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Wednesday, February 22, 2023

AAR-Seige of the Ronda Colom, Part 1

We completed our first day of the campaign's Scenario #2: Siege of the Ronda Colom in early February. We had a new player, our friend Lee, who is very knowledgable about the period and really picked up the game fast, as you will see. With my phone out of commission, Lee also volunteered to take the great photos included in this post.

Lee joined Chris as the Nationalist defenders, the Spanish army in revolt against the Republic, clinging to a few remaining buildings as the workers advanced to crush the coup in Catalonia. John and I continued as the Spanish workers of the anarchist CNT union defense committees, arisen to put down the nationalist coup.

John and I had the numerical advantage, with over one hundred and fifty workers formed into groups of five. Roughly half of these groups covered barricades blocking strategic intersections across the city. 


The remaining workers formed into three groups of 25, which would be our attack forces. Our table had three roads running toward the harbor, so we placed an attack group on each road. John took the group on the northern-most road. This First Attack Group was supported by an MG installed in the bed of a pickup truck.


The Second Attack Group was poised to charge down the Ramblas, running through the center of the table. The began in front of the Teatro Principal, which also served as the headquarters for our Defense Committee's delegates council, which would coordinate the assault.



Up ahead near the front line, the workers had a second MG on the roof of the building housing the Casa Juan Restaurant, next door to the CNT Transit Union Building. With barricades on the street below, this represented the advanced positions of the workers at the beginning of the battle.


A Third Attack Group was tasked with charging down the narrow southern-most road at the Atarazanas building. 

We also had two 75mm cannons at our disposal. One was called for by the scenario, and the second we captured at the end of the previous game of the campaign. We positioned them at the top of the Ramblas, on either side of the street hugging the buildings for some measure of protection. In the photo below, you can see one cannon in the Plaza del Arco Teatro, behind a statue and near the Hotel Falcon, captured from fascist snipers the previous day by Durruti and CNT militants, and later a POUM center made famous by Orwell. At the top of the photo, you can see the pill box above the Atarazanas.


Chris and Lee set up their forces in the government and military buildings near the Ronda Colom. You can see each building, its name, and the forces deployed there--based on the historic event--in the Scenario post. Briefly, they had three buildings to defend: the Atarazanas and attached military office buildings to the left (south) of the Ronda Colom, the Dependencia Militars to the right (north) of the Ronda, and the Capatancia further north. They had two 75mm cannons, which they chose to deploy one of each side of the Ronda. They had two artillery spotters, one on the pink roof of the Dependencia, and the other across the street in the pill box above the Atarazanas.


They also had four HMGs at their disposal, one at each building, and the forth in front of the Columbus monument. Below is the MG position they set up in front of the Capatancia, supported by some infantry including one soldier with an LMG.


At the Dependencia next door, another MG crew was  positioned behind the sand bags, facing up the Ramblas. They positioned two trucks as an extension of their line of barricades blocking the Ronda.


Along with the MG and spotter in the Atarazanas's pill box, the nationalists also had a grenader. The pill box had a line of sight up the Ramblas. Knowing that very pill box historically was the position from which a soldier shot the famous anarchist guerrilla and union leader Francisco Ascaso, John and I hoped to silence it early. The south side of the line was the more sparsely-defended position, and also the weakest position given the tightness of the roads and alleys in front of it. We decided to press that end harder. Toward this end, I took command of both the second and third attack groups, which I planned to bring down heavy upon both sides of the Atarazanas. 

As the first four rounds of the game would occur in the early morning under limited night-time visibility, John and I prepared to push hard and fast to take up advantageous positions before the sunlight illuminated our forces to the deadly machinery in the hands of the fascists. 

Round 1 began with John winning the Round Initiative roll. For the Ranged Attack phase, we aimed our two cannons at the pillbox on top of the Atarazanas. The pillbox was in clear range of our spotter on top of the tallest building in the center of the table. I fired first. I overshot the Atarazanas, and destroyed a truck in the Ronda which the defenders were using as a barricade. The truck exploding killed one soldier, and damaged the second truck down to four health points. 


