Bolt Action books collection

Osprey Publishing had a sale so for Christmas, I bought myself two books:

Empire in Flames takes care of my Pacific campaign along side the New Guinea campaign book

Battlefield Europe will take care of the DDay to invasion of Germany
Both books arrived on 12/11/2018, so now I have four campaigns I can fight.

Hill Assault: Imperial Japanese Army attacks Australian Imperial Force, New Guniea, 1943

This was a scenario based off of one from the Duel in the Sun book. It pitted a Japanese platoon against an Australian one. The Australians were holding a hill in New Guniea

Pictures on my phone which I shall update shortly.

ANZAC Division and Indian Division assault Tunisia, 1943 Bolt Action Scenario

Playing Scenario 10, the ANZAC Division and Indian Division assault Tunisia. This was the first game with some of the new kits I got for Christmas.
The Australian and New Zealand Armor consists of a Sherman each, a Stuart each, the New Zealand's M5 Half track and a Universal Carrier. As well a few Australian recce Stuart's were being used as carriers for Vickers MG groups.

the first wave. The Sikhs advanced to the forward German positions and pinned down some Germans but they were checked by the wire and were cut down.

the second wave consisted of the ANZAC force, supporting an Australian Battalion. The Germans

were holding a position with Paratroopers, supported by elements of the Afrika Korps. The initial allied artillery bombardment knocked out a Tiger tank and a Panzer III. Only one squad of paratroopers were taken out. 

the ANZAC charged forward and cleared out the German right flank. However this stirred up a hornets nest of retaliation. The Germans blasted the first wave of Gurkhas and the remaining Sikhs. The ANZAC force hit their flank.

counter attacking, the Germans counter charged after having taken out the armor and headed straight for the third line of allied troops. The Maori Battalion rushed forward and cleared the area capturing a German half-track. The intention was for the ANZACs to hit the German left as my son had shifted all his armor support to the German right. His move straight at the final ANZAC force halted the attack. With all their transport gone, the remaining units surrendered. 

On a points basis, this was a tie. Ian had succeeded in taking out my force, however I had taken out most of his armor and a quarter of his infantry. 

The next scenarios will include part of the 8th army. More tanks, more guns!

Bolt Action Scenarios in North Africa and Mediterranean

Osprey publishing The British Army 1939-1945 (1) North-West Europe

The British Army 1939-45 (1) North-West Europe by Brayley and Chappell (2001)

While I have several books on Canadian units, I didnt have anything on the British. Well not except my book on the Scottish Units.

Juno Beach June 6, 1944

The German defences on Juno beach

The North Shore (New Brunswick) hit the beach. The Queens Own Rifles are also in the attack.

As I was so busy the past couple of weeks, Ian began to set up and do games on his own. His first Normandy game he was inspired by the film Saving Private Ryan. I then showed him some of the history of the Canadians on D-Day so he then set up another game. Did a good job.

Operation Varsity Rhineland 1945

This will be a Bolt Action campaign I will play out in minature. My 79th Armored Division components arrived tonight but need to be built.

Germans vs Canadians: Envelopment

Kokoka Trail Maximum Attrition 1942

 The Japanese South Sea Force advance across the dense jungle of New Guinea. Since the area was tropical rain forest, we just left the table as is.

 The Australian force was made up of the Australian 39th Battalion 

Supplies dropped on the Siegfried Line March 1945

This scenario I lifted from the Osprey Publishing Duel Sherman Firefly vs Tiger with a sprinkling of Alternative Bolt Action Missions #1 NUTS from www.boltaction.net I had a group of 51st Highland Division with elements of the 7th Armored Brigade. The objective of the game was to capture and hold 4 objectives of supplies.

 The 7th Armored advance towards two objectives. A Scottish regiment with a 6pdr Anti-Tank gun give covering fire.

An SS division moves forward, having heard that the RAF mis-dropped supplies and they are now in No Man's Land. Nebelwefer, an armored car with 75mm gun, Panzer IV, and a Tiger. An SS Panzergrenadier battalion with a Hanamog 251 

 The Hanamog with a Panzer III in support move forward to catch up to the Recce.

The first casualty is the scout car, falling a foul of grenades!

Then a Tiger is taken out by a Firefly

Shermans then move out to engage the Panzers

A Panzer IV is then taken out by a 6pdr Anti-Tank gun, while a Jagtiger attempts to range in on other British tanks. The Nebelwefer then begins to lay in on the advancing British tanks.

SS Panzergrenadiers then make a charge into one of the objective markers to capture the supplies, while engaging the Scottish infantry. The Firefly is pinned by a Tiger.

 The Hanamog ignores the jeep, to engage the Scottish regiment to it's front.

 On the British left flank, another thrust towards an objective to capture the petrol. A Churchill keeps to the rear to see how the Panzers react.

Chaos erupts in the Scottish and German lines as both sides trade anti-tank fire. A British truck fall victim to a Panzerfaust, while an SS Panzergrenadier battalion rushes forward to capture an objective on their right flank.

 This then results in a prolonged firefight over control over the centre of the battlefield. Objectives are bitterly fought over.

A Panzer III falls victim to the Firefly, while it searches for another prey.

However, it is then taken out by the stalking Tiger.

An RAF observer plane flies over the battlefield to ascertain what the situation is. With many of the British AFVs taken out, there is much radio silence. 

The Germans perform a pincer movement to capture the objective in the centre.

The Germans also hit the Scottish right flank, but are finding the Highlanders tough to push off.

The Nebelwefer silences the 6pdr Anti-Tank gun, and also destroys the Universal Carrier as its tow, and also inflicting horrendous casualties on the Highlanders. 

The Panzers reach the petrol! Is Victory in sight for the Germans?

A sole British officer, seeing how desperate the situation is, calls in an artillery strike right on his own position, hoping to destroy the Panzers, or the fuel.

The resulting barrage does indeed take out a Tiger, a Jagpanzer but also results in the officer receiving a posthumous VC for his actions.

A final RAF flyover shows the fule depot in German hands, however, the Highlanders maintained control of 3 of the objective markers, meaning they win the Battle.

This was a fun action to play, and having read some Bolt Action rules on Anti-tank guns more closely, the guns did a better job than usual. 

I hope to equip my Anti-Tank batteries with Achilles and to get some additional Fireflys. The Germans, I will look into getting them some Panthers and some 88mm guns!