ROADBLOCK AT LOT PUK

ROADBLOCK AT LOT PUK

(With apologies to Bill Rutherford & John Lewis)

Needing a last minute scenario for 4 people, Jack Breen chose to do a version of "Roadblock on Highway 120" from “Hit The Dirt”©. At the moment we have mostly Korean War troops so the action was moved to Korea, 1950 and some changes made because of limitations in vehicles and terrain.

The Americans received 2 Sherman tanks and the N. Koreans received a T34-85 and an extra 81mm mortar rather than the 65mm IG Gun and the 2 Semoventi L40s of the original scenario.

The map does not show the last foot north of the river as no action took place there. There were some changes in terrain with the orchards being replaced by woods and some other woods of the original being left out or moved somewhat. In general, I believe that for all practical purposes the scenario we played was near as can be to the original.

CLICK ON MAP FOR LARGER VERSION

Dick Bryant (yours truly) commanded the NKPA defense as Major Lo Funk and decided to defend forward with the roadblock well in advance of the bridge with the T-34 “hull down” behind it.. Two platoons defended either flank of the road block with barbed wire set so that the enemy could only attack around the extreme flanks. The time it would take to come that far would give us time to withdraw across the bridge if necessary. The NKPA 2 HMGs protected the approaches to the bridge as well as the extreme flanks described above. Our left had less terrain to hide an advance by the enemy on that side so we stationed the reserve near the bridge on the right where they could counter  the stronger US attack  expected from that side. Cpt. Nomo Luk (Dick Messier) was in command of the right and the reserves.

Finally, in a genius moment, Major Funk hid a sniper in a house well in advance of the main lines to await targets of opportunity- and what an opportunity there was!

ACW Figures

This past week we received over 140 stands of painted 15mm ACW figures on loan from Bob Beattie - my wargaming mentor (he introduced me to the hobby - which is why my wife curses him every night immediately after her prayers for everyone else). It will be a nice change to play another period besides Cross Fire and Old West games. In the game clubs I belonged to over 43 years, we played many periods - hardly the same one two weeks in a row (unless the game had not reached a conclusion, then we carried it over).  Many new club members sometimes complained that they never played a rule set often enough in a row to properly learn it!

After 43 years, with a new club forming, it come down to having available only 2 or 3 periods to mix up week-to-week so Bob took pity on us. We are building our own ACW armies (and WWII Naval fleets;  and CY6 Air fleets: and 20mm Vietnam War armies for Arc of Fire). So we will not be in these doldrums for long.

Spent a pleasant Thursday unpacking, counting and organizing the new recruits with Dick White.