On the highest peaks: a Great war Spearhead game set in the Carpathians 1915

During the Great War the eastern and Italian fronts saw fierce fighting across rugged and mountainous terrain. Our preferred WW1 rules system is Great War Spearhead. In his scenario book "Our sons as well', intended primarily (but not exclusively) for use with these rules, Robert Dunlop created a very simple mechanism for simulating some of the difficulties of fighting across this terrain: crossing all terrain contours costs a stand half of its move. Given the nature of the terrain, and inspired by visions of Italian troops using rope systems to hoist gun batteries in to positions in such rugged terrain, for this scenario set in such terrain I added the stipulation that during the battle itself any gun batteries deployed on table could not mount beyond a second contour on any hill terrain.  As it happens, these scenario specific changes had a more profound impact on the way in which we fought the battle than either of us had anticipated (and I hasten to add, it 'felt' as if these scenario specific rules meant that the action was much closer to the difficulties troops and commanders faced when fighting in such mountainous terrain).

The Austrian forces included a mountain infantry regiment. To what purpose, we wondered? Perhaps we could represent their mountaineering skills by making them exempt from the half move penalty imposed on others when cross a contour.

The Russian divisional commander had just taken over this sector. His predecessor's forces had managed to dig some deeper trenches in the rocky terrain, and protected them with wire obstacles. They had also managed to build one bunker and several pillboxes defending some of the highest peaks. They had managed by a feat of human ingenuity to get one gun battery into their bunker on one of the highest peaks.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryPorn/comments/klwp7q/italian_soldiers_hoisting_a_crate_dog_and/

This all just in time, as the Austrian command had an offensive planned using a fresh division well supported by artillery. So fresh was the reformed division that two of the regiments were still green. Similarly in the Russian division one regiment had just been brought up to full strength with new recruits, and so was rated as 'Green' in GWSH terms. The Austrians had 12 turns in which to cross the river and take the highest peaks.

The battle was fought using my 20mm armies. The figures and guns are from the HaT range.

The Austrian plan. I tried something new by photographing the table and printing that so commanders could draw their plans on the print. 

The battle begins to unfold, Austrians advancing from the right, Russians defending on the left

The Austrian objective was to cross the river line and take the four and five contour heights

The Austrians advance on their right against Russian forces holding the heights and occupying some of their limited level 2 entrenchments protected with a small belt of wire

Part of the Austrian attack in the centre

The mountain infantry regiment, foolishly (s it turns out) advancing onto the table and going into reserve).. not my finest moment in the context of my games

The Russian bunker, protected by wire obstacles

Action opens on the Austrian right.. immediate casualties for the Austrians

The Austrian attack against the bunker

The Russians opposing the Austrian right flank are supported by a battery of field guns

The weight of the attack on the Austrian left against the bunker is evident here

Austrian Pre-planned fire from a supporting regiment of 250mm mortars falls on the etrenchments on the right.. 

Pre-planned fire falling on the bunker suppresses the gun battery

The Austrian attack pushes around the flank of the bunker

A second round of preplanned fire against the Russian entrenchments facing the Austrian right eliminates all of the defenders .. these are BIIIG mortars

Fierce fighting is erupting as the Austrians attempt to push towards the river. The Russian entrenchments subject to that devastating pre-planned fore can be seen on the right of the photo. We use the red markers to indicate stands that have moved more than a combat move and so are ineligible to fire. White markers indicate stands that have combat moved (and so can fire at a later stage in the fire phase)

There is a fierce artillery battle going on as well.. The Austrians managed to get support from all of the artillery regiments, but then two of their observing stands were eliminated. There was also a counter battery battle going on. Apart from their heavy counter battery regiment, the Russian artillery was proving less responsive.

Attempts to advance against the bunker resulted in heavy casualties, although the Russian infantry supporting the bunker were paying a price too. 

