82 Airborne Glider Engineers vs 101 Easy Company in Breakthrough

The OC, Capt America watches the deployment of his forces

Game 3 of the Lords of War 1750 LW Bastogne themed tournament was against Matt and Easy Company of the 101st. Those that have read my other battle reports know this would be the second time that my 82nd had gone toe to toe with the 101st. The final mission was Breakthrough and the special rules we used were ice, snow and fog. Fog would be a real challenge for me because until it lifts its just like fighting at night. Which meant my observers would have a hard time seeing Matt's army.

Big Willie's 82nd
OC and 2IC
Full Engineer platoon with cart and 'zooks
Full Engineer platoon with cart and 'zooks
Cav Recon platoon
4 x Sherman platoon with 8 Easy 8s and a Jumbo
3 x 105mm guns
3 x Priests
2 x 155 Long Toms
Limited Air support

Matt's Easy Coy 101st
OC and 2IC
Full para platoon
Full para platoon
Full para platoon
4 x AT gun platoon with 'zooks
6 x glider 105mm
2 x para 75mm
4 x Int Jeeps
2 x 81mm mortars

Set Up

Objectives are on the road by the edge of the wire and near the top centre corner just behind the hill

We're paratroopers Lieutenant. We're supposed to have 3 full platoons.

Finally finished my US Airborne troops (the infantry part). It was the old box of 3 full platoons. 161 figures all told, and it took years because I undercoated them, and the coat turned into that horrible snow like powder. Had to remove it with a toothbrush, and after that I didn't feel like painting them anymore, until now.

Every platoon comes with a tow cart, bazooka, medium mortar, leader team, and 9 fireteams(!)
The HQ comes with the Old man, 2nd IC, 3 bazookas, and 3 snipers, oh and a pathfinder. I started back on them because I got into Fireball Forward (http://fireballforward.com/) which is a great alternative to FOW, and all the book's scenarios use Easy Company.

I will eventually paint the supporting 75mm pack arty, and MGs for these guys but I just can't be buggered painting infantry 15mm for a while, so I'll be doing something like 28mm or tanks or something instead. Will probably finish my Germans or even get going on the snow covered Finns perhaps..

But regardless, here they are, nicely static grassed which is new for me in 15mm. No insignias because that's too small.

 

Before I forget, the colors I used on all the infantry, here they are. I had to change some colors from the old GW colors half way through. Its a mixture of Vallejo and GW.

(GW changes shown in this table:  

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Paint_Range_Compatibility_Chart)

Skin: Base GW Doombull Brown, Highlight GW Tallarn Flesh

Rifle Stock: GW Bestial Brown or Vallejo Chocolate Brown
Uniform: Vallejo US Dark Green
Helmet/Bazookas: Vallejo Olive Grey
Foliage on Helmet: GW Camo Green
Tires and random grey: GW Adeptus Battlegrey
Webbing: Vallejo Green Grey
Ink: GW Devlan Mud, or GW Agrax Earthshade
Base: Base Vallejo Chocolate Brown or GW Bestial Brown, GW Highlight Gorthor Brown, Final Highlight GW Tan

Band of Brothers Vietnam style

This is a new version of the Big Picture featuring the 101st Screaming Eagles in Vietnam.  Pretty cool beginning to the video talking about WWII.  The more I see the work that Steve from WWPD is doing on his choppers the more I get excited about the idea of doing the same thing.  Some very interesting parallels in the counter-insurgency that is described in the video and the current ones that are going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It seems from the video that the small units, constantly operating in an area is what ends up being effective.  Around 13:02 you can see how quickly a mortar can fire, I think they fired 5 rounds in less than as many seconds.  Around 15:55 there is a really cool segment on how the 101st guns were helping to relieve a Special Forces fire base that leads to a massive fire fight around 17:20 which is no doubt where a lot of Vietnam moves got their ideas for combat scenes.