Bucha, Ukraine – 27 Feb 2022 – 15mm

Had a great game of Mark Ritchie’s “Tactical Combat” system today, recreating one of the engagements in Bucha, Ukraine (27 Feb 2022). I had the Ukrainians on defense, Mark and Ron had the Russians on the attack.

We had a great little game of PSC’s Battlegroup today, 15mm, 6×6 table, recreating part of the German counterattack of November 4-7, 1944 (80th Anniversary).

They’ve retaken Schmidt (not on the table) and are now pushing through Kommerscheidt, up the logging trail toward the bridge the Americans have over the Kall River.

3rd Bn/120th US Infantry (28th Infantry Division) vs. KG Bayer, 116th Panzer Division and 1055th Grenadiers (89th Infanterie Div).

Join us as we finish up our 15mm wargame of the Battle of Skybyn during the opening weeks of the Ukraine War.

As discussed last week, this fight took place when Russians of the 90^th Guards Tank Division made their way down the E-95 Highway to threaten the northeastern approaches to Kyiv.  After taking hideous damage to a series of Ukrainian antitank ambushes at the village of Skybyn, they then tried to shove their way around the east side of the town, resisted by units of the Ukrainian 72^nd Mechanized Brigade.

We’re using the Seven Days to the River Rhine system by Great Escape Games to play out this scenario.  The Russians have lost quite a few tanks, but they’ve managed to shoot down a Ukrainian attack drone and heavily damage their infantry.  Will the Russians crack the Ukrainian defense, or will the 72^nd hold the line again?

Join us at the 15mm miniature tabletop for a wargamer’s look at one of the more infamous battles at the beginning of the Ukraine War. This is the Battle of Skybyn, where Ukrainian forces (included TB-2 Bayraktar battlefield attack drones) halted a determined Russian attack in March, 2022.

This scenario uses the Seven Days to the River Rhine system by Great Escape Games, with house rules for the addition of new TB-2 drone figures. Can the Ukrainian player repeat this real-life victory?

It’s been a productive September. Since September 3, I’ve been grinding away at my “Pile of Shame.” A lot of these minis have been random purchases people were selling at the club or giving away or beat up old “orphans” in need of a second lease on life. In all, we’ve got:
(5) Leopard 1 MBTs in Ukrainian markings
(8) M113 APCs in American marings for Vietnam, Ukrainian markings, and Israeli markings for 1973 Yom Kippur
(1) YPR-765 APC in Ukrainian markings
(3) Jaguar APCs in Ukrainian markings
(3) Fuchs IFVs in Ukrainian markings
(1) Jadgtiger heavy tank destroyer
(1) Sturmpanzer IV
(3) trucks (technicals in desert insurgent markings)
(1) LVT-2 in USMC Pacific War markings
(3) T-62Ms in Russian markings
(1) ZSU-57-2 in Iraqi / Egyptian markings
(2) Wiesel 2 recon vehicle in Ukrainian markings
(1) Rolls-Royce armoured car for 11th Hussars, 7th AD, WDF (1940-41)
(1) BTR-152 wheeled APC in Iraqi / Egyptian markings
(1) IS-3 heavy tank for use with Egyptians in 1967/73

Join us back at the wargaming table as we finish up our 15mm Wargame recreating part of the Marine Corps’ assault during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.  The system we’re using is a modified version of Seven Days to the River Rhine by Great Escape Games.

On the second day of the ground war, spearheads of 1st Marine Division (including Task Forces “Ripper” and “Shepard”) broke through the second belt of fixed Iraqi defenses in southern occupied Kuwait.

Backed up by Task Forces “Grizzly,” “Papa Bear,” and “Taro” and supported by Marine artillery, “Ripper” and “Shepard” cut behind Iraqi defenses until counterattacked by elements of the Iraqi 5th Mechanized and 3rd Armored Divisions.

This game includes quite a few special rules, victory conditions, and scenario adjustments to reflect the sheer amount of firepower the Marines brought to bear, and the wretched state of the Iraqi units facing them after five weeks of intense Coalition bombing.

But the Marines are on a VERY tight schedule, and can’t afford to lose more than a handful of units.  Can the players recreate the historical blitz, or will the underdog Iraqis slow them down just enough to score a pyrrhic victory?

We’re announcing a LIVE STREAM wargame commemorating the 80^th Anniversary of Operation Market Garden, which started on 17 September 1944.  Our live stream will be broadcast at 2PM East US time / 7PM UK time on Sunday, 22 September.

The system we’ll be using is Avalon Hill’s classic Panzer Leader, and the scenario will recreate part of the Battle of Nijmegen, fought by the British Grenadier Guards and American 82^nd Airborne Divisions against German Waffen SS and rear area security units.

Historically, the Allies suffered some critical delays here against determined German resistance.  Some say this was the fulcrum upon which the success or failure of Market-Garden was ultimately decided.  Will the American paratroopers and British tankers effect the crucial breakthrough?

Find out as we recreate this battle LIVE on Sunday!

Join us back at the wargaming table where we stage a 15mm Wargame recreating part of the Marine Corps’ assault during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The system we’re using is a modified version of Seven Days to the River Rhine by Great Escape Games.

On the second day of the ground war, spearheads of 1st Marine Division (including Task Forces “Ripper” and “Shepard”) broke through the second belt of fixed Iraqi defenses in southern occupied Kuwait.

Backed up by Task Forces “Grizzly,” “Papa Bear,” and “Taro” and supported by Marine artillery, “Ripper” and “Shepard” cut behind Iraqi defenses until counterattacked by elements of the Iraqi 5th Mechanized and 3rd Armored Divisions.

