FALKLANDS WAR, Part 1

As my forces for Sword are coming along well, I fancied a change for a session or two. In understated British fashion, I’d say I’m a little excited by this one.

While I’m planning a Walcheren 1944 game for later this year after Sword 80, and am slowly collecting up some 18mm Napoleonics, I couldn’t resist getting my next project off the mark: The Falklands War.

WHY THE FALKLANDS WAR?

Since I was a nipper there have been three wargaming periods I’ve always wanted to play – Normandy Landings, Waterloo, and the Falklands War. I’d only just started school when the Falkland Islands were invaded by Argentinian forces in 1982, and while I remember little from 5-year old me, I do recall no one in my family knew where the Falkland Islands were when I asked at that time!

With the passing of the war a few dramas hit the small screen and I have vivid memories of watching a drama about the war at primary school, though I couldn’t tell you what it’s called!

Over the following 40 years I’ve had a perennial interest in the conflict, having a natural restless curiosity for military history as I’m sure many of us do. Of course I must mention An Ungentlemanly Act, one of my all time favourite films, and one which has kept my latent interest in the conflict alive.

OPERATION CORPORATE: THE PLAN

Plans are at an early stage, but I’m thinking of a 3-game mini campaign:

1. Beach landing

2. Battle of Mount X

3. March on Port Stanley

I still need to work out logistics and campaign mechanics, and might add in an SAS raid as a game too. I’m also considering how I might include Naval forces for logistics support, naval bombardment, and of course including an element of jeopardy for British naval forces from Argentine air assault. More excuses for nostalgic kit building of RN ships!

THE BRITISH FORCES

I’ve started pulling together the British forces, which at this formative stage are going to consist of an SAS detachment and a platoon of Royal Marines with some supporting elements who will represent a specific Commando for the campaign.

I’ll be using TQD Castings for the bulk of the figures, and will add resin/3D printed parts for the support weapons.

Supporting elements will include a 105mm Light Gun and Land Rover 1 tonne tow, a Land Rover, and a Scimitar or Scorpion. I’ll probably also add a Rapier system to help force protection and a Bv 202 for mobility.

I doubt I’ll be able to resist a Westland Scout for cool factor, or a Harrier because it’s the Falkands and you can’t do the Falklands without one! Perhaps a Chinook or Wessex for some ‘lift’, but they take up a lot of space!

For the initial landing I’ll be using landing craft from S&S Models as below, and might even get hold of an Airfix HMS Fearless for eye candy. I built one in my pre-teens but don’t remember doing an especially good job, and that model has long since disappeared from my collection.

In terms of scale these games will be much smaller than my Second World War scraps, but will stretch across the whole campaign – so a little wider in ‘scope’.

SMALL STEPS

I made a start on the first LCVP last year, and kicked off with some of the figures today. This project will be on the go-slow while I crack on with Sword 80 and Walcheren, but will be a good palette cleanser to keep things interesting!

Now to find some guides on painting DPM on 20mm miniatures…

Featured Photograph: IWM FKD 2028. 45 Royal Marine Commando marches towards Port Stanley during the Falklands War, 1982.