Pacific Wargame

 So we eventually got our mats and the Pacific game out for the first time - all in one layout. A tactical battle all on its own! Where is that box again....LOL

The idea was to test-out what works (rules and terrain wise) for the game. This is for our Tarawa Pacific game and we all thought it was impressive!.

So its planned for the Red Beach 1+2 area (where the large yellow arrow is below).

So we are using 3 deep cut mats (one sea, one beach, one jungle).12 foot x 6 foot in total.

You can see our full video by clicking here...

The mats looked great as our Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT1's) roll in at Tarawa.

Men and machines race to the  "palm tree" sea wall for cover. The Japanese now start shelling the beach.

Soon everyone is trying to find space!  We made up some 3d printed LVT1s with the tracks submerged into the water. the third one back you can just see the troops disembarking. The LVT white numbers are not stenciled because the actual photos show the USMC had a crude approach painting the actual numbers...

The wading Marines are green stuff and spares on clear bases. With white water splashed around the bases.

At the top end some Marines charge over the wall to the Japanese positions and it goes hand to hand.

Centre of the board is looking ok but Marines are awaiting more troops. Centre shows a mortar being deployed and a Bangalores get prepared for the sea wall.

The LVT have the troop inserts removed...as the troops have disembarked.

 Which is just as well as these guys at the top of the picture  (Centre other side) are just waiting for the underside of the LVT! to show over the sea wall.

                           Some guys bail out at the shallow water.

More troops wade ashore under fire. Movement is restricted in the sea. 

There is a lot of action in the sea...with Landing Craft (Higgins) are running aground... 

its then a long wet walk to the beach under fire.

Its now all GO !

I like this shot as it shows the blurred guys in the background.

The guys disembarking look cool...(we can then replace this LVT with an empty!)

                       

                        

More troops unload onto the beach.

Casualties on the beach (on stretchers). Two guys next to them look at a map to try to locate where they are

"Pass me that canteen would you!"

Numbers pile up at the lower end of the sea wall.

Below: the centre a break in the sea wall. The top is taking a pounding from jap artillery.

The Sherman (M4a2) in the centre makes it to the beach and starts to move inward. 

There are no Army white stars on the tanks - because they belong to the Navy!

Note the "prancing elephant" image on the side of China Girl (Sherman tank)! 

These were particular to the unit on this beach. 

We have made up six 3d printed Sherman's in total all with the correct unit badges and tank names.

The elephant decals took ages to get right. They were drawn at 4 times the scale, then transferred onto decal paper, each tanks decal is unique.

The Sherman M4a2 breaks through and takes on a bunker.. We had made up 2 sections of broken beach wall for such a task.

The 3d printed coastal gun (at the top of the picture) is massive. We also printed the steel bunkers.

You can just make out two Japanese spider holes to the left of the steel bunker.

More LVTs now move forward over the blown up sea wall. Over the top...

This is "classsic" Tarawa if you google Tarawa pictures  you will see an LVT in this position.

Notice the palm tress in the picture above...

these have magnets on the bases and a tin placed under our mat so that the trees appear to stand up on their own...

This is from the Japanese viewpoint. You can see a spider hole trench at the steel bunker (bottom -centre of the picture).

A flamethrower is used on bunker by a Marine

By the end of the day the Marines are over some of the wall and moving forward.

More and more plough forward.

More cross the sea wall. 

Again notice the palm tree - magnets placed on the base and a tin underneath the gaming mat 

This is an up armoured version of the LVT1 - if you Google Tarawa LVT you will see the actual number 49 in the black and white pictures. Not all of the LVT used were field modified in this way. Basically an armour plate across the front cabin and a shallow plate on the side. In the original Black and White pictures its strange that 49 has the star with the one point facing down (on the front)...as you can see here.

                         

                         Wrecked Landing Vehicle Tracked LVT 1 are everywhere. 

A good gaming day was had by all with some good pictures.

We have some improvements to make...but it's starting to look good. 

I am going to wash the trees again and gloss the water effects again plus a little more foliage on some of the bunkers, we also have a deep cut road /track for the centre area leading to the the coastal gun, a Japanese mule train, more SNLF troops, a kamikaze lorry - strange but true (its a Japanese truck with oil drum on the front), more shell effects, more jap casualty markers and some more Marines in water effects in shell holes...

p.s.  If you haven't seen it …you might like our 28mm Stalingrad game on this blog.

But I cannot wait for round two of our Pacific game!

LVT 1 V Japanese (28mm)

 I managed to get a box of Warlords 28mm Japanese Imperial Army for Christmas (we already have 2 other boxes and the Japanese Marine Box). But these were built by another Warhog so I thought these would be something different for me.

I had seen a painting video on u tube and my idea was to also to test out the Citadel paint washes. These washes are applied over a dull white base. So we wanted to see what the difference was between the washes and the Vallejo / model colour Japanese uniform(which is our usual colour).

