Operation DANUBE

 

As a child I remember reading Viktor Suvorov's The Liberators about the Soviet invasion of Czechosolvakia. But it was Daniel who suggested it might be fun to do a Warsaw Pact 'red on red' game - two horde armies duking it out... 

Although 'horde army' is relative - compared to the WW2 museum collection the Czech's had, the Soviet T-54s and IS-7s seem relatively cutting edge! Despite both sides having 100 points, I was particularly confident that resistance to Soviet Power would be futile!

The Flanking Move mission was selected at random but well reflected the invading Soviets coming in from all points of the compass.

Reserves would be Scattered and Delayed, further adding to the chaos!

Not really reflecting the history though, the Czech team, Daniel and Peter, rolled to be the attacker and to move first!

The table was set up to reflect semi rural eastern Europe with a good road net.

Both sides used their recce platoons...

To open out their deployment zones:

Karl Marx Platz had never known so many tanks - has May Day come early?

Despite only having four units, I deployed to be able to take all three objectives early. 

In some ways the ratcheting point system discourages concentration of effort, but I have learnt that with Clash of Steel it pays to get points on the clock early doors!

Whereas the Czech counter revolutionary fascist running dogs seemed to be focusing just on Objective 3 in the outskirts of town - probably pandering to spoilt bourgeois student activist layabouts from the local Uni...

The ensuing combat was short, intense...

But as we know, resistance to Soviet Power is always futile!

There were also sporadic spots of fascist revisionism elsewhere in the area:

But nothing to seriously trouble the mighty Iosif Stalin 7s!

I will say this for the bourgeoisie though - the local ringleader had a smile on his face even as he was stood against the wall to recieve the People's justice!

Once again Clash of Steel delivered a fast paced and intriguing mission, which, if a little unbalanced (all together now: Resistance to Soviet Power is Futile!) was a interesting change from East - West match ups!

Gazala Encounter

 

Last night at the Wollongong Wargamers Peter laid on a Flames of War / Clash of Steel mash up to represent the encounter battle during Op GAZALA between 15th Panzer and the 4th Armoured Brigade.

An 8 x 6 foot table was dressed with a few rocks and hills. The rocky outcrops around the centre objective represented a bogging hazard, and the hills gave hull down cover.

The mission best suited to an encounter battle seemed to be The Clash. Reserves were Delayed, the game would last 8 turns, and the Germans were the attacker.

The British had two squadrons:

Making up quite an eclectic mix of vehicles, including a troop of venerable Matildas. However, these were to play a key role...

The DAK 15th Panzer was much more homogenous, with a variety of Pz IIIs, and a platoon of the dread Pz IV Specials. Peter and Stuart as the German players advanced very aggressively, taking the center objective by the second turn:

With my Honey squadron I sought as much cover as I could...

Whilst Darren with Grants and Crusaders was more adventurous, seizing our right hand Objective early doors.

As the Germans took the fight to Darren out on our right...

I plucked up the courage to break cover on our centre-left with the fast moving Honeys:

Whilst the sedate Matildas slowly trundled up on our far left. The left hand objective was revealed to be a dummy by this stage, but given their ponderous nature it was too late to redeploy the 'Tildas!

My Honey's soon closed on the Panzers. After the painful realisation that front shots would just bounce off the Pz IIIs, let alone the Pz IVs, they managed a lucky side shot!

Retribution was swift!

Things were getting desperate - but that initial side shot was the only one that hit the target!

However in the grand scheme of things Darren was also closing in from our right flank, subjecting the Panzers around the objective to a hail of fire. Whilst shooting rolls on both sides were dire, the Germans were getting the better of it and steadily picking off our units troop by troop, ratcheting up their score!

As the final turn came around we were about 15 points down! However, we gained a nutmeg of consolation as the Matildas, eventually strolling up to the stoush, picked off a might Panzer IV Special at long range with a side shot!

Once again Clash of Steel, used to adjudicate a armour only game of Flames, delivered a fast and furious game with lots of lovely toys on the table!

Black September: The invasion of Jordan 1970

This week at the Wollongong Wargamers, Daniel devised a very different scenario for our Clash of Steel game: Arab-Israeli Wars sans Israelis. The Jordanians were the goodies for once, invaded by Palestinians and Syrians: 

Details of the ground were sparse so we set out some generic Mid East terrain, allowing for as much cover as possible:

The randomly drawn mission was Frontal Attack, so, playing across the table rather than up and down it, our carefully placed cover was rendered largely irrelevant. It would be a fast and bloody game! 

The mission rules card required us to place 40% of our forces in Immediate Reserve and each deploy a unit in ambush. 

Easy for the Jordanians with their British style 3 tank Troops! For my Syrians with Soviet style company hordes, it meant I had to put an entire company of T34-85s into reserve. With another in Ambush, I only had one company of T54s to deploy!

Daniel rolled to be the attacker and also got the first move. We both rolled poorly for reserves in turn one.

With my lone on table company I deployed opposite Objective 1, which had a reasonable amount of cover around it:

I also soon realised that playing along the length of the table, with ambushes only deployable in one's own deployment zone, it was better to spring it soon. Daniel had seized Objective 2, which was out in the open. Easy prey for my 10 T-54s (represented by model T-62s):

Then Daniel rolled well both for reserves and their deployment, getting the drop on the flank of my T-54s near Objective 1! 

Fortunately he had used up all his good rolls and the only outcome was a bailed T-54!

I was now in a quandary around Objective 2 - go in and seize it or sit back and get better shots at the tempting Centurion side armour? I played it safe and stayed in cover and took the shots, rolling a seriously un Sparker like crap load of 6s!

At this point things were going well for my Syrians - we were racking up the VPs for Objective 1 and a good few for wiping out entire troops of Cents...only because it was now my turn to roll fortuitously for placement of reserves right on the Jordanian flank!

I was still loath to breakout from the cover of the rocks to close on Objective 2, particularly as Daniel had a troop of hungry Cents neatly positioned to take any such advance in the flank:

So I remained satisfied to let the game time out as a long range gunnery duel, where my superior numbers inevitably told!

Although that sounds boring, it was actually a very exciting game with the habitual amount of Clash of Steel thrills and spills! Thanks to Daniel for a novel scenario which I'd like to revisit before too long!