"The Tide is Turning" - Part Six

The US 3ID and 2CAV continued their push towards the Donau. The US planning to cross the Donau and then 2nd CAV would turn west to support the West Germans with 3ID turning towards Regensburg.

US HQ units ready their troops for the river crossing

M1's supported by M901 ITV's  approach the banks of the Donau

US M1's from 3ID approach the Naab River supporting the French AMX30's on their left flank

US forces race towards Regensburg in the distance. This photo shows off Steve Grahams colour coding system on the back edge of his bases.

US forces approach the river.

M1's across the Donau!

Abrams and Bradleys reach the far bank.

Meanwhile more Abrams move up in support

Bradleys cross the Donau

Another US unit makes it across the river under fire from T-72's

M60's cross the bridge supported by M1's as the US forces start their push toward their objectives.

A FEW MORE SHOTS TO FOLLOW.......

"The Tide is Turning" - Part Five

To the west of Regensburg lay the strategically important river crossings across the Donau. The task of taking these had fallen to the Canadian 4MECH and a Mixed West German battlegroup.

View looking east towards Regensburg in the distance. Canadian 4MECH (Nick Gerlach) and West Germans (Andy Taylor) tasked with crossing the Donau defended by Soviet Airborne (Gordon Malcolm) and myself due to a few last minute no shows.

Canadian Medical Aid Station and Supply Dump by Nick Gerlach. In our games if players field a Medical Aid Station (Infantry), Repair Depot (Vehicles) and a Supply Dump (Ammo) they get a percentage back over night and also its a great excuse to model some great bases and there were some superb bases on show. Photos of those later on.

On the Canadians left flank the ferry crossing at Enning. A superb little model by Steve Graham. In game turns it could transport one truck unit. 

On the right flank the bridge at Neustadt a.d. Donau.

Soviet T62's arrive to support the dug in Soviet Airborne forces.

The Canucks approach the ferry crossing at Enning.

Canadian artillery lay a smoke screen over the river and the Russian positions before their assault across the river.

A Canadian Hornet supporting the river crossing strays too close to the Soviet air defence and pays the price.

Meanwhile in Kelheim the Spetsnaz sleeper cell at Pauma Plastics are now in a fierce battle with West Germans. The Spetsnaz are joined by some airborne units that have advanced across the river to support their comrades.

The Canadians start their river crossing but are held up on the opposite bank by hidden minefields laid between the river and the Neustadt/Enning road.

VDV forces in Neustadt come under heavy air and artillery attack from the Canadians.

Back in Saal a.d. Donau across the Donau from Kelhein T72's move up in support of the VDV advance.

Heavy fighting continues around the Pauma Plastics factory with the West Germans falling foul of Spetsnaz ambushes.

Canadian FAO crosses the Donau on the ferry at Enning to support the advance.

T72's supporting the VDV make it onto the bridge at Kelheim and push onwards.

TO BE CONTINUED.......

"The Tide is Turning" - Part Four

Meanwhile to the north of Regensburg a Soviet MRR (Ian Shaw) has dug in along the Naab River between Burglengenfeld and Pielenhofen.

Facing the French (Andy Canham) Soviet Motor Rifle infantry in their dug outs along the Naab River are suddenly enveloped in a smoke screen as sign of things to come!

NATO artillery drop smoke along the Naab River as the Soviet MRR Commander (Ian Shaw) inspects his defences in preparation of the oncoming attack.

The Commander of the 7e (Fr) Armoured Division (Andy Canham) begins his advance towards the bridges over the Naab, unaware that Soviet engineers had rigged some of the bridges for demolition.

French armour and mechanised forces head for the river covered by the smoke barrage along the river.

French bridging units move up to the river.

A French AMX-VCG reaches the bridge at Pielenhofen.

Under the cover of the smoke French AMX-10P's make it across the Naab between Pielenhofen and Nittendorf.

Across the Naab French forces take Nittendorf

As French armour crosses the bridge Soviet engineers roll to detonate the demolition charges. The explosives fail to go off (the story of the weekend for Warsaw Pact!!) and the French armour trundles onwards.  

TO BE CONTINUED 

(CANADIAN 4TH MECH AND MORE FROM US 3ID)

"The Tide is Turning" - Part Three

As the mist began to clear in the early morning NATO gathered their forces for the assault on the Donau and Naab Rivers hoping to breakthrough to Regensburg and hopefully force the Warsaw Pact forces back to the Czech border and make the Czech 1st and 4th Armies think twice before committing their troops to the battle.

