Sunday 12 February 2012

Big Picture - The Hochwald Gap

I haven't done a Big Picture feature in a while so here's one from the 2010 SELWG show at Crystal Palace in South London. This is a scene from a display game called The Hochwald Gap run by the Shepway Wargames Club.

Operation Veritable which was designed to bring the 21st Army Group to the west bank of the Rhine River. The operation was delayed by the German Ardennes Offensive but eventually began in February 1945. The plan's second phase called for the 2nd and 3rd Divisions to take the Hochwald Forest. The 4th Canadian Armoured would then sweep through the Hochwald Gap towards Wesel, followed by 2nd Division towards Xanten. Operation Blockbuster as it was known was scheduled for 27 February, but stubborn German resistance prolonged the battle for six days. It was not until 3rd March that the forest was finally cleared.

Shepway Wargames - The Hochwald Gap
This display game - done in 20mm - evocatively captured the bleak February landscape of the area. It stood out as one of the best tables at the show and was full of little details such as this military ambulance struggling through the mud.

7 comments:

  1. Very good photo. It does look like it is struggling through the mud.

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  2. Suberb paintjob, this is how army vehicles have to look!
    Well done

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  3. Lovely & dirty. Nice feel about this shot.

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  4. Excellent pic, the mud and water really give the right look. MMP did a Historical Study for ASL called Operation veritable and it really brings home how hard it was to move in all that mud. They could have called it Mud and blood.

    Ian

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  5. It was the best game there, nice pic......

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  6. Great looking pic. Very evocative.

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  7. A bit like M.A.S.H, love the mud!

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