"Tanksgiving 2023"

On December 9th, 2023 the Fox Valley Miniature Gamers got together for our annual Toys for Tots benefit game, sponsored by Battlefront Miniatures and hosted by Adventure Games in Oshkosh.  The theme is "Tanks Giving" so our usual 100 point commands for Flames of War are  mostly composed of armor with only one non tank platoon per player.  The entry fee was an unwrapped gift for Toys of Tots and Battlefront offered drawings for prizes and product.

Our game had British (me with Comets and Achilles), Americans with Shermans and Pershings, Americans with Shermans and Long Toms, and Soviets with JS-II tanks and T-34s.  The Germans had Tigers and Wespes, Tigers and a Sturmpanzer, and Panthers with StuGs.  

Looking at my end of the table as my cavalry tanks
prepare to dash across the open field.

By sheer numbers I was able to overwhelm the Tigers
on my flank with help from some Americans.

The center didn't go as well with the field littered with 
"Ronson Burners" and Pershings.

The right was a disaster for the Soviets as the dice
utterly and completely deserted them.

Not a s many pictures as usual, the action was hot and heavy, punctuated by lots of laughter.  These "heavy metal" games are always popular with the players and draw a lot of attention from the public.  We made a nice contribution to Toys for Tots and one of our players won a $50 product prize  from Battlefront.  Thanks again to Adventure Games for providing a place to play.

We play every two weeks there and have run many Firestorm mini campaigns with Mid-War and Late-War themes.  Stop by sometime and roll some dice with us.  Oh, the victory points for objectives and broken formations was even, so the outcome was a draw.

Market Garden Campaign - Game Two

In the 2nd game of our Market Garden campaign the replenished 82nd Airborne is charged with defending a supply zone along the critical road to Arnhem.  They are facing a Volksgrenadier company with the strong attachment of Jagdpanthers.  The 82nd is handicapped by delayed, scattered reserves while the Germans get immediate reserves.  As always, the dice determining their arrival will be critical.

The US left with a para platoon dug in around one of the
German objectives.  Dug in 81mm mortars are centered.

The reserves really hurt, so the far objective is covered 
only by the self-propelled AA.  A platoon of M10 tank
destroyers lays in hidden ambush somewhere.

The reserves dice are kind to the Germans and emboldened,
the Volksgrenadier assault platoons move out.

And on the right run into a buzz saw of auto fire.  The 
Pumas in support respond.

Despite having to run through an artillery template the
elite para reserves arrive to stave off immediate loss.

The Jagdpanthers with extensive SPAA support begin to
advance.

On the US left a VG platoon advances to keep me honest.

After arriving and failing to range in earlier, the P-47s 
finally are effective, though at cost.

Play has been at a brisk pace.  Already turn 8 while the
neighboring table is on turn 3.  The OP tank would soon
by taken out by arriving 57mm AT guns.

The ambush is sprung and eventually take out the 
Jagdpanther that just remounted from the air attack.

The OP plane is effective in calling in fire on the out of
direct sight Volksgrenadiers.

The last Jagdpanther is taken out, though in the next turn
the German artillery will exact revenge on the open top TDs.

Encouraged by the elimination or neutralization of all
the German infantry, the paras and remaining TDs dash.

On the left, the other para platoon rushes towards the
other objective, past the knocked out OP tank.

Setting up for the rush onto the other objective.

At this point, with the Volksgrenadiers effectively broken and only the supporting units still on table we ended the game.  As always, a very tough game with Tony.  It was nice to see other formations being used in this campaign.  Maybe I need to change things up too.  Unfortunately, long after the game I realized I made a rules mistake that was costly to Tony.  Sorry for that.

Market Garden Campaign

 In conjunction with the Rochester Area Historical Miniatures Association, the Fox Valley gamers are playing the new version of the Firestorm Market Garden campaign.  Results from games are tabulated each game turn and we find out whether it is A Bridge Too Far, using Flames of War.

The first turn saw the 82nd Airborne attempting to hold against a Panzer Brigade formation and a Panzer Brigade Panzer-Grenadier formation.  As such, in the points system, the elite Americans are expensive and the poorly trained and reluctant Germans are cheap.  Our game had two para platoons with attachments, 81mm mortars, pack howitzers, 57mm anti-tank guns, recon jeeps and M10 tank destroyers engaging 14 Panzer MkIVH tanks, 4 Wirbelwinds, a section of 8cm mortars, two batteries of 12cm mortars, a platoon of HMGs, and three platoons of panzer-grenadiers.  Both sides had air support in the form of P-47s and Me-262 Sturmvogels(!?).  The Germans were numerous, but once pinned would be difficult to motivate to advance again.

