This Tuesday we’re off to the North Atlantic for a 1/3000 scale multiplayer convoy vs. wolf pack game.
Convoy SC 75 was reported as sailing on the 18th March 1942 from Halifax NS with 30 ships and 5 escorts. This is a slow convoy, trying to maintain 8 knots. Wolf Pack Ziethen II is being formed in the North Atlantic all commanders in the area are expected to rendezvous as directed for an attack on the night of the 28th March.
The Buchanan’s Party scenario for Bag the Hun 2 was played at the club this week, with seven players taking on the role of Luftwaffe and RAF aircrew. In the end, the experienced Luftwaffe pilots of Stab III.JG27 shot down two No229 Squadron Hurricanes of Yellow Section, one in a catastrophic mid-air explosion and the other in a gradual slow glide down to earth to crash land in the desert. They didn’t manage to shoot down any of the No14 Squadron Blenheims, however, which succeeded in dropping three sticks of bomb on the convoy but only destroyed one of the target markers in the process.
There’s a Bag the Hun 2 multiplayer game at the club this week, based on a bombing mission by Blenheim Mk IV’s of 14 Squadron RAF against Axis motor transport during Operation Crusader. There are six players taking part, with the Hurricanes of No.299 Squadron as top cover for the bombers and the Bf109’s of III.JG27 trying to stop them. It’s all in glorious 1/285th scale and there will be a full after action report to follow. Tally Ho!
A shock defeat for the Bolsheviks in Turn Four has the inevitable revolutionary consequences! A full battle report to follow, once they’ve found a replacement for the ex-Comrade Colonel.
We are now half way to Urga in the club Back of Beyond campaign.
The French are well in the lead being three steps away from the objective, the ancient silk road town of Urga in Mongolia. The British, Bolsheviks and Chinese are all in equal place at five steps away, while the Mad Baron and Japanese are trailing along in a cloud of dust at the back, six steps away.
The French are confident that they can sweep all before them using their superior firepower but the Chinese are now itching to give them a bloody nose, having been narrowly defeated in Turn Three.
The Bolsheviks are also keen to have a crack at the Japanese and the Chinese, avoiding the decadent capitalists with their modern weaponry and training.
The British are having a nice cup of tea while the Japanese and Chinese lick their wounds. Finally, the Mad Baron is doing his own unpredictable thing but may well pop up at some point out of nowhere to sweep all before him.
Anything can happen in the last three turns and there could well be some decisive battles to come in Turn Four!
Whilst making their way towards Urga across the Gobi Desert, the French Citreon Kegresse expedition found their way blocked by the army of Chinese Warlord Wei Phat Mac.
Unable to negotiate a peaceful solution to allow them to pass, the Expedition attacked this army to force passage. The Chinese bravely advanced to challenge the Expedition only to suffer heavy casualties due to moving slowly during their advance due to the failure of Wei Phat Mac to throw decent movement dice. Exposed in open terrain, the Chinese infantry were mowed down by the French machine guns on the Kegresses, Laffey White Armoured car and heavy machine gun of the Foreign Legion escort.
Both the Chinese field gun and the French Mountain gun failed to be effective as the Chinese armoured car attempted to support the infantry advance. A lucky shot from this latter armoured car
Having hid behind a hill for most of the battle, the Chinese irregular cavalry made one last bid to change the course of the battle as the raced to take out the French Heavy Machine gun, only to get caught in a fire of the Foreign Legion and the remaining Kregresse.
The Chinese close order infantry managed to close with French Colonial scouts as did the Chinese Bandits, inflicting minor casualties. With loss mounting and without having committed his personal guard, Wei Phat Mac withdrew from the field, allowing the Expedition to continue its advance towards Urga.
A very hard fought battle this turn between the British Museum and the Japanese Expeditionary Force, won in the end by the stiff upper lip, derring-do and fluffy scones of the ‘Pankhurst Battalion’ (whatever next?). STOP. The Japanese did put up a good fight but were given a sound thrashing by Ms Miggins and her lady friends (ooh err). STOP. Unfortunately, a full report of the battle has been delayed due a strike by Yak herders on the trans-Gobi postal route, so this brief telegram will have to suffice. STOP.There’s only one other game to resolve this turn and then it will be on to Turn Four!