River terrain ...

I've been searching for a while for some affordable thin plastic sheet with which to create some river sections. I have two purposes in mind:

1. Two sections of shoreline suitable as waterways for use as terrain for 'DBA armies whose home terrain is 'Littoral'
2. A means to create wider rivers for other games. In particular I have a 1915 scenario in mind fought around the Suez canal.

Murray found some plastic sheets used as kitchen cutting sheets, flexible, but just the right size.

A single section of 'river bank

Two sections butted against each other to form a section of a wider river

The sections placed to form a river the length of a 6' table

I'll need a few more sheets to create some curves of various sorts. Onwards ....

A second Argonne offensive September 1918

This game is the second run through of the fictional Argonne scenario that Murray and I played last week. The plan was to have 2 more players, each of whom would do all the planning so that we could see how different minds saw and solved the tactical challenges. Murray and I also swapped sides to see the game from the other perspective. Jon took command of the Americans, with me as his 2IC. Andy was to take command of the German defenders, but was unwell, so Murray did a solo effort commanding them.

The battle was fought with my 20mm German troops and Murray's Americans, using the Great War Spearhead rules (25 years old this year).

Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/battles-of-the-Meuse-Argonne

This isn't the usual full report.. we were too focussed on trying to play through the turns and I didn't want to inhibit the game flow any more than necessary.

The battlefield with the American advance to come from the left

The orders of battle, along with scenario notes, follow. Note that I made some specific 'preliminary bombardment' rules for the scenario. The outcome was that four German companies were eliminated in the preliminary hurricane bombardment, one of which was a Regimental HQ. Murray opted for a counter bombardment, the effect of which was minimal (hidden from Murray at the time), one American Regiment losing just one fighting stand. Jon employed CB as a result, and reduced the fire effect of the German heavies for 2 turns.

Jon's plan, focussing on the right flank, with a coordinated flank march planned for turn 4. It did indeed turn up on time.

The German right flank defenders, required to cover the centre and left, were supported by a section of A7Vs

This was the American attack through the centre more of a holding/pinning attack

The German right, left pretty much alone

The American right flan k attack

The American right, with the FT17 regiment 'sweeping' around the extreme right (in so far as FT17s could ever 'sweep')

A regiment of guns deployed in support of the American right (Russian 76.2's proxying for the 18 prs)

The American flank march, including a MkV tank section, arrives as planned

The American right flank attack breaks through, as the German defending regiment attempts a 'break off' move to try and avoid being overwhelmed

The remnants of the German right withdrawing

This the first of the American flight of Spad XIIIs attacks the on board brigaded regiment of 77 field guns, eliminating two of the three batteries

The American left/centre regiment pushes two companies into the town sector in the centre which the Germans had left unoccupied

The A7V section realigns in response to the American success on their right, while their right flank regiment receives an order change and begins its attempt to move towards the flank danger

Meanwhile companies form the American left have moved to begin to flank' their opponents

The second American air attack catches the German left flank as they are in the midst of their 'break off'. The resulting casualties force a morale check they were veteran, so just the one at 2/3 casualties). They fail and begin to withdraw

The German artillery had remained remarkably active, with an early CB strike eliminating the American heavy regiment which itself was allocated to CB fire. However the nature and concentration of the American attack meant that the German position had quickly become untenable.

The difference in approach in the attack, and the greater use of CB fire, had made a significant difference to the attack. This was a fascinating exercise. It's not that often that we 'replay' scenarios in order to make comparisons.

Vikings and Saxons...

 The week finished with a series of DBA games at Keiths at which we used my Saxons and Vikings. 

Other armies deployed during the evening (all 15mm) included Samurai, Gauls, Successors, and Polybian Romans.

St Lucia 1848

Second game for the week was an historical scenario, the battle of  St Lucia fought in 1848 between Piedmontese and Austrian forces. The armies come from Adrian's 15mm collection, and the buildings are his own scratchbuilt work. He was an architect in hos professional life, so add that to his painting talent and you understand somehtign about these incredible buildings. My main purpose in documenting this game was mainly to showcase these amazing buildings. The large (as in very large) building area represents Verona. The game was played using the Volley and Bayonet rules. 

The game was one of the longest and most hard fought games I can recall.. enormous good fun. The battle swung backwards and forth several times with the Austrians finally seizing the day. .

More of this week's painting.