John fired next. His shot sailed far as well, but landed close enough to the Atarazanas to cause 5 damage points, bringing the remaining for the building down to 35.

When the nationalists had their change to fire ranged weapons, they aimed at the Ramblas, assuming we had forces advancing up the street. Both cannons, however, misfired. Their Machine Gun in the street in front of the Capatancia fired at five workers behind a barricade in front of the tavern. They landed no shots, but pinned one of the workers there. 


Chris had his grenader in the pillbox lob his ordinance at the nearest barricade, by the Casa de Juan. It was a perfect throw, landing just over the barricade and killing four of the five workers there instantly. The survivor was pinned, but withstood a morale check and did not flee.

Next came the Movement Phase. Our attack groups set off toward the other side of the table. The groups on the left and right wings reached the cover of long buildings on the edges of the table. Some of our defense groups left their barricades and joined in the advance, crossing the halfway line of the table. John added the truck with machine gun in its bed to his push up the left.


The group in the center bunched by the Arch of the Plaza Teatro, advancing cautiously down the Ramblas toward the Atarazanas. 


During their Movement Phase turn, Chris and Lee made minor adjustments to their defensive positions, ensuring that they had the best possible lines of sight inside the buildings they defended. 

Round 2 began with an initiative roll between Chris and I. The first roll ended in a tie. I won the re-roll. Our cannons continued to target the pill box. This time John's round fell harmlessly short of the Atarazanas, while mine sailed slightly long, causing 3 damage to the building. 

The nationalist artillery returned fire. Chris aimed for the Resuraunte Juan, where we had a machinegun team. His round landed short, slightly-damaging a street seller's cart. 


Lee aimed their cannon at the workers' attack group moving up the middle, somehow seeing it with their spotter through the trees in the dark. The shell landed perfectly in the center of the tight formation, killing 21 workers instantly and pinning the 4 survivors.


The few who didn't die won their morale roll and remained, pinned, in the Ramblas. 

This event, Lee's second attempt at launching artillery shells, was one of the deadliest single shots we've seen since we started playing these games a few years ago, demonstrating the differences in weapons strength between the Mexican Revolution and the Spanish Civil War twenty-five years later. Chris reminded us of an instance during the Second Battle of Mexicali when he blew up more than a score of John's Federales with dynamite as they tried to cross a bridge. Still, the carnage in the Ramblas was both brutal, and a sobering check on our attack plan and overall chances of success. Workers of the defense groups at the barricades along the Ramblas took their cue and moved into the safety of nearby buildings.

During the Movement Phase, John and I continued moving our remaining attack forces. The center of our attack was in shambles, but the workers on the flanks, unaware of the tragic loss of so many comrades, continued advancing rapidly. On the right side, as my attack groups already neared the corner of the Atarazanas.

Chris's rifleman guarding the doorway called overwatch and fired, killing one of the workers. I continued advancing the group, reaching the tall gray building across from the Atarazanas and entering the front door. I moved a dynamiter up toward the door.

But Chris called Overwatch again. I hadn't noticed the officer,  Lt. Colonel Serrano., with the pistol in the window. He gunned down the worker.


I had more forces to move, however. Refusing to sulk in the face of my costly mistakes thus far, and I brought yet another dynamiter up. As the two nearby soldiers had already fired, I was able to reach the same doorway, ready to exact revenge on the soldiers inside, if I could only get the jump on Chris during the Skirmish Phase.


Behind him, more comrades took up positions at the windows of the buildings across the street from the Atarazanas.

On the other side of the table, John's attack group neared the green house just across the street from the Capatancia. 


He had a dynamiter in the white house to the west of the green house. The dynamiter seemed to have reached the position without Chris or Lee noticing. Across the street, the truck arrived at the barricade in front of the tavern. John managed to remove the machine gun, and get it into position behind the barricade. 

John's attackers faced off against the strongest nationalist defenses. The rebels had rifles in every window of the two palaces, an SMG above the doorway, and a HMG on the street below, supported by sappers in black hats and an LMG behind the green house.

