Planned Games for 2014 to 2016

Dear All

These are the outline games for 2014 to 2016. The dates and price of the 2014 game has been decided, the dates and prices of the subsequent games will be confirmed at a later date.

 2014 Game – 1942

Following on from the 1941 Campaign, this game will feature two mini campaigns designed to run from the start of 1942 to around June or July of the same year, depending on strategic decisions made by the command teams.

 The Eastern front game will be set in the Crimea and provide both sides with a number operational challenges. The game will also contain an Air game and some use of Naval assets. The Axis forces will contain German and Romanian forces while the Soviets will have a variety of Mechanised formations and some very interesting amphibious forces. The number of players for this campaign will be around 8 per side.

                The Western Desert and Mediterranean campaign will start with the Allies in control of Crete and the Axis in control of Malta, as at the end of the ’41 game, and the ensuing problems that this will cause. Again an Air and Naval campaign is planned with a variety of the forces available to both sides for the Western Desert. The number of players for this campaign will be around 10 per side. There will also be options to add in a Guadalcanal campaign but this will be dependent on bookings. If we add this option it will be a 4 player per side campaign.

Dates –

Arrive Saturday 18^th January 2014

Depart Saturday 25^th January 2014

Cost £400 (includes accommodation and meals)

Additional nights from £40 per night including evening meal, £25 Bed and Breakfast only.

2015 Game – Operation Sealion 1940

September 1940: The Battle of Britain rages on but the RAF has been forced to retreat to operational bases North and West of the capitol. In the channel, the Home Fleet is about to be engaged by the combined might of the Kriegsmarine the Regia Marina, and remnants of the Marine Nationale. The skies of the English Channel will be thick with aircraft from both sides while in the ports of France an invasion force of German and Vichy French forces are poised to sail. All that stands between this Blitzkrieg across Britain and death of Empire is the hastily reformed Army which escaped from Dunkirk, stranded Free French troops, newly arrived Commonwealth forces, and the Home Guard.

The time to fight on the beaches, landing grounds, streets and fields has arrived.   

This game will contain Ground, Air and Naval games designed to run concurrently. The game is planned for between 20 to 25 players per side. Dates and prices TBA.

2016 Game- Red Storm Unleashed 1984

In a new venture, we currently have a group developing ideas and rules for a Modern Campaign. As soon as there are some firm details these will be unveiled, but the aim is for a game which provides an integrated Air campaign. Lots of fun with modern armour, fast jets, and helicopters…and no nukes…well only if the other side uses them first…. The game is planned to for around 20 to 25 players per side. Dates and prices TBA.

 

More snaps...Briefings....

To misquote Samuel Johnson...When one is tired of briefings, one is tired from far too much little model soldiering. Look I am not trying to convince you for one moment that this is in any way a physically tiring activity (although most of the blokes are gaming, talking about gaming and involved in the process about 16 hours a day!), however it is a mentally draining process at times...And just remember people do this for a Holiday!!

German Command Briefing

 

Despite the serious faces this is actually a good news briefing, however not all of the German ones were. Andrew (standing near the map) is giving a fairly upbeat assessment of the day's play while Philip (standing on extreme right) updates his operational map.

 

The news from this day was linked to the 116th attempted entry into Bastogne. The command team often had to make difficult decisions. Divisions were critically short of fuel, ammo, or replacements (or all three)...116th had been on a charge the day before for wanting to retain the services of 14 Reg (5FJ) and had now completely disobeyed orders in breaking off an attack on Bastogne. The commander had decided to turn north after running into the Glider Reg of 82nd Airborne during the night of Dec 21. The 82nd were dug in and holding the road...116th Panzer was driving on fumes, and nearly out of ammo. The best choice was turn turn back and drive through the rear area of 82nd ( South of Houffalize) and hopefully find some spare fuel... However the Recce Btn found something more vital to the cause...an unguarded bridge in the area of Bertogne (North and parallel to Bastogne)...

