Madrid 1936 - part 2 - A popular front?

To reflect the political differences between the various Republican 'factions' I identified six key personalities who were represented on the that side.  No player played the same role for two consecutive game turns.  The players then tried to activate various units needing to roll at least the number indicated in the table below.  It was agreed afterwards that this had added considerably to the 'feel' of the game.  I originally came across some of these ideas in games written by Bob Cordery.

Each turn I awarded points to each Republican player based on how well I felt they'd performed in role.  

Easy to control	Roll 2+
Average to control	Roll 4+
Difficult to control	Roll 6

Only one attempt can be made to activate a unit each turn.                                

A player can keep making activation attempts in a turn until one fails

_________________________________

Prepare to be appalled by some of the figures which follow!

Gen. Gorev greets one of his less equal comrades.  1/35 hard plastic figures by Trumpeter..

A:        General Gorev

Senior Soviet military officer and de facto commander of the defence of Madrid

Easy to control Republican artillery, tanks and International Brigade

Average to control Sección Móvil de Choque

Difficult to control Asaltos

Impossible to control other militias and NKVD

Score points for:  acting responsibly, minimising equipment losses, inflicting casualties on the enemy.

You win if:  the Fascists are bloodily repulsed and POUM & Anarchist militias are eliminated

 

NKVD Representative 'Orlov'.  An Engineer Basevich figure.

B:        Colonel Orlov

Senior NKVD Officer in Spain

Easy to control NKVD Detachment

Average to control Republican tanks, International Brigade, Asaltos

Difficult to control Columna Dututti, Republican artillery, SMC

Impossible to control POUM Militia

Score points for: staying clear of the front, eliminate traitors, act in a sinister manner

You win if:  you eliminate at least two non-Communist leaders

 

Durruti.  The figure started life as an Armies in Plastic ACW officer.

C:        Jose Buenaventura Durruti

Spanish Anarchist Leader

Easy to control Columna Durutti

Average to control POUM Militia, SMC

Difficult to control International Brigades

Impossible to control NKVD, tanks, artillery

Score points for:  making attacks, embarrassing the Communists, making speeches attacking other factions

You win if:  the Communists are disgraced and you survive

 

Kopp - the figure is a recast Britains(?) station master!

 

D:        Commandant Georges Kopp

Commander, 3^rd Regiment, Lenin Division (POUM Militia)

Easy to control POUM Militia units

Average to control SMC

Difficult to control Asaltos

Impossible to control International Brigade, tanks, artillery, NKVD, Anarchists

Score points for:  launching heroic attacks, embarrassing the Communists, make speeches attacking other factions

You win if:  the Communists are disgraced and you survive

 

Miaja - bodged from a BMC ACW general

E:        General Jose Miaja

Republican Minister of War and Commander, Junta de Defense de Madrid

Easy to control  SMC

Average to control  POUM and Anarchist Militias, International Brigade

Difficult to control  Asaltos

Impossible to control  artillery, tanks, NKVD

Score points for:  co-ordinated attacks using infantry, artillery and tanks, make speeches attacking other factions and the Fascists

You win if:  no single faction appears dominant

 

Olivier.  And yes, it is the (repainted) ERTL Fat Controller... 

F:        Juan Garcia Olivier

Republican (Anarchist) Minister of Justice

Easy to control  Asaltos, SMC

Average to control  Anarchist Militia

Difficult to control  Other Militias

Impossible to control  artillery, tanks, NKVD, International Brigade

Score points for:  Anarchist victories, embarrassing the Communists, make speeches attacking other factions and the Fascists

You win if:  the Anarchists emerge dominant

Madrid 1936 - part 1 - Setting the scene

 

For the first outdoor game of 2021 (and indeed 2020!) I finally presented the battle for the University City area of Madrid.  Being restricted to gatherings of no more than six people I had duly invited five players to share the experience. The report of the game will run to several posts.  This first will present the briefings and set the scene.  The second post will include the individual briefings for the main Republican characters and subsequent posts will gradually reveal the whole sordid tale of the battle.

