Autoblinda 41

20MM Italian Armoured Car . Yes I have been working on my ww2 stuff. Here is an Italian Autoblida Armoured car (Link to Wiki ) Perhaps one of the best looking Italian vehicles of ww2.

It is a FRONTLINE (LINK) model, made by Tim at the club. Of course it comes unassembled (6 parts 4 wheels, turret and hull) and unpainted and cast un resin. I admit I get them cheap as he is a club member so they are very good value for me. But will not break the bank no matter who buys them.

I do intend to use this for "Chain of Command" in the western desert. So more Western desert stuff will be coming in the next few months. You have been warned. This particular vehicle is armed with a 47mm gun in the turret although earlier marks had a 20mm gun. While I have little doubt that all the armies in the western desert would have used it I have no direct evidence of it being used by the Common Wealth. But lets be honest in the ww2 desert everyone used everything if they could!

I hope to Blog again tomorrow (Assumes I finish Matts painting today) . I meant to post tis yesterday but alas time got away from me.

Hopefully see you again tomorrow. All the best Clint

Cavalier swag!

Show report probly tomorrow.

Internet has been down here so I missed a few posts but I have not been Idle so posts will come soon.

However until they do ... Just got back from the Cavalier show so I thought to share the loot/swag haul.  Here it is.

left to right top to bottom.

2 28mm Panserschrek teams for WW2 Germans got Chain of command.

6 Lewis Guns. These will be for conversions for my diesel punk project. Which I HOPE to START this week.

2 packs of Anstiy castings (Tea chests and stacks of boxes.) generally useful but also I do have a specific plan for them.

4 28mm Victorian Science Fiction Robots. (Ironclad Miniatures) Wait and see!

2 20mm SHQ Modern British gulf war soldiers. To paint as BAOR troops part impulse buy and part I want to do some "Cold War"

1 pack of plastic slotta bases because I am running out.

1 pack of German Aeronef Digs.

2 rule sets (Gift from friend so no cost) "Triumph and Tragedy for BoB. I already have the rules so either for Matt or another at the club.
and the Spanish Civil war supplement, which I was not expecting and now I am thinking of starting SCW in another scale!

4 Pots of Paint. I always need more paint since I found that the world stops spinning if I do not buy paint regularly! (No it does truly it does and if I wash my hair in it I will never go bald..... one of these comments may not be true, but why risk it?)

1 other secret thing I hope to get painted as a gift, But if I tell you it will not be a secret so I may just have to stick with the paint shampoo!

That's it for today. I will try to get a show game report done tomorrow

All the best folks.

Clint

Yesterdays game at the club.....

At the club there were 3 games, a large "Shako" a small "Dirtside!" and a small "Chain of command." As I had things to do I left early and did not join in any game. I know I would have been welcome at any of the games and did indeed have offers yet somehow I declined and still returned home full of enthusiasm. How on earth did that happen!

I am only going to look at one game, as many will know I am not a Napoleonic's fan so you may have already guessed it is not that. I returned home feeling enthused by the "Chain of Command!" game.  The ONLY problem is the guys playing tend to buy everything on eBay already painted ad sell it a few months later. Which gives anyone a very short window of opportunity to get involved.



Battlefield BEFORE
Any Patrol arrives.

Also while at the club Peter gave me these two kits. ! FT 17 and one Ford truck both in 1/72nd scale and both for my BoB or Back of Beyond collection so I am very grateful. The tank only had 7 pieces so was very quickly stuck together and is already in the painting queue. Thanks Pete They are bother Brilliant.

Back to the game:

Firstly I like "Chain of Command!" I know it is not everyone's taste but I like it and it is for me. WE had an encounter patrol of Germans attacking (Kevin) and British (Relfie) defending.


British occupy the building and set up the Bren team on over watch.
While Relfie takes the area close to camera
Kev develops a 75mm Infantry gun in the corner of the walled area
back of picture.



Germans Hustle into another building and fire is exchanged.
Relfie by now occupies 2 buildings
and kev 1 a wood and a walled field and the building shown above.











Germans continue to press forward
However Concentrated fire from 2 positions
force the Germans in the wood
to fail morale check and retreat and eventually unable to rally in time
the Lmg team flees.
 







 

By the time I leave it is not looking good for the Germans.
Relfie uses his 2" mortar to drop smoke on the Infantry gun
which severely limits what it can see and shoot at.
Kevs unit in the walled field fails to close the distance and is shot at close range.
british Morale is 11 at this stage and German has dropped due to losses to 3

 














 So as I leave it is not looking good for the Germans.  I suspect an English win but one can never be sure. the British light mortar was out of HE rounds and was in retreat. Both the buildings and the wooded area had taken casualties while Kevs Unit in the building was still pristine. But as the Platoon was now on low morale very little would be needed to break morale.

From what I have seen of the rules I do like them and feel I need to dust of my 28mm ww2 figures.

