The response to my recent blog post that featured the cover images used on Frank Chadwick’s BARBAROSSA 25 was very positive and I thought that my regular blog readers might appreciate seeing the photographs used on the covers of the other COMMAND DECISION series of books.
BASTOGNE
This mini-campaign book was included with my copy of the first edition of COMMAND DECISION.
The front cover image. Its caption reads 'Armored column of CCB halts while a battery of the 696th Field Artillery passes through Bastogne'.
The back cover image. Its caption reads 'German Volksgrenadiers move southwest along the rail line, escorted by a Gw38(t) and two StuG IIIs'.
COMBINED ARMS
This was the Cold War version of COMMAND DECISION and included the ORBATs and hexed map for LANDJUT, the Soviet invasion/NATO defense of Schleswig-Holstein and the Jutland Peninsula.
The front cover image. Its caption reads 'While a ZSU-23/4 stands guard, a T-72 battalion moves across a small stream by means of an AVLB'.
The back cover image. Its caption reads 'British infantry hold the edge of a town against a Soviet mechanized assault'.
OVER THE TOP
This was the Great War version of COMMAND DECISION and included the ORBATs and hexed maps for ten scenarios, including a bathtubbed version of the 1914 campaign on the Western Front.
The front cover image. Its caption reads 'In the east, the war remained mobile. Germans attack a Russian-held village in 1916'.
The back cover image. Its caption reads 'During 1914, strongpoints expand into trenches. The BEF defends against a German counterattack'.
BASTOGNE was written and developed by Frank Chadwick and the late Loren Wiseman and published in 1987 by Game Designers’ Workshop (GDW) (ISBN 0-943580-31-5).
COMBINED ARMS was written and developed by Frank Chadwick and Brad Hay and published in 1988 by Game Designers’ Workshop (GDW) (ISBN 0-943580-32-3).
OVER THE TOP was written and developed by the late Greg Novak and Kevin Brown and published in 1990 by Game Designers’ Workshop (GDW) (ISBN 1-55878-012-2).
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I've never seen these either, so thanks for sharing Bob. The Barbarossa book is the one that interests me the most and has been added to a possible to buy list for bithday setc.
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteThe Barbarossa book is a very useful source, and I hope that you can buy a reasonably-priced copy.
The scenarios in the other books are also rather good, and if you can get hold of copies, I’d suggest buying them.
All the best,
Bob
Great pictures, full of inspiring scenery (not that I'm going to be allowed to sprinkle fake snow around of course)
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteI’m glad that you enjoyed seeing these photographs.
I know several people who have snow terrain but I’ve yet to buy some of my own! I suspect that I’d make do with a white cloth or old bedsheet.
All the best,
Bob
For interested readers, 1st Bastogne photo shows Schreiber card buildings with mostly Roco US. The jeeps, gun & tow and figures are all Roco. The first vehicle is I believe a FC conversion using an M-36 turret from Roco on either a Matchbox Chafee or Roco Walker Bulldog for a Hellcat TD. The second, is an M5 conversion from Matchbox M3. FC describes the conversions somewhere, IIRC he used a Roco Saladin turret and plastic card for the front.
ReplyDeleteSecond photo look like Airfix Stug and Roco Kubel with a Pz38 conversion, probably Fujimi, infantry Roco or Prieser.
1st CA photo shows 1:87 Petner Panzers T-72 (also sold under Armortec and Roco), unknown truck, Airfix modern Soviets (very close to 1:87) and IIRC a Cromwell Models ZSU 23-4. 1 Schrieber building, farm unknown.
2nd CA as above BMPs are Cromwell, British inf Platoon 20, Schreiber + US model railway and unknown buildings. At the back is a 15mm card Inn made by a UK company who's name escapes me.
OTT what look like Hovels Russian buildings and 15mm Minifigs.
Neil
Neil Patterson (Neil),
DeleteWow! What a lot of interesting information!
I thought that the two StuG IIIs were actually ROCO StuH IIIs with 105mm guns, but I’m willing to admit that I might well be wrong.
I like Frank’s conversions, and I find seeing them quite inspiring. I especially like the tank destroyer, and I think that I have a couple of suitable turrets and chassis somewhere in my boxes of ROCO stuff. Interestingly, Taiwan did a real-life conversion along these lines and I think that they might still be in their reserve vehicle stocks.
All the best,
Bob
Bob, I think you may be right about the Stugs as the Airfix kit has a different mantlet (Saukopf?) - looking at the tracks they look like solid Roco rather than rubber tracks.
DeleteI'm still racking my brains for the name of the UK card building manufacturer; from memory they had a very limited range, but I recognise the Inn.
Neil
Neil Patterson (Neil),
DeleteThere was a Japanese or Chinese manufacturer who produced a copy of the ROCO model in 1:76th-scale back in the early 1970s but I think that these are originals.
I’ve never been a fan of card buildings, but the ones in these photographs are very attractive.
All the best,
Bob
A lot look like they are from an out of print set of 1:120 scale town buildings - they came in around 4 sets. Come up on eBay occasionally. Example here:
Deletehttps://www.kaycraddock.com/pages/books/049044/paper-model-kit-schreiber-bogen-hubert-siegmund/town-gate-town-walls-2-old-houses
Neil
Neil Patterson (Neil),
DeleteThat's a great bit of detective work and I must admit that I rather like the look of those buildings, especially as they would fit in with my Belle Époque project as well.
All the best,
Bob
Many thanks for putting these up - I had Barbarossa/Bastogne a long time ago, and still have Over the Top. All of them are very useful, and I've been examining "Bathtub Principles" applied to 28mm VBCW over on the Hereford1938 blog:
ReplyDeletehttps://hereford1938avbcwtng.blogspot.com/search/label/Bathtub%20Hypothesis
Leadboy,
DeleteHaving had a minor part in the development of MEGABLITZ, it was great to see it being used as an example of bathtubbing. As a result of my experience with the rules I wrote my own operational-level WW2 rules, HEXBLITZ. The terrain is not quite so barren as it is in MEGABLITZ and it uses a ground scale of 4cm = 1km (or 1:25,000). This fit in nicely with my use of Hexon II terrain tiles.
I read you blog with interest, and may I wish you good luck with your VBCW project.
All the best,
Bob
Fantastic stuff .. Cavalier Books seem to beholding some of the more recent Test of Battle Command Decision Books which are worth a look!
ReplyDeleteThe WWI and Modern games are intriguing .. I see a 1914 East and West set of campaigns .. again Cavalier Books are holding a few
ReplyDelete