Innholdsfortegnelse for WSS 131 i Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy

“The hedgerows in each field provide excellent cover and concealment to the defender and present a formidable obstacle to the attacker. Numerous adjoining fields can be organized to form a natural defensive position echeloned in depth. The thick vegetation provides excellent camouflage and limits the deployment of combat units… Consequently, anyone occupying … would have a distinct advantage …” — Leo Daugherty, Battle for the Bocage (2015) If the landings were not hard enough, off the beaches, the Allies faced a new threat: the natural terrain of Normandy. This consisted of thick hedges or bocage and proved a formidable obstacle. Each field could become a fortress, and this considerably slowed the Allied advance in June and July. The battles throughout the summer saw fierce resistance and several attempted German counterattacks.…

By 1944, the British Army was a mix of volunteers and conscripts. Units were typically a mix of men who had seen action earlier in the war, serving alongside those who were fighting their first battles. The number of 17-year-olds in the Commonwealth War Grave sites across Europe is proof this was still a young man's war. A typical British infantry platoon was composed of about 36 men divided into three sections and led by a platoon commander, assisted by a hierarchy of NCOs. In Normandy, most of the corporals and sergeants would carry Sten sub-machine guns, whilst officers typically carried pistols. Each section was commanded by a corporal and was split into a rifle team and Bren team, giving a balance of firepower and manoeuvrability. This structure enabled quick…

While the Nazi German resistance was fierce, the Allies gained a foothold on the beaches and slowly moved inland. By late July and August, the Allies were finally in the position to break out of Normandy, and with the additional pressure of the Soviet Bagration offensive, German forces were near breaking point. This brief review looks at the different scales you can collect an American, British, and Commonwealth force in. We have concentrated on standard infantry, with the odd exception. Early War Miniatures sent us a Jadgpanther, so this has been included instead of missing them out. As always, space and time restrictions prohibit us from covering every manufacturer. Unfortunately, Skytrex very narrowly missed our deadline, so their review will be put up online. This time, we managed to include…

Meat Grinder: The Battles for the Rzhev Salient 1942-43 By Prit Buttar ISBN: 978-1472851819 (Osprey Publishing, 2022) - £16.99 This is an ambitious book, covering the attritional battles fought between the Red Army and the forces of the Third Reich between 8 January 1942 and 31 March 1943. The bloody fighting on the Eastern Front continued regardless of the season and only the worst weather conditions would actually halt the fighting. It was truly bitter and savage, and this book highlights just one campaign in the Great Patriotic War. The author starts with an overview of Operation Barbarossa, concentrating on the challenges of the Blitzkrieg tactics when faced by the enormity of the Soviet Union, and focuses on the progress of Army Group Centre in its drive on Moscow. This…

Joan of Arc, Ada Lovelace & Audrey Hepburn Company: Bad Squiddo Games Size: 27mm ‘foot to eye’ or 30mm tall Era: Various historical periods Price: £5.00 each www.badsquiddogames.com Bad Squiddo games launched a special venture last year, ‘The Community Miniatures’ project, aiming to bring famous women from history to the tabletop. Members voted for which particular historical character models they would like brought to life in 28mm. Here, we review Joan of Arc (the maid of Orleans and saviour of France), Ada Lovelace (daughter of Lord Byron and mathematician who is credited with the first computer program), and Audrey Hepburn with Cat the cat (her likeness is taken from the romantic comedy film, Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)). Sculpted by Alan Marsh, each of these marvellous characters is full of detail…

2NZEF (2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force) was originally destined for training in Egypt, shipped out in three echelons. Following the German invasion of France, the Second Echelon was diverted to defend British shores. Arriving in Scotland in June 1940, this ad hoc force included elements of the Divisional Cavalry, and the 28th (Maori) Battalion - a unique-looking fighting force for the wargamer looking to play out Operation Sealion! The diaries of the 28th Battalion note it was July when the men were first issued British-supplied battledress to replace their patchwork and care worn serge uniforms, holdovers from the Great War. TANKS FOR THE SUPPORT! 2NZ's first dedicated tank support came from the British 9th Armoured Brigade, placed under Kiwi command for Operation Supercharge. These American-built, British-painted M4 Shermans were granted…

