Hidden Units and Fanatical Warriors

Way back in July of this year I fought the first action in the Roghan Valley campaign - my fictional take on the North West Frontier - for which the report can be read here - Striking the Match - The Roghan Valley, 1895. The game was fought using an earlier version of  Bob Cordery's Memoir of Battle rules and great fun it was as well!

One of the ideas I experimented with during this action was using hidden units. I handled this very simply by deploying the units on the table with a red counter on them. As long as they stood still and did not do anything the units thus deployed were invisible. In order to 'see' them the opposing force had to 'attack' them in combat and score a hit in order for them to be revealed. No damage was actually inflicted but it was assumed that the would-be ambushees were then startled into revealing their position. Of course should the ambushees charge or commence firing that would also give away their position. This was a very simple but effective mechanic to use and also had the bonus effect of ensuring that it was more difficult to see units the further away they were. I should also point out that I restricted any spotting attempts to infantry or cavalry only. I have not had occasion to use this mechanic for some time (and in truth I had forgotten about it!) but I fully intend to incorporate this in my Memoir of Battle games going forward.

There is no reason why this mechanic could not be employed with Bob Cordery's Memoir of Modern Battle rules either (although I have yet to try this out) - certainly given the use of units hidden with camouflage etc, should be represented in some fashion and so I think this would also work well as a simple solution to the 'empty battlefield' problem.

The other tweak I have been considering is how best to replicate the effect of charging fanatical natives types - Fuzzy Wuzzies, Zulus and Ghazi types. I have dipped into the rules for Command and Colours Ancients for the idea I am going to employ and it goes something like this:

• Native troops equipped with hand weapons only may move 1 hex and battle or two hexes. They may move two hexes and battle as long as they end their move in contact with an enemy unit.
• Native units equipped with hand weapons only roll three combat dice at a range of 1 hex.
• Native units that have not suffered any casualties so far in the game add a further combat dice when in combat. This bonus remains in place until the unit suffers casualties.
• Native units equipped with hand weapons only must always follow up an enemy unit if they have caused it to fall back.

I am planning on using a combination of these two ideas in my next action which should narrow down the list of possibilities as to what it will be!

Waltzing Matilda, Beersheba, 1917....Game Number 28

The charge of the Australian Light Horse at Beersheba

I mentioned Beersheba in my last post and as is usual with such a throwaway comment (at least it is for me!) it gave me an idea for a game, more specifically, a Portable Wargame. There is a fair amount of material on the net concerning this action and so I won't bore you with a rehash - read the following link for an overview of the events leading up to the action I am about to describe - Beersheba 1917.

Australian Light Horse Trooper at the ready

From the point of view of a game several things need to be borne in mind. To begin with, the area over which the Australians charged was the part of the Turkish defensive position that although entrenched did not feature any barbed wire or other obstacles. The Turkish defences were fairly well set out with interlocking fields of fire and with machine guns as well - including some sighted to fire across the flank of an attacking unit. The Turks had fought the Australian horsemen before but expected then to fight as mounted infantry - which they were - rather than cavalry. In previous engagements the Turks had tended to wait until the Australians were dismounting and would then open fire. Clearly a change of tactics by the Australians would then have the element of surprise. To have any chance of success the mounted infantry would need to charge home, cavalry style, as quickly as possible. As mounted infantry the Australians did not possess swords and so sharpened bayonets were used as a substitute.

At first glance in order for this work as a game the scenario would be expected to be full of special rules due to the unique nature of the undertaking. I originally considered doing this in order to reflect ineffective Turkish fire and Australian dash and élan but then had a change of heart and so the game will be fought using the Big Battle Portable Wargame rules for the 19th century as written - and with none of my usual tweaks in evidence. The game will require some thought in respect of the set up though but other than that should be fairly straightforward.

The Turks

1 x Commander (2)
4 x Infantry (3 - usual Turkish understrength units)
3 x Machine Gun (2)

Strength Points 20, Exhaustion Level 7

The Australians

1 x Commander (2)
6 x Cavalry (3)
1 x Field Artillery (2)

Strength Points 22, Exhaustion Level 8

All the troops are classed as average - the Australians as they are being used in an unfamiliar way!

The initial dispositions - the Australians are on the right with their artillery deployed to engage the Turkish hill machine gun position. The Turkish infantry and machine guns are in the entrenchments with a sole infantry unit left behind as a garrison in Beersheba on the left.

