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List Submission Competition Winner
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List Submission Competition Winner After Phil’s Companies Accompanied article was published, we opened the floor to the community to see what sort of varied, ‘zany’, historical lists they could come up with.
The idea was to see what sort of historical forces could be represented by players around the world mixing and matching across books and formations, and boy were we impressed!
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Here’s a selection of five lists we thought were well worth sharing, especially the winning entry by Matt Conacher, which represents a hypothetical battle on the Island of Malta in 1942. |
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Our Top Pick: Malta
Phil Yates' article on fielding forces across books piqued my interest, especially the challenge to create an unusual historical list.
I have always been fascinated by "what ifs" and I'm sure that I share that with many other historical gamers. One "what if" that has got me thinking is the planned invasion of Malta in mid-1942. Mostly because of the motley collection of forces, in particular armoured, earmarked for the operation on both sides.
The Italians had a mixture of troops including the Folgore airborne division, Marines, Blackshirts, together with some Semovente self-propelled guns and tankettes. The Germans had a mixture of some captured KV and T-34 Russian tanks, together with the experimental heavily armoured light tanks, like the Panzer IF mid-war monster.
The British (and Maltese) defenders had large numbers of anti-aircraft guns and coastal artillery of various sizes, but only a small number of mobile artillery and even fewer tanks. But the Malta Tanks "squadron" was a mixture of early-war light tanks, cruisers and matildas, which I really like the idea of.
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In reality of course, this collection of forces never fought each other. But it's a fun little diversion to wonder if we can make two opposing armies for mid-war Flames of War scenario.
I'm imagining a scenario based around a key airfield in Malta. The Italian airborne troops have landed and attempted to assault the landing strip, but have so far failed to push the defenders back. The Italian and German reinforcements, with armoured support, are pushing up from the beaches to link up and secure their objectives.
Meanwhile, the British are sending in their only tanks to bolster the airfields defences and attempt to halt the advancing invasion.
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Axis:
Firstly, I'd like to represent the Folgore airborne division which should definitely be elite. The Avanti book doesn't quite give me what I would like, but, with a bit of imagination, a German company could fit the bill. A Grenadier Company from Iron Cross, together with the Waffen SS Command Card gives us some fearless veteran troops. Their equipment is mostly comparable, with submachine guns, machine guns and mortars and optional anti-tank grenades. The 2.8 anti-tank rifle is close enough to the 47/32, without the HE shells for attacking infantry - but let's just pretend they have already been used up in previous attacks or the chaos of an airborne landing.
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Secondly, I want to represent the collection of armoured vehicles landing on the beaches. The Panzer I F from mid-war monsters (and the similar Panzer II J) would fit, but I can't find a neat alternative in the current lists. Instead I'll go for a looted T-34 and looted KV-1 from the Iron Cross command cards together with a Semovente 75/18 battery from Avanti.
Finally, I can represent the mixture of sea-landing troops with an Italian Bersaglieri Rifle Company with a command card to represent some Blackshirts
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So, what can be squeezed in to 100 points with that in mind:
From Avanti: Bersaglieri Rifle Company
Rifle Company HQ 2x Carcano rifle team— 1 pt
Rifle Platoon 9x Breda MG & Carcano rifle team— 9 pts Blackshirts Command Card— -1 pt
Rifle Platoon 5x Breda MG & Carcano rifle team— 5 pts
Breda MG Platoon
3x Breda HMG team— 3 pts
Support
47mm Anti-Tank Platoon 3x 47mm gun— 8 pts
Semovente SP Battery 3x Semovente (75mm)— 12 pts Stuka Support Command Card— 1 pt 2x Ju 87 Stuka— 9 pts
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From Iron Cross: Grenadier Company
Grenadier Company HQ 2x MP40 SMG team— 2 pts
Grenadier Platoon 7x Mg34 and K98 rifle team— 9 pts Panzerknacker Command Card— 2 pts
Grenadier Platoon 5x Mg34 amd K98 rifle team 1x sMG34 HMG team 1x 2.8cm anti-tank rifle— 10 pts Panzerknacker Command Card— 2 pts
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8cm Mortar Platoon
4x 8cm mortar team— 6 pts
Command Cards
Looted KV-1 Command Card— 10 pts 1x Looted KV-1
Looted T-34 Command Card— 7 pts 1x T-34
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Both grenadier platoons have panzer-knackers to represent Pazzaglia bombs and the Waffen-SS command card to make them fearless.
One looted KV-1 and one looted T-34 from the command cards.I think that could count as a German or Italian force!
