Off the Workbench - Mark: WW2, SCW & VBCW

Latest toys about to !eave Mark's workbench! Just awaiting a final varnish by all accounts....

Various aircraft suitable for eth SCW,
believe some of these are heading towards Phil's collection

A whole bunch of WW2 & VBCW miniatures and vehicles.
WW2 kit is 20mm whilst the VBCW is the more fabulous 28mm scale!

Newly arrived as Chez-Mark, A WW2 German Gun emplacement that will be a centre piece for a Commando raid game in the future.

Another view - this is in 20mm

Seems the current plan is for this to represent the Austratt Fort in Norway. The game will be set in 1945 with a what-if scenario of what if where Garrison doesn't surrender to Norwegian resistance and British paras sent to liberate Norway.

Off the Workbench - Mark

Just like waiting at a Bus Stop, when you get one 'Off the Workbench' post,  along come three!!

This time a contribution from Mark, showing three of his excellent German WW2 tanks.

Two JagdPanthers

and what I belive is a Hummel

Friday Night Games: WW2 Finns v Russians

Friday 17/10/25, we met up af Rupery's gaff for werk 2 of Mark's WW2 Finnish attack on Russian forces.

Mark was using adapted 'What a Tanker!' Rules and used models and figures from his own collection.

Ruddisns were played by Mike W ( who subbed in to replace Mike N, ftom week one), whilst the Finns were played by Rupert, John & Mat.

Week One had seen the Finns surprise and prettu much destroy a Russian Tank unit as it camped  at the start of Werk Two, the Ginbs vompleted the job by destroying the one remaining Russian tank!

However the very next turn Rusdian reenforcrments began to artive, in ghr gorm of 3 x SU76s as well ad some AT Guns and a tank.

Fun was had by all , with the Russians taking out two of the SU76s and the tank in a cat and mouse fight arojnd the village.

Friday Night Games: WW2 Eastern Front

Words by Mark, Mat & Steve.

Photos by Mark & Mat

Friday 11th April saw Mark put on a WW2 game from his Eastern front series of linked games, all models and rules are his and ark umpired the game at Rupert's house.

Mark's Narrative for Scenario

The scenario is during the breakthrough in the Crimea as a Russian  column commanded by Steve & Rupert  attempts to get to Kerch and safety. 

The Romanian persuers, commanded by Dave and Mat are out not only to stop them but also secure the last airfield in the area. 

So far, the column has suffered from air attack and the NKVD "suggesting" they stand. 

All the Romanian troops - mostly infantry are on the table and engaging rear elements. 

Russian equipment is a mix of units with some odd stuff for eye candy. Thanks to Rupert for hosting.

Mat's Romanian Commentary

This is a very biased narrative by the umpire. A more even handed account is below:

When German units stalled in the Crimea, dashing Romanian forces staged a breakthrough that smashed overwhelming Russian forces. Knowing they could not face such iron will, the Russians fled, desperate to reach Kerch. 

Romanian forces have pursued, and though outgunned and massively outnumbered, they use guile, courage and pure vim to overcome their foe. Cleverly manoeuvring their light tankettes the brave Romanians have destroyed the Russian's Odessa Super-tank…

... a land leviathan that had held the SS at bay for weeks. Now heroic infantry units are chasing Communist armoured divisions across the bare Crimean landscape towards the cowering airfield. Ceaseless bombing missions and strafing sorties are smashing the Russians…

... there can be no escape!

Steve's Russian perspective

Very bias narrative from both Mark and Matt, here's the truth from the  latest issue of PRAVDA.

Unbeknown to the Rumanians they bombed the last, and only, supply depot housing LSV, bottles of "Last Stand Vodka", (Break cap in an emergency).

The now alcohol deprived Russians are flinging caution to the wind and confronting the real enemy, the NKVD, in order to reach "Yeltsins bar" in the village at the end of the table and use it as a "hache queue" for the next stage of the operation.

