Fire and Fury Games' Battlefront WWII Coldwars 2003

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There were a lot of good Battlefront and Fire and Fury games at this year's Cold Wars. Pete Landry put on a double blind game that I unfortunately missed, but I did get a lot of pictures of some of the other activities.

Operation Kutuzov

Michael Panzer ran our Operation Kutuzov scenario twice with very different results. In the first game, the Germans allowed the Russians to work their way through the obstacles without too much interference. Once in the clear, the Russians quickly overwhelmed the German defences.

Click on the Thumbnail for a full-size photo	Description
Kutuzov Game 1 Photo 1	In the first game, the Germans set up a defense in depth but did not cover a critical area of their front line obstacles with sufficient fire to slow down the Russian attack. In this photo, two German Marders look on at long range as the Russians push through the obstacle line.
Kutuzov Game 1 Photo 2	Even at long range, a Marder is dangerous, as the KOed SU-122 proves. However, the volume of German fire was insufficient to slow down the Russians.
Kutuzov Game 1 Photo 3	A look at the Russian breakthrough from their side of the table. There are few Germans in sight.
Kutuzov Game 1 Photo 4	After the leading units cut through the obstacles, the Russians covered the German second line with smoke and launched a coordinated charge. Here a group of T34s use their full speed to engage the second line Marders in close combat. Defensive fire knocked out one attacker, but the Marder was eventually destroyed. The breakthrough allowed the Russians to clear this part of their front.

In the second game, the Germans set up a forward defence, with most of their units in the front line. The Russians tried a general advance across the entire front and were unable to break through anywhere. It would have been interesting to see how the Russian attack of the first game would have fared against the German defence of the second. Once past the crust, the Russians might have been able to wreak havoc in the rear. Guderian is purported to have said that it is better to strike with a closed fist than spread fingers.

Click on the Thumbnail for a full-size photo	Description
Kutuzov Game 2 Photo 1	This shows the German front line behind the obstacles with some Russian scouts preparing the probe on the right flank. Most of the positions just across from the mines and wire are occupied.
Kutuzov Game 2 Photo 2	The Russian Left flank moves up to probe.
Kutuzov Game 2 Photo 3	The Russian Infantry moves up on a broad front.
Kutuzov Game 2 Photo 4	A look at the broad front approach. The Russians have no "Schwerpunkt".
Kutuzov Game 2 Photo 5	Tanks move up to support the right flank;.
Kutuzov Game 2 Photo 6	Su122s move up to support the left flank;.
Kutuzov Game 2 Photo 7	German Artillery comes down on the Russian Infantry in the middle.
Kutuzov Game 2 Photo 8	The Russians attack all along the line, but are unable to gain enough of an advantage anywhere to break through.

Kokoda Trail 2

Steven Lee put on the second of his battles based on the Kokoda Trail battles in New Guinea in 1942. I hope that he will send me the scenario soon. While the Australians are certainly overmatched, the victory conditions are quite strict. All of this should be seen in the context of the campaign, where the veteran Japanese troops push further from their supply base and must battle both the Australians and the terrain. See the Into Hell's Mouth site for a good description of this brutal, but little known campaign.

Click on the Thumbnail for a full-size photo	Description
The Battlefield	The Japanese enter from the right of the picture with a flank attack from the near edge. They must clear all of the entrenchments and capture the buildings at the far end of the board.
The Battlefield again	This is how the battlefield looks from the Japanese side.
Japanese move out	The Japanese start to move out
From the Australian side	A view of the advancing Japanese from the other end of the battlefield. Unfortunately the Australians only have one mortar with limited ammo.
Japanese cross the river	Three Japanese forces cross the river. There also is a fourth on a flanking maneuver.
Flanking force	The flanking Japanese force appears and the Australians have little to counter them.
River Assault	The main Japanese forces hit the river positions.

Desert War

Rich ran a scenario using his desert army. There were some new rules that were tried out. The first was the moving dust clouds that follow the units as they move. The second was low berms that interfere with, but do not completely block, lines of sight. The Germans charge British in a hasty position. The ultimate result was a marginal German victory.