During the Defenders' turn at movement, they continued to try to improve their positions. Chris pulled 5 more soldiers into the corner of the Atarazanas where they faced off with my advanced dynamiter. A showdown for the entrance of the Atarazanas was imminent.

Next came the Skirmish Phase. Chris and I rolled for Skirmish Initiative for the corner of the Atarazanas. I won the role, and my CNT militant let loose his homemade explosive. He tossed a perfect lob through the doorway and into the crowd of soldiers, killing all six, including Lt. Colonel Serrano. Unfortunately, the brave worker was too close to the explosion and was killed by his own device.


It was an important sacrifice, however, as the front room of the Atarazanas was now cleared of defenders. During the regroupment phase, I sent the defense group guarding the nearest barricade straight up the road and into the Atarazanas. 

While I had lost almost an entire attack group, my southern attack group was now charging at the Atarazanas in numbers and with support from workers at the windows of nearby buildings. I also pulled defense groups off the barricades (where they were easy targets for the nationalist artillery anyway) to help the effort there. The thrust had its intended effect, forcing Chris and Lee to consider ways to mitigate the threat. 

During their regroupment phase, Chris pulled his grenader off the roof and sent him running down the stairs toward the section of the Atarazanas which I had entered. They were already talking about destroying the ammo cache in the next room, and perhaps even abandoning the building in favor of the stronger positions to the north.

To the north, however, John was also pressing down hard. He was approaching with more caution than I had in the south, given the wider roads and open spaces in the area. John skillfully established strong positions in buildings and behind barricades in layers running up the street. If we were able to force the soldiers out of the Atarazanas and toward the palaces, we would be able to push the soldiers into a corner. It was a corner which, we knew because of the scenario, was the same corner where our reinforcements of fifty workers were due to arrive at the start of Round 10.

We called the game there for the day after two long rounds, and picked it up the following weekend. Check back soon for the report.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Ship conversion project

This winter, I bought this cheap birdhouse, shaped like a ship, from the local shop of the big art supply corporation.





It was missing the middle mast and otherwise slightly damaged, and discounted heavily. I tried to give it to my kids, and encouraged them to paint it and see if any birds wanted to live in it. They were not interested in it (the kids, who knows what the birds would have thought), so I turned it into a project of my own.

I swapped out the masts for three taller dowels, and added a forth for the bowsprit mast. I cut down the large railing in the back and used a portion of it for the frame of a quarter deck. I built out the quarter deck with cardboard and some foam board. Then I used bbq skewers and other bits of wood and some foam board scraps to add new (shorter) rails, some extra cannons, and other details. I used clay to create a masthead, an arch above the quarterdeck's door, and to round out some sections. Then I used thread to create the rigging.








I spray-painted the whole thing with my dark brown primer. Now it's ready to paint. 





I added a layer of oil paint, brown with some red details, and black for the bird and cannons.








When it dries in a week or so, I'll do a second paint layer. Then, I'll have to figure out how to add the sails. I'm torn between using a nice piece of thin canvas I found, or just using paper with some watery glue to shape it. We shall see, suggestions welcomed.



Friday, February 10, 2023

Scenario 2: The Siege of the Ronda Column, July 20, 1936

Read the scenario without photos here


After a day of brutal fighting, CNT worker-militants–with the cooperation of some Assault Guard, Civil Guard, and other Republican forces–have driven the army off the streets. What remains of the military rebellion in Barcelona is holed up in a few scattered churches, hiding behind nuns and priests as they fire into the crowds, or in the last remaining military installations by the harbor. The military rebels have all but lost the city, though hundreds of workers have lost their lives for their trouble. More yet will fall in the morning as workers storm the army’s final strongholds.


Above: The Ronda Colom, with the Columbus monument in the center of the rotary. The Dependencia Milirar to the right, with the red roof, and the Captencia to the right of that.
Below: To the left of the statue, the Atarazanas buildings.


Set up: Clear summer weather. First 4 rounds, nighttime visibility at 10”, 25” with binoculars. 

Beginning Round 5, Daytime visibility at 40”, 60” with binoculars.


