Ulster Wargames Society: August 2025

Caught in the Crossfire.

Game of WW2 British vs Germans in France after D-day.

Using Crossfire in 20mm..

Organized, using terrain and models and umpired by Charlie Dickson.

No AAR, just some photos.

Players

British : Jeremy Mulholland.

German : Charlie and Josh Dixon.

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Photos curtesy of Gary and the Editor.

Seven days to Stockholm.

Game of the Cold war going hot what if.

Using 7 days to the Rhine in 1/72.

Organized, using terrain and models and umpired by Paddy McGarrigle.

AAR by Paddy McGarrigle.

Players

Sweden : Leslie Tipping.

Soviets : Stephen.

Field of Battle :

A second go at 7 Days to the River Rhine this year!

Umpiring - Paddy McG with Leslie in his natural role as a Swedish defender (Abba music aside) with Stephen acting as the attacking Soviets

This scenario was set circa 1985 pitching a Soviet company sized grouping against a similar sized Swedish group.

Set in South Eastern Sweden the Russian were attempting to seize and hold a bridge over one of the many rivers flowing through the Swedish country side. The terrain was heavily forested with a small village near the bridge. Ample cover for the Swedish Defenders. The River was fordable to tracked vehicles but NOT to wheeled vehicles.

Therefore the Russians from the outset were denied the ability to cross the river in their amphibious BTRs - humble apologies (this was umpire error in forgetting the capabilities of BTRs!)

Force packages as under

Swedes

2 X S Tank Platoon (6 tanks)

1 X Centurion Platoon (3 tanks)

2 X Reduced mechanised infantry Platoon (total of 4 M113s - standing in for Swedish home produced APCs)

2 X ATGW sections with a total of 2 missiles each (mounted in 2 Unimog Trucks)

Russians

2 X T55 Platoons (6 tanks)

1 X T55 Command Tank

1 X T72 Tank Platoon (3 tanks)

2 X BTR equipped Mech Inf Platoon (6 vehicles)

Whilst we adhered to some of the 7DTTRR rules some liberties were taken - The writer takes full responsibility for this failure!!

In essence at the end of turn one both sides received incoming arty fire which resulted in some morale damage to a few Russian tank Platoons but zero damage to Swedish forces.

Both sides gradually fed forces into the battle. The Russians threw a T55 platoon on right flank which whilst using the cover of woods were ground down by fire from the S Tanks who were in defensive positions. The main Russian assault was on their left flank with the remaining T55s T72s and APCs.

Aside from Swedish tank fire being massively successful - all those 10s from Leslie (or full credit to the Commandant of the Swedish Armour School) the Russians did destroy all the centurions and 2 of the S tanks (55% of Swedish tanks) but suffered a loss of all their tanks.

As the Russian attack on their left flank had destroyed the Centurion tank platoon defending on this flank the Russians though down to nearly zero tanks had sufficient mechanised infantry that had they been permitted to cross the water obstacle with their BTRs (2+ on a D6) (again umpire at fault!) they might have engaged in some fancy close combat with Swedish armour using the closed in forested terrain against Swedish defenders with section level held RPGs.

In essence the rule mechanics placed the Swedish tanks with their 105 mm guns more than capable of destroying T55s and the T72s which had modest success but ultimately fell to the 105 guns.

Aside from failure to adhere to the 7DTTRR rules in full this battle proved that an opposed river crossing is one of the most difficult operations to conduct let alone win!

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Photos curtesy of the Editor.

Battle of Gross Jagersdorf.

Game of Seven years War Prussians vs Prussians in East Prussian, 30th August 1757.

Using FOB 3 in 15mm.

Organized, using terrain and models and umpired by Gary.

AAR by Gary.

Players

Prussians : David Taylor.
Russians : David Brown.

Field of Battle :

Club meeting today and I put on a scenario based around action around Norknitten Woods during Battle of Gross Jagersdorf (converted from a Black Powder scenario) using, of course, FOB 3.

Usual suspects signed up for game with Dave T taking the attacking Prussians and Dave B the defending Russians.

As ever a cracking game ensued with Prussians concentrating their forces on Russian right flank.

Russians had great sequences of cards and good move rolls but continuously failed to take advantage when shooting or in close combat.

They thereby suffered badly in early going despite managing to charge cavalry onto flank of infantry twice (Fusilier Bttn 40 had a charmed life !) and then outnumbering enemy in 3 of 4 combats and losing every single melee !!

The Prussian Grenadiers (4 units) were rather poor including failing to move several times and both sides Cavalry were pants.

These set backs saw Russians bleed morale and they were soon tottering on the brink and giving Morale to Prussians, but they passed their first Army Morale and seemed to have a resurgence of fortunes winning several combats (including at least 2 when roll a D4 vs enemy D10+ !!) and managed to survive numerous Daring Deed rallying rolls.

This saw several Prussian units shattered but the cost in Russian units was crippling and the slaughter continued until a second Army Morale appeared and the Russians quit the field.

The Prussians had a mere 3 Morale left (both sides started with 30) but had been 'gifted' 23 by the enemy so a crushing win for Prussia despite Fredericks absence.

How the game played out.

Prussian assault into woods in full swing