Back to the 'Nam

After hosting (and getting to play as well) a Check Your 6! Jet Age game the other night, it has me thinking about getting into another jet age period, but something later than the 1950s things I have. I do have a decent collection of miniatures for the Second India-Pakistan War, but missiles and radar are rather limited in scope for that conflict, and I would like to "master" the more advanced rules and the aircraft that use them. I created some roughly framed scenarios for early Vietnam, and about a dozen for the 1982 Lebanon War, so there are plenty of opportunities and possibilities to get into an era that would require the understanding of radar lock-ons, ECW, and advanced missiles. I also have several outlined scenarios for the Second Taiwan Crisis, but that is basically the Korean War with some crappy missiles. 

Other guys in our group have 1956, 1967, and 1973 Arab-Israeli collections, so I do not want to duplicate efforts there. The Falklands are fairly covered as well. I am pretty certain no one is doing the Lebanon War, so that would bring something new to the table. But even in 1/300 scale, those beautiful Flight Deck Decals planes run four to five dollars each, and then there is the painting of advanced camouflage schemes. While my painting skills are improving of late, not certain if a lot of camo is in my future.

VF-211 Crusader. Later VF-211 served on the USS Bon Homme Richard

I keep heading back to Vietnam, although what I am looking at are early war years featuring the F-8 Crusader and MiG-17s and MiG-21s. The missiles are crappy, but radar starts to become a thing. Planes are easy - for the sixteen scenarios that feature just the F-8 I would only need four Crusaders, five MiG-17s, and four MiG-21s (if one does not mind using one model to cover the same basic airframe). If I add in four Skyhawks I increase the number of scenarios I could game to twenty.

Skyhawk from VA-76, USS Bon Homme Richard

I can handle painting Navy aircraft with the dull gray and insignia white scheme. Decals are covered by Miscellaneous Miniatures for specific Crusader and Skyhawk squadrons. Actually, that might be the hold up as those decal sheets mean adding something like a dozen or more decals to each plane! However, with the need for only four F-8s and four A-4s, I guess I could suffer adding a slew of decals. The MiGs are more decal friendly with just the North Vietnam national insignia and a BORT number needed. Painting them, however, would be a bit more of a challenge - early in the war many were simply in their natural metal, but then camo schemes started to appear. But I think the simple all metal versions might be the direction I take.

So, here on Christmas Day, I have ordered the planes and decals needed to eventually game these scenarios:

Baltic Encounter After Action Report

I have been trying to get this game on the table since October! Finally it happened.

I did a thing - I purposely scheduled a game for the group knowing that the planes were not ready to use. This was an effort to push me to take care of the chore of adding decals to planes that were mostly painted. Applying decals is not what I call an enjoyable task, and I think it is mostly from a time perspective that I dally when it comes to this stage of completing planes for the table top. I have my system worked out fairly well - put a little gloss finish where the decals will be applied (this makes it easier to move the decal into proper position), apply Vallejo decal fix, cut the decal, soak in hot water while holding a non printed corner with tweezers, and after about thirty seconds of soaking slide into place with a brush end. Roll a Q-Tip over the decal to absorb the excess water, and adjust the decal so that it is perfectly placed. Once dry, I brush on Vallejo decal softener which "melts" the decal so as to adjust into ribbing or panel lines.

Anyway, this post is supposed to be an after action report, so let's get to it!

I hosted my hypothetical Baltic Encounter scenario (found on the Downloads page) that features a flight of Swedish Saab J 29s vs. a half dozen East German MiG-15s and MiG-17s in 1958. The Swedes receive a little U. S. Marine support in the form of a pair of Fury FJ-4s. This scenario eases one into the use of early air-to-air missiles as the Furies are carrying AIM-9B Sidewinders. It also adds afterburners, found on the J 29s and MiG-17s. One can easily swap out the Swedes and East Germans for other nationalities so feel free to mix it up, 1950s Cold War style.

One movement in, and the Tunnans are flying neatly

Four Swedish Tunnans were scrambled to watch the approach of the East Germans, who were making a political statement on Swedish's National Day. Both sides had to maintain level flight and only plot forward turn codes until spotting occurred. The Tunnan aircrews were all skilled, and the Tunnans had afterburners and an agility of 3.

The "bad guys" after a move or two

The East German force consisted of four MiG-15s and a pair of MiG-17s. My pair of MiGs are the two at the bottom of the picture. We had three skilled and three green aircrews.

