The Battle of Sezanne 8th Sept 1914 - A WWI Batrep

Six Rejects got together at Reject HQ last Sunday for a game using Posties excellent 6mm Baccus collection, using his own rules, which I think are his best homebrew set!

The side were picked out randomly, Surj and Colin would play the defending Germans with Surj as CiC

While the French were play by me as CiC, Dan and Steve.

This was a semi fictional game set in late 1914 in and around the town of Sezanne, the German army has advanced into the region and set up camp and settled in for the night. The French army are charged with pushing the Germans back off the table edge, by taking 12 of the 22 terrain objectives, the choice was ours. These points were, buildings, crossroads, German camps and a single bridge.

The plan was for me on the right, to try and flank the Germans, Dan in the centre to attack Sezanne and Steve on our left to try for the left flank.

OOB

French

18th Corps - General de Maud'houy

35th Div - Gen Marjoulet

69th Brigade - 6th 3 Battalion & 123rd 3 Battalions

70th Brigade - 57th 3 Battalions & 144th 3 Battalions

Reserve Brigade -  218th 3 Battalions & 249th 3 Battalions

Support - 1st Chasseurs a Peid 1 Battalion

Support - 17th Chasseurs a Cheval 1 regt + Horse Artillery Battery

Support - 1 Company of Pioneers

Artillery - 9 Batteries

Germans

VII Corps - Gen der Kar von Einem

13th Infantry Division - Gen LT von Dem Borne

25th Brigade - 13th 3 Battalions & 158th 3 Battalions

26th Brigade - 15th 3 Battalions & (in Reserve) 55th 3 Battalions

Artillery - 6 Batteries + 3 in Reserve

Steve's troops in the left of the pic

Dan's in the centre, facing Sezanne on the crossroads.

Me on the right

This was an early morning attack, so undercover of a mist we stared moving forward.

All moving up on top of the three hills.

The German's were quite sparce on my side of the table, the points I had to capture are marked in red. First shot of the day, I fired my artillery at the village top right. It would take 12 hits to destroy the village, on that last point, any troops left in the building would be destroyed. BUT, it was hard to hit. O a D10 only a 9 or 10 would count, a 10 being 2 hits.

Poor Surj was very upset with my throw!!

6 hits of the buildings and 7 casualties caused. The company holding the villages were slaughtered to the man. So a great start for the French!!!

Surj did get his own back the following turn destroying one of my batteries.

They're quite hidden, but my Chasseurs a Cheval are sneaking through the woods on the right while their Horse Battery unlimbers by the woods, out of range of the German rifle fire.

Dan, in the centre is moving full speed ahead

And so is Steve

Back to the right flank, my Chasseurs a Cheval are lurking in the woods, waiting for their opportunity to try for the flank. My machine gun can be seen hiding behind the infantry. 

Dan heads towards the hedge for some much need cover.

I take my chance, Surj can only shoot one way, infantry to the front of Cavalry on the flank???

The Germans are putting up a very stout defence of their lines. As they're in cover we need to kill on 7's or above, out in the open its 5 and above. Dan has lost a lot of troops crossing the open ground.

Steve's dice are on fire, he is battering poor Colin out on our left, there are 10 points for Steve to collect here.

Disaster for the Germans but delight for the French. I push the defenders out of the village once again, they failed their morale test after I threw a 10 in artillery firing. They retreat 4 inches, right out into charge reach of my Cavalry. This couldn't have worked out any better???

Steve continues to batter the German's on our left. the retreating Germans can be seen behind the building. But as you can see, Steve's force have also been hit hard. The blue dice are casulty counters

The Chasseurs bugles blow for a charge!

Posties luvvly painted french cav

Surj, realising he's going to lose the melee, withdraws an infantry unit that was dug in on the road, so we didn't follow up our future victory and hit them in the flank.

Its not looking good for Surj?

The German's continue so soak up the fire in the centre, the only way we'll get them out of Sezanne is through those 10'd in artillery fire. But, you can only change who your artillery is firing at if after you've thrown d 10 on a D10 forcing them to take a morale check AND them failing that check. Dan was having a little trouble finding that 10.

Steve takes points for the bridge, the bend on the road the brown building and the T junction.

After destroying the Infantry on the left , I take the points for the camp, having already taken the village and the T Junction. The German Commander narrowly escapes capture.

Dan goes in for a charge

And is heavily defeated and pushed back.

Meanwhile the German reserves have finally entered the battle, on turn 4. They could have come on sooner but they failed the test each time.

Surj also abandons the protection of the hedge and fails back 12 inches. He had to do it or he'd have been over run. But I then moved my Cavalry round again. I've my pick of what to charge next turn

Colin's Reserve 55th Infantry, enter the table, but instead of going to help their own 26th Brigade on their right, they head over to help the 25th.

Steve moves over the hedge, capturing the German camp.

I lose another of my artillery, but all the remaining fire go on the newly arrived German infantry of the 55th Battalion

I start to turn my infantry towards Sezanne. And fire my artillery at Surj's Infantry on the hill.

Again I threw a 10, the German's failed there moral and were pushed back another 4 inches, now with their flank and rear showing.

The German lines are thinning out as they try and cover the French forces.

Surj is starting to realise they're done for.

Its only a matter of time?

Finally both Colin and Surj throw in the towel, they just haven't enough troops left to counter our moves.

Conclusion
Its been a while since we last played Early WWI, looking back it was nearly 2 years ago, here. I must admit I really enjoyed this game, It was very difficult for both sides, The Germans were outnumbered, as they should be with the French doing all the attacking, But they just couldn't handle our dice rolls and not getting the reserve on in time. I was very pleased with how my Chasseurs a Cheval got around the flank and caused havoc. We had a choice where to put them and I'm pleased we picked the right flank, I'm not sure they would have been that effective being deployed anywhere else.
It was the right time to end the game, Surj usually carries on and stays when all hope is lost, but he saw the light and we finished around 3 o'clock which was an early one for us!

Well done to all involved

Ray