25 replies to this topic

[Robert Laplante]

Hello !!I am currently making a table with a D-Day beach. It will be made of 4 panels, each 6'X2', so my table will have a 6' long beach and 8’ wide, one panel of sea and the other two panels will be the in-land. I am making a British-Canadian Landing. I thought it was more fun, being a Canadian, and , like this, I can use all those special tanks known as ''funnies'' !!! (American didn't use them).I got 4 LCT-5, 2 LCT-4 from Leva Production and 12 LCVP and 4 LCM-3 from GHQ, si I can land about 40 tanks with about 3 companies of infantry in one wave (plus the DD tanks).As the invader/liberator as to buy for it's transport, what will be the right ration on poitns attacker vs the defender ? About 10 against one ? Hace you tried this, any hint ?My idea was to make the landing only a part of the game with the German rushing reinforcement. German reinforcement might be delayed by my 2 paratrooper company which will land aboard 6 Horsa gliders (the ones from GHQ).My idea was to provide the allied commander a few photograph of the table ( pictures that might not be totally accurate...) and let him choose how to used it's forces (what put in what ship, where to drop the paratrooper).Like wise, the German defender will have limited asset to defend his beach and the reinforcement route.So, the game will look like a meeting engagements were both forces will be slow down: the allied by the landing and the German by the paratrooper.I have already buy all the troops mentioned above. The Germans have a few bunkers for the beach and I am planning to give them trenches and beach obstacle.The Allied have Churchill AVRE, Sherman DD and Sherman Crab and Dozer to help them (with a company of battle engineer lavishly equipped with flamers). Plus many, many other tanks and vehicles. They have 4 Typhoons as air support (I might ad a few US aircraft, probably 4 lighning). I am planning to field all my micro-armor Canadian army (130+ vehicules)The German have lot’s of tanks including . I have not done their army list yet.If you are interested I might post a few picture of my table, but it’s just a beginning.Any advices you can share? Have you play this kind of game yet? I know it’s huge this is why I plan this game as a mini-campaign. The two pure land board will have to be used for other game ( I just cannot afford to make a whole table just for one campaign). The beach will be a generic beach were I will be able to move bunkers, AT-Walls, beach obstacles from game to game so it will have some potential for replay. The sea board will be a bit plain as I will use it to make a land board latter.Thanks for your input !BTW: Leva Productions make great landing craft and load of wonderfull scenary. Please se their web site at http://www.geocities.../285list2.htmlI will be using GHQ miniatures for the rest of the minis and the trees and, of course, the excellent Mein Panzer Rule set from ODGW !

[gregoryk]

Yes, definitely, pictures! Please!Cheers,Gregory

[Robert Laplante]

Hello !!!I tried again, this time with a lower resolution. Of course, my project is not finish yet... I will still appreciate your input. If you have played a game like this before, maybe yoc can share your experience with me.Robert

[Robert Laplante]

An other try... I have left space in my picture's name so the file was rejected...

[Robert Laplante]

Hello !!If you want to see more pictures about what I am doing, please use the link below:http://cf.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dieppe0842/album?.dir=3903&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//cf.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photosIf you have played this kind of mini-campain before, I would like to heard your comment from your experience: what did you like and what would you have change ?Anybody have tried glider landing ? I bought 2 Horsa gliders combat comand from GHQ (this is 6 gliders, the same number than Major Howard used at Pegasus Bridge**) and enough infantry to field 2 company of 3 platoons each. I have 8 airbone jeeps and a few 6PDR ATG with about 9 PIAT teams. Glider landing seem to take lot of place on a table: each glider wing is more than 3'' long ! Anybody know why Major Howard didn't have a few wing of ground attack aircraft on call with an air controller or two on site to help him reppeled the inevitable German conter-attack ? It mission was so important, he might have been crushed easily if the German has send more tanks. As we are playing at "Micro-Armor'' after all, I was thinking of boosting it's AT capacities. It's not clear for me yet if the Pagasus Bridge table will be setup near the other part of the table of on a different table. I have also my 170 mm gun heavy artillery batterie that I might setup on an other board. It doesn't seem right to have this batterie setup on the same table than the beach as this is to near for such big guns.Thanks for your inputs !!!** He used 6, but I think one of them landed far away from the bridge.

