Monday 16 September 2013

NWF - Valley of Fire - End of Day 2


Situation at the end of Day 2
Pathan forces have declared in 63, 3 and 24
British forces have declared in 1, 2, 3, 24 and 64
There have been three screen combats.  The British have been forced back from ZARANJ (63) and are currently engaged with Pathan screens in 3 and 24

Sunday 15 September 2013

NWF - Valley of Fire Clarifications

This page will coral any questions that have arisen from playing VoF to be passed back to the author who has done a fab job of rekindling my interest in colonial gaming.

Native Set Up Phase
Once the Tribesmen have set up they have the option of moving 2 locations prior to the first turn.  The rules do not cover if these moves can be declared as it is possible for British Screens to reach some possible locations on turn 1.

Declaring Units
Once a unit is declared it remains declared until it choose to become hidden again.

Screen
The rules imply that screens and forces do not normally occupy the same squares or act as parts of forces.  Is this correct.

Screen Combat. 
Should there be:
  • Screen v Screen
  • Force v Screen
  • Screen v Force
  • Screen v Screen & Force
  • Force & Screen v Screen & Force
secondly what happens if a Screen combat is drawn?

Supply
At game start it is permitted for the British player to strip out the main staging area of supplies and carry them forward with his forces.

Reinforcements (Pathan)
When rolling for Pathan reinforcements they must start from a village that is in revolt and can only be assigned to a tribe of the same clan as the starting village.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

NWF - Valley of Fire - End of Day 1

Situation at the end of Day 1
Pathan Forces have declared in the vicinity of the Fort, Location 3, Location 5 and Location 24.  The British have declared in Location 1 and Location 2

Minor amount of supply has been consumed by the British at both the Fort and the relief column but with no fighting not massive.  Tomorrow however will be another day out on Afghanistan's plains....

Monday 9 September 2013

WOTR - Forces update (Part 7)

Added a couple of cavalry bases for both sides plus revamped a couple of commanders. Another 12 bases of Archers undercoated.  I am beginning to see the end of the tunnel for this but Colours is approaching which means I will probably add some new figures.






Saturday 7 September 2013

NWF - Valley of Fire Supply Instruction


Deputy Commissary-General

Commissariat & Transport Department

Chapmanabad Cantonment

India

General Staff

Kohl Field Force

Chapmanabad Cantonment

 

Supply & Reinforcement Instruction for Operations in the Kohl Valley

 

For the forthcoming Operation supply is broken down into the following classes:

General Supply Items.  These comprise Rations, Water, Forage, uniforms etc;

Small Arms Ammuniton.  This is specifically the ammunition required by individual soldiers and cavalry;

Specialist Ammunition.  This comprises the ammunition required for the Sections and Batteries of the Artillery  and that required for the Machine Gun detachments.

 

Supply Holdings for each element of the force are specified below:

The Main supply base at CHAPMANABAD will hold:

30 Units of General supply;

30 Units of Small Arms ammunition;

15 Units of Specialist Ammunition.

The Mobile Column train will hold:

15 Units of General supply;

15 Units of Small Arms ammunition;

15 Units of Specialist ammunition.

Each Fighting Column will be capable of holding a maximum of:

5 Units of General supply;

5 Units of Small Arms ammunition

5 Units of Specialist ammunition

 


The consumption of supply items is expected as follows:

1 Unit of General supply will be consumed by each 100 men or part thereof in each force per day.  This includes cavalry troops but not screen units.

1 Unit of Small Arms ammunition will be consumed by each 100 men or part thereof in each force per engagement fought per day.  This includes cavalry troops but not screen units.

1 Unit of Specialist Ammunition will be consumed by each section of 2 firing weapons, either Artillery or MG, per engagement fought per day.

 

Resupply arrangements.  Units and Forces may draw upon the supplies in either the mobile column or the main supply base by:

Passing through the location of supply base of mobile column.

