Operation Barbarossa Battle

So for the first time in a long time I went down to Lancaster Wargames Club and made the debut of my German Cavalry with AE. Had a good fun game - tested some hypotheses and met up with people I haven't seen in a while. It was also good to get the models out on tabletop.

Cavalry Regiment Deployed

Although I don't have a battle report I can advise of my findings:

• As expected, cavalry just can't stand up and force its way through formed infantry, but it does seem to have the mobility to exploit gaps (the scenario didn't really allow for this). They are also really susceptible to artillery.

Kradshutzen Arrive to outflank

• Early war Panzer Grenadiers mince their way through Soviet Infantry (only casualties were caused by friendly fire).

Panzer Breakthrough

• Early War Panzers are really glad they have good command - they also can't sit in front of anti-tank guns. They also don't have great guns on them and really rely on the infantry to support them. Having said that they are monstrous when overrunning infantry in the open.

KV-2

• KV-2's are scary when they fire (this one stand blew away 2 Panzer 3 platoons) but are still vulnerable to mass flank/rear fire when unsupported. If the Russians had enough command to get the infantry alongside it I don't know how I could have taken it out. On a side note Panzerjager 1B are actually quite good as tank hunters in early war (Anti-Tank 4)

If I was to play this sort of scenario I would play the cavalry as an exploitation force or mobile flank guard - asking them to break through isn't something they are going to be able to do.

I also would try to move more - my back is killing me this morning and has doubly confirmed to me that I'm not going to be able to play football against Burnley Tornadoes. Having said that I should probably let you know what happened on Sunday! 

1/23 Grenadier Battalion, German Engineers and Mess

So as previously mentioned, on here and on Facebook, I was undecided as to how I was going to base my Grenadiers. Well I've decided to go for the column formation and here are the results:

1st Grenadiers have the white stripes on the helmets and red lapels whilst 23rd Grenadiers have the red stripe and no lapels. Both units had Silver Helmet faces. The lapels etc are based of the parent regiments colours from which they are drawn. For whatever reason this was standard practice throughout the armies of the Seven Years War - although there were some standing grenadier regiments in the Prussian Army.

I also finally finished off the last stand of 2er Reiter Regiment for 1941 - my Pioneer Platoon all ready for a game tomorrow.

Flame and Horse

Last but not least I also flocked the anti-tank batteries for Soviet Infantry I showed previously:

47mm ATGs

I keep plodding on but I really need to tidy my shed and work board (which I use to bring my work inside so I can listen out for kids).

Update (August 2016)

So I've painted all sorts of bits and bobs but aren't really massively moving forward with any. Really need to pick just one and paint that. Having said that - I've no actual planned games in near future so I guess its more about enjoyment at the moment.

To give you an idea of how disorganised my painting is at the moment I have painted the following in the last few weeks.

• Soviet 10mm Armour
• Soviet Heavy Mortars and HMGs
• German 10mm Armour
• 2 Prussian SYW Cavalry Regiments
• My Gronn Flamme Warband for Frostgrave

1st Prussian Hussars

Both my seven years war cavalry and my warband still need their based doing as I'm undecided how to do them (hence why their pictures have "snow" bases presently. As such their official posts will come when these are done.

And now I have got back to scenery. I've got plans for a few different things for my Frostgrave terrains and once I really get into it I'm going to start mass manufacture to sell a few I think. Here's my first (single storey) ruin's walls.

I will also be making towers, columns, archways, wells and larger buildings until I can cover a table. I'm going to make them fairly generic so that I can use them for other periods (Stalingrad perhaps or Skirmishes in Hue for my Tour of Darkness campaign).

Early War German Reinforcements

So didn't get a huge amount done besides large quantity of texturing some bases. But did get a few reinforcements (which you've already seen WIP pictures for).

First of all the Panzers - I had 12 of these but over time - lots of moves I opened them up to find I only had 4 turrets - quick email to Leon at Pendraken and the turrets are on their way as a separate order. But in the meanwhile I have finished these 4 - not sure about the markings but think they look ok.

Panzers!

The wash really helps detail the tank - also helped by the high quality casting allowing for the wash to settle. The crosses were black then white to help make them jump out.

Panzer IIIE with added foliage

I used lichen to dress the tank and this works well - just need to avoid overdoing it.

Herr Commander!

All in all looking good - building this up based on either 17th or 18th Panzer Division eventually but depends upon what campaigns that they were involved in. My Cavalry also gained reinforcements; HMGs and Recce for the infantry and the majority of the Panzerjager Battalion.

MG42 Teams

Sdkfz222

The recce needs its markings added to it but these shouldn't take long and will be on by time I repost the whole force in it.

Fear my mighty 37mm Shells

I've got to be honest I'm not sure how I use this force against counterattacking Soviet Tank Forces. I mean T26s, BT7s yes but I've just bought a KV2 just to see how much of a monster it is and I have very little to take it out. At least with a Panzer Division you have quite a few mobile anti tank guns and can always throw in your heavy artillery. My heaviest artillery is a single unit of 10.5cm Howitzers!

I've started on my Prussians but I haven't ordered the bases yet. So I'm painting a cavalry regiment at a time (1st Hussars should be done by end of week) so I feel like I'm moving forward.

