I had three games of “In Country” at Axes and Ales last night, between gangsters and a Police SWAT team. The statistics of both teams are below.

The statistics of the teams showed the SWAT team had a distinct advantage, as you would expect, but in practice we found that the old saying “Ass beats Class” exists for a reason! Guru prefers to think it was just superior skill and tactics but unfortunately even I have to admit the dice Gods were more than kind. I was even using my opponents dice, which he refused to allow me to purchase after the games!

Game 1

The scenario for all three games was “Heart” where the attacker was required to destroy two of three objectives.

The attackers were the crime cartel with faces appropriately concealed with masks. They move in contact with the first objective but need one team member to use an action next turn to destroy it.

The SWAT team arrive to defend the other two tokens.

The situation after the second turn.

With the onus on the attackers to try and take one of these objectives the SWAT team move into ideal fire positions.

Having destroyed the first objective the Crime Cartel cautiously move on the second.

The position after turn three.

The Crime Cartel make their move which turned out to be too aggressive and they paid the price.

The last Cartel member goes down. The game is very unforgiving. if you make one mistake it can be the end for you. This game was completed in four turns and about 20 minutes of real time.

Game 2

For the second game we swapped teams with Guru playing the Crime Cartel. “Mwahaha”!! This time the SWAT team needed to destroy the Crime Cartels stash.

Things did not start well for the Crime Cartel with two going down quickly.

The SWAT team, please with their efforts so far, advance on the two remaining Cartel members.

The situation after the second turn. with the Cartel suppressed (yellow marker) and in a dangerous position.

The Cartel were lucky to remove the suppression before the SWAT team were able to take advantage, but still another member was lost. Was their cause?

The lone Cartel gunman take down one SWAT member causing them to be suppressed.

With the SWAT team cowering the Gunman had total freedom to move from firing postion to firing position and takes out a second law enforcer.

With their suppression finally removed things were looking brighter for the lawmen.

The Gunman had different ideas and takes our a third SWAT team member.

With the last lawman failing his suppression test he was ion real trouble. The gunman takes final revenge for what happened in the first game. A combination of excellent die rolls from Guru and poor suppression test rolls from the SWAT team, meant that what should have been an easy task for the lawmen, turned around completely. The last gunman being responsible for taking out a whole team by himself.

Game 3

Not to be deterred, my erstwhile opponent “W” wanted a third game but with double teams. with double teams and the SWAY team again attacking I certainly though I was going to have a very difficult time.

The first shooting by Gurus gunmen was a double ten taking out half of one turn and causing them to be suppressed!

Both sides jockeying for position near two of the objectives.

The Crime cartel lose one member but pass their suppression test and fight on.

The situation at the end of the third turn.

A second round of Cartel take out the rest of the SWAT team with another phenomenal die roll of 9 and 10!

Two turn later and both cartel squads are taking on the last SWAT team. First one goes down, causing them to be suppressed.

They fail to lift their suppression and the rest of the SWAT team are taken out.

Although Guru had considerable luck this was also matched by “W’s” poor suppression test rolls causing them to be continually on the defensive. Giving your opponent “Easy grip roll” shots is deadly.

With three games in under two hours “In Country” is a very quick and decisive game, with little room for error. Guru had a great time – not so sure about “W”.

In 2004, the then Chief of Army’s Strategic Advisory Group, The Australian Army’s senior generals, established a scheme to promote the study and understanding of military history within the Army. The focus was the Army’s future generation of leaders and, from this, the Campaign Series was created. The series is intended to complement the Army’s other history publications, which are major analytical works of high quality, academically rigorous and referenced.

The Campaign Series focuses on leadership, command, strategy, tactics and personal experience of war. Each title within the series includes extensive visual sources of information – maps, including specifically prepared maps in colour and 3D, commissioned artwork, photographs and graphics.

Covering major campaigns and battles, as well as those less known, the Australian Army History Unit’s Campaign Series provides a significant contribution to the history of the Australian Army and an excellent introduction to its campaigns and battles.

Written by Tim Gellel, Head, Australian Army history Unit, as an Introduction to the series.

I disagree in part with what Gellel has written as I find the publications I have in my possession as far more than introductions.

I wish to take a look at two of these today. As excellent reference material I have not read them through cover to cover and have concentrated only on my specific areas of interest.

Firstly a look at number 14 in the series “To Kokoda”.

