Operazione C3 / Herkules - The invasion of Malta 1942

This game has now come and gone and, I think it it fair to say, it went rather well.  I blame the two week gap twixt game and report on a professional exam and a holiday (happily in that order!)

You may recall from previous postings on the subject that this was a 30-ish player map-based game dealing with the (fictional) Italian-led invasion of Malta and played at The Imperial War Museum Duxford on  Saturday 16 October.  The game was originally to have been designed and presented by the late Paddy Griffith, but a team of us took the project over following his death in June.

With the aid of Paddy's notes, much of the initial planning (starting in early July) was done by Jerry Elsmore and myself with most of the subsequent work being Jerry's.  Jim Wallman and Chris Hall were essential to the finished product and we were ably assisted by Chris Kemp,Richard Clarke and Adam Poole.  John Drewienkiewicz was also part of the team and as Generalissimo designed and wrote the Italian plan.

The facilities at Duxford enabled us to locate the teams in various rooms.   The Axis players - mostly Italians - were in the largest room with team tables for Regia Aeronautica, Regia Marina, Luftwaffe, High Command, Airborne troops, two Italian corps etc.  The Allied players were in the room furthest away and the umpire team in the middle.  I do not propose to offer a full report of the course of the game, partly as this has already been done by Bob Cordery ( http://wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.com/2010/10/operazione-c3hercules.html) and Phil Steele (http://pbeyecandy.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/op-herkules-wwii-invasion-of-malta-megagame/) and partly that as Liason Umpire to Regia Aeronautica I only really saw the air and air landing side of the campaign.  I offer instead the following photos and will follow this with a report from the Royal Navy team's point of view - written by Paul Elton who has kindly offered to allow me to post it.

The umpire master map early in the game.

(Most of) the umpire team in contemplative poses - clockwise from centre left we see Alex Kleanthous, Chris Hall, Phil Steele, Jerry Elsmore (just), Jim Wallman (gesticulating!), Richard Clarke, Nick Skinner, Chris Kemp (showing his Regia Marina sympathies) and Tom Mouat.

The British command map  - Chris Hall is feeding back information to the players.

The umpire master map.  Althought the British units (dark green) seem numerous, many of them are coastal forts and AA units.  The bright green are Italians, pale blue Germans.

Folgore scrabbles to get a foothold in the southwest.  I wonder who just rolled the '1'.

The Italian bridgehead in the south.  At this point there was nothing between them and Valetta - but they didn't know that!

The north, near St. Pauls.  While the Axis have a lot of troops ashore they have no naval support or heavy weapons.

Forthcoming Megablitz game!

Following a visit to a suitable venue on Wednesday, I am planning to run a Megablitz game in Mansfield (near Junction 28 of the M1) on Saturday 19th February 2011.

 The scenario has yet to be finalised (or written!) but I think we're due for another trip to the Eastern Front.

The game will use 20mm toys (lots of 'em!) and players will command divisions, corps or armies.

The cost of the day (including a buffet lunch) is likely to be in the region of £12.

At the present time I am seeking expressions of interest, with payment not being required until the end of 2010.

Please see also the Megablitz discussion group at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/megablitz/ which I will use to issue further communiques.

All photos in this post were taken during a 'live' game by Tom Mouat.

Panthers!

The first Panther kit I had was the Matchbox version - built c1977.  I think that this kit still rates as a very good representation - here are a couple (built in 1995) borrowed for the photo from the Panzer Regiments of 5 Panzer Division and Panzer Lehr.  Both are built straight from the box with only a few bits of stowage and (for 5PD) a commander figure added.

Having started with the Matchbox kit, you may well imagine my disappointment with the Airfix Panther!  While I have never built one from the box (or - to reveal my great age - bag) I acquired several wrecks as part of the haul from JR's attic (see previous post) a few years ago.  From bits of half a dozen Panthers I eventually ended up with two 'normal' tanks, a BergePanther recovery tank and (bottom right) a Panzerbeobachtungswagen (artillery OP) version.  They are marked up as the vehicles of 10 Panzer Brigade at Kursk.  Between them, the four models have only three tracks!  By cutting them up and adding side skirts to every tank, I was nearly able to make the three lengths (2 Airfix and 1 Matchbox) go round.

This is where I ran out of tracks - the lack of same on the front right of this Panther is disguised by a bush!

A front view of the Panzerbeobachtungswagen - JR had already converted the turret.

Moving more up to date, here is the Fujimi (I think) kit - currently serving as part of 1 SS Panzer Division 'Leibstandarte'.  This is a very chunky kit with many additional detail parts (side skirts, MG ring on the cupola etc) which the earlier kits lacked.

Finally we have a captured Panther - not the much photographed 'Cuckoo' of Guards Armoured but 213 Tank Brigade of the Red Army.  I think this is an Esci kit as the tracks were made up of hard plastic sections (you're right - I didn't build it!).  It helps to brighten up an otherwise rather bland box of T-34s.

14 Panzer Division

As mentioned a few weeks ago, following the death of my dear friend John G Robertson ('JR' hereafter) I remembered about some splendid converted 20mm vehicles he gave me some years ago.  After a programme of refurbishment I used many of these to form 14 Panzer Division (mine is also known by the honorific 'JR').  A quick word of explanation is required here for those of you unacquainted with my Megablitz game.  Being the dangerous megalomaniac I am, I use a single toy on a stand to represent the area taken up by a battalion sized unit.  At this level a (1941+) Panzer Division fits in a foolscap box file.  The box file was possibly the greatest leap forward for me as a wargamer (thanks Chris Kemp) and from small beginnings (3 boxes in 1993) I now have, well let's just say lots. 

Anyway, back to 14PD.  All but one of the vehicles in the division came from JR and many were converted by him from Airfix kits in the 1960s.  The dodgy paintwork is all mine.  The photo above shows both battalions (Abteillung) of the Panzer Regiment - represented by a Panzer III and Panzer IV.  The III is built on the hull of the StuG II kit, but can you identify the origins of the IV?  Comments welcome...

The next two pics show the Recce (Aufklarungs) Abt.  This has 4 company sized stands.  Firstly we have the Airfix Sdkfz 231/234 built as standard from the kit with (in the background) a Sdkfz233 with a short 75mm - a straightforward conversion from the same kit.  This and all other photos were shamelessly posed on my wargames table.

The slightly less serious half of the Aufkl Abt - the bAirfix M3 Halftrack with a small turret added - as seen in many a '60s Hollywood war film!  In the foreground is yet another combination of the Sdkfz 234 parts.  Both of these vehicles are liveried in accordance with what Ian Drury calls 'Gow's Third Law' - the less plausible the model then the bigger the black crosses!

The Artillery Regiment is armed with a SiG33 - a Panzer III hull with a 15cm infantry gun in a boxy superstructure.  I know it should have a roof but it wasn't until the 1990s that I saw a photo of the original vehicle from this angle.  Oddly enough, I built one (also open-topped) in the 1970s using a Matchbox Panzer III hull.

The two Panzer Grenadier Regiments ( 2 Btls each) are equipped with an assortment of Airfix and ROCO lorries and halftracks - here we see a lorry converted from the Austin K6 fire tender and an Sdkfz 250 with a short 75mm gun.  The latter uses much of the running gear from the Sdkfz 7 kit.  The infantry I used in 14PD just had to be the Airfix originals - they have a certain period charm!

Finally we have the division's CO with his Dodge (or dodgy) command car (a battered ROCO model).  He is of course the officer from the same Airfix set as his infantry.

JR was slightly appalled when I told him that I was using his creations in wargames - he regarded them as rubbish and was about to bin the lot!  Long may they serve.