Grubby tanks German Radio truck. (1/72)

Over the Christmas period (I forget exactly the date). Pete at the club gave me a HEAVILY undercoated Opel Blitz  radio truck that he got as part of a job lot. So he passed it on to me. And this is how it turned out.

I must say I was pleased with the result. Yes parts could have been done a little better and if I was a modelmaker I probably would have. Taken more care. None the less it has come out OK.

Here is a link (Link) to where one can be bought.

I think Peter  will be both pleased and surprised with how it has come out. While I have no current use for it. I do have plans! Ssssh say no more in case they don't come to fruition. Several previous plans have failed to materialise. Still enough of that.

All equipment in the desert in WW2 was used by all sides so it is possible this may be used as British as I have deliberately left all insignia off.

I am in 2 minds whether to put it on a base. for now I will not but do not be at all surprised if in later posts I do! I will see if I can find any suitable MDF 2mm bases at the show on Sunday.
So time will tell if this gets a base or not.

One thing I do know is that there are very few 20mm manufacturers/sellers at the show (I think just 2, but I am willing to be surprised and wrong!)

I have included 4 pics so an all round view might be achieved. It just gives it a better three dimensional look.

Looks wise I wanted it to look used and abused. So I have weathered it appropriately, after all not so many car washes in the Desert! (At least not in war time).

Thanks for looking.

For those going to Broeadside I will be taking some fudge (Made it yesterday) BUT supplies are not inexhaustible so maybe only a taster!

With luck see you there.

And if not take care and enjoy the weather/election/whatever.

All the best Clint

Flo

Well the Bonus round has finished and it is safe to now show you FLO!

This Bonus round was called "Armour". That was the only clue that was given and it was up to everyone to interpret it in what ever way seemed the most fitting.

As I want to do bore Chain of Command this year and as I like the early period of the Western Desert. What could be better (I thought) than an Armoured Car. And if I was going to do an Armoured car for the Western Desert well I thought a  Rolls Royce Armoured car would be the best one to do!

As It turns out I was not the only person doing a Rolls Royce armoured car.  But at least they were in different scales. My one is a Frontline 20mm resin cast vehicle.

As you can see I did select the British desert camouflage pattern that does incorporate the light blue and the Aircraft recognition roundel. Which is placed slap bang (like a Target) across the top of the turret. The Black and white image does show one actually in the desert and painted in this manner. Lacking the roundel for aerial recognition but clearly showing the angular pattern and the different tones. For the actual colours I looked at the Matilda2 at Bovington Tank museum and with any luck my combination of the two will be just about right. Or at least good enough for a game or two.

While a long way from being perfect it is good enough for my amusement and painting skills.

So just before I go why "Flo"? Well I wanted a name that was easy to paint and was a female name of the period. with Flo being short for Florence. It did help that the name also has a connotation of movement and as a scouting armoured car the name just seemed to fit.

Battle for the Watermill (A VBCW AAR)

Yesterday at the Club Matt, Bob, Dave and Myself played another VBCW game using the Chain of Command rules. As we were both (The Anglican league and the British Union of Fascists) using the same force composition we altered the lists slightly. Instead of 3 squads of 8 men we went for 4 squads of 11 men each. Each squad with a lewis gun and a junior leader.

Bob rolled to randomly generate the scenario and it was the British Union of Fascists (BUF) commanded by Dave and myself, Attacking and the Anglican league (Matt and Bob) defending. There was a prominent water mill at one side of the board and that was designated as our Objective. Each side rolled 1d6 for assets and the BUF selected a sniper, a pregame bombardment and an Adjutant. The AL rolled badly and only selected  a 2" Mortar team.

Selecting only 3 jump off points and getting some attackers moves we quickly moved up the board. WHen Matt and Bob put there patrol markers down they were frightfully close to getting locked down before the game started. Eventually the jump off point for both teams were established and the game started!

Being Attackers the BUF had first roll of the command dice and as I rolled double 6 we would get the next turn as well. But in the first turn all we could bring on was a lewis gun and the sniper. The second turn we did better and got 2 squads on.

The AL got their first turn but due to our initial bombardment they only managed to get a single squad onto the board. But due to lack of targets the BUF had the sniper and 1 squad on overwatch and as soon as the figures were placed we shot at them. It was not a brilliant result but at least we killed one of the squad and give it 3 points of shock.

Our sniper was not good and barely hit anything worthwile in the whole game. but he did cause 2 points of shock when he did hit. And from experience I can tell you it's not much fun as it is hard to target him back!

The next few Phases it was a case of bringing more stuff on to the board. Matt bought on the Mortar and another squad. While the BUF managed to get everything on the board. Matt and Bob were out gunned at this stage as our barrage was still making it hard for them to bring on troops. But they did a rather good Mortar strike and killed a junior NCO of my main squad which then forced us to bring on our senior leader and join him to the squad that Matt was shooting up.

By this stage though Dave on the left wing advanced and got within 4 inches of an enemy jump off point. So the BUF ended the turn and the jump off point was lost along with some morale. Also one AL squad was forced back due to morale and forced off of the table!

