Book Clear-out - All Must Go

When I knew we were looking to move house I realised I'd have to downsize my toy and book collection - so went on a massive eBay selling spree.

Now I've moved I still need to downsize further, and that principally means culling my book collection.  Having got fed up with eBay constantly changing the rules on selling I'm offering these to anyone who's interested, otherwise they'll all go to a charity bookshop.   

So, this is what's currently on the must go list:

If you are interested in any of these, let me know in the comments your email and which books you're interested in - I will accept almost any offer but you will have to pay p&p which can get expensive with books.

As the cull will have to continue further, if you're looking for books on a particular topic, let me know as I may have something that I can part with.

A Russo-Japanese Naval Campaign

A potted history by a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant wargamer.

PART THREE – Seeking to escape from checkmate a Russian surprise sortie delivers the decisive encounter.

In May 1904, the Japanese, having gained near total moral ascendency over the decayed and enfeebled Russian fleet, sought to seal up the remnants with a blockship attack on Port Arthur.  The attempt was intended to take place at dusk on the 15^th of May but a heavy storm broke out and the attack was brought forward to make use of the cover it provided.  Unfortunately, while the wind remained strong and the swell heavy, the skies cleared exposing the blockships to the full force of the Russian shore batteries.  In a magnificent display of devotion to the Divine Emperor the blockships pressed on regardless but all were sunk before they could reach the channel. 

In material terms this was a Russian victory but the magnificent display of suicidal courage by the Imperial Navy only served to deepen the gloom in Port Arthur, which, like Vladivostok, was again mined by the Japanese.

As May wore on the Vladivostok squadron risked the minefields in an attempt to catch an unsuspecting minelaying mission.  This was always a forlorn hope and faced by four armoured cruisers and four protected cruisers the three Russian armoured cruisers were quick to show a clean pair of heels.  Again, despite the fair weather, the Russians were able to escape, but not before taking considerable damage.

Vladivostok Combat (26-May-1904): White = Russians.

Bereft of ideas the Russians staked all on a last throw of the dice to wrest back control of the sea off Wei Hai Wei.  On this desperate venture, they committed their entire battle fleet except the battleship Pobyada which was held back to bombard Chinampo.  The Russians had gambled on achieving surprise by sailing before completing repairs from previous actions and by navigating through two Japanese minefields.  Lady Luck at first smiled on the Russians as they passed through the minefields unscathed, but then, ever-fickle, delivered them up to the guns of the Japanese. 

The 4th, and Final, Battle of Wei Hai Wei: with squalls from SW and just 2 hours to sun-set the fleets met again off Wei Hai Wei.  In terms of battleships the odds appeared even at four apiece, but the Japanese, benefiting from the greater capacity of their dockyards, were all fully repaired and fit for action.  The Japanese battleships were also supported by four protected cruisers massively over-matching the TBDs escorting the Russian ships.  The Japanese advantage would have been even greater if the Nisshin and Kasuga (ACs) had not been overlooked[1] and summoned to join the fleet from their nearby station off the port of Wei Hai Wei.  As ever the Russian tactic of sailing close inshore to try and hide their silhouette against the land resulted in an island interposing between the fleets as they spotted each other.  This time there was to be no repetition of previous chases around islands as both sides elected to pass it to the East. 

Third Battle of Wei Hai Wei (27-May-1904): white = Russians.

At first the gunnery duel hung in the balance but the Japanese slowly gained an edge which, added to the damage already being carried by some of the Russian ships, rapidly became decisive.  The Russians also failed to concentrate their fire, their battleships at times switching fire from their opposite numbers to engage the Japanese protected cruisers that were massacring the Russian TBDs.  With the Russians falling into confusion the Japanese pressed in to ensure a decision before dark.  The Japanese resolve in closing in for the kill was vindicated in the ensuing melee during which the all the Russian TBDs were sunk and the battleships Poltava and Tsarevich were crippled and struck their colours.  Another hour of daylight would probably have rendered the victory absolute but the Sevastopol and the crippled Petropavlovsk managed to escape into the night.  The one-sided nature of this victory was underlined by the crippling of the Akashi (PC) as the only significant damage suffered by the Japanese.  

While the Port Arthur squadron was being crushed a Russian minelaying mission (3 x TBDs) to Wei Hai Wei came to grief when the TBD Boevoi & Boiki sank after striking mines off Port Arthur[2].  

The one Russian success set against these disasters was the bombardment of Chinampo by the battleship Pobyada.  This successful action, the first of its type, could not offset the decisive defeat at the 4th Battle of Wei Hai Wei at which the Pobyada may have been better employed.

 

As May drew to a close the Japanese laid yet more mines off Wei Hai Wei, Vladivostok and Chinampo (twice![3]) while a similar TBD mission off Port Arthur clashed with a Russian TBD patrol.  Little tactical finesse was shown by either side, both charging and passing through each other in line abreast like two squadrons of cavalry.  The Japanese came out ahead but with the loss of the TBDs Harusame & Murasame could not lay an effective minefield rendering the mission abortive.

