Tarawa, the game, part 1

The first few hours of the invasion

Japanese fortifications 

One of the Japanese battalions is reduced to 50% strength as a result of the naval bombardment

First moves

Several US transport vehicles took hits on the run into shore

Japanese bunkers hold up early attempts to establish a foothold on the beach area around the pier. Figures are Italieri, Buffaloes are Airfix

Second wave. Higgins Boats finally able to cross the reef move to reinforce the Marines already ashore

A couple of turns later, heavy landing vessels are also able to contribute

The arrival of some light armour allowed Paul to move his Marines onto their first objective, which was a small village about a 1000 yards inland

Despite being bypassed a few Japanese pillboxes continued to hold up the Marines trying to move ashore, and air support was called in to solve this problem

Japanese armour attempting a counter attack, though without reasonable infantry support it was doomed to failure. Airfix Chi-Ha

Suicide anti-tank stands had more luck, despite being wiped out to a man destroyed a Sherman and a Buffalo 

Early moves against the out airfield defences. Japanese figures are Esci.

Part 2 when I get some more time:)

Somewhere near the Marne

First up from Games Week 2012, a small Franco-German encounter set in the first few weeks of the Great War. The kit is all from my WW1 collection

Dave's German cavalry sets out and quickly locates the advancing French infantry

Extreme right of the French line

And, extreme left

Part of the German advance. The Germans had six battalions of infantry plus artillery and cavalry to the French five battalions of infantry and artillery

These are actually French Marines but we needed the extra troops so here they are taking up positions in a small wood

Centre positions here, both sides tried to capture and hold the best covered areas which produced some very heavy fighting

German field artillery firing in support of a large attack on a farm that the French had taken earlier

The Farm. The French tried to reach the German artillery a couple of times from here but lacked the numbers in the end, and just contented themselves with small arms exchanges with the Germans in the fields opposite

Centre-rear of the French positions, with their artillery on the hill

One of the many hard fought encounters over the wooded areas that offered the most cover

We only played seven turns but it was good to do something a bit different. Next up, Tarawa.

Tarawa Layout

Just waiting for some last minute additions from Paul but here is the basic island layout at an inch to fifty yards



AAR in a couple of days

The Shed

Been doing a bit of interior design work (with my chainsaw) on the games shed and here is the result; we can now get around the whole table instead of just three sides



I also recovered the actual tabletop and although still far from perfect it is a vast improvement on the old one. Size is 3.8 x 2.2 meters

Pillboxes

Some more of Dave's handiwork

















Production seems to have slowed down since his helpers went on holiday:)

LVTs

Some of the supporting hardware for the Marines










More pictures when I get them...

More Tarawa Progress

Dave's kids continue their excellent progress...











Things are starting to come together nicely