Alternative Titles/Edition History:
Issue #44 is also known as the XX Anniversary Scenario Pack and as Operation Turnscrew.
Publisher/Date:
Vic Provost/Dispatches from the Bunker (1997 - present)
Product Type:
Newsletter with Scenarios, Periodical
Country of Origin:
U.S.A.
Contents:
Newsletter, 2-4 scenarios per issue
Dispatches from the Bunker is a long-running ASL newsletter from New England. Indeed, it is the longest continuously published ASL newsletter that has scenarios in every issue. Dispatches has a high reputation, largely due to its long history of consistently good scenarios. Dispatches is edited and published by Vic Provost, with help and assistance from a number of northeastern ASLers.
The main feature of each issue of Dispatches is its scenarios; each issue typically contains two to four scenarios, often tournament-sized ones. Its scenarios cover a range of actions, but Dispatches likes to group them into series. Series initiated so far (up through Issue #23) include the Sergeant Rudolf Brasche Series (6 scenarios), the Leibstandarte Series (5 scenarios), the Bougainville Series (3 scenarios), the East Front Series (4 scenarios), the DASL Series (4 scenaros), the Tunisian Series (8 scenarios), the Thunderbird (45th Inf Div) series, the Grossdeutschland Series (1 scenario), the Lorraine Series (4 scenarios), the West Front Series (1 scenario), the Philippine Series A (2 scenarios) and B (2 scenarios), and the “Independent” Series (5 scenarios).
Issue #23 introduced the Valor of the Guards Series, with 3 scenarios designed to be played on the historical map included in the HASL module Valor of the Guards (the people involved with Dispatches from the Bunker were the people who designed and playtested the module as well). However, the Bunker crew was a little too optimistic about MMP’s ability to get the game out–when Dispatches #23 came out, Valor of the Guards was still nowhere to be seen. Eventually, however, all was well.
A number of the scenarios that Dispatches has published so far have established good reputations. These include DB001 (Brasche Encounter), DB005 (The Marketplace at Wormhoudt), DB012 (First Clash in Tunisia), DB021 (Crisis on the Abucay Line), DB025 (Avril Action), DB035 (A Hotly Contested Crossroads), DB036 (First Crack at Hellzapoppin’ Ridge), DB040 (Riding the Coattails), DB058 (Vossenack Church), DB067 (Let’s Dance), DB083 (Block to Bataan), DB092 (The Streets of Kharkov), and more. It must be admitted that Dispatches has also released some dogs, but with some 114 scenarios released (as of 2014), this is to be expected.
The newsletter does have content other than the scenarios, although much of it is typically scenario analysis for the scenarios included in the issue. Other content can include tournament news, tactical tips, and scenario analyses. Unfortunately, much of this content is formatted in justified columns enclosed in boxes, which often makes it difficult to read. A lot fewer lines would make the newsletter a lot more readable.
In late 2010, MMP reprinted 14 Dispatches scenarios in a sort of “best of” scenario pack titled Out of the Bunker.
Sadly (except perhaps for those who scan their ASL scenarios), in June 2012, Vic Provost announced that Dispatches would cease print publication and move to a PDF-only format (starting with #37).
Dispatches from the Bunker (cont'd) | |
---|---|
Issue | Scenarios/Contents |
#45 (September 2017) | DB135 The Krinkelterwald (Germany 1944, Battle of the Bulge Series #2). Medium. U.S. vs. Germans. DB136 The Block on the Trail to Hell, (Bougainville 1944, Bougainville Series #7). Small. U.S. vs. Japanese. DB137 Operation Archery (Norway 1941, Norwegian Series #3). Small. British/Norwegian vs. German. Air Support, Bombardment, Landing Craft. DB138 Die Verdammten (Germany 1945, Germany 1945 Series #2). Large. Soviets vs. Germans. Air Support. |
#46 (March 2018) | DB139 A Hard Rain's Gona Fall (New Guinea 1942, Pacific War Series #10). Small. Australians vs. Japanese. DB140 Beasts at Baruth (Germany 1945, Kummersdorf Trilogy Series #1). Large. Soviets vs. Germans. DB141 Gut Punch (Germany 1945, Kummersdorf Trilogy Series #2). Large. Soviets vs. Germans. DB142 Road to Destruction (Germany 1945, Kummersdorf Trilogy Series #3). Small. Soviets vs. Germans. DBMAUS v2 The Mighty Maus. Updated version of previously published "What if" scenario. |
#47 (March 2019) | DB143 Fausts at Wethen (Germany 1945, Germany 1945 Series #3). Small. Americans vs. Germans. DB144 Fontenay by Night (France 1944, West Front Series #10). Medium. British vs. Germans. Night. DB145 Brandenburger Blitz (Yugoslavia 1941, Special Forces Series #8). Large. Partisans vs. Germans. DB146 Opening Battle for Hill 700 (Bougainville 1944, Bougainville Series #8). Large. Americans vs. Germans. Night. |
#48 (September 2019) | DB147 Bandits and Bolsheviks (Poland 1945, NKVD Series #6). Medium. Soviets vs. Ukrainian partisans. DB148 Melee for Hill 700 (Bougainville 1944, Bougainville Series #9). Small. Americans vs. Japanese. DB149 Three Little Bridges (Germany 1945, Operation Varsity Series #8). Large. British vs. Germans. Glider landing. DB150 Fallschirmjaeger Graveyard (Crete 1941, Operation Merkur Scenario OM8. Large. New Zealanders vs. Germans. Glider landing. Air Support. NOTE: This scenario is intended to be a scenario for Operation Merkur, the Heat of Battle historical module. |
#49 (March 2020) | DB151 Daredevil Desantniki (Soviet Union 1941, Special Forces Series #4). Small. Soviets vs. Germans. Air Drop. Air Support. DB152 Second Try at Ch'amyon-ni (North Korea 1951, Korean War Series #1). Small. Americans vs. North Koreans. OBA. A scenario for Forgotten War. DB153 Green Apples (China 1945, Special Forces Series #5). Small. Americans/Chinese vs. Japanese. DB154 Saint-Georges (France 1940, France 1940 Series #2). Large. French vs. Germans. Air Support. OBA. |
#50 (September 2020) | DB155 Fury on the Logging Trail (Bougainville 1943, Bougainville Series #10). Large. Americans vs. Japanese. DB156 To the Neman (Soviet Union 1941, East Front Series #9). Small. Soviets vs. Germans. DB157 Morning Massacre (France 1944, West Front Series #11). Medium. Americans vs. Germans. DB158 A Stalinesque Christmas (Soviet Union 1942, Red October Series #1). Small. Soviets vs. Germans. NOTE: This is a scenario that uses the Red October map and components. |
James Brannick says
Where can I order or purchase the DB’s 45 through 50 scenarios? Thanks & regards.
Vic Provost says
Hi James, just ran into your enquiry, please e-mail me directly at: aslbunker@aol.com
and I’ll help you out.
I just transmitted pdf Issue #51 on Monday.
I hope to hear from you, Vic.
P.S. Mark, if you did not receive any recent issues let me know, we are up to #51 now,,,
Rick Marks says
Hi Vic
How do I go about getting a paid subscription? Had one year’s ago, when it came by mail
Scott Romanowski says
Hi Rick,
Email Vic at aslbunker@aol.com and he’ll give you the details. He may still be offering a Holiday Sale.