I am fairly well read on both the retreat and advance along the Kokoda track so I was surprised to see a lot that interested me. Firstly the production is of very high quality, excellent photographs and maps, with complete OOB’s. Some photographs of these as an example:

An excellent production if you are after a reference type book, with both large and smaller engagements included.

The second book is No 32 in the series “The Oboe Landings, 1945. I found this one very interesting and read a large part of it because I was totally unfamiliar with the tactics and organisation of the naval landing component of an amphibious assault.

Again this volume is extensively illustrated with maps, photographs, and Orders of Battle.

An LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel) from the US Coast Guard’s USS LST-168 taking Australian troops of the 7th Division ashore during the landings at Balikpapan, southeast coat of Borneo, on 1 July 1945.

I found this one interesting as it outlines the zones of fire support, transport area and the boat lane for the amphibious landing. The detail on this side of the assault was excellent and comprehensive.

If you are interested in the Australian landings to liberate Borneo and the tactics and organisation involved it is worthwhile. The various phases of the battle are all covered including the smaller engagements.

Unfortunately there is only a cursory discussion on the politics behind the action including the controversy over the waste of Australians lives only weeks before the Japanese surrender.

I have been gradually working through reading my recent collection of books on the Australian Pacific Campaign. The bedside reading is now down to five books, but more are likely to be added!

This is the first of the squads that have been handed back to me for basing and final varnish. Son of Guru had done a really good job and all the better for me not having to paint them. Thanks SOG! Here is how the squad looks from a Bolt Action perspective.

SOG has been experimenting with how to paint the camo, and I think this is the one that has been settled on.

Another squad in the next few days.

I have the whole series of these books converted from the Lee Falk comics into prose (not quite the same) and am gradually reading through them.

I will not give away the story line but surprise surprise the Phantom wins!

It has all of the heroes, villains, and storyline that any pulp fiction gamer could want.

Legally elected but deposed President of Bangalla, Dr Lamanda Luaga. He was the first democratically elected President in Bandalla’s two thousand year history.

Arch Villain and Coup Leader General Bababu – described by his enemies as “half gorilla, half rhino and all monster”. Gotta like that!

General Bababu’s Army followers

The United Nations Doctors with Diana in her Paramedics outfit!

United Nations downed helicopter pilots

The United Nations Ambassador

The Bandar Pygmies

Guran, Pygmy Chief and life long friend of the Phantom.

Heroine Diana Palmer, borne to wealth, Olympic Gold Medal Diver, pilot. and explorer “An amazing girl with the tender hands of a ministering angel and the face and body of a goddess!” Oh and of course “squeeze” of The Ghost Who Walks.

The Ghost Who Walks!

These books are on average about 150 pages and can easily be read in one sitting. They are my equivalent of a “Mills and Boon” romance novel! The figures depicted above might even get a run in the next few weeks.

This one arrived yesterday.

This is a copy of the original report from Major-General Cyril Clowes to his superiors on the Battle of Milne Bay.

The 48 pages also include a very detailed order of battle for all services on both sides, a list of casialties, and has contemporary photographs throughout.

The report provides a blow by blow account of the decisions made from Clowes HQ and provides an insight into the thinking behind the decisions made. There is an excellent section on the General’s conclusion following the battle, covering such aspects as uncertainty, terrain and weather, communications, water transport (lack off), Maps (lack of), Air support, which he praises, and the steadiness of the troops, including the Australian Militia and US support services.

A hard to get volume it is well worth obtaining as it provides a first hand account of the problems of command.

PS I have almost finished a few more books which I will post on over the next few days, which is why I have not much painting to report!

I just picked this set up second hand in mint condition. unfortunately there is a reason for that!

Secrets of the Third Reich was first produced in 2008, and is a miniatures game created by Grindhouse and Westwind Productions. The setting is an alternate timeline WW2, where the war didn’t end in 1945 but instead continued on until 1949, with tons of historical events changed along the way.

The game is primarily a platoon sized skirmish game, but scales well to larger battles. Miniatures are in 28mm scale and standard 6 sided die are used. The available armies are The United States, Germany, Soviet Union and Great Britain and Japan. Most standard WW2 minatures can be used, and Westwind have a large range of “weirdos” and “funnies”, including mecha.

