildings now.








Saturday, February 24, 2024

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Saturday, December 30, 2023

"Hell on Wheels" - US 2nd Armoured Division in 15mm: Senior Leaders/Forward HQ and the HQ Squad

My next 15mm project for WW2 - a Platoon US Armoured, suitable for the battles from North Africa, to Sicily, Italy up until the Normandy.
I have based them so they can be used both for Chain of Command as well as Battlegroup.



This base will serve me as the Platoon Leader (SL) for CoC and as Forward HQ for Battlegroup

Platoon Sergeant (SL) for CoC - in Battlegroup this base is simply part of the HQ Squad

HQ Squad for Chain of Command

10 men HQ Squad for Battlegroup (which simply includes the Plt. Sergeant from CoC)