This game includes quite a few special rules, victory conditions, and scenario adjustments to reflect the sheer amount of firepower the Marines brought to bear, and the wretched state of the Iraqi units facing them after five weeks of intense Coalition bombing.

But the Marines are on a VERY tight schedule, and can’t afford to lose more than a handful of units. Can the players recreate the historical blitz, or will the underdog Iraqis slow them down just enough to score a pyrrhic victory?

Finished up some extra M113 APC 3D prints. I had eight extra so I decided to “bulk up the ranks” of some of my existing forces. Three were done for US in Vietnam, three for the Isrealis in the SInai Front of the Yom Kippur War, and two for Ukrainians in the current conflict. Tanks are fun and all, but you can never have too much transport.

Finally finished up my 1960s-70s Bundeswehr vehicles. I put them in Ukrainian markings for some “NATO-aid era” Ukrainian Army forces for use in 2023-24 scenarios, probably in in Seven Days to the River Rhine system. I’ve got some Leopard 1 MBTs, Fuchs 6×6 IFVs, one Dutch YPR-765 APC, Jaguars in different missile configurations, and some modern Marders.

My US infantry are done for now. Some more support teams and a few vehicles are coming to complete the force.

We had another great game of “Seven Days to the River Rhine” today at Dask Krieg Haus gaming club, with rules and units adapted to recreate part of the Battle of Skybyn. Ukraine War, early March 2022. Thanks very much Mark for the great game!

Another great game of Seven Days to the River Rhine, adopted for a 1991 Gulf War scenario.

Task Force Ripper, Task Force Shepard (RCTs 1 and 7, 1st Marine Division) driving past al-Jabr air base after the second Iraqi berm.

Opposed by Iraqi 15th Bge / 3rd Arm’d Div and 22nd Bge / 5th Mech Division – Feb 25, 1991 – Kuwait.

Today we’re getting back to our channel’s original focus on modern-era wargaming. Our scenario takes place in the early weeks of the Ukraine War, using modern-edition updates to Avalon Hill’s classic Panzer Leader system.

With their initial efforts to storm Kyiv frustrated at places like Hostomel, Bucha, and Irpin, Russian brigades tried to flank the city from the west or bypass it altogether in an encircling maneuver. One of these units was the 35th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, ordered on 27 February 2022 to take suburb of Makariv, some 50 kilometers west of the Kyiv.

They were met by elements of the Ukrainian 14th Mechanized Brigade, starting a series of assault and counter-assault that would last into mid-March. Is that the result we’ll see in today’s Panzer Leader game?

We’re back to finish up our wargame commemorating the 80^th Anniversary of the Marine landing on Saipan (15 June 1944).

We started this game last week, recreating part of 2^nd Bn/ 6^th Marines’ assault on Red One beach on Saipan, part of Operation Forager in the Mariana Islands.  So far, the Leathernecks have taken one hell of a pounding getting ashore, with almost 50% losses among their LVT-2 Amptracks and infantry platoons.

But now the (surviving) Marines are ashore, and the Japanese are about to learn to their cost just how well-equipped Marine assault units can actually be.  Can the Marines overcome the bloodbath at the game’s outset and secure a foothold on this critical objective?

Almost simultaneous with the famous Allied landings at Normandy, another big invasion took place in the Pacific when 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions hit the beaches at Saipan. This was the opening assault of Operation Forager, the American invasion of the Mariana Islands.

Saipan would stand as one of the true bloodbaths of World War II, with ferocious Japanese resistance surpassing anything yet seen in the Pacific. Saipan sat well within range to launch B-29 bombers over the Japanese homeland, and the Japanese knew it.

This wargame was played on the 80th anniversary of the battle, recreating 2nd Bn / 6th Marines’ landing at Red One Beach. They’re up against grimly-resolved defenders of the 136th Regiment, 43th IJA Division and even some armor of the Japanese 9th Tank Regiment.

Everyone knows about the furious fighting along the beaches of Normandy eighty years ago this week.  Here’s a game depicting one of the key fights behind the beach, using Mark Ritchie’s Tactical Combat miniatures system.

Elements of the British 3^rd Infantry Division and 27^th Armoured Brigade have landed at Sword Beach.  They push inland to Périers Ridge, where meet one of the few real German counterattacks that day.  Kampfgruppe Oppeln of the 21^st Panzer Division wants that ridge back, the ideal high ground from which to shell the British still coming ashore on Sword Beach.  The British, of course, politely disagree.

We’re getting ready for an 80th Anniversary commemorative wargame recreating part of the the US Marine Corps’ landings in the Mariana Islands in June, 1944.  Specifically, we’ll be looking at Red Beach on Saipan, where 2nd/6th and 3rd/6th Marines (2nd Marine Division) landed against 136th Regiment, 45th Division, Imperial Japanese Army.

Needless to say, I’ll be needing some serious LVTs to put my Marines ashore.  These include LVT(A)-1, LVT-2, and LVT(A)-4s.

The majority of these were provided by Blair Fenning Sr. as 15mm 3D prints, which I’m now in the process of painting.

Primed black, then case coated dark green.  So far I’ve worked the tracks, machine guns, mud and sand along the sides, and some basic markings.

Touchups are still to be done, include pin washing and a light drybrush.

Join us as we finish up our 15mm miniature game of “Battlegroup” – recreating part of the Anzio Breakout.

Part of the Italian Campaign of World War II, this engagement took place 80 years ago this week.  Specifically, we’re looking at elements of Combat Command “A”, 1st US Armored Division hitting the “Caesar Line” positions held by elements of 3rd Panzergrenadier Division.