Friday 6 July 2018

WWI Batrep - La Bataille du chemin de l'haie - 1914



It all very lax on my blog at the moment I'm afraid. Hence this batrep being a tad late!!
You can see BigLee's excellent report here! His of course was posted in good time.

After Posties great WWI game at Broadside he decided to play another game asap, to give the rules another bash while we could still all remember them!!!

The game "La Bataille du chemin de l'haie" was set early in the war.
The French Army is defending along a long line of hedges anchored on a small village. The German Army must trim the hedges along with the French Army.

The Order of Battle
German
7th Armeekorps - Gen der Kavallerie Von Emen
      13th Infantry Division - Generaleitnant von dem Borne
              25th Infantry Brigade  - Generalmajor von Unruh
                      IR 13 - 3 Battalions
                      IR 158 - 3 Battalions
              26th Infantry Brigade - Unknown General
                      IR 15 - 3 Battalions
                      IR 55 - 3 Battalions
              22nd Artillery Regt - 6 x 7.7cm (2 Batteries)
              58th Artillery Regt - 6 x 10.5cm (2 Batteries)
              16th Uhlans - 4 Squadrons
              6th  Uhlans - 4 Squadrons (from Cavalry Corp)
    
French
5th Armee - 18th Corps d'armee - Gen de Maudituy
      36th Division of Infantry - Gen Jovannu
              71st Brigade - Gen Bertin
                     34e - 3 Battalions
                     49e - 3 Battalions
              72nd Brigade - Gen de Seze
                     12e - 3 Battalions
                     18e - 3 Battalions (Reserves - Arrived about turn 3)
              14th Artillery Regt - 9 x 75cm (3 Batteries)




The Battlefield


Me, James and Richard were leading the German Imperial Army.
Facing us were The French Smiffy and Lee


The French left was very weak, so we decided we would concentrate our attack there. Richard and James would attack while I would move forward and try and hold our left.


I was facing the village, in each building were cowardly French troops stuffing their faces with 
pain au chocolat!


I spy with my little eye
"I have a cunning plan!"


I moved up to fire on the French in the village.


Richard moved up very quickly on the right.
James was hampered by the hedges, so his movement was a lot slower.


We decided to blast the town to get the French out.


What shall I do with the Uhlans?


The thin Blue French line are hugging the hedge


Richard also has a unit of Uhlans. His are going around the flank!


Our artillery in bombing the hell out of the French far left, are there going to be any troops left to attack?



See what I mean?


After the first 2 games I know how hard it is to attack buildings, so I spread my lines to give 
rifle fire instead.


The French started to take heavy casualties.


James finally got free of the hedges.


The French were knocked back on their far left. Can Richard get to the hedge before 
the French reinforcements get there?


Doesn't look like it?


Although Richard's Uhlans have dismounted and could take the flank?

Now here's where the game changed.....literally 

Image result for Harry kane scoring for England v panama

I HAD to abandon the game and go and watch Harry Kane and co smash Panama.
I was ridiculed by the rest of the Losers Rejects, who stayed and played the rest of the game
but come on the World Cup's every 4 years, its been a long wait!!


Here's a pic from Lee's blog as I left the shed!
So I've pinched a few photo's and Lee's quotes from his blog to finish the report.
Cheers Lee!


The German Uhlans have dismounted and charged into the flank of my positions. Fortunately (and in the nick of time) I manage to get one of my reserve Battalions up to the hedge line to defend the ground.  Meanwhile in a last ditch attempt to dislodge my infantry Richard launches assaults with several other units against the front. I have managed to regain my position here fill every gap I can. With the whole right flank in melee its now just down the the luck of the dice which side wins.


Wow. I win all three melees inflicting serious casualties on the German units and throwing them back from the hedge line. This is a significant moment of the game and represented the Germans last best hope of snatching a victory. 


The next turn seals the fate of the German assault as rifle file destroys all but a handful of the German infantry companies. The Uhlans on my left flank have been cut in half and virtually nothing remains in front of my lines. 


With the German assault on our left in tatters and the realistic prospect that I can bolster the defence of the Centre the German players wisely decide to capitulate. They simply do not have enough battalions remaining to stand a chance of breaking through. On the extreme right flank Mark still has two undamaged battalions that have guarded the woods and the approaches to the town. Ray returns from the football to find his fellow generals have lost the game as conclusively as Panama lost to England in the footie. His remaining battalions are still trying to work around the town (still in French hands!) but there is little he can realistically do with them. 


Stan & Ollie
Not sure which ones which? stand and gloat over their victory!
Boo!!!!



30 comments:

  1. It was a good game. Still can't believe you left for football!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Engerland Engerland Engerland
      Engerland Engerland Engerlerrrerd
      Engerland Engerland En ger land!!!!!

      That's all I've gotta say on the matter.

      Delete
  2. It does look like you had fun!

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  3. If you hadn't left, they might have won!
    Of course you had to go watch the game. It's like the Olympics - only every four years. Heck, I'd skip out for either our football or hockey playoffs.

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  4. Nice game !😃
    Early war is more fun than trench game's that could be boring !

    Of course We leave the table for the world cup !
    French did it well yesterday... English may be this afternoon !
    Have pleasure as Us and may be a final France-England next week !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trench warfare can be a tad stale sometime, but the earlier period is fun. Its Napoleonics with machine guns!
      French v England final could be on the cards. Gotta watch out for the Belgians though?

      Delete
    2. French did the job !
      We hope see you on sunday afternoon... 😃
      🇫🇷🇬🇧

      Delete
    3. Fingers and everything else crossed!

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  5. Fabulous report Ray, now let's hope Kane and Co, have a better result than you this afternoon. ;)

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  6. What a spectacular battlefield, great looking game Ray, shortly Harry Kane vs Kylian M'Bappe on the 15th...

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  7. A grand looking game - looks like a lot of fun

    Ray, I am disappointed that you abandoned your command to watch footy on the Telly (I think that’s how you say it in British). Not sure what else to say, except Go Sweden!!!!

    :)

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  8. Stopping a wargame for football, never heard of such, but then being Scottish I have no reason to watch sport :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe one day George? Ally's Tartan Army may ride again?

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  9. You’ll be putting off war games for a bit longer too after today’s effort! Good luck for the next week :)

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  10. I love that you caught them making a plan. Ha!

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  11. Great looking big-battle game, Ray! You and the rest of Postie's sure know how to wargame.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheers Dean. I'm glad you enjoyed the game.

      Delete
  12. That is a gorgeous table and looks like a brilliant game. Shame on you for leaving early for something as vulgar as soccer Pfoei! Anyway, there being a Cunning Plan in the game, I cannot but wonder if any "cappuccino" was offered as well ;-)

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  13. Nice looking game, you can't win all the time and glad to see you have your priorities right!
    Best Iain

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