Click on the images to enlarge them.  

The opening positions looking at the German
right and American left wing.

The center area.  The US jeeps have spearheaded to expand
the deployment area, though they didn't gain much turf.

A mass of MKIVs and an SS recon platoon prepare to duel.

A remarkable round of shooting from the dug-in
57mm guns took out three panzers and bailed the fourth.

Elsewhere, the Me-262 proxies roared to attack.  

AA fire hit two, but they survived to blow up a jeep and M10.

Being the start of a new campaign, a number of German proxy stands were needed.  But there was no confusion.

The P-47s finally showed up and attempted revenge, but 
utterly failed to even range in.

Feeling exposed, the remaining M10s pulled back.

The duel continued on the US left, trading losses.

The poorly trained Panzers managed to blitz
over the ridge and take out another M10.

The seemingly ever-present Luftwaffe shifted
targets, with less success.

Aircraft and lucky shooting mostly neutralized the 
panzers on the US right.

12cm mortar fire has thinned the paratrooper line,
and panzer-grenadiers occupied the ruined building.

The dice were unkind to the US most of the day,
and now only a single gun holds the line.

He in time breaks and runs, leaving only a single
LMG stand and the pack howitzers to hold the objective.
But only the panzer HQ and two tanks survive.

The Wolverines are down to a single TD as they
and the jeeps chew up German infantry.

Speaking of chewing, the wirbelwinds advance 
spewing 20mm death.

Recognizing the risk had to be taken, the panzer HQ
attaches to the platoon remnant and assault.  Eight dice
are rolled by the supporting howitzers, scoring 7(!) hits 
and stopping the assault cold.

The Panzer formation was now broken and the Panzer-grenadiers were without any remaining infantry platoons, so the mortars and wirbelwinds packed up and withdrew, allowing the paratroopers to occupy their objectives.  A hard fight which I as the US player thought I was losing.  Had my two killer shooting rounds gone the other way, it would have been all over.  Next battle, the dice gods may decide otherwise.

Tanksgiving 2022

 My first post of 2023!

As part of the Toys for Tots drive, Battlefront miniatures encourage games by offering numerous random prizes to participants.  Our group has always done a "Tanksgiving" game in the past and one time even had the world-wide grand prize winner, their height in boxes of product!  But that is secondary to supporting a good cause and having a ripping good time blowing up tanks.  So December 10th we gathered in Oshkosh at Adventure Games.

The German left and partial center.

Each player is allowed a 100 point company, of which only one platoon may be something not rated as a tank, or armored vehicle.  Some players took artillery, some big anti-tank guns, and there was a wee bit of infantry.

German center, where a Panzer Brigade company lurked.

And the German right.  The Axis players had to deploy
first and each could keep one platoon in ambush mode.

Another view on the right, showing the buildings and 
other line-of-sight blocking pieces.

A flood of T.34/76 tanks is quickly reduced to a trickle.

The US forces move on the center as an OP halftrack
takes up a concealed spot on the bridge.

A gap exists between the two US commands and the right
moves to expand it.

T-34 wrecks litter the center.  The Pak43 guns and Panthers
have had a feast.

Left-center, a pair of Tiger II tanks help with the advancing
JS-2 "Stalin" tanks.

The US and Germans on the right-center exact a toll
from themselves.  Hellcats and Tigers roar!

The assortment of 88s make quick work of the JS-2s.

Stukas score a rare success.  By and large all aircraft
were easily neutralized.

Not the best picture, but the cameraman got excited when
the Super Pershing was knocked out from the flank.

The Panzer Brigade boldly moves forth in spite of their
"hit me" status and poor motivation.

P-47s swept in to take revenge but instead were swatted
by the Wirbelwind SPAA off camera.

In Tanksgiving, when your initial company is broken,
you just bring on another!

As noted, aircraft did not fare well today, not even jets.

Besides VPs for breaking formations, you could get a VP 
for every turn you held one of four objectives on table.

The US company on the far right begins to move in and
do some damage, but too late to affect the outcome.

And so, with the Americans and Soviets soundly thrashed, another year of Tanksgiving came to a close, the final tally 18-11 victory points.  As a side bar, we again scored a prize, with one participant winning a $50 box from Battlefront, care of our local game shop, Adventure Games of Oshkosh, WI.

So thanks to the nine players who participated, thanks to Adam Apell for doing the groundwork and planning, and thanks to Adventure Games for hosting.  An afternoon well spent.