CAMPAIGNS IN GERMANIA: April 2021

LET'S TALK

Greetings Everyone,

The link immediately below offers my brief remarks about the Easter Season plus a short reading list I hope you will consider especially the last entry by Christine Watkins. Blessings to all of you and yours.

https://generalpettygree.blogspot.com/2021/04/2021-season-of-easter.html

"TIS A FINE THING ON PAPER!"

"Tis a fine thing on paper" (paraphrased) was spoken by The Duke of Newcastle to Prinz Rupert prior to the 1644 English Civil War Royalist defeat at Marston Moor. The battle plan and order of battle looked promising but the King's men lost. Things didn't work out as happens to all of us. I speak the Duke of Newcastle remark sometimes to remind myself of Heaven's unexpected plans rather than my own.

Below are my hobby plans; fine things on electronic paper.

"Hey Dad, are you sure your readers will be interested?"

"Unsure my dear Rocket."

"Okay, wake me up after you find out."

PAINTING

Wielding brushes in 2021 is barely happening. Getting one item done which does not need much of anything else to go with it is working best. So...

Here is Warlord's WWII Kriegsmarine 1/300 scale Minesweeper. See the mines perched on the aft deck? It in company with a small destroyer and two merchant ships in the background will be fending off USA dive bombers and torpedo planes someplace near 1943 Norway. Did you know USA aircraft carrier Ranger flew air ops. vs German installations there that year? I didn't until six months ago.

In keeping with the Norway theme, two GHQ 1/2400 scale ships were added to my "Naval Thunder" squadrons. In the foreground is Heavy Cruiser Prinz Eugen to starboard of....

Battleship Tirpitz. Both are well-designed models. The plan is to have them sortie out to engage Ranger protected by Royal Navy ships.

GAMING

We are slowly opening up our homes to small numbers of players in short duration games compared to lots of pards and units on big tables of more than one year ago. "Those were the days my friend. I thought they'd never end." Reduced contact is the key for now.

I've played more solo games in the past twelve months than in five decades. Solo games previously were difficult to enjoy and find satisfying. Face to face games have always been prime for me, you see. However, there is some exercise health benefit going back and forth from one table side to the other. Truly.

You contented chaps who find painting and collecting so very satisfying are lucky I suppose. Good for you and I mean it. However, I'll drop brushes to game anytime and only really paint to prepare for games. My thing mostly is to plan games, design rules and write General Pettygree Battlestories.

Recently I began pondering a "Nostalgia Game." My 25mm English Civil War forces have been mostly marooned in storage boxes since the early 1980s. Back then they were on the table a lot utilizing the first rules I published, Wargamer's Guide To The English Civil War. The 1977 second edition is still selling. See http://oldregimerules.com/ Anyhow, thoughts are percolating to march the Royalists and Parliamentarians back onto the tabletop and convince my oldest pards and newer ones as well to move units and throw dice in the interesting Pike and Shot era again. It is time to avenge Marston Moor.

Otherwise we have an unusual game planned for May involving 28mm Soviets versus Japanese someplace in an imagineered Mongolia. It will be a combined arms tactical situation using the clunkiest tanks ever and that's a good thing. I like that. Wide open spaces too. If only I had some cavalry, my most favorite branch to command. --- Should I tell players that Genghis Khan's lost tomb might be there?

Did you see General Pettygree's newest Battlestory, Tunisgrad? Here is Chapter 1:

https://northafricancampaigning.blogspot.com/2021/04/tunisgrad-nord-afrika.html