WW1 in 20mm

While their subordinates slugged it out in the AWI campaign game, John and Chris, indulged in a spot of 20mm WW1 (using the Great War rules). John's very nice set of 20mm models look excellent........Now Chris, why did we go 28mm, when I can have a whole fleet of 1/72 scale tanks, for the price of one 28mm!?
Just look at the nice vehicles - nice one John!

Phil T

AWI Campaign - British Set Back

British forces seemingly suffered a major set-back today. After pursuing a rebel column to within sight of a fort, the British forces mounted a hasty attack. Initially, the attack went well, with British light infantry forcing the gate. However, as the British main column attempted to reinforce the attack on the gate, it was first stopped in the gateway, then attacked in the flank by a group of rebel riflemen. The British commander rushed forward, to inspire the light troops, now engaged in a life and death struggle inside the fort, but was then trapped inside, as the rebels succeeded in closing the gate. Caught by fire in the flank and rear, the British heavies crowded around the gate, until finally gunned down.

British Columns Arrive in Sight of the Fort
British Light Troops Engage Rebel Cavalry, Both Sides Suffering Losses
British Light Troops Force the Gate
British Light Troops Battle Against the Odds, Inside the Fort
The Main British Heavy Column Receives Surprise Flank Fire

British Heavy Column Trapped at the Gate

British Commander Attempts to Turn the Tide Inside the Fort, but Fails and is Captured

Phil. 26th June 2008

The Battle of Friedland - Prequel

A Re-fight of the Battle of Friedland - Prequel

On the evening of 13th. June 1807 Russian troops, of Benningsen’s Army of Poland, cross the river Alle at Friedland, ejecting some French light cavalry of Lanne’s Corps. A couple of battalions of Advance Guard Jaegers chase the French back into the Sortland Woods. Benningsen then orders bridges to be built across the Alle, in Friedland, for the rest of the army to pass over the river in the morning. He orders further bridges built across the Millstream to link the two wings of his army.
At first light, 3.30 am the rest of the Advance Guard cross over and take supporting positions near the Sortland Wood, where the Jaegers continue their combat, now with skirmishers from Oudinot’s division, for possession of the woods.
At about 5am elements of 8th Division, supported by cavalry from the Right Wing attempt to take Heinrickstadt, on the Koenigsberg road. They are ejected from the village by three battalions of grenadiers from Oudinot’s Division supported by Naounty’s heavy cavalry. The cavalry combat continued, drawing in Beaumont,s Light Cavalry and Dragoons for the French, and the Right Wing cavalry for the Russians. The Russians withdraw to the plain, on the right of their infantry. The French withdraw behind the village.
The rest of the Russian army, covered by the reserve artillery and the 14th Division, cross the Alle; march through Friedland and form-up on the plain beyond.
At about 9am the Russians have completed their deployment, and the head of Mortier’s Corps arrives along the Koenisberg road at Heinrickstadt.

Now our battle begins.
The players:
The Russian players are Kev (S); Kev (P); and Kev (I).
The French players are Jim; Sean; Connor and Ryan.
Game Mechanisms:
To represent the strong French skirmish screen the following were used:
The Russians deployed all their troops directly on the table;
The French deployed almost all their troops as movement bases;
The spotting was made as though into low terrain;
The French were allowed two movement bases per division, and did not need to decide which of these the troops were on until spotted. This gave the French an enhanced ability to react to the Russian deployment and movement.

Russian Setup and Plan
The Russians adopted an aggressive stance, deploying almost all their divisions forward to a steam bisecting the battlefield, and many attacking from the off. They also decided to bring their reserve artillery forward to form two grand batteries. Their plan was to hold the French attack down the Eylau road, while attacking with the infantry on the right into the village of Heinrickstadt, and sweep around the village with all the cavalry to flank the French attack.
French Setup and Plan
The French held Oudinot’s Division, minus its detachments, in and around Posthesen on the Eylau road, and linked the two villages with the cavalry divisions on dummy bases. As reaction to the Russian moves one division of dragoons supported Oudinot, while the other supported Beaumont on the left. Oudinot (Ryan) was ordered to hold Posthesen, on the Eylau road, and Sortland Wood for three hours, when he is to be reinforced. The left wing cavalry (Conner) are to attack the Russian Cavalry opposite and attempt to sweep around the Russian right flank. Mortier is to hold the Heinrickstadt.