One thinks that one is in a good firing solution, but those Tunnans are agile!

After a few turns, spotting checks were successfully made, and the two sides turned to engage. 

The Marines have arrived!

On Turn 3 a pair of Marine FJ-4Bs approached from the west, bearing gifts in the form of four AIM-9Bs on each Fury.

The furball

The shot of the game occurred early. One MiG-15 needed boxcars to hit a Tunnan head on - SUCCESS! And we know the firepower on the MiGs, but the Tunnan's robustness is a 2, so a good chance to survive...but not when the robustness roll is a pair of ones. BOOM! Tiny pieces of Tunnan scattered across the sky.

Much maneuvering was forthcoming - the Free World planes were all rated Hx and the players took advantage of that fact. But another Tunnan fell from the sky (sorry, Bill, Scott had a good night with a pair of kills). Personally, I tried to boom and zoom as I could, but Check Your 6! does not model B&Z tactics that well, so while I was able to dive out and build massive speed, the climb back, even to half the level of my dives, ate a crap ton of speed. I got a few shots in - all misses. And then it happened - the tails of a few MiGs showed themselves to those Sidewinder carrying FJ-4s. Uh oh.

The fruitless missile attack

Now that is my pair of MiGs immediately in front of the Furys - I was safe as I was nearly on the low end of the CAB and waaay too close to be fired upon, but Bob's MiG-17s were in the ideal position - unleash the beasts! Four Sidewinders launched. But the dice were not in Jamie's favor - two malfunctions, one miss, but wait, one proximity hit! Robustness check time - passed! Four missiles fired, four futile efforts.

However, those two MiG-17s, having turned towards the missiles by using evasive action, were shot down the next turn. In retaliation, Bob knocked a Fury from the sky. Meanwhile, the other four MiGs were able to exit the north edge of the board, embarrassing the Swedes on their national holiday. The East Germans won the game.

Communist

Two Tunnans and one Fury were lost (skilled crews) - 12 victory points

Four MiGs exiting the north board edge - 4 victory points

16 points total

Free World

Two MiG-17s shot down (one skilled and one green aircrew) - 8 victory points

In hindsight, the MiGs could have simply dropped altitude and made a run for the north board edge exit and just went for VPs. However that might have provided too many tail shot opportunities to the Free World forces so perhaps that is not such a bad victory condition.

The Free World players had the advantage in aircrew quality and having Hx planes. The Tunnans used the A maneuver chart and had 3 agility with afterburners. The MiGs had mixed aircrew quality, but a heavier armament and a height advantage at the start. Overall I think it came out to be a balanced scenario.

For details on the miniatures, click HERE.

Mat - Deep Cut Studio

The Yugo Project

In a previous post I discussed the indigenous Yugoslavian fighter known as the Rogožarski IKZ or IK-3. I have finally gotten around to pulling the planes from their baggies, mounting magnets, and getting a coat of Vallejo primer on them. While I have ten of these Leading Edge IKZs, some of them are rather pitted and as the Yugoslavians started the war with only six operational IKZs I selected the six best to work with. The thin coat of primer filled in a few of the pits a bit, and I imagine that the pits will become even less noticeable once the main colors have been applied (after a second coat of primer).

With a coat of primer in place.

Paint scheme for the IKZ will be a three color camouflage on the upper surfaces and a factory gray green undersurfaces. My previous post gave some specific RAL and FS color codes, but in doing deeper research, some of those colors are difficult to source within the various hobby paint ranges. Also, there is much confusion on just what tones were used, the prime example being the undersurface color. I have seen light gray, light blue gray, and gray green on various models and illustrations. The Rogožarski factory used gray green, so light gray and light blue gray are not accurate. As I use Vallejo Model Air for most of my painting, I am going with the following:

Brown - 71.041 Tank Brown. Green - 71.092 Medium Olive. Yellow Ochre - 71.031 Middlestone. Gray Green - 71.305 Interior Grey Green.

I will be striving for this look

And now for a scenario - I was able to create a much scaled down version of the IKZs first action of the April 1941 invasion of Yugoslavia, and I believe I can create a two additional smaller scenarios of subsequent actions. The first scenario, entitled The Punishment Begins, can be located on the Downloads page. It features five IKZs facing off against Bf 109s, Ju 87s, and He 111s. While I have the IKZs and Messerschmitts, I will need to pick up the German bombers, something I am going to need in the long run anyway as I expand the collection into some early war actions.

I'll add the other pair of scenarios in the coming days.