30/08/2011

More progress on the US Paras

Here's the 3rd battalion and the AT guns. I've swapped around a couple of gunners with the howitzers to improve the appearance.
The units completed so far, just bits and pieces to do now and then add some transport.

25/08/2011

WW1 German Infantry Gun

I bought the Hat Skoda 75mm Mountain gun by mistake, but on checking I found it was used in late WW1 by the German storm-troops as an infantry gun. So one had to be painted up in this role.
The crew are mixed Hat/Emhar figures I had lying around already painted, just touched up the helmets to match the camouflage on the gun.


24/08/2011

Imagi-nation Artillery

In preparation for a forthcoming campaign I've started on some new forces for the Frundsberg Frei Stadt. Here is the artillery and train, all Revell SW Austrian Artillery with the heavy guns from Esci French Napoleonic artillery.

More of these to follow next month.

For information on the build up to war see my Frundsberg blog

22/08/2011

3rd US Para Battalion

Yes, another battalion is finished, I won't both taking a picture as they look the same as the previous two. I'm currently working on the AT guns, which are the modified airborne version of the 6pdr so it's taking a little while to convert a couple of Airfix models. Once they are done I'll post progress on the regiment and supports.

Airfix 6pdr conversion details (link) more information on this forum (link)

20/08/2011

Aegean Adventure - Leros Action - Day 3

Day3 (Sunday morning) opened with the remnants of the German Fallschirmjaeger and Brandenbergers occupying a larger perimeter around the western cove. British forces were posed to counter attack from the north and another company was still near the harbour but for some reason failed to attack the southern flank held by the Fallschirmjaeger.

The action opened with a firefight between the Brandenbergers and the British, which the Germans were slowly gaining the upper hand due to their numbers of MMGs.

Once again he Luftwaffe aircraft appeared over Leros, but this time they were met by allied aircraft and Major Bill Leverette in his P38 "Stingaree" reprised his historical performance and shot down a Stuka.
The situation then took a turn for the worse and two full companies of FJ dropped on the British positions by the western cove and broke the back of the British defences. The only combat effective unit was now a single British company by the harbour plus the almost exhausted Italian infantry and marines.

My fellow players Don (German FJ), Tim (British) and Dougie (German Brandenbergers). Simon, the Italian CO, had wandered off.

Luckily caiques carrying the SBS and LRDG were en-route to Leros

In the nick of time they sailed into Leros harbour
At the same time the Luftwaffe re-appeared sweeping over the post. However the only casualty was a caique where the SBS had disembarked moments before.
At this point time was called as the Germans had convincingly failed to achieve their objectives on all three islands.

What a great weekends gaming

19/08/2011

Aegean Adventure - Leros Action - Day 2

Can't believe I didn't take any pictures on Day2 (Saturday afternoon), so I have added a few of Thomas's

The day opened with a small groups of Germans occupying the coastal gun position on the high group with an equally small group of my Italians facing them.
To their flank was the Italian command bunker occupied by the remnants of the blackshirts and a few Tommies.
Then the Luftwaffe arrived again and dropped yet more paratroops this time further away from the Harbour and closer to the cove they still held. This was an area strongly held by the British and they inflicted substantial casualties on them as they tried to break through to the cove, ultimately successfully, but at considerably reduced numbers. Unfortunately en-route they discovered the British HQ quietly working away in the church and wiped them out.
On the high ground the remaining Germans were gradually eliminated in a cross fire backed up by mortars and coastal guns
By the end of the day the Germans just had a slightly enlarged perimeter around the cove, but the sea lanes to Leros were till closed by the Royal Navy

17/08/2011

Aegean Adventure - Leros Action - Day 1

The Leros defenders had just woken from sleep when they heard the drone of German aircraft first it was bombers who eliminated a 25pdr and some blackshirts on the "west" of the island
then Ju52's swept over the island disgorging paratroops
The paratroops were landed directly to the inland side of the port with the obvious intent of taking the harbour.

Simultaneously German Brandenberger units landed, here on the "north" end of the island
and in greater strength on the "west" side, where they rapidly cleared the small numbers of blackshirts and a coastal gun covering the beach.
To the north the Brandenbergers swept up into the coastal gun positions, but a lone blackshirt fought on tossing the German grenades back but then faced a charge by the Brandenbergers company commander. He went down fighting taking three Germans with him including the German CO.

I now have quite a gap in the photographic record as playing seemed to take up all my time. My Italian Marines were pushed out of two of the inland buildings by the harbour by the Fallschirmjaeger who hunkered down for the long run till relieved. My infantry were then diverted in two directions from their covering positions on the main beach, most were sent to counter attack the FJ while a detachment was sent to backup the blackshirts and coastal guns. In the west the Brandenbergers were held and then pushed back by the British. Throughout the day there were sporadic attacks by the Luftwaffe.

By the evening of the first day a strong counter attack was poised to go in on the FJ, who then unexpectedly decided to surrender. The small numbers of Branderbergers in the north dug in around the captured coastal gun positions and awaited relief. In the west they were now restricted to a small enclave around the cove.

16/08/2011

Aegean Adventure - Samos Action

Again apologies at the lack of pictures of the action as I was heavily involved on Leros

Italian forces watch the beaches while the British provide backup.
The German aerial bombardment starts
The British HQ stays safe in the hills
The aerial bombardment continues as MFPs land troops on the beaches
British forces shifting position ready for a counter attack/

More details will be on the Samos thread on the SOGG forum (link)

Aegean Adventure - all at sea

Quite uniquely for a Rapid Fire game there was a major element of sea combat with both the Allies and Germans attempting to control the seaways into the islands, Here is one of the actions

Allied destroyer covering the sea lane to Samos
Joined by a Beaufighter a German destroyer is spotted ahead
It's a knockout, no points for the German team
Quite a while later caiques carrying the SBS and LRDG en-route to Leros
A final push by the Germans to clear the sea lane to Leros

More pictures will appear on this SOGG thread (link)

Aegean Adventure - Kos Action

Very few pictures as I was too involved in the action on Leros, I completely missed the elimination in short order of the first German attack, here's the second.



For more pictures on kos look at this thread on the SOGG forum (link)

Aegean Adventure - Kos Deployment

Can't comment much on why the troops are where they are these are just what I managed to snap before the fighting on Leros




Interesting night time effect by accidentally putting my finger partly over the flash
The airstrip a desirable feature for the Germans

15/08/2011

Aegean Adventure - views of Leros

Pictures of Leros, just before the defending British and Italian forces were deployed

Luckily the sturmboots were just on their way to the German Navy holding area. View of the main beach and harbour
The harbour itself, containing an Italian midget submarine
View along the length of island fought over, note the two small coves in the foreground
The corresponding view from inland.
The rugged far shore, a small cove can be found about 1/3 of the way along.

This is the island where my Italian forces would be deployed.

Aegean adventure - views of Kos

Some views of the terrain used for Kos island as set up was being completed





Aegean Adventure - views of Samos

Some views of the terrain used for Samos island just after set up.

The main beach where the Germans landed
Harbour
Smaller beaches

Example of Al's attention to detail, the sea texture is actually wallpaper