So long and thanks

Exploring the blogosphere recently I came across someone who had us listed under "Blogs I Follow". Given that we haven't posted anything since 2013 this is probably a bit inaccurate!

This blog was originally created in 2008 to help co-ordinate the development of a game under the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers banner (literally; I still have a physical banner) by a group of SOTCW members who had put on public participation games at a number of North of England venues.

For sheer nostalgia's sake here's a picture of Mark B and Richard C with a game we ran at Ellenroad Engine House at Milnrow, Rochdale. I'm guessing this would be in the 1990s.

SOTCW now appears to be in a moribund state, at least two teams of editors having decided that the days of a volunteer-run, specialist paper magazine (at least for a society of that size) are probably finished. Most of the contributors to this blog have moved on to other things so I think It's time we officially gave notice that this is an ex-blog.

If you want to see what some of the contributors have moved on to, please check out more up-to-date stuff as follows:

Terrain-builder and 20mm guru Will McNally can be found at Will's Wargames Blog.

Rob C aka Conrad's largely non-wargaming-related thoughts can be found over at BOOJUM!

Former Journal editor Richard Baber splits his time between Spain and Swansea. You can track his adventures at Baber on Wargames.

Richard Crawley continues to fail to focus on any particular aspect of wargaming. His butterfly-like flitting is documented at The Land of Counterpane.

And finally, the imagi-nation setting that grew out of the SOTCW game at Gauntlet in July 2008 can be explored through the Andreivian Tales blog. 

Road to Tebessa - AAR

Played the Road to Tebessa scenario yesterday at Gauntlet. As usual I got so caught up in the game that I didn't take pictures of all the action The game opened with Stukas circling the French defenders of the southern town Bordj Oum Ali (they failed to knock out the guns and only killed three of the defenders) French deployed around El Ma el Abiod Italian troops preparing to attack El Ma el Abiod from the east. German troops massing to the south. Italians commence their assault on the ridge to their north they succeeded in badly damaging one of the Stuarts rushing to support the defenders of El Ma el Abiod (They subsequently fell back fo two turns due to a poor morale check) The Germans decide to deploy the heavy tank company first (The players could bring on one company of their choice each turn) As the Stuarts flee their bigger brothers turn up to deal with the troublesome 20mm AT Rifle The French grimly hold on against the Italian assault The Germans proceed systematically, amassing their forces ready for an assault Having dealt with the AT Rifle the Grants move on to support the French and in a magnificent bit of shhoting take out all the Semovente company The german assault on Bordj Oum Ali gets underway just before the British arrive to reinforce the position Meanwhile the Italians are in serious trouble as the Americans concentrate on them "Where are the Germans, they should have arrived from the south by now?" For the British and French around Bordj Oum Ali things are not looking good either, already they have lost two Crusaders and a pair of 6pounders to the Panzers The US seem content with occupying a blocking position while finishing off the Italians (Their Motorcycle company was down to 5 figures by the game end, but had continually passed their morale checks) Finishing of the French defenders of Bordj Oum Ali and the remaining 6 pounders the Panzers push on as the Valentines flee The one success for the Royal Horse Artillery one heavy and one light damage inflicted on the Tiger US driving the Italian remnants south A final Stuka strike manages to disable the US commander's tank Game end - the Germans were on a roll and looked strong enough to defeat the Americans as they had very minimal losses. Rules were Rapid Fire

Road to Tebessa - the table awaits

All the tables , etc for gauntlet were set out yesterday afternoon and here's some pictures of the SOTCW table

Road to Tebessa - The Germans

Kampfgruppe, 10th Motorcycle Battalion

Veteran

Headquarters Company

1 x kübelwagon with 3 figures

1 x radio truck

Attached

1 x kübelwagon with FAC (2 figures)

1 x kubelwagen with OP (2 figures)

Scout Car Company

1 command SdKfz 231

3 x recon SdKfz 222

Panzer Grenadier Infantry Company

3 x SdKfz 251/1 (8 figs each) (I've used an assortment of 251 types)

1 x SdKfz 251/10 (1 x MMG, 6 figures)

Heavy Company

1 x light truck (8 engineer figures)

1 x 8cm mortar and 3 figures, light truck

1 x 75mm AT gun and 3 figures, light truck

Off-Board

3rd Battery, 90th Artillery Regiment

1 x 105mm howitzer

Deployment: The entire Kampfgruppe must be deployed on the battlefield, no closer than 50cm to Bordj Oum Ali (the south town), no closer than 50cm to the west board edge, and no farther than 50cm from the south board edge.

Kampfgruppe, 7th Panzer Regiment, 10th Panzer Division

Veteran ,

Headquarters Company

1 x kübelwagon with 3 figures

1 recon Pz II F

1st Tank Company

3 x PzKfw III J2

4th Tank Company

3 x PzKfw IV F2

Attached

1st Tank Company, 501st Heavy Tank Battalion

1 x Tiger I E

2 x PzKfw III N

6th Company, 69th Panzer Grenadier Regiment

3 x trucks with 8 figures

1 x truck with MMG and 6 figs

1st Battery, Hermann Göring Flag Regiment

Regular ,

Command

1 x 88L56 AA gun 4 crew, heavy tractor

1 x truck mounted 20mm AA gun, 3 crew

Off-Board

7th Battery, 90th Artillery Regiment

1 x 105mm howitzer

Deployment: The Kamfgruppe may enter the battlefield on the south road, One unit per turn, starting on turn 1. Units may be held back, but all remaining units must enter the battlefield on turn 8.

