2017 Boxing Day Family War Game

[Sunray]

Well, after the success of the Ruritania East/West game last Christmas - with a built in role play espionage preamble,  the kids have requested a follow up. 

As I game 1960s Bush wars, and am setting up for 1950s Cold War/Korean era when the figures arrive,  I have decided on a game set in the Ruritarian colony of Zambala (North East Africa - between Kenya and Sudan).  As the winds of change blows through Zambala, the emerging tribal leaders vie for control of the nationalist movement.  The two paramilitary groupings - the Zambala Special Constabulary will be facing the Kalima Gendarmes - as Kalimaland seeks secession.  Britain restored the colony to Ruritania in 1946

The scenario is inspired by Belgian Congo/Katanga & Dutch East Indies but set  earlier in the early 1950s (probably 1955), so makes full use of ex-WW2 kit: M3 half tracks, British armoured cars, and eclectic assembly of 2nd rate tanks.   Troop types are British and American.  Me 109s get reborn as Avia S-99s and bombed up with rockets. The DC3 and JU52 provide transport.

Despite being able to recycle much of my WW2 kit (Pendraken BEF painted up as Kalima Gendarmes, with M20 bazooka &  M18 RR replacing anti tank rifles  and French Indo China paras as Ruritarian  mercenaries, the elite Hentzau Deaths Head Kommando ) - the Arms Dealers such as "Leon" have made sizeable sales to both sides.  They take Paypal .

Inspired by Siege of Jadoville, Leon will have a role play as the man in white suit.   This is my scratch conversion Harry Palmer - minifigs civilian in a suit with armed with a PPK.  Lobby the real Leon for a few espionage/gun dealer sculpts!

Objectives will include the capital of Rupertsville,  the key harbour on the Indian Ocean of Port Rudolf and the diamond mining town of Strelsauberg    (that's why a canny armsdealer like Leon is involved)

The only limit is imagination. I am looking forward to the unprecedented clash of Valentine IX v Chaffee, and my Suez era British Paras being dropped into Rupertsville airport to restore order.   

And then the neighbouring communist state of  North Coryia may send in their T-34s ...... :-

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Sounds brilliant sir.
If you need foreign (non-player) agitation, give me a shout! Just don't drag South Leon into it too!

[Steve J]

Agree with Lemmey, brilliant sounding game.

[Sunray]

Sounds brilliant sir.
If you need foreign (non-player) agitation, give me a shout! Just don't drag South Leon into it too!

Thanks indeed Lemmy.  The Soviet Client State (SCS) dimension - when the Korean figures appear - will provide the North Coryian proxy force.  Could use  an agitator who is up for Soviet 1950s tactics.

Unlike Korea we will have Comets and IS 2 & IS3s in the mix.  Fancy an  IS2  versus a Centurion ?

My M27 106mm RRs arrived today from Irregular, will mount a few in jeeps and trucks.  These with the other RR gives infantry a fire power lacking in WW2.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Count me in virtually (can't play for real, Boxing Day is the eldest's birthday)

[Ithoriel]

Pictures and an AAR or it didn't happen

Sounds brilliant indeed! Hope all involved have fun.

[Sunray]

Pictures and an AAR or it didn't happen

Sounds brilliant indeed! Hope all involved have fun.

Happy to send pics on jpg to anyone interested.  Already the light blue shirts/khaki drill lightweights of the Special Constabulary (they started life as WW1 USA infantry) and the BEF in light grey as gendarmes add interesting colour. 



     

[paulr]

Sounds like it will be a lot of fun, definitely post some pictures

[Sunray]

Going back in time from the 1960s/70s, one aspect I will miss is air mobility using choppers.  Has anyone any reference to the South African practice of using the DC3 Gooney as a short haul troop  transport - not as a jump ship ?

A bit like Franco's Army of Africa, but shorter hauls to tactical LZs .   The tactic is ofcourse fraught with danger.  An airstrip is by definition short on cover and dead ground.  As the Germans discovered on Crete and hot LZs for their gliders.

