New digs, end game

Final scenes...

two companies of mech infantry injected some new life into the Soviet advance

British air-power reigned supreme for about three-quarters of the game. Meteor is Airfix

The Soviets got a single jet on the last of ten turns. Russian advances had only just made contact with the British second line of defenses. Bit of a throw together this one, but still... one you miss out on is one you never catch up on  :) 

BMP1

Almost finished the command platoon

Minor paintwork to finish

Command figure is by PSC

Very nice models from this company - highly recommended.

Modern Russians

Recently completed...

I only have a couple of companies of figures for the later Cold War era. These additions are by Zvezda.

Soviet APCs

By S-Models

Nicely engineered and detailed kitsets 

The command unit was designated 01 and has the driver's hatch unbuttoned. Crew figure is by PSC

I still have x2 of the to make, which will give a full company +1

Painted with Vallejo and Citadel paints

Game 1951, Hill 235

Gloster Hill. A game I played over the New Year weekend. I've had the research for this one for a while, but never had the right hill(s) to play it on. The map below uses the drop-cloth method to achieve the necessary ridge lines and other contours - difficult to see in the pictures.

The British could only use the orders 'Rally' and 'Call Fire' but would automatically 'Disengage' when the unit reached 50% casualties. The first three turns turns represented the night phase attacks 03.00-06.00, using one-hour-turns

Chinese rifle companies crossing the Imjim River

The night fighting rules made it very difficult for the defenders to spot the Chinese infantry until they were very close

The darkness also made it easier for broken Chinese units to be rallied and reformed 

A Coy positions

D Coy

Turn 4, start of the day phase

All of the British fire assistance came from the battalions mortars 

Communist figures are by Imex

Repeated Chinese attacks were beaten back with great losses but each one pushed all of the British companies closer to the 50% disengage mark

And so, one by one they fell back, with the least damaged platoons covering the withdrawal 

A Coy surrounded on three sides but still holding on

Battalion HQ area

The attacker/defender ratio in this scenario worked out at about 6 to 1

Chinese units sheltered by a ridge line regrouping 

By about the mid way point all of the British rifle companies were reduced to 50% fighting strength or less and had made a least one forced withdrawal towards the battalion HQ area. British figures here are Caesar 

Chinese infantry sweeping through abandoned British positions

The fringe of the Gloster's HQ positions, mortar platoon by HaT

The HQ perimeter was greatly reduced and platoons disengaging from this position were removed from the board

Interesting game made all the better by the genuine contours created by the drop-cloth - some companies could support each other, some couldn't, despite their positions being roughly 600yds apart (10"). It did not really play out anything like historical but was fun to play nonetheless. 

Pictures of my new digs soon.

Airfix Centurions

Here is what they originally looked like, x3 soft plastic models, they have seen several games set between 1946 and 1953 

I added a lower hull section to each of them

This is an actual Airfix kitset, which I did up as a command platoon. It was originally brown

Added fuel cans, mg, crew figure and turret baggage

The fume extractor on the barrel makes these later model Centurions but they will still be used for gaming 1945-70

Repainted and additional decals added to all four vehicles

Quite happy with the revamp results.