"WWII Raid Options?" Topic

Looking for an option of a board to build for a raid. 28mm preferably, but might have to go with 20mm.

I've found an Airfix Coastal Battery/Fort in 1/72.

Also found a 1/56 waterline Submarine with Brigade Games for a possible raid on a Sub Pen. Can't seem to find an E-Boat at waterline.

I'm seen some old models for Guns of Navarone, but nothing available currently.

Rangers in 20mm? I found some Elhiem, but not a lot of poses.

St Nazaire would probably be too big in 20mm, definitely in 28mm. Plus the largest Campbeltown I can find is 1:240, and it is not the modified one.

Any other ideas?

I want to keep it at 4x6 or so.

Don't get tied too closely to a historical prototype. You'll probably need to bathtub this one. In fact, my advise would be to start with figure scale and preferred size of board, and to keep major elements free-standing. One week's St Nazaire might be another's Scapa Flow or Alexandria. Might keep in mind Airfix British commandos too. One of them might be Peter Young.

Alternatives to harbors and coastal batteries are airfields and radar installations, enemy headquarters and facilities in support of the German A-bomb project. Depending on what other periods you play, the port can be restocked with a Spanish fleet, or the German headquarters be a French chateau. Never build anything you can only use for one game if there's any alternative.

Donald Featherstone's book on commando operations has simple rules and a nice scenario which can use the Airfix coastal battery. I ran it earlier this year – see the following blogs from players
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Last week I used the rules to recreate Operation Fahrenheit 11-12 November 1942 – a raid on a German signal station on the coast of Brittany.

I use a basic green cloth and coloured felt for practically everything! (And both games were run on a 3 x 4 table with 15mm toy soldiers).

Yes, I am trying to start with the core element, like the coastal battery or the submarine. I already have a V-1 site and also a V-2. There is definitely more out there in 1/72. The old Airfix coastal fort is still available. We built some nice cliffs for a Blood & Plunder game which got me thinking about Pont Du Hoc or something similar.

Also trying to think of some rules. Think I want to avoid Bolt Action and Battleground WWII.

The UK Brunelvale raid has it all, paras land and steal radar bits from a radar station, blowing it up, Meawhile another element set gets lost but finally do there job of securing a boat landing site so they can mostly all escape. I managed to get it bathtubed on to an L shaped board made up of two 6 by 4 boards. Ridges did the job of limiting sight line as real valleys are hard even with gold flat stuff.

This site is a handy summary of commando raids
link which might inspire several scenarios.

For rules I strongly recommend those in Donald Featherstone's Wargaming Commando Operations (they might be old but they work really well). You can get the book here link

Last week I used the rules to recreate Operation Fahrenheit 11-12 November 1942 – a raid on a German signal station on the coast of Brittany.

I think this is an entirely sensible way to start.

A raid. OK. But don't start with one of the biggest, most impressive, or best known raids. Start with something manageable. Scale up as you acquire both terrain pieces and experience.

A raid on a communications station or radar facility would seem to be to be an idea starting place. One or two bunkers, and a chateau or a couple of village houses or a barracks structure, and you've got your core.

In general, my readings give me to believe that commandos were an eclectic lot. Sometimes they wore conventional battle dress, sometimes all stocking-caps and sweaters, sometimes civilian-styled overcoats, sometimes carrying half a ton of kit like most paratroopers did, sometimes traveling light. So you could reasonably build a force from three or four different lines, and then pick and choose for an individual game.

And don't forget your opponents. Germans (sure, always start there), but you can add Italians and even Japanese for your WW2 gaming, and maybe even some Soviets for early cold war what-ifs.

It all sounds like great fun! And doable if you start small and build as you go.

Just my US$0.02 worth. I start with tanks, and lots of 'em, so a different brand of gaming. But doesn't mean I can't predict some fun when I see it coming.

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)

Unfortunately and much to my spouse's annoyance, I seem incapable of going anything small. This is the V-1 site done for MillenniumCon 2018 -

‌WWII 9 by DukeWacoan, on Flickr

This is a sample of the type of cliff face I am looking at -

‌Cliff by DukeWacoan, on Flickr

I think with we can do up something unique that approximates du Hoc.

Any recommendations on Rangers in 20mm?

unfortunately I havent read any of these. Can't you just use regular US infantry?

Id suggest a nice place to start is Brecourt Manor or link

not raids but nice small unit actions

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Look at the Rangers set in 1/72nd from Pegasus. It's an excellent set and gets near on full marks from Plastic Soldier Review. They are modelled for D-Day and in very dynamic poses. May be what you are looking for. Can't link to it as I'm at work at the moment but just look on the Plastic Soldier Review site in their WW2 reviews.

Found them. Thx

Apropos of Ushcha…

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My Airfix Commandos were used in many raids …

If you're going 1/72ish, there are Airfix kits in that scale of an E-boat, the Vosper MTB, and the RAF Rescue Launch. The latter is in fact a Motor Gun Boat (MGB). Any of these could be waterlined. The odd MGB was captured so could work for either side.

Amera do some vacform stuff in this scale that could be useful:
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As well as the Channel coast and Norway, there was quite of lot of this raiding malarkey in the Adriatic and the Med apparently.

Here are several British ones:

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Lots of good stuff on those links above.

I always liked the Matchbox Commandos better. The Airfix had kayaks, though.

There's also Caesar and the, some say, goofy posed Esci.