With the Vladivostok squadron bottled up and most of the ships in Port Arthur undergoing or awaiting repair, the month of June passed without any significant action.  Needless to say, the Japanese took advantage of this lull to continue their relentless minelaying campaign.

With the Russians unable to break the close blockade[4] or prevent the relentless Japanese minelaying operations yet another Japanese troop convoy arrived unhindered in Chinampo on the 7^th of July increasing the pressure on Port Arthur.

This situation could not long endure, and with the writing on the wall*, and no relief in sight**, the Russians capitulated...

VICTORY!

[* A Japanese win was guaranteed by the last Chinampo convoy which would deliver another 8 points over the next 4 turns which would require a successful Russian mission on every turn to stop the win.]

[** The Russian Baltic Fleet would not even start on its epic voyage for another three months.]

Hopefully this might inspire others to try a naval campaign, I can provide details on this one to anyone wishing to refight it.

Notes:

[1.] Accidentally overlooked and left in the box at set up!

[2.] The mission had to be aborted as minelaying requires a minimum of 3 TBD elements (a TBD element = 2 vessels) and reduced to two such elements the mines could not be laid.

[3.] A mistaken and wasteful duplication of effort with two minelaying missions to the same area.

[4.] An attempted Russian mission to Chinampo was rendered void as they had overlooked Japanese control of the Port Arthur sea area; missions are allowed to enter an enemy controlled area but may not pass through.

Maltot - a Delaying Action (CoC)

This was the 5th game in our Chain of Command campaign, with my much depleted 12 Platoon, 5th Wiltshires, pursuing John's equally depleted German platoon after breaking through their main defences in the previous game.  I'll apologise now for the lack of photos as again I got sucked into the game so didn't have many to choose from but have added a few posed, post-game, shots to try and make up for it.

So, how was 12 Platoon going to tackle this one?

Both sides had a starting Force Morale of 9 so diced for who went first - the Germans.  The patrol phase went as expected, with the German jump off points (JOPs) scattered across the objective area, and the British JOPs under cover in the derelict farm[1] complex and adjacent wood.

Once again, as the British, I rolled for, and got, the maximum level of support (10pt.s) and again opted for a Churchill Mk IV, a FOO with supporting 3" mortar battery (off-table) and a 3-man demolition team.  I would've liked to try something different i.e., two Churchills but I only have one model[2].  The 3-man demo team was just an attempt to provide a few more men for platoon which was had only one full section plus a second consisting of two LMG (Bren) teams.  All topped off with a 2-man 2" mortar team placed under the surplus junior leader (Jnr Ldr).

The Germans opted for the near obligatory adjutant and an SdKfz 250 carrying an elite four-man LMG Team.

For a long time the Germans sat tight keeping everything off-table, even when they rolled a double phase.  After throwing lots of 5's I got some better command dice and finally deployed my 'fire' section (2 Bren teams) out from the woods to occupy the 'shot-up house' as an initial covering position.

This was move was backed up by the Churchill entering up the road behind them.

Then, with these in place and on overwatch, the FOO deployed into the first floor of the derelict farmhouse.  In my next phase my 'manoeuvre section' (a full 10-man section) and 2" mortar team under a Jnr Ldr, deployed into the farmyard.

With still no response from the Germans and the 3" mortar laying smoke to cover them, the fire section left the shot-up house and advanced to the 'compressor building' which they entered and set up on overwatch (sorry no photos).  

The next phase the 3-man demo team deployed into the farmhouse with the FOO and with all pieces in place, there was no putting it off any longer so, the manoeuvre section took a deep breath and moved to the edge of the farm and prepared to advance across the open ground.

This bold move (foolishly not even moving tactically) stirred the Germans into action, playing a CoC dice to spring an LMG ambush...

...  on my manoeuvre section, the consequences of which were truly appalling, 3 dead including the Jnr Ldr, but no shock - a theme that was to run for some time in this game.

The ambush party immediately withdrew after this opening burst of fire.  This felt like a body blow, and partly my fault as, I had been so obsessed with risk of ambush against my Churchill, I had failed to consider one being sprung against my infantry.  I had thought they were safe as the Germans couldn't deploy into a fire position against them but ambushes can be deployed further out from a JOP.

In the following phase the Germans doubled down and deployed one of their depleted sections (reduced to a Jnr Ldr and LMG team) to apply pressure to my fire section in the compressor.  Annoyingly, I had set up both my Bren teams on overwatch facing the same, wrong, direction, so they were able to move into position in the 'orchard' without being fired on.

In reply, all I was able to do with my stranded manoeuvre section, was to move up my platoon commander (left behind by mistake) to a position where he could at least get the section moving - tactically this time. 

At the same time my FOO contacted the off-table mortar battery, and the platoon sergeant rearranged the fire section in the compressor house to engage the LMG team in the orchard.  Despite only one Bren being able to fire at reduced effect, having moved, a kill was scored. 

