The First Game has started! Well partly ...

Hi all

The first game has started. Still haven't completed the first Turn (which is 8 hours) so it may take a bit of time to finish.

Here's the starting position.

We've underway but it's a little slow progressing.

Cheers

The First Game is Nearly Here

Hello

While a long, long time has past, progress has been made.

Much of the time has been taken up with painting. My collection of West Germans in NATO 3 colour camouflage is nearly complete. LVPT7s and LAVs for US marines are done, though only in MERDEC. Various bits and pieces for Soviet Airborne forces, completed.

Perhaps the biggest task has been painting infantry bases. I now have sufficient bases of British in DPM and West Germans (in whatever they call their uniforms.)

Brits back left and right, West Germans front and back right

 US in BDU

Here's the US BDU close up

Though I still need to do US forces for the late 70s before the BDU was introduced about 1980 (as best as I'm able to determine.)

I also revamped my Soviets.

Motor Rifle Troops

 

Soviet Airborne

But the big thing is that the board for the Attack by the 2nd Guard Army has been laid out, the troops have been sorted, labelled and placed in readiness for the game to kick off.

Currently the delay is around settling on how to represent Soviet-Style Doctrine.  Mostly settled but not quite sorted.  Then there is my natural procrastination, I'm a master at that.

So, hopefully, soon, I will have begun and have something to actually report.

First Battle: The Attack of the 2nd Tank Army on the British Army of the Rhine - The Setup

First Battlefield

Roll D4 to determine which route – rolled 1, therefore the Black Route.

Attack of 2^nd Tank Army on the British Army of the Rhine

Terrain:

Right hand side = North, from the (Eastern) Soviet side of table.

Black route, Battle hex 2

1. Open/City/River (Hamburg)	2. Forested	3. Open
4. Open/River	5. Forested	6. Open

Terrain boards:
Terrain rolls based on board  terrain type -

1. Open = 2,          Farm; River at Western edge; Hamburg (20 sectors) East
2. Forested = 1,    1 small forest; River at Northern edge
3. Open = 1,          no additional terrain
4. Open = 5,          a small forest
5. Forested = 6,     2 medium forest
6. Open = 1,          no additional terrain

Key terrain features:

1. City -           on board 1
2. Open = 1,   small Town (4 sectors) + Fields - on board 3
3. Open = 1,   small Town (4 sectors) - on board 2
4. Open = 8,   Bridge (over stream) - on board 6

Board for the Attack by the 2nd Tank Army on BAOR positions

Battle

Type: Russians Attack

Soviet Forces:

• 94 Guards Motor Rifle Division (Trained) (Regiment) – Rgt HQ; 1 Battalion with T64 (2); 3 MR Battalion with BTR60(3) (SA7-HW-AT4 Spigot(1)-LAW); ZSU23, BRDM3 AT5, 2S1 122mm How. (18)(direct), SA6B
• 16 Guards Tank Division (Trained) (Regiment) – Rgt HQ; 3 Battalions with T64 (2); 1 MR Battalion with BMP(2) (SA7-HW-LAW), 2S1 122mm How. (18)(direct), SA9
• 4 additional fighting Battalions from Division – Engineer Battalion (Trained) - 2 BTR60 plus supports (attached to 94 GMRD); Recon Battalion (Trained) - 2 BRDM2 Recce, BMP-R, BMP-SON (attached to 21 MRD); Rgt HQ of 21 MRD (Trained), 2 MR Battalions of BTR60(3) (SA7-HW-AT4 Spigot(1)-LAW) plus 2 T62 Co., BRDM2 AT3C and D30 122mm How. (18)(direct),
• 2 additional artillery battalions – 1 2S1 122mm How. (18)(direct)(attached 21 MRD) and 1 2S3 152mm How. (18)(direct)(attached 94GMRD)
• Remaining artillery and Helicopters are in general support – i.e. 1 2S1 122mm How. (18)(general), 1 D30122mm How. (18)(general), 1 D20 152mm How. (18)(general), and BM21 122mm Grad. (18)(general), and 1 Mi24 D (general)

Soviets

Combined Arms Capable	Yes	Mixed Commands	Yes	Full Mixed Commands	No
Major Commands Groups	Yes	Mixed Major Command	No	Asset Point Die	D12
Airpower Die		D12 (6 sorties)	FAO Spotting Quality / Die (Quality: Skilled)		D12
Engineering Quality / Die (Quality: Superior)		D12+1	Anti-Aircraft Quality / Die (Quality: Average)		D10
Electronic Warfare Quality / Die (Quality: Skilled)		D10	Recon Quality / Die (Quality: Skilled)		D12
Leadership Quality (CiC CD) (Quality: Skilled)		D12+1 (Superior Deck)	Troop Quality		Trained