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Allies:
For the British, I really want plenty of tanks to have variety! Alongside those can be a rifle company with some AA support to represent the defenders. I can't seem to fit in any Americans into this (they have the wrong weapons mostly) so this is all from Armoured Fist. Not really in the spirit of Phil's original article, but I can't stop myself!
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The Matilda troop can come from the online article, but what about light and cruiser tanks? The closest thing to the Light Tank mark VI in Armoured Fist is probably the Humber armoured car. Given one or two of the 3 light tanks on Malta had 15mm guns, that is close enough for me. I'm happy to pretend that their veteran skill rating and scouting abilities represents their familiarity with the island rather than combat experience!
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The early-war cruisers were much lighter armoured than the mid-war ones. Possibly closer to the Daimler armoured cars, but I can't quite bring myself to include them or a dingo. Instead I'll go for the crusaders to represent A13 cruisers and honeys to represent A9 cruisers. They must be blessed with divine luck to make them harder to kill! The Australian divisional cavalry command card has all of those in, and some universal carriers, which can represent a relief force coming to the airfield so I'll use that.
Now I'd like plenty of infantry to represent the defenders, so a large rifle company with support and AA weapons can do that. Some of the infantry were from the King's Own Malta Regiment, so perhaps I'll give them a little boost to represent them fighting for their homes (despite the fact they were on measly rations). Apparently, there were even some captured Italian guns from earlier in the North African campaign, but no command cards for that sadly!
So, how does that look at 100 points:
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From Armoured Fist:
Rifle Company
Rifle Company HQ 2x SMLE rifle team— 2 pts For King And Country Command Card— 4 pts
Rifle Platoon 7x Bren Gun & SMLE rifle team 1x Boys anti-tank rifle 1x 2-inch mortar— 11 pts Sticky Bombs Command Card— 2 pts
Rifle Platoon 7x Bren Gun & SMLE rifle team 1x Boys anti-tank rifle 1x 2-inch mortar— 11 pts Sticky Bombs Command Card— 2 pts
Rifle Platoon 7x Bren Gun & SMLE rifle team 1x Boys anti-tank rifle 1x 2-inch mortar— 11 pts Sticky Bombs Command Card— 2 pts
3-Inch Mortar platoon 4x 3-inch mortar
Vickers MMG Platoon 4x Vickers MMG team
Australian Divisional Cavalry
Australian Divisional Cavalry HQ 2x Crusader II— 3 pts
Crusader Troop 3x Crusader II (2 pdr)— 5 pts
Honey Armoured Troop 3x Honey— 5 pts
Universal Carrier Patrol 3x Universal Carriers— 2 pts
Support
Bofors Light AA Troop 6x Bofors 40mm AA gun— 8 pts
Humber Armoured Car Troop 3x Humber (15mm)— 3 pts
Matilda II Armoured Troop 3x Matilda II (2 pdr)— 18 pts
Lucky Command Card— 1 pt
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Formation Support is a 6-gun Bofors Light AA troop, a Humber Armoured Car troop to represent the light tank, and a Matilda Armoured Troop (to actually represent some Matildas!). 29pts.
Stick in the Lucky command card to round up the points!
That's it from me, sorry it ended up being so long! ~Matt Conacher
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I quite like this one. It is very imaginative and has some excellent ideas on how to use different units to represent some of the unique and specific units needed to play these forces - Andrew
This is the best use of available assets to cover an unusual historical force - Phil.
This is very imaginative - Wayne
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Panzer Company (RC)
My list is based on a 1943 photo taken north of Kursk that shows two destroyed RC Panzer III, overturned Borgward demolition carrier and a Ferdinand at the distance: some of the rarest WW2 vehicles in a fight together. At last, RC company card from Ghost Panzers allows me to recreate it in a 109 pt list.
This list is not without a punch: The Panzer III and Stuka flight scare off light to medium tanks, Ferdinand counters heavies, while Borgwards deal with gun emplacements and infantry.