[gregoryk]

Robert,I am jealous you are so far along on this project -- it has been one of my dreams for some time now to model and game out the invasion. The ODGW folks did a very large version of the invasion using 10mm a few years ago at Historicon, and it looked great. Click here. I anticipate doing a glider landing and paratroop game some time in the not too distant future. I have been collecting gliders and paratroops for just such a purpose. Rules for this are found in Chapter 16, "Air Support." They may undergo some revision, so stay tuned for the release of the revised Mein Panzer.I would not woryy about points for the forces involved. The German side has an inherent advantage in its improved positions and beach defenses which are not quantifiable in points. Go with historical forces, and set the victory conditions to reflect the invaders' success, e.g., less than historical = defeat; same as historical = draw; and, better than historical = victory.I will be uploading lots of WWII and Normandy information to the 'Web Links' part of this website, so you can go there for more information. Also, feel free to contact me for info and maps of the invasion sites.Please keep sending pictures and updates on your progress. It looks good so far!Cheers,Gregory

[Robert Laplante]

Hello Gregory,Thanks for the infos. The pictures of your beach landing event look great ! One of the link you provide gave me a partial answer about what a ''tobrouk'' was:TOBROUK Buried construction of 3 m 5m, with or without individual shelter which shelters a mortar or a turret of tank. Many on the WN of cliffs of Omaha. Were their built in concrete or were just hole in the sand ?I have seen bunkers with walls protecting their firing slit (I suppose that the bunkers wall were parrallel to the beach to help protect them from incoming fire from ships). But what was covering the bunker's rear ? I got bunkers with wall in their left and other in their right. So, they might face each other in the beach. Where they built in the beach it-self or in the sea wall ?I am basing my beach on Juno beach for many reasons: 1) I am a Canadian citizen.2) The British/Canadians used all those cool funny tanks. 3) It will allow me to used the neat GHQ Horsa Combat Command !I dont expect my setup to be 100% accurate. instead, I will try to display some of the features of the surrounding of the beach: the small towns, the big river who run parrallel to the beach, the big field, etc. But I really have no clue on how to represent the samll port and the canal that goes to the sea, so i just drop them off (my beach section is to the east of the canal)I just make one little mistake: I found out that the British/Canadian were not using LCVP but LCA after I ordered them from GHQ ! Anyway, Leva production make a nice 1/285th model of the LCA and they are next on my buying list.I have ordered 2 books about Juno beach: Juno Beach: Canada's D-Day Victory ¿ June 6, 1944"Mark Zuehlke; Paperback; 1 "D-Day 1944 (4) Gold & Juno Beaches" (Osprey publishing)Ken Ford; Paperback;I will be in vacation in the 2 first week of July. I am planning to spend some time working in my project. I will certainly send more pictures !!Thanks for your advices about the point cost and links in your web site !!Do you have some very details map of Juno or part of the beach ?Robert

[gregoryk]

Take a look at the recent additions to the Web Links section.Also, a tobruk was typically a concrete lined hole in the ground.Cheers,Gregory

[Robert Laplante]

Hello,I have work a bit in my beach. Here is an uptaded picture. About half of the trees in the small forest are not glued on the board, but glued in bases so they can be remove to make more space for miniatures, counters and big fingers !I still need lots of buildings (damaged and un-damaged) and I still have lots of details to add and mistakes to fix. I also need more Canadian Infantry and tanks.But I am making progress, I think.

[Robert Laplante]

Ôups... I left a space in my picture's name. And the website reject it. Here is an other try.Robert

[Bob Benge]

Looks great! Can't wait to see the finished product! So when are we playing? LOL :)

[Robert Laplante]

Hi Bob,I hope to have finish everything for this winter. If you come to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, I will be please to invit you for a friendly game !I still have no clue on how to paint my 6mm red devils. I am not the best painter and I have no idea on how to render their camo clothing. Robert

[gregoryk]

Robert,For camo, you can get various colored permanent ink pen or paint pens at artist supply stores. Some have very fine tips. Make small lines, squiggles, and/or dots on the infantry figures, then do a dilute wash over the whole figure to soften the edges.GHQ has some very good suggestions on how to pint camo on their website and in a brochure they send with their minis. Also, the 6mm Yahoo egroup has many folks who can help you with ideas.Bonne chance!Cheers,Gregory

[Robert Laplante]

Look like I will have to go shoping in my local art store ;) Merci beaucoup !(Thanks a lot !!!)

[Bob Benge]

Very tempting, Robert. Being originally from upstate NY near Rochester, I vivdly remember the winters there so I can imagine what Montreal is like in the winter! Thanks for the offer! ;)

[gregoryk]

Now this is good stuff — the aerial photographs of the Normandy invasion beaches! With more to come in January.Cheers,Gregory

[Robert Laplante]

Cool site gregoryk. Thanks !!!

[Robert Laplante]

Hello !!I have taken two pictures of my beach. You can see them in Yahoo Photos:http://cf.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dieppe0842/album?.dir=3903&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//cf.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photosThe lates ones are called August 19th...I hav painted 6 Sherman crab, 5 Fireflies and 8 Sherman DD for my Canadians. I have finished more bunkers and beach obstacles. I have also added mo trees and busches.Robert

[Bob Benge]

Looking great, Robert! :)

[Jonathan Coulter]

Bob ... who makes the buzz bomb launch pad?