The British kept their gliders until 1957.  The Soviets until as late as the 1960s.  By that time air drop payload was sufficient to drop "heavy" [sic] kit.   Don't think gliders were used in anger after WW2 ?

The Rhodesians  perfected impromptu drops during their bushwar - but this requires a dedicated elite like the RLI or the Scouts.

[pierre the shy]

Sounds like this will be a great game 

Has anyone any reference to the South African practice of using the DC3 Gooney as a short haul troop  transport - not as a jump ship ?

Sunray - article here on a SAAF DC-3 now in a museum has a little bit of detail - http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol146as.html

Cheers
Peter

[GrumpyOldMan]

Sounds great. I know the helicopters will be missed  . Maybe you can add some spice with cavalry arriving on a random flank!!! Came across this on a website/forum http://www.strangehistory.net/2010/06/16/the-last-cavalry-charge-in-history/:-

Portuguese anti-insurgency horseback units (the Dragões) in Angola in the 1960s and 1970s. 'The cavalry squadrons were, for the most part, local troops, except for the officers and sergeants. The troopers would come from local recruitment in Angola to do their compulsory two year military service. There were few horses in Angola, so it was very difficult for many of the early recruits to adapt to an animal that they had never seen before. Because of this, the recruiting effort focused on certain native people in Southwestern Angola who were very fierce and had a history of cattle-raising. Familiar with cattle, they adapted easily and quickly to the horse and proved to be excellent riders.' It goes without saying that they were remarkably successful and one day Beachcombing would love to write a post on the Dragões. Freire also refers to other anti-insurgent horse units in colonial wars: 'In Rhodesia, the horsemounted Grey's Scouts, formed in 1976, fought a counterinsurgency campaign using horse cavalry as a solution to mobility requirements in the same way that the Portuguese did. The South African Defense Forces also used horse cavalry (and scrambler motorcycles) to pursue guerrillas in its border war with SWAPO (the South-West African People's Organization).'

Are you throwing in blue or brown water Navy as well? You know I'd try even if the table groaned 😁😁
Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Sunray]

Many thanks Pierre and Vic.

In addition to a family afternoon  game, I see potential for a decent 1950s era campaign here.

And yes Vic,  Port Rudolf is a blue water harbour and  railhead.  I have my Pendraken converted Flower Class corvette , a new Revell  LSM, a modified Lindberg LCI and ......a scratch built aircraft carrier with 29" flight deck.    :- Thinking of arming her with Sea Venoms.

I have a Revell trawler and ....a scratch built barge "Phoebe" that was used in an Operation Creek game last Easter recreating the Calcutta Light Horse raid on Goa harbour.  (I got inspired by the Sea Wolves movie) 

Hadn't thought about horses, but tempted to mount a few scouts in motor bikes and combos - the N Korean used them to good effect in the early invasion. 

[Steve J]

Out of interest what rules will you be using?

[Sunray]

Out of interest what rules will you be using?

The opening role play espionage element is my own, with acknowledgement to Guy Bowers Black Ops (Osprey,2015) and the main game is 95% Peter Arthur Jones BKC (SMP, 2009) with my amendments for 1950s era weapons, troop types etc.   I have compared /adjusted them with CWC Korean lists to maintain the AT/AP scores.  I do appreciate that they are two discrete sets of rules and values/scores in CWC are downgraded to allow longer lists of kit.

 You may have noted my comments on vehicles with no overhead armour in another thread.

Interestingly the women in the family love the role play - got quite emotional over the Flight of the Foxbat game in 2016.  The boys come live when the tanks roll onto the table.

On a related terrain issue - has anyone experience of the Jarvis Desert mat.  I was thinking of taking one and greening it up a bit to represent Savannah. I take it the "rocks" fixed to the surface can be removed ?

[Sunray]

Coded message received from a call box in Stapylton Road  - the Arms Dealer has shipped the goods.