Rumour has it that a cargo plane full of LSV is being flown in to the airfield and then delivered to the bar so the airfield must be liberated before the Russian army starts suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

The game is not about a retreating Russian army but one pushing backwards towards the rear, bravely tackling the NKDV, best of luck to the Romainians when they reach their road block, and then getting the LSV off the table.

20mm WW2 Axis vehicles

By Mark.

 l'm painting the last of my leftovers l have in my odds and sods box most of which are late 19th cent. So will have to have a big victorian civil war battle at some point but the rate that l'm painting at the moment will probably be in 2 years time!

Russian tank pressed into German service

Anti-Aircraft half track

Above tank is generally known as P40-painted as used by Germans in anti-partisan actions and at least once against Brits in 1945, originally an Italian vehicle.

Friday Night Games: Battle for the Denistr River, Tiraspol, Romania 1944

22nd November, saw Mark's 20mm WW2 game staged at Rupert's pad. The scenario saw a Romanian force, backed by some German support attack Russian positions across the Dinistr River bridges.

Early view of the tabletop, prior to placement of Russian Defensive lines

Rules are those devised by Mark, who also umpired. Leading the Romanians were Phil, Mat and Mike W, whilst the Russians were played by Mike N and Rupert.

The two main bridge crossings over the river,
to left the rail bridge and to right the road bridge

Opening moves were taken up with Romanian recce and exploratory advances across the two bridges.

Small Russian Village

Russian pill boxes were attacked with some success  with two knocked out by units crossing the road bridge.

Weckage of a downed Russian Aircraft

Resistance to the rail bridge crossings was arguably stronger, resulting in a squad of engineers and a squad of infantry being eliminated as they attempted their crossings.

View of the tabletop from the Romanian side of teh table

Another view

Rear echelon russian Trenches

Romanians begin to cross the rail bridge

Initial Romanian gun deployment on the road bridge

Another view of the tabletop, from the Romanian side

Romanian Recce Aircraft starts a series of sweeps to locate enemy units and postitions

Infanty advance to the road bridge to exploit success aginat enemy pill boxes

Mortar support nre the road bridge

Romanian HQ secure the high ground

Knocked out Russian pill box

More Romanian recce sorties

Romanian 'heavy' armour arrives on the tabletop, at the rail bridge!

Additional support arrives at the road bridge

Romanian view of teh advance along the rail bridge,
note the Engineer section and their foothold on the far back, left of bridge

Advance across the road bridge reaches the half way mark

Friday Night Games: 1939 Winter War, Week Two

Week Two of the game saw the Finns push their attacks home on the struggling Russian column.

For the Russians we had, Steve  Rupert, Nigel  Phil & Mike W, whist John and Mat stepped in as the pesky Finns.

Finnish Ski troops swoop in out of teh forest to attack teh NKVD at the rear of the Russian Column

A Finnish MG team lying in wait for the Russuians,
opens fire with some effect on nearby vehicles

Finnish Ski trooper with his trusty Reindeer companion

A wild Reindeer in the forest, just to confuse the Russians even more....

Close-up of the Ski Troopers

Despite taking out the NKVP Command elemantm the Russians fire back
and take out one of the Ski Troooper elements in return

As can probably be guessed, the Russians had a torid time of it during this game. Never likely to be a winning team, it was how many units could they get out of this mess. As it happens - not many!

The Russian Column starts to take serious damage

A Russian bomber arrives and accidentally strafes and bombs the Russian column,
causing game loosing damage!

Whilst another monsterous Russian aeroplane drops supplies all over the column 

The end came swiftly when a Russian bomber wing mistook the convoy for the enemy and literally blew them to pieces!

Red on Red Bomber damage actually happening!

A previously unnoticed Finnish Artillery emplacement is revealed in the last turn

Overall great models and alot of time put in to devising the scenario. The Finns were happy, the Russians will neded to larn and fight another day.