NATO (British) Forces:

•  Reconnaissance Battalion (Experienced) – HQ 1-FV105 Sultan, 4-FV107 Scimitar, 1-FV102 Striker, 1-FV103 Spartan; Support: AA - 1 towed Rapier, 1 Javelin team
• 1st Armoured Division (Skilled) (Brigade) - Bgd HQ
  1AD-12th Mechanised Infantry Battalion (Trained) – HQ 1-FV432, 1-FV432 (HW-Milan (2)-LAW); 1-FV107 Scimitar, 2 FV432 combat teams; 1 Chieftain V; Support: 1 Engineer Company – 1-FV432 Engineers, 1-Chieftain AVLB
• 1AD 22nd Mechanised Infantry Battalion (Trained) – HQ 1-FV432, 1-FV432 (HW-Milan (2)-LAW); 1-FV107 Scimitar, 2 FV432 combat teams; 1 Chieftain V; Support: 1-FV107 Scimitar
• Mechanised Infantry Battalion (Trained) – HQ 1-FV432, 1-FV432 (HW-Milan (2)-LAW); 1-FV107 Scimitar, 2 FV432 combat teams; 1 Chieftain V; Support: 1-Lynx w/TOW(direct)
• 1 M109 155mm How. (24) Battalion (direct)(attached 1 AD); 1 M110A2 208mm How. (12) Battalion (general)

 NATO

Combined Arms Capable	Yes	Mixed Commands	Yes	Full Mixed Commands	Yes
Major Commands Groups	Yes	Mixed Major Command	Yes	Asset Point Die	D10
Airpower Die		D10+2 (6 sorties)	FAO Spotting Quality / Die (Quality: Superior)		D12
Engineering Quality / Die (Quality: Average)		D8	Anti-Aircraft Quality / Die (Quality: Skilled)		D12
Electronic Warfare Quality / Die (Quality: Skilled)		D10	Recon Quality / Die (Quality: Superior)		D12+1
Leadership Quality (CiC CD) (Quality: Skilled)		D12 (Superior Deck)	Troop Quality		Trained - Experienced

Objectives

The table is divided into 4 quarters (1.5’ x 1’). Each Russian and NATO home board has a key terrain feature, control of which determines control of the board (the last player to occupy it) and counts ½ point. Each Battalion (HQ and remaining Companies) exited from the opponents home board edge counts as ½ point. NATO set up on their home boards, and then Russians enter.

Air Conflict State:

Soviet – D8; Up 1 for more planes, Up 1 for initial surprise, giving D12

NATO – D8; Up 1 for superior planes, +1 for better trained pilots, +1 for AWACs, giving D10+2

Air Status Roll – Soviets = 2; NATO = 4;

NATO has Superiority – Up 1 on next Air Status roll; +1 to Air Support roll

Soviets have Inferiority – no change to Air Status roll; -6 to Air Support roll

Air Support roll:

Warsaw Pact – rolled 12-6 = 6 sorties; NATO – rolled 5+1 = 6 sorties

Anti-Aircraft State:

Soviets: troops have personal weapons (½), dense MANPADSAM (1)

Regiment AA / SAM systems (¾), PD (1) & AD (½) + 3 ¾

Soviet Airforce has Air Inferiority - ½

AA State = 3 ¾ - ½ =3 ¼; Average

NATO: troops have personal weapons (½), adequate MANPADSAM (½),

PD (1) & AD (½) + 2 ½

Soviet Airforce has Air Superiority + 1

AA State = 3+1=4; Skilled

Battle Plan and Deployment

The Battle Plans and Deployment of each side was made by selecting cards from a set of Battle Plan decks (Offensive and Defense), which produced the following:

Soviets – Envelopment of Both Flanks

1. Left, centre and right advance to contact.
2. Reserves move to get around flanks – Reserves arrive from the Move card following an enemy presence being identified

   [Each force ('regiment') was randomly allocated to a left, centre and right sector, or reserves.]

• 94 MRD – Reserve, Left
• 16 GTD – Reserve, Right
• Part 21 MRD – Centre

British – Single Defensive Line with Reinforcements

1. 1. On board troops deployed in the central quarters of the table, toward the centre
   2. Reinforcements arrive after a defined number of Move cards
   
   

   [Each force ('battalion') was randomly allocated to a left, centre and right sector, or reinforcements. With the delay of arrival determined as 3+D3 Move cards.]

• Reconnaissance Battalion – Centre
• 1^st Mechanised Battalion – Reinforcements (5^th move cards)
• 2^nd Mechanised Battalion – Reinforcements (4^th move cards)
• 3^rd Mechanised Battalion – Reinforcements (6^th move cards)

Rsrv                     Rsrv

Reinforcements (3+D3 Move cards)

Edited: 19/1/2016 - adjusted Order of Battle.

