Battlegroup Overlord - Part IV

The Sherman is "Kaputt"!

There you have it, the generals from the BT (special) Combat Team made another appearance in a "Flames of War" wargames event, in order to show them how real armour moves!

This was another great event, organized by our friend Mr. Simão, from MARSIGOR, that brought a lot of people to it, including (once again...) our friend João Especial, from Lisbon.

That's right João, this event allows for at least a "once-a-year" reunion between us!

JF (the seated guy) explaining the rules to a new Brigada Tripeira member

Another guy (in the background) cheking the rules book.

PC (left) is the British Para commander. JF (center) as as a supervisor. Rove (stand up right) is the German SS Commander

A general view

JF explaining the rules to a wargames rookie

Dangerous terrain

The dice marking one game objective

The game table (1,80 x 1,50m) for a 600pts game, and the British entry side

The German entry side

A squad in hard cover. Just check the "Achilles" in ambush position (all buildings from Kerr and King)

More ambushed units

The germans units on move (in the background a FOW tournament!!).

More ambushed units, PIAT included (left)!

So many wreckage & burning!

PC and the smile of someone who is winning the game!

The German commander (black t-shirt) and is "aide de camp" in trouble... ooops!

House to house combat.

JF (left) and PC (right), are some of the senior Brigada Tripeira members

These two guys, together with JMM, have already a lot of wargames battles under their belts, fought  in Spain (Pontevedra), France (Angouleme), Italy (Milan and Rome), the United Kingdom (twice in Farnborough) and Portugal (all over the place, really...) over the years.

ATÉ OS COMÊMOS, CARAGO!!!

BT

O Puorto é uma Nação, carago

Oporto Slang - popular terms from Brigada Tripeira town.

The essential dictionary for anyone visiting the city of Oporto

Planes and Trains

For the more skeptical guys, here's a picture of trains and planes.

WWII Locomotives & War Series nº 84 - by Carlos Briz

Miniatures - Gramodels

Figures - Minifigs

(Class BR 52 locomotive - German State Railways)

This is another awsome dio guys!

This time CB brings us a dio with a busted  locomotive, perched on top of a busted bridge.

Check out that mobile bridge!

Nothing can stop the British advance, since the Royal Engineers can cross any obstacle.

Great perspective!

CB's photographic skills match his modelling expertise.

BT

Current Poll: "The most iconic WWII warship"

I am sorry, but I could not resist the temptation to make some lobbying related to our current poll, since the scale is already tipping on the side of the Bismark.

Above you can see a pic of the Bismark, that truly reveals it's size...big size.

The sinking of the Bismark remains as an example of a sea battle fought to the bitter end, as the Germans refused to surrender, even after they were unable to fight back.  

It was ultimately sunk by it's sailors.

The USS Enterprise deserves a better score in this poll guys!

This ship was involved in almost every major sea battle in the Pacific, during WWII, and contributed to the sinking of dozens of Japanese ships (ok, our Japanese followers are excused of voting for it...)

On the other hand, they can vote for the Yamato!

The heaviest and most powerfull ship built during WWII surely deserves a few extra votes. This ship remains as a strong cultural reference in Japan.

And how about the Sevastopol?

This ship has yet to receive a single vote, and that just is not fair!

This ship received  the Order of the Red Banner, in July 1945, in recognition for it's wartime record, although I think it could also receive the "ship-who-changed-name-most-often" prize

The sight of a U-Boat gives you the creeps!

The problem was that most of it's targets, during WWII, never even had the benefit of seeing it, and only a large "boom!" signaled it's presence.

Let's go guys, pump up those votes for the ships that truly deserve them!

PC

WWII Locomotives & War Series nº 83 - by Carlos Briz

Vehicles - Gramodels

Figures - Pendraken
 Plane - 1/144 F-Toys Heavy Bomber Collection

(Class 440 locomotive - Great Western Railways)

The heavies are here!

My guess is that this is one of the few dios from CB that brings us a English landscape...but with a lot of concret in it.

Where are all the trees and grass CB??

The Avro Lencaster was the very first model bomber that I bought and assembled (that took place, I think, in the late XX century...) and it still remains my favourite WWII heavy bomber to this day.

The most sucessfull (in my book...) operation from this piece of hardware took place in Holland, in April and May 1945, when more than 3.000 airplanes flew thousands of sorties, in order to drop much needed supplies to the civilian population (operations "manna" and "chowhound"), and some crews were lost in the process.

Here is the link of the site where you can find that nice railway wagon with the propellers:

http://www.mill-lane-sidings.co.uk/mlsaero.html

BT

WWII Locomotives & War Series nº 82 - by Carlos Briz

Planes - Gold Series from Peters Planes

Vehicles - Pithead

Figures - Pendraken.

(Class BR 52 locomotive - German State Railways)

Well, well, after a "long time no see" kind-a-thing, CB decided to sent us 4 dios, mixing several historical periods.

The downside of it is that he sent us only 1 pic of each dio.

He must be saving on the pixels, or something...

The first dio is simply georgeous, a real white (war) symphony (whatever that means...)

(Class 4021 locomotive - Madrid-Saragoza-Alicante Railways)

"The rain is Spain stays mainly in the plain"...I think that was how My Fair Lady said it. 

However, some snow could be added to the rhyme too, coupled with a few tanks and airplanes, during the Spanish Civil War.

(Class BR 52 locomotive - USSR State Railways)

Here we have a seaplane docked in a Mother Russia's river. 

(Class Alco PA-1 locomotive - Argentina Railways)

Jumping from a WWII dio to a Argentina 1956 dio - Any problem with that?

No problem at all in my book, since it is just another place, in another time, when men resorted to armed force to solve issues: same old, same old...

BT

Espimodel 2013 - Photo Report

(entrance to the Espimodel 2013 modelling eventin Espinho-Portugal)

Once again, we had a bright and sunny day during this anual event. This is always a good thing, since this encourages the local girls to go out on the street with minimum clothing... 

Carlos Briz also came up north, to attend this event, and it sure was nice to see him again!

(General view of the show room)

Check out the models on display:

Check out some of the dios that Carlos Briz brought to this event 

(they will soon show up here, with greater detail)

(In the pic above we have JF explaning the rules to a new guy)

As usual, the Brigada Tripeira dream team came up for some wargaming, with the Battlegroup rules.

(In the pic above we have JF on the far left and CB on the far right)

Also as usual, it was JF that brought every single piece of the material necessary to assemble the table/scenario and play the game. 

This guy is a hero!

More people joined to watch Brigada Tripeira guys playing the die, in this case PC is throwing an fire dice!

General view of the table (1,50m x x1,20m) for a 375 Pts game.

This is the German entry side (right corner).

The British entry side (right corner)

The British units.

The German units.

PC is moving is Tiger against a daring Sherman! Damn you!!

Carlos Briz with Pikapedra Staff (a Brigada Tripeira supporter).
- Pedro Santiago - Carlos Briz - Sara Alves -

- Pedro Santiago - Carlos Briz - Jorge Faria -

Thanks for Núcleo de Modelismo de Espinho for the great welcoming to Brigada Tripeira and for the invitation to participate in this event.

Cheers!