Coming up over the course of the coming year I have a host of new weekends for the WWII. We’ll be using our own set of rules derived from all the good things in the WWII rules fraternity. The point is large games played fluidly and over huge tables!
German Armour.
First up this year is the battle of Arnhem on the 24th and 25th March, this will be the chance to play a one day game starting at 09.30 and finishing at 19.30 on the Saturday and then repeat the process again on the Sunday.
French Infantry in our France 1940 game.
Assault on the woods in our 1940 game, last year.
Last year I ran this as a complete weekend with huge success, Frost held out at the bridge right up yto the eighth hour, the air landing held on until late in the day while the battle for Oosterbeek raged. So offering one day’s twice, start to finish will allow people to get an experience of the WWII game.
Panzer III in our 1940 game.
Somua's making the flank attack.
Next I have Kursk, with a part of the Northern salient, July 13th to 15th, this will allow the involvement of our new Italian forces as well as German and the ubiquitous Russians. The rolling plains of Russia will be the stage with whole regiments of T34’s rolling on to the Semovente’s, Panzer IV’s and StuG’s. Well just to name a few!
Kursk offensive begins in our Prokhorovka game.
Sturmovik attack at Kursk.
PZIV with anti-aircraft guns.
In October we have a real festival of WWII, on 5th-7th October we have Operation Bagration, with a weekend of fighting to stop the advancing Russians in the late war theatre. The week after this on the 14th-19th October we have our very first week long campaign, which will be the assault on Sicily.
German armour moving through town.
This will include support factors, if you’re winning as the Germans, Hitler may re-inforce, if you are doing well as the Allies, more reserves may be allocated, there will be an element of political intrigue where the Italians may drop out sooner than they did historically.
Kursk break through.
There is a hand drawn map of the island with the possibility of every type of game, beach assaults, air drops, tank battles and infantry assaults, it’s all there! We’ll have all our new American and Italian forces available for the campaign obviously. This is proving to be of great interest so confirm your reservation as soon as possible.
Russian observers
Last but not least we have the drive on Remagen bridge on the 9th-11th November, great action pitting Americans against the dogged defence of the Germans. Al the late war armour, air cover, German armour and anti-tank, while the poor bloody infantry drive on to the bridge!
It’s an old cliche, but never the less true, these are filling up fast our Week campaign has only half the commnads left available, so if you fancy a piece of the action get in touch.
Until next week.
The French were taking their time bringing the reserves on, only getting three units on a turn was causing them some real issues. Especially as the Allies were having none of this! 4’s seemed to be the lowest with no 2’s rolled at all.
The view earlier on the Saturday.
The advance to the west of Schaerken.
All of Argyll’s column was on and only half of Marshal Vendome’s troops were in a position to take the pressure off Biron. Natzmer’s horse began to engage the French mounted troops North of Syngem awaiting support from the battalions leading Vendomes column crossing the Norken stream.
The infantry duel around Eyne.
Outside Eyne the volleys still crashed into the British battalions while the Hessians faired a little better only losing one stand from three battalions! The French Battalion du Maine was however being whittled away.
The Swiss open up
Eyne takes the heat.
To the east the lead horse from Argyll and Cadogan’s column engaged some French Cuirassier east of Schaerken, the result being honours even with both sides retiring to lick their wounds.
The view east between Eyne and Heurne.
Lottum and Lumley began to arrive just as Vendome cleared the roads and allowed Burgundy’s troops through. Leading this column was the Gardes Francais, they headed straight for Heurne initially eager to push back British.
Lumley urging his horse on.
Between Schaerken and Diepenbeke the British foot Guard deployed and met several crashing volleys from the waiting French Battalions. Still they marched on! Maintaining their order and showing no disruption!
The Hessians attack Eyne.
The advance in the centre.
It’s worth noting here, our rule system offers a fire-fight discipline system that reflects the officers and nco’s attempting to keep their troops moving toward the enemy and keeping that all important first volley.
Cadogan's command stand.
French retire on Heurne.
Failure to maintain this discipline means that they will open fire at their current range and remain blazing away until a commander comes within six inches to move them forward again! We represent this with the cotton wool. (No this wasn’t just for the photo’s!)