Arrange the table in a large urban rectangle. On the eastern edge of the table sits the Ronda Colom, a wide rotary (round-about) by the harbor. To the north of the Ronda Colom, a few buildings up, sits the Capitania General building, housing the HQ of the IV Division of the Army. The Capitania serves as the center of the coup in Catalunya. On the northern edge of the rotary is the Dependencies Militars. Across the rotary, on the southern side of the Rotary/Ramblas, is the Caserna de Drassanes, or Atarazanas, the old military harbor buildings. 



Running away from the harbor is La Rambla de Santa Monica, which should stretch down the length of the table east to west. Alleys and side streets break up the blocks of buildings.



At the western end of the table, on the Rambla, stands the coordination post of the Comité de Defensa Local de CNT-FAI, at the Plaça del Teatro. There, groups of working-class street fighters, including many from the CNT’s Metalworkers and Transport unions, rally, while their delegates, including Buenaventura Durruti, Fransisco Ascaso, García Oliver, Pablo Ruiz, and Ortiz, prepare attack plans.



The situation was dire on the other side of the lines. Workers at the Telephone Exchange and in the Post Office effectively blocked communications by telephone between the army strongholds. General Goded, the man the architects of the coup sent to lead Barcelona’s army, had been captured the previous afternoon. Ramón Mola, Barcelona’s highest-ranking army commander remaining, and the brother of the author of the coup, General Mola, shot himself in despair as the siege worsened the previous night. As word spread among the terrified soldiers, morale dwindled.

If your ruleset utilizes a morale rating, mark all Nationalist units down 1 morale point for the whole scenario. Nationalists must pass orders between buildings by runners.



Unit Sheets: Make unit sheets for the groups/squads/companies etc. 


Ammunition: Nationalists have 8 ammo. Can be resupplied after the 10th turn if the Cavalry is able to reach the other Nationalist positions. Minus -1 Morale.

Workers have 5 ammo (You may distribute any ammo from the previous scenario to the forces however you choose, or save it in your general supplies later).



Gameplay: Game begins with the workers marching down the Rambla toward the Ronda Colom. Attacking players will use the CNT Defense Committee, located at the Plaça del Teatro, as the command group, with committee members acting as both runners to pass orders and reports back and forth, and as leaders of sectors of defense groups in action. Attackers can set up barricades up to the halfway point of the table, with a defense group at each. Attackers may also fortify a few buildings close to the center of the table, including the CNT Transport Workers Union headquarters building, and Casa Juan Restaurant, where they may place a machine gun on the balcony or roof.

The army will set up beforehand in and around the buildings situated on the Ronda Colom. If no player is commanding the army, then army defensive positions should be established before the game based on their historic positions (listed below), and its positions immediately open-fire on any workers in the open. 



265 Workers and loyalist officers take on 185 nationalist soldiers. 


Nationalists orders:

Defend the last strongholds. Establish a kill zone in the Ronda Colom. Kill any worker or loyal Republicans in the line of fire.


Republican orders:

Capture the 3 buildings around the Ronda Colom and end the rebellion.


Nationalist forces:


Units at the Capitania General:

4th Army Division

-1x General Goded and staff, 2 runners.

-1x Machine gun and crew

-1x platoon of 1 officer, 19 men



Units at the Dependéncies Militars/Office Building - around 110 men:

Artillery - 7é Regiment Lleuger d’Artilleria

-1x Coronel S. Cañadas Valdés, staff, and runner.

-1x 75mm cannon and crew

-2x platoons of 1 officer, 19 men

4th Batalló e Sapadores Minadors number 4 (mining sappers/engineers) 

-2x platoons of 20 men each, led by Captain Jose M. Brúses Danis

        -1x machine gun and crew.


Units at the Columbus statue, in the center of the Ronda Colom):

        -1x machine gun and crew, at the top of the statue column.


Units at the Atarazanas - around 45 men:

4th Batalló e Sapadores Minadors number 4 (mining sappers/engineers) 

-Tinent Coronel Antonio Navarro Serrano, staff, and runner.

