Post D-Day

[Mick Sayce]

My ongoing plan is for a small solo campaign set against the backdrop of a failed D-Day. I know it’s a bit of a leap but the Germans managed to force the Allies to re-embark and after a couple of months to reorganise, began their own invasion of England. They landed in the area of between Dover and Folkestone and now have a foothold in the south east of Kent. This is my starting point. I have the equivalent of a division for each side; a modern reprint of the Cassini 1921 map at 1:50,000 of the immediate area around Maidstone and Royal Tunbridge Wells and am currently involved in making my own scenery including orchards, fields, roads and town and village buildings etc., all made using the methods described in my articles ‘Terrain for Tiny Chaps’  recently printed in MWBG. I have even made some ‘J’ Type aircraft hangers to go on Headcorn, West Malling or Detling Airfields as well as a number of German DFS 230 gliders should the Germans get that far.  In fact, these airfields are to be part of the German campaign objectives, so as to set a specific limit rather than just carry on until the whole thing runs out of steam.

The campaign rules will be a version of a modern set I wrote back in the 1990’s and the tactical set will either be the WRG or Irregular set -I am unsure at the moment. Even though it is solo and time is not really an important factor I rather prefer the simplicity of the two sets mentioned rather than spend ages working out the factors involved to hit and then to penetrate. Range Bands and To Hit die rolls are all I need. It may not be that accurate but I’m happy with that concept.

I intend for most of the write-ups to be serialised on my blog at http://thewordsofsubedai.blogspot.co.uk/ with links from the various fora I frequent -this one, LAW, WD3, Pendraken and others. There are already some pictures of the troops involved and the hangers on the blog if you want to take a look.

 

Blog at : http://thewordsofsubedai.blogspot.co.uk/

[willz]

I like the concept Mick, I have played Sealion 1940 game several times, it is certainly more war-gaming fun for the German player as a starting point after they have landed.  Having done 3 games with barges and loading, landing plans for some gamers there is not enough shooting involved in this important evolution of a amphibious game.  That said I have always had to do air warfare for Sealion as an abstract concept to allow certain things to move forward.  The last 2 Sealion games I have played, the starting point was landing day + 1 the Germans had landed and were required to obtain objectives to win, like wise the British.

I have been pondering for some time exactly this style of late war German invasion, I will be watching you blog with interest.

Here is a link to a sealion game display I did

http://societyofgentlemengamers.org/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=8874

http://societyofgentlemengamers.org/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=8875

An other idea I would like to try is a German airborne invasion of America c1942 – 43, I read a novel about that some 10 years ago but I can’t remember its name.

[Mick Sayce]

Nice idea about America but I only have five glider models so a lot of doubling up or do one assault at a time. 

Like the games and like the forum. When I get more time I’ll have a closer look.

Blog at : http://thewordsofsubedai.blogspot.co.uk/

[willz]

When I get around to doing para assault America, my plan was to use card models for gliders and aircraft.  Either 3d or 2d, 2d would be easier and quicker.

[Mick Sayce]

God idea in principle but I bet the purist in you would want all models -I know I would- 250 DFS 230’s would certainly look something but probably only ever get used the once so really a financial non-starter. The idea is definitely worth a think though. Where would you start, somewhere along the western seaboard and then expand or would you already have a foothold and need the para’s to leapfrog forward to the next objective?

Blog at : http://thewordsofsubedai.blogspot.co.uk/

[Rod Robertson]

Mick Sayce:

How did the Germans win back Air Superiority in order to support and protect their invasion? Or did they never lose it in the first place? This is a really interesting line of speculation and I will keep an eye on what you post. In the mean time best wishes for a successful and enjoyable campaign. Oh, and I hope the Germans still lose!

Cheers and good gaming.

Rod Robertson.

[Mick Sayce]

Thanks Rod. The ‘leap’ I mentioned in my first post is that the Germans didn’t really gain superiority but more likely parity after the Americans had recalled nearly all their aircraft for redeployment in the Far East.  The problem with this line of thinking is that you create a ‘feasible’ situation to cover one aspect but this then in turn begats at least two new trains of thought, such as what happened to the British Navy and could the Americans really transport so many of their troops back over the Atlantic. This is way to wargaming campaign madness in this kind of situation so I’ve adopted the concept of ‘the Germans have landed, how is really immaterial to the immediate campaign, so just deal with the situation in front of you’ sort of attitude.

Blog at : http://thewordsofsubedai.blogspot.co.uk/

[Rod Robertson]

Mick Sayce:

Cool! “…begats…”, how biblical! So harken onto me, that you might know that I wait with hands wringing and pursed lip, to see the hosts of Britannia fall upon the German plague and smite them sore. Verily, The Lord did look down upon his prophet Winston of Blenheim and the struggling masses and did see the abomination of war, and The Lord did smile, for it was good! (An Old Testament style Lord, none of that namby-pamby, turn-the-other-cheek stuff from the New Testament!).

Cheers and good gaming!

Rod Robertson.

[willz]

I wish I could remember the name of the book that gave me this germ of an idea, but one thought is the Germans trying to take out the fledgling atomic bomb project.

Yet an other idea is several southern states form a pact with the Germans / Japanese, or food riots in the Indian sub continent spread to America / England / Scotland / Ireland / Russia / Spain / India / Japan / China revolution and riots.  All these ideas are to use various forces I have sitting around in stowage boxes.  So the second train of thought is not World War Two but World Revolution Two (premise being the Seven Years War /American Revolution was World Revolution One).  Think of all those armies we have sat around and not using, this way nobody can criticize your choice of battles and combatants as you have made it all up and your are the expert.

 

[Mick Sayce]

Rod Robertson wrote:

Mick Sayce: Cool! “…begats…”, how biblical! So harken onto me, that you might know that I wait with hands wringing and pursed lip, to see the hosts of Britannia fall upon the German plague and smite them sore. Verily, The Lord did look down upon his prophet Winston of Blenheim and the struggling masses and did see the abomination of war, and The Lord did smile, for it was good! (An Old Testament style Lord, none of that namby-pamby, turn-the-other-cheek stuff from the New Testament!). Cheers and good gaming! Rod Robertson.

Oh yes, it’s a great word; very ‘woody’ sounding as Python used to say. Good post, very fire and brimstone.

 

That is the beauty of Alternate Reality campaigns -you can do whatever you want and no one can gainsay you. (Another good, old English word, much underused in my opinion), as the only person you have to convince is yourself. Anyway, like a good SciFi film, if it’s done right you can suspend belief and get carried away in the story.

Blog at : http://thewordsofsubedai.blogspot.co.uk/

[willz]

As we are throwing around good words, an other word is “ugsome” (loathsome or abhorrent) an Anglo Saxon word much under used.  Just my tuppence worth.

[Author]

Posts