Friday, 7 February 2025

Syria 2025

 Another of Johns modern polmil matrix games, this time covering what happens in Syria after the overthrow of the Assad regime. John had sent out comprehensive briefings which included a veritable alphabet soup of the various factions involved. Fortunately I was cast as the USA, and as we were playing week long turns starting the week after the overthrow (so spanning the Inauguration) , I managed to get to play both President Biden and President Trump.


As ever with remote committee games, there isn't much eye candy I'm afraid. This is what I spent two evenings looking at. Glad I have my extra monitor. We had a lot of players for this one (eight? nine? I lost track in the chaos).

I had two mandatory objectives, which were fairly obvious. 
1. Establish a stable non sectarian government which didn't include any terrorists (particularly IS).
2. Ensure the Russians don't retain any bases in Syria
3. One of my choice, which I elected to be "No further expansion in the US ground presence"

In playing the game I also seemed to adopt three extra unofficial objectives of saving the Kurds, smashing IS all on my own and preventing another civil war breaking out. Team America, World Police. yay. That probably made my job harder than it needed to be.

The other players obviously had their own objectives, some of which harmonised with mine, some of which were in conflict. Figuring those out and trying to thwart them is one of the joys of this sort of thing.


John provided some useful maps, as well as extensive briefings on the various factions, their aims, motivations, who their foreign supporters are, who they dislike etc. as well as the global and regional powers with their fingers in the conflict.


This was the most useful map as it showed, as far as we know, the areas controlled by the various factions. As you can see, the Kurds control more of Syria than HTS do, much to the fury of Turkey. The main US base is that blue semi circle at the bottom, but there are other bases scattered around, particularly in the SDF area in the northeast. The Russian air and naval bases are in the northwest in that enclave around the coast in the HTS controlled area.


The regional map formed the basis for the game control board, which kept track of which factions were in government, who was in conflict, whether a state of Civil War existed and the current IS threat level.

This was the situation after six weeks of play (game time), just HTS and the Druze are in the government, the evil Turks having just pulled off a stunning coup by invading northern Syria and forcing the YPG (the main Kurdish faction) out of government.

I won't do a blow by blow account, but along with bashing IS (no-one else seemed remotely interested) I did support the gradual expansion of the coalition government and managed a great diplomatic coup to terminate the leases on the Russian bases. The Turks and Russians ran around like bulls in a china shop however, as Erdogan released his army on a deliberate programme of terror against the Kurds with Russian(!) air support, while the Russians flew in Spetznaz units and fortified their bases. President Trump had a very direct phone call with President Erdogan to get him to wind his neck in, and the Ukrainians took advantage of the Russian pre-occupation with Syria to resume offensive operations in the Kursk oblast.

There was so much going on it was like playing whack-a-mole. In end, and much to everyones astonishment, we did have a fairly stable coalition government in Syria (mainly thanks to the diplomatic skills of John B) and they had even managed to eject the Russians from their bases. IS was back in its box and the US was able to start reductions in troop levels, the only dark clouds on the horizon was that the Alawites refused to participate in the coalition despite repeated efforts, and the Kurds had not obtained any degree of regional autonomy via federalisataion.

That was a really good game on an incredibly complex and confusing subject, and excellent primer on modern Syria, and a good model of the exteme diffculties of decision making and policy implementation in the region. At one point I did just think of washing my hands of the whole sorry mess, but it actually turned out OK in the end, thanks to the sensible leadership of HTS. I suspect the game outcome is somewhere towards the extreme end of likely favourable outcomes, but fingers crossed.

One bright idea which noone came up with was for the US to simply buy Syria, evict the occupants, and create a 'US Riviera on the Mediterranean'. Well, perhaps that is for a future game.









