Tuesday, September 23, 2025

 Operation Green

Unternehmen Grun


The United Kingdom fell to the Nazis in early August 1940, and Hitler gave his permission for the invasion of the Irish Free State in late September.  British forces in Northern Ireland have not surrendered, and Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Eammon de Valera stands by Ireland's neutrality and calls for an end to the partition of Ireland.  Churchill and the government (and Royal family) have escaped to Canada, and the US maintains its neutrality.  

At 7.00am on the morning of September 30, 1940, German airborne units parachute and glider assault into Rineanna (Shannon) and Baldonnell (Casement) aerodromes in the Irish Free State and Aldergrove airfield in Northern Ireland.  Simultaneously, amphibious forces will land on the Waterford and Wexford coast lines and establish two beach heads.  The airfields have to be secured intact by the paras thus allowing JU 52s to fly in reinforcements.

The Irish Defense Forces are under strength, under equipped, and lack combat experience.  The Air Corp consists of three Gloster Gladiators at Baldonnell, and Walrus flying boats and Ansons at Rineanna. There is no radar to warn of any air attacks, and there is no navy to protect the coastline.  British unit commanders have offered their assistance to the Free State, but de Valera has refused, as he is worried about violating Irish neutrality and giving Hitler an excuse to invade.


Baldonnel Defenses:

1 platoon of Irish Infantry

1 Boffars AA gun

2 Lewis MGs (AA version)

1 2 pdr. gun

1 Ford Armored Car

1 Bren Gun carrier

1 Vickers MG team


German Forces:

5 DFS 230 gliders each carrying a pilot and a 8-9 man Fallschirmjager squad.  The glider had a roof hatch MG 15 (7.92mm).  4 gliders carry a squad each with the fifth glider carrying support weapons.


                                                            Baldonnell Control Tower


Single Lewis MG

                                                            Gloster Gladiator

Gloster Gladiator

                                                                Twin Lewis MG

                                                                    Boffar 40mm AA Gun
                                                                Air Hanger

                                                                        Type 23 Pill Box

                                                                        Type 26 Pill Box

                                                        


    
                                                        








Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Crossing the Ukraine: What Could Go Wrong?

 "Crossing the Ukraine: What Could Go Wrong?"



I ran this scenario at Huzzah Con in May 2025.  It was early into the Russian invasion of the Ukraine when a Russian armored column of tanks and APCs arrogantly entered an urban area, and discovered the Ukrainians were not going to roll over and give up.  A number of vehicles were destroyed or damaged and two four man tank crews and a four man Russian infantry fire team having escaped their BDM find themselves separated in no-man's-land.  The Ukrainians want to (preferably) capture them or kill them, while the Russians want their "skilled" crews rescued.  The Russians came on their end of the table with three eight man rifle squads, and the Ukrainians started with one eight man squad and a stealth sniper.



                                         Two Russian T72s on the table edge at the start of the game.  The                                                            Ukrainian players wondered if they would advance."



                                        The warehouse was the center piece of the table where a Russian tank                                                      crew were hiding at the start of the game.



                                         A knocked out T72 that was painted in a rust color although it was                                                              suppose to have just been recently knocked out.


    

                                 A Russian artillery strike shelled the area prior to their advance, and that                                                  resulted in the T72 taken out.


                                           A Russian squad advancing, takes cover after coming under sniper fire.



                                            A second squad of Russians make use of cover as they maneuver                                                              through mangled containers.

                                            Ukrainian infantry cautiously advance making sure to use cover.

                     The factory roof was removed so figures could be moved as both                                                              sides had detected the other, and one Russian tank crew were fleeing                                                         for their lives.


                          Another Ukrainian squad preparing to move towards the main                                                                  ware house door.



                            (Slightly out of focus)  A third Ukrainian squad cautiously                                                                         advancing towards burning BDM, but not knowing that a Russian fire                                                     team were hiding in a factory building.

                                           


                         The second Tank crew was forced to leave their hiding spot because of the                                                 fear of being discovered by a squad of Ukrainians, and make a run for it.


                           Unfortunately the tankers came under fire and took two casualties (later                                                    discovered to be light wounds), but the next turn all four were hit and                                                        captured by the Ukrainians.


                     The Ukrainians advanced beyond the burning BDM and the Russian infantry                                             fire team tried to shoot them, but unfortunately the Ukrainian player won the                                             reaction test, and successful hit all four figures.

                    The tankers in the ware house successfully avoided the Ukrainians that had                                             entered from the other end, but just as they seemed to escape the ware                                                     house, they spotted a minefield, and had to pass a Troop Quality check to                                                 avoid tripping a mine, and they succeeded!

                                            Tankers in a minefield passed their second TQ check on D6s!

                                           Russian infantry had to take cover from a stealth sniper.


                                On turn 5, the Ukrainians received reinforcements in the form of a                                                            five man unit armed with AT4 (three man team) and a LMG team.                                                             They appeared at "Hot Spot three," but the AT4 had to relocate as it                                                             couldn't fire from the interior.

                            The AT4 team took cover behind the wrecked T72 and engaged the                                                             advancing Russian squad.

                             The Russian squad tried to close on the Ukrainian AT4 team using the T72                                                 as cover, but came under fire from the LMG team in the garage.


                         The LMG team hit the Russians and the Russian player failed his morale and                                             they became pinned.





After three and a half hours of play, the game was called with victory leaning towards the Ukrainians.  They had captured one tank crew and the infantry fire team, with the other tank crew close to returning to friendly lines.  Overall, there were few figures  KIA.  The Russians had two and the Ukrainians zero.