Lead Adventure Forum

Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: KeyanSark on January 09, 2008, 04:26:34 PM

Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: KeyanSark on January 09, 2008, 04:26:34 PM
An interesting historical setting for some games, based or inspired in the real raid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Nazaire_Raid
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: Plynkes on January 09, 2008, 05:20:30 PM
Okay, so which crazy Lead Adventurer is going to volunteer to build a destroyer in 28mm?

And get the Prof to chain Grimm in the dungeon until he has made the entire dock area for the tabletop, including the U-Boat pens.

I was there this summer. Luckily the Nazis had gone home some time before my arrival, and so the Lewis gun I had packed for the trip proved an unnecessary impediment.
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: dominic on January 09, 2008, 05:27:46 PM
Does anyone do a 1/48th model?  Just a thought! It will be HUGE!!
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: Plynkes on January 09, 2008, 05:29:55 PM
Does anybody make commandos in kilts, by the way?

As I recall, some of them were bekilted at St. Nazaire.
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: dominic on January 09, 2008, 05:36:25 PM
There is one Artizan para in a kilt.  That's all I know :(
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: Gunbird on January 09, 2008, 05:46:55 PM
Quote from: "Plynkes"
Okay, so which crazy Lead Adventurer is going to volunteer to build a destroyer in 28mm?

And get the Prof to chain Grimm in the dungeon until he has made the entire dock area for the tabletop, including the U-Boat pens.


Call me odd but I have that planned out sort of. No Destroyer though, just a Trawler and a E-boat, and harbour, dock section etc. Should be finished some time after I finish the U boat pen. All in 20mm/28mm, naturally (but not the ships, sorry)
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: Plynkes on January 09, 2008, 05:49:29 PM
Cool. Look forward to seeing that.
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: Westfalia Chris on January 09, 2008, 05:53:36 PM
Quote from: "Plynkes"
Okay, so which crazy Lead Adventurer is going to volunteer to build a destroyer in 28mm?


Oh, donīt act like you didnīt see that coming but... Iīve actually got a number of cardboard destroyers in that size which I made back in the 1990s; more of a Great White Fleet style, but you could re-paint and slightly convert them.

Actually, such a project has been on my list for quite some time, although Iīd prefer a ship to use for a setting akin to Corto Malteseīs "South Sea Ballad"...
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: xeoran on January 09, 2008, 06:51:13 PM
Quote from: "Plynkes"
Does anybody make commandos in kilts, by the way?

As I recall, some of them were bekilted at St. Nazaire.


Yup, last time kilts were officially worn in combat by the British army. Unofficially they have turned up every so often (for instance one officer wore one at Arnhem).

Sadly you'd have to convert. Nazaire would be a very cool game.

Incidentally there is a good Jeremy Clarkson documentary on the subject here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgF0R4dhUqk

Well worth watching.
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: fastolfrus on January 09, 2008, 10:44:44 PM
Paras in kilts ?

I don't even want to consider that one !

The Clarkson documentary was very good, but have you seen the documentary about the making of Clarkson's film ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64Pq-1jyIMM&feature=related

The special effects were made by building a model destroyer (plus various MGBs and the harbour installation), and finally blowing it up. The details on the model were awesome.
Some amazingly detailed models - including a 24 foot long hull covered in plates about the size of a postcard, hull rivets !!
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: Ironworker on January 10, 2008, 01:01:58 AM
Quote from: "fastolfrus"
Paras in kilts ?

I don't even want to consider that one !
!


Imagine the psylogical impact.  After all if you looked up and saw a kilted man parachuting towards you wouldn't you want to run for the hills?
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: Overlord on January 10, 2008, 02:22:00 AM
Although its an old book (First published 1958, my paperback copy 1967):

The Greatest Raid of All by C. E. Lucas Phillips (Who also wrote Cockleshell Heroes)

An excellent account of the operation including numerous (22) diagrams and a few (B&W) pictures. Detailed target information, mostly by individual craft.

Five Victoria Crosses (2 posthumously) and numerous other medals were awarded as a result of the attack.

I've always considered it as a project (20mm) but its very unlikely it will ever come to fruition.

"A deed of glory intimately involved in high strategy" - Winston Churchill
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: warrenpeace on January 10, 2008, 02:52:40 AM
If the idea of using destroyers of sloops to try to land a lot of men to seize a port is interesting, then also look at Operation Reservist at Oran in 1942:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Reservist

It would be an interesting change to game an event that pitted Americans and British against the French.
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: pnweerar on January 10, 2008, 05:15:30 AM
Just watched the documentary. Pretty staggering operation.
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: archangel1 on January 10, 2008, 07:07:21 AM
Quote from: Plynkes
Okay, so which crazy Lead Adventurer is going to volunteer to build a destroyer in 28mm?quote]

HMS Campbelltown would be only a little over 5 feet long in scale! She'd be slightly shorter if you modelled her the day after the raid, since the bow would be crumpled and she was down at the stern.
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: Plynkes on January 10, 2008, 09:48:35 AM
For Great War gamers not wanting to feel left out, fear not. We've always got Ostend and Zeebrugge. See, there's nothing new under the sun (only U-Boats were the threat this time, rather than the Tirpitz):

Oostende:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Ostend_Raid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Ostend_Raid

Zeebrugge:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeebrugge_Raid

(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Plynkes/zeebruggeraid.jpg)
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: xeoran on January 10, 2008, 11:27:31 AM
Quote from: "Ironworker"
Imagine the psylogical impact.  After all if you looked up and saw a kilted man parachuting towards you wouldn't you want to run for the hills?


Have you ever seen "Carry on up the Khyber"?
Title: The Raid at St. Nazaire
Post by: Vanvlak on January 10, 2008, 12:25:11 PM
Plynkes, grand phot, that - thanks for posting it.  8)  8)  8)