{"id":8677,"date":"2019-04-23T11:29:20","date_gmt":"2019-04-23T11:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/?p=8677"},"modified":"2019-04-23T12:36:59","modified_gmt":"2019-04-23T12:36:59","slug":"combat-patrol-1939-in-york-pa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/bucksurdu.com\/blog\/?p=8677","title":{"rendered":"Combat Patrol 1939 in York, PA"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Little Wars TV<\/a> people asked me to come to their clubhouse and run a Combat Patrol(TM): WWII game for them. \u00a0Greg and I drove up there yesterday after work to set up and run a 1939 Polish scenario that I have run in conventions previously.<\/p>\n

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A German halftrack pushes ahead of the German force and gets “air conditioned” by the Bofors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The scenario involved a German attack toward a Polish armored train that was sitting astride their route of advance. \u00a0The turret on the train was out of ammunition, but there was a Bofors gun on top that the Poles used effectively throughout the game.<\/p>\n

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The Polish commanders plan their defense.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Greg watches as the German commanders plan their attack.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Bofors gun on train. The train is from Sarissa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Germans had two 38(t) tanks, a Pz. I, three halftracks, a full platoon of infantry, and a command car. \u00a0The Poles had a platoon of infantry, the Bofors on the train, two Wz-34 armored cars, three tankettes (one with a 20mm cannon). \u00a0The Bofors had a limited field of fire down the center of the table, but fortunately for the Poles, the Germans pretty much pushed up the center of the table.<\/p>\n

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The Germans bail out of the burning halftrack while the “light squad” advances to take up positions on a hill.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A view of the burning halftrack from the Polish point of view. Lots of high fives and chest bumps in Warsaw!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Polish tankettes advancing past the train to engage the Germans.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite losing a halftrack early, the Germans advanced steadily across the table, but mostly where they weighted their attack on their right. \u00a0The Poles began to lose a lot of infantry across the table \u00a0They had occupied the building in the center of the table, and for a while, that was the Germans’ only target. \u00a0While the Germans only had a little more infantry than the Poles, the Germans made good use of the machine-guns on the halftracks.<\/p>\n

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A scene toward the middle of the game. The Germans have lost a 38(t).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A scene late in the game. The Germans have lost two tanks, a halftrack, and the schwimwagon. The 20mm on the tankette is threatening the German halftrack on the German left, slowing the advance. The halftrack at the top of the picture had taken a mobility kill. The only remaining intact vehicle on the German side was the Pz I, which you can’t see in this picture.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While the Poles had lost much of their infantry and the Bofors, they had lost no vehicles. \u00a0The armored cars and the machinegun-armed tankettes were advancing on the Polish left, threatening to overwhelm the Germans on that flank. \u00a0The tankette with the 20mm cannon was causing the remaining German halftrack (with half a squad of infantry) to seek cover.<\/p>\n

At this point, we called the game a Polish victory. \u00a0It appeared that all the members of the club really enjoyed the rules and the game, which was gratifying.<\/p>\n

The Little Wars TV<\/a> club is a great bunch of guys. \u00a0Greg and I had a very good time with them. \u00a0They also have a great facility for gaming.<\/p>\n

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The “plunger faust” in the bathroom of the Little Wars TV clubhouse.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n