29th March - Operation Compass

This week saw the return of Battle Group, 1940 Western Desert style. After the previous 850 point British vs Afrika Korps bash, this was a much more modest affair, with 350 points of Chris' finest Italians vs Phil's plucky Brits.
The Italians won the initiative and rapidly rushed a platoon of infantry in trucks, into the objective, a small village and watering hole.
The Brits responded by pushing a pair of Vickers Mk VIs up to the village, to keep the Italian infantry heads down.

Meanwhile, both sides were pushing armour up the road toward the village. The Italians opened fire first, quickly scoring some non-penetrating hits on the A10s. This resulted in a strange ping-pong of "Beyond Call of Duty" exchanges,  with the Italians coming off the worst.

Eventually even more British A10s rolled up (my......these things are cheap!) and this firefight was only going one way! In the end two A10s were left burning against two brewed-up M13/40s and two abandoned.

Back at the village, a 3rd Mk VI had joined the party, hosing the village with HMG fire. Despite losing one tankette to Italian mortar fire, the Mk VIs succeeded in clearing one side of the village of Italian infantry, as well as killing the Italian CO and tipping the Italian Battle Rating over the top.
I must say that I prefer these smaller Battle Group games, especially where there is some room for manoeuvre.

Elsewhere we had a game of 15mm Pike & Shotte and a very nice looking 15mm Crusades game (sorry missed which rules).

Over near the Kitchen, Colin and Brian were playing Bolt Action 2. But hang-on, aren't those lizards!? Yes, they were! Harry Turtledove's "The Race" had arrived! The adaptation of the rules and game seemed to be going well, but it was a good job that Simon was not here to see such a sight!

Battlegroup Tobruk

Battlegroup Tobruk.

Set in 1941, the game saw a British attack column attempting to force its way up toward Tobruk, from the South, while an Afrika Korps armoured column moved to intercept from the North East.

The Germans (Simon) went first and moved a pair of Pak 50s to cover the likely exit route from the village, located at the centre of the table, while deploying a platoon of Panzer IIIs onto the hill overlooking the village.

The British (Tony) then deployed a platoon of Honeys rapidly up the road, into cover to the West of the village, while a single Matilda II lumbered up the road, to commence a rather one sided face-off with the Pzr IIIs (11s to penetrate!!). The British also moved a platoon of Mk Vis up behind a hill to the SW of the village, ready to make a dash toward Tobruk, once the Germans were neutralised.

Both sides then indulged in series of fairly ineffectual artillery "stonks", while working other armour assets into positions in and around the village. The Germans were progressively getting the worst of the exchanges, with at least five Pzr IIIs left burning. Then disaster struck for the British. The lead Matilda in the village struck a mine and brewed up, while a Stuka arrived overhead. Its first pass leaving the 3 Vickers Mk VIs burning, as well as a Bren Carrier.

Emboldened, The Germans pushed a platoon of Pzr IIs around the British right flank, but these quickly left burning by accurate fire from a pair of A10s.
So, the game ended with quite a few German tanks burning, but still holding a position over-looking the road. The British had not suffered as many losses, but thanks to the Stuka, were no longer in a positon to force the road. Hence, a draw was called.

So Battlegroup "Desert" remains a bit of an unknown for us. Perhaps we need try again with the "dust" and British "unreliable" rules, or maybe a tweak or two to the armour stats?

Across the way, we had a Batman game.

Very pretty, this was declared an interesting game, suitable for a small number of figures per side, with Rob's excellent terrain offering a really good impression of Gotham City.
The game was said to play well and gave the feel of the films, with Batman diving moving and wheeling around the board, taking-out the "concerned citizen's militia" like the masked vigilante thug that Batman is.  Fortunately Harley Quinn was on hand to slow him down with some sage words of psychological advice and a gentle tap with her baseball bat.
At the end of the game it looked like Batman was still going to easily achieve his victory conditions of abducting a young female botanist (presumably that's what happens when you live in a big house with only your elderly valet for company!). In the end, the game was considered to be a victory for the good guys, who had successfully defended their homes and places of business from the raging psychopath and his GCPD minions, but on the flip-side, they did hand Batman a bit of a beating which might make them think twice before messing with them again, so perhaps not clear victory.
Overall, a good feel to the game, but perhaps bogged down a little with many special character rules. However this might become easier with familiarity.

Down near the kitchen, there was a 15mm ACW, using the Too Fat Lardies rules offering. Opposite was a Peter Pig "Hammerin' Iron", 1/600 ACW naval game. Another eclectic night at Black Wolf.

Sharpe Practice 2, Spain 1808

Last night's game feature a mob of Spanish Guerillas stiffened by two skirmish units from the Loyal Lusitainian Legion and a unit of lance armed caballeros, versus a force of French infantry and dragoons.  The objective was to secure a small bridge in advance of the arrival of larger regular forces and ensure safe passage of artillery and baggage. 

The French quickly adopted a defensive position dominating the open approaches to the bridge but failed to neutralise the LLL skirmishers deployed on the edge of a small wood to the left of the bridge.  A piecemeal approach by French skirmishers was repelled by the LLL and thrown into confusion.  Meanwhile the main Spanish force lined the river to the right of the bridge and began to bravely exchange fire with the main French infantry line and the Spanish cavalry forded the stream on the extreme right threatening to charge the French line. 

The dragoons who had dismounted and taken cover in a small casa on the left of the French position began to fire on the caballeros wounding their leader (Julian).  At the centre of the action the Spanish were getting the worst of the musketry duel and so a tardy column of Guerillas decided to gallantly charge across the bridge and engage the evil French.  They were trounced! and ran back through their supporting troops paralysing them with shock and indecision.  Fire from the LLL was now brought to bear on the French line and some French casualties fell.  Despite receiving flanking fire from the dragoons (now deployed in a small vineyard adjacent to their original position) Julian courageously led his caballeros in a charge against the French line. Desite causing some casualties the Spanish were brutally slain by French bayonets and fled carrying away the main Spanish force in confusion. 

At this point the Spanish accepted defeat and retreated covered by the LLL and a remaining band of Guerillas.   The French victoriously took possession of the of bridge.