Holy Mackeral! Another Wars of Insurgency Report

    An overview of the village where most of the battling BushWars campaign contingents ended up

Having a few days off for the Thanksgiving holidays, I decided to re-post some more Wars of Insurgency battle reports from the active and enthusiastic Nunawading Wargames Association. Since they post their AARs on Facebook group, most readers are unable to access them unless they join their group. Plus, I think readers of Lead Legionaries will enjoy their humor and excitement, as well as the models and creativity they show. So enjoy!

OPERATION “HOLY MACKEREL” 

...or in this case, "Don’t be late for the flight!"

    The goal of the contingents: Board the flying boat and get the heck out of there!

by Mike Fly Goldyn (July 1, 2022)

Last night, several national contingents - New Guernsey, Omovo, PKL and Zevonia - were operating along the coast of Khenefria and at a given point in time converged into an area where it was known that a flying boat was moored. A race developed as to which national contingent would embark on the flying boat (a Beriev Be-6) and fly to safety.

    All four contingents had to march across the board and find clues or equipment to help them

Advancing towards the port town, the Zevonians found a crate with two LMGs within. Unfortunately, they were useless. They also encountered the local population first. It was a decidedly frosty reception.
(Side note: civilians were in the area to offer information to contingents they were questioned by. Some were ambivalent, one was enthusiastic, but most were downright hostile, even aggressive! Several soldiers met their end from a well-placed kick!).

    The New Guernsey contingent hopped on board the dubious and flammable transport of a fuel truck

It was the PKL contingent that started the shooting. New Guernsey troops found two vehicles, a fuel truck and a bus, in working order and had decided to use those for transport. As the New Guernsians were traveling past, the PKL-ers threw a barrage of hand grenades at the passing vehicles. A lively gunfight ensued between the soldiers roadside and the vehicle passengers. (Side note: statistically, it was amazing how many hand grenades were duds! At times, it was like throwing rocks.)

    The Zevonian contingent advances along the edge of the board, hugging the cover

The fuel truck driver was shot and killed whilst hurtling down the road. With a combination of gymnastics and extreme contorting, the officer passenger was able to shift the dead driver out of the seat, replace him as the driver and gain control of the truck. Similarly, the bus became a bullet magnet, gradually filling with casualties. But they gave as good as they got. The roadside was piling up with PKL dead and wounded. 

    After a long and harrowing run, the New Guernsian hijacked bus crashes into a building

Finally, the PKL-ers managed to blow up the fuel truck in a great ball of flame. Surprisingly, there were few casualties as those hanging onto the truck for grim life managed to jump clear before the explosion. At almost the same time, the bus driver was shot and killed, causing the bus to swerve and collide into a mud brick building. It was this bus crash that caused the most casualties. 

    One squad enters the village, peering around the corner for signs of their foes

Thereafter, both the New Guernsians and PKL-ers were spent forces. What was left of the PKL contingent decided to continue their advance to the town, past more abusive villagers. The New Guernsians took shelter in the building they just crashed into. Sporadic gunfire between the two contingents continued until the PKL-ers moved out of range. 

    Omovans and Zevonians take cover and begin to battle it out in the center of the village

The Zevonians made steady progress towards the road. They threatened the New Guernsians, made a marriage proposal to a local villager and… other stuff. On the other flank, the Omovans also advanced towards the road, meeting along the way several unhelpful villagers. 

    Interrogating locals could end up helping a faction (or not!), as it did with the Omovans

With some luck, they found the one key person of the operation. In the briefing, it was stated “No One is your friend; trust No One”. Upon approaching a rather attractive (and dangerously armed) young girl, she introduced herself as No One. She showed the Omovans a secret tunnel system that led to the other side of the town, just opposite of the pier. 

    No report of factions attempting to interrogate the elephants (despite their reputation for memory!)

As the Omovans were about to descend into the tunnel, the poor hapless PKL detachment (downgraded from contingent) entered the town and thus coming into range of some F.L.A.W. guerrillas. The resulting ambush caused yet more casualties on the ever-shrinking PKL detachment. 

    The formerly peaceful village erupted in gunfire as the four factions made their way slowly to it

The town now became the focus of new conflict. The remaining PKL-ers took shelter in the corner townhouse, engaging in a firefight with the guerrillas. The Omovans found an Umgawan special forces team who were there to hunt down the F.L.A.W. guerrillas. They all emerged from the tunnel in the courtyard of a walled building. The Zevonians engaged the guerrillas. The New Guernsians remained skulking in the mud brick building. 

