Battle for Lesnica 12 August 1914

The Battle for Lesnica in Serbia on 12 August 1914 was a small part of the larger action known as the Battle of Cer. This Great War Spearhead scenario was the first outing for my newly painted Serbian infantry, and is taken from the scenario book 'Summer Harvest' by Shawn Taylor and Robert Dunlop. So new is the Serbian army that in its incomplete state Russian guns had to 'proxy' for the Serbian artillery. The Austrian and Serbian infantry and guns are all from the HaT 20mm range.

The battlefield with the Austrian attack coming from the left, the Serbian defences based around the right. Lesnica is the two sector village area lower right.

The Austrian attack plan

The Serbian plan for deployment of its reinforcements, which we interpreted as being 'reserves', so the arrow was drawn at the end of turn 3, before they entered turn 4. At that stage the Austrian plan was still not clear to the Serbian commander, so this deployment made a lot of assumptions about where the Austrians would be

Serbian defences around Lesnica, one of the batteries of old 150mm guns seen at the top of the photo emplaced on the heights. The 'trenches' are from the Timecast range.

One of the emplaced Serbian. 150mm batteries

Defenders around Novo Selo on the Serbian right

The first Austrian regiment deployed and beginning its attack, top centre of the photo

The Austrian attack came in 'piecemeal' reflecting the delays experienced by each regiment in crossing the river.

The Austrian attack well underway, with the second Austrian regiment across the river and advancing

Turn 4 and the Serbian reinforcements have arrived

The centre Austrian regiment comes under fire from the Serbian 150mm battery emplaced on the heights in the centre

Serbian reinforcements close up

Action heats up in the centre with the Austrian attackers now within small arms range.

Austrian casualties

The Serbian reinforcements following their command arrow. The Serbian commander had anticipated an Austrian attack directly towards Lesnica, and planned the reinforcements (with two regiments of field guns) to take the Austrian attack in the flank. The entry along the road leading directly into Lesnica was stipulated in the scenario outline.

The Serbian defenders of Novo Selo come under heavy artillery and small arms fire and take casualties

The Austrian attackers quickly gained support from the off board heavier guns, but failed throughout the game to get support from their onboard field artillery.. comms between observer and guns were obviously very poor on the day

The centre Austrian regiment takes fire, but suffers few casualties (some bad die rolling for the Serbian commander)

In a single devastating round of fire all of the remaining Serbian defenders of Novo Selo are eliminated .. the village is wide open

It's hotter in the centre

The first regiment of the Serbian reinforcing artillery deploys

The game had a 10 turn length, and at the end of turn 10 the Serbians still held Lesnica. While the defenders of Novo Selo had been eliminated the Austrians had not had time to occupy the village. Here is a video panorama from the Austrian left around behind the Austrians and then left to right behind the Serbians.

On victory points the Serbians had won (spoiler alert ... historically they did). The Austrian attacker had been too timid, shifting to making combat moves once he had come under fire, despite that fact that there were so few defenders. A full and fast attack would have swamped the defenders. The Austrians' casualties at five stands, the Serbians at three, were unusually light for a Great War game. 

As part of the 25th anniversary for Great War Spearhead Murray and I had decided we'd build armies for and play some of the theatres that are not commonly seen on the table. This Austro-Hungarian/Serbian clash iss one of those. There are more to come.

A minor setback for Sommerville

There was a renewed sense of confidence in the camp. The wine had flowed freely in the mess as the officers of the Eastern Task Force relived the glorious moments of the day's battle.

"Winstanley, old chap. Glorious, glorious, glorious" and Lord Chelting pumped his hand repeatedly. "So disappointed I wasn't there to be a part of the whole thing. Technical hitches, you know."

"Yes, my boy, truly splendiferous" from Sommerville. "The General will be overjoyed with the news, and so proud" and he raised his glass again. "To our hero of the day"

"To our hero of the day" voices chanted in unison.

"Smithers, a refill, quickly, man" and Corporal Smithers leant over the Brigadier's left shoulder as he poured more claret into the Brigadier's glass. "And the others, man, keep up, for goodness sake."
"As you please, sir. It's hard to keep up with such appetites fuelled by victory" and he turned away to refill other glasses, muttering between his breath "goodness knows such appetites are rarely found in this 'ere camp."

"Yes indeed, and well done again, everyone. Dumnorix, you say? By goodness, what a great day this is. And what say you to his actions tomorrow?"

"Ah, he'll not be seen again Sir, mark my words, he'll not be seen again. A damned fine thrashing."

But return he did, and in force once again. Such was Sommerville's concern, he ordered the mechanical dragon to be mobilised to support the battle.

The commander managed to get the dragon fired up and ready for battle, able to make an early appearance on the battlefield.

The dragon commander made a quick attack across the barbarian lines, looking to strike early.

Smarting from the previous day's defeat, Dumnorix opted to try to attack the mechanical daemon before it could attack the remainder of his troops.

Action was joined

Gah, the commander of the dragon opted to withdraw.. defeated in combat

 Dumnorix pushed forward, knowing that he had little choice but to take the battle to the enemy.

The British left was however a tougher nut to tackle, shooters using the bad terrain to good effect.

Action was joined in the centre

And Winstanley and the Doctor recoiled under the shock of the impact of the barbarian war band, but the line held

But Sommerville rushed forward with his valiant riflemen, bayonets fixed, to support the line.

The centre looks secure, supported by shooters in the woods

The Doctor tried his magic on Dumnorix, while shooters on the British left forced the mammoth behemoth back

There's a tussle on the British left

Sommerville works hard to defeat Dumnorix' centre

The Barbarian behemoth mammoth is destroyed in the centre

The tussle on the British left continues, but a unit of lancers succumbs to the mammoth

They battle it out in the centre ...

And half of the assaulting war band are destroyed as Sommerville makes cunning use of his shooters to support him in his own attack

With nothing left to lose, the last Barbarian war band push forward against the Doctor.

A last combat, and the Doctor is forced from the field

The classic 1:6 die result meant the loss of the magician

"Sir

"Forces of the Eastern Task Force today engaged the barbarian horde in a battle most vicious. We destroyed much of the barbarian force in an action that cost us dearly in life and machine.
We were forced to yield the field for the day, knowing that we will be in a better position on the morrow to secure the eastern boundaries of our conquered lands, and so the ultimate security and prosperity of the empire.

"God Save The Queen
"I remain your humble servant
"Brigadier Sommerville"


So the game ended. It had hung in the balance for several turns, both sides having lost 10 AP. The outcome was bad luck for Nick, in command of the British; any other result and it would still have been game on. Overall his position was much stronger than the Barbarians. The war band in the centre were exposed, and I pushed them forward aggressively, knowing that it was all or nothing.

The armies were:
Barbarian:
4 x warband
2 x riders
1 x hero general
2 x behemoth mammoth

For the British:
1 x hero
1 x dragon
1 x magician
2 x knights
2 x blade
2 x shooters