Into the Bocage

When I started playing WW2 games I decided (or rather my regular gaming partner and I decided) to initially focus on Normandy. Unfortunately my opponent was very slow to start collecting, veered off by buying Russians and then, sadly it seems, lost interest altogether (at one point during a game he even said “I’m bored of Normandy gaming”, I looked at the open table where Germans and Russians were fighting and realised that I was on my own). If I’d known (whilst I am really interested in Normandy) I might have chosen an easier theatre with less scenery like Africa (it’s in the works). Luckily my new gaming friends from my local club are really interested in playing D-Day onwards so nothing has really been wasted.

A key feature of Normandy gaming (at least in some sectors) is Bocage hedgerows. These are banks with thick hedge on top which create a very unique gaming experience. They are hard to cross and reduce the effectiveness of tanks by blocking line of sight, perfect from my point of view as I wanted to play games like Chain of Command which are infantry centric. Unfortunately this means that to play such games you need to build a fair bit of bocage (literally tens of feet of the stuff); something that often stops gamers totally or means that the bocage that is put on the table is just not representative (usually there is just not enough of it).

Allied troops fighting through the bocage in 1944. 

I was lucky enough to grow up in deepest, darkest Herefordshire where most lanes are lined with what is in reality bocage. I have experienced trying to get through it whilst adventuring as a child and have a realistic view of how hard this would be for adults under fire in full kit. Whilst you can buy pre-built bocage from various online sellers such as battlefront (quite costly, not particularly realistic and comes in small amounts) I’d decided I wanted to try and make my own.

Scots Guards fighting in the bocage by Terence Cuneo from Cranston Fine Arts website. This is an excellent representation of the true severity and size of the bocage country (and a beautiful painting).

I started  by using laser cut MDF from Supreme Littleness products using their 25mm wide linear terrain bases. I could have cut them myself (with considerable effort and hassle) but the ones from SL were the perfect size, affordable and had a good range of junctions to make it varied. The owner Michael was really helpful and went out of his way to provide exactly what I needed. Sometimes I’d rather spend money and support a fellow hobbyist when it reduces the work I’d need to do and the products are of such good standard.

The sheets of MDF ready to be separated and become many feet of bocage.

I bevelled the edges using a sharp knife, then cut and glued some 10mm thick blue foam I had in store to each piece and left it to dry overnight. Next day I trimmed the foam to generate a bank like profile. I then covered each section with 4ground base render (any grout or render would work I just seemed to accidentally keep buying pots of the stuff) and left it to dry. Next day I coated the pieces in Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement and covered them in sand. In some sections I added gateways using bits of 4ground fences, I also marked up some parts to be made as destroyed sections or as defensive positions for the Germans to hide in. I then sprayed the finished pieces with Citadel black spray paint. I have started twisting and forming some of the smaller Woodlands Scenic trees which would be be inserted in various places to raise the height of the hedgerow and give it a more realistic appearance. At this point I realised that I hadn’t made quite enough straight sections and got back in touch with Michael at Supreme Littleness. He rapidly sent out more straight sections which arrived promptly just before the current lockdown. 

The pieces ready to covered in 4ground base render. Note the defensive positions (writing on them in pen saved a lot of confusion later). 

Some of the final pieces before and after being covered in sand. At this point it seemed an endless task. Let’s hope it’s worth it.

So that’s where I am at the moment. The bulk of the bocage bases are done and I’m working on the extra bits (I’ve had to give up my evening workspace recently as my multi-talented wife has been busily making scrubs for our local doctors and hospital). I have a good selection of Woodland Scenics products to create the hedges and will cover this in a further post (a clever way to say I don’t yet know what I’m going to do yet).

Not the most exciting post or pictures but I’m getting quite excited to play on a proper Normandy table soon. I’ve also started forming and basing trees to help make my table more aesthetically pleasing and I’ll post about these too soon.

Hope you are all safe and well

BALM

Rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Greetings. Whilst "blog wise" October seems to have been a non-event; the hobby, as ever, continued quietly. In the background, whilst hectic home and work shenanigans try to disrupt the daily grind, my lead mountain sits and waits. Mountains are patient.

After the first eBay purge and consequent shopping trip I felt more focused, and as if my hobby was gaining some momentum. I tried to feel excited about 40K for a while, but beautiful models can only do so much. Each time I play, and hopefully enjoy, a game I often feel the renewed impetus and drive necessary to assail the hobby mountain once more and attempt to move my collection forward. I have seen the mythical foothills of my personal 40k mountain and frankly, at the moment, I'd rather paint tiny germans. Not a good situation but hopefully this may change.

After the arrival of Tank War the next big thing in BA is the Battleground: Europe book (20th of November). This should provide players with better, more accurate force guides for the theatre/region, special rules and scenario's. I have heard some initial chatter about it and so far it's all good.

I've bought most of the armoured support for my British and Americans (Just need some M4A3's and an E2 or some E8's). I've also made my Hotel complex and the moment the sun appears in south wales I'll put up some pictures (Easiest promise I know I'll never have to keep).

As part of my ongoing purge I partook in a table sale at my FLGS. I met some great gamers, caught up with others I knew but had lost touch with (See the post title!) and sold some of my stockpile to people who really appreciated it. It also helped by making me organise my stash (which will make future eBaying easier) so more miniature detritus can make it's way to eBayers around the world.

I believe my favourite opponent has finally started his blog and has also set up a forum for his gaming group. Soon I will start to electronically goad him. Excellent.

Thank you for taking the time, actual hobby stuff will be posted soon,

BALM.

Tanks. Just a lot of tanks.

Over the weekend I met up with my FOE at Bovington Tank museum for the wargames show there. It was a strange experience. The traders were dispersed throughout the tank filled museum, sheltering in the cramped niches between vehicles of every kind; like small crustaceans in a tidal pool. And it was almost eerily quiet.

I only bought two things (I found my usual shangri-la, or bring and buy as it's also known, to be somewhat lacking) a copy of Samurai Blades and a 1943 german field manual on defensive emplacements. Weird mix but both brilliant in their own way.

A beautifully modelled game of Sword Beach.

I totally forgot to record who these chaps were so apologies: you table was great.

I'm making the basic defensive options needed in Chain of Command currently and hope to get the finished and up soon. A great deal of trial and error was needed but I'm now getting somewhere. FOE and I decided to get together in the next month or so for an intensive weekend so I need to start thinking of some ideas for our games. I've also relied on his scenery for our recent gaming history, and so feel like I need to be providing more (especially as I've finished a platoon), which is excellent but ultimately, like all true hardcore/deranged gamers I'd imagine, I want my own set. If I can get a few more bits done  now our next games should be starting to look quite pretty.

Another great game.

I also got to meet Piers Brand and see some of the lovely work he's done on the most recent 15mm PSC stuff. It actually looks even better in person. I'm not sure about anything I've painted now. Nice bloke though. Until the sun comes out and I can get some pictures of my fortifications and cowboys please enjoy a few pictures of tanks.

Black Prince

A Valentine and a cruiser.

Panzer III N with transportation jerry can racks.

  

There's a SdKfz 251/B hiding there.

M8 Greyhound.

M10 and an M3A1 Scout car.

A Jagdpanther.

A Tiger II

Thanks for taking the time,

BALM

6:31 AM 6th of June 1944.

In rememberance of a generation, who sacrificed more than we could ever repay.