Wednesday 13 December 2017

Task Force Smith - a Little Cold Wars game

Last Wednesday I ran a test of a scenario I am working on for the follow-up to Little Cold Wars.  So now you know why I was painting all these North Koreans and the Great Patriotic War surplus Sturmovik and Lavochkin.  I also made some new hills - they're the brown ones in the photos - and roads.
In the event the scenario needs a bit of tweaking as I felt is was unsatisfactory - though all four players enjoyed it.  We'll try the revised version next year but I thought you'd want to see the photos anyway.  John was Col. Smith with Graham as his artillery officer.  Martin and Tim led the commies.
The situation is pretty well known.  Basically an under-strength US infantry battalion (1/21st) has been hurriedly flown from Japan, driven across Korea for several days and them dumped on a wet and muddy hillside which sits astride the NK route south.  What could go wrong?
As usual with Little Cold Wars games the figures are 1/32, vehicles 1/50ish and aircraft 1/72.  Stands are US platoons or KPA half-companies.
So exciting was the game that I kept forgetting to take photos.  Above - TF Smith having dealt with the first T-34s the others begin a flanking move.
US infantry (Britains Deetail) gloat over their early success.
Just in front of the burning T-34 can be seen the 75mm RCL platoon which did the damage.
Col. Smith keeps an eye on things.
KPA infantry trudge unimaginatively forward.

Each turn dice were rolled for air support - needing a 12 on 2D6.  There was dancing in the streets of Pyongyang at this point.
Soon my recently completed IL-2 was in the air  - and supported only by a bent wire clothes hanger it flew down the road bombing and strafing.  To no great effect.


Next turn an further 12 was rolled and the LA-5 came out to play....

...with similar lack of effect!
By now KPA infantry was surging across the bridge and things were getting quite unpleasant.


At this point we drew a veil over the action and discussed revisions to the layout and briefings.

5 comments:

Archduke Piccolo said...

Awww...?! What happened? The KPA swarmed all over TF-Smith and entered Seoul the following day to cheering crowds, or the KPA dashed itself to pieces against the steel wall presented by the stalwart defence... Like the would-be bank robber curious about the contents of Dirty Harry's Mugnum .45: 'I gots to know...'

It looked like quite a nice little scenario, Tim. Look forward to seeing more anon.

Pete. said...

Korean War Little Cold Wars sounds fantastic- just up my street.

Cheers,

Pete.

Tim Gow said...

Archduke Piccolo
We agreed that honours were about even but that the scenario needed re-writing. It will be played again....

Tim Gow said...

Pete
Book now for the re-match in 2018....

Pete. said...

Thanks Tim, I'll send you an email about that.

Cheers,

Pete.