The view from behind the Australian position - shades of the Charge of he Light Brigade perhaps?

The Turkish defences on the outskirts of Beersheba - not as daunting as you might think, or are they?

Turn 1. The Australian light horse advance with the supporting artillery engaging the Turks on the hill - and missing!

Turn 2. The Australian artillery plasters the Turkish hill machine gun with shells while the furiously charging light horse reach the trench lines. After a brief hand to hand struggle the Turkish defenders abandon them and fall back on Beersheba!

Turn 3. The artillery completes its work on the hill and the Turkish machine gun is no more. Meanwhile the light horse gamely pursue the Turks but not without losses and the occasional minor tactical withdrawal. The mounted attack is gradually losing cohesion.

Turn 4. The Turks manage to take advantage of the temporarily faltering Australian advance and so they form a line with Beersheba as the anchor in the centre.

Turn 5. The Australian artillery moves up to support the by now reorganised  light horse whilst they push on to engage the Turks both in and around Beersheba.

Turn 6. In a blizzard of close range rifle and machine gun fire and deadly hand to hand combat the Australian attack dashes itself against the outskirts of Beersheba itself and come to a exhausted halt! Meanwhile the Turkish defenders, run ragged by the marauding horsemen, have also seen enough for the day and so both sides with one accord, break off the action.

The final reckoning - Australia 8 and Turkey 7

So what did we learn from this action then? Well, a cavalry attack needs to a) keep moving and b) make full use of the initiative. It was interesting that the Australians did far better on the turns in which they had the initiative simply because when the Turks had it they usually just fell back and shot at the pursuing light horse. The light horse would charge in and have a better chance in the ensuing melee rather than relying on rifle fire.

The artillery did exactly what it was supposed to do but sadly could not keep up with the attack which would have been very helpful to the light horse had such support been available.

The game was really decided on the last turn as the Turks inflicted two casualties on the Australians taking them to their exhaustion level but fortunately for them they were able to inflict casualties on the Ottoman infantry to take them to theirs.

I envisaged this action going one of two ways - either the Australians would blitzkrieg the Turkish position in fairly short order or else those cantankerous horsemen would be shot to pieces by machine gun and rifle fire.

I certainly did not expect the result that I actually got!

The (Ottoman) Empire Strikes Back

The beginning of the end - note the cavalry attacking the entrenched Turks on the left.

In turn 3 of my recent block game the Greek cavalry launched an attack against the Turkish infantry in their trenches. the position was carried with great dash and gusto but it struck me as rather unlikely. The fact that the same cavalry unit then went on to more or less clear the the other Turkish trench further convinced me that something was slightly awry. Far be it from me to cast aspersions about the effectiveness of cavalry when engaged in such follies but it really felt plain wrong. I thought about this after the action had ended and attempted to justify this turn of events. Certainly the cavalry attacked with the initiative on both turns (if you recall the Greek army won the initiative on every turn) but would they really be able to carry not one but two trenches full of Ottoman soldiery? (Beersheba doesn't count as strictly speaking it hadn't happened yet!).

I finally decided that this would, under normal circumstances, be pretty unlikely.

The solution came about very quickly and in fact features within the Command and Colours system already. The concept is known as the 'Battle Back'. Essentially, after an attacker has carried out their close combat attack a defending unit, as long as it does not retreat or is destroyed, fights back against its attacker using the normal rules for combat. This means that a close combat could be potentially a bad move for the attacker as they could actually come off worse in the exchange. In the case of cavalry I believe that it will ensure that they are used rather more historically - riding down isolated detachments (especially units that have suffered casualties and so are likely to be destroyed outright) and dashing hither and thither rather than taking on the role of some kind of mounted stormtrooper.

I have added this amendment in to my list of home grown tweaks and will use this going forward.

Greek Delight, Turkish Tragedy, October 1912....Game Number 27

Evzones in campaign dress during the Balkan War

This blog post came about as a result of the generosity of Mr Fox. Every so often he has a clear out from his collection of wargames magazines as he now has most of them on disc. His usual MO is to cut out those articles of interest and pass them on to whosoever has an interest in that particular period. I have received numerous bits and pieces from him over the years in this fashion and very handy much of it has proven to be.  The scenario I am running in the following post is based on such an article concerning the Battle of Sarantoporou fought between the Greeks and the Turks at the the start of the Balkan War in 1912.