        -1x Platoons of 1 officer, 19 men

Artillery - 7é Regiment Lleuger d’Artilleria

-1x reduced platoon of 10  infantry, led by Captain A. Urriza López

-1x 75 mm cannon and crew

        -1x machine gun and crew.



Republican forces:


CNT Defense Committee: 15x delegates of workers groups, including Durruti, Ascaso, and Oliver.


CNT militants: 25 Grupos, (ie, Affinity Groups, or just groups) of 10 workers. 

-1x truck, with a machine gun installed on the bed.

-1x machine gun on the balcony or roof of Casa Juan Restaurant, with Assault Guard or Mossos d'Esquadra crew and Sergeant Manzana

-1x 75mm gun and crew, commanded by Sergeant Gordo and workers crew

1x Breguet 19 Russian bomber flown by a Republican pilot.



(At turn 10)

Nationalists:

Cavalry - Montesa Cavalry Regiment number 10 (arrive at the far end of board from Ronda Colom, preferably on a street parallel to La Rambla, but if that is not possible, on the Rambla itself, behind the workers’ position.) 

-2 platoons of 20 soldiers each, led by Captain Captain Santos Villalón Pérez, mounted in 2-3 trucks.

-plus 100 ammunition to be distributed to the besieged Nationalists, if the Cavalry can reach them.


Republicans:

10 Grupos more of 10 workers militia will be available at turn 10, arriving from a pre-determined marker on the harbor side of the table.



(At turn 15)

(Optional, Republican side) Assault and Civil Guards: Up to 2 squads each, (arrive at the harbor side of the table.)



Machine gun inside the pill box on top of the Atarazanas

Victory Conditions:

*Workers win by eliminating any remaining Nationalist holdouts before round 25.

*Nationalists win by surviving through round 25.


Outcome: If the workers are victorious, they may move on to the next scenario, and carry over any remaining ammunition. Additionally, the capture of these military installations adds 500 ammunition points to the (soon-to-be) column’s general supply. Finally, any and all machine guns and cannons not destroyed in the fighting are added to the equipment list in your general supply.


Aftermath: As the sun rose on July 20, armed workers had the area around the Ronda Colom surrounded. The main thoroughfares leading to the round-about were clogged with barricades and throngs of revolutionaries. The CNT defense committee coordination post, established at the Plaça del Teatro, saw to the closing of nationalist pockets like at the Bruc intersection and the Hotel Falcon. They turned their attention to the final Nationalist strong-point in that section of the city.


Meanwhile, the Nationalist soldiers in the military installations were growing desperate. In the long day of fighting on the 19th, the army had been soundly defeated across the city, repeatedly ambushed and slaughtered by throngs of workers and policemen.  In the afternoon, Republican aircraft appeared and repeatedly bombed the area around the Ronda Colom. Overnight, the highest ranking leader of the coup, Ramón, committed suicide. The soldiers did have a good number of machine guns and cannons, which they deployed effectively across the open intersection, creating kill zones. Their long range weapons kept the workers at bay, pinned down behind barricades and in alcoves and stairwells. 


Durruti and other veteran militants from the Nosotros group gathered at the Plaza Arco del Teatro to strategize the fall of the Ronda Colom strongholds. Abel Paz writes, “Someone proposed using the truck on which the German anarchist group had mounted a machine-gun…they could drive the vehicle toward those sites while using the machine gun to clear the way for those following behind” (Paz 448). Ricardo Sanz and Aurelio Fernández climbed into the truck, while Durruti, Ascaso, Oliver, and Baró were among the attack force following behind.


As they reached the booksellers market near the Atarazanas, machine guns from the strongholds opened up. Bullets whizzed close to the comrades. A pill box atop the Atazaranaz building was particularly dangerous, and Ascaso took off through the booksellers carts to take care of it. As he broke cover to run across the street toward a truck, the gunner in the pillbox hit Ascaso in the head, killing him instantly.


At this same time, throngs of workers were on the other side of the building, reaching the doors, and those of the Dependencia across the Ronda. It was just after 1 in the afternoon and both strongholds surrendered, ending the military coup in Barcelona.