Vietnam War: NVA T-54 and PT-76 Companies

Earlier this year I put on a 6mm participation game on at Winter Wonderlard III, using Charlie Don't Surf for an 1973 Yom Kippur scenario set on the Golan Heights, which seemed to go down well with those that played it. Of late I have been thinking about what I could volunteer for Winter Wonderlard IV and whilst I am increasing interested in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War (Centurions vs Pattons anyone?), the tanks battles of the latter parts of the Vietnam War (1972-5) are also intriguing (and the war better known to potential players).

The picture of the ARVN 20th Tank Squadron in Osprey's Tanks in the Easter Offensive 1972 engaging NVA armour as they attempt to seize the bridge at Đông Hà has piqued my interest and I've been doing more research into it to see whether it would make for a good game, and this led me over the bank holiday weekend to painting up some spare 3D prints as North Vietnamese units...

First up was a company of T-54 tanks. A lot of illustrations of NVA (and ARVN) armour shows widespread use of foliage on tanks, so I experimented with some Woodland Scenics bushes which I tore up and glued to the models...

Along with the MBT's I also painted up a company of amphibious PT-76's which, whilst lightly armed and armoured, are surprisingly large.

The gun barrels on these prints are quite fragile and I've already replaced a few with wire. Fortunately a bit of foliage on them, disguises this to the casual viewer!

Overall I'm quite happy with the end result here, I've some spare M41's and M48's from my Cold War 1958 project sat in a Really Useful Box so I some ARVN armour could well be on the painting table soon.

June War: Egyptian SU-100 Mechanised Anti-Tank Company

Following on form the Egyptian Archers I painted up for the Tripartite Aggression/Suez Crisis/Sinai War of 1956, I've returned to the June/Six-Day War of 1967 painting up a company of SU-100's for the 1 Mechanised Antitank Battalion at the 1967 Battle of Abu-Ageila (aka Battle of Umm-Qatef).

Like the Archers the models are rescaled 6mm prints of the Bergman 3D STLs. 

Painted up in a basic overall sand pattern the models can be used for both 1956 and 1967, and also 1973 where they were utilised at Chinese Farm if I ignore the fact that by 1973 Egyptian AFV's had two or three colour came schemes.

ps, I have realised I painted the Egyptian crescents wrong the models (clearly looking at too many 2nd Indo-Pakistan War pictures and not double checking before painting!) - I will correct them at some point soon.

Western Desert: 7th Armoured Division

Following on from the tanks of Panzerarmee Afrika I painted up at the beginning of the month to use for Dan Mersey's Armoured Storm: The Desert War 1941-1942, I'be now completed most of their OpFor - a Crusader squadron of the legendary 7th Armoured Division!

Like the Panzer III's the models are Bergman 3D STL's scaled down and printed in 6mm. The first four troops (and command) are Crusader II's, the rear troop are Crusader CS tanks (though you need a sharp eye to notice!)

I've a few more things I want to paint up before I get a game in, such as some Strongholds (infantry, AT positions) to add some additional challenges, but almost ready to go.

'O' Group: Achtung Abrelard!

Having really enjoyed my first game of 'O' Group I was keen to organise a second game with Andy a few days later and we choose to play the second of Pete Curran's introductory scenarios that he had posted to the 'O' Group Facebook Group. In this scenario the Germans launch a counter-attack to recapture the farm the Americans had taken (presumably in a gap following the first game when my lads had been evicted at the death by Andy's Germans - maybe they withdrew after an Umpire review!). This scenario introduced armour and a number of other elements of the rules that had been stripped out the first introductory one.

The start of the game saw the American 81mm mortars launch a barrage...

Hitting an advancing enemy infantry Zug (platoon) from I Kompanie on the German right flank and inflicting two Shock on them.

The main German thrust however was on the left, Andy deploying a couple of Zugs of infantry from II Kompanie, a PzIH H Panzerzug and two Combat Patrols.

On the left he pushed two Combat Patrols forward checking the wood for American ambush positions...

And successfully spotting a hidden 57mm AT gun in the wood.

The American mortar fire switched target and stonked the German MG Zug, FOO and II Kompanie's commander, inflicting Shock on all elements.

The 1st Platoon of Able Company engaged the infantry of I Kompanie...

Inflicting some Shock on the advancing Germans.

Able Company's 2nd Platoon joined in the firefight but to no effect.

The Germans fired a barrage from their 80mm mortars...

Into the woods where Baker Company had deployed a 57mm AT Gun and Combat Patrol (as we were short of star tokens Baker Company used some French ones Andy had - an order has gone in to Heroics & Row to replace them all with figure bases).

On their left II Kompanie pushed forward and captured the Old Cottage.

The rest of the Kompanie moving over Cochon Hill. 

On the German right I Kompanie's 1st Zug was engaged in a firefight with Able Company.

With American Combat Patrols pushing forward to counter the German ones.

Having fired high, wide and handsome last time around, 2nd Platoon Able Company loosed another round of small arms fire at the advancing Germans...

I Kompanie 1st Zug taking enough Shock to suppress it.

Baker Company then engaged the Germans in the Old Cottage...

Inflicting a point of Shock on the Zug there.