A couple of additional wee projects completed this week. The first is a 'camp' for the DBA Viking army... the longboat is from the Essex 6mm range. 

I have wanted to model some decent river sections, with two uses in mind. First 'waterway' sections for use with my 'Littoral' armies for DBA, and second to model the Suez Canal for a 1914 GWSH scenario I have in mind. I have been searching for a suitable and affordable material that won't warp when in 12" lengths. I found a plastic mat that we had purchased several decades ago. I need three, but sadly not so long ago I threw one of the  our, while the other seems to have disappeared BM (Before Memory).

These are the four sections I managed from the one sheet I still had.

Americans attack in the Argonne 1918

Somewhere in the Argonne, September 1918, and an American infantry division is attempting to crack open the rapidly crumbling German defence. An under strength German division is trying to re-establish some sort of defensive line in the face of the relentless allied offensive that began with the blackest of days and the battle soon to be known as 'Amiens' at the beginning of August. 

American FT17s advance

This game was the first outing for Murray's nearly complete American late war division, per the Great War Spearhead rules. The figures are from the HaT 20mm range. The German defenders are mostly from the Esci range. The Germans had a limited amount of level 1 entrenchments and wire to psitn in an effort to try and hold up the attackers. 

German defenders' OOB

The American attackers' OOB

The battlefield as seen from the American right/German left, so the Americans attack from the left of the photo

The German plan of attack, with several subsequent order changes added

The German right flank, a small section of A7V tanks in support

Attacking Americans in an unusual close column advancing to the attack

A regiment of 5 sections of FT17 tanks advances down the road

The American right flank regiment, with a regiment of 18pdrs on board in support

Just showing off Murray's base labelling

German defenders in the town on the centre of the battlefield

The centre American regiment approaches the town and surrounding defences, and comes under fire

The American right flank approaches what was soon to become a hotly contested wood

The A7Vs start to move (well, lumber, really) out towards the extreme German right flank

The centre American attack starts to take casualties

On the American right the regiment charges into the wood, only to be repelled by the German defenders.  The attackers were the victims of friendly fire as American artillery firing in support not only hit the Germans but also the American attackers

The American attack on the wood is renewed, this time with more success

The initial German defenders are eliminated

The firefight in the centre heats up

The American left flank attack against the German right is stall... they had reached the end of their command arrow. Murray had been very conservative in his plan here, and failed several attempts at an order change

Casualties are mounting for the German left flank defence

The Americans have broken into the wood on the German left... several furious melees ensue as each side hotly contests the position. The German commander has thrown his reserve company into the fight

In the centre the defenders to the right of the town are eliminated, but simultaneously the attacking American regiment fails its morale check and is unable to exploit the gap that it has fought hard to open up

The American left flank regiment finally receives new orders and begins to advance through the wood

The German left flank regiment is hit hard again ...

and the fourth American regiment pushes against the defenders to the left of the town. These defenders are now under fire from a regiment of 155mm howitzers

The American armour pushes into the German defence.. the sole German company in the trench line is part of the regiment reserve that had rushed forward to reoccupy the position after the initial defenders were eliminated

A section of FT17s close assault the defending German company..

..but fail (lose the combat)

The German left flank defence is largely negated, and takes a morale check (which it passes!!!)

It looks a bot of a shambles in the centre ...

The Americans begin to push against the German right with the ir left flank regiment that has finally begin to move

Attacked regiment of German 77mm field guns supporting their centre

View from behind the American centre

American companies enter the outskirts of the town, prior to launching an assault

This was the position at the end of ten moves. German counter battery fire had eliminated both American heavy artillery regiment, but had also used up its four fire missions. The armour on both sides had been ineffective, and the American attack had bogged down.

The scenario design needed to allow more preplanned fire at the start of the game, (it was intended to represent a short hurricane bombardment supporting a hasty attack, rather than the mid war preliminary bombardments that lasted days) and the initial ten move game limit we set was too short; we think probably 14 moves is required. I made some errors in handling the German response to the preplanned fire, the net result of which was that it caused no casualties .. my fault, we're always learning. Murray didn't use his artillery as effectively as he could have, and had no counter battery missions allocated. He also didn't manage the armour effectively.

We both noted the significant difference between this and the early war game a few weeks ago .. each requires a different mindset from players. It was however a great first outing for Murray's Americans... we'll see more of them, that's for sure.