A Race to a European Conflagration

Hi all

I guess that a Happy New Year is warranted.

As foreshadowed in my last post I felt a need to do some gaming but also within the context of a broader campaign.  I therefore planned to a rejig a modern spearhead campaign called "Race to the Rhine" (RR) by the Wellington Warlords, with credit to several other predecessors.  This has turned into something I've called "Race to a European Conflagration" (REC).  The system follows RR closely but is modified to reflect the rules I wished to use, that is FoB:Modern.  It covers maps and axes of advance, AA, EW, weather engineering and air support, the types of battles and thus what Soviet forces and supports, and randomised NATO forces and supports, are available.

 

The year is 1982 and each of four Russian teams commands a Combined Arms or Tank Army (bathtubbed as a Division) in the Group of Soviet Forces, Germany, and the Central Group of Forces, that is tasked with advancing to the Rhine as fast as possible.

There are 4 possible axis of the advance to the Rhine:

• The first is the northern axis through Luneberg, Bremen – crossing the Weser river – to a crossing of the Ems river into the Netherlands aiming to cross the Rhine just north of Koblez.
• The second is through the tank country of the North German plains from Braunschweig, south of Hanover crossing the Weser river, then crossing the Ems river north of Dortmund, meeting the Rhine river at Dusseldorf.
• The third axis follows the fulda gap, passing by Frankfurt above the Main river, and crosses the Rhine river in the Vicinity of Mainz.
• The final axis is the southern one through rougher terrain from Czechoslovakia, south of Nuremberg to Stuttgart, crossing the Rhine at Strasbourg. 

 This results in the following Strategic Map:

 

Thus there are Four Armies present: GSFG – 2^nd Tank Army, 3^rd Shock Army and 8^th Guards Army, and CGF – 4^th Guards Army. The forces are as follows:

• Black Route: GSFG, 2^nd Tank Army – 94 GMRD, 21 MRD, 25 TD, and 16 GTD;
• Green Route: GSFG, 3^rd Shock Army – 10 GTD, 12 GTD, 47 GTD and 207 MRD;
• Purple Route: GSFG, 8^th Guards Army – 20 GMRD, 39 GMRD, 57 GMRD and 79 GTD; and
• Orange Route: CGF, 4^th Army – 31 TD, 18 MRD, 51 TD, 55 GMRD and 66 GMRD.

Each of the Divisions listed will be represented by a FoB regiment.


The unit types for these Divisions will be roughly defined by the following set of rules:

• Guards TD will have T64s and BMPs; except in CGF will have T62
• Guard MRD will have T64/62 and BTR or BMP; except in CGF will have T62 or T55
• Ordinary TD will have T64/62 and BMPs; except in CGF will have T62 or T55
• Ordinary MRD will have T62 and BTR; except in CGF will have T55
• Independent tank units – T62 or T64 in GSFG, T55 in CGF
• Guard Divisions will have SP artillery, while Ordinary Divisions will have Towed artillery, except all Divisions in CGF will be Towed.

The Strategic Map, above, was converted to a map, based on that for the boardgame Third World War, that indicated terrain types from which the tables for battles could be drawn.

 



















I used six hexes around each route number to form the basis for the terrain on the gaming tables, with the map defining four terrain types: Open, Forested, Rough and Forested Rough.  Then using a set of Tables and die rolls the gaming table is developed with towns, Cities, hills, forests, rivers and key terrain features as objectives.

Battle types are: Russians attack, Meeting engagement, Russians defend. Which battle applies randomly chosen, with a bias to Russians attack. The Russians have the option of delaying their advance and undertaking a Prepared attack, with additional supports.

The rough force matches, excluding supports, are:
A Russians attack result is likely to be 12 Soviet battalions versus about 4 NATO battalions;
A Meeting engagement result is likely to be 10 Soviet battalions versus 6 NATO battalions;
A Russians defend result is likely to be 10 Soviet battalions versus 8 NATO battalions; and
A Russian Prepared attack could be about 18 Soviet Battalions versus 6 NATO battalions.

NATOs forces may be weaker depending on the level of Soviet success in previous battles.

The forces available to the Russians in the campaign are essentially those that they start with with limited opportunities for replacements.

That, I hope sets the scene. Next I will set out the situation for the first battle - an attack by the 2nd Tank Army on BAOR defenders along the black route.

See you then.

Proof of Life ?

Hi all

Just to prove that I'm still up and running, here are some photos of the painting that I've been doing.