Monday, 3 February 2025

Illushin IL-4 medium bombers

 I have been looking for some 1/144th scale Soviet twin engined bombers for ages. I have a couple of 1/200th scale SB-2s, but they were already obsolete in 1941 and vanished fairly early on. I thought about getting some B-25 Mitchells as several hundred were sent via Lend Lease but really I wanted either Pe-2s or IL-4 and apparently no-one makes models of these apart from in larger scales. I was seriously considering getting a Bf-110 and converting into a Pe-2.


So imagine my delight when one of my regular eBay trawls turned up these two beauties. Not one, but two IL-4s in 1/144th! These are diecast models by Atlas(?) and came from two different shops.


This first one was just packed in a box and had obviously been on display although the undercarriage hadn't been fitted and was just loose. This one was from the french market as it is using the french spelling of Illushin on the base, and is also using the supplementary DB-3 designation.


It is in this rather jazzy three colour camo scheme with nice big red stars. There is a bit of damage to a couple of the sticking out bits but otherwise it is in good condition.


Its friend was in a proper plastic case and is in this green/green scheme and includes Guards badges on the fuselage sides, so clearly an elite VVS unit. This one is in better condition but annoyingly the turret MG hasn't been put in correctly and now it is jammed solid so I can't easily correct it. It was also missing its undercart.


All I did on both planes was attach the tail wheel, which wasn't retractable on these. I left the front undercart off as it would just get broken anyway. I'm going to keep these on their heavy duty stands as they are quite substantial models and would overwhelm my wire flight stands.

I'm very pleased indeed to have got those and I've already got a game planned which can use them. I shall continue my search for a 1/144 Pe-2. Tim said True North make one, but the True North range seems to have been sold to Old Glory UK who have no mention of them at all on their website, just boring Sturmoviks and I-16s.


Friday, 31 January 2025

One Hour Eylau

 I finally developed an Eylau scenario I was happy with - it is largely based on the one in the 'Bloody Big Napoleonic Battles' scenario book and only covers the second day of the battle. I'd originally hoped to do the battle for the town the previous day but I can understand why they just went with the main event. At least the scenario had something approaching a reasonable OOB and a map, although they had chosen not to include any of the streams as they were covered in snow!


Battlefield from the south. Eylau is the town near the main road junction in the centre, Konigsberg is up the road off to the north west. I included the streams just for the look of it, I had to refer to the maps in David Chandler for those. The NBBB scenario has seven objective villages, I consolidated them down to four - Eylau and L-R, Schloditten, Anklappen and Serpallen on the ridge to the northeast. Whoever controlled most by the end of the game would win. The Russians start controlling three, so the onus of attack is on the French. 

The larger areas of high ground I modelled using extra hex tiles, but 'Napoleons Ridge' above Eylau I added as an extra hill on top. The streams have no effect (frozen), but the roads are in effect and I added in the wooded areas from Chandler as they are also missing from NBBB.


The Russians start with almost their entire Army deployed, having fallen back to the high ground across the valley after fighting Napoleon for the road junction at Eylau the previous day.


In the centre are the reserve cavalry, six infantry divisions and one grand battery. I didn't bother with Bennigsen, but I included Dokhturov and Kamenskie as Leaders. The NBBB scenario rates all the French infantry as better than the Russian, but instead I used a slightly more generous force multiplier for the French units .


On the right is Osterman-Tolstoy with two divisions, one of which is configured as a Grand Battery. The Russians had twice as many guns as the French, so get two  artillery units. About half the total guns are assumed to be allocated to the other infantry units, and the 'grand batteries' also contain about half as many infantry as the normal ones.


The French, in contrast, have major bits of their army missing! The only units actually on table are Soults 4th Corps, Augerau's 7th Corps, Murats Reserve Cavalry and the Imperial Guard. Although the French are quite concentrated, the Russians outnumber them. Not great as they have to attack. Murat and Soult are included as Leaders, while Napoleon is hanging around to direct things.


Hurrying to the rescue from the east is Davouts 3rd Corps. 2 x infantry and another leader.


