Royals in Helmand

[bigjackmac]

Thanks Phil and Lemmey, next one coming right up!

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

It's now 12 May 2011, five days from the last fight.  True is still recovering from his gunshot wound, but the rest of the section is good to go and raring for a fight.  This was actually a down day for the unit, pulling rear echelon duties around camp when a local source came in and reported the Taliban would soon be moving on Pasha Gal, the head of the local village of Khowt Gin.  A UAV was dispatched to the area, but nothing out of the ordinary was noted.  However, when another source came in and provided very similar information, suggesting the Taliban wished to convert the nominally neutral Pasha to their side or make an example of him, HQ decided to dispatch Corp and they boys to go and check it out.

The team mounted up in their armored troop carriers (sorry, I don't recall what they are called and I'm too lazy to look it up right now) and headed out the 20-some odd kilometers to see what was up.  About a klick out from Khowt Gin the vehicles laagered and the section dismounted, covering the rest of the distance on foot.


Overview, north is up.  The village of Khowt Gin is at top left, with a craggy outrcop at top right and a river running roughly north south.  The river can be forded anywhere along its length at a movement penalty.  Again the walls are approximately four to five feet high, and the area is covered in crop fields, which the Royals will be coming across.  The Pasha's house is at top right; having heard of the coming trouble, the locals have fled the village except the Pasha and his wife, who have moved to the roof of their home to await their fate.  And they have their trusty goat (provided by Kyote) near at hand.

To see how the fight turned out (and man, it was a doozy), please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2016/07/royals-in-helmand-fight-3.html

No game today, my wife had plans.  I did get a little painting done (still working on Jimmi's fantastic ARVN rifle platoon), and I printed out THW's "Hell Hath No Fury," so tomorrow I plan on at least playing some of that.  I'm going to go with 6mm, but I don't have any WWII stuff available right now, so I'm going to test it out with some modern stuff.  I haven't played them yet, but I like the rules so much I just placed an order for some WWII GHQ from Noble Knight Games.

My plan is for the boy and I to play coop against the AI (yeah, if you can't beat'em, join'em).  We'll be a German tank platoon from 13th Panzer Division, starting off with Barbarossa and playing through the whole war on the Eastern Front.

As always, more to come.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Hell of a report.

[Techno]

Wot Will sed. 

Cheers - Phil

[nikharwood]

Wot Will and Phil sed

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys.  And no Royal Marines games this weekend; they're on a stand down until I get my 'proper' Taliban painted up. 

I also think I'm going to flip the script a bit here (recall that I just kind of hopped into this without any planning); I'm thinking about changing this up.  I'm thinking these should be Royal Marines in Parwan Province 2002, then follow them through Iraq (maybe OIF I in 2003, then in Basra in 2007).  Then out to Helmand in 2011.  Maybe even hit a little Libya and/or Syria?

V/R,
Jack

[toxicpixie]

I dunno, but I do hope when CWCII is released it's got stats for actual modern stuff, and 10mm figures not far behind.

I'd quite like a Mastiff or three in 10mm, now!

Good games, Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Btw Jack, you need to watch all three series of this:
https://youtu.be/qvhZC2LP18M

[toxicpixie]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh what have they done to the pitch?!

That's terrible :S

[Ithoriel]

Btw Jack, you need to watch all three series of this:
https://youtu.be/qvhZC2LP18M

Also this: Gary: Tank Commander

[fsn]

Btw Jack, you need to watch all three series of this:
https://youtu.be/qvhZC2LP18M

Yes. Yes, you do. 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Gary Tank Commander! Classic!

[bigjackmac]

Looks cool, but I don't know when I'll ever have time!

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

First up, a couple admin notes:

1.  We're changing the script.  First, I've been using 45 Commando as my unit, and that's a real unit.  It happened because I wasn't planning on a campaign and I thought it was cool to throw in, but I'm not a fan of using real units for a lot of reasons, in particular because these brave men (and women?  I don't know if the battalion has women or not) are still in harm's way.  So, the unit we are following is now a rifle section from 27 Commando, Royal Marines.  Second, I'm backing this whole thing up; this started as "Royals in Helmand (Province)" in 2011, but now I've got bigger plans.  So this is now 25 Commando, Royal Marines in Parwan Province, May 2002.  I plan on following these brave lads through this tour in Afghanistan, then the invasion of Iraq in 2003 against Saddam's troops, then in peace-keeping operations in Basra, Iraq (not sure which year yet), then we'll do Helmand Province in Afghanistan, then maybe look at Libya during the Khaddafi takedown, and maybe even Syria versus ISIS.  So we are now in Afghanistan, based out of Bagram Airbase, in 2002.

2.  A lot of folks have been asking me what changes I've made to "Five Men At Kursk" to 'modernize' it a bit.  My changes are in this blogpost, on the blog.

It's now 24 May 2002*, twelve days since the last fight, and the section is out on a presence patrol, showing the flag and keeping the peace, looking to warm the populace up as the first elections are drawing near.  A day that would be known as Black Friday for the Marines of 27 Commando...


The patrol moves up, and enemy troops come on the table. Overview of map, north is up.  There is a village at right, an outcropping at bottom left (southwest), a smattering of trees, bushes, and cultivated fields, a hardball road running southeast to northwest, and two canals fordable by men, but at a movement penalty.  There are also a couple stone walls in play, serving as hard cover.

To witness the carnage, please check the blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2016/07/royals-in-parwan-fight-4.html

Well, I don't hope you liked it, but I hope you enjoyed the game.  I'm caught up, now to get some more fights in this coming weekend.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Good report.
Anyone with a VC would have been home for their own safety by now anyway