Pauls Wargaming Blog

 Bolt Action Soviet Bunkers Having built several 'earth and timber' Eastern Front bunkers I decided to build some concrete bunkers based on those used in the "Stalin" and "Molotov Lines".  Each bunker is takes up the best part of a square foot.  Each has three MMG in them.  These were by far the most common type of bunker. First I made some scrath built trenches.  These were just a modelling project really, I now use mostly resin bought trenches but these trenches are painted like the bunkers and use the same grass  as the bunkers. These are the trench sections.  They are modular and have 30" of straight trenches plus an anti-tank gun trench, two corners and some enterances and ends. The same from above. A couple of possible layouts. The same from above. Three Sovietbunkers.  The right hand one is based on a bunker in the Minsk Fortified Area and the other two are based on Molotov Line bunkers. The bunkers from above. The bunkers from the rear....

 1941 Eastern Front Campaign - First and Last   The campaign started in March 2020 to  occupy me during the first UK lockdown.  It lasted 21 months and finished with multiplayer games with my wargaming friends.   This was Turn 2.  Five Soviet Platoons - mostly small  ones - face off against five Axis Platoons.  I bought both Tank platoons and both Soviet Machinegun Artillery platoons specifically for this campaign.  The fortified area is several bunkers and huge amounts of fortifications.  In the campaign the Axis never attacked it.  Sensibly they went around it, just the Germans did in reality in WWII. This was the de-faco end of the campaign, although I played a few more turns.  Axis forces have grown to five infantry platoons, one armoured car platoon, one Engineer platoon and one motorbike platoon.  The Soviets have 6 infantry platoons, one armoured car platoon and one infantry reconnaissance platoon.  This did me...

 1941 Eastern Front Campaign - Battle 14 - The Axis Defeated    The Romanians had dug-in and were awaiting the German Zug 1 platoon to assist them,  German Zug 2 were already alongside.  However, the Soviets had two platoons in a position to attack the Romanians before German Zug 1 arrived.   This was fought between Romanian Platoon 2 and Soviet platoons Guard and 3.  German platoons Zug 2 provided limited assistance from Turn 5 and German platoon Motorbike Reconnaissance provided a single motorbike combination from Turn 4. This was the battlefield on Turn 1.  I played the Romanians whilst Bob provided all the Soviets.  Bob played Soviet Platoon 3 whilst Phil played Soviet Platoon Guard. The Romanians started widely spread but dug-in. The Soviet Guard Platoon was mostly Regular and included units from the Main Soviet Platoon.  This was the Guard's first battle. Soviet Platoon 3 was a veteran of many battles, its Inexperienced troops...

 1941 Eastern Front Campaign - Battle 13 - Isolated Germans Attacked  German Zug 3 had been cut-off from its supply lines by Soviet units south of it.  It was attacked by Soviet Platoon 5, which, in moving to oppose Zug 3, had also got stranded from its supplies.  Both Platoons suffered from Fuel Shortage and Ammunition Shortage. The game was played with Bob using his new Germans and myself using my Soviets. I didn't take many pictures and those I did were poor quality, for which I aplogise. The Germans started dug-in.  The Germans had a ten-man Veteran squad supported by a three-man Veteran Pioneer Squad with a flame-thrower on their left flank.  The Soviets attacked the German left flank!  The German platoon was very beaten-up, having been starved of replacements.  However, it was still fairly strong in infantry and support.  The Soviets had an advantage in armour. A single Soviet armoured car arrived from their Armoured car platoon.  ...

 1941 Eastern Front Campaign - Battle 12 -Romanian Advance on the Left Flank  With the Germans advancing on the right flank, the Romanians advanced on the left flank.  Having pushed aside Soviet Platoon 4 with ease, the Romanians now faced another old opponent - Machinegun Artillery Platoon 2 - no longer as such, now just a normal platoon. Phil took on the Romanians and Andy played the Soviets. The Romanians were still strong.  Three squads, medium machinegun, anti-tank gun, medium mortar and armoured car.  They were still a powerful Platoon. The Soviet HQ and two squads took cover on their left. A squad, anti-tank gun and the BA10 armoured car defended the other flank. The Romanian armoured car rushed up the table to attack the Soviet forces in the hedged field. On the other flank the Soviet armoured car engaged the Romanian anti-tank gun in a duel.  The Romanians suffered heavily from their gun having no gun shield. The right flank Soviet squad took cover...

1941 Eastern Front Campaign - Battle 11 - Last Gasp Offensive So Turn 20 of the Campaign meant the Germans made their second attack on Western Gordinische.  Only the German Zug 1 was available for the attack, but then again only Soviet Platoon Main was available to defend.  This time the Germans attacked south of the railway in the more open terrain, robbing the Soviets of the concrete cover they had used before. Apart from some troops in the brick building, most of the Soviets were waiting in the woods or behind the woods. The two armoured units were better here than in the built up areas though. The German forces advanced.  Their armoured car flanked, whilst their 88mm gun went into the open to stand off the Soviet armour. The German infantry rushed for the cover of brick walls. The Soviets waited, wanting to ambush the Germans in the open. The two tanks fired at each other, whilst the Soviets opened up on the Germans. The Germans advanced along the wall, using it for c...