 

 



 

While the team brief was going on, Tim (as German 7 Armee Commander), was making some tough choices about the strategic operations of his forces... (yes those are boxes of sweets in the foreground, but that was part of an umpiring ploy to sugar coat bad news, at least it always seemed to be, to me)...

 

However the state of play was that 7 Armee, previously tasked with seizing Bastogne and road networks west of there (Neufchateau in particular), was about to develop it's own mini offensive and bypass Bastogne. 2nd Panzer (also in XLVIII Pz Korps with 116) was also now low on fuel and ammo. Despite dragging a Nebelwerfer Korp formation from the start line, no ammo was ever allocated for the Werfer brigades. 2nd Panzer was to go on the defensive, 116th would hold the bridge at Bertogne and hold on long enough to pass 9 Pz and LVIII Pz Korps (9th SS and 12th SS Panzer) over and on the the Meuse...and of course victory....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



A few odd snaps from the camera ....Houffalize

A variety of happy memories from last week...


Houffalize

Alex (doing his best to look intelligent and unruffled)....This was part of a game where 82nd were holding a vital bridging point at Houffalize. Alex's regiment were dug in around a hill and wood and causing problems to the plucky panzertruppers of 116th who were coming on around the road to the left of the board and dog-legging past Alex to take the exit top right toward Bastogne...at least that was the plan....

Talking of plans the white snow based troops were a regiment of 5FJ who found themselves stranded on the wrong side of the river. In the previous day while some of 116th had been shot-up trying to rapid advance across the front of 7th US Armoured, 14 Regt had yomped steadily across the board in an effort to reach the other side of the river....However the only bridge for miles was at Houffalize..which was held be the Americans. Of course we could have just asked them to let us cross, but where's the fun in that??

And don't be fooled, despite Adam's warm and friendly look, he would have said "No!". However 13 and 15 Regt of 5 FJ must have been keen to get their mate's back, as the launched a simultaneous attack which was being fought on another table, and eventually spilled onto ours. Houffalize fell and sometime on game day 2 (about Dec 21) and remained in German hands for the next 6 or 7 days....

Now that this year’s game is over…

So that was the week that was, when:

• Armee Gruppe B’s Panzer spearhead reached, but did not cross, the Meuse at Dinant - it was sadly lacking both fuel and equipment.

• Montgomery’s 21st Army Group severed the Germans’ Main Supply Route at Manhay, XXX Corps winning a hard fought battle against SS Panzers in the process.

• Patton’s 3rd US Army kicked in the Bulge's Southern shoulder at Diekirch, despite the best efforts of the Fuhrer Begleits Brigade (better known in the Allied camp as the 'Furious Bag Ladies'), and were poised to drive North across Armee Gruppe B's line of advance.

German armour repulsed at Diekirch

All that remained was to thank the players for their participation, with the traditional awards ceremony:

Armee Gruppe B pose for the camera

Nearest the camera on the Axis team is Tim, voted "German we most liked playing against" by the Allied team. Axis award citations included "continuous fortitude in the face of adversity", "putting the wreck in 'recce'" and "promoting hiking to the Panzerwaffe". 

Philip, German CinC, receives the thanks of Dom (right - in the low-vis hoodie) and Umpire Tony (left)

Allies together, British and Americans side by side

Second from the left on the Allied team is Sean, voted "Ally we most enjoyed playing against" by the Axis team.  Allied citations included "unfailing patience and wonderfully developed stiff upper lip", "quietly slipping the stiletto between the ribs of the German hopes for victory" and "mastery of Operational Deception".

After which the Umpires give us their verdict on the week's gaming - giving all the players an overview of how their individual struggles have combined to produce the overall result.

The Umpire team share their view of the week

Of course, even after the awards are handed out, the tables taken down, scenery and figures gathered in and put away, there's still time for one last game of something... 

Just because the battle's over doesn't mean we have to stop playing...

So, what's in our Operations folder for next year?? Well, we're still thinking about that, but stay tuned for further developments.