    Sneaking through a grove of palm trees towards the outskirts of the village

In amongst the carnage, some bloke started playing singing bowl music (probably some stray musician from Duloc), enhancing everyone’s morale. The F.L.A.W.-ists were eventually eliminated. The Umgawans left as their mission was completed. The Zevonians changed targets and started shooting at the Omovans, whilst the Omovans were battling the remnants of the PKL-ers.  

    The firefight in the village gets more intense as the end of the game nears

In amongst the flying bullets and lobbed hand grenades, the Zevonians made a dash for the pier and the Beriev flying boat moored to it. Amongst the bullets and wood splinters from the pier, the Zevonians managed to embark onto the Beriev, take off and fly away with no further calamities. Mission success for Zevonia! 

    The Zevonians hurry down the pier and pile into the waiting flying boat to make their getaway

Side note: as the Zevonians won the battle and managed to fly away with a crate full of platinum bars, they will be rewarded with D10 x10 points which they can add to their contingent in the next game. Many thanks for another exciting and hilarious game to Tom Chenu, Ashley Jenkins, Piotr Kaczmarek and Aaron Mauger, with additional thanks for the special input by Keiran Pycroft.

Great Airfield Raid (Nunawading Wargames Association report)

    Technicals, fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, and more add to the din of the Great Airfield Raid

As author of the modern skirmish rules, Wars of Insurgency, it always gladdens my hear to see a group of players using the rules enthusiastically. The most prolific group that I am aware of is in Australia - the Nunawading Wargames Association.  This report is from one of their games this past August. As you can see, they added their own semi-historical mix to what looks like an incredibly fun game. My thanks to Ashley Jenkins, Mike Fly Goldyn, and the rest of the crew for letting me republish their words and photos!

    Aircraft burn and explosions rock the airfield as Zevonians and other factions battle it out

 

THE GREAT AIRFIELD RAID - NWA OPEN DAY 2022

I had the great pleasure of hosting a Bush Wars game alongside Mike Fly Gołdyn at NWA's open day in August. What follows are all the images I captured along with a (somewhat incomplete) report:
Fly and I had set up the table and were waiting for some victims to come along and have a go. After a while, I said I'd like to have a crack at raiding the airfield with my prized Zebra cavalry. Fly cackled, stroked his silvery beard and said, "Go ahead"!

    The Zealous Scouts and their zebra mounts add a dash of imagination to the NWA Bush Wars games

And so the Zealous Scouts raced down the airfield's access road, the thundering of hooves drowned out by the hail of grenades that were thrown into each bunker as the zebras charged in. They began to draw effective fire as they made it down the road, and casualties began to mount. But help was on the way as three more players joined the game. 

    Guns blazing, the Zealous Scouts circle a mortar pit, pouring fire into its crew

Backed by newly arrived Technicals, the remaining zebras finally reached the end of the road, clearing a mortar pit with grenades. Now down to half their original number, they were set upon by a pack of spear-wielding mummies and a melee broke out. Casualties were traded, but the zebras vanquished their supernatural foes before being wiped out by direct fire from a 25-pounder across the runway.

    Once the mortar pit was cleared, another enemy appeared to challenge the Zealous Scouts

The Zealous Scouts had fallen, but their sacrifice paved the way for the newly arrived Technicals to wreak havoc along the flight line. Hangars burned, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft alike brewed up, and chaos reigned. To make matters worse for all involved, a UFO made a wheels-up landing (that is, crashed) in the middle of the runway, its crew disembarking and vaporizing anything that moved. Meanwhile another horde of mummies appeared.

    Who's to say the thousand year old tradition of using elephants in warfare ends in the modern age?

By now, the defenders were beginning to get their act together. A group of Zevonian elephants and rhinos lumbered out, opening fire on mummies and raiders alike, while a flight of AH-1 Cobras based at the field got up and made strafing runs on the attacking column.

    And if Elephant Technicals are a possibility, why not machine gunners mounted on rhinos?

Soon an airstrike hit the elephants, killing some and causing a stampede among the others. To make matters worse, both Cobras were downed by machinegun fire. The Zevonian rhinos made their presence felt, dispersing the mummies and what was left of the raiding force, as the local air crews taxied their aircraft around burning wrecks and narrowly avoided the UFO blocking the runway as they made their escape.

