WWI Batrep - The Battle of Montceaux-les-Provins 6th Sept 1914

 

Or as the French players named it...

The Batille de la Mission Impossible, see Lee's report here, be prepared for a little whinging, even though it may have been worthy?

We picked sides out of the hat

Germans - Surj & Ray

French - Richard, Lee & Steve

The battlefield

The French were tasked with capturing terrain pieces, we the Germans didn't know how many and which ones, we guessed it would be towns, woods, hills, crossroads and our 2 HQ bases. We the Germans, just had to stop them doing this.

OOB

French

5th Army

18th Corps - HQ Guard 1 squadron 18th Chasseurs a cheval

35th Division

69th Brigade - 6th (3 battalions) 123rd (3 Battalions)

70th Brigade - 57th (3 Battalions) 144th (3 Battalions)

1 Pioneer Company

9 Artillery Battalions

36th Division

71st Brigade - 34th (3 Battalions) 49th (3 Battalions)

72nd Brigade - 12th (3 Battalions) 18th (3 Battalions)

1 Pioneer Company

9 Artillery Battalions

German

2nd Army

VII Army Corps - HQ Guard 1 squadron 16th Uhlans

13th Division 

25th Brigade - 13th (3 battalions) 158th (3 Battalions)

26th Brigade - 15th (3 Battalions) 55th (3 Battalions)

2 Pioneer Company

12 Artillery Battalions

14th Division

79th Brigade - 56th (3 Battalions)

We were allowed a glimpse at our set up, we could see the French set up also, but Postie told us, this was their troops, but this is Not there set up.

Gotta admit we were very worried as we were outnumbered 2-1.

The French were then left alone in the shed to set their troops up for around 10 minutes, so we couldn't even make a battle plan, coz we didn't know where they were going to be! When we went back, we found their troops in exactly the same position, so Posties fog of war worked well.

This is my command, the 56th infantry, 3 units v Steve's 6!

The game stared early in the morning, we the German's were totally unprepared to fight as we were either still asleep or have breakfast, hence the wavy infantry lines.

Luckily for us and a real bit of bad luck for the French, Surj was asked to throw a dice. This was to see if we had spotted the French creeping forward, he threw a 6, which was what we needed.

If he hadn't the French would have a free 8 inch move forward, while we would carry on enjoying our bratwurst brekkie! And then the next turn he would have had to throw again, although this time we'd have spotted them on a 5 & 6, so it could have worked out that they have a free 16 inch move, which would have been a disaster for the Germans.

After we spotted them all we could do on our first turn was form up.

So artillery was positioned ready to fire.

Our HQ, on our left of the battlefield

Steve targeted my 56th, in a slit trench, with 6 guns!

I also took some of Surj's troops on the centre right, I moved up 3 artillery pieces on the main hill

The centre right, I have 3 units, 1 in the woods, one to the right of the woods in a slit trench and 1 at the back of the woods, in reserve. Lee's 6 units can be seen top left.

Slap bang in the centre of our lines, Surg has a lone unit skulking behind a hedge, which has taken casualties from Lee's artillery. If you throw a 10 on a D10, it counts as 2 casualties and you also go red, turning your marker over. This forces a morale check, if you fail, you move back 4 inches and your opponent if artillery can change their target if they wish.

on our left Surj was having a torrid time trying to defend the small village, he did very well and held Richard up for quite a few turns.

Meanwhile over on our right, Steve was having trouble crossing the river, if he threw a 1 whilst crossing, the unit would become stuck in the swollen river. 

Surj finally gets pushed out of the village.

Surj defending, Richard moving forward.

Steve's artillery is taking its toll!!!!

And he's over the river too!

A veiw down the table at Surj's lines.

Our right, Steve is well and truly over the river, I have half a unit in the slit trench in front of the bridge, I've lost my machine gun that was in the village top right and hav 2 unit on the right.

I also moved my 1 stand of Pioneers over to help out.