The red dots on the Austrian stands mid-right show stands attempting to move against the Russian defences

The defences facing the Austrian right emptied of defenders, although there is a line of Russian defenders on the hill contour immediately behind, coming under Austrian field gun fire

Again, the red dots give a feel for the attempts to advance on the Austrian left

The Russian forces on their right facing the Austrian left flank advance - at this stage the fire fight appears to be going in the Austrians' favour

A video panorama (about 32 seconds) of the battlefield from Austrian left to right at the end of turn 8 of the game.

The red dots show the Austrian regiment trying to move to apply pressure against the centre Russian regiment, and get across the river

Close-up of the move towards the river and a possible crossing

The advance against the bunker on the Austrian left comes under heavy fire and stalls

Overview of the move against the bunker complex

The en trenchments on the Russian right are hit with preplanned artillery fire

Austrian units advance to occupy the entrenchments , and the Rusaian defending regiment fails its morale check after heavy casualties and is forced to withdraw

Finally, the entrenchments are taken

The firefight continues across the river

The Austrian reserve, the mountain troops, is committed in an attempt to cross the river

More fire against the Russian right/Austrian left. The bunker complex can be seen at the top of the photo

The Austrian right flank regiment advances against the retreating Russian left flank regiment

More fire comes down on the central Russian defenders at the top of the photo, but the Austrian stand acting as 'observer' is eliminated

The Austrian reserve pushes forward, but immediately takes casualties

The Austrian left flank regiment has successfully pushed a battalion around to the extreme left to occupy the woods that lie between them and the Russians. Finally they will be able to apply pressure on the Russians from the left 

Couldn't resist this table top view of the action at the end

The Austrians had 12 turns to get across the river and take the heights. At the end of the 12th turn despite having driven off the Russian left, and being in a position to break their right, they were nowhere near being able to force the river crossing nor take those heights. The Austrian artillery had more limited ammunition, and so was restricted to six fire missions per regiment. Most had expended the available ammunition by the 12th turn. Of course this was in part due to the fact that all of their regiments had indeed been able to respond to calls for their support, whereas the Russians had been far less successful in that regard.

As the Austrian commander I started with a flawed plan. I failed to make best use of the mountain troops. Apart from 'General Incompetence', I had also failed to anticipate the impact of the movement restrictions on this rugged terrain. The half move penalty for crossing a contour, combined with the complexity of the terrain generally, meant movement was slow and difficult. I struggled to maximise the number of stands able to fire in any given turn because of those movement difficulties.

This simple scenario specific rules tweak was remarkably effective in presenting the players with an understanding of the difficulty of fighting in these conditions. This was perhaps the most complex GWSH game I have played.. and wow, what a blast as a gaming experience.

A division level 'raid' in the Middle east 1915

 It's the Middle East theatre in 1915. British forces have been molested by the fire of a new Turkish armoured train providing support to a Turkish infantry division. The British division commander is authorised to carry out a raid with the objective of capturing or eliminating the armoured train and capturing the central town in the sector. The armoured train has been immobilised by an earlier small raid, but is still bringing down fire.

The game was the next outing for Murray who commanded the Turkish forces. His division was supported by three regiments of 77mm field guns, and a regiment of 120mm guns. He chose to allocate the 120mm to counter battery fire. There was also a flight of fighter aircraft in the area which were theoretically available to support the Turkish division. They failed to arrive despite repeated (frantic) requests. The Turkish troops had also had time to prepare some light entrenchments and to place some sections of wire, across their front.

Source: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C203845

The British division was supported by three regiments of 18pdr field guns, a regiment of 4.5" howitzers, and a regiment of 60pdr howitzers, two squadrons of Rolls Royce armoured cars, and a regiment of the Imperial Camel Corps. The 4.5" guns were allocated to preplanned fire, while the 60pdrs were tasked to counter battery fire.

A fierce counter battery dual ensued which at various times reduced the impact of both sides' artillery assets. Fire missions were also limited for both sides. The field regiments had ten fire missions available, the heavier guns four fire missions.

The British commander's plan was to concentrate the attack against the train and central town sector with attacks by 7 and 17 Brigade. This concentration of force and firepower was to be crucial to the outcome of the battle.