The 57mm alongside them then fired some HE at the Germans...

Inflicting another point of Shock.

However it looked like AT rounds would be needed as the PzIH H Panzerzug pushed up past the cottage.

As I Kompanie 2nd and 3rd Zugs advanced up Cochon Hill, the rest of US Baker Company deployed in the woods below, waiting the advancing Germans...

On the German right, a Hetzer Panzerzug advanced towards Able Companies position...

Whilst the PzIVH Panzerzug tried, and failed, to take out US 57mm AT Gun to their front, but did manage to inflict two Shock.

Despite now being Hesitant the 57mm with Baker Company opened fire on the oncoming German armour...

Damaging the German Panzerzug (in 'O' Group one AFV model represents two vehicles so 'Damaged' effectively means one of the two has been taken out).

Keen to press the advantage Baker Company's CO issued the 57mm with a Command Order (effectively an extra order the cost of which in order tokens can vary dependent on the dice from 1 to 3). The 57mm AT gun fired for a second time...

Polishing off the whole tank section!

On the opposite flank Able Company continued to target the advancing I Kompanie troops...

Suppressing the enemy Zug...

Before the weight of American fire destroys one German section...

Then a second!

Matters were not entirely negative for the Germans, as 3rd Zug II Kompanie took control of Cochon Hill, the German phase line, which would allow Andy the opportunity to call up his reserves.

The German change of fortune was further demonstrated as they managed to take out the 57mm AT Gun with Baker Company.

The Hetzer Panzer Zug fire HE at Able Company in the woods on the German right flank...

Suppressing the 2nd Platoon.

Andy pulled back the survivors of I Kompanie's 1st Zug to prevent them being wiped out and causing another FUBAR.

The change of fortune saw Andy embrace the spirit of 1940 sending 1st Zug II Kompanie forward...

To take out the Suppressed 1st Platoon of Baker Company in the woods to their front.

However the advancing Germans found themselves under fire from Baker Company's 2nd Platoon in the neighbouring woods...

Whose unerring small arms fire Suppressed the German Zug!

The remnant of the PzIV Zug move forward and fired HE at the 2nd Platoon...

But only managed to inflict one Shock on the doughty American GIs.

The Hetzer's continued their fire at Able Company...

The 2nd Platoon taking Shock from the HE exploding around them.

Advancing over the flank of Cochon Hill the 2nd Zug II Kompanie opened fire on the 2nd Platoon of Baker Company in the effort to roll up the American right flank.

They managed to add another point of Shock to the Americans, who, despite now being Hesitant, returned fire...

Taking out one of the enemy sections (the fourth in total) and resulting in the Germans receiving their first FUBAR token (three would see them automatically lose the game).

The 3rd Zug II Kompanie engaged Baker Company's 2nd Platoon Suppressing it...

But came under fire from Baker Company's 3rd Platoon...

The American fire Suppressing the German Zug.

At long last American reinforcements arrived in the form of an M4 Sherman Platoon.

But would they be needed? Baker's 2nd Company rallied off a point of Shock and opened fire on the enemy Zug to their front...

Wiping out a second section of 2nd Zug Kompanie II.

With the German advance in imminent danger of coming to a halt, Andy deployed two Zugs from the reinforcements of III Komapnie on Cochon Hill...

Unfortunately through straight into a artillery barrage called by a circling L-4 Grasshopper spotter plane! The results were not as bad as they could have been but problematic in that the Kompanie CO and FOO were Suppressed and the MG Zug Hesitant and unable to advance towards the enemy.

Using a Spotting order Andy was able to uncover the 3rd Platoon of Able Company and a support Bazooka squad hidden in Abrelard farm.

And talking of Bazookas... the team attached to Baker Company's 1st Platoon snuck forward...

Scoring a Critical Hit on the remnants of the PzIV Zug!

Resulting in the Germans taking another FUBAR! Their mortars were also low on ammo and in need of resupply.

A fly-by from a Spitfire PR plane shows, with time running out, the German advance was stalling on Cochon Hill...

So after the "success" in the previous battle, Andy decided to try another of his 'Hail Marlene' moves and ordered 1st Zug Kompanie III to storm the farmhouse and evict the troops of Baker Company within...

Unsurprisingly, and despite inflicting two points of Shock on the defenders, the German Zug is badly mauled, becoming Suppressed and losing a section...

Resulting in them fleeing back up Cochon Hill.

This was the end of turn 8 and unfortunately we had to call it a day there (the scenario is limited to 10 turns) with the Americans still in control of Abrelard Farm and with their armour moving up to take on the Heaters. Technically I had to destroy all the German tanks and hold the Farm to win but we agreed we could both see which way the cookie was crumbling here.

Another enjoyable game of 'O' Group, I really like the simplicity of the mechanisms and the emphasis on utilising orders and the combat patrols, expanding it to include some newer elements had proven successful. A quick post match discussion did lead to an agreement that it probably would be better in attack-defence scenarios to play across the shorter width of the table not down the length to allow more flanking and maybe we should beef up the attacking forces (give the old 3 to 1 rule of attacking a defended position). Of course I completely forgot all this when coming up for the scenario  for our next game!