Sunday 17 June 2018

Some kinda milestone

So it's 3.00am and I'm wide awake. Curry celebration for fathers day has not agreed with me and so I'm having a trawl on line and noticed a couple of things.
Firstly this is my 251st post on the blog and if you ignore russian spam bots about 50000 hits on the blog. That's 200 per post. All since April 2015, approx 160 weeks so about 1.6 posts per week.
I ve noticed a few things over the last few years
1. Wargames are lovely
2. I've stopped solo gaming, wargames are friendly
3. My painting is loads better than it was
4. My blogging rate has slowed down and is a function of my painting rate. Summer, the world cup and PUBG are to blame. Winner winner chicken dinner. Do like PUBG, 1st game I've been addicted to in 10 years.
5. I've played some awesome games, both fun and beautiful.
6. Matt stomps all over me at KoW, otherwise I do Ok in the gaming front,  lose some, win some and generally  have fun.
7. I enjoy reading blogs but don't always reply, I feel the need to say something different each time and I can't always find my thesaurus
 I would like to thank all my dear readers, hope you enjoy my ramblings. See you at a show some time

Sunday 3 June 2018

The battle of Le Petit-Clelland - I'll be fine I have a PIAT

Brilliant day's gaming today at Dave's with Dave and James. We fought the imaginary D-Day battle of Le Petit-Clelland. The British Paras (me) had to capture the town and bridges and hold until relieved by Dave's American Armoured Division. James played the Germans and explained the rules again and again and again.


Le Petit-Clelland

Bocage country through which the Americans have to advance

Yip - Bocage

I had 3 para platoons, a para assault platoon, Vickers HMG platoon and a 3" mortar platoon. I would arrive on turn 1 (1st 3 turns are night) at random locations around the village with the infantry. Mortars and HMGs plus other infantry would arrive when I have collected enough green tiddly winks by moving over them. 1 tiddly wink = 1 unit (para platoon is 5 tiddly winks).1st platoon to East. 

2nd platoon and para assault to SW

3rd platoon and commander to west

I immediately assault the town 

Germans are covering this wooden bridge

I take the 2 nearest houses and a 75mm AT gun in my assault. Awesome

In hte centre the Germans have gotten organised and have repelled my charge.

AAA on other side of river and 2 of the buildings are chock full of Jerry.

My 1st lot of reinforcements arrive - 2 infantry squads and a Vickers

On the other side of the river as I move my 1st platoon around the flank a German platoon arrives

My mortars arrive

Americans start to arrive and are facing 4x105mm guns dug in in front of the town

Back on the East my 1st platoon assaults the germans 

And sees them off

Looking good. I own the south of the river and am in a good flanking position


The Americans and moving forward. What could go wrong?

Everything. 5 (FIVE) PzIV rock up to my rear. I have a couple of PIATs, some gammon bombs and well some tea. This is horrible. This is the first time I've fought my paras and they are going the way of all 1st use armies.

In the nick of time my final reinforcements arrive in the path of the 5 (still FIVE) PzIV, 2 infantry sections, 2 knee mortars and 2 PIATs. That'll help. James and Dave have been taking the piss about my PIATs and I don't blame them - I was being vainglorious.

Maybe the Americans can help - their recon squads have been blown up though

My flanking 1st platoon is continuing to move round the town and spots an AT gun, kills it. Maybe I can work out how it works and wheel it back to kill the PzIV

Germans advance and my PIATs are waiting. if this doesn't work I'm going to wee in their fuel tanks. I pop up smoke and separate out the 1st 2 tanks from the rest. My 1st PIAT fires and hits the farm behind the tank. I start to unbutton my fly. Bladder full. penis ready.

But the 2nd one smacks home and blows it sky high. Marvellous. Puts penis back in trousers, dressing to the left.

From cover my infantry squad attacks the lead tank with gammon bombs and blows that up. Tanks halted. Now where are the Americans.

Ah, more german reinforcements  - Stugs - facing of the Americans

I say facing off, I mean blowing up Shermans.

1st platoon has reach the town and is successfully assaulting the remaining defenders - mortars and HMG fire have whittled them down

The Americans send for a shiny plane and take out a Stug

Nice closing shot. Lots of Paras vs 3 tanks.

The Brits control both bridges when the Americans rock up. Obviously and crushing American victory. 

Brilliant game well hosted by Dave and run by James. I appear to have won. Medals will be awarded and nobody will take the piss out of PIATs again.