London and Berlin have both been obliterated by Atom Bombs, and Northwest Europe and Eastern Russian are ravaged by the the aftermath of V-Gas – a deadly nerve agent which kills the victim and then re-animates the corpse.And yet the war still rages. Small battle groups of British, American, German and Russian troops still engage in combat, aided by new technology and the dark arts.It’s a world where Bullet Proof Vests, Powered Armour, Assault Rifles and Panzer Mecha sit alongside Werewolves, Vampires, Drug enhanced Super-Soldiers, Psychics and Zombies.

The production is a large glossy 160page book with lots of wargaming “eye candy”. The rules contain a large appendix in which most WW2 vehicles and their game stats are included. The rules are basically a UGO/IGO system with the standard “overwatch” mechanism.

I like the concept of the game, the alternate history, and the models supporting the game. There are just ones out there that do it better. Shows it’s age.

Why the WW2 Buddhist Airborne tag?

Australian Laws have changed, quite rightly I might add, on the display of Nazi symbols so one needs to be careful when posting on German WW2 miniatures.

From 29 December 2022, it has been an offence to intentionally display a Nazi symbol in public. This symbol is also called a Hakenkreuz or the Nazi swastika. Symbols that closely resemble these are also banned.

The law does not ban the display of the Nazi symbol for genuine educational, scientific or artistic purposes.

There are very serious penalties for intentionally displaying a Nazi symbol in public. These can include large fines (AU$22,000) and imprisonment of up to 12 months or both.

The law does not ban the following uses of the Nazi symbol:

• the public display of the symbol for genuine religious or cultural purposes, such as its use as a significant symbol in Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and other faith communities
• the use of the symbol for genuine academic, artistic, religious or scientific purposes
• using the symbol while making or publishing a fair and accurate report which is in the public interest
• use of the symbol in opposition to neo-Nazism or other related ideologies.
• You are not breaking the law if you have a tattoo of a Nazi symbol.

Where does that leave us. Not sure but the fact that no lesser a person that Albert Einstein has been quoted as saying “Play is the Highest Form of Research” is interesting as we are certainly playing. The question is, is it with fire?. What the wording “closely resembles” means is also unclear. The use of the Balkenkreuze (bar crosses) does not closely resemble, or does it?

The fact that it was associated with the German army of WW1 and the modern day German Army should mean that it is not a Nazi insignia. Or is it?

I think all of my WW2 German miniatures may just have to convert to Buddhism!

Here are some samples that I have very quickly put together.

The photos are of their Eastern Front summer uniform

You can clearly see their typical saffron coloured camo pattern – he says without one hint of sarcasm!

This video is OK………………………………………………..I think!

Although written with a great deal of “tongue-in-cheek” the issue does raise serious issues which need to be clarified. How should Gaming Club Committees react, especially where you meet in a public environment? What about German WW2 armies at competitions that display the Hakenkreuz? What does it mean for model manufacturers?

I for one will replace all historically accurate uses of the Hakenkreuz with the Balkenkreuze even though it may not be correct. We may be treading a very fine line indeed! It might be safer to just use nothing at all, or paint your tanks saffron!

I indicated in a previous post that my son was painting up my Fallshirmjaeger figures for us both to use. Here are his photos of the first infantry section to be completed:

The name Fallschirmjaeger comes from Fallschirm meaning “parachute” and jaeger literally “hunter”. They were know as the “Green Devils” by the allies because of the green colour of their jackets and their refusal to give ground.

Below are the steps he has used to paint the camo:

Marking with a fin point pen.

Painting the first colour.

He is a lot better painter than his “old man”!

Marking the second colour with a fin point pen.

Painting the second colour.

I will pick up the squad on the weekend ready for varnishing and basing.

Before taking the cat to the Vet for her post operative check up I put out a very quick post on a parcel that Azazel sent me. It was huuuuuuuuuge!

There is three or four of everything!

Small thingaboby tower.

Two large thingaboby towers.

Half round thingaboby tower

All sorts of hatches and pipe ends

Ladders and all sorts of gubbins.

Pipe connections and ends

This is how about half of the pieces will look on the table.

They are just sitting there so do not fit together properly, but I wanted to show you all how cool a surprise it was.

Thanks again Az, my mates and I will have endless hours thoroughly enjoying it. I will call in the next few days to thank you personally.

Not expecting anything this was a total surprise and given what we are playing at the moment will be extremely useful.

Lots of Sci-fi engineering “stuff”.

Thanks again mate and I will write another post later to do the gift justic e. As I am off to the vet. Yep SWMBO thinks I need an operation!