Paintertainment

Actually, it's 'prepertainment' in this case.

My table/work bench in it's current glory.

I have spent my wargaming time of the past couple of weeks on those things that take a lot of time for little apparent, immediate ‘output’; prep’ing, undercoating and basing figures ready for painting. I am also back building ships in somewhat of a production line. I decided to finish all the ones that I have (and three scratch-builds) before the end of the year, which will only leave the eight ships in seven kits (one has two Japanese subs) that I have on order but are yet to be available. All going to plan, come end of December, the grand total built will come to 195 (32 made by Julian, 28 3D-printed and 137 made by me). These will cover all that I need/want for late ’41–’43 and I expect all for the late war actions too.

I have divided the ambitious plan that I devised earlier in the month into two time periods: October to December and January to March. The items in the first period are more ambitious than those in the latter, so we’ll see how much carries over, hahaha!

I have been watching some old classics (and not so classics) while I have been doing the figure prep. and ship building.

The Wild Geese

This latest film-watching feast was started by a post on Jeffer's Battle '77 blog that had me look to find a copy of 'The Wild Geese' to watch again. There is a digitised version from a VHS on archive.org. Perfect. Makes it like a home viewing ‘of the times'. I have not seen the film since an original viewing at the cinema in Darwin as a young fella. Geez it’s good. It has all the things that most modern films don’t. Plot, character development, not needing things to blow up in the first five minutes. In fact, there is not much ‘action’ until the last hour, but it is completely engrossing. Some excellent dialogue between the main characters. A two-minute sequence of the fellas flying on a herky-bird to the drop zone, alone in their own thoughts, fears and anticipation. The whole thing leaves you in doubt and with some angst over right and wrong. ‘Cept for merchant bankers. The rhyming slang always holds. Top flick.

As if on cue, Stu has posted about this top game.

Code Name Wild Geese

In searching for the above, I found this. Watched it first. What a load of drivel. Clearly Lewis Collins, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Van Cleef needed the cash. It has the quality of being made over a long weekend, but they took the last day off. It’s so bad that it is compelling to see how bad it can get. And a real laugh, coz it’s such a joke. Especially the car chase in the tunnel. Priceless.

Who Dares Wins

I had saved a copy of this and not watched it previously. I watched it after Code Name… It showed that Collins could act if script, direction and production were good. Not to the standard of 'The Wild Geese' (which I watched as the last of the three), but a pretty good script, good acting, dramatic moments. Our 'WA-own' Judy Davis as the femme fatale is excellent as well as pleasing to the eye.

The Master of Ballantrae

A 1984 TV movie. R.L. Stevenson was a weird cat wasn’t he? I remember trying to read 'Treasure Island' as a young fella. Could not get into it. This is darker stuff, characters with no redeeming features and a really convoluted tale.

The Devils

Another that I saved long ago but had not watched. A Ken Russell film based on, apparently, a book entitled 'The Devils of Loudun' by Aldous Huxley. Classic Russell stuff. Artistic, weird and wonderful but bloody ‘punchy’. A forever tale, about what happens when people give in to corruption, distortion of information, political witch-hunts and more. A tale very much for our times.

Midway

The ’76 version. I read the book and saw the film at the time. Have watched it again since, a few years ago. It was good then and is still good. Top cast, good script, use of archival footage, along with much from earlier films, including the excellent Japanese film "Storm Over the Pacific" (1960) which I watched last year. So, so much better than the CGI & World of Warships used in the recent re-make. They also used good mock-ups for Midway (Terminal Island Naval Base, Los Angeles, according to the entry in Wikipedia) and the Essex-class carrier USS Lexington was used for the close-up carrier scenes (for both sides). There are errors, naturally, Yamato is shown incorrectly with only double turrets, looking more like Nagato, the planes drop torpedos on Midway Island, sometimes Vals seem to be shown instead of Kates, Dauntlesses as Devastators, Corsairs (or Hellcats) instead of Wildcats. Yet it captured the tension so well. The good intelligence, bold, sound and poor command decisions and luck. “That is what I want to represent on the tabletop,” I was thinking as I watched the carrier scenes, planes in flight and combat scenes. The same reaction that I have had when viewing archival footage.

