Operation Battleaxe - OOB, BKCII - Part 2

Started adding the second colour - and now debating at what stage I should or shouldn't add a wash..  and what shade.

Operation Battleaxe - OOB, BKCII

The previous post showed the GHQ figures & models for my Commonwealth Desert Force, the composition is (very loosely) based on Operation Battleaxe in June 1941. I took some (ok, lots of) liberties with scale to get the most varied composition I could on to the painting table, and this is what I came up with totalling 3000 points. (Purists may look away).

I also took the liberty of assuming losses had meant that 4th Armoured Brigade, which in real life was attached to the escarpment force, was reassigned to 7th Armoured Brigade group. (So I could use the Matildas). The total number of tanks assigned was up to around 190, so my scaled down version would be approximately 1:15 - approximately 1 model per squadron. (ToE was 18 tanks per squadrn, but you could assume non-runners would be at least 1 in 6 given the mechanical reliability (or not..) of tanks in the desert. The other compromise was using A9 models (because I like them) for 2RTR, which in reality was a mix. For administrative purposes during a game this would mean checking whether the model firing was A9, A10 or A13. A pain.

The challenge on table may well be coordination of the large support group mainly infantry with the separate armour groups. BKCII seems to favour the mixed battlegroup. Another notable thing for the period is that I can find no details of anti-tank capability.

British Western Desert - Operation Battleaxe, June 1941
Description	No
7th Arm'd Div - Maj Gen Michael O'Moore Creagh - CO (CV8)	1
Divisional Troops
11th Hussars (Recce) - Vickers VI Light tank	1
11th Hussars (Recce) - Rolls Royce A/C	1
4th & 143 Sdn Royal Engineers (Pioneers)	2
Carriers (Pioneers)	2
Forward Artillery Observer (CV7)	2
Trucks (FAO)	2
7th Support Group - Brig John Campbell - HQ (CV8)	1
1st, 3rd, 4th & 106 Rgt RHA (25Lb - 4 gun battery)	4
Trucks (Art Towing vehicles)	4
1st Batt. Kings Royal Rifle Corps (Veteran)	6
Support Unit Vickers	1
Support Unit 3" Mortar	1
Trucks (1st Batt)	8
2nd Batt Rifle Brigade (Veteran)	6
Support Unit Vickers	1
Support Unit 3" Mortar	1
Trucks (2nd Batt)	8
4th Arm'd Brigade - Brig Alexander Gatehouse - HQ (CV8)	1
4th RTR - detached to Indian 4th Div.
4th RTR Vickers VI Light Tank	3
7th RTR - Lt. Col Basil Groves - Matilda II	3
7th Arm'd Brigade - Brig Hugh Russell - HQ (CV8)	1
2nd RTR (MkI, II, III/IV Cruisers) - count as A13	4
6th RTR (Crusader)	4

Western Desert 1941 - 6mm for BKCII

My last post was my 1943 German Tunisian force. After the last game I offered to face Dave's Panzers, and elected to paint up some 1941 Western Desert Commonwealth forces. The tanks are a mix of Crusader I, Matilda II, A9 Cruisers, and that behemoth, the Vickers Light Tank VIb.

I shrank the historical composition of a couple of regiments to get the mix, supported by 25llb RA units, universal carriers, armoured cars (including a venerable Rolls Royce) and a few motorised infantry. The pictures show the undercoated (Iraqi Sand) vehicles getting a first few stripes of caunter camouflage, using a very thinned down Citadel Knarloc Green. Next step will be a very thin third colour using Citadel Space Wolves Grey, which to my eyes, should work as the grey (slate) colour that apparently faded down to a blue'ish shade. It seems that theses have been written about these colours, but I have elected to go with works for my eye. So here's the WIP.

Tunisian Scrap

After a while without playing BKCII, Dave and I got together to have a go at a conflict in Tunisia in early 1943. We played the counter-attack scenario, 3000 points of Germans vs 2000 points of Allies.