Withdrawal from Eyne.
Over on the allied right Natzmer had rallied a regiment of Prussian horse and was leading them back into the fray when he was shot out of the saddle by a French Horseman, it was shortly after this that one of the French Local commanders was killed by a stray shot from a Hanoverian dragoon.
John tells the score in the melee.
The village of Eyne fell with the remainder of the two French battalions running pell-mell through the streets, closely pursued by the Hessians!
Eugene's attack on Heurne.
Between Heurne and Eyne the Swiss Battalions and their French support were heavily engaged in musketry, one of the French battalions (2nd Battalion Nivernais) was reduced to 25% of it’s original strength and struck it’s colours!
Lumley and Lottum arrive
In the centre the Gardes Francais stepped up to duel with the Hanoverians and British, as is traditional they allowed the enemy to fire first then delivered a devastating volley stripping the Hanoverians of 25% of their effectives with one volley!
Hanoverians engage the French line.
Hanoverians close up.
On the allied left flank Lumley lead the British Horse in a charge through the heart of the French position, saddles were emptied from the fire resulting from Roijgem on they went though and ploughed into the Maison du Roi as they countered this move, the Royal household cavalry smashed into the British Horse and the carnage was great, one regiment of the Maison du Roi completely cut down!
Lottum's Germans arrive.
Behind the British cavalry moved the mass of Germans under Lottum, Overkirk’s Dutch troops just behind them, ever extending the line to their left, looking to envelop the French position.
Dutch horse envelop the French right flank.
The French in the villages of Roijgem, Herlegem, and Heurne now became the focal point of the battle.
Overkirk's Dutch troops hasten to the village of Roijgem.
The British and Hanoverian troops under Argyll charged and counter charged the French infantry supporting Roijgem, the Hanoverian’s clambering over the hedge rows and clearing the surrounding gardens at the point of the bayonet. The French charged into the British line between Roijgem and Schaerken, but were repulsed with heavy losses on both sides.
The action in the centre
In the end the French reserves were stacking up behind the front line but were hindered in deployment by the press of troops to their front. The Germans of Lottum began exchanging volleys with Vendome’s men to the west of Roijgem and the Dutch Horse manoeuvred to the North of Roijgem, enveloping the French right flank.
French Troops in Roijgem.
In the centre one British Dragoon regiment rode down two battalions of the La Couronne regiment, capturing both their colours! The pressure was mounting.
Later on Saturday.
A valiant charge on the French right drove some of the British Horse into a hedgerow and onto the Maison du Roi, they struck colours and were escorted to the rear.
Eyne collapses!
The defence of Herlegem in the centre.
It was after this that the French began to look to withdraw! The battle had swung in the favour of the Allies. What had secured victory? The tardiness of the French reserves? The outflank of Natzmer’s horse, robbing EYne and Heurne of valuable support? Or the enveloping move by Overkirk and Lottum? The French in Eyne and between here and Heurne had fought with outstanding courage, while the Maison du Roi had performed super human feat’s against the British shock cavalry on the Allied left but all to avail!
The fight for the centre.
The allies held the field!
An Osnabruck Battalion.
More updates tomorrow.
Friday afternoon four o’clock and General’s The Duke of Marlborough, Eugene, Duc de Savoy, Marshal Vendome and the Duc de Burgundy arrived in the car park here at the Wargames Holiday Centre. Well they didn’t know they were going to be taking on these mantles as yet, but the game was imminent and they would be taking up their respective posts to do battle on the rolling fields of Flanders!
The Map of Oudenarde
The battle of Oudenarde is a reinforcing battle with the Allied army under the Duke of Marlborough feeding on through the fortified town of Oudenarde from the south. While the French army under the joint leadership of the Marshal Vendome and Prince of Burgundy feed on from the north east. The French start the game with the force of General Biron deployed between the villages of Heurne and Eyne on a North to east line. The French battalion’s La Fere and Du Main occupoed Eyne while villages were swiss mercenaries, Betten’s and Reinold supported them, Another three battalions occupied Heurne.
