Spanish and Portuguese Military History,
Wargaming, and other stuff
During World War II the Axis powers tried and failed to defeat the Soviet Union. The Germans called this theatre the “Eastern Front Campaign” or “Russian Front Campaign” but to the Soviet citizens it was the “Great Patriotic War”. The battles on the Eastern Front constituted the largest military confrontation in history. Fighting in this theatre was characterised by unprecedented ferocity, wholesale destruction, mass deportations, and immense loss of life variously due to combat, starvation, exposure, disease, and massacres. Fighting lasted from the Axis invasion of the USSR (22 June 1941) to until the Soviet capture of Berlin (9 May 1945).
In mid-2003 the guys at the Shed asked me to set up a scenario for a weekend bash. The parameters they outlined were: WW2, Crossfire, 8-9 players (optional umpire), 4 tables, 2 real days of gaming, and BIG. Krasny Bor appealed to me for a number of reasons:
I picked up the idea of a 3 round campaign from the BattleFront: Kursk Campaign and the BattleFront: Campaigns in Flames of War page on the Battlefront Miniatures website. Essentially it is a serious of linked scenarios, with some pre-determined logic for which scenarios are fought depending on the results of earlier games.
The Battle of Krasny Bor was the climax of the Blue Division’s time on the Eastern Front during WW2. Four Soviet rifle divisions, supported by tanks and guns, smashed into the equivalent of five Spanish battalions. the Spanish took a mauling but were only pushed a few kilometres back from their starting positions before the line was stabilised.
Once I had my Grenadiers of the Spanish Blue Division I had to get somebody to fight them. Russians of course, and the default unit is a Rifle Battalion. And of course this is for Crossfire.
The Spanish Blue Division is what got me into WW2. Officially the 250th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht and comprising Spanish Volunteers, this unit was also know as the Spanish Volunteer Division, Division Azul, or the Blue Division. They are Spanish, of course, but I use them as Germans when needed.
For a couple of years I wargamed at The Shed. These guys specialise in multi-player games on a big table. They play all sorts of game systems but for most of the time I was there they played Crossfire. The table at the Shed is 14′ x 6.5′, which in Crossfire terms is quite big. The table, as you’ll see, absorbs a lot of terrain. Thanks to Vince for sending through the photos.
Did tanks close assault infantry during World War II?
My WW2 Axis figures are early-mid War Germans but actually represent the Spanish Blue Division. To be honest the only distinguishing feature is the Spanish flag patch on their right shoulder; otherwise wore standard German uniforms. This is one of my WW2 Painting Guides
Officially the 250th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht and comprising Spanish Volunteers, this unit was also know as the Spanish Volunteer Division, Division Azul, or the Blue Division.
Golpe de Mano literally means “blow of the hand” (Proctor, 1974). The Spanish troops of the Blue Division of World War II used this term for a limited assault. The assault force would consist of 5-40 men, under either an officer or NCO, and armed with automatic weapons, hand grenades, bayonets, and knives (meat cleavers were also favoured). The force would work their way through the Soviet defences, defusing mines and marking their path for the return journey. The attackers would eliminate the Russian sentries then split up in the enemy positions causing as much damage as possible in the few minutes available (never more than 20-30 min). The Spaniards would then regroup, and withdraw under cover of an heavy artillery barrage, taking any prisoners with them.
The Fascist government of Spain contributed an infantry division to the Axis effort in World War II. The Spanish Volunteer Division was designated the 250th (“Blue”) Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht on 25 July 1941. The Division left active service on 23 December 1943 after seeing considerable and bloody combat on the Eastern front, particularly around Leningrad. It was called the “Blue Division” (Division Azul) because the original uniform included the distinctive dark blue shirts of the Spanish Fascists (the Falange), however, the Division adopted German uniforms as soon as they reached Germany. Their climatic encounter of the war was the Battle of Krasny Bor.