    Explosions rock the airport and black flames sweep across the airfield and hangars

The airfield was wrecked, but the raiding force paid the ultimate price in doing so. A Pyrrhic victory for the attackers. Thanks to all involved for a very, very entertaining game.

    NWA's 'Bush Wars' campaign features a variety of factions battling it out often in multiplayer games

 

    Bush Wars features a fascinating mix of 'What If?' to go with modern standards, like jeep Technicals

    For those who scoff at the supernatural, don't forget about the Simbas and their magical beliefs!

Operation Hyrdos - a Wars of Insurgency AAR from 'Down Under'

 

    Troops mass along the river in an 11-player (!) Wars of Insurgency game in Australia

As the rules author to the modern skirmish rules, Wars of Insurgency, I am very lucky to have an avid group of players in Australia called the Nunawading Wargames Association. They are in the midst of an Imagiafrica campaign where they have divided up the continent and created their own independence era nations. I have posted Facebook links to their battle reports on our First Command Wargames site from time to time, but not everyone has Facebook. So, I am going to start re-posting them here on my Lead Legionaries blog.

 

All of the photos and text come from the NWA members. There are many, many more they took that I could not include. Go to Facebook and join their group and the BushwarsNWA group to see their reports! This report comes from Mike Fly Goldyn. Thanks, Mike, for letting me share it! 

 

Defending aircraft were the real killers of the game repeatedly causing damage to the bridge builders

 

OPERATION “HYDROS” 

Or..."It is going to get wet!”

Early on the morning of Saturday, 9th July, 1979, the combined forces of the Quatro Alliance (Mdrongo, Omovo, Umgawaland and Vlessadwassa), along with a support contingent from Brimibian, rumbled down an isolated dirt road heading towards a site for the construction of a pontoon bridge for a river crossing.

Puerta Docielo was being destabilised by the increasingly agitated political situation in what was once Tikada. The newly declared independent ’Ard AlJamal was descending into tribal inspired violence. The Quatro Alliance was asked to provide peacekeepers. Leaving their assembly area in western Vlessadwassa, the column was cutting a shortcut through Puerta Docielo to West Tikada.

 

Apparently, most of the western Imagiafrican nations objected to what they perceived as interference by the Quatro Alliance into their sphere of influence. These nations banded together and sent out a blocking force. Reconnaissance flights conducted by the Allergerian Air Force spotted the Quatro Allies approaching a river. It was decided to send out some ground reconnaissance units to verify the location and the intentions of the Quatro Allies. Units from New Guernsey and PKL converged onto the location provided by the Allergerians.

 

 

Nunawading Wargames Association has tweaked my rules to make them friendlier to larger games

Cautiously driving closer to the river, the PKL unit tried to radio in their positive identification of enemy units attempting to build a pontoon bridge across the river. However, they also discovered that their radio batteries were completely flat. Someone had left the radio on listening to Dulocean singing bowl and ukulele music all night.

 

The New Guernsians experienced a similar problem, but not as severe. Atmospherics were interfering with signals and the transmissions were either garbled or static. They also found that this incessant use was depleting the battery charge. Fortunately, the NG platoon commander wisely stored away fully charged batteries on one of the transports. Communications were restored. The NG troops even left some batteries for the PKLers to pick up and install in their radios. This positive situation wasn’t completely satisfactory as the Allergerians were still receiving gobbledygook. A change in location soon fixed that. Something to do with radiation from a previous UFO crash site.

 

    They regular players are involved in a campaign, each creating their own nation and force in Africa

 

The message was sent: “Enemy located”! Coordinates were transmitted. Reinforcements were on the way - ground troops from Allergeria; the TOFU contingent from Tarzania (in western Imagiafrica on a goodwill visit and now joining in the fun) and a completely lost Kalemnitkan rifle squad (?!?? - go figure!)

PKL troops were the first to engage, shooting at Mdrongoan troops dug-in across the river. The Mdrongoans replied. Slight casualties taken on both sides.

 

On the other flank, the Umgawans took the opportunity to fire some long range recoilless rifle shots at some NG recce vehicles. Losses on the NG unit were heavy. Then the Umgawan artillery of four 25 pounders added their weight to the fight. First, PKL vehicles were turned into scrap, followed by salvos aimed at the New Guernsians. Losing an M113 APC with all it passengers and crew was a severe blow - 16 men in total!

