Home Forums WWII In Defense of the Tiger!

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  • #9521
    Avatar photoAscent
    Participant

    I suppose it will also depend on what scale of battle you are doing as to how common they should be. A platoon game probably shouldn’t see that many tanks full stop, let alone Tigers. At division level you should be seeing more but how many? Yes you probably should see them represented but not every tank should be one.

    #9812
    Avatar photoSparker
    Participant

    Yes that’s fair enough mate. We saw in my post that the Grossdeutschland staff put in a request that every Panzer Division should have its own Tiger company, but that was quoshed by Guderian. But if your game is representing a particular crisis, or the tip of the spear, then its entirely feasible that someone at Army level has allocated a company, or even a battalion, of Tigers to restore the situation or lead the breakthrough.

    Now we have seen that as a result of being moved around from crisis to crisis without time for proper servicing, Tigers had a low availability rate (not as a result of any inherent mechanical unreliability, mark you, that is a complete myth). So that Tiger company of 15 may only have 4-5 runners available on the day, and similarly the battalion as a whole may only have 12-15 runners.

    So if you are playing a company level game, historically you are completely justified in bolstering your defence or leading your attack with a handful of Tigers, which may well be supplemented with Stugs, if its an Infantry formation they are supporting, or Mark IVs if its a Panzer unit….

    http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
    'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
    Matthew 5:9

    #9838
    Avatar photopiers brand
    Participant

    What if your platoon level game, is a game based a round a platoon of Tigers…

    Villers-Bocage would be hard to refight without any Tigers.

    #9904
    Avatar photoSparker
    Participant

    Well there are always some actions that defy replaying or retelling – the truth can be stranger than fiction, and I think Villiers is one of those! Imagine if the battle had not occurred, and you set it up as a wargame scenario – I can hear the snorting and scoffing from here!

    http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
    'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
    Matthew 5:9

    #9948
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    As you mentioned Villers-Bocage I thought I would post these links played it several times using “Rapid Fire”, with only 2 tigers on the table (Whittman’s Tiger is on the table hidden from turn 1, the 2nd tiger comes on turn 3-5).  At times Whittman was out by turn 3 or lasted all the game, it was really down to the roll of the dice.

    http://societyofgentlemengamers.org/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=7866

    http://societyofgentlemengamers.org/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=7874

     

     

    #10915
    Avatar photoRod Robertson
    Participant

    Sparker:

    Why don’t you play Seven Tigers at Cintheaux and settle the whole Joe Ekins or Sydney Radley-Walters debate at least in the 15mm realm? It would make a great Tiger I scenario and you could add typhoons to muddy the waters if you wished.  Maybe Ekins’ tank gets blasted before he dispatches Wittmann or maybe Radley-Walters 75’s don’t get good rear-left shots on Wittmann’s Tiger. It might be interesting to not name Wittmann in the scenario and see how players controlling a generic battalion commander handle the situation. Finally even if the Tigers get wiped out, the follow-on attack by the StuG’s, JgPz IV’s, Pz IV’s and half- tracks would be cracking-great fun!

    Cheers.

    Rod Robertson.

    #10999
    Avatar photoSparker
    Participant

    Thanks Rod, that’s a great idea for a scenario! Actually the Blandford Garrison/Royal Signals Wargame club put on the Wittman scenario at Fisticuffs in Weymouth a few years ago, it was a great game. May be time for a revisit!

    http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
    'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
    Matthew 5:9

    #11000
    Avatar photopiers brand
    Participant

    Nah… Do Franz Staudegger on the Eastern Front…

    1 Tiger versus 50 T-34s.

    #11006
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    Sounds interesting Piers any good links out there.

    Just had a quick look on tinternet, interesting game too play 50 to 1.  Think I might give it a go, just wondering if I play the rules strait or add in any special ones to give him a better chance.  What do you all reckon?

    Thinking a reroll dice option on hits on him and or on targets.

    #11037
    Avatar photoSparker
    Participant

    Thanks Rod, that’s a great idea for a scenario! Actually the Blandford Garrison/Royal Signals Wargame club put on the Wittman scenario at Fisticuffs in Weymouth a few years ago, it was a great game. May be time for a revisit!

    Here we go – found the photos: http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/a-blast-from-past-fisticuffs-2008.html#comment-form

    http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
    'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
    Matthew 5:9

    #11053
    Avatar photoRod Robertson
    Participant

    Tim:

    If you can find a copy of Brian Ried’s “No Holding Back”, he has an appendix which covers SVR-W’s role in the battle well and thoroughly. There is also a TV documentary done by Norm Christie about the role of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers and the death of Wittmann.

    Cheers.

    Rod Robertson.

    #11057
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    Cheers for Sparker for that “Fisticuffs” report, I have never made it to the show as its only a 2 hour drive I should do it.

    #11059
    Avatar photopiers brand
    Participant

    Tiger Ace by Gary Simpson… A Great work of fiction…

    #11100
    Avatar photoSparker
    Participant

    Cheers Tim for that interesting post about General Radley-Walters, very interesting. I am just starting Zuekhe’s ‘Holding Juno’ so no doubt will learn more about this remarkable character!

    Rod yes I have Brian Reid’s ‘No Holding Back’ about Op TOTALIZE but must have missed that appendix – will review, sounds interesting!

    http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
    'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
    Matthew 5:9

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