Goose Green 1982

 This is a scenario that I have been wanting to do, at an appropriate scale, for quite a few years. 

 It is very closely based upon that scenario appearing in the 'Command Post Quarterly' - the old Command Decision magazine, in the 'Compendium 1-3' edition of 1995, edited by GDW's Greg Novak. Command Decision however, would not be my rules of choice in this regard. 

Mid-battle, with British Paras having taken multiple Argentinean positions on the crest lines

The scenario is superbly written however, with all sorts of nuances (including provision for British Recce unit, armed with Stirling SMGs, who swapped them for Argentinean SLRs at first opportunity, during the battle, amongst other British units who preferred the auto-fire variant).

 The article/scenario ' Goose Green - New Orleans with Assault Rifles' was penned by none other than Frank Chadwick.

The scenario is of course based upon the assault by 2 Para at Goose Green on May 28th 1982, during the Falkland Islands campaign (with notice of the advance given out rashly, by BBC Radio, the night before). 

I used a very exciting variant of my favourite 'Field of Battle: WW2' - of which more to say in later posts. 

I mean yes, they look good - but these bloody hexes literally took 'years' to sort out...Airfield and Goose Green at far left of picture - but most of the fighting will be on the ridges in the centre.

A great scenario, with asset management being a key feature of this variant - including choosing when to use mortars and HMGs - and the difficult assaults on Argentine positions, becoming a key feature of the battle. 

Having laid out some 'water feature' for the Shipwreck game, I planted my hexes along it to illustrate the coast along Goose Green

Features included Goose Green, Darwin and Bocca house, with Argentinean companies both emplaced and acting later as reinforcements from the south in terms of 'walk-ons' and airborne (via helicopter but staying well away from British movements). 

A view looking south-east across the Argentine defensive foxholes, toward the airfield and Goose Green itself

Determined progress, punctuated by defenders' MG assets

B Company makes its way toward Darwin, whilst A and C Cos take the ridgeline on the British right

The battle develops into a full battalion attack

Argentine reinforcements arrive at the airfield. The cardboard was lovingly cut to suit at the last minute, when I discovered my old airfield model, with authentic tarmac, had been lost...

Attempts to reinforce the hill positions will be for naught - the British are moving too fast, and making early gains, despite heavy casualties

Part of Argentine 12th Infantry Regt - well ensconced along the ridgeline

B Company, on the move toward Darwin

Savage close assaults all along the Argentine defensive positions

Argentinian infantry makes it to Darwin, but is likely to be outnumbered unless they re-take the hills

Multiple close assaults go in

A bloody affair...

the battle for Darwin - 2 Para takes the well defended heights, at great cost. Luckily, a turn of dedicated infantry close assaults really paid off for them, as Argentinean defences simply caved in.

By the time Argentine morale runs out, the British are ready to move, rallied, and intent upon moving straight into the airfield...it's all over.

 A great little scenario, with many ways it can play out...

'4th Armoured at Burgdorf, 1985' - with Fistful of TOWs 3

 This game is based on the 'Burgdorf' scenario on page 24 of the superb Bruce Rea Taylor 1984 scenario book - Battlezones : Scenarios for Ultra Modern Period. That scenario itself is based upon the first engagement in the seminal novel Chieftains by Bob Forrest Webb, written in 1982, based on some of Hackett's Third World War publications. Phew, you have to love the 80s!

 

(There may have been a few 'phissssssssssssh' impressions due to Milan)

Outnumbered British in their prime, complete with Chieftain with a crap Leyland engine, and FV432 with crap everything else...

 

Now the scenarios assume WRG or Challenger, hence they are on a 8x6 table with 1"=50m, at 1 model=1 tank. Double this up to 1"=100m, and you have a suite of mini scenarios on a 5'x3' table for 'Fistful of TOWs 3'.

One of the superlative works by the late Bruce Rea Taylor

 

My intent with these was to get my head around the game off the back of recent advocates on Little Wars TV, and that the rules are 'on the list' to be used. 

A book rivalled in its time, only by James Rouch's 'The Zone' series; but that, is another story. 

 

I have a decent collection of 1/200 British and Soviets which look superb (as I didn't paint 'em).

 The British have elements of a Battle Group, with a squadron of Chieftains as the backbone, facing 2xtank battalions, a motor rifle battalion and a Hind-D.

NEVER let me play with editing software for pics...just don't

 

Now, I won't go into detail on movement, and understandably the turn sequence is very intuitive, with options for overwatch (firing in enemy movement phase) and holding fire (firing in enemy fire phase). Quality Checks are the core of the game..so poor troops with a propensity to fail them when tasked, tend to disappear. Here is an example of firing:

 

• Chieftain: Front Armor 12 ; Main Gun Penetration 14 ROF 3, Effective Range 24"
• T-72 (Soviet Tank): Front Armor 10 ; Main Gun Penetration 14, ROF 2, Effective Range 16".

