Sword Beach reloaded!

Sword Beach Reloaded Rapid Fire

Due to Covid we thought we would have no Holidays this year, a fellow wargamer and saviour came along, Paul and Stella offering us to holiday with then down south in the Massif Central on the edge of the Alps. Paul and I have similar collections in the same scales 28mm Napoleonic, Ancients and 20mm WW2 and use the same rules, I guess we have chatted on forums over the last 15 years or so, but had never met face to face. 

I think Paul’s collection of 28mm Napoleonic collection eclipses mine by quite a lot and you will find him regularly posting on General de Brigade and Rapid Fire forums. We decided to conduct a Sword Beach game using the Rapid Fire rules from the D-Day scenario book. Paul has a huge collection of ships, including large destroyers down to the landing craft and support ships, and a lovely table set up for D-day landing scenarios plus the specific funnies for the landing along with the Sherman DD tanks, and the normal French villages etc. 

I elected to be the attacking Brits and Paul the defending Germans. The scenario calls for the capture and destruction of three of the bunkers and hard points along the beach plus one inland, a very tough ask. 

the start line!

The initial landings go bad with a lot of the leading tanks hitting land mines and either destroyed or heavy damaged. 

some of the landing craft are also hit with artillery on the way in

another heavy damage.......the story of the game for me lots of 1s and 2s rolled

half of the DD tanks made it ashore only to be brewed up by the AT guns

A second vehicle pushes pas the first only to hit another mine!

I managed to get all of my landing craft ashore unscathed but the unloading of the funnies was problematic with each one hitting a mine and being disabled or hit while still on the boats in the counter battery artillery fire. In the end only one made it up the beach. The Shermans wading ashore three were swamped and three made it ashore, all either getting taken out by mines or AT fire not a good start!  

Next turn Paul makes sure of the funnies destroying the heavy damaged ones with AT fire......it was one of those days.........

the infantry make it ashore relatively unscathed

On the left I land two companies to take on the left bunker complex

On the right another two companies, these guys do get cut up a little in the crossfire

 The infantry stormed ashore and surprising took very light casualties, however the remaining tanks were all knocked out except one which i leave covered by the other two tanks and await support

more infantry reinforce the right, plus some support elements arrive including the naval landing party arty observors 

 Again I lose the supporting tanks to mines!

but the infantry clear the trenches and with grenades destroy most of the hard positions by the 5th turn on the right

murder in the centre, most of two companies are cut down by MG and artillery fire, I managed to get one tank forward with a bridge alsmost making the wall.....

landing party is ashore finally radio contact and shelling begins....although very few targets

Finally on the left the commandos arrive in force to take on their objective

the commandoes make short work of the position, fabulous grenade work again clears the way

meanwhile a patrol boat moves in for close fire support

Finally we clear the right, at this stage we call it a draw, I am in control of the beach, but failed to have enough turns to capture the inland bunkers, still a good game, we nearly restarted in the fifth turn as I had lost all of my armour by then except one vehicle........a great time never the less.

I have never really been a fan of actual landing games, but really enjoyed this, it really was a spectacle. Paul is planning a visit to mine place in the spring to play either on my Pegasus Bridge table or Arnhem...or something else we shall see!

cheers

Matt

Building Boom 8

 This week clearing my desk of part finished ww2 buildings and touching up damaged ones from our move to France, about thirty odd resin buildings were damaged in the move only two really were knocked around a lot. This railway shed was painted quite poorly when I purchased at a yard sale around ten years ago and after vusiting Paul on Holidays I seen his completed one so I decided to add it to the painting line up. I finished it on Monday and had a chance today to photograph it. It does need some scatter railway pieces near the door which needs to be completed. Really happy with my result. 

This completed piece was a gift from a wargaming mate Philipe for my upcoming ww2 city destroyed table for my crossing the Mayenne river scenario, a welcome addition. 

At the end of the month my focus will completly move to WW2 for a while as I need to complete some more pieces for my lofty goals for this year. cheers matt

Jeanne D'Arc the maid of Orlèans

Off the desk on the weekend another 100 years war character. Jeanne D'Arc, later called the Maid of Orleans. A lot of books have been written about her and fir me romanced about, particulary by the Church. She must of had something though, blind Faith and expectation that she transfered to the men around her. Although my Army does not focus on her many of her companions I have on my list to paint so I thought she would be a natural addition to my French Army. The miniature is from the Perry 100YW range which also has a dismounted figure of her. This week onto the beginning if my mounted 100YW chevaliers and some more Gauls, plus a new army has hit the desk too, to be revealed very soon.

cheers natt

German Tribesmen

This year i have been trying to complete lots of little projects that have been sitting in my project drawers on my desk for anytime longer than 12 months, this unit has been half finished and unbased for at least a year. I am not impressed with the warlord German tribesmen at all after I assembled them and painted them, they suffer from the same problems that the celts do being over animated with wild arms etc like they are riding a roller coaster. I decided to add some of the lovely Foundry tribesmen to the mix to improve the look of the unit at least in the front rank. Back to medievals this week then a change I think to WW2.

cheeers Matt

King Jean II

Jean II, Jean Le Bon, King of France 1350-1368. From the Valois family Royal line, primarily remembered for his capture at the Battle of Poiters. 28mm limited edition Warhammer miniature sculpted by the Perrys.

18th Century Sedan Chair.

 While on holidays we stayed at a lovely 16th century chateau Villars in the Cher department. Like most chateaux that have remained in families they have some amazing pieces of history in their collection. In the entry they had a family piece that was quite spectacular, leather painted panels and a 18th century frock coat. A splendid piece of history.