Here are some stills c/- the entry on IMDB.

Remember the big deal about 'Sensurround'?!

One of the big stars: a black cat (grey actually).

Kates in formation, shōtai of three planes. Re-used from "Storm Over the Pacific". 

Vals this time. Ditto the source

No it isn't!

Kates dropping torpedoes on Midway. I am pretty sure that it is re-used footage of the attack at Pearl Harbor from "Storm Over the Pacific".

Scratch one flattop.

USS Lexington (CV-16) was used for the on-board footage of the carriers (as noted in the closing credits).

The Dirty Dozen

Not the best WWII romp going around, but I have seen it several times and always enjoyed it. Did so again. Lee Marvin was great. As were the other cast. Mind you, for the first time I reflected on the mission of assassinating German officers (and their consorts), herding them into a bunker and blowing it up. Very much the stuff of that particularly horrible beast called 'total war'.

Kelly’s Heroes

Another re-watch. Very 70s. Very American. The characters seem more Vietnam than WWII. However, the scene of the combat in the town with the three Tigers (refreshingly, actual Tiger tanks from what I could tell) is d@mned good. The parody of the Patton-esque character is cutting.

The Last Days of Patton

A TV movie. Not to the standard of the original Patton, but a good flick nonetheless. Watching it (for the first time) I would like to have asked my Dad how much interest, hysteria perhaps, his car accident and hospitalisation caused in Dad's area of occupied Germany (or elsewhere).

Which one next? Perhaps a re-viewing of Patton to begin with and then we’ll see where my random selection takes me…

On Thursday of the week previous (15/10) I had some work in the late arvo'/evening at Merredin, so stayed overnight. Unlike work trips in years previous, the next day was my own so I decided to do something that I had wanted to do for ages: go to the Merredin Military Museum. I was so pleased that I did.

T'was a glorious kambarang day and an enjoyable, short stroll across the east-west railway to the museum. I did not see that I captured a blowie in the shot until I got this photo ready to post!

It's a small museum, run by volunteers, but is packed with loads and loads of artefacts, 'kit', models, letters, descriptions, vehicles and planes. The contents have mainly been donated or are on permanent loan from local people, some have been purchased or gifted. The volunteers have done the restoration work. Much remains to be done, but they are getting long in the tooth now.

I took over 80 photos. Here are a few to give a taste of what is there.

Approaching the entrance.

Restored 6" howitzer at the entrance.

One of the exhibits in the WWI room.

The WWII room.

Munitions. All rendered inoperable, naturally.

Communications room.

Part of the Korea, Vietnam and 'modern' room.

'Huey', Bell and APC in the courtyard. 

Black Cat. Not fully restored, main wings on ground behind it, but still magnificent.

Restored vehicles and guns in the main shed.

This Stuart 'Honey' shows the amount of work and wonderful job of restoration that has been achieved with the others.

As does this M3 Grant.

There are several other military museums around the wheatbelt, as there are in other country towns around Oz. I have been meaning for ages to get to at least the 'local' one and will make it my 'business' to get on and visit them.

Teeny Tiny WW2

Last Thursday Julian set up a small Second World War game to try an infantry-only action using some of his 2 mm Irregular Miniatures figures.

We were somewhere in the Hürtgenwald in the autumn of '44. A US rifle company had been assigned the task of capturing, or disabling a German command and observation post atop a heavily wooded hill. American comms are down, so to achieve this task, they had solely three rifle platoons of three sections each, with 'attached' heavy mortars. The German defenders consisted of a single rifle gruppe supported by two heavy machine gun teams. Half of the table was woods, on and around the hill. The Americans approached from clear ground, into increasingly wooded terrain.

I did not take photos every turn, but have enough to tell the tale in pictures.

This photo, taken a few turns into the game, shows the Americans, closest to camera approaching the German position on the hill. If you click to enlarge the photo, you'll clearly see the company HQ in centre-foreground, with one of the mortars to the right, the other two further forward. The three rifle platoons^ are approaching the hill in a concave arc. One squad is behind the others as it suffered a 'neutralised'* result due to fire from one of the German HMGs.
*The term used in the rules for troops temporarily suppressed, heads down, ducking, covering up or otherwise interrupted in their movement (and firing).
^Command for the rifle platoons is included with the bases. We did not nominate which section, but should do so in future for command and morale effects.