Historically the Greek Army of Thessaly, consisting of six infantry divisions, a cavalry brigade and four independent Evzone battalions, under the command of the Crown Prince Constantine crossed the frontier and manged to push back the Turkish covering forces to the previously prepared fortified positions in the Sarantaporon Passes. The terrain favoured the Turks and the passes were easily defended by the smaller force they had available of some 25 battalions (11 of which were reserve formations), 24 guns and three machine gun companies under the command of Tahsin Pasha. Many of the Turkish formations were under strength and so holding the positions was the only viable option for the Turkish command.  The positions had been constructed under German supervision before the war and the Turkish plan was for the frontier force to fall back to it.

The Greek army duly pushed the Turks back to the fortifications and engaged the main force with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions. Meanwhile, the 4th and 5th Divisions probed to the west with a view to outflanking the Turkish defensive line. While the centre was occupied (and sustaining heavy casualties from the Turkish artillery) the flanking attack succeeded in driving the Turks away and so, faced with potential encirclement, the remaining Ottoman troops abandoned the key Sarantaporon pass, leaving virtually all their artillery behind. German Field Marshal Von Der Goltz had confidently proclaimed that the passes would be the 'Graveyard of the Greek Army'. Events proved to be otherwise.

The game was fought using Bob Cordery's memoir of Battle rules with some minor changes. I made use of the exhaustion level idea and also allowed machine gun units to deploy in a hex with another unit, together with making the Turkish infantry strength 3 instead of the usual 4 - and that was the extent of the changes.

The Greeks

1 x Commander (1)
7 x Infantry (4)
1 x Cavalry (3)
1 x Machine Gun (2)
2 x Artillery (2) - 2 field

38 Strength Points, Exhaustion Level 13

The Turks


1 x Commander (1)
5 x Infantry (3) - 3 points each as they were under strength.
1 x Machine Gun (2)
2 x Artillery (2) - 1 field, 1 heavy

22 Strength Points, Exhaustion Level 8

The initial set up - the Greeks are at the bottom of the picture. Note the central Turkish position and the Greek flanking force on the left.

The main Greek force preparing to force the main pass.

The Greek flanking force - two infantry divisions and the cavalry brigade.

Turn 1. The Greek 1st and 2nd Division advance to engage the Ottoman position and come under Turkish rifle and artillery fire. Each side suffers casualties, with the Greek attack coming off worse.

Turn 2. Both sides artillery get into their stride with the Turkish machine guns being knocked out by a combination of field guns and rifle fire with the two Greek infantry units sustaining further casualties.

Turn 3. While the attack in the centre falters, over on the left the Greek infantry advance and the cavalry charge into the entrenched Turks.

Turn 4. The Greek attack on the left destroys first one Turkish infantry unit and severely damages the remaining one. Although the attack in the centre has faltered the Turkish flank has been driven in and so the main position can be outflanked at leisure. The Turks have been defeated and so the stain on Greece's honour dating back to 1897 has been removed!

The final scores - Greece 8, Turkey 10.

That was very quick indeed but in four turns more or less followed the historical action almost to the letter. The Greek attack in the centre was plastered with rifle fire and artillery and duly faltered. The left flank attack  made cunning use of the initiative (in fact the Greeks won the initiative on every turn) in order to carry the position - added by some poor Turkish dice rolls - and this proved to be the key to the Turkish defensive line. 

I really enjoyed revisiting Memoir of Battle and the rules worked very well for this action. The one thing that has come out of this though is that I need to get some mountainous looking terrain - I believe that Hexon make some rocky outcrops - as this part of the world is quite craggy.

All in all then, a very pleasant way to pass an hour or so.

Operation Seeadler....Part 3

He always runs while other men walk....

Yesterday evening saw me sending to the two commanders the rules governing sailing orders and so no doubt they are now both poring over their respective maps and plotting furiously.

As we are now about to go live in respect of campaign activity the full weight of wartime censorship will come down with a resounding 'thud' as from here on in the action will be covered by Tim Gow on his blog -
Megablitz and More as and when it arises. I will of course be providing prompts at key points of the story but the full history will be drafted by yours truly after the dust (or should that be spray?) has settled.

