Czecho engineers and traffic controllers

Having established a probable need for more Warpact bridging kit I had a rummage in some boxes to see what was in stock.  Quite a bit as it happened, including a Skytrex set with Zil lorries, pontoons and roadway sections.  I painted them up a Czechs as I have plans for a couple of games where they might have a role.  I used the roadway sections to form a deployed bridge and couldn't resist adding a traffic control detachment with an H&R UAZ-469, a motorcyclist and of course a man pointing!

 

33rd Battle of the Isonzo - part 2

 

The Italian attack was led off by the Alpini battalion - off they went, dodging between the shellbursts.

Meanwhile, atop Hill 177 an  Austrian company was comfortable in it's trenches...

...until they fell victim to a well-aimed (or just plain lucky) Italian stonk.  Ouch!

The Alpini seemed to be doing well, as their timing skills were put to the test...

...but the Austrians weren't giving in easily.

From the valley it looked a very big hill!

Casualties soon mounted in among the Alpini.

Eventually the Alpini prevailed, but as they consolidated their position...

...the Austrians moved forward their reserve company.

Were the Austrians about to counter-attack?

        Would the Italian artillery ever hit anything else?

                    Find out in part 3 coming soon!

33rd Battle of the Isonzo - part 1

 The earlier, 32nd battle (see here and many other posts), was a fun game to run and play.  Having added to my Italian forces last year, another visit to this front seemed timely.  Thus it was that a few of us gathered to wonder at my latest creation - an even bigger tabletop mountain!

The Italian starting positions are in some or all of the woods nearest the camera, The Austrians are atop the alp.

Italian Brigade HQ admiring it's quarters.

All the old favourites were here - the Italian soup kitchen.....

...and the Austrian senior officers' latrine!

Having set up and issued briefings, the next step was some air recce...

...the Italians found what they were pretty sure was a mountain...

...while their opposite numbers were able to hazard a guess that an attack was imminent.  Well done chaps.

The Italian heavy artillery batteries firing from off table.  Or another table.

This was the debut outing of a rather lovely FIAT lorry.

Meanwhile, uphill, the Austrian gunners sneak forward a mountain battery.  What a rotten trick!

The opening bombardment.  I made both sides' gunners fire blind- the Austrians from behind the mountain and the Italians from behind a screen.  The results were entertainingly erratic.

A commanding position!

Foxholes

I found a bag of these resin-cast troops in foxholes in a batch of stuff I was given a couple of years ago.  A few weeks ago I decided to try painting some.  I'd based them on small bits of card to make them easier to handle and less fragile, so there was room to flock round the edges to blend in with my Hexon terrain.  I'll probably use them to mark dismounted or dug in infantry.

 

Kampfgruppe Hansen - part 3

 

Back in the Ardennes, Pete's grenadiers are in position at the edge of the woods.

Soon they were in position to rush the few remaining defenders of Petit Their, poor old Lt Whiteman having perished in an artillery stonk.

More US troops arrive and wisely avoid the road!

Panzerjager commander's-eye view to the west.

US infantry prepare to assault Poteaux.

The Germans launch the assault on Petit Their

US tanks trying to flank the defences at Poteaux

Germans overrunning Petit Their.  It being a bit chilly, the late Lt Whiteman's stock of blankets was in high demand!

Bask east, while the Panzerjagers held off the US tanks...

...the grenadiers (just) saw off the US infantry assault, clinching a hard-fought German victory.

Soon even senior officers were claiming a share of the spoils!

An excellent reference for the battle. My copy was bought in the museum shop in Clervaux Castle!

Sdkfz 10 - sows's ear to silk purse?

This Sdkfz 10 was acquired in a box of tat and has seen service in several games.  While fundamentally quite a nice model it looked like the plastic tat it is!  Painting it, therefore, was an easy decision.  I went with an early-war look and I'm very pleased with the result!

Kampfgruppe Hansen - part 2

 

The action continues with loads of Germans clanking their way towards Petit Their

In the south, some US reinforcements discover the hard way that marching briskly up the road might not be a great plan.

As they come under fire, the grenadiers swap halftracks for jackboots and take to the woods.

Just in time - as US artillery shells keep falling ever closer!

By now the Germans have sent some of the Jagdpanzers west

More US infantry arrive south of Poteaux.  This time they decided to infiltrate through the woods to the east of the road (as they'd successfully done in my playtest game).

Will the US artillery break up the attack on TF Navajo?

                Is it all over for the Germans in Poteaux?

                            Has Lt. Whiteman sold enough indian blankets to retire?

Stay tuned!