Tempus Fugit

 Life is racing on, I seem to be playing catch up, health, birthdays and the ever encroaching Christmas, which has been in our sights now since around September? The local supermarkets, there are no shops per se, are already full while the local roads in Carnforth are a nightmare on a weekend and also now during the week, people turning up for a game find it increasingly difficult to park in the village. So what's new.

With no soldiers to paint I decided to at last get a few more explosions to use in a mortar barrage, years ago I got a very large tub but couldn't find such a beast this time so got two bags of Woodland Scenics foliage. This was disappointing as they were not large but expensive, so in the end I only got two markers out of them, but I did get around to using that heat glue gun I have had for years. I won't buy anymore so will make what I have do.

New and old.

Next up was a couple of bombed out buildings, I got these from Inverness and they were excellent 3D prints, a huge amount of detail for those up for such and reasonably priced I thought. I primed them black then picked out the walls, floors and bricks, after this I set too with the dry brush and then an overall wash with Agrax Earthshade, in the end I ended up with two buildings suitable for the old three foot test. That's my stretch these days.

The latest book from Helion on the Italian Wars is the Battle of Pavia, I have quite a bit on Pavia as this is the period I have based my armies on but I like to complete series, good friend Charles Singleton once again kindly used his influence to procure me a copy.

I also took reciept of my snow roads from Poland, not perfect but better than using my normal dirt tracks, my only beef is that there are not enough straights in the pack. I have asked for some straights but if this is not possible I will probably get another pack as standby. 

Of course there were games the first was at the club, Simon and I played the Uman game from WSS magazine, I didn't have much time for pictures as the club was busy with people popping over whom I have not seen for a wee while. The Russian assault did not make a lot of headway against the German defences, the end came as I managed to launch a Panzerschreck team from ambush to blow up the KV-1, kill its commander and a nearby officer and two of his men as the explosion rocked the table. As you will know I am quite at home with version 2 of the rules while Simon is not.

The main game of the week was next, 'Blitz on Villeroux', Matt was continuing his lunge through the Gap and could bring armour along for this scenario. The defensive position looked quite good but with Panzers available I was forced to take a 25mm anti-tank gun, for which I had a cunning plan, and an R35 light tank. Matt took as supports a 75mm infantry gun, an off table MMG, SdKfz 222 and a Pz IV. He had to get two units off my end of the table.

My useless mortar.

Armour and gun.

Refugee's fleeing the Boche.

The Jerries came on quickly and concentrated on my left flank opposite of which was a large wood which his infantry lined and hid in. I placed my men in the houses and a barn, after which the enemy infantry gun and MMG appeared along with the armour, the tank eased forward to get in range of the buildings to spot the men in them, it was time for the surprise. I used a command die to place the 25mm on the table almost in front of the tank, I knew this was a one shot wonder as the return fire would no doubt pin or break the crew but it had to be done. Bang, the tank was hit but the shot only knocked out the hull machine gun, sure as god made little green apples the return fire pinned then broke the gun crew. I now brought on my little tank and it began a dual with the Panzer IV, this lasted all the remaing game with the German hitting and me saving and vice versa.

Surprise!

Busy wood.

Achtung Panzer!

I had taken a mortar but it's nine shots resulted in nothing but clouds of earth, I did manage to kill some of the crew of the infantry gun and rout one of the squads in the wood but again many of my hits failed to turn into casualties. Matt was having a hard time shifting my dug in troops but in the end I lost the squad holding the left flank and due to officer casualties my morale had plunged, the German armoured car had also managed to flank my defences and was heading for the table edge with nothing to stop it. I decided to withdraw before I lost anymore men.

Once again due to the difference in morale the Germans managed to return almost all of their casualties ending up with only one dead and one in hospital, I have now lost a complete squad and these guys will have to fight on for the next game. 'Get the Guns' is next, the French should manage well on this table but I have thought that before. Thankfully the Germans do not get the same fistful of support points as the last game and I get a free infantry gun.

Not a lot planned for the coming week apart from the next game in the campaign on Thursday, not sure about the club.