A closer look at our right, after losing my machine gun, I moved in 2 stands (that was all I was allowed) from the unit in the field, into the village. Its not looking good for me as I'm totally outnumbered. Looking at the points they could capture, I see 5, the village, the 2 slits trenches, the HQ base and the field. Unbeknownst to us we'd already lost 2. The bridge and the hill on the left. We ont found that out at the end of the game.

Waiting for the onslaught.

On the left, Richard continues his advance whilst Surj sits and waits, Richard has concentrated 6 artillery pieces at Surj's unit in the field. While at the back by the village, sits a unit me and Surj fired at, at the beginning of the game, because we haven't thrown a 10, we cannot change our target, oh how we wish we could!!!

The French especially Lee, where throwing 10's nearly every turn, but we were countering the 10, by passing our morale.

Another 10 with the artillery, this time from Richard!

And a Cavalry charge too!

Richard's Chasseurs made mince meat of Surj's machine gun.

And then followed up into Surj's infantry.

Throwing a few 10's and decimating the unit, which turns tail and runs.

Surj charges his Uhlans....

Who win 2 melee's but not decisively

Steve joins in charging, this time its at my 1 stand, in the trench.

Now here was where the game got a tad heated, Postie had changed the rules from last time (apparently my fault) Steve was only allowed to fight with his stands in contact, which meant 1 v 1, which did seem a little (ok a lot ) unfair. In our last game I suggested that it wasn't fair if a unit of 4 stands just clips a unit, then it shouldn't all fight, which seems fair enough to me, as in the initial charge not all figures can touch the enemy.

But Postie changed it to stands in contact, changing it to stands in contact plus 1 either side would have been fairer, I did suggest this at the time, but Postie didn't want to change it. which I do believe ruined the game for Steve and probably soured the whole effect of the game (sorry Postie, but its true)

So Steve lost the fight....

It was around about know, that I believed we could actually win the game. Only if we could hold on, because it was getting on a bit (real time)

I think more in desperation, Lee charged the woods and slit trench, it was a bit more of a fair fight as the numbers were pretty equal.

Richard continued to push forward, challenging Surj in the woods. While blasting him with artillery.

I was still holding my own on the left, but was losing figures everywhere.

Steve changes tactics, rather than charge me again, he turned all the fire he possibly could onto my troops, inclding his Pioneers and a machine gun.

Lee's dice finally deserted him in the melee's and I pushed him back.

Richard moved 3 units into the field, could we hold on?

He also charged Surj in the woods.

Knocking Surj back

2 German stands in the trench are all that stand between the French and the crossroads.

Lee charges again

and gets pushed back again....

And at the end of the turn Postie called time on the game.

The French hadn't taken enough points, its a German win!!!!!!

Conclusion

Postie explained their were 24 points on the table, the French had only taken 3, Richard had taken the village, Steve, the bridge and the hill.

The French weren't very happy, saying it was an impossible game for them to win, as most of the points were in the last 12 inches of our end of the board. I've had my share of these types of games and been on the losing side, so I can appreciate their frustration.

I think the game was won and lost on the very first throw of the game, when Surj threw that 6, so we knew the French were coming. That stopped them being at least 8 inches further forward and possibly 16 inches forward. If you add those inches to the table, they would have scored a few more points, ok, maybe not 13 points they needed, but it would have been a closer game for them. BUT then, would that have been a winnable game for us the German's?

Their dice rolling was considerably better than ours throughout the game, so I believe it would have been a lot closer, either way. 

I did speak to Postie a few days after the game, he said the French paused too much, when they first met the German troops, Richard should have left 1 unit at the village and marched on moving 8 inches each turn to close with Surj's trrops in the fields. The same with Steve, he concentrated too many troops and too much time on the first slit trench, he could have marched straight passed it and onto the other terrain points further up the table. He asked me what would I have done if Steve had done that,  I couldn't really answer as I only had another 2 units in defence, so probably would have been overrun.

I'm pleased we won, a wins a win after all, but I can certainly feel the French players frustration and it did leave a sour taste inn my mouth,

Talking of sour taste, as I'm writing this post I was watching Australia v France in the Women's World Cup, what a penalty shootout that was! I was sweating' watching it, Now that definitely left a sour taste in all French mouths!

Ray