Assumptions for this example:

• Effective range (e.g., 20"; no close/long mods).
• Front-on shot (T-72 facing the Chieftain).
• Clear LOS, spotted (auto-spotted <10" or via spotter).
• No cover/terrain saves, day visibility, no suppression/overwatch.
• Crews: NATO "Good/Average" (+1 to-hit mod, QC 4+); Soviet "Average" (0 to-hit mod, QC 5+).

  Declare Fire: Chieftain stand declares shot at T-72 stand (all fire vs. target declared before rolling; target priority: nearest enemy, but can ignore already-shot/infantry/etc.).

  To-Hit Rolls: Roll d6 equal to weapon ROF (3). Hits on 4+ base (guns at effective range), modified by range, quality, whether suppressed, or on overwatch:

   Cover/Terrain Save (skipped; no cover. Normally, e.g., town 4+ save per hit).

  Penetration Rolls (per unsaved hit): Calculate dice = Gun Pen (14) - Target Front Armor (10) = 4 dice per hit.If Pen < Armor: Roll, then negative to hit - which means QC only 

  Quality Check (if 4-5 scored but no destroy): T-72 rolls 1d6 ≥ QC target (5+). Mods: -1 suppressed, -1 unit losses >⅔, etc. Fail = eliminate stand; pass = suppressed (-1 to-hit next turn).

   

  It seems over-complicated, but not really, as it factors in troop quality, armour quality, and environmental factors.

   The added bonus is that it covers 1915-21st century, so finally, a set of rules that cover most modern games with one core premise, and which aren't Command Decision!

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   British Line of Defence - cohesion distances actually played a part here, as rules-as-written, the British needed 8" element to element. This could be changed for static defence.

   
   

   

   Soviet centre. Sov T72 battalion come straight down the western autobahn 

   
   

   

   Paltry defences, reinforced no doubt by first line highly motivated TA regiments, designed to be sacrificed in the first 48 hours...ahem

   
   

   

   Load SABOT...uhh , wait

   
   

   

   I stole a rule from a video online, where the Hind had to pop up to cross power lines

   
   

   

   ahhh....there he is - Red Air

   
   

   

   British ambush

   
   

   

   Long range selective fire (rules allow Rate of Fire to be split) destroys much of the T72 battalion (remember 1 tank = 1 platoon)

   
   

   

   "Put the tea on Dave, we're 'ere for a while mate!"

   
   

   

   The Soviet centre

   
   

   

   A land rover, with a Blowpipe team, races toward the British right, spotting the Hind...uhh, good luck with that kit lads...

   
   

   

   The Soviet centre collapses...

   
   

   

   ...but a T-62 battalion, reinforced by the Hind flight, is making ground

   
   

   

   (There may have been a few 'phissssssssssssh' impressions due to Milan on the Soviet right)

   
   

   

   Hind-D time

   
   

   

   Soviet infantry on the right is ambushed as it pushes toward Burgdorf

   
   

   

   Sovs drop incendiary smoke, but in the wrong place

   
   

   

   The Sovs do very well on the right for a time, but British ambush fire, via infantry and Milan, proves very effective

   
   

   

   Another flank ambush

   
   

   

   
   
   

   In the end, having to get 6 vehicles through Burgdorf, and despite horrendous British armour casualties, due mainly to air interdiction and the lack of action from crap Blowpipe, the Soviets simply ran out of vehicles. British win, by default, as even they could not pull out with significant numbers.

   A great set of rules. Lots to learn, but lots to offer. 

Contrast Paints

One of the things I always hated in the gaming sphere, was painting all the bloody miniatures. I liked to convince myself that I loved it, and bought all of the paraphernalia required, but to be honest, no matter what we tell ourselves, it's still a chore.

Some fantasy figures, from the 80s, plus a plastic Viking at centre - white undercoat and contrast paints

Without going into the history of 'contrast paints', and how they might singlehandedly have been responsible for saving the global conglomerate that is Games Workshop...I hadn't heard of them until last year, and done very little about it. The promise was a product that turned the three steps of priming (in black or white) then base-coating and highlighting 'into a single step, offering a base paint and a shade in a single coat'.

An old lead modern 80s British at left, with plastic and lead fantasy figs

Now that said, a white undercoat is still required, but , if you are not too picky about your paint job (I am not), it's a bloody marvellous idea. I have literally painted a miniature in 5 minutes - something which with the old 'black undercoat' and Foundry 'three coat' system of base and highlights that I used to use, would have been impossible previously. What it has done is enabled me to turn the piles of unpainted lead and plastic, into painted miniatures - now bearing in mind the D&D game that I was running, plots have actually developed from the availability of random miniatures who, now painted, have become characters in the stories.

Flesh tones tend to do very well with a white undercoat

I have used both GW's version and the Army Painter versions - the results are for the most part acceptable, though some colours don't give the definition you'd like - but all in all, it works.

Greens on monsters lack a little definition, though again, a highlight or drybrush can transform if needed

White undercoat with some (very) old Lamming moderns - contrasted with the finished troop - again the skin tones - a single coat - really bring things to life, whilst the green needs a little work

Again the green in its virgin form - the guy on the right is playable after 5 mins painting.

A great idea, great finish, and perfect for the lazy painter.