Winter of '79 Contact

 

Mortar section set up to provide fire support into the town

further fire support from a Saladin

Welsh insurgents take up positions

British dog teams sent in to clear out the barristers office

the insurgent convoy pulls up and hordes of Welsh seperatists begin to open fire on British troops occupied in buildings.

Vietnam 1967: ARVN Marines and Airborne take on an NVA jungle bunkers

 

ARVN Airborne and Marine brigade with helicopter and Skyraider support 

The ARVN unit advanced through the jungle, knowing that the NVA had a bunker complex, camp in the area. What they were unaware of was the mortar that the NVA possessed.

The first mortar barrage took put a quarter of the force, the second continued to chop them up as did the bunker with a LMG. 

The first line of NVA added to the carnage. Eventually with a Skyraider support, the ARVN was able to land choppers to withdrawl the rest. The Communists held onto their positions.

NVA Bunkers with 3 infantry companies

People's Army of Vietnam 1963-75

 Since about 1986 when I first got a set of the Esci Vietnamese, I have been using them on the table top but didn't have a good rule set. I was able to get the cards about a year ago but still haven't been able to get them out yet.

This unit is actually a mix of Chinese and North Korean troops but can be used as early NVA. 

This unit is made up of 4 Rifle teams, which in this case are a mix of Mosinant Naigant, SKS Carbines, Ppsh SMGs, there is an LMG fellow with the record player drum magazine but he seems to be in another box.

The next company has 3 Ak-47 rifle teams, 1LMG and a B40 Anti-tank team. The majority of my force is made up as these but are also painted in generic shades in order to be used in so called Third World countries during the Cold war period.

In the coming while I will post about the VC and other units for my force 

Battle of Asal Uttar 1965

Part of the Second Indo Pakistan War I can fight this action either as a Team Yankee or Bolt Action game. I have fought on action but will so another.

This is one of the actions i will try to fight while up in Nunavut the winter of 2023 

Insurgency anyone? 1960-1990

 One of my little projects since 2000 has been to deploy insurgents into my gamming table. I have several from Cold War African conflicts, South East Asian types and European civilians with firearms and some North American people 

American veterans who could be mercenaries or CIA contractors in any 1960 to 1980 era conflicts 

my Asian types who could be in Korea, Indo-China, Malaysia or Indonesia 

My Africans, Cuban and Soviet supplied

Angolans armed with Mausers, could be fighting the Portuguese 

My European or North American types armed with an assortment of weapons found in depots

and, my Walking Dead inspired figures who could either be fighting a Red Dawn in America or Zombies or each other.

All need a bit more paint.

Den Helder, Netherlands, September 1985

 A West-German and Dutch force are going to wrestle the port from an East German Airborne force.

An interesting note, as NATO wants to take the port intact, 

The West Germans advance into the port. No heavy weapons except one Weisel.

The West Germans take cover on the seawall, using this to keep up a sustained fire into the buildings along the waterfront

The East Germans and Poles put up a tough fight. The West Germans lost one company and a Weisel taking the port. It took Anti-tank rockets to knock out the defenders. The port is back in NATO hands.

NATO painting

 So, since the cold winter is upon us in Nova Scotia, I'm going to try and get my NATO troops and equipment up to scratch with some paint.

Some figures haven't seen any in 20 years so I suppose I should crack on.

Presently on my que are the German Panzergrenadiers from Revell Germany sets of the early 1990s. 

Also, I am going to give my French a touch up, but more importantly is to get the equipment properly painted and decals on.

The other NATO contingents will also get some well deserved attention.

Pictures to follow 

Resource book: Soldiers of Fortune The Twentieth Century Mercenary 1986

This book by Peter MacDonald (1986 Gallery Books) was one of the books which I got as a teenager.
Over the years, I have utilized the book as a reference to Cold War gamming in the world.
my insurgents which I have will fight scenarios from this book.

Battle for hill 210 West Germany 1985 Soviets vs West Ger

This is a scenario based off of the scenarios based in the main rule book.

This battle is coming out of the team Yankee book from Battlefront Miniatures the initial name of the scenario is the battle for Hill 214 that involved in American and Soviet Forest however this battle is a combined Dutch West German Danish for staking on a combined Warsaw Pact force of Soviets East Germans Vietnamese and Iraq initially the NATO force charged in with their West German tanks to try to take on the Soviet t-64 regiments and have been halted in front of that position the West German recce decided to try to go through the centre and has been halted at a Crossroads the punter grenadiers s has been able to rush the bridge and take it however there Colin has been halted by taking out a fruit the East Germans are holding the area around the church there BMP one section that was a Soviet section has been taken out slowly but surely the Dutch Payne and German West Germans are advancing forward they're trying to flank the Soviet position where is the Soviets were trying to hold on to

Hasty Attack: Dutch vs Soviets

the scenario from Battlefront Miniatures 

Initial deploying of the NATO right flank. Danish recce

the make up of the Dutch force, augmented due to  losses

Belgian mortars but with an Isreali card

Dutch Leopard 1 Squadron led by a Danish Leopard 1

A West German Leopard 1 squad but actually M60s rushed to make up for losses

the single West German 120mm mortar

Leopard 2 Squadron with a TOW section, West Germans but with an Israeli card

Soviet left wing held by the Anti-aircraft Regiment, and a single section of Iranian Basji in an East German BTR-60 

Soviet centre held by a BTR-60  motor rifle section, in fact they are a heavy weapons section

Arcadia battery

BMP-1 Motorized Rifle section

BM-21 Hail battery 

Carnation battery 

BMP-2 Motorized rifle section 

BMP-2 Scout section 

Shilpa, Storm and the Recce section hold the Soviet right 

The rest of the Soviet force, a T-64 Tank Regiment 

Dutch and Belgians hit the Soviets again in the NATO counter attack.

The Dutch are attacking with a Leopard 1 Recce Squadron while the Belgians are charging forth with a mixed Armoured Regiment of Leopard 1s and M60s which have been sent as replacement for losses 

 sustained. 

The initial NATO attack went well however it got bogged down on the flanks. Soviet resistance to the attack was better than anticipated.

The French arrived with a supporter Chasseur battalion with armor and Artillery but these were kept in check. The final act was the Soviets flanking the NATO right flank with a T-64 tank Regiment.

A further M41 Squadron are also being deployed. But it was destroyed by the Iranian Basaji

NATO reserves were a French force, but even this wasnt enough to continue the momentum of the attack.

A Soviet victory again.