The Game

The initial setup from the South, looking over the Sortland Wood

Having deployed up to the stream the Russian first moves were slowed, but later they were glad of the cover it afforded. This slow movement allowed the French cavalry in the North to counter attack with good effect. Although, subsequently they succumbed to the superior Russian numbers they slowed the attack and greatly damaged the Russian cavalry.
In the right centre, Prince Kevan, the Russian advance was thrown back by more French cavalry.
On the centre left, Prince KevIan, the Russians patiently awaited the French Infantry attack, not yet realising that there were no French Infantry.
On the far left the Advance Guard, Prince Kevin, advanced slowly against Oudinot. He was slowed more by their lack of command and control than by the French.

The Russian Centre Being Thrown back by the French Heavy Cavalry

In the centre the Russians finally deployed their reserve artillery as two grand batteries, these had been slowed by the difficulties of getting through Friedland and then by the retiring troops before them. Once deployed they rapidly cleared the French from before them. On the left Oudinot’s divisional artillery was literally blown away.
Both sides were advancing very slowly, the Russians being slowed by their lack of command and control, while the French were hampered by their lack of numbers, plus a fear of the Russian grand batteries.
In the North what remained of the Russian cavalry spotted Ney’s Corps reaching the battle field. This force had been redirected by Napoleon to complete the encirclement of the Russians. Unfortunately no longer having cavalry support Ney’s infantry formed square and began to advance very slowly. The Russian cavalry had halted before the massed French infantry squares and was suffering from the artillery of Mortier’s Corps.
The Russian centre right infantry had finally redressed its ranks and regained the line of the stream.
The Russian guard cavalry had advanced through the infantry it was supporting to assault Verdier and Polentz. This delayed movement came too late as these divisions had been able to form square, and repulsed the attack.

The Russian Guard Cavalry Advance too late

In and around Sortland Wood Oudinot’s division faltered and withdrew, faced as it was by another Russian assault and the massed artillery. However the Russians were in no state to pursue immediately, and were still hampered by their command and control.

Summary
Thus by 4pm our Russian commanders: General Prince Kevan; General Prince KevIan and General Prince Kevin, had bettered their historical counterparts. Much of the French cavalry had been destroyed, much of it while throwing back massive Russian infantry attacks. The remaining Russian cavalry, thus had control of the battle field and would be able to cover a Russian withdrawal back across the Alle.
Our Russians could hence claim a victory. Having severely damaged substantial French forces, and being in a position to retire to the relative safety of the right bank of the Alle, before the overwhelming French forces could concentrate and destroy them.
However, there remains 6 hours of daylight; Victor and Guard are about to enter the battlefield; a fighting withdrawal would be an intriguing batlle, as would refighting the prequel.

Chris F

AWI Campaign Battle Images

British forces await the Rebel attack in the redoubt Rebel Militia hold a shaky line
Regular Rebel forces assault the bridge, only to be driven back.
Rebel forces redeploy to face a new British threat
Rebel forces are almost surrounded

Glorious Loyalist cavalry charge routs two lines of militia.

The British relief column right flank deploys

While the left flank assaults the Rebel positions
British forces sally forth from the redoubt, only to get a bloody nose from the Rebel forces holding the bridge.
A second British bayonet attack carries the bridge and the rebel resistance collapses.

Popping out for some milk!

