Operation Unthinkable Two: Wrap Up With Adam Brooker A few weekends ago we had a small Flames of War, Late War tournament at Northern Boards, Perth Western Australia on Saturday 7th of May. It was a great one-day event, with a few new and returning players from around the Perth area. It was a 105 Point Flames of War Tournament, with 3 rounds on the day. We had 8 players planned but unfortunately due to COVID we lost a player, so we had a bye round instead. Other players interested could not either due to work or other issues.

We had some excellent terrain and wonderful tables, thanks to wonderful players like Kristian Holford, Neil Todd, Mark Mildenhall, Seb Smith and James Erwin, as well as an excellent location to play it at Northern Boards, Wangara, Perth.

There was a mix of Forces represented, German, Soviet, US and Hungarian, with a few memorable games, being a German Feldherrnhalle Company fighting over a town covered in snow, against a US Sherman Company. US Jumbos jousting with German Panzer IV/70s, and German 7.5cm half-track driving hell for leather up the road in the middle of the board to flank some Shermans.

US Pershings were also present, showing how tough US late war tanks can be, bouncing German shells that used to punch right through US tanks. Jumbos were especially good at this, and really stiffened the US Sherman Platoons. This event was the first time I got to play against the new US spotter aircraft for artillery, and it proved to be very annoying, especially as most Axis vehicles don’t seem to have AA machine guns equipped, making it hard to counter it without dedicated AA units.

A German Kampfgruppe von Saucken Infantry Company had a slug fest against a Soviet ISU Artillery Regiment, with Pak 40s, Panzer IVs and ISU-152s trading shots and more Panzer IV/70s trying to take out the advancing ISU-152s. Infantry with Panzerfausts still seemed to be the hardest nut to crack.

A Hungarian Assault Pioneer Company even got to re-fight the Siege of Budapest, with the Pioneers, Panzer IVs, and Zrinyi, fighting though the streets to stop the besieging Soviets. Vicious close in fighting proved once again that ISU-152s need to stay away from buildings, with Hungarian anti-tank rockets punching great holes in unwary assault guns.

Overall we had a great day, and made some new friends, with Neil Todd coming in 1st Place with his Panzer IV Company (German Bagration), and Jacob Jarret 2nd with his Grenadier Company (German Bagration), Kristian Holford 3rd (and Best Painted) with his Feldherrnhalle inspired and beautifully painted German Panzergrenadier Company (German Bagration). Although it seems that Germans cleared the event, all the German Players remarked how tough the Pershings and Sherman Jumbos were, and how close the games were…

We are planning on having a few more events in Perth more regularly, with plans more recently being scuttled by COVID. The next one will probably be Team Yankee, and then a Mid War Flames of War event. We are hoping to get at least 12 or more players to the next event, with most players there saying they would be happy to play in both!

Player Nation Place Neil Todd German - Panzer IV Tank Company 1 Jacob Jarret German - Grenadier Company 2 Kristian Holford German - Panzergrenadier Company 3 Adam Brooker Hungarian - Panzer IV/ Assault Pioneer Company 4 Seb Smith US - Vet M4 Sherman Tank Company 5 Mark Mildenhall US - Vet M4 Sherman Tank Company 6 Thomas Pullen Soviet - Heavy SP Artillery Regiment 7