I based the German battlegroup on Kampfgruppe Irkens - (some background here - http://aleadodyssey.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/tunisia-1943-germans-6mm-bkcii.html ).

We were very rusty and got a few things wrong..   first shock for me was the complete Allied Air Superiority, so Dave rolls d6 +2 vs my d6 -1..  ouch, -2 to my chances of calling in an air strike, and any attack subject to 6 Anti-Air attacks. I didn't get to even try as my Forward Air Controller didn't manage to get into position.

Secondly, we got the rules wrong for reconnaissance units. So be it. The battlefield was pretty random, with plenty of dune/hills to break up line of sight. Dave kept his armour back, and infantry forward, with half-tracks (M3 with 75mm guns) in support.

After the first move, from the German right flank.

Close(r)-up

Quote of the night.. "you could win with a bunch of pygmies armed with fruit-peelers if you had high enough command values".

BKCII uses a mechanism like Warmaster, roll under the command value (CV) to issue an order - roll again at -1 with additional minuses for units depending on distance from the command unit. The German Kampfgruppe had a CO with CV = 10 and HQ = 9. Very good command and control, the Allied side was 8's and 7's.  I haven't done the maths, but with 2 dice, I would guess I was averaging at least twice as many moves as the Allies. A huge advantage. 

Allied infantry is isolated and lacking AT capability

Dave's infantry had no answer to advancing armour, and his artillery that might have helped, just kept failing command rolls.

From the German base edge

It was good to blow the dust off, and we talked a bit after the game, raw Allied troops up against the heaviest armoured assault were always going to struggle.

So after this as a practice, cobwebs gone, we are going to try another one. Next time I will use my British & Commonwealth Western Desert force. Dave gets to pick date and scenario. We shall see if I can do better vs the Panzers...

Scary Goths

So I decided I would try a different painting technique for the bazillion Goths..  so here's the main lot of mounted, cleaned up and stuck to tongue depressors. About 6 hours worth, as there is a not insignficant amount of flash on these guys.

Next step is to get out the airbrush, and then spray them all in varying shades of chestnut, brown, black etc. by stick. Once that's done, back to dabbing on various linen and earthy shades, brighter cloaks etc. Then try a brush on of wood stain. Will be interesting to see how they turn out, as it is very different from my usual paint technique.

And Vale Donald Featherstone.

Tunisia 1943 - Germans 6mm BKCII

I have been preparing a 3000 point German mechanised force for a BKCII game set in Tunisia in early 1943. Most of the models are GHQ, with the exception of the Stuka, which is Scotia (I think), I believe Raiden also now do a model which looks very nice, and the 'Diana' which is an Armstrong Model, now sold by Heroics & Ross.

The battle group has been based (loosely) on the Irkens Kampfgruppe, which was essentially a last gasp attack, using virtually all the available armour (not a lot). Nafziger list 943GMXA has it as:

Irkens Kampfgruppe: 
(Also known as the Irkens Panzer brigade, was formed on 24 April 1943. )
5th Panzer Regiment
7th Panzer Regiment
8th Panzer Regiment
501th (Tiger) Panzer Battalion
47th Grenadier Regiment
Artillery Battalion
Italian Artillery Battalion
2 Flak Battalions

By this stage the 47th Grenadier Regiment I believe had been transferred from the 22nd Infantry Division to North Africa in November 1942, and then attached to 21 Pz Div. and re-designated as 47th Panzer Grenader Regiment.

 88mm in firing position

The whole Battle Group 

'Diana' by Armstrong Models, now sold by H&R. A very nice model. Recce unit of Sdkfz 222 in the background.

I am considering whether I should do a lighter dry brush of the ground texture, as it probably should look 'dustier'.

Teeny Tiny Teensy Weensy Choppers

Been painting up some choppers for 'Shipwreck' these are Lynx from the QRF Seewulf  range, sold through TSS.

The first shot is preparation...

And here they are in all their glory...