British Dragoons from Cadogans column advance on Schaerken
Leading the Allied advance was Cadogan with a mixture of Hanoverian’s, Prussians and British. They immediately began to advance on a broad front toward the village of Groenewald to the west of Eyne along with Eyne itself. Two British battalions supported by two squadrons of British Dragoons moved on Groenewald while four Battalions of British advanced on the village of Eyne from the west.
Hanoverian Horse from Cadogan's column near the village of Diepenbeke
As the generals were suspicious that the French may make a drive on the pontoon bridged spanning the river Scheldt, four battalions of Prussians were detailed to guard these.
Orkney's regiment approaches Eyne from the west.
Oudenarde is an encounter battle and as such the forces within the two armies began to roll for their number of reserves to arrive on their respective allotted roads. An average die was rolled for the leading columns and this many units began to move down the roads toward the battle. The French were quite slow initially only succeeding with low numbers while the British rolled high.
British Dragoons from Cadogan's column nearing Herlegem.
As such the column under Argyll arrived relatively quickly and began the attack on Eyne in earnest. Hessians manoeuvred to the south of this village and began to volley the troops of the Du Main regiment, return fire was desultory and the dead began to mount in the village. From the west the British Battalions from Orkney’s regiment volleyed the La Fere battalion manning the western suburbs, the fire hear was deadly with the 1st battalion of Orkneys being quickly reduced to nearly fifty percent!
Natzmers flank.
As mentioned in previous posts, here at the Wargames Holiday Centre we use tiles to manoeuvre troops from reserve or in the initial deployment. This allows troops to be moved around the table fairly quickly, until they come within 54″ and visibility when the tile is converted to the troops it represents.
Two of Biron's Battalions are dispatched to delay Natzmer.
This mean’t that the reserves were moved with ease to their position on the field and explains why, in the background you may see the odd blue or red tile.
The Allied forces under Argyll spread across the battle front toward the villages of Schaerken and Diepenbeke. The German horse under Natzmer had also arrived and were moving to cross the Scheldt at Syngem. Biron saw this and diverted some of his initial reserves from north of the Norken stream to delay this, vital reserves however were no longer in the centre and this would stretch the defenders of Eyne and Heurne to the limit. Biron also sent his horse and dragoons to delay the Prussian’s arriving en masse to the east of Syngem.
The troops holding Eyne in the distance and the steeple at Heurne in the foreground.
It was certainly getting tricky for the French.
More tomorrow…
Sticking with Prokhorovka, Kursk.
A lone Sturmovik hunts the German armour.
This will involve a lot and I mean a lot of our T34’s, hordes of Russian infantry as well as the ubiquitous German Panzer divisions.
T34 taking in the terrain before it attempts to push on to the plains of the southern sector.
We’ll be using our in house rule set, for games of this size covering 28 feet by fifteen feet of table can take careful planning. The rules need to replicate the difficulties the troops on the ground have, visibility, movement and co-ordination.
Panzer Grenadiers about to disembark to support their armoured brethren.
While putting this on you obviously want to experience a sense of realism with the rules and we have been working hard to devise the rule-set that will reflect this. These games can take gamers a long time to organise and co-ordinate, here at the Wargames Holiday Centre we remove that for you entirely.
Breaking news is that we are currently working on the Italian troops, over six hundred Italian troops turned up yesterday, so there will be a demanding schedule over the next few weeks to get them all done for the July weekend. As soon as I have any pictures you’ll all get to see the new battalions.
A Ferdinand company takes up it's firing positions to stop the Russian advance south of Prokhorovka.
Obviously these Italians will be providing the initial defences for the Sicily campaign later this year in October but I will bring you more on this in the next few weeks.
Tiger I advances on to the plains at Kursk.
So here’s the perfect opportunity to test your metal as either a Russian commander with hordes of infantry or tanks, or indeed as a German, with the challenges and benefits that these formations present to the table top general.
Pz IV moving through the wheat fields.
I’ll be back on Monday with a report on Oudenarde.
Hi Guys, today I wanted to show you some of the great figures offered from Connoisseur miniatures. The three battalions shown here are nearly twenty years old, after a recent brush up, a fresh coat of varnish and a re-paint on the basing they have come up extremely well!
