WW2 Western Desert Turn 5

The Western Desert campaign turn 4 ended when the Allies called off their counter offensive having drawn and lost their two engagements. Turn 5 begins with the dicing for supplies, Axis forces require a 3+ to receive supplies and get a 3, and Allied forces require a 2+ and get a 2.

The supplies were gratefully required by the Allies having missed out last turn. All their divisions will be able to refit and reequip. Axis forces with the exception of one Italian infantry division are in a good state and will take the offensive in this turn.

Supply Tracker prior to supplies arriving.

The attacking units are positioned on the map and the defending division mixed up and placed face down. Then the attacking division is selected to attack and their opposing division is revealed. The terrain will be determined and the game setup for this coming weekend.

Campaign map

First engagement for turn 5 decided.

Earlier this week I felt like something different and opted for a quick Crossfire game set in WW2 Burma. On the tabletop there are three of Allied platoons seeking out two Japanese platoons as the advance on either side of the track.

Tabletop setup for WW2 Burma

Close combat in the jungle.

Allied infantry

WW2 Burma game using Crossfire rules

This past Saturday I finally finished off all my planned WW2 Burma figures. There are not many. Each side is made up of two packets of Airfix infantry, plus an Anti-Tank gun with tow and a couple of tanks. I may yet add a couple of mortars for each side.

WW2 Burma Armies - they each fit nicely in a draw. Very useful as storage starts to become more of an issue.

This whole project was very opportunistic. Starting with a spontaneous purchase of two packets of WW2 Japanese infantry. I have always had in the back of my mind the thought of using Crossfire rules in a WW2 Burma setting. When I first purchased them a few years back, and until this weekend they have been just sitting in a draw unused.

After a quick reading of the Crossfire rules as a reminder. A 4x4 foot tabletop was set up using all the jungle terrain I made a few weeks back (jungle post here). The terrain features are marked using some dark green teddy bear fur cut into shapes and the jungle placed on top. The fur is meant to look like long grass, possible a bit too dark and needs to be lightened somehow. While the brown felt represents depressions.

Terrain all laid out for a game.

For my first game using these rules I wanted to keep it reasonably straight forwarded. The Japanese had two platoons with a company commander and machine gun with the objective of holding off the advancing Australians. Who had three platoons and a company commander with a 2 inch mortar and HMG.

Australian company.

A reduced Japanese company.

Here are some pictures of my first game. As with most first games using rules you are not familiar with, they can be frustrating affairs as you regularly re-read rules for clarifications and memory lapses. The latter do seem to be on the increase now-a-days.

Japanese squads take up position 

Two platoons and company commander take up position in a depression.

The third Australian platoon secures the other flank.

Australian sections move into the long grass and receive reactive fire from the defending Japanese. The matchsticks represent pinned and suppressed sections. One for pinned and two for suppressed.

On the other flank, Japanese sections push forward into a depression. This was a mistake, I should have moved them into  the cover of long grass.

A clear line of fire for a Japanese machine gun.

Australian move up ready to assault the Japanese. Too much rule checking on how to assault meant there are no pictures of the assault)

After successfully storming the depression the Japanese machine gun is engaged.

With the Japanese machine gun occupied on the other flank. The commander with one section are able to move around the flank.

The game is in the balance as the Japanese flank become threatened.

Another assault to clear out the Japanese defenders.

A final attack supported by the 2 inch mortar finishes off the machine gun.

So having just played my first game. I do like the rules and was starting to get in the swing of things as the game progressed. The rules certainly give that company level feel with troops rushing from one terrain feature to another.  Because I mostly use a gridded tabletop for wargaming I didn't really notice the lack of measuring, which is a notable feature of the rules where nothing is measured, movement and shooting.

WW2 Burma project second part

No wargaming this weekend, although I may be able to get a quick game later tonight. Most of my time this weekend has been on making inroads into the Commonwealth WW2 Burma forces to line up against the small but completed Japanese.

WW2 Japanese with recently completed jungle terrain

All figures are Airfix

Progress on WW2 Commonwealth forces

While waiting for paint to dry I am flicking through "Battle - Practical Wargaming" by Charles Grant.  

WW2 Burma project progress

I am hoping to complete all my WW2 Japanese forces required for a small Crossfire games this week. The infantry units are now complete. The sharp-eyed readers may notice the anti-tank gun crew are somewhat Russian in appearance. I purchased a second-hand Russian anti-tank gun and replaced the gun shield to represent a 47mm type-1 gun.

And I am now moving on to the few vehicles required. All were second-hand purchases from www.hindsfiguresltd.com. which I have used over the last year to pick up a number of less common WW2 vehicles.

WW2 Burma project preparation begins

Over the last couple of months I have been slowly painting up a collection of plastic Spencer Smith Napoleonic units.  I am about half way through them and its time for a short break and a change.

A while back I purchased some Airfix WW2 Japanese troops and have since then picked up a few vehicles and tanks and Allied forces for a game using the Crossfire rules. The last couple of models I ordered arrived this weekend past. So it was timely to finish off a couple of Napoleonic units I was working on and start preparing the Burma forces.

A British Armoured Car was also purchased for my Northern Europe games - I could not resist

I plan for the Crossfire forces to be small, about a company of men with support of a tank, AT gun and a couple of heavy weapons.

A Japanese Company and Napoleonic unit being finished off in the background.

Part of the weekend was spent cutting out the stands, cleaning up the WW2 Japanese models and preparing them for painting. I also visited the library to get some reading material on Burma. I started collecting this project on a whim having spotted the Airfix models, and have limited knowledge of the campaign history.

Currently reading "We Gave Or Today - Burma 1941-1945" by William Fowler