This Great War Spearhead game (set on the eastern front in 1915) was the second introductory game with Murray, designed to add a little to the complexity, and allow for the opportunity for Murray to see more deeply into some of the artillery interactions that can occur. He took command of a German division with all four regiments, in an advance to contact against a Russian division. The Russian division (total three regiments) had one regiment on table already. All of the Germans were classed as regular, with the full complement of divisional artillery in support. The three Russian regiments were 'random morale' (that is subject to a die roll to determine their morale rating when they first come under fire), and limited artillery support. I encouraged Murray to use his heaviest artillery in counter battery, and deliberately did not allocate the Russian heavy guns to CB in order to demonstrate the impact more clearly. That last decision was tough, because my mantra is 'never leave your baseline without CB support'.
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Source https://www.gettyimages.co.nz/photos/ww1-eastern-front |
The game was played using my 20mm collections.
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The German plan ... the on table regiment would advance immediately to the second river crossing (one of the two game objectives, the other objective was the town it was already occupying). This would be followed by the second regiment advancing to take its place, and hold the right. The third regiment would advance onto the board, and go in to reserve, anticipating the opportunity to strike into the flank of a possible German flanking movement. You can see it's command arrow as it was committed to action in game turn 8.The centre command arrow is the Divisional HQ |
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The German plan.. all four regiments committed to the attack, with no reserves. Murray planned a solid advance against the centre, and two flanking movements |
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The view from the Russian left, the Russians on the right of the photo, the Germans on the left. Game play had already begin, and 1st Russian regiment had already made the move to the second objective. The Russian reserve is bottom right in the photo |
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Russian 2nd Regiment has occupied the second object recently vacated by 1 Regiment, and is pushing past it to hold the right |
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Russian 1st Regiment have taken the second town and river crossing and is deploying into defence |
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The Russian left flank regiment sitting in reserve |
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The German left flank advance |
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German right flank advance |
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Combat begins in the centre against the German 2nd regiment |
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Overview of the Russian right flank, and the centre |
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The German right flank regiment begins to hook around behind the town objective on the other side of the small river |
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The Russian 1st Regiment taking up fire positions in the woods on the flank of the objective |
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The firefight on the German right, against the Russian 1st Regiment, heats up very quickly. The Russians have the advantage of the cover from the woods |
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German 3rd regiment taking heavy fire, with some companies suppressed. Supporting Russian artillery fire from a regiment of field artillery has begun to fall |
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The German right, a heavy exchange of fire taking place |
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The Russian 1st Regiment in the woods, already casualties are occurring, and some of the defenders of the woods are suppressed |
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Meanwhile German 3rd Regiment advances directly towards Russian 1st Regiment in the town. A Russian company can be seen occupying the town outskirts of the right of the photo. The Russians are calling down supporting artillery fire and the Germans are suffering |
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This shows the right flank companies of 1st Russian regiment, with the town object on the extreme left. German artillery fire is now falling on the Russians. |
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Ouch.. and at this stage German counter battery fire silences this regiment of Russian 76mm guns firing in support of 1st Russian Regiment.. they're on their own facing two German regiments |
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On the Russian right the Russians have caught the German regiment in the flank, and brought them under artillery fire from a regiment of heavy 4.8" guns. These guns were in General Support, so it took a lucky thrown indeed to get their support. The fighting here becomes equally desperate |
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The right flank companies of 1st Russian regiment caught in the open are taking heavy casualties |
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The Russian 1st regiment around the objective is suffering continuing casualties as well ... |
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The German advance against 1st Russian regiment in the town continues, the company occupying the outskirts is eliminated |
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And on the German right flank.. whew.,. casualties are mounting for both forces |
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The Russian reserve is committed into a flanking move aimed at eliminating the threat from the German right flank regiment |
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Heavy firing on the Russian right, both sides taking artillery fire |
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More heavy fire around the main objective |
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The Russian reserve is advancing, but the companies advancing in the open are caught by German machine gun fire. The MMG s in the centre of the photo, the Russians advancing in the open are lower right |
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German infantry close assault the Russians defending the wood on the Russian right |
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German troops also close assault a Russian company that has reoccupied the outskirts of the town, one German company is driven off by fire, but the other goes in |
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The Russians in the outskirts lose the close assault combat |
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Desperate fighting still on the Russian left/German right |
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Russian 1st regiment continues to take heavy casualties |
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The German assault against the Russian right is repulsed |
The centre and right Russian regiments had regular morale, but the centre regiment (1st Regiment) occupying the town had taken 50% casualties and was forced to take a morale throw which it failed. It was forced to withdraw for two turns. The Russian reserve regiment proved to have Green morale, and was getting close to a morale throw. German casualties, while heavy, had been spread across all four regiment, so none of them was yet close to a morale check.
German counter battery fire had now also eliminated the regiment of 4.8" guns that had been firing in support of the Russian right so the Russian division had been stripped of the support of two of its three artillery regiments. The 3rd Regiment had a regiment of 122mm guns attached in support, but all attempts at contacting the artillery regiment to call in fire had failed. Withdrawal had already begun with 1st Regiment (which had failed its morale throw). The remainder of the division could only hope that it could do likewise, always difficult in the face of enemy fire.
We had to play the game over two nights. The delay in completing it was well worth the wait as the game was able to evolve so that the relative merits of the two sides plans and strengths were revealed. Next game.. yet more layers of complexity and other possible interactions will be introduced. This will most probably include the use of limited light entrenchments, and pre-planned bombardments (as distinct from 'preliminary bombardments').
Loved this battle report! Well written and hope you have a new GWSH2 opponent!!
ReplyDeleteThank you... Murray is by all accounts loving the rules and the period .. scratching a long time itch.
DeleteR