Back to the Ostfront

 Back to the Eastern Front on Club night with Chain of Command, a last minute thing as I have been extremely busy with deadlines for several projects and with the need to relax on a Bank Holiday weekend I didn't shift myself until the Tuesday morning. I thought I would shake things up a bit and decided I would be the defender this time and take a Volksgrenadier force, the rifle platoon and not the ones equipped with the assault rifle, with eight man squads it was going to be a challenge against the Soviet horde.

I took the platoon and for my measly support points got another squad (this time green but with the StG44), an adjutant and the deadly panzerschreck, I decided I could not afford a tank. Simon spent most of his on an SU-122 and an extra squad. I had to defend a ford where it crossed a river, I thought I had given myself a bit of a job but why not try something different.

The Russians came on fairly quickly and manged to get halfway to the objective and the couple of buildings at the ford then hunkered down as I had not at this point deployed any of my troops as I had decided, against my natural instincts, to wait and see. Forced to eventually move the Soviets crept forward and it was now I showed my colours and took up residence in the two buildings and opened fire, on my right flank I put the green squad in a wood to stop any flanking manouvers. Under fire the Russians now brought on their assault gun but it did not do them much good as it tried not to give anyone a panzerfaust shot or its own men were in the way, not only that most of the command rolls were needed to keep the infantry in the firefight.

The ford.

The Soviets advance and wait.

A really nice 3D printed SU-122.

 This they did well and I was soon a squad down, even being in heavy cover did not help as my men fell like nine pins, however although I was not killing a great many Russians their shock was rising to danger levels. At the height of the battle I eventually broke one of the forward Russian squads but lost another of my own, my morale was dangerously low. However I had a firm grip on the ford and the Russian squads were probably now too weak to move out and make a last push, also time had been called, the ford was safe.

I won't bore you with my usual whinge about dice luck, let's just say at the end it was diabolical for shooting, not bad for everything else. I found the Volksgrenadiers very brittle and the small squads had to take advantage of any piece of cover they could or go tactical, nevertheless I enjoyed using them. I did not get many photographs for once as I was too engrossed in the game.

Now for the big one, I have finished my first pike block, Swiss mercenaries in the service of the French king, and I think it looks splendid. I have learned as I went along and the next ones will have the command in the centre and not in the front rank, covered by the odd halberdier or two handed swordsman. I am also getting further used to the Contrast paints and using normal paints and washes where needed, I feel this is also improving. I have the next arquebusier unit of eight figures on the tray at the moment with six gendarmes waiting in the wings, I am looking forward to painting my first cavalry and am searching online for examples and ideas. 

 My friend Charles who is also delving into the period is basing his army on the forces arrayed at the battle of Biccoca, this fits in to my 1520-25 time frame, and allows me French, Venetian, Swiss, Imperial, Spanish and Milanese units. I am now giving thought to what is next, possibly French infantry, we will see.

I have a very large Napoleonic game this Sunday in Grange, the final in a trilogy organised by Rob Martin, there should be eight of us again, so I am looking forward to that and Partizan of course on the 22nd.