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Bolt Action: Western Desert Boot Camp Live Blog - Sunday

Bolt Action: Western Desert Boot Camp Live Blog - Sunday

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Legends Of The Desert - LRDG And SAS Killing Rommel

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Our Historical Editor Oriskany returns with another of his Legends of the Desert series, telling us about some of the fantastic exploits of the LRDG and SAS and their efforts to stop Rommel.

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chaingun
Member
1939xp

For me the LRDG were amongst some of the unsung heroes of the desert campaign.

lawnor
Cult of Games Member
25920xp

Act like you’re supposed to be doing something and no one will challenge you. Works more often than it has any right to.

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

@chaingun – Definitely heroes. They’ve been getting a lot of press in more recent years.

I should have noted, @lawnor – that when those two columns passed each other, it was admittedly dark. But they really did just drive past each other.

wilco92
Cult of Games Member
7594xp

love to play the airfield raid on the table

skodamarine
Member
4163xp

I remember the time the SAS ….redacted….. And then….redacted…. With a ….classified… 🙂

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

@wilco92 – We actually did that in Part 04 of our pre-bootcamp article series.
https://www.beastsofwar.com/modern-warfare/desert-war-bolt-action-preparation-part-four/

Careful, @skodamarine … you might be getting a knock on the door from MOD … 😀

kingandcountry
Cult of Games Member
3014xp

I can’t find his name right now however,
civil servants were considered a reserve occupation and weren’t allowed to enlist. in order to get round this he resigns from civil service in order to become a member of parliament, upon election he enlisted later serving with the SAS in North Africa, now to try and find his name…

battlehawk
Cult of Games Member
1220xp

I think it was Fitzroy McLean. Read Ben McIntyres “SAS Rogue Heroes” earlier this year, a great read.

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

Thanks for the new information @kingandcountry and @battlehawk! 😀

kingandcountry
Cult of Games Member
3014xp

If you’ve not read it “popski’s Private Army” and “Stirlings men” are a decent read

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

Great tip! Thanks! 🙂

rot6
Member
877xp

lindybeige has a very good video on yt about the lrdg and sas. check it out if that stuff is for you

warhammergrimace
Cult of Games Member
13753xp

Do really fancy building a LRDG/SAS unit, the vehicles look really cool.

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

Thanks, @rot6.

@warhammergrimace – I built 16 figures (four boxes of four figs) and two LRDG trucks from Warlord – great figures! 😀
comment image

warhammergrimace
Cult of Games Member
13753xp

Those look nice, I have some of the Artizan SAS to paint. Just picked up a Panzer lll in 28mm, having just finished two in 20mm scale.

rot6
Member
877xp

20mm best scale! 🙂

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

Thanks, @warhammergrimace 😀
I have a lot of 20mm moderns, @rot6 – for WW2 I’m usually in 15mm or smaller, this is actually my first 28mm.

rot6
Member
877xp

i started painting the first half of an american airborne platoon (1:72airfix-kind-of-truescale) and i dont think any smaller is for me. any infantry i saw looked kinda like compressed into dwarfen proportions to allow for some details and painting thoses… my eyesight already getting wrecked at 20/28mm 😀 Thought about getting 20mm moderns but i missing a small scale ruleset to go along and the free time to dive into yet another rule/playstyle. 28mm Infinity, 20mm CoC/Bolt is atm enough for me. Maybe more company/devision stuff in 20mm ww2 and some nice little naval system for fun but that might… Read more »

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

If interested 20mm Moderns… I humbly suggest Force-on-Force. Great focus on troop quality (rather than weapons), non-kinetic warfare, asymmetric warfare, regular vs. irregular forces, CASEVAC, rules of engagement, civilians, etc.

collins
Cult of Games Member
16344xp

*driving* oh look italians, chooooeeeee! *waves* we’re gonna wreck your house….

bigdave
Cult of Games Member
3704xp

wasn’t Christopher Lee an RAF liason officer with the LRDG/SAS?

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

@collins – hey, Italian garrison! You didn’t need these planes, did you? 😀

@bigdave – he was definitely some kind of badass. I don’t know the details off the top of my head.

bigdave
Cult of Games Member
3704xp

Always been difficult to pin down what he did, but from what I do know, he joined the RAF but was prevented from having a career as a pilot on medical grounds, he was a fantastic organiser and linguist however so it’s likely he helped command the aircraft that supplied the LRDG. He ended the war as a translator in Austria when the allies were hunting Nazi’s, pretty cool dude! Whether or not he knifed a German in the desert is unclear, but it sure as hell shut Peter Jackson up on the set of the Lord of the Rings… Read more »

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

Rumors definitely abound. I almost don’t want to know by this point, if hate to be disappointed. 🙂

patrickkyle82
Member
456xp

I want to try some raiding type games. Maybe can come up with some interesting objectives

normandyfan
Member
910xp

fascinating

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

@patrickkyle82 – the scenarios can be tricky to design, but are well worth the effort.

Thanks, @normandyfan!

darkdanegan
Cult of Games Member
21470xp

It’s not a movie? Sounds like it should be!

tibour
Member
1315xp

good stuff, thanks for the heads up on the novel!

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

@darkdanegan – I totally agree.

No worries, @tibour – Steve Pressfield is definitely one of my favorites.

rfernandz2001
Cult of Games Member
625xp

I wonder how truly accurate a Thermopylae account can be, considering the biases of ancient-era historians (by that I mean accounts by ancient people). My understanding is that ancient stories are part history and part moral lesson, and accuracy of details was of low priority. But, I am prepared to be wrong.

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

Well @rfernandz2001Gates of Fire is indeed a fictionalized account, but it’s a helluva lot more accurate that the abortion that was 300.

dukeexeter
Member
1336xp

These things might sound like they came out of a movie, but they definitely deserve to have a movie made about them.

dane001
Member
6780xp

Yes the airfield raid is definitely one for me! I’m obviously building my 1/48 mosquito this weekend and it’s inspired me to build an airfield. Definitely a scenario I’d like to give a go ?

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

I would agree 100% @dukeexeter – there were a lot of “WW2 special forces desert adventure” movies back in the 0s, but none of them are accurate worth a damn. Maybe some of this material was still classified back then?

We definitely had fun with ours, @dane001.comment image

civilcourage
Member
11114xp

Good to hear some more history, really adds to the whole game event

andre77
Cult of Games Member
13013xp

And that why it is called historic wargaming. Its about history and stories.

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

Thanks very much, @civilcourage and @andre77.

innes
Cult of Games Member
11086xp

The BBC did a 3part documentary series about the LRDG/SAS a year or so ago. It was really good. SAS:Rogue Warriors. Well worth a watch.

toricova
Member
2453xp

very interesting info!

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

Great tip, @innes – thanks for the kind words, @toricova.

doomdark
Cult of Games Member
3704xp

Great stories,really enjoyed all the historical info

georgesealy
Cult of Games Member
2670xp

More great stuff! Firing up my interest even more!

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

Thanks, @georgesealy. And thanks to you too @doomdark – and great art in your user icon!

khy0te
Member
895xp

LRDG and SAS, amazingly crazy; crazy in the right way and at the right time in WWII.

ogrekin
Member
465xp

Love this video. Nice one Oriskany

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

Completely agree, @khy0te.
Thanks very much, @ogrekin. 😀

buggeroff
Cult of Games Member
15183xp

Great vid, thanks Jim @oriskany the campaign was brilliant and great fun. Thanks for all the hard work

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60736xp

No worries, @buggeroff. 😀 It was absolutely my pleasure to do it. 😀

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