Click on the Thumbnail for a full-size photo	Description
Germans move up	Followed by clouds of dust, the Germans move out.
Brave Italians	An Italian armored force takes the left flank.
British Await	A British Infantry/Armor force in hasty positions is the object of the atttack.
Germans Approach	Germans move up to contact.
First Blood	The British Transport vehicles for their anti-tank guns fall victim to German Artillery.
Italians threaten the flank	The Italian tanks move up behind a berm.
Deliberate Attack	The Axis forces slowly move up across the whole front. For some reason, the truck-mounted infantry did not attract the attention of the British Artillery, but was allowed to close.
Thanks for the help	To protect their front line troops, the British drop a smoke screen, which the Germans use to get even closer.
One last shot	The German attack prepares to go in. Some PzIIs learn that they even a 2-pdr can be effective.

Kursk

Mike Pierce ran a slightly modified version of Rob Wubbenhorst's Somewhere In Hell scenario (as the scenario says, you can adjust the forces to suit your miniature collection). The result was a wild melee where they actually ran out of destroyed vehicle markers! The Russian T34s charged the Panthers and Tigers in two successive waves, and suffered terribly. One possible way to handle this would have been to maneuver against the PzIVs or to send all the T34s at once using smoke to cover their approach. Anyway, toy carnage reigned and all had a good time. Thanks to Rob W. for developing this one. If you have the vehicles available, it looks like a lot of fun.

Click on the Thumbnail for a full-size photo	Description
Welcome!	German units are greeted by artillery fire as soon as they enter the board.
Around the hill	German units sweep around the flank of the hill while covering the hill itself with smoke.
From the Russian side	A view of the assault on the hill from the Russian point-of-view.
Hello	Russian heavy armor protecting the back of the hill scores a kill.
From the Russian side again	A view of the protectors of the center.
Here comes some help	Russian T-34s join the battle.
T34s prepare to charge	The first wave of T-34s get ready to attack.
Into the valley of death!	The first wave of T-34s comes to grief and the second moves up.
Different type of smokescreen	The hillside is covered with destroyed vehicles.
From the German side	The German view of the charge.
Running out of markers	Destroyed vehicles everywhere!
Assault on a village	Over on the other flank, the Panzer Grenadiers attack.

Brandywine

Rich ran a big Brandywine battle with his America's Wars rules. As usual, his terrain was visually stunning. This battle is essentially a delaying action on the part of the Continentals who are outnumbered by superior quality troops. A British flanking maneuver caught the Continental army out of position. However, the British have a "long way to go and a short time to get there". Even though they win almost every combat, they suffer attrition and then see another defense line forming in front of them.

Click on the Thumbnail for a full-size photo	Description
The Battlefield	This is the view from behind the Continental position. The British objective is to clear the road that leads off the upper right of this picture. Both sides shift in this direction, with the British on the attack.
The Continental setup	The center of Colonist positions as seen from the British start line.
Redcoats and Hessians	The British initial forces.
Redcoats Attack	The British and Hessians engage the first Continental line.
The British Left Flank	The left flank moves up. The ultimate objective of the battle is on this side, behind the houses in the distance.
Attack in the Center	The British engage the first line of defence in the center.
Center and Continental Right	A view from behind the Continental positions as the British close.
Continental Right	A view from behind the Continental right flank positions as the British close. The solid blocks of British troops in the middle were able to win almost every combat, but the defenders then fell back to the next position.
Another defence line	Broken Continentals from the Center form another line.

Fredericksburg

Bill Moreno is developing a new scenario book for the classing Fire and Fury rules, one scenario in which is Fredericksburg. It is a huge battle that explores what could have happened if the the Federal armies were not run by an idiot (Burnside). The terrain was spectacular (this scenario had won awards before) and the battle was a close-run affair, with the Confederates just managing to hold the Federal assault on the left.

Click on the Thumbnail for a full-size photo	Description
Assault on the Left	Having read their history books and seen Gods and Generals, the Union decides to assault the left instead of charging across an open field against a stone wall.
Another View	Another view of the assault to the Union Left.
Moving toward the center	The attack also headed toward the left center of the line.
Reinforcements	Union Reinforcements move across the pontoon bridges to join the battle.
Climax	The Federal Assault in full swing.
I'm not going out there!	The area in front of Marye's heights and the stone wall was conspicuously empty. However, there were Union forces stationed there to hold the Confederates in place.

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