Peering out through the mesh screen covered windshield, of what the team called the “Zombie Hunter”, Hank reflected on this latest twist of fate.
6 months had passed since “the Outbreak”. After a rather rocky start, Hank’s little group of survivors had established itself and grown into quite a little community. However, this brought its own problems and recently the processed food supplies had grown increasingly hard to find and now they also had some young kids to feed.
This morning, Wong and a couple of his thugs, had come to the stockade, claiming to have significant quantities of dried milk, including the much needed baby formula. However, they demanded either leadership rights of the group, or some women, in exchange for the precious milk. Negotiations had grown heated and finally got out of hand, resulting in the death of 2 of Hank’s group and the wounding of one of Wong’s group. Wong had fled, closely followed by a quickly assembled a small team of Hank’s survivors. The team tracked Wong and his thugs, to a small riverside freight yard. However it was clear that something had gone wrong, as Wong’s wrecked SUV lay against the damaged fence and 20 or more, “shambler” zombies were now congregating along the fence.
Fortunately all the zombies appeared to be “shamblers”, the slow, cumbersome state, that the infected eventually end up in, after a few weeks of infection. There was no sign of the more agile and dangerous, “Rage Zombies”, the recently infected.
After a brief exchange on the walkie-talkies, the plan was settled and Chris floored the accelerator of the big armoured pick-up truck. However, instead of heading straight for the gates and risking damaging the pick-up trucks, Hank had a plan! Chris swerved the pick-up truck through the first group of zombies, now shambling toward the two oncoming trucks, mashing two into a grizzly pulp.

The two trucks swerved left and headed to the far edge of the freight compound, coming to a stop against the fence. The team quickly scrambled onto the hoods of the pick-up trucks and jumped over the fence. Hank was confident that the “shamblers” would not be able to follow them and the team moved quickly toward the nearest building.

However, just as the team approached the building, from behind them, they could hear an unearthly growling. Hank cursed, ‘Rage zombies’! Four of these red eyed demons sprinted from an alley opposite the parked pick-up trucks. They barely paused, as they leapt onto the pick-up trucks. Fortunately three of them skidded straight of the side of the pick-up truck roof and only one made it over the fence.

Hank made a snap decision, and yelled “Wong must be in the freight office, go, go….get in there!”. The team sprinted across to the barrels arrayed in front of the freight office. Chris skidded to a halt behind some yellow barrels and caught a whiff of gas. Some sixth sense cut in and as Wong’s hood, Chang, thrust his pump action shotgun through the window, Chris dove to one side. The shotgun barked and the gas filled barrels sent a massive fireball skyward.
Chris and Hank were amazed to find themselves alive, but before they could react, Chang’s shotgun spoke again, felling Chris, while Wong’s Uzi blasted from the door, badly wounding Hank.

Just as Hank thought that things could not get any worse, the four pursuing Rage zombies, leapt on the wounded pair.

Meanwhile, two other members of Hank’s team, Chuck and Malone, had reached the rear door of the freight office. Malone threw the door open and Chuck blasted the room with his pump-action. Amazed to find themselves alive, and sensing the ‘game was up’, Wong and Chang fled the freight office, via the front door. The pair sprinted for the hole in the fence, which they had hastily disguised, when the SUV had crashed into the fence.

As the badly wounded Hank empted a magazine from his MP5 at the pair, Wong pulled the wire apart and he and Chang sprinted down the zombie filled street. Somehow the pair weaved their way through the grasping hands of the zombies piling back into the street. They gained the temporary safety of Hank’s pick-up truck, only the find the keys gone! Wong wrenched at the pick-up’s cabling and as the ghastly undead fingers started to pull at the mesh on the windows, he found the temporary repair from the last ‘hot wiring’ and ripped the insulation away, and jammed the wires together. He was rewarded by the engine roaring into life. He rammed it into reverse, crushing rotting flesh, before roaring off down the street. In the rearview mirror, he could see Hank and members of his team dragging a crate of dried milk down the street, covered by deadly fire from Susie’s MP5K. “Good luck to them”, muttered Wong, “they will need it”!

Game run with Savage Worlds Rules.