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 

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!!!!

Broadside 2018 - WWI, The Battle of Marchais en Brie 1914

Yesterday Posties Rejects and other clubs put on a game at Broadside 2018.

Our game was WWI bash, The Battle of Marchais en  Brie 1914. 

Which was part of the Battle of the Marne.

Lee, Postie, Oliver and Dave setting up the game.

The Germans started the game protecting the low ridge and that was their only job, try and survive the French onslaught. The French had to take the town of Marchais en Brie in the centre of the table.

The table from the other side.

The French advance toward the woods,  the see through counters are casualty markers and the red markers are Courage tests. If the enemy throw a 10 on a D10 not only does this give you 2 kills but causes a Courage test, if you fail you're knocked back 4 inches.

A general advance from the French.

Getting closer, but taking lots of casualties coming in.

Bad news for the German's, top right of the photo, the German infantry have lost a stand and also need to throw for a courage test. which they fail and move back into the town, leaving a gapping hole in the frontline defences.

The Germans have 10 batteries of artillery firing every turn, the smoke markers you can see, represent the unit being fired upon and also how many guns are firing on it.

The French get some reinforcments on the right of the photo, and move them over the hedges to challenge their left, where the lone unit of Uhlans have moved into.

We had lots of interest from the public, myself, Richard and Lee's job was to advise the Rejects playing the game, but more importantly, chat to the gamers interested in our game.

A German observation balloon, gave info to their artillery allowing them to fire at the French anywhere on the battlefield, while the balloonless French could only fire up to the crest of the hill.

The Balloon was handmade by von Postie himself, carved out of three pieces of balsa wood glued together!!!

The German's were allowed to move 2 units from the rear, I think they may need them!!!

The French loses 1 inch movement and go down to 3 inches when moving through the woods, which is slowing them down quite considerably.

They are also trying to batter the entrenched German unit, firing all 9 guns at it.

The French break through the woodline, but the Germans have moved troops down in the entrenchments, they look very strong again.

The German's manage finally to get a unit closer to the lines. But the French are now out in the open, they should get mauled by rifle and artillery fire.

The French continue to take heavy casualties.....are they gonna make it?

Its looking doubtful now as their units are pushed back in disarray!

Times up!!!

Unbeknown to the guys playing the game, there was a 12 turn limit to the game.

The French failed to take the ridge so they all pull back, ready for another go in a night attack.

Which in reality is what did happen, and they did take the ridge that night, the German's gave ground and pulled back.

What a great game!

All credit's gotta go to Postie. He's spent the last few months painting all the figures, making the terrain tiles, hedges and entrenchments and writing the rules of course!

Broadside 2018 - The Battle of Marchais-en-Brie Sept 1914

Posties Rejects will be putting on a Demo game this Sunday at Broadside 

Wargame Show in Sittingbourne.

If you want to come along and see our 6mm WWI game, "The Battle of Marchais-en-Brie Sept 1914"

we'll be at table G6, in that big red dot above!

And here's another sneaky pic from our practice game!

Hope to see you there!!!