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Panzer Company (RC) Panzer Company (RC) Command Card— 0 pts
Panzer Company (RC) HQ 2x Panzer III (long 5cm)— 14 pts
Panzer III Tank Platoon 4x Panzer III Tank Platoon (long 5cm)— 28 pts
Panzer III Tank Platoon 4x Panzer III Tank Platoon (long 5cm)— 28 pts
Borgward Demolition Carriers 4x Borgward Carrier— 4 pts
Borgward Demolition Carriers 3x Borgward Carrier— 4 pts
Support Ju 87 Stuka Tank-hunter Flight 2x Ju 87 Stuka (3.7cm)— 14 pts
Ferdinand Tank-hunter Platoon 1x Ferdinand (8.8cm)— 17 pts
~Igor
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This shows how to create a historical force - Phil
Love this concept, this list would be very cool to see on the table - Andrew
Cool use of the forces available - Wayne
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Bladeforce
"Early on 26 November, Colonel von Broich sent a small force consisting of a company of the 11th Parachute Engineer Battalion, a company of the 3d Tunis Field Battalion, and a company of the 190th PanzerBattalion from Mateur toward Tebourba. The German force drew near Chouïgui pass after Colonel Waters' battalion had taken up its positions there for the day. Company C barred the southeastern entrance while the other three companies were on high ground, Company B parallel to the road approaching the northwestern entrance from the north and the others along the road from Sidi Nsir, extending as far west as St. Joseph's Farm near the Tine river. The enemy force, approaching from the north, included six Mark IV tanks with long 75-mm. high-velocity guns, a type not known to the Americans, and three or more Mark III's with 50-mm. rifles.The impending action was the first battle between American and German armor in World War II. The Germans continued southward past Major Tuck's company, concealed in hull defilade on the reverse slope of a ridge, to meet the challenge of Major Siglin's company. The latter maneuvered to strike the enemy from the southwest, after a bold preliminary skirmish by the assault gun platoon. While Siglin's men claimed the enemy's attention, Tuck's 37-mm. guns, firing at close range from the east flank and rear, knocked out the six Mark IV's and one of the Mark III's before the enemy pulled back to the same walled farm he had occupied the previous day. The fight cost the Americans six M3's and several casualties, including the life of Major Siglin. Truck-borne infantry elements of the enemy force, arriving later near the walled farm, were driven off or destroyed, and eventually the strongpoint itself was abandoned. Two squadrons of 17/21 Lancers and some British artillery attempted to cut off the enemy's retreat and shared in smashing at least one more of his Mark III's. One company of the 1st British Parachute Battalion occupied"
- George F Howe, US Army in WWII, Chapter XVI ‘The Attack Toward Tunis’.
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To represent this with a 100 point list I have a US Stuart Formation supported by a British Death or Glory Formation with British Rifles pretending to be Paras. The artillery should really be British to do this you would need to make the British Death or Glory Formation the lead force supported by the Stuarts. You will also need to find 4 points (2 less Stuarts) to fit the points. The Cabinet Office appears to have different emphasis on the roles of the 17/21st lancers and the 1st Armoured Regiment.
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M3 Stuart Tank Company
M3 Stuart Tank Company HQ 2x M3 Stuart (37mm)— 4 pts
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon 5x M3 Stuart (37mm)— 10 pts
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon 5x M3 Stuart (37mm)— 10 pts
M3 Stuart Tank Platoon 4x M3 Stuart (37mm)— 8 pts
T30 75mm Assault Gun Platoon 3x T30 (75mm)— 3 pts
Armored Recon Patrol 2x M3A1 Armored Car 1x Jeep (MG) 1x Jeep (60mm)— 3 pts
Support
105mm Field Artillery Battery 4x 105mm howitzer — 10 pts
Rifle Platoon (British Allied Unit) 5x Bren Gun & SMLE rifle team 1x Boys anti-tank rifle 1x 2-inch mortar— 8 pts
Death or Glory Squadron (Valentine) (Allied Formation)
Valentine III Death or Glory Squadron HQ 2x Valentine III (2 pdr) 2x Crusader CS (3-inch) (MB121)— 13 pts
Valentine III Death or Glory Troop 3x Valentine III (2 pdr)— 10 pts
Crusader III Death of Glory Troop 3x Crusader III (6 pdr)— 9 pts
Valentine III Death or Glory Troop 3x Valentine III (2 pdr)— 10 pts
~Paul Stovell
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This is the best historical mix & match - Phil
Cool light tank Company. I’d be interested to see how it would hold up against my mid war German force - Andrew
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Pioneers
This Force is meant to represent a pioneer/engineer blocking element.
It would be defensive in nature and is built from a standard that I used in Mid-War tournaments. The goal of this list was to build a force that has multiple nations, formation, and command cards. The army is based from the Afrika Korps book with an Allied Support from Avanti and a Formation Support from Iron Cross. I believe this list uses almost every kind of command card and is rather simple to understand. The core formation is a German 90th Light Rifle Formation from Africa Korps. It is built with an HQ, two Rifle Platoons and a Tank-Hunter platoon which are all core units. From the Afrika Korps support it has a Heavy Tank Platoon. A command card is used to create an Afrika Korps Armored Car Company. As Allied Support I used an Italian Bersaglieri Weapons Company as I am allowed up to one formation from an allied nation. Since my army is German, I took an Assault Pioneer Platoon as a support platoon (since it is a black box/core unit for a Grenadier Company). The “core” formations for this force are the 90th Light Rifle Company and the Armored Car Company.
