29, Let's Go! - *Update* Campaign Game 4

[Battle Brush Sigur]

I played something! and with my own figures too! Yup, for 2 years we've been planning to get this campaign started, now it finally happened. We're doing the "29, Let's Go!" campaign for Chain of Command. You can read about it and a battle report of the first game here:


https://www.tabletopstories.net/language/en/2022/05/29-lets-go-game-1/




For the first time in a long time I'm playing with my own figures again, which is nice. Unfortunately, my German WW2 collection in 28mm is tiny (and mostly Warlord plastics). I juuuuuust have enough figures for a full platoon, plus some rudimentary support. Goes without saying that I had to get some more stuff following the game.

Hope you enjoy the article!

[vodkafan]

Very short and sharp! Hope young Habisch has recovered from his fainting spell 

[Battle Brush Sigur]

He'll be fine. Thanks for the comment! Yeah, the action itself was rather one-sided on the surface. It could have gone way different if for some factors turning out differently, I think. Let's see how it goes next time! (in 2 weeks IIRC).

[CapnJim]

Interesting.  If the Americans run true to form, they'll precede their next attack with a boatload of artillery.  Maybe even literally, if they have access to naval gunfire support...

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Interesting.  If the Americans run true to form, they'll precede their next attack with a boatload of artillery.  Maybe even literally, if they have access to naval gunfire support...

That's what I'm worried about. I think it makes for a pretty good narrative. They try to race down the main road to link up with Utah asap, run into opposition at La Cambe, they fall back a little, call in more support and have another go.

Fortunately they don't have naval fire support, but they might bring off-table mortars next time, and those could ruin my day.


Spurred on by hs game I took stock of my very small German WW2 collection in 28mm. I was rather sure I had a not-too-pretty Pak40 by Black Tree Design somewhere. So I started rummaging through boxes and instead unearthed a leIG18 with crew. Even better. Then I headed over to Warlord's website, fell over due to the head-spinning price increase on everything. Got up, ordered some pretty Empress figures from the Netherlands (hooray for mainland Europe stockists!).

Until those arrive I decided to make 'little' support stuff. The sort of stuff you only think of when having to deal with a limited list of supports and you don't get distracted with all the shiny toys.

For our first game Col.Bourne made some last-minutes low-level supports for Germans (minefields, entrenchments, barbed wire), and had a pretty ingenious idea for depicting minefields. You can seee it here in the picture in the upper right:



Just four posts, makes for great, flexible minefields. Excellent. So I nicked that idea immediately, and made 8 such posts for 28mm gaming and 8 for 15mm gaming (usually we play Chain of Command in 15mm, so I have all sorts of stuff for that size, but 28mm's been rather neglected so far).



I read that the German army used all sorts of markers to subtly mark minefields for friendly troops. I didn't feel like using the old "achtung, minen!" sign. Then I found a photo of a sign saying "Minenfrei" (meaning "free of mines", cleared). Which would be more entertaining, as a sort of detestable trick. Then I read that at some point they used posts, painted olive drab, with little flat parts cut into the wood facing the 'friendly' direction, painted red, with a black M painted on. I like that because it's easy to do and it's a very optimistic idea as well, expecting never to come through again, facing the other direction.



At the same time I made some entrenchments based on these suggestions (whilst listening to the ESC and feeling a bit sick. Not due to the ESC though.):

http://northern-wargaming.blogspot.com/2015/07/ww2-entrenchments-in-28mm-with-tutorial.html

By no means perfect, but my main objectives were not to make them too large, to keep them as generic as possible (so I can use them for several periods) and simple/sturdy. Entrenchments on top of a table are always a bit odd anyway, aren't they. Of course there's the proper way of doing it....

https://tinyhordes.com/dug-in-soviets/

...but the way I did them should work alright. Especially since it's mostly guns which are sitting in entrenchments anyway.

Oh, I also made a media from some plastic warlord sets (and an arm from the Wargames Atlantic Partisans set. Very useful.), rummaging through his little medic's purse.

[Daeothar]

Wonderful report. I was reminded of the '...Many rivers to cross...' campaign of germans vs.  Dutch just a few threads over. Except here, the tables are turned, and the Germans are on the defensive.

Nice table and miniatures too btw! 

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Wonderful report. I was reminded of the '...Many rivers to cross...' campaign of germans vs.  Dutch just a few threads over. Except here, the tables are turned, and the Germans are on the defensive.

Nice table and miniatures too btw! 

Yes, how much a few years can change. Just the other night I read up on the "Many rivers to cross" campaign. I love the way he writes his battle reports. Very play-by-play, and the many photos and few words keep the tension up so well while you're reading. The AAR I wrote there was weirdly short and short on pictures, because I'm not used to taking game photos with my cellphone any more, and we agreed that I'd write from the German point of view while Col.Bourne's AARs will be strictly from the US point of view. I'll let you know when his AAR is up.

Thanks! The table and Americans (and Pak40k) are entirely Col.Bourne's, my 28mm collection encompasses a German platoon (just so), an MMG42 and the odd Panzerschreck team. But I'm working on it.



Now exuse me please, the postman just dropped some Empress figures at the door.

[Daeothar]

Now exuse me please, the postman just dropped some Empress figures at the door.

   Priorities!

[Battle Brush Sigur]

  Priorities!

"Lead over meat", as the battle cry of the lonely wargamer goes. 

The figures are in the bath now, so I'm back on here. The figures look great. Of course the Gewehr43 is a problematic thing. I bent their barrels all back into shape, but one was so bent (way beyond Krummerlauf), it snapped and I'll have to replace the barrel somehow. Oh well. The Pak40 looks great as well.

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Col.Bourne's AAR of the game is up now on his blog, depicting the scenes from the US point of view:

https://leadpoet.blogspot.com/2022/05/chain-of-command-probe-at-la-cambe-turn.html

[Daeothar]

Yep. This is what happens when you leave a 2nd Lt in charge of things 

Oh; and unfortunate dice rolls for activation, obviously... 

[Battle Brush Sigur]

@Daeothar: I won't comment on that because we'll play again this week and I'm starting to worry.

Well, I'm slowly painting some Empress Germans I got.

[MaleGriffin]

Beautifully done!

[Grumpy Gnome]

Yep. This is what happens when you leave a 2nd Lt in charge of things 

Oh; and unfortunate dice rolls for activation, obviously... 

*crusty old NCO voice*….. Nothing more dangerous than a “butter bar” with a map…


Great work on this project Battle Brush Sigur!

[Battle Brush Sigur]

@MaleGriffin: Cheers!

@Grumpy Gnome: And thanks to you.

Heyhey, tomorrow we'll proceed with our campaign and I'm worried already. So I painted these Empress Volksgrenadiers (and one Warlord dude).


slightly larger version: https://www.tabletopwelt.de/uploads/monthly_2022_05/done1schrift.jpg.89dde5bf6f03f0f9e6798391f7be93bc.jpg

My plan is to use these for replacement in my platoon, so expect to see NONE of them on the table ever! If things go to plan.