Covering Force Battle!

 

During our pre IPMA show rehearsal, we discovered we had too many units on our tables so decided to amend the Valley of Death scenario to stagger the arrival of forces, dependent on the outcome of an ad-hoc covering force battle pre-game:

Since the goal was reconnaissance in depth, we went for a big table by 12mm standards: 8 x 6 feet. The view from the NATO West German side:

The view from the East German side. The land around the 'Anti-Fascist Barrier' has been kept clear to afford good fields of fire against any deluded Republikflüchtiger ("Republic-deserter"). 

The four factions: US & Bundeswehr, Soviet and East German NVA, rolled randomly to deploy by platoons. NATO went first, which was just as well as they had scads of cheap US Mutt Recon platoons...

Most of the Soviet points were tied up in Hinds and T-55AMs in the counter recon role:

Deployment complete...

Except NATO spring a nasty surprise: the US deploy a guerilla force from Red Dawn. Presumably not all those opposed to the German Democratic Republic chose to flee. They were hidden in the woods right next to my GOPHER MRSAM. Fortunately NATO didn't bring any Air!

Ed also invested in Hinds and T-55s so we created an ad-hoc task group for Daniel to command:

Principally in the hope of picking off NATO recon patrols, but it was hard to resist targeting enemy air defences!

The NATO players, Stuart and Peter, react to the WARPACT incursions:

I was expecting to have to fight through Luchs and Marders, but not Leopard 2s! 

Actually at this stage the Bundeswehr infantry were causing most of the snags...

But massed Leopards... 

Put paid to any hopes of crossing over this sector!

So when my reserves belatedly made an appearance, Shock BMP-3 Scout platoons, I swapped to the other side of the table:

Although there were NATO goalkeepers present there too:

At this point the WARPACT team was a little despondent...

 - we had pushed our recon forward hard but most of it was now in flames...

And now it was the turn of the NATO scout teams to push forward:

On the bright side, Ed's East German BRDM patrol was within a whisker of breaking through!

But it was not to be! Venerable M60s wiped them out just as they were about to ride off into the sunset!

As the game timed out, the result was a draw with no Scout or Spearhead units breaking through. Both sides will therefore have to put 40% of their forces into Immediate Reserve for the big game.

Battle of Montmirail 1814

 

The Wollongong Wargamers horse and musketeers: on the left the Prussian team, their Russian ally in the right foreground, and their three French opponents right background. Darren's Iron Cross is no accident, as will be revealed:

At first sight the Allied superiority, in the relatively bare landscape, looked unassailable:

But the French were deploying the creme de la creme:

The Allied hordes were positioned to encompass the French:

So that outnumbered though they were, deployment space was limited. Potentially, a powerful punch!

Dusk approaching, the game would only last 6 turns, so the Allies lost no time in advancing to contact:

The French team responded equally aggressively:

Sneaking the Old Guard Cavalry through the snowy, forested wilderness on their right flank to gain more deployment space and outflank the Prussians:

Hordes of Cossacks on the French left forced the Young Guard into squares. The Chasseurs of the Old Guard contemptuously deployed into line, to fight as God intended!

However it was the Prussians who launched the first assaults, on the Middle Guard: big mistake!

The Allies paused for thought...

The French Heavy Cavalry kept up momentum on the increasingly pressured Prussian left flank:

Which was being outflanked to the rear by the Imperial horse:

And thoroughly chewed up by the Middle Guard:

Over on the Allied right flank the Cossacks had now tied down the entire Young Guard with a series of Hit and Run attacks:

Whilst dispatching the Dragoon brigade away at the double in an attempt to shore up their crumbling left flank:

In the centre, the Prussians were keeping up the pressure, warily and carefully marshalling their forces to put in a well supported attack on the Grenadiers of the Old Guard. But what is this? Can it be? La Garde Recule! Hence Darren's Iron Cross!

Fortunately for the French, a series of well timed Heavy Cavalry charges restored the situation in the centre:

Whilst the Old Guard Cavalry emerged from the woods...

To complete the rout of the Prussian left flank:

With the Allied Dragoon brigade arriving just to late to restore the Allied flank, it was time to call it: The French had inflicted 4 Army defeat points on the Allies, whilst suffering none.

The French team bask in their well deserved victory!