Dispatching a supply column which itself will pass through the location of the supply base of mobile column and return to the main body.

The final method of supply is where the main supply base once sufficient reinforcements and supplies have arrived from Kohat will transport supplies forward.

 

CinC India has indicated that supplies will be released from Kohat to Chapmanabad as soon as possible.  The rate at which these supplies will move forward is variable.  The maximum level of supplies that will arrive per day is as follows:

2 – 12 Units of General Supply

2 – 12 Units of Small Arms ammunition

1 – 6 Units of Specialist ammunition.

 

Personnel replacements will be sent forward from Kohat to Chapmanabad as reinforcements.  The rate at which these troops will move forward is variable.  The maximum level of reinforcements that will arrive per day is as follows:

2 – 12 Infantry

1 – 6 Cavalry

1 Field Piece (Artillery or MG at GOC Kohl Field Force request).

Reinforcements may be called forward by GOC Kohl Field force and may either reinforce existing units or create new forces for deployment.  When on route to the Kohl Field Force they may be used as supply escort for any supplies being moved forward.  Units may not be reinforced above their starting strength.

 

I will do my best to ensure that the forces receive a consistent level of supply throughout the operation in accordance with the instructions I have received from both GOC Kohl Field Force and CinC India.

 

Signed:                                                                                                                                     4th September 1887

 

 

 

North West Frontier Action Pt 1

Fort Longhope is a British outpost established to protect the establishment of a defined border.  Its garrison consisting of a reinforced company from 4th Punjab Infantry PFF with two troops of cavalry from 2nd Punjab Cavalry PFF and a section of mountain guns from No.1 (Kohat) Battery have been conducting patrols into the surrounding villages and surveying the region.  The establishment of the Fort and the presence of a defined border has caused friction with the local tribes who see their way of life being threatened.  This friction has been enflamed by the activities of a local Mullah who has been exerting the Uzbek tribes remove the Infidels from the region and protect their heritage.

On 3rd September 1887, a force from the fort was attacked during a patrol to the village of FARAH investigating the murder of an Indian farmer and theft of cattle from the British side of the border. During the withdrawl Lt London (Royal Field Artillery) and Lt Leverett (10th Hussars) on secondment to 4th Punjab Infantry were mortally wounded.

The Fort is now beseiged by Pathan tribesmen from the Village of FARAH and relief from the British base at CHAPMANABAD is being assembled.  In the villages and tribal areas surrounding the valley and fort the revolt gathers momentum as neighbouring tribes put aside local feuds and focus attentions on the British.  There is always time for revenge.




Sunday 1 September 2013

USN Aircraft update

So while playing with the USAF I have strayed back to do some new USN F-4 Phantoms.

First up is a MiG killer from VF-51.  90% completed just missing the Modex numbers on the wings, which I have now added.


 Again home made decals with the exception of the Stars n Bars which are from Dom.  The Screaming Eagle took me best part of a day and I am still not completely happy with it.  I need to go back and darken the USS CORAL SEA lettering and possibly darken the red as well (as printers rely on the white of the paper for some of the colour perception the red is slightly transparent and I would like to improve that slightly.

This one from VF-151 is an early MiG killer and is used in one of the early Scenarios. I used the lettering from this one for the VF-51 bird above
 
 
This is one of the earliest aircraft I started with, and as such is the first to get a new paint job.  The decals from the original run are still good but the contrast on the new paint is an improvement.
 
 
Now working with small decals and poor eyesight can cause the odd hiccup.  Managed to not only reverse the decal but put it on upside down.
 
This is what it should look like a bit closer up.
 

While browsing I found out that Vallejo Deck Tan is a match for US Gull Grey (36640) so I have been trying out the scheme on some spare aircraft.  The two on the right are the original grey I had chosen and the difference is quite noticeable.  The colour definitely shows up better and doesn't necessarily need to be on a white surface to show through.  Definitely the way ahead.