The Germans then deployed another Jnr Ldr and LMG team to the 'tractor shed' and, together with the other team in the orchard, both opened fire killing two of my men in compressor house. 

In my next phase, and panicking slightly, I called in an immediate barrage, without a preliminary ranging shot.  Annoyingly, I did this before my Bren teams in the compressor house returned fired thus missing an opportunity to inflict further casualties on the German LMG teams before the barrage came down.  Even worse, the barrage didn't come exactly where requested and hit the compressor house as well as the German LMG teams!  Everyone in hard cover came out of this scot-free, but the German LMG team in the orchard lost another man killed; the seventh fatality in the game and still not a single point of shock inflicted on either side!

My platoon commander also caught up with the manoeuvre section and advanced them up to the 'stone station'; covered on one side by the barrage and on the other by smoke and the Churchill which had moved across for this purpose.

John seemed paralysed by this turn of events and did nothing in his phase other than bemoan a lack of a command die to bring on his SdKfz 250.  Was he really giving up, or did he have a cunning plan?  Taking advantage of the absence of any German counter, my manoeuvre section, covered by some well-placed smoke, advanced up to the stone station without further mishap.

Just as I was feeling things were well back on track, John used a CoC dice that got rid of all my smoke and overwatch, but not the barrage as I responded with a CoC die to keep that going.  Thanks to lots of 5's in the early phases I still had a couple of CoC dice more than John, who had used one for the ambush, and I had been deliberately hoarding them for the express purpose of maintaining the mortar barrage when called in.  But, with the smoke gone, John deployed his Panzerschreck team!

They let fly at my Churchill and missed!  But then in my phase so did everything I could fire at them!

John's following phase was unsurprisingly a repeat performance, the Panzerschreck crew took careful aim...

...and, scratch one Churchill!

Things were looking a bit more in doubt, but both my sections were safely in hard cover.  On reflecting further, I realised that my manoeuvre platoon could've ignored the stone station and advanced further to close down two of the German JOPs while their third was still in the middle of my mortar barrage.  This would've wrapped up the game.

However, for John things were still looking grim, my barrage was still coming down and as I had a handful of CoC dice there was little chance of it stopping any time soon.  So, with the realisation that the barrage would be moving soon John deployed his elite LMG crew in the SdKfz 250.

Over the next few phases these tried to get at my manoeuvre section in the stone station but were driven off by machinegun fire (special rule for machineguns firing at vehicles).  Also, by this time the German Jnr Ldr and LMG team in the orchard had paid the ultimate price for getting stonked by mortars in an orchard.

With this threat eliminated, my barrage was now adjusted to cover the 'station row cottages' and 'stone cottage' pinning everything except John's SdKfz 250 that had been forced to retreat back to his table edge and the weakened LMG team in the tractor shed.  

Realising there was no escape from the overwhelming mortar barrage John called it a day and voluntarily withdrew before he lost everything.  But, with many of his men now pinned by a mortar barrage they had to roll a D6 to see which managed to escape to fight another day.  In a shockingly bad spate of die rolls, of those figures that were pinned:

2 got away unhindered

5 (including a Jnr Ldr) were dispersed (missing the next game); and,

4 were captured, including the senior leader (Snr Ldr) seen here emerging from the outhouse in which he had been sheltering (hiding?) from the barrage.

Overall, the losses suffered in this game were:

British: 1 Jnr Ldr and 4 men killed or wounded.

German: 1 Jnr Ldr and 6 men killed or wounded; 1 Snr Ldr and three men captured; and, 1 Jnr Ldr and 4 men missing (dispersed to return after the next game).

After calculating those battle casualties that could be patched up and returned to duty (RTD) the respective strength of the two platoons was now:

British: 2 Snr Ldrs, 2 Jnr Ldrs and 12-13[3] men.

German: 1 Jnr Ldr and 5-6[3] men.

             (plus 1 Jnr Ldr and 4 men RTD after the next game). 

It would seem that both platoons have fought each other to a standstill.

It is now a racing certainty that, the British will swap out 12 Platoon to be replaced by the full-strength 16 Platoon and, the Germans will call for reinforcements which at this stage of the campaign would consist of 9 + D6 replacements so, a total of 10-15 elite Panzer Grenadiers!

As yet no date has been fixed for Game 6.

Notes.

[1.] The building names are those of the Hornby Skaledale models used, with the exception of the 'Shot-up House' which Hornby entitled 'Derelict House'.

[2.] Note to self: I must make up my other Churchill kit!

[3.] In the campaign, the British only recove a quarter of the most lightly wounded i.e., those that would normally return to duty in time for the next game.  We have diced for farctions during this campaign.  Also, if the Germans lose the fourth scenario (this one), they lose their aid station and suffer from the same limitation on casualty recovery.  Both the British and Germans would normally have got one casualty back immediately so they both have a 1-in-4 chance of getting a man back for the next game.