Russians - BTR80, BTR60, T72s, SP Artillery, PMP bridge, AA, BMD, etc

Canadian BMG - Centurions, Leopard 1s, M113s, Lynx, M150, etc

French - Armoured Division AMX30s, AMX10Ps, VABs, etc

French - the Armoured Division plus extras

United States - M1A1, M2 and assorted supports (all NATO 3-colour)

United States - M1 Abrams, M2, M60A1, M60A3 and supports (all MERDEC)

United Kingdom - Challenger 1, Bedford trucks and supports

I think that there are well over 450 models. I still have to base them (I'm sure that I said that last time I posted). Mind you I've been adding T80Us, T72 + ERA, T64 + ERA, so more to Base.

You may be wondering, or not, where I've got to with the Central Front Campaign system. Well, ... I fell down the rabbit hole that is what tanks, where and when, in the Group of Soviet Forces, Germany. Some progress, but not really resolved. Not sure its possible, at least not from public resources.

But, recently I got bored/itching to do some gaming. So, I've rewritten a "Race to X ... Campaign" to suit my own needs. I hope to get into it soon.

Cheers ...

The Soviets, Part 1

Well I'm back sooner than I anticipated.  Had a spot of time and some good sunlight, so I took photos of my Soviet Motor Rifle Division (MRD).

Now the organisation for this is based on the Modern Spearhead rulebook.  Recently, following up material suggested by Cold War Gamer, I've learned that for the period I'm interested in things were a little different.  I'll outline the organisation then comment on what should change.

As I've mentioned before I'm using FoB:Moderns for rules.  In terms of real to model scale, a tank, IFV stand represents between 12 and 15 vehicles, while AT guns, ATGW vehicles are 9 to 12 weapons.

This MRD has T72s, BMP1s and BTR70s.

First up, the Tank Regiment:

Regimental HQ group:

Regiment HQ std, BMP1 std, 2S1 (122mm) artillery battalion

3x Tank Battalion:

T72 HQ std, 2 T72 stds

Next, the BMP Motor Rifle Regiment:

Regimental HQ group:

Regiment HQ std, 2S1 (122mm) artillery battalion

3x BMP Motor Rifle Battalion:

BMP1 HQ std, 2 BMP1 stds

1 Tank Battalion:

 T72 HQ std, 3 T72 stds

 

And next, two BTR Motor Rifle Regiments (only showing one, the other is identical)

Regimental HQ group:

Regiment HQ std, 2S1 (122mm) artillery battalion

3x BTR Motor Rifle Battalion:

BTR70 HQ std, 2 BTR70 stds

1 Tank Battalion:

 T72 HQ std, 3 T72 stds

Finally, the Divisional Troops:

 Divisional HQ stand

Anti-tank battalion:

MTLB HQ std, T12 (100mm) ATG std, 2 BRDM3 (AT5) std

Reconnaissance battalion:

MTLB HQ std, 2 BRDM2 std, BMP-R std, BMP-SON std

(I'm missing the independent tank battalion of between 2-4 tank stands.)

So what's odd about the above organisation:

1) Given that I'm interested in the Group of Soviet Forces Germany (GSFG), the T72s should be T64s or T80s.  The T72s were mainly in Czechslovakia and the Western military districts.  Also this would have to be a mid-80s formation as it fully one type of tank, because between 1976 to 1985 the GSFG was transitioning away from T55s and T62s to the more modern T64/T72/T80.

2) I've given it two BTR70 Regiments when it appears that BTR70s and BTR80s were relatively infrequent and that BTR60s were still prevalent.

3) I've given all the regiments Self-Propelled (SP) artillery.  It seems that this wouldn't have been the case until the late 80s.  The Soviets progressively replaced their towed artillery with SP guns over the 80s starting with the tank and BMP Regiments.

4) The Divisional Recon battalion is too big.  I amalgamated the Recon companies with the Regiments to create the Divisional Recon battalion you see.  I'm thinking that I'll farm the BRDM2s back out to the Regiments, so I'll need to base a couple more.

5) Finally, I think that for late 80s MRDs I need to add an AT company to the BTR Regiments, plus increase the number T12 AT guns to two in the Divisional AT battalion.

Over the period from 1976 to 1990 Soviet MRDs and Tank Divisions (TD) grew.  The single BMP stand in the Tank Regiment became a battalion with 2-3 BMP stands, and the tank battalions of the Tank Regiments gained an additional stand.  Also, the BMP1s start to become BMP2s.  Another error would appear to be that the BTR Regiments should have had 3 BTR stands per battalion over all of this period, while the BMP battalions start to have 3 stands over the 80s.

As I noted last time, Soviet organisation was in a process of transition meaning that there was no absolute standard organisation that can be referred to.  This can be a creative situation, allowing a range of possible organisations to be fielded.

Now these models were painted some time ago and I think that my painting has improved some.  I plan to take them off their bases and repaint them.  This will allow me to increase the number of stands of BTR70s and the T72s.

So there are the first lot of Soviets.  There are more.  Next time I'll describe more of the Battle Generator.