Shiloy Tshernez, the Spanish Blue Division in Russia, 17 January 1942

Shiloy Tshernez, the Spanish Blue Division in Russia, 17 January 1942

Uploaded a compilation of photos to YouTube from a game using a scenario adapted for use with Bolt Action wargame rules by one of my regular gaming buddies, Carlos. 

If you click on the video image below it will open in a new window

The scenario that Carlos adapted was written by Richard Baber and can be found on the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers (SOTCW) :  It's really worth taking a look, well researched and easily playable.

https://sotcw.co.uk/shiloy-tshernez-the-spanish-blue-division-in-russia-17-january-1942/

As always, we used 20mm (1:72 & 1:76 scale) figures, vehicles and scenery, and it was gamed using a sand table.

The scenario is  based on an actual action fought by elements of the Spanish "División Azul" ski company  on a combat reconnaissance patrol,  reinforced by 40 Latvians from the German 81st Infantry Division. Moving through snow, eventually coming to Shiloy Tshernez. The Spanish and Latvians tried to outflank and surround the village and to converge from all sides.

A good well-balanced scenario, and a game well played, thanks to fellow gamers who played this scenario, Carlos, Alejandro and Juan.

Operation Barbarossa - Bolt Action Skirmish Game in 1/72 Scale

Pictures of another recent scenario with three of the regular crew (Alex / Carlos / Juan). In the game we kept distancing measures in place, and face coverings when necessary.

The game was a skirmish operation roughly based on / around the time of Operation Barbarossa put together by Carlos, composed of a small mobile force of German Panzergrenadiers supported by a couple of Stugs. 

Russian infantry were defending a small village and as the game progressed they received increasing support from BT-7s.

 

 Germans start moving in towards the village

 

 

 
The Russian commander looks out at the oncoming enemy.

 

 

 A political Commissar in the meantime keeps to the rear to "persuade" any dubious Comrades to hold their ground.

  

The Germans continue their advance 

 

Mortar shells come raining down on the awaiting Russians.

 

Bolt Action rules allow you to add medics. In this case the lovely Svetlana made an appearance to help out the boys under mortar fire.

 

 German squads arriving on foot through a small wood reach the outskirts of the village.

 

Stug surfing ! On the road into the village, a StuG tears down the road loaded with a squad of improvised tank riders.

 

 More BT-7s make an appearance. 

 

The Germans on foot who reached the outskirts have a tough time out in the open and stack up more and more casualties. 

 

The Stug surfers dismount but pay a high price, the Russians holed up in the houses practically decimate them in a hail of gunfire

 

Another BT-7 enters the fray and causes a lot of headaches on the Western flank. The fast-moving tanks get in behind the Stugs and disable both vehicles.

 

Meanwhile the remaining infantrymen are pinned and the German player decides enough is enough, he can't win this time so he concedes he's fighting a losing battle, and the victory is given to the Russian player.

 

The Commissar looks on at the retreating Germans - this time he hasn't had to persuade anyone to stand their ground.

 

The game was difficult for the Germans, too much ground to cover and probably not enough forces for the attack - but who said battles were fair ? 

In any case, we were thinking of maybe tweaking the scenario and playing it again sometime. The Russians didn't really do much apart from just shoot every turn in a static defence and the arrival of four BT-7s sealed the fate of the Stugs. 

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and as always the only victims in this battle were just little toy soldiers. 

Keep safe and in the next update we'll try and maybe get some photos up of a pre-Covid colonial game played back in February, or some photos of a few Airfix US Paratroop conversions

Action at Collective Twin Farms - Wargame Report

Yet another replay of Charles Grant's "Action at Twin Farms", this time in a Winter setting, late on Saturday afternoon against my arch-enemy Carlos.

Russians were defending the Twin Collective Farms with a Rifle Squad, Maxim Team, PTRD Team & 120mm Mortar.  The Germans had 3 Grenadier squads  with 2 x 251s + light truck as transport

Rules used were Disposable Heroes from Iron Ivan Games.

Scenario used 6 turns max. German objective to oust the Russians from the farms - Russian objective to avoid German Victory conditions.

We played the scenario twice over a period of 3 hours and switched sides - on both occasions the Russians were victorious.

We plan to game the scenario again shortly, with some tweaks.

There were also some reindeer hiding out in the forest, but they were passive observers to the action and wisely stayed well out of the way

Convention Demonstration Game - Brazo de Nelson Wargamers

 

General view of the battlefield

 

These three brave men decided the game in favor of the Russians. After risking it and going out into the open in search of the serious threat of the Tiger.

 
 

The pride of the German attack explodes in a great blaze, thanks to the Russian 76mm with an accurate hit and a lot of luck !!

 
 

The tanks fight almost skirmishing - oddly enough this was the only T-34 that survived

 
 

The PAK-40 being dragged through the city in search of a new target

 

Starting a game with five T-34s and ending with just one hurts a little....

 

Disposable Heroes - Winter Wargame Photos - Brazo de Nelson Wargamers