Star shells and flairs

So I get three Star shell markers from LITKO Game Accessories they are amazing but three isn't enough and my gaming budget isn't unlimited.  

 it looks really slick but don't for a reasonably large night action you need more. So I decided to get to work. 

I came up with two version the first uses florist wire a washer and cotton. 

The other option uses a finish nail it might be more durable but doesn't look as natural. 

They should work and look a little closer to scale for the ships I am using.  I like the variability with the wire I will have to see how well they hold up at Mayhem and Huzzah.

hopefully I have enough to light the Night battle. 

Dream In Orange

 

The convention season is coming up on us fast. I'll be attending Mayhem and Huzzah. I'm running a two part mini Campaign Called a Dream in Orange Part 1 & 2.  

From National Park Service

I wanted to create a battle using the US Standard class battle ships as the main battle force.  So I have imagined a scenario were the Pearl Harbor attack happens but the results are significantly different.  I'm assuming better communication between the US Army and Navy so that when the Sub is spotted off the harbor entrance... and then air craft are spotted on radar the US command in Hawaii sounds the alarm. So the Battleships are at action stations, their gun are manned, the ammo is distributed, most importantly the ships are buttoned up with watertight doors closed.  Smaller ships are building steam or moving, and few aircraft are on patrol or taking off.  

From National Park service

Japan still hits pretty hard,  West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona still sink, the other Battleships take only superficial damage.  Still with all the fire, smoke and wreckage from ships and both sides aircraft the Japanese believe they did significantly more damage (They think they did as well as they did historically).  The rest of the Japanese plan for the initial phase of the war goes off as it did historically, Singapore falls, Force Z sinks, Bataan is besieged.  

By March political pressure to do something about the Philippines has hit a boiling point, between American anger and the impassioned please of MacArthur and Quezon have forced Kimmel to commit his force sailing West.  The hope is that Supply ships can get to Bataan from Australia while the Fleet keeps the Japanese fleet busy.   Both sides are confident they can win a surface action and hope to get one.  The US carrier force is dispersed suppressing the air fields on Japanese held islands and the Japanese carrier force is in the Indian Ocean playing tag with a smaller British fleet. 

The battle will start with session one a night action between the Cruisers and Destroyers, followed by session two where the survivors will support their respective battle lines.  The USN has an edge in numbers but Japan has an advantage in night fighting.  When the Battle Fleets meet Yamato will get a shot at the battle she was built for. 

Yamato 1941 from Wikipedia 

The Old 4 Stackers of the Clemson Class

11 Destroyers of the Clemson Class, The Clemson were built at the end of World War 1, 156 are were built between 1918 and 1922.  Americans often seem to enter wars unprepared then make it up with massed production (at least that what we did in the two world wars). 

There had four 4 inch Guns and 12 torpedo as well as depth charges.  They traded some speed for extended range (compared to earlier classes).  

They would serve though the 2nd World War in the US, Royal Navy and even the Royal Canadian Navy 
 

Active Armor Goodwood

 

I've got the English forces moving on the table 

moving in on both flanks 

using smoke for cover, Though the screaming Mimi's hurt my armor then my air strike fails to hurt the German armor and artillery also fails to hurt the panthers. 

The Panthers are after me  

The attack on the town begins

The Duke of Cornwall infantry assault the panzers and make it in! 

BOOM... the Nebelwerfers have been hit

A major Scrum is developing in the town 

A scrum that build and builds... 

Recon overruns  the Nebelwerfers 

The brutal battle for village 

a pincer movement on the hill 

The Panthers break the Duke of Cornwall light infantry and move to relive the village 

Charge!!! we attack the guns! 

2nd Wiltshire storm into the town! Breaking the 3rd Panzer Grenadiers. 

9th royal Tank Battalion move into engage the Panthers

The German infantry has been killed to a man. 

British armor and infantry close on the Panthers! Securing victory as with have town and the surrounding  hills.   Its a good night when you get to destroy most of an SS division. 

Active Armor Operation Kutuzov

 I am leading a soviet attack in the Wake of Citadel looking to break a critical rail line. 

German defenses are formidable. 

My men Storm onto the table

Fighting quickly becomes general 

The Elite German forces soak up hit after hit as if I wasn't there... 

The train rubbles on! 

We finally smash the 88 unit and there was much rejoicing 

Partisans attack... 

The Airstrike disorders the train... but the Partisans are mowed down

Three infantry units swarm the 1st Panzer and finally kill it! 

The tanks finally break through to the south... 

Ura Ura! Soviet Infantry storms out of the woods and strike at the trail.

STUGS move into support the train 

Pig Pile on the train! but the train get away, making a German victory thought a pyrrhic one.

Carnage and Glory McPherson's Ridge Day one of Gettysburg

 Sunday I made a trip up to Rich Wallace's house to help him playtest one of his games for the up coming convention season. 

I was delayed by family obligations and got there just in time to take over the Union position as another payer had to leave. 

The Rebels punch a hole in the line giving them a narrow victory.  I only got to pay about two turns, but it was fun.