To borrow the chapter heading from Ian Fleming's Thunderball - 'Fasten your lap strap!'

What have the following items got in common?

Two sets of Zvezda 20mm plastic German and Russian infantry of WW2, a pair of (roughly 1/72nd scale plastic Tiger tanks (motorised!), a sheet of assorted naval ensigns, a scratchbuilt wooden model of the WW1 Moltke class battlecuiser and a book about the campaign and battle of Chickamauga during the American Civil War

Well, the first two items mentioned - the 20mm infantry and the two rather natty looking Tiger tanks dropped through the letterbox a couple of days ago courtesy of that very generous Mr Tim Gow of Megablitz and More fame. The figures have both solved one dilemma and caused another - the solved one is that I now have a selection of models with which to start my long planned Eastern Front set up in 20mm and the unsolved one is which year I should tackle! I am looking at 1942 as opposed to 1943 now as the figures are more suitable for the former rather than the latter - it also means no 'tank power games' so beloved of the late end of the war. The two Tigers will get a repaint and I am looking forward to getting back into the painting groove with them. 

Many thanks to Tim for these - much appreciated old chap!

The remaining items came from rather further afield - in fact from the US of A! Steve Page, of Old Admirals fame very kindly donated these three items (with a little help from Spike Page who produced the flags!) all of which are very much appreciated for different reasons. The flag sheet will be very useful for any of the models I plan to scratch build for the period (and yes I have some in mind!) and the model itself has given me  much in the way of ideas for just how to tackle similar projects myself. The ship is 'cartoon style' in that the layout is faithful to the original design but the dimensions have been changed for the ease of modelling. I have admired Steve's work as seen on his blog and actually having one of his models on hand is really helpful when considering building techniques etc. The book was an unexpected treat and Steve actually lives fairly close by the battlefield itself! I fought Chickamauga as a solo game based on Battle Cry but am unfamiliar with any of the background to the battle so this will fill that particular gap quite nicely. As a result I hope to get some additional ideas for some Portable Wargames in the new year.

So to Steve and Spike, many, many thanks for the goodies - again, they are very much appreciated.

Taking to the High Seas with Model Ships

Essential reading for the naval wargamer

A comment on one of my recent posts from Steve's Wargame Stuff went something along the lines of - 'could you recommend a scale and UK model supplier for a complete naval novice? I have an 8' x 4' table to use but have no idea on what scale to play. Any advice would be very welcome.'

I must confess to probably being guilty of assuming that everybody that has read this blog is a naval wargamer and so many of my scribblings, whilst obvious to me and those 'in the know', may be less so to someone that has never gotten their wargaming toes wet! This post will will hopefully address some of the points requested. I initially considered responding to the comment but quickly realised that the answer would be far longer than one could reasonably fit into a response, hence the following post.

Without going into a long ramble about scales, rules and periods if I had to sum up in one word where would probably be a good place to start on a naval wargame adventure it would be - pauses for a long drum roll - 

NAVWAR

The reason for this is simple. The range of ships available from them in both 1/1200th and 1/3000th is huge. The 1/1200th scale models are primarily up to the ACW period so ancient and renaissance galleys, the Armada, the Dutch Wars, the American War of Independence and Napoleonic Wars are also included. For 1/3000th the range covers a huge selection of models for the pre dreadnought era (effectively from the end of the ACW to 1905 when HMS Dreadnought was launched) WW1 and 2 and even for modern naval actions. Starter packs are available for those wishing to try a period and all of the models come with a sheet of details for the class represented.

As a general rule where weapon ranges become shorter then larger models can be easily used so on an 8ft by 4ft table for reasonable sized WW1 and 2 actions (with perhaps a dozen or so models a side) 1/3000th is as good an option as any.

As far as rules are concerned then John Curry and his History of Wargaming project  - History of Wargaming Project is a great place to start with a couple of essential naval rules titles on offer from Donald Featherstone and Paul Dunn - F. T. Jane and Fletcher Pratt may be a step too far for the naval novice! There are also a lot of rules available for nothing from Free Wargames Rules.

For the most part you will not need any scenery to speak of either!

This post is really only touching the tip of the iceberg as far as scales of models, manufacturers, rules and other bits and pieces are concerned and so should anybody want to ask any further questions then drop me a line and I will try to help further.