 

    The central position for the attackers who were attempting to bridge and cross the defended river

 

The Vlessadwassan engineers, with feverish activity, erected the pontoon bridge, initially hampered by a truckie’s hitch that refused to untie. One knife later and the elements of the pontoon bridge were launched onto the river. The Vlessadwassans had taken some casualties from PKL fire but still managed to complete the bridge. The signal to the Brimibians and Omovans to cross was dispatched.

 

Just at this moment of success, a flight of two Allergerian F-4U Corsairs dived in from the sun, aiming for the bridge. Firstly, the Vlessadwassan Shilkas opened fire, followed by a hail of Umgawan HMG bullets. But the first Corsair made it through the curtain of lead, fired two rockets and started to weave away. Bang! 23mm AA shells from a Shilka cut the the tail off the aircraft. With the pilot dead at the controls, the plane dove straight into the lead section of the bridge. Along with the two rockets fired, this left the forward section in itsy-bitsy pieces.

 

    A strafing run looks like it will be deadly to any troops exposed on the bridge!

 

Clearing the dead and wounded, fresh Vlessadwassan engineers rushed forward with new ramps and other bridging equipment to repair the damage. This is when the second Corsair flew in, releasing two of its own rockets towards the next section of the bridge. The ensuing carnage killed more engineers and put another hole in the bridge. Vlessadwassan AAA retaliated in revenge shooting the Corsair down into the river. The pilot parachuted to safety, landing on the other side of the river. But he didn’t get far. He was obliterated by a burst of fire from the second Shilka.

 

After dropping mortar shells on random targets on the far side of the river, the Omovan and Vlessadwassan mortar teams received new orders to drop smoke on the far end of the bridge, hopefully providing cover for the Vlessadwassan engineers desperately trying to bring the pontoon bridge into use.

In the meantime, the Allergerian, Tarzanian and Kalemnitkan forces had arrived and were converging on the bridge. Sporadic gunfire was erupting all along the line.

    Attackers massing on the banks, hoping to get a chance to cross safely - it is a long way across!

 

Just as the Vlessadwassans were gaining in repairing the bridge, an Allergerian Mirage thundered in from the west and launched another two rockets at the beleaguered bridge. Fortunately for the Quatro Allies, one rocket completely missed and the other only caused minor damage. For the Mirage, it suffered the same fate as the previous two Corsairs. As it was now hurtling towards the earth, the pilot ejected successfully whilst the navigator was not so lucky, breaking his neck on the canopy which did not detach in time.

 

As the Mirage swerved to port and plummeted into the ground, the pilot floated down by parachute. Everyone held their fire as the pilot headed gently towards the river -- the crocodile infested river! With a splash, the pilot landed in the water, immediately struggling from his parachute harness. Within the blink of an eye, he was assailed by two hungry crocodiles. Miraculously, he managed to fight one off, but sadly, not the second one. He was pulled underwater, never to be seen again.

 

    A pontoon bridge is assembled by very brave engineers in the face of determined attacks

 

The report from the Vlessadwassan engineer commander was not very positive. The bridge was repairable but would take time. And with the enemy approaching rapidly, the ongoing repairs might be too hazardous. New orders were sent to the artillery battery to drop a smoke barrage just ahead of the bridge. Hopefully this would provide sufficient cover.

 

The bridge was still under threat from another air strike. The decision was made to dig-in along the river and wait for dark. Whilst these decisions were being made, the West Imagiafricans were coming closer.

With the setting Sun, hostilities eased greatly. Both sides were taking stock of the day’s combat, making plans for the following day’s operations - a river crossing probably in the face of a counterattack.

 

    Thanks again to the players of the Nunawading Wargames Association - I am a lucky rules author to have you guys as fans of the game!

 

Cast of Playing Characters

The Quatro Alliance (Blue Team - Attackers)

• Mdrongo - James Booth
• Omovo - Jasper
• Umgawaland - Alan Newman
• Vlessadwassa - Esteban Blanco
  

(Attached)

• Brimibian - Brian Roberts

 

The West Imagiafrican Coalition (Red Team - Defenders)

• Allergeria - Russell Charles
• New Guernsey - Aaron Mauger
• PKL - Piotr Kaczmarek

(Attached)

• Kalemnitka - Geoff Kelly
• Tarzania - Andrew Waligora