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90th Light Rifle Company
90th Light Rifle Company HQ 2x MP40 SMG team— 2 pts Pioneer Company Command Card— 1 pt Pure Luck Command Card— 1 pt
Africa Rifle Platoon 4x MG34 Team 1x 2.8cm anti-tank rifle 1x sMH34 HMG 1x 8cm Mortar team— 10 pts Panzerknacker Command Card— 2 pts
Africa Rifle Platoon 4x MG34 Team 1x 2.8cm anti-tank rifle 1x sMH34 HMG 1x 8cm Mortar team— 10 pts Panzerknacker Command Card— 2 pts
7.62cm Tank-Hunter Platoon 3x 7.62cm Tank-Hunter Platoon— 15 pts
Armoured Car Company Armoured Car Company Command Card— 0 pts
Armoured Car Company HQ 1x Sd Kfz 221— 1 pt
Sd Kfz 221 & 222 Light Scout Troop 1x Sd Kfz 221 (MG) 2x Sd Kfz 222 (2cm)— 2 pts
Sd Kfz 221 & 222 Light Scout Troop 1x Sd Kfz 221 (MG) 2x Sd Kfz 222 (2cm)— 2 pts
Sd Kfz 231 Heavy Scout Troop 2x Sd Kfz (2cm)— 2 pts
Bersaglieri Weapons Company (Allied Formation)
Bersaglieri Weapons HQ 1x Carcano Rifle team— 1 pt
Weapons Platoon 3x Breda MG team 1x Breda HMG team 1x 20mm anti-tank rifle— 6 pts 20mm AA Weapons Platoon Command Card— 2 pts Autocannone (20mm)— 0 pts
47mm Anti-Tank Platoon 4x 47mm gun— 8 pts Dead Eye Command Card— 2 pts
Formation Support
Assault Pioneer Platoon 5x MP40 SMG team 1x Flame-thrower team— 9 pts Feldwebel Limbach Command Card— 4 pts Goliath Remote Control Bomb Command Card— 2 pts Panzerknacker Command Card— 2 pts
Support
Tiger Heavy Tank Platoon 1x Tiger (8.8cm)— 29 pts Schnell Command Card— 4 pts
~Jacob Markson
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This is a great use of Command Cards - Andrew
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Beutegrenadiers
I think of this force as an unfortunate grenadier company who has had little to no support from the higher ups and had to salvage any and everything they could. Beginning in Afrika, the group managed to secure a few 6 and 25 lb guns before being shipped off to help stop the Red Hordes in the east. In a further display of their aptitude for using enemy equipment, these men captured Soviet armored cars, 4 T34 tanks, and even a KV1! In fact, the only equipment these men use from the homeland are their own small arms (though I'd imagine some of those have been replaced as well!)
Lastly, for good measure, I've included the Captured Tank command card in this list as well so that these "buete-grenadiers" can add to their collection as well as panzerknacker to represent improvised explosives.
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Grenadier Company
Grenadier Company HQ 2x MP40 SMG team— 2 pts
Grenadier Platoon 7x Mg34 amd K98 rifle team— 9 pts
Grenadier Platoon 7x Mg34 amd K98 rifle team— 9 pts
Grenadier Platoon 7x Mg34 amd K98 rifle team— 9 pts
Support
10.5cm Artillery Battery 4x 10.5cm howitzer— 14 pts
Sd Kfz 221 & 222 Light Scout Troop 2x Sd Kfz 222 (2cm) 1x Sd Kfz 221 (MG)— 2 pts
5cm Tank-Hunter Platoon 3x 5cm guns— 12 pts
Afrikakorps Command Cards
Captured 25 pdr Artillery 1x Captured 25 pdr Artillery Command Card— 0 pts
Captured 6 pdr Anti-tank 1x Captured 6 pdr Anti-tank Command Card 3x Captured 6 pdr Anti-tank guns— -3 pts
Iron Cross Command Cards
Captured BA-10M Captured BA-10M Command Card— 1 pts
Captured Tank Captured Tank Command Card— 1 pts
Looted KV-1 Command Card 1x Looted KV-1— 10 pts
Panzer-knacker Command Card— 2 pts
Pure Luck Command Card— 1 pt
Ghost Panzers Command Cards
Captured T-34 Platoon Command Card 4x Captured T-34 (76mm)— 40 pts.
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Though this isn’t based on anything other than an idea, there were captured 25 pdrs on the Eastern Front with German units so it’s neat to see those represented - Wayne.
Love this concept, captured equipment themed lists are always fun to play - Andrew
This list has the most interesting diversity - Phil.
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