The photo above shows the field of battle from the Nationalist end.  I have found that in outdoor games, no matter how many buildings you have, they soon disappear into the space available.  To get round that issue I decided that roads aside, if a paving stone had a terrain piece, it was assumed to cover the whole stone.  The largest of the stones is 3 feet across.  

After a cold week, the forecast for Der Tag was dry but predictably as soon as I'd laid out the terrain the rain started.  Happily it didn't last - nor did a further shower early in the afternoon.  Some of the players were surprised by how relaxed I was about the precipitation but that's why the toy soldiers get two coats of varnish!

Martin and Simon were the Nationalists, Lloyd, Jerry and Russell the Republicans.

All photos in this series by me unless stated - my thanks to the others for allowing me the use of their camera work.

All players were given the same general briefing:

THERE IS NO FRONT – MADRID IS THE FRONT(1)

 “Here in Madrid is the universal frontier that separates liberty and slavery.  It is here in Madrid that two incompatible civilizations undertake their great struggle: love against hate, peace against war, the fraternity of Christ against the tyranny of the church… This is Madrid.  It is fighting for Spain, for humanity, for justice, and, with the mantle of it’s blood, it shelters all human beings!  Madrid!  Madrid!”(2)

 The liberation of the capital is near.  Madrilenos should keep to their houses which “our noble and disciplined troops will respect.  We shall know the guilty and only upon them will fall the full weight of the law.”(3)

 It is November 1936.  Nationalist forces have advanced to the north-western outskirts of Madrid and are pushing through the University City area.

 The Nationalists must seize and hold as much of the city as possible.  The divided Reds will soon collapse in the face of your professional forces.

 The Republicans must expel the fascists while holding together a united – would it be tempting fate to say ‘popular’ front.

(1)        NKVD representative Orlov, 6 November 1936
(2)        Republican deputy Fernando Valera, Radio Madrid broadcast, 8 November 1936
(3)        General Franco, 4 November 1936

photo by Martin Rapier

Republican Order of Battle (battalion sized units unless stated):
Battalion de Commune de Paris, XV International Brigade
Columna Motorizada, Milicias del POUM (Marxist (anti-Communist) militia)
3^rd Regiment, Lenin Division (POUM Militia)
Columna Durutti (Anarchist militia)
Sección Móvil de Choque (Mobile Shock Section - company-sized militia unit in truck)
Asalto Company
NKVD Detatchment in a closed van
Soviet staff group
Tank Battalion (Russian)
Artillery battery (Russian)
Air Support:  Really?  You want to bomb your own city? No….
Assessment of enemy forces:  A weak brigade.  There are rumours of tanks being present in some numbers.  And of course the famous ‘Fifth Column’ in the city itself….

Republican troops massing for battle - both these photos by Martin Rapier

Nationalist Order of Battle

1 Bandera of Foreign Legion
1 Tabor of Regulares
1 Battalion of Falangists
1 Company of Guardia Civil
1 Tank Company (German)
1 Tankette Company (Italian)
2 Motorised AT battery (German)
Transport to lift 1 battalion
Staff groups with officers and motor cars
Air Support:  1 leaflet raid – turn number and flightpath to be determined before the game.
Assessment of enemy forces: Approximately two brigades, with Russian tanks and artillery.

Guardia Civil and Moroccans - photo by Martin Rapier

Hurried Hasegawa Heinkel - part 2. Off to Spain...

 Here is the finished item, resplendent in Spanish Nationalist markings.

And here it is flying over some boxes of toys being readied for last week's games.

Heller Horror - French P-47 Thunderbolt - part 2

The dodgy Thunderbolts are finished and I offer as evidence these terrible photos.  

20 Escadre de Chasse is ready for action - I expect they'll look a lot better when viewed from the correct distance (6 feet plus) on the lawn at Knuston in July.  Maybe.