On the other side of the hill, the German commander has called up the reserve gruppe who had been enjoying time in the village, dining on Heidi's famous apfelstrudel.

 A close-in view of two American sections approaching the defenders.

The rules cleverly use a fire-move sequence, so any troops that are 'neutralised' do not move (nor fire in the subsequent fire phase).

I took the Germans as, never really knowing what to do in a WWII action, it was simple to 'just defend'. I did not expect to last long as I watched this mass come on, suffering little effect from my HMGs.

Before I knew it the woods were swarming with Yanks. My HQ is in the pill box (base placed behind it), the two HMGs to the right of it, firing from the edge of woods and the rifle gruppe further forward in the woods to try to stem the attackers.

Boom! A direct hit from one of the US mortars on the pill box and my HQ was eliminated. (I'll say that the Germans passed their morale test as we forgot to do one!).
[Note to self after looking at this photo. I must wear glasses when placing these figures. The HMG team is supposed to be facing the other way. Didn't notice that with the naked eye!]

It was looking bleak for the Germans at this stage as the net was closing, but there was a minor reprieve. The Americans had taken losses and an adverse morale result had them seeking cover. My infantry had moved back towards cover in front of the disabled pillbox. One HMG to their right, the other further right and a little downslope in the woods (soon to be eliminated).

This looked like it with close attacks on the remaining defenders, 

...a loss of a rifle section each...

and both sides sought cover.

The 'cavalry' had arrived in the form of the second German gruppe.

The firefight went the way of the Americans. Germans retreat. Objective captured (albeit not intact).

That was a top little action and the old Wargame Research Group 1925–1950 rules came through. No need for arbitrary mechanics like command dice or cards when you simply use orders, simultaneous movement (our approach rather than the alternate movement of the rules) and morale.

That was the last game of the 'season' for us. Soon afterwards Julian headed off for what will be a long period in the 'frozen north'. A suspension of games locally means that I can focus on developing forces for some of my expansive ideas. Similarly for Julian. We compared notes and made a list each of our aims for what we'd like to get done 'tween now and March. Some practical, some more hopeful. It will be fun when he's back to see how we each went.

I'll keep mine under my hat for now. Except to say that, no surprise to followers of my blogs, building the remaining 1/700 ships for the Pacific War (plus painting a good few) and finishing my Age of Sail ships are in my 'to be completed definitely' column, along with on-going painting of figures for battles of the revolutionary & Napoleonic wars.

With Trafalgar packed away and the ocean sheets removed, my table has reverted to a work area.

That's was just marvellous

I zoomed over to Tony's place yesterday afternoon for a fabulously enjoyable, visually exquisite and socially delightful game of War of Spanish Succession.

My screen shot of the table (so quality is a bit ordinary). Allies at left, French to the right. The town of Vannes-Koortrijk occupies two hexes and is worth two victory points (one for each hex/section).

The scene was the fictitious Action at Vannes-Koortrijk (1703), pitting the Allied (British and Hesse-Kassel) army of Lt Gen Charles Churchill against the French lead by his old foe Maréchal Clément-Alibert, Comte de Rabachière.

Tony's rules are adapted, heavily adapted, from a Command and Colors derivative 'Tricorne'. They are deliberately at the toy soldier end of the spectrum, but have sufficient, clever period feel that one knows that it is the early 18thC. The rules are succinct, clear and logical. So much that, the answers to the few questions of clarification that I asked were the consistent and logical one. There are plenty of decision points for players, but no 'clever' gamey mechanics to artificially prevent you from moving troops or preventing you from making your own blunders.

Despite the, superficially, genteel nature of the art of war of the period, our game went along at a bit of a clip and came to a conclusion after only four, action-packed turns—this will seem even more so in this photo report as I did not record each stage of combat/retreat moves, so you are going to see a series of before and after photos.