The flank attack by the camel corps, supported by the commitment f 16 Brigade from its reserve position on the left, was intended first and foremost to pin the Turkish defenders on the flank. The possibility of taking the rear village would be a bonus.

The battle was fought with my 6mm British and Turkish forces, using the Great War Spearhead rules. All figures are from the Irregular range.

The Turkish commander's defensive plan.

The British commander's attack plan

The battlefield sen from the British right/Turkish left flank. The armoured train is on its track in the centre of the view

The armoured train

The central town sector adjacent to the train

Initial deployment.

Turkish defenders on the right centre

Defence at the central station

19 Brigade advances against the armoured train with a regiment of 18pdr field guns in support

17 Brigade advances in the centre of the divisional formation, targeting the central town sector and rail station, with two sections of RR armoured cars out front 

The first turn of preplanned artillery fire from a regiment of 4.5" howitzers falls on the light defensive positions hurriedly dug by Turkish forces to protect the armoured train position

The 7 Brigade advance comes under fire from the right flank companies of the centre Turkish regiment

The first of two turns of preplanned fire falls on the centre town/rain station. The Turkish forces had chosen not to occupy the sector though

19 Brigade pushes forward and takes up fire positions from which to engage in the firefight with the central Turkish defenders

Overview of the battlefield from the British right

17 Brigade

The Turkish defenders in the centre

7 Brigade pushes forward, its armoured car sections out front

Heavy fire between 17 Brigade and the centre Turkish defenders in front of the armoured train which adds its own firepower to the defence

The intensity of the fire coming down on the central Turkish defenders evident here: direct fore form the 17 Brigade's on table regiment of 18pdrs, an off table regiment of 18pdrs, and their own infantry fire

The same fire fight from behind 17 Brigade's position

7 Brigade pushes the firefight. One armoured car section is suppressed (upper left of the photo)

The right flank of the centre Turkish defenders

The armoured car sections

The Turkish right pushes forward

17 Brigade persists with the firefight

The last Turkish resistance in front of the armoured train is eliminated

The right of the centre Turkish centre regiment

7 Brigade.. crikey it's hot work in there

7 Brigade (lower left) pushes the attack as the centre Turkish defenders survived their first morale throw, having sustained over 50% casualties

Overview of the battlefield at this stage

The camel corps flanking attack has arrived, and advanced into the Turkish rear, but the Turkish commander had a contingent of Arab cavalry in reserve behind that flank, and commits them to defend his rear

The British commander commits his 16 Brigade which had sat in reserve on his left, the commitment timed to take advantage of the arrival of the Camel Corp behind the Turkish lines

17 Brigade is taking artillery fire from the Turkish left flank regiment which has started to push foward

The armoured train is taking fire, and the main gun car is destroyed. The MMG car at the front is suppressed

17 Brigade begins its advance against the central town

7 Brigade is now advancing on the remnants of the centre Turkish regiment behind the central town

These are the leading elements of 7 Brigade, with the armoured car sections

The Camel Corp squadrons are dismounted and exchanging fire with the Arab reserve cavalry

The centre from behind 7 Brigade

The battlefield with the British division about to capture the central town and the immobilised armoured train

The wreck of the armoured train

We determined victory via victory points. The table included two village sectors worth two VP each, and two towns worth four VP each. The armoured train was worth four VP. If the British captured of destroyed it they gained the VP, if the Turkish forces retained control and the train was still operational they gained the four VP. At the end of the game the British gained twelve VP, having captured the central and left flank town sectors and destroyed the combat capability of the armoured train. The Turkish commander had four VPs having retained control of the two village sectors on the left and right flanks.

This was a fantastic game that ebbed and flowed over the course of its eight moves. The critical factor in the battle was probably the concentration of the British attack against the central Turkish regiment. The firepower was overwhelming in the end (although Murray's ability to roll 1's with his dice was an extraordinary thing to behold!!!). As they say, very few plans will succeed if you can't roll 6's. That said Murray handled his artillery deftly. The Turkish division just doesn't have enough.