List Submission Competition Winner

List Submission Competition Winner

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

List Submission Competition Winner

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

List Submission Competition Winner

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

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

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!

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!

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!

List Submission Competition Winner

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:

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

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

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


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.

List Submission Competition Winner

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

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


 

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’.

List Submission Competition Winner

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.

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

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


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.

List Submission Competition Winner

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

This is a great use of Command Cards - Andrew


 

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.

List Submission Competition Winner

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.

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.