East coast convoy 1943

Missing several of our group due to work, illness and other reasons, Ian and myself were left trying to attack a British coastal convoy, all by ourselves!

Ian had 2 S-boats at the head of the convoy.

I had another pair half way down the convoy (the counters are used to track which targets we have spotted during the game) 

 The markers showing possible locations of convoy vessels, the right hand column are escorts, the middle and left in the picture are merchant vessels.

 My boats, moving slowly on electric motors to avoid detection spot an escort..

Fortunately, just an 'Isles' class trawler. 

 As I closed, a 3000 ton freighter hove into view.

 At the front of the convoy, Ian's boats spotted another 3000 tonner..and a tanker!

Unfortunately, the trawler I had spotted, also spotted me and fired a 3" shell, which missed.

 To avoid damage, my boats launched a torpedo each at the freighter, and turned right to evade the trawler at high speed. (the extra 2 markers in the pictures are dummy markers to confuse the convoy, which may choose to spot a dummy rather than a real torpedo!) 

 One of the torpedoes was spotted by the freighter.

Ian's boats continued closing with the head of the convoy..

 ..and spotted another trawler behind the tanker.

 My boats were spotted again, but the turning trawler failed to hit.

 The freighter, having seen my torpedo, tried to turn to 'comb' the attack..slowly!

Ian's boats, now closer, could see a lot of targets, but remained unseen themselves. 

 My boats, avoiding the trawlers, tried to sweep round the back of the convoy, looking for fresh targets to prey upon.

 All i could see was a small 2000 ton merchantman screened by another trawler.

 My torpedoes finally hit the manoeuvering 3000 tonner, blowing it in two.

 As the freighter rapidly sank, my boats outran the defending trawler easily. 

 Ian's boats fired several torpedoes, the freighter spotted one, and turned to evade it.

 

 A trawler shell landed close to one of my boats, I had been spotted again!

 Amazingly, the torpedoes missed the tanker..by a tiny margin.. and ploughed on to the freighter behind, which tried to turn too..

 

 ..Too late! - the torpedoes smashed into the freighter, which exploded!

 

 At the rear of the convoy, my boats saw another low value target....

 A final torpedo from Ian's boats, fired at short range, finally hit the tanker.. it caused significant damage, but the ship survived...minus the 12pdr on the stern which was thrown into the sea as the ship bucked under the explosion at the bow!

With no more torpedoes, Ian's boats sped off towards France, as did my boats, which with no worthy targets, and under 20mm fire from the escorts, also disappeared into the dark.

This was an exciting game, Ian was very unlucky not to get a greater haul, and I was lucky to escape without damage!

The rules had randomly put the vast majority of the merchantmen at the front of the convoy, escorted by a single trawler, while I faced 2 trawlers and only a few small targets..and one 3000 tonner!

The rules used can be downloaded from: Tyneside wargames club downloads page

10mm WW1 Spearhead

Yesterday (Saturday) I got a first chance to try out the WW1 Spearhead rules, the scenario was based on the French counter-attack at the Battle of the Marne in 1914.

Having not played this game before, Gareth and I took small commands, Gareth on the German side, me on the French.

The battle would involve a slightly smaller German force defending a town, the french would win if they managed to recapture enough of the town and its surrounding villages, or strategic hills.

The battlefield..the French would attack from the left in this pic.

 My small force, 2 regiments of infantry and a cavalry regiment. 

The French centre, run by Phil.

The French right, run by Ian.

Facing Ian, Davy had a strong covering force of Germans

 Gareth was up front defending the town.

Lawrence was entrenched on a strategic hill facing me.

 The armies deployed.

 The battle began as Phil's French centre stormed through the fields to attack the town.

 Ian, on his right moved to engage the German covering force.

 Phil's French swarmed over an undefended village.

 The French began their attack on the town.

 They took minimal losses against the light German defences.

 On the French right, Ian's troops were driving in the German reconnaissance elements.

 The French received strong Cavalry and infantry reserves.

The massive French artillery park.

 In the first village Phil had liberated, the troops filtered though to observe the German front line.

 A battalion of heavy French guns, detailed to support them began to fire.

The Germans on the hill beyond were heavily hit.

 As Phil's other men attacked the town approaches, some of his other men tried to cross the fields to outflank the town, but came under strong German fire. 

 On my Unengaged left, I had been ordered to wait till turn 4, then attack a small strategic hill, fortunately left undefended by the Boche! 

..they advanced..no doubt singing La Marseillaise?!! 

 Phil's greater numbers rapidly overran Gareth's men in the town

Ian's advance guarded Phil's right as he advanced on the town. 

 Phil's men in the village continued o call in fire missions on the luckless Germans on the hill!

 Boom!

 BOOOM!

A lot of poor Germans were blown to bits in the wood! 

 An overview of the situation at turn 7

 Phil brought up his reserve infantry as his attack on the town developed.

 Ian, on the French right attacked across fields against entrenched Germans.

 ..supported by a splendid Cavalry division.

 Finally, after a massed bayonet charge, the French in the centre cleared the approaches to the town, allowing them to continue advancing.

 The reduced defenders grimly held their positions.

 My guys captured the small hill..Woo-hoo!

 Lawrence brought reserve infantry to support the devastated Germans in the wood.

 To the left of the town, Davy advanced  from the hill to engage the French.

 Lawrence's reserves retook the wood.

German cavalry, in reserve behind the town, swung left to attack Ian's advancing French infantry, where they connected with the centre.

Meanwhile, the French Cavalry division stormed on to attack the advancing Germans. 

The heavy guns were continuing to fire... 

..and were demolishing the German trench positions on the hill.

 The French attacking the town attacked in mass. 

 The charging German cavalry, having beaten a regiment of foot, rolled on to the second line and its supporting artillery.

 The French cavalry division had not fared as well, and were blown to pieces, the remnants fled in disarray.

 The German cavalry, too, were annihilated.

We had to call it a day at this point, the general concensus was the Germans had technically won on points, but the French would have won eventually, mostly due to their artillery advantage.

The players: The Germans: Dave, Gareth and Lawrence.

 Les Francaises: Ian and Phil (I am behind the camera!)

Not a bad game, I think a smaller one might have got properly finished, but I would play the rules again, hopefully with more idea of what I could do!