A Second Game in Three Days

 Making the most of our new found freedoms, the usual gang of Paul, Chris, Julian, Mark, Rick, John and I arrived at Barrys wargaming centre in W Auckland for a very long planned (ie since August!) early WWII game in 15mm - Germans v Poles.

I even managed to get a very few of my own original FoW resin vehicles on the table, although I was in charge of the infantry on this occasion. When Mark ran the wargaming business in Auckland back in the 90's, his "next big thing" was going to be importing Old Glory Command Decision 15mm models - till an acquaintance Evan told him he could sculpt the same things and cast them in resin - and that is how Battlefront Miniatures and Flames of War was born. Mark ran the shop, with Barry, Rick and another John as directors, along with Peter Simunovic. They had really started the business as a way to ensure supply of miniatures for their own gaming habit I think, but the WWII resin vehicles changed all that and over time the business changed, expanded, moved premises and employed a number of extra staff. Mark left and ended up with his current job at Air New Zealand and Mr Simunovic, who was already a multi millionaire businessman heading up Simunovic Fisheries in Auckland, aimed to turn the small NZ cottage industry into a world dominating brand, even buying and running Wargames Illustrated for a umber of years, and using it as a vehicle to promote FoW as THE 15mm WWII option.

Anyhoo - back in the day, I worked shift work and often had a period from say 10am  - 2pm free, so I got into a habit of going into the shop in Marua Road and helping sort and pack the hand molded miniatures, with Mark "paying" me two models per hour worked, which resulted in a pretty large collection of German, Russian and British vehicles - I am talking 100+ vehicles for each of the three nations - the only problem being, most have never hit a tabletop in the intervening quarter of a century!

Well, enough of ancient anecdotes - here are the images of todays game - which was a Bltzkrieg affair with we Germans - Mark, Paul, Julian and I - attempting to break through the Polish defences and capture a bridge at the far end of the table from our stating point. Virtually all the Poles were concealed and the table was dotted with woodland that had to be recce'd as we advanced - a rather slow and painstaking business. 

The Wehrmacht at their start line with a long way to go to reach the target bridge

The :Polish town at the far end of the table, with the bridge we were aiming to capture

The only Polish forces visible - artillery and AA guns around the river crossing - YES, they are Desert War British AA guns - that's all Barry had available!

German recce SdKfz 221 and 222 armoured cars - commanded by Paul but my models

My contribution to Paul's panzer forces, 5 PzKfw 38(t) - the backbone of the panzer forces in 1939 and 1940 and far superior to the PzKfw I and II

The recce troops doing their job

From early on, I made a point of laying smoke with mortars and SPG's to cover my infantry advance

Polish armoured car uncovered by the recce troops

Target front - engage - mission, to destroy!

Close up of the rear of one of my 222's showing the yellow convoy markings 

The Poles had an armoured train, much to Rick's delight!

An FT 17 tank on a "virtual" flat car was attached at both front and rear

German recce commanded by Julian proceeded my infantry force

Infantry and towed Pak 36 AT guns advance

Paul's panzers grind forwards to take out the Polish defenders commanded by John

Barrages of smoke mask our advance from some of the Polish forces

Mark was quite successful at rolling up air support but less so at achieving any hits with it!

Several shots of the German armoured advance on our left flank

A unit of Polish tankettes uncouvered by recce - our artillery laid a smoke barrage to cover the panzers as they moved in for the kill

Julian's recce - motorcyclists to the right, find more Poles skulking in the woods

View of Paul's advance from the Polish lines

"Hurra!" (correct German spelling!) - and don't credit the Luftwaffe - my SIG 33 SPG took out the locomotive of the armoured train - although a moment later, Mark successfully bombed the first armoured artillery car as well!

The Germans moving forward all along the line

Having destroyed 17 Polish vehicles for the loss of 5 German ones, Paul reorganised his force ready for the final assault on the Polish town

The German left flank with no opposition left to worry about

On the German right flank, massed PzKfw I and II move up to support my infantry, as Polish tanks inflict some losses with mg fire

Last picture of the game - it was 4pm and time to call it a day - with the Poles declared the winners having prevented us from reaching the target bridge - mind you, if they had not spent almost 90 minutes deciding on what forces to employ and where to position them before we were actually able to start the game (arrived at Barry's 950am, moved first troops 1120am!), we might have been able to achieve the aim of our operation! (Maybe that was Ricks strategy in taking so long to deploy the Poles....?!)

Great to catch up with all the guys after a three month gap, even though we were unable to really get to grips with the enemy, with the exception of Paul on our left flank, who did a sterling job with the panzers.