Shot, Steel & Stone Rules for Wargaming the Horse & Musket era in European and Colonial settings By Henry Hyde (Gladius Publications, 2024) £12.35 Dice: D6 and D5 Alternate Turn (IGO-UGO) I enjoy rules written by Henry Hyde. He writes rules that are straightforward, comprehensive, and most importantly quick both to learn and play. This set of rules are the product of an evolving rules set, and this copy is an updated version of these rules. The scope is to present a rules set that cover the period 1685 to the mid-nineteenth century when smoothbore muskets were more or less consigned to history. The rules have the feel of ‘old school’ and newer thinking blended when it comes to gaming. Units are based on standard bases, with the number of…

By Andy Saunders ISBN: 978-1472862402 (Osprey Publishing, 2024) - £15.99 I guess I always wondered why they call the combat between aircraft dogfights? But I digress. This is the twelfth book in the Osprey Dogfight series – this one covers the Germans most numerous fighter of the Battle of Britain, the Messerschmitt Me Bf 109 E. This plane was still in use at the end of the war having gone through various updates and revisions. The book begins with a focus on the Jägerschwader (JG) 51, and then goes onto tell us the condition of the unit and its commander. This section of the book is nicely illustrated with photographs including some nice photos of nose emblems for those masochists who paint such things on their blood red skies models.…

COLUMN An instant of flickering anger finds fault in the innocent rattle can, but – alas – there is only one culprit and there is no getting away from it. Now, it has been a while since I made that mistake, though I still live in dread every time I pick up a can of spray varnish. The mere thought of it chills me to the core even as I write. Once, on one of those bleary-eyed, far-toolate evenings getting ready for a wargames show, I managed to lightly pass a white primer spray over a whole unit of goblins instead of varnishing them as intended. Too tired and dispirited to continue, I went to bed. The next day, the regiment duly appeared in the demonstration battle complete with its…

While on paper the attack suggested a veritable array of vaunted Panzer units, the reality for OKW was far different. The Panzer Divisions in the West were torn asunder by weeks of fighting and all of them were low on men, machines, and fuel. It was not a good omen for an offensive. Four Panzer Divisions (116th, 2nd, 2nd SS and 12th SS) would attack at midnight, with the 1st SS Panzer Division held in reserve. On the Allied side, the US forces had been forewarned of the German plans by Ultra intercepts and had moved units to counter any German move. British and US aircraft would be poised waiting for first light to strafe and bomb anything they found. The US 30th Infantry Division would bear the brunt of…

COLUMN In miniature wargaming, this has been used for the creation of new miniatures lines, ranges of paints, brushes, terrain, and to bring new rules to life. Crowdfunding is not a shop, however, there is no guarantee that those funding the project (referred to as ‘investors’ or, more commonly, ‘backers’) will get what they paid for or in the format they expected, especially within the proposed timeframes. Similarly, the products offered to the backers are often called ‘perks’ or ‘rewards’ rather than goods. There is a good reason for using the language of investment rather than the language of commerce. The backer is purchasing a risk; they take on the risk that the project they back will not provide the promised rewards in the timeframe or to the standard that…

World War II Skirmish Rules By Alex Buchel and Alex Verger (Studio Tomahawk, 2024) £32.00 Dice: D6, D8, D12 Card Activation V for Victory is a World War 2 game designed for 2 to 4 players commanding a platoon-level force on a 4’ x 4’ tabletop. The game is designed in a way to emulate the nuances of war, where being aware of your own troop quality, terrain, and enemy movements is key. Gameplay To play, players need: the rulebook, a deck of V for Victory cards (which include activation and bonus cards), measuring rulers (which are available to purchase but players can note the measurements used in the game and use other methods to measure), markers, tokens, and a set of polyhedral dice (which are key to the core…

TELEGRAPH POLES I wanted to make telegraph poles for an American Civil War scenario I have been working on. After the customary research, I discovered that the poles were tapered. So, what would be best way to make them in 28mm? The answer was staring me right in the face! On my painting table, I have a pot with several old wornout paint brushes. I keep them there because even though they are worn out, they may come in handy one day. For me, that day was today. Using a razor saw, I cut the handle down at the thickest point and sawed off the rounded end. I then took my razor saw and held it at 90 degrees to the handle. With a few strokes along the length of…