I have to say I found the washes for the uniform, helmet and faces great but I personally prefer the webbing straps in paint rather than a wash. You also need to be careful when touching in your paintwork....if you "over wash" an area it needs to go back to the white base coat and start again. But they did provide a nice finish.

Also as you will see from our previous posts we hate wasting any parts (see the "wading Marines" in our earlier posts).and after viewing John Bonds wargaming blog - the post on his blog (27 Nov last year ) -  I really liked the idea of some Japanese in trenches for our Pacific game. John has some excellent examples...have a peek.

So to use up the spare Japanese parts I did these at the same time as experimenting with the colour washes...

The Japanese colour washed infantry were placed on our punched out clear acetate bases.

We really like the clear bases but sometimes the flash makes them look more "glossy". We have in the past experimented with matt varnishes (brush and spray) but they all tend to cloud the finish - so we now just leave them untouched.

I pulled out our mats to get some photos and to ensure they blended..

The Japanese (in trenches/spider holes)  were made from the spare parts and green stuff (Kneedite).

"Washed" painted Japanese...

In John's Blog he cuts the actual figures and I have cut guys in the past for wading etc. but this was just about using up the spares I have ...

So I managed to get about 21 extra guys out of the Warlord box. That's a fair amount of extra guys for nearly nothing. 

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They blend in nicely with the Deep Cut mat.

The LVT1 below is about to be overrun!

Even if you only use them as dug-in "markers" then use full size for further movement - it adds to the game.

It was definitely worth the time...you get more guys for your table top and you don't waste any parts...(unless of course you want the detail of the actual body).  

All of the Japanese in this post were painted with the washes. 

See our previous posts for Model Colour Japanese Uniform.

As I said earlier - i especially like the washes on the uniform. Overall it gives a lighter appearance to the figures.

Also I was able to design a small troop insert for the 3d printed LVT1.

The challenge here was to get as many troops in the LVT1 as possible 

(the actual LVT could carry 18 troops - they would have been packed in!).

After looking at the Warlord Marines I decided these were unsuitable due to the wide stances and poses.

They would take up too much space. I needed them standing upright with their feet close together.

So I took a 3d figure into the 3d software and halved it in two. Then using the legs I scaled it to 28mm. Multiplied it (x8) times. Then because I wanted to be able to remove them - I had to leave clearances around all of the sides (for an access gap). So that i could lift them out the LVT.

I also added a 2mm fixed base across all of them to save me gluing the figures on. The figures were rotated slightly (at the design stage) to ensure they all appeared slightly different. But all were "standing" to ensure the maximum number were as close together as possible.

 

  The access gap greatly reduced the space available inside.

I placed some green stuff on some of the thinner areas.

I then broke into the spares box for heads, packs, arms and weapons. 

The upper body was green stuff and attached straight onto the 3d print.

They were painted up . I was also aware that only the top would be visible when in use.

So I managed to get 8 guys into the space easily. 

This is my "representation" of the filled LVT vehicle for gaming.

The effect turned out ok and the insert can be replaced with a full set of standing figures when outside the LVT.

I might add some more green stuff on the top of the backpacks for the camouflaged marine  ponchos.

Ready to rumble...So I then went into production mode and I've just finished the 7th troop insert.

I did one with ammo boxes at the front for some variation.

These should fill out the LVTs nicely. I ended up with an extra 52 guys.

This "Chow" line keeps getting bigger LOL

So that seemed to work out...now to get them on the table.

  

 

  

 

LVT 1 28mm WW2

 LVT 1 with the extra armour plate.

After further research I noticed some LVTs had extra armour plate at Tarawa...So I re visited the 28mm 3d print and added a front plate, small peep holes on the sides.

It now looks closer to the the original pics that are on the web that I have seen.

 28mm LVT 1 - extra plate on sides and front

The sides have a small peep hole and one on the front. These were to protect the driver. 

Warlord Games Marines added (with the US paratrooper HMGs used as arms). Also changed the rear 

  

28mm WW2 Marines

 28mm WW2 Marines.

See link to finished Pacific game on right...

..I could see from our research that some gear was placed in rubber boats to bring to the shore...So I tried out some new 3d prints.

The prints are to be used for our Pacific Assault game but as soon as I started to think about these the old Airfix 1:72 scale Marines pack came to mind. I remember they had a dingy and paddling Marines in the pack as well! . 

So these 4 were printed 

Pulled out a mat to see how they (painted up) and looked on table - and I think they look ok.

Placed some guys at the front pulling it in and filled it with some ammo boxes etc. 

28mm Marines

Placed some other guys wading in around them for scale.

This type of dingy was used to ferry in ammo etc.

I left this one with just one guy pulling it...the other guy is MIA.

Wading Marines are...  "A Plenty"

So I think it was successful.