And from the west is Neys 6th Corps. Also 2 x infantry and a leader. However marching in front of them is Lestocqs Prussian Corps.

All the reinforcements have an arrival schedule, Davout is due on turn 1, Lestocq on turn 6 followed by Ney on turn 7. However the battle was characterised by appalling weather, so the reinforcements may be delayed...


I didn't want to overdo the weather, but it was very variable on the day and had a major impact on operations. Essentially each turn there was a weather roll 1 - blizzard, 2 - heavy snow, 3/4 - light snow, 5/6 - clear. Blizzards and heavy snow seriously restricted movement and visibility and delayed reinforcements, light snow just restricted visibility and clear was clear.

Naturally on turn 1 I rolled 'heavy snow' - so reinforcements were delayed, movement restricted to a maximum of 2 hexes and visibility was 1 hex. Bad news for Davout.


Napoleon used the cover of the snow to shuffle some units around. Soult rather bravely marched into the valley to set up for some shooting next turn. Very brave indeed as he was outnumbered 2:1 by the Russians on the other side! Augerau moved down from Napoleons Ridge to support Davouts eventual attack on Serpallen on the French right.


The Russians also did some shuffling in the snowstorm, moving the artillery into a better location and closing up the reserve cavalry slightly to discourage too much French light infantry action. For now, though, they could just defend.


The snow eventually lifted sufficiently for visibility and mobiity to improve a bit. Soult engaged the Russian left wing with artillery and skirmishers, while Davout turned up on the right, linked up with Augereau and engaged Tolstoy on the isolated ridge. The snow was still too heavy for the Grand Batteries to engage at long range.


On the right, the French concentrated their fire on the Russian guns on the forward slope. Eventually they were weakened enough that Davout sent a unit forward in open order.

Soult also advanced on the left. I'm trying out Gary Sheffields tweaks to the morale rules - essentially you roll against hits suffered to advance against the enemy, and Gary has added a provisio that units also have to test to stand. Dokhturovs division was fairly battered but faced with Soults advance they stood.


Soult suffered heavy losses from Russian fire (three hits!), but Murat led his cuirassier corps against Dokhturov and routed the Russians. Dokhturov survived and retired to the adjacent division, while Murat crested the ridge.


Back on the right, Davout and Augerau settled down to more pounding in light snow.


Murat judged the Russians sufficiently weakened and the other cavalry corps charged the Russian guns and took them!


Murat slightly regretted charging into the middle of the Russian position. The entire Russian line opened fire, chipping another hit off Soult. The Russian cavalry charged Murat behind infantry volleys, and the cuirassiers was lucky to survive with five hits. I've only rated the Russian cavalry as medium as they had so many Cossacks in this battle.

I'd intended to deploy some light cavalry stands to act as ZOC, but I completely forgot and also completely forgot about ZOCs too, which  proved to be an issue later on.


Rather than lose the cuirassiers, Murat withdrew to reorganise. Soult pulled back behind the stream and out of range of the Russian infantry divisions. On the right, Davout pressed up hard against Serpallen, the Russians having retired there after losing their guns.

I'd set up the other French cavalry to cover Soult (they are in front of the grand battery on Napoleons Ridge), but seeing the cuirassiers withdraw and being in range of Soult carrying four hits, the Russians just had to keep on and their cavalry charged the French infantry across the frozen stream.


The Russians were hiedously unlucky and just scored 1 hit, although in fairness they would have needed three hits to rout the French. They are now left hanging out to dry in front of three French infantry units (those are the Imperial Guard across the bridge on the right).


Davout sends in two divisions in open order to attack Serpallen. His close order division reorganises and is left with two permanent hits. I'll keep that in reserve to storm the village.


Soult reorganises his battered division which acquires three permanent hits. Rallying so close to the enemy involves considerable risk, which is why five hits rounded up to three casualty markers, but Soult doesn't roll a 1 and survives. The other French infantry shoot up the Russian cavalry, and Murats heavy cavalry corps charges.


