Thursday, December 24, 2020

Mycenaen and Trojan Heroes

 (l-r) Ajax, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, and Achilles...

Patroclus (l) sparring with Aeneas (r)...
...and flipped...
(l-r) Mycenean Hero Clonius matches up against Trojan Ennomius. (names taken from The Illiad); while Mycenean Agapenor is wondering why the Trojans Amphius and Chronius had to double up on HIM!
Common warriors taken from Myceneans (l) and Troy (r)...
More Mycenean (l), Eumelus, Guneus, Idomeneus, Leitus, Medon;  and Trojan (r) Heroes, Glaucus, Hippothus, Memnon...
Another batch of common soldiers from both Greece and Troy...



Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Jason and the Argonauts

 Since our states' second slow down in response to Covid, having been working on an eclectic group of figures; first up, the Argonauts. Most are from Foundry, while four (inc the LARGE Jason) are Footsore (second, and fourth from left; third and fifth from right). While i have loved the miniatures out of Footsore for years, these are my least favorite ever. Think ill have to use the giant for some super-sized Greek!

Next we have the King of Colchis with some of his guards. All are Foundry...



More from the Greek World

 Coming from Footsore's Mortal Gods range,  a group of Spartans. These are a combo of hard-plastic and metal, enabling you to model numerous poses.

Here is King Priam of Troy, with his sons, Hector and Paris, with guards. Figs from Foundry...



Thursday, December 3, 2020

The final Battle, Otta, 28 April, 1940

 Following the 15 Brigade's second battle of the Norwegian Campaign at Kjorem, it was the turn of the Green Howards to attempt to halt the inexorable German advance.

The first view is from the north, again the British perspective, with Otta center frame...

Now the view from the south (German perspective). The first German troops can be seen on the left bank...
German troops move northward, while an airstrike misses an outlying farmhouse (not occupied actually because the Allies learned the Germans always destroyed the buildings first...
Just as the Germans failed historically to do effective recon, the ambush is sprung, and it is deadly as numerous Germans go down as well as some Shaken (yellow pins). German return fire does score some Shaken but no casualties...
As the first German armor advances up the highway (a Sdkfz 221 AC), a 25mm ATG scores a direct hit...
The firefight in the western hills continues, while the German squad is nearly destroyed. Support can be seen in background...
The new German squad has some success, but the Brits are still holding...
And now they too are taking casualties! This is what the British need, a piecemeal attack...
A second Sdkfz AC (top center) moves north along the highway, not knowing that another 25mm ATG is lining it up (upper left)...
Meanwhile, as the fight in the western hills, continues, the second German squad has taken heavy losses as well...
The Armored Car pays for its rashness, and is also destroyed (the second 25mm is in upper left). Two shots, two destroyed Cars. With two squads knocked out of the fight at the cost of four Brits, this is a much better turnout for the Allies!
The Germans luck changes for the better, as a new squad comes under fire on the highway, but suffer no casualties. An artillery barrage smashes into the British entrenchments...
Another unsuccessful airstrike on Otta itself (again, the structures are all unoccupied)...
Now the German squad on the highway pays for its advance, losing its MG team (the double-washer stand) along with several riflemen...
Another artillery barrage is not as deadly, but British return fire is...
Yet another German squad smashes into the British defenses, this time leaving only one unaffected Tommy in his foxhole...
The Germans appear to be finally gaining the upper hand...
While the Brits are holding desperately holding their position on the highway...
More Germans now make their appearance (a whole lot more actually, including, a Pz 1 and Pz II, and the Propaganda Tank!)...
The great British luck continues as all three German tanks (PzII on left, with PzI and Propaganda Tank upper right) are destroyed (medals for the AT gunners!)...
Time is running out for the Brits overlooking the highway however...
And finally, the Brits are destroyed...
As the battle draws to a close, a reserve British squad counterattacks in the hills, and inflicts heavy casualties...
And so the campaign came to a close. More than a dozen battles, between Norwegians, Brits and Germans. It went pretty much the way it did historically, but the gaming was enjoyable. Leave your comments and hope you enjoyed. It also turned out to be our last gathering for the time being,  at the local shop, Collectormania, in Parker, Colorado. Covid upticks have closed the shop down for gaming. Will certainly miss our gatherings and look forward to the return to action in the near future! Hope all are keeping safe, and trust your die rolls are going well!








 























Sunday, November 29, 2020

27 April, 1940: Battle of Kjorem

 After retiring from Kvam, the York and Lancaster Battalion of the 15th Brigade, occupied entrenched positions at the small village of Kjorem. The British finally had an armored (?) element, consisting of the Carrier Platoon from the Green Howard Battalion, also of the 15th.

This view fro the north (British perspective) shows Kjorem left-center of photo. The wide Lagen River is portrayed with numerous channels only passable at the narrows just north of Kjorem itself...

Now from the German (southern) perspective. The hills on both flanks are lightly wooded, but it is actually the only snow covered terrain. The thaw has begun...
German ski troops appear on their left flank while infantry start up the highway...
More German ski troops next move into the woods on the right flank...
As the Germans advance up the highway, they are ambushed (just as they were historically) and begin to take casualties...
German armor makes its presence known, as the British squad stationed there is decimated...
On the eastern hills, German ski troops overrun an 25mm ATG (center, large empty emplacement)!
And unfortunately for the British 'armor', an air strike and German artillery have rendered them basically ineffective...
In the western hills, two British squads are being flanked and also taking casualties...
Back on the highway, German armor passes through the now unoccupied positions...
One British carrier attempts to escape across the river...unsuccessfully. Up in the hills, a British squad is counterattacking and inflicting serious losses on the lead ski squad (upper right)...
But more German troops are arriving (left of center)...
A British squad is nearly wiped out while the German ski squad doesn't have much left either. Lower down on the secondary road, the British squad there is also hard-pressed...
As the battle draws to an end, with the British withdrawing, German armor surveys the heavily damaged village...
The campaign winds down...


 

















Monday, November 23, 2020

Battle of Kvam: Second Day

 At sunrise, the Germans began their advance, but the lead Pz I was blown apart...


...by a hadden 25mm ATG!
The Germans advance on the island also saw a barrage that laid low the initial advance...
Yet more Germans push forward on the island, and hit the Brits hard...
With their armor stymied, the Germans push up more infantry on the south edge of Kvam...
On the ridge east of Kvam, pressure is building (lower left and lower right) on the British defenders...
The British 81mm mortar continues its devastating effect. blasting more Germans moving on the highway...
Clearly out one British squad on the ridge (upper right), but now a second appears (lower center-right) and attempts to slow down the advance...
Fighting on the island intensifies as a German squad close assaults the British foxholes...

The British on the ridge, drop German casualties while getting pinned and shaken, while Germans continue their advance along the highway (upper left)...
The Germans succeed in clearly some of the foxholes while British survivors grimly hold on to their positions...
Up on the ridge, the Germans overrun some of the foxholes there...
to be continued...