Opening moves: the Allies advanced towards Vannes-Koortrijk, and, tentatively, advance their right wing cavalry. A cheeky shot from the artillery attached to the infantry produced a hit on one of the French cavalry units (white counter centre-foreground). Meanwhile, the French infantry occupied the first hex of Vannes-Koortrijk.

At the east end of the table, the Allies advanced their cavalry slightly (at right), while the French pressed their infantry forwards.

Back at the western end, the French cavalry attacked...

forcing one of Cadogan's units to retire, which, being unable to do so, was eliminated (rookie error). However, the victorious French cavalry was forced to retire in the follow-up mêlée.

The British counter-attacked, dishing out the same medicine to the right-hand French cavalry: honours even! (The counters just off table show the victory points. French at right had one (red counter) for capturing one sector of the town and a gold for the eliminated British cavalry. The Allies have one (white) for the eliminated French cavalry).

In the centre, the Cirencester’s British infantry advance closer to Vannes-Koortrijk which is now completely occupied by Bichotte’s French infantry.

Cadogan's cavalry attacked once more, the resulting mêlées caused losses to both sides, but were indecisive. (French now have two victory points for the town (red counters) and a gold for the eliminated British cavalry. The Allies still just the one).

Back on the eastern flank, Wyndham’s cavalry charge the exposed flank of Pelletier’s infantry...

breaking one unit and forcing a second to retreat.

Back on the western flank, Viriac’s cavalry broke one of Cadogan's regiments (closest to camera). Victory points four French to two Allied.

The cavalry action continued on the eastern flank too. Wyndham’s Spiegel Karabiniere's that had rained down on (reigned down? bridled?) Pelletier’s infantry, turned their attention to Bourgeois’ cavalry, badly mauling the Gendarmérie de France (no less), forcing them to retire.

It was getting hot in the centre. Bichotte ordered his infantry to attack in force, their line extending either side of Cirencester’s. (The small red arrows indicate those French units that have moved and will receive a reduced number of dice in the combat).

It did not go well. Each attack evaporated in a puff of Gallic optimism, one of the units failing its morale test. (It was not the first time that Tony's dice were to let him down).

Taking full advantage, Cirencester counter-attacked, with dramatic results. The French were ejected from Vannes-Koortrijk. (It was not the first time that my dice were to come through).

Further east, Herrenhausen’s allied infantry (centre of photo) sought to take advantage of Pelletier’s infantry that had been weakened by the successful charges of Wyndham’s cavalry, but faltered in the attempt. To their left, Wyndham's and Bourgeois' cavalry continued their mêlée.

Back on the west flank, Cadogan attacked again, indecisively..

Viriac’s troopers counter-attacked with mixed results...

 breaking one of the English horse, but seeing one of his own units sent in retreat. Gaps were appearing in the lines of both sides. Game tally (near side of photo) five victory points to the Allies, four to the French.

Bichotte lead his infantry into Vannes-Koortrijk to eject the 1st foot guards from the other side of the town, but they were not to be moved.

The cavalry mêlée on the east flank saw the Gendarmérie de France bested and forced to retreat, but neither side could deal the 'killer blow'.

It was a different matter on the west flank. Cadogan retired his remaining cavalry (Wood’s Regt) to the hill in his rear. They were promptly followed up and attacked by Viriac’s troopers, but held firm, breaking one of the French units and forcing the other  to retreat, Viriac was a casualty in the mêlée!

This demonstrates the fall of the dice for most of the day. Tony had numerous (I think seven) opportunities to kill one of my generals, but, as the balance of probability would have it, was unable to get the 1/36 chance. Muggins here gets a first shot at it and up comes with the required double six!

Viriac's demise was enough to push the victory points to the required seven for the allies and deliver the 'W'.

What great fun that was and a real roller-coaster of a game. Beginner's luck was my friend on the day, but no friend better than mon hôte Mr Foy. It's always great to see Tony's lovely table and troops in photos on his blog, but all the better to get that bit closer to them over a video call.

Thank you so much Tony for a wonderful game, an excellent afternoon/evening (my end). Additionally it was great to be able to chat about the game and related topics along the way. Marvellous.