Messerschmitt 323 Gigant - an Italeri kit built and painted in around 1997. 2ft 6in wingspan, this beast sits in the loft. Probably about the 5th time she's been out on the table (after prodigious dusting and repairs before tonight's outing)
Gotham 242(?), another Italeri kit, this time a glider
Junkers Ju 52 - an old Heller kit
Airfix Stukas hiding in the words, hidden markers for defenders' positions and copious amounts of transport
An RSO reverses slowly into the gaping maw of the Gigant
Standout moment of the game....as he has two squads, each placing explosive charges on the plane to destroy it....
Make to me "what do I need?" (To roll on a d6 for the charge to detonate)
Me: "anything but a 1"
Make: *rolls snake eyes*
Ya couldn't make it up - DT would be proud
Club night, and what do I do? Do I run a formatted RF scenario or make one up. Half hour wandering round the hobby room when I spy the loft hatch. This'll be fun, thinks I, ain't run this one for many years.
So after diving into the loft, and making some quick repairs, the Gigant is once again the centrepiece of the game...bless her.
BACK STORY
North West Russia, the seige of Leningrad is lifted, Soviet forces are threatening to encircle the German forces
On the edge of a
forest, an impromptu transport hub readies to evacuate the Axis forces.
Unbeknownst to them, a raiding force of two platoons of Naval Infantry, supported by a motorcycle unit, have been landed from across the nearby lake.
Objectives: Soviet: destroy the planes, capture the airfield - 10 victory points for each plane, truck or squad eliminated, 5 points per support weapon or half squad.
Axis: 10 points per enemy squad eliminated, 5 points per half squad. 10 points for each vehicle and squad exiting the table along the road, 5 points per half squad. From turn 6 they had off board artillery support from two batteries of 105s.
Surprisingly, the Soviet troops sat back in the forest, using their mortars to do the distant damage whilst their troops took out the nearest aircraft. What they didn't do was hit the convoy of trucks which crept along the road, each carrying a squad of troops in addition to the defenderswaiting for the inevitable assault.
Too late, the Germans slipped away under cover of their supporting artillery, leaving the wrecked aircraft and numerous other vehicles burning on the airfield.
Final tally: 125 points for the Soviets and 175 points for the Germans. The additional 50 points for seizing the airfield meant it was a draw. Casualties were light, but both sides succeeded in their objectives. (The other winner though was the local scrap metal merchant).
A fun game, and slightly different, in keeping with my Christmas roust-a-bouts.
Next week we are going back to the Wild West for the final game of the year. There's gonna be some festive surprises in this one for sure.......