Recce unit from US3ID uses the cover of a hedgerow to survey the Warsaw Pact defences.

US 3ID (Steve Graham) and 2Cav (Andy Hamilton) advance using the Emmeran Forest as cover as they advance towards the Bruckdorfer Holz near Kapfelberg on their way to attempt to cross the Donau River.

Warsaw Pact T72's, already taking hits, await the oncoming assault from the US forces from their positions above Bad Abbach.

Two West German Phantoms provide air support for the US advance.

 

Elsewhere on the table the Soviet Airborne troops dug in along the banks of the Donau River set up their medical unit to treat casualties.

Soviet Airborne CO in the centre of Saal a.d. Donau reads through reports of West German armour and infantry approaching his positions along the Donau.

Soviet Airborne prepare to meet whatever NATO care to throw at them.

West German (Andy Taylor) recce unit keeping watch in Kelheim, The quiet before the storm as this area was soon to be the scene of bitter fighting between West German troops and Soviet Airborne and Spetsnaz (Gordon Malcolm). The recce unit is a great little conversion from a Scotia Iltis using some H&R stowage and a staple!

Kelheim before the battle with the now infamous Pauma Plastics factory which was to see heavy fighting. The factory was a Soviet sleeper cell and home to several units of Spetsnaz!!! Much to the surprise of the West Germans. 

Saal a.d. Donau across the Donau from Kelheim and one of the objectives of NATO. This town was occupied by Soviet Airborne for the entire battle who successfully held their position and with the support of a battalion of T72's even went on the offensive and crossed the river and took Kelheim in a heroic operation. Vodka all round!

A selection of the superbly painted and based US 3ID and US 2Cav commanded by the Grimsby contingent, Steve Graham and Andy Hamilton.

Some more of Steve and Andy's great work.

TO BE CONTINUED

"The Tide is Turning" Part Two

After a nightmare journey from Stone to Broughton thanks to failing traffic lights in Chester which brought Chester to a complete standstill I arrived at the Deeside Defenders over 2 1/2 hours late for the set up on Friday night! Thanks to Richard C for passing on messages. Steve and Andy H from Grimsby had arrived and with Ian S, Andy C and the chaps from Deeside Defenders they had set up as much as they could without my stuff. So after a couple more hours setting up we stood back to admire our work.

Regensburg looking east along the Donau River

Regensburg looking north along the Naab River. NATO enter on the inner table edges.

Then a short drive to the excellent Days Inn (Chester North) to check in and then a great curry with Steve G and Andy H just up the road from the hotel then to bed for a good nights sleep before battle commenced.

After a superb breakfast which worked out at £2.50 after a charging error from the hotel we all jumped in Steve G's car for the trip back to Broughton. At 9.30am Warsaw Pact began to deploy their forces anywhere up to the rivers and NATO would be using mobile deployment to enter the table from the north west (inner table edges). When deployment was complete a short briefing took place and around 10.30am Warsaw Pact forces began to hear the rumble of tanks in the early morning mist.

The castle at Burglengenfeld, centre of Soviet communications in the region and also home to a SA-2 Battery. NATO objective to neutralise the AA threat in this area.

Schwandorf and Wackersdorf another NATO objective to retake the power station.

The transmitter at Saal a.d. Donau, another NATO objective to disrupt WP communications in the area.

MORE PHOTOS TO COME IN PART THREE

"The Tide is Turning" Part One

So the weekend is nearly upon us and tomorrow morning I shall begin to load the boxes and boxes of terrain into my car ready for the trip over to Deeside for the set up. I hope I can fit it all in. Can't wait, it will be great to see the regulars plus some new guys from Deeside and further afield. I will be taking loads of pictures over the weekend and I will be writing up a full AAR early next week after I have recovered. Have a safe trip everyone who is coming. See you at Broughton.

Cheers

Richard P

A Bridge Two Far

With one week to go before the big CWC game at Deeside I have been busy finishing off bits of terrain ready for set up on Friday afternoon. Another 8 ft of river is nearly finished and I have made a load more roads. This morning I have just put together these two bridges. WIP at the moment just need a coat of paint and a drybrush and they will be ready. I will take a photo with a river section once they are finished.

Thanks for looking.