As this made the turn over the AL was able to bring on troops without heed to our barrage. So Matt bought a squad on, as did Bob. Bobs troops coming up from the river bank opened up on Dave's squad in the open. This fire at his squad in the open was enough to break them and from cowering behind the cart they also fled the field.

 As I was firing 2 squads onto Matts single squad. His squad was getting smaller. This resulted in him bringing on his senior leader (Platoon commander) which then joined the squad and managed each phase to reduce the shock I was building up.







Well not quite as I was slowly whittling them down. So Matt was able to bring on his last squad to support them in the same field. I was forced to split my fire and as luck (for me not for Matt) would have it he through bad command dice and failed to reduce the shock.







The result was that his squad was just reduced to leaders and no troops and with 7 points of shock they withdrew.

This marked the game over stage as the defenders morale and command dice plummeted to just a single dice (Instead of the 5 you start with and the BUF was still on 5 command dice!)

The result as another BUF win over the AL.

Overall a quite good game, not as enjoyable as the first 2 we played but this time I was not really in the mood so I think that makes sense.

I am sure The AL will make a come back, to be honest I do wish they had won that game but from the set up the defenders were on the back foot. Our preliminary barrage was very effective in not allowing the defenders to get troops on and I would us e one again when attacking IF I got the chance!

Thanks for reading and today I am enjoying the rain here in Kent!

Cheers Guys!

The Old Shellskin Farm (Chain of Command VBCW AAR)

Firstly all the pics came out blurred as when I got home I found I was on landscape mode on the camera and not close up! Whoops! Sorry about that.

Yesterday at the club we played a Very British Civil War using the Chain of Command rules. Matt and Kev were the Anglican league while Ian and myself were the British Union of Fascists(Gravesend Branch!). We played a couple of encounter patrols set around the Shellskin Farm area (Made up name) just of off the River Medway.

We each tried to make a complete platoon but I was a few figures short so did not field the 2" Mortar or the Boys Antitank Rifle and had to borrow a Lewis gunner from Mats collection (He was dressed in Italian uniform) so a big thanks to Matt for the assistance getting my force together. I did have a trench catapult to use as a 2" mortar but put it in the wrong box.

We both used the "Official" Too Fat Lardies 1940 British army lists and rolled for morale and sorted out assets. I rolled the best I could get and started with 11 Morale, Matt started on 9 Morale. And due to the lack of Antitank weapons Matt allowed me to start with an armoured car as my Asset. very kind of him, but at least this would give his Boys something to fire at!

 I got the first 2 turns by rolling double 6 on 5D6 but only managed to bring on a squad in the first 2 turns. But I did increase the COC (Chain of Command) dice. So not a waste at all.

Matt and Kev get the next turn and bring on 3 squads! Gulp! Then we Bring on a squad and the shooting starts.

 I get to fire first at Mats Aylsford Friars who emerge from a wood and take a tactile stance. The firing is not very effective in the first round just giving them 1 point of shock!
When Matt fired back he did better and Killed one of mine. After that we continued to fire at each other with me gradually getting the better dice.

 Ian Quickly brings on our armoured Car, which then sits there for a couple of turns and A squad in the wheat field.

 Which Kev systematically destroys and eventually forces them to run like billy-oh and they leave the table!

 The Armoured car moves forward slowly but does not do much at this stage as it is aware of Matts Boys Antitank rifle and they are trying to keep a building between them! They both are.

 Matt Moves forward with his centre squad. and my reserve squad gets placed on the table and fires at the squad in the open as does the Armoured car. The firing from both units takes it's toll and the squad in the open takes 3 casualties so mat moves them back around the building out of sight,

 My First Squad has by now taken quite a toll on the Friars and they break and run from the table. My squad is mostly intact but very shocked. So shocked that if the turn ends they two would probably break or at least be pinned an ineffective, so I bought on my Platoon sergeant and used him to give the Gravesend boys a stiff talking to,

Kev moves into the wheat field and Matt brings the Boys into play. He does hit but the damage is minimal and when Ian returns fire wipes the anti-tank team out. Kev moves up and lobs 2 grenades at the armoured car and manages to kill the driver. But the machine gunner despite the shock kills the junior NCO of the squad and suddenly the Anglican league are on a Morale check and their whole force breaks and game one the Gravesend Fascists as the BUF win.

Conclusion: We did play a second game and it was a second win for Ian and myself and the British Union of Fascists. The rules worked very well indeed and I anticipate a few more games in the near future. The rules were easy to understand and play with and if you are not so fussy trying to be too rigid and competitive give a really good game and I am not just saying that because I won!

In the Second Game Matt deployed his 2" mortar and used smoke to good effect. he also used a sniper which was very effective and would have been more so if his dice were better, But the sniper did mean we were always careful about lines of sight. But as the sniper cost the same amount of asset points as the armoured car one would hope it was effective. Given the choice of armoured car or Sniper I am now unsure what I would select!

Overall a very good day and an excellent set of rules that I look forward to using again and again.