German Air Support

Turn 0 (before turn 1)

4 x Ju 87B “Stuka” dive-bombers will attack Bordj Oum Ali (the south town). They will either target visible entrenchments (that is, not inside the town) or the town itself if no enemy are visible.

Turn 4

2 x Ju 87B “Stuka” dive-bombers are available. They may be directed against an FAC-spotted target, or against a map target. If the mission is against a map location, the German player will drop a square of paper over the battlefield from a height of 1 meter; the place the paper lands will be the target point of a General Support mission. If the paper lands off the board, the mission does not arrive after all.

Turn 8

2 x Ju 87B “Stuka” dive-bombers are available. They may be directed against an FAC-spotted target, or against a map target. If the mission is against a map location, the German player will drop a square of paper over the battlefield from a height of 1 meter; the place the paper lands will be the target point of a General Support mission. If the paper lands off the board, the mission does not arrive after all.

Road to Tebessa - The Americans

2nd Battalion, 1st Armoured Regiment

Regular

Battalion Headquarters

1 command M3 Lee tank (I've used a Sherman)

1 M4 HTMC (81mm)

1 T30 HMC (75mm) (I've used an M8 HMC)

D Company

3 x M3 Lee medium tank

Attached

A Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Armoured Regiment

3 x M3 Stuart light tank

Company B, 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion

2 x M3 GMC (75mm) halftrack

1 x M6 GMC (37mm) truck

1 x T28 MGMC halftrack 37mm AA

2 recon jeeps with MG

C Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Armoured Infantry Regiment

1 x 37mm AT gun with 3 crew

2 x halftracks with 8 figures

1 x halftrack with MMG and 6 figures

Attached Off-Board Support

A Battery, 175th Field Artillery Battalion

1 25-pounder field gun with 4 crew (had to use a 105mm as the figures were fixed with the gun)

Deployment: All units start off-board. One unit may enter the battlefield on the north road per turn, starting on turn 1. Units may be held back, but all remaining units must enter the battlefield on turn 8.

Road to Tebessa - the Italians

XVI (16th) Battalion, 10th Bersaglieri Regiment

Regular

Headquarters

1 x car with 3 figures

1 x radio truck

1 x recon AB-41

Motorcycle Company

Regular

3 x platoons of 8 figures with motorcycles

1 x support platoon with MMG 6 figures and a light truck

Motorized Company

Regular

3 x trucks with 8 figures

1 x truck with MMG and 6 figures

AT Company

Regular ,

2 x 47mm AT guns with 3 crew and a light trucks

Attached

AA Battery

Regular ,

1 x Autocannone 90 (truck-mounted 90L53)

101st Semovente Battalion

Regular ,

4 x Semovente L40

103rd Company, 10th Arditi Regiment

Veteran ,

2 x recon AS 42 Sahariana 20mm AA and 3 crew

1 x recon TL37 47mm AT and 3 crew

1 x recon TL37 with 20mm ATR and 3 crew.

 (Off-Board)

1st Battery, 5th “Superga” Artillery Regiment

1 x 75mm howitzer

Deployment: The HQ, Motorcycle Company, 103rd Arditi Company may begin the game on the battlefield; they must be placed within 25cm of the east board edge and the east road. All other units may enter on the east road when the commander desires, but no more than one unit may arrive in a turn. Units may be held back, but all remaining units must enter the battlefield on turn 8.

Road to Tebessa - the British

Bladeforce

Headquarters

Regular ,

1 x car with 3 figures

1 radio truck

Attached

Elements, 84th Light Antiaircraft Battery

1 x Bofors 40mm AA gun, 3 crew

1 x light truck

1 x OP carrier with 2 figures

B Squadron, 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry

Regular ,

1 x recon Daimler II armoured car

2 x recon Humber II armoured car

2 x recon Daimler scout cars

1 x recon jeep with MG and 3 figures

C Squadron, 17/21 Lancers

Regular

2 x Crusader III

2 x Valentine III

B Company, 10th Rifle Brigade

Regular

2 x light trucks with 8 figures

1 x light truck with MMG, ATR and 6 figures

2 x recon carriers with 3 figures each

254th Battery, 72nd Antitank Regiment

Regular

4 x 6-pounder AT guns with 3 crew each

4 x light trucks

Attached, Off-Board

C Battery, 12th RHA Regiment

2 x 25-pounder field guns

Deployment: All units start off-board. Recon squadron enters on turn 1 on southwest road. Thereafter, the commander may to bring a unit of his choice on the battlefield per turn on either the southwest or northwest roads.

Units may be held back, but all remaining units must enter the battlefield on turn 8.