Lobositz Prussian Cavalry Colours

So following on from yesterday's post, I've continued my research to determine the colours of the cavalry regiments. Whilst doing this I quickly realised that I would have to seriously expand my paints collection - not used to having to paint bright colours! First of all the Kurassiers (Cuirassiers) which are also wearing a blackened cuirass:

Regiment	Coat	Collar	Cuff	Turnbacks	Saddle
2	Yellow	Red	White	Yellow	Red
3	Off-White	Dark Blue	White	Off-White	Dark Blue
5	Off-White	Light Blue	White	Off-White	Light Blue
6	Off-White	Red	White	Off-White	Red
7	Off-White	Yellow	White	Off-White	Yellow
8	Off-White	Dark Blue	White	Off-White	White
10	Off-White	Red	White	Off-White	Dark Blue
11	Off-White	Light Blue	White	Off-White	Light Blue
13	Off-White	Red	White	Off-White	Red

As you can see - plenty of variety in the colours - I miss painting Horse and Foot for this reason - the armies look so much more vibrant. The Hussars are their traditional bright colours as well:

Regiment	Coat	Headgear	Pelisse	Collar/Cuffs	Saddle
1	Light Green	Brown (Green)	Dark Green	White	Dark Green
2	Red	Brown (Red)	Dark Blue	Dark Blue	Dark Blue
7	Yellow	Brown (Yellow)	Dark Blue	Yellow	Dark Blue

Finally the dragoons which don't have as much variety but still. They will still also have variety as opposed to their opponents.

Regiment	Coat	Waistcoat	Lapel/Collar/Turnbacks	Cuffs	Saddle
3	Blue	Yellow	Pink	Pink	Pink
4	Blue	Straw	Straw	Straw	Red
5	Blue	Straw	Red	Straw	Red

All in all very excited to get this lot painted up - each Regiment will be 9 figures strong on a 3" by 1.5" base so plenty of room to make dioramas.

Panzer Grey

Continuing this no plan painting action; some of which is because my polyfilla ran out so I can't base anything right now.

First I pulled out my small collection of Early War Panzers and decided to repaint them. Unfortunately I seem to have lost most of their turrets so I am left with a single PzIII 37mm, 2 PzIII 50mm and a PzIV with a short 75mm. However having painted them in a lighter grey I then used a brown wash and they look really good. I just need to add some appropriate markings and base them and this can be the core of a battlegroup to support my cavalry. Better pictures will follow.

Panzers!

 I'm also fleshing out my Cavalry - painting support weapons and starting on the building blocks for the 2nd Regiment.

HMGs

Whilst I had the grey out I've been working on my elephants (the cavalry have gone away to make some room). So far I think they look ok.

Heffalumps

Still doing bits and bobs - need to get more bases and just keep motoring. Still got a brigade of half painted Canadian Infantry to finish!

German EW Bicycle Battalion

Just to prove I am painting and its not all words:

Bicycle Battalion

The glues still drying on the bases but this is the core of the battalion. As per usual Pendraken figures and I have the command stand and support elements still to do but they should take little time.

To be honest I'm not necessarily working very efficiently for the purposes of the blog - what paint time I get now is wedged into small time gaps so I try and get as much done in one go as possible. So at the moment I have these, early war German support elements (37mm ATGs, MG42s, Mortars), Fallschirmjager AA Support, Numidian Cavalry, Carthaginian Forces, Prussian Seven Years War Infantry (in 6mm) all on my table - you can see some of the mess in the background.

Now I need an actual rule set to use for Seven Years War (6mm). I'm probably going to base battalion groups on 3" x 1.5" bases as per Volley and Bayonet but I've also got a copy of Osprey's "Honours of War" rules which use multiple stands per battalion. Now I might be able to amend these and use markers to show casualties, formations etc but are there any others people could suggest?

Withdrawal Symptoms

So I've not been to Lancaster Wargames Club in quite a while now (apparently its surviving without me) and I'm starting to get withdrawal symptoms. I still think I've made the correct decision and American Football is really clicking with me (Outside Linebacker/Safety/Aceback) and my team (Morecambe Bay Storm) are coming together.

Despite this I still feel the pangs of missing battling it out on tabletop (Rome Total War only goes so far) and me and the missus seem to be playing less boardgames for whatever reason.

I had a look at my 28mm Vietnam stuff the other day but I've not got the energy to run a Tour of Darkness campaign and I don't have enough for a full company action.

So I'd like to play a WW2 game at mine - I have scenery, a table, a few ideas and models. This is an open invite to the people of Lancaster (UK) to come along and play a game which could turn into a linked campaign depending on how it goes.

If someone has early war Russians or indeed Poles - these guys want a run out.

1er Reiter Regiment

So this has been a while in coming and is still missing a few bits but pretty much done. This is 1er Reiter Regiment from 1st Cavalry Division for Operation Barbarossa. Based up for house rules Spearkrieg Commander.

Orbat

Just missing from this list are; Engineers, Mortars and a HMG.

1er Reiter

As the formation primarily fought as mounted cavalry (as well as to cheapen the build) I have based the "Rifle" platoons as 1 cavalry model and 2 infantry.

Regimental HQ

Regimental HQ is still missing the engineer platoon and I may get transport (normally I just show that the unit is being towed by turning the unit around) for towed units.

Battalion Formation

I may also add some foliage to some of the gun teams to add a bit extra.

Rifle Platoons

Not sure how far I want to go with this force, it only existed in Divisional strength during Battle of France and Operation Barbarossa - in Poland it was Brigade strength and from 1942 onwards it reformed as a Panzer Division. Still its a bit of a different force and got me in the mood to paint 10mm cavalry (maybe my Carthaginian Army might get a look in?).