Early War Achievement Escalation League

Here I am with two 1500 point Early war armies at Adler Hobby.  For this insane amount of  painting I have been given a $50.00 store credit Chris and AJ also received the same award.  I have to give some serious consideration to how I will spend this.  Over the course of the league I have received about $75 in prizes, THANK YOU Gordon for the great place to play and for the effort I know it took to make this league work.

Armies on Parade

1500 Points for Free French Senegalese Du Chad

Captured Italian AA Guns with dismounted option

Combat Reconnaissance with Dismounted Rifle MG teams

That is a lot of trucks...

More trucks I am especially pleased with these Italian 6 ton trucks. OK they are big for the job of hauling two mountain guns but the force need extra supplies!

Side by side 1500 points of French and 1750 of Germans

One of Chris' three Italian Falco fighters.  Looks awesome but was easily driven off by my AAA

For the up coming late war 'Red and Grey' league Eric did these IS-2 Joe Stalin tanks.  The look great and I cannot wait to see them on the board.  Gordon advised Eric on painting these the did a base green prime then applied painters tape and sprayed very lightly with white primer.  The results are awesome.

Free French Speed Bump

 
Chris and I got to try out our 2nd escalation league armies. Chris had an Italian Carri company my motorcycle infantry and artillery in support.

I had Senegalese du Chad with 4 platoons of motorized infantry some light guns and a load of recon trucks and armored cars. We did the hasty attack and since I was defender half my men were off the board you can see my deployment to the left.

Things started off fairly well with one of Chris' Motorcycle platoons running up to range of one of two of my HMGS. Chris said he didn't see them and took some devastating hits reducing his platoon to 3 leaderless stands. Chris has always been quick to adjust to set backs and he quickly launched an attack on the other flank using his tanks with motorcycle support to right hook me and set himself up for a very successful assault. His tanks assaulted my front while the motorcycles moved in behind me. While his tanks were not terribly successful I failed the moral roll and caught between the two fires I lost most of that platoon. My luck with reserve rolls was bad and Chris wiped out most of the combat recon platoon that did show up with well aimed artillery. (and bad saves on my part). I did shoot down both of Chirs' Falcos when they showed up.

OK I admit I am stealing this...

1500 Points of Tiralleures Senegalais

 Command and 4 Platoons of Infantry 655 Points

 Two Decouvert de Combat Platoons  with 60mm Motar SP, adn breda 20mm SP and full Hull MG options 400 points

Tiralleurs Combat Car Platoon 70 Points

 

 Free French AT gun Platoon 95 Points

 Tirailleurs Artilery Platoon 50 points

Not pictured (yet!) are Tirailleurs MG Platoon 115 points; Trailleurs Mortar platoon 60 at Traillierus AA Platoon with 2 Breda 20 MM SPs 55 Points (with two more on order). 1500 points in total and this is without using the interdiction slot for free points with out models!

Trucks oh so many trucks for transport far more than are shown here! Full picture of everything together will be add I promise.

 Two Objectives Required to complete the army

Wojtek the Polish Soldier bear

I painted the above figure for Chris Polish war gamer and painter extraordinaire!  Chris also picks up dinner on the way to our weekly game night so I thought this Battle Front Minature of Wojtek was a fitting tribute. Wojtek fought with the Polish expeditionary force in Italy and was present at Monte Casino. Latter he retired to the UK, like many Polish Veterans, specifically the Edinburgh Zoo. I hope Chris will tell more of Wojtek's story on his own blog http://dobroni.blogspot.com/ at some point in the future

Greeks and Senegalese

While reading the book "Free France's Lion" a life of General LeClerc I discovered that once he hand his men joined with the 8th Army they had an SAS force attached to them. This SAS force was not british but Greek with the historic name the Scared Squadron.  They were some times also know as the Sacred Band for the an elite force of 300 troops (or 150 pairs of lovers how ever you prefer to count)  from the City of Thebes in Greece who died to a man fighting Philip of Macedon.  I will not speculate on relationships with in the SAS Scared Squadron but they did have Pink Jeeps so who knows. Why would any one paint a Jeep Pink you ask? Well the idea was that the coloring would conceal you in the sun rise and sun set in the North African Desert.  If this is true or not I do not know but since I had two SAS jeeps I decided I should paint them up and use the Scared Squadron as my model because of their association with the Free French.

LeClerc managed to get some captured Italian Mountain guns delivered to him in Chad from Ethiopia.  These guns saw service with the French, German and Italian armies in World War II. These guns are magnetized to the base so I can also use them with my German Mountain infantry when I get around to painting those.

I have also finished two new platoons of Senegalese du Chad troops and I am very pleased with the results. I speed painted these using can on Army painter British armor(sand) and I think they look as good as the guys I hand painted the uniforms on. Details were then picked out, and a wash applied.  I used pieces of cork board covered with send to make some crusty rock/dried mud formations. Then covered them with a sprinkling of sand.

Domination Total War at Adler hoby

A small crowed gathered for a 4500 point a side total war battle using the "Domination I-95" rules. On the left we an army consisting of two Italian Infantry battalions and German Panzer company. On the right the Allied army (form top to bottom) Indian Infantry, Free Polish and Free French (Legion).

 Gordon and Chris' brother Rich played for the Axis while the Allies were Chris, Jerry and myself.
This was a big game Just setting it up took about an hour and darn was it cool to have just about ALL my trucks appearing on a game board for the first time. 

Indian and Polish force on the move

French troops advance

Domination is an odd game set up since objectives are worth a certain number of points each an the first side to start their turn with ten points wins (correct me here Gordon if I am wrong).

Yes I can Roll a six for air intercept who said I could not!

The first two turn were mostly maneuver as bot sided tried to get in positions. German air was kept back by my air intercept.  Gordon and Rich managed some to pin several units (mostly French for some reason) and Rich managed Some particularly devastating bombardments including one that Killed half of a platoon of Foreign Legion Sappers (I know these guys got special privileges because they were expected to die but this is getting silly)

The High light of the game from the allied point of view was the attacks launched by our Bren carrier recon platoons These wiped out the Italian Coastal artillery and half a batter of Italian 105s. The game had to end at 9:00 pm (turn 3) at which time we were probably at least two turn from a clear resolution.  Over all a fun game, Gordon realized after that we should had a bit more set up space that would probably have had us shooting at each other at least a turn earlier.

The Italians run up the Guns

Australian Bren Carriers Strike!

And are killed by Vengeful Italian Infantry

If French troops are going to die a Vineyard is a good a place as any

Italian Infantry horde they think they are safe but French mortars will find them.

Burning German Armor but too little of it!

More Australian action behind Axis lines

Take Cover!

French Armor leads with its Chin again!