The Russians cavalry survives with heavy losses and retreats to Schloditten to reorg accompanied by Gen Kamenskie. The Russian infantry shoot up the French where they can, but Dokhturov shuffles another division across to line the ridge and prevent a french cavalry pursuit. Of course they didn't need to do this as there are ZOCs to stop this sort of silliness, but I forgot.


The Russians despatch their last reserves to Serpallen. An infantry division and the other cavalry corps, which charges the French infantry who are deployed in open order on the ridge. The ridge disadvantages the cavalry, but they are still good against open order infantry. The village garrison softens the French up with massed volleys.


And the Russian cavalry carry the ridge, the French infantry flee in disorder and are cut down. Oh dear, bad news for Davout.


However the French return the favour. Davouts close order division pours withering fire into the Russian horsemen, the Imperial Guard artillery opens fire into their flank and Murat follows up with another charge by his battered cuirassiers which sends the Russian horse from the field and leaves them adjacent to the Russian infantry in the open.


However back on the left, the reorganised Russian cavalry under Kamenskie make another charge in Soult, and this time the battered French infantry are routed although Soult survives. The French left is now looking in dire peril, if only Ney would arrive!


Instead Lestocq's Prussians finally arrive and set up to cover the extreme left flank (they are just north of the stream). I rated the Prussians as 'poor' for this as their Corps was quite weak and the Prussian army had been completely outclassed earlier in the campaign. 


Over at Serpallen, the entire French reserve cavalry under Murat charge the Russians in the valley and inflict enough hits to rout them. The French are going all-out to take the village and secure a draw. This also puts Murat on the flank of the Russian grand battery.


The Russians throw in their other cavalry corps and Murats cuirassiers have finally had enough. Murat is seriously wounded and carried from the field. The Russians are exposed to a counter charge but it was worth it to finish off the cuirassiers.


The rampaging Russian cavalry are now deep into the French left rear. Napoleon is forced to relocate the grand battery off the ridge to prevent them simply riding into Eylau. Ney has now arrived however, much to Soults relief and the French form a sort of hedgehog south of the stream. The French army is cut in half, however heavy snow shields them from the Russian guns on the heights.


The French along the stream start trading shots with Lestocq as Neys other division forms back into close order. The French gunners position their guns to fire into he flank of the Russian cavalry. Time for them to go home I think. Dokhturov lines the ridge with infantry again.


Supported by the Imperial Guard, the last French cavalry rout the Russian horsemen. Once again this exposes the Russian gun line, but Serpallen still holds out.


In light snow the Russian cavalry make their escape across the stream. Lestocq manages to rout one of Neys divisions in close quarter fighting! Soult is still hanging on but things are not going well for the French here, however without immediate infantry support, the Russian gunners limber up and head back into Anklappen. They can't fire from here but they can occupy the village and stop the French cavalry riding into it.


Heavy snow brings everything to a grinding halt. I rolled a disproportionate number of snow turns in this game. The Russian cavalry are crushed between the grand battery and the last French cavalry unit and Serpallen finally falls. The entire Russian line swings back and forms up along the line of Schottingden and Anklappen. The Imperial Guard marches up the Koenigsberg Road and Soult crosses the stream as Ney finally routs Lestocq but the whole battle is moving in slow motion as visbility and movement are so restricted.


In the last couple of turns the French manage to push some units up onto the plateau, but time is very short. In the end not even the Imperial Guard can dislodge the defenders, although there was a very exciting morale test as Davout moved up to Anklappen. The defenders had four hits, so a roll of three of less would see them withdraw under normal circumstances, however they were bolstered by General Osterman-Tolstoy who had survived the fall of Serpallen. +1 for a General +1 for being in hard cover, so anything but a 1. The Russians rolled a 3, and the game ended as a draw with both sides holding two towns.