Centre company.
This is the centre company from the second battalion of the 33rd Line.
Originally painted and tweaked by Doug Mason, they are now in the collection of a friend of mine, Chris Cornwell. Part of the Wargames Holiday Centre collection they were sold on to make way for newer models.
The 3rd Battalion of the 33rd Line.
These can all be painted up as either Italians, Neapolitans or Swiss and Neuchatel, not to mention the smaller states or province regiments, or foreign legions that fought for the French. The Irish Legion has always been a favourite here at the Wargames Holiday Centre.
1st Battalion of the 33rd Line
There is the Corsican, Dalmation, Tirrailleur du Po, Valaison and many more!
Close up of the Grenadier company, of the 1st Battalion.
Simple conversions where a head can be snipped off and another drilled and pinned give lots of variety.
The first battle of the new programme for the Wargames Holiday Centre will take place this coming weekend. Oudenarde is a great Marlburian battle which was one of Mike’s favourites so should be good fun.
I’ll be changing the format for the “Pic of the Day” after that, a battle report will be delivered on the following Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday will then be a “what’s coming up” leaving me Thursday and Friday to prepare for the following battle. This will allow all the Generals out there plenty of opportunity to get a look at the weekends write ups and allow your friends time to come along and get a look before the subject gets archived.
Hope this works for you all and I will bring you more pictorial delights tomorrow up until the weekend and then launch the new look on Monday.
The weather had improved briefly, brief enough to see whole squadrons of light cavalry were mown down by the Russian batteries, the village of Serpallen was taking a severe mauling, the Russian veterans that had rushed into the village had delivered a short range unformed volley into the French battalions outside the village. Unfortunately they had taken short range volleys from at least three battalions before they fired and had lost over 25% of their effectives before delivering their unformed volley.
Russian Centre Grand Battery
The nearest battery are Hinchliffe models.
The French charged in the next turn, Russians either side of the village tried to draw as many reserves from the French as possible. This would be the final throw of the dice here, many French battalions from Desjardin’s division of Augerau’s corps had been drawn into the fray.
Soult's Guns after the Canister
You may remember me mentioning the poor unfortunate battery that became a target after the blizzard eased.
Soult's Guns and Infantry, before the canister
The battery is one of the Connoisseur models, very nice.
While the 14th Division and the supporting 5th Division prepared to repel them. Davout inched forward but any advance was severely checked by the Russian Cavalry Corps under Prince Galitzin.
The Centre, Soult and The Russian 4th.
The centre of the battlefield saw the French Cavalry reserve under, Groughy, Klein, D’Hautpoul and Wathier thunder forward unopposed. The Russian infantry had been pinned by the retreating battery and many battalions were caught in column due to the press of men where troops retreated.
The Cuirassier breaking the line.
The French Guard Light regiment was the first to hit the Russian lines, quickly followed by Grouchy and Klein’s Dragoons, the Gendarmes d’elite were used as a substitute for Carabinier (they look nice!) I know the Carabinier regiments were not at the battle, but a little poetic licence for the keen gamer has to be made every now and then. These heavies were ultimately joined by the squadrons of the French Cuirassier under D’Hautpoul.
The Russian Centre, with the French Guard Cavalry in the distance.
More of our new Front Rank Figures in the foreground. Connoisseur Guard Cavalry in the background.
The Russians battery breaks in front of the 5th Division
Did I tell you about the new Front Rank, all painted by Reinforcements by post
Smashing into the Russians just as Legrand’s division made contact and pushed the first Russian line back. This confusion allowed D’Hautpoul’s Cuirassier to ride down several battalions of infantry. The Dragoons joined in the fray riding down many more.
The advance of the French Imperial Guard, heralding the end.
At this pivotal moment the Russians in Serpallen list their nerve breaking and streaming east!! Davout would now be free of his nemesis Galitzin and the Russian left began to collapse.
Troops in front of Serpallen.
The skirmishers are from the Victrix range. The Light infantry are Elite Miniatures.
Some of the Italian infantry battalions outside Serpallen.