Napoleon surveys the scene from Napoleons Ridge, although the three big smoke puffs indicate this is a heavy snow turn so he'll be lucky to see any further than the nice warm inn in Eylau.

That went very well and produced a historical result, which is always pleasing. With better weather (there was only a single clear turn in the entire game when on average there should have been five) they may have been able to batter their way to victory, or maybe not. If I was running it again I'd restrict the number of delays to reinforcements to a maximum of two, they are marching on roads after all. I might also drive the weather with cards instead of dice, as cards have memory which dice don't. 

Garys suggested morale changes certainly added to the tension and tactical decisions, I repeatedly tried to wear units down and then advance a fresh unit adjacent to force a 'stand' test but both sides passed every single one! Units need to be quite battered to fail morale and are generally fairly close to destruction in any casie, so it may be an unnecessary complication. One thing I may experiment with is having adjacent infantry units roll each turn to stand, which makes it slightly more likely battered or unlucky units will retire instead of fighting until they disintegrate. The rally/reorganise rules worked well though and I'll keep that as a mechanism, converting half the recovered losses into permanent hits stops the game grinding to a halt.



Tuesday, 28 January 2025

Backdated Allied drivers

 After adding passengers to many of my open topped softskins, I had a bit of a review of driverless vehicles, starting with the Allies. I always meant to go back and add drivers to them at some point, and now is that point!


The only Allied vehicles currently driverless are the rump of my Jeep Fleet. These are vehicles of varying vintages and manufacturers, but they do look a bit bare without any crew.


And here they are after their transformation. Doesn't that look better! Sadly I am running very short of PSC seated figures of all types, so I had to buy some more drivers.


These are the Allied drivers, all Peter Pig figures, a mixture of helmeted US and various British figures. The guys in service caps will do for both US and British officers. I ordered some packs of 'seated' figures from PP, and while the US pack came with a mixture of armed and driving figures, I was monumentally disappointed to discover that all the British figures are configured as drivers, despite there being a separate 'British Drivers' pack. Does no-one make any seated British infantry? Apparently not.

You can see from the photo just how much beefier the US figures are than their British counterparts, so I presume these are newer castings. I noticed the same thing when mixing some of the US seated infantry with my plastic Russians, particularly as the plastic figures are so slim anyway.

Anyway, they were stuck to a bit of wood strip for painting and done in various mid khaki shades to cover as many theatres as possible.


Long experience has taught me that seated figures never actually fit in vehicles (apart from the delightfully small PSC plastic figures) and some serious surgery would be required. Having ruined one pair of side clippers chopping up metal figures, I bought this very heavy duty pair from Lidl. Hopefully they will be up to the job.


This is a very old jeep, dating from around 2000. I've no idea who the manufacturer is, but it was in my British box, so it has a British driver. He is in a generic beret, which can be repainted on a scenario by scenario basis as required (khaki for GS cap, maroon for Paras, black for RTR etc).

This one was quite roomy and I only had to cut off the drivers feet at the ankles.


This next pair are BF jeeps (from a pack of five), which did come with various crew figures, but I've already used them for other projects. As they had lots of stowage, they look a bit frontline, so I used two of the helmeted US drivers. The jeeps don't have steering wheels, but the figures have wheels moulded on. I had to remove most of the legs from the knee down, but they went in very well and the moulded steering wheels fitted well.


The last batch are my most recent ones, BPM 3D printed jeeps. I put two of the figures in caps in these as they look cleaner than then others. These took a bit more surgery as I had to cut out the 3D printed steering wheels and the seats had quite deep moulded cushions, so rather more of the figures had to come off, but they went in OK in the end.

I've very pleased with how they came out, and I still have a moderate stock of seated figures left for other things. I often use US figures as Russians, as the helmets are so similar, in fact almost all my Russian vehicle drivers and passengers are US figures re-painted. I need to continue my search for seated British figures with weapons, they obviously exist as Chris Kemp has loads of infantry in his British vehicles.