Croix-le-Bocage - with Battlegroup Beyond the Beaches - D-Day to Berlin series game 2

Following D-Day, game 2 in our series would be using the 'Beyond the Beaches' book and lists, and given it is Normandy, then we decided to make it a proper bocage fight. This would involve combining our hedgerow collections to make a single board that had anything like the density of hedges required. We rolled a random Attack/Defence scenario, with the Germans on the defensive, and got Break Out. So, the Americans would be attacking to get off the far table edge against a thinly held section of the line (at least to start with). 

For forces, at 800 pts, both had gone with infantry divisions. The attacking US infantry force was (roughly), 2 infantry platoons, an M10 battery, and support from a recce jeep team, FHQ and comms team, forward air observer, off-table 155mm guns on call and 81mm mortars too, with an aerial artillery observer in a Piper Club buzzing around above. Few others bits taken too, being counter-battery fire missions (2) and and timed P-51 air strike and a 2nd priority request for more guns. 

The Germans holding the line had a grenadier platoon and ost platoon, with some teams in 37mm and 50mm AT guns, light mortars and an extra MG, 1 StuG and a StuH-42, with recce from a sniper, 222 armoured car, defences were light: a bocage fortress, a road block, some foxholes, but screened by 3 PRTPs and 4 on-board guns (or arriving on board guns) in an 81mm and 120mm mortar team, a 75mm infantry gun and 150mm sIG, all had loader teams if they could, and a 2nd priority request for more guns. They use those PRTPs, which were all placed along the central lane, left, right and centre. The east-west lane was going to be the line of contact, and hellish!

We rolled for random table edges and the US got to pick, then deployed, set the timed strikes and PRTPs etc, ammo'd up the few armoured vehicles and were ready to go. 

Croix-le-bocage, all small fields except for a single white barn, and a central orchard. A lane ran across the line of advance, roughly in the centre. The US must push to it, then beyond, and try to get off the far table edge.

US advances, left right and centre. Main push on the right, left is a diversion/distraction.

First platoon began by moving up on the right, supported by an M10 and with the recce jeep team team calling in mortar fire on the lane, beyond the crossroads were the road block barred the way (behind it was placed a Pak-38), and mortaring managed to KO this gun, and free the lane for use (until reinforcements arrived). Not much combat to start with, some mortaring and the P-51 dropped its bombs to cause a single pin.

More US infantry arrived and 2nd platoon moved up in the centre and on the left, 2 M10s behind. The Piper Cub was kept back, as yet, there weren’t that many Germans to open fire on. The mortars did the work instead. It wasn’t until turn 3 or 4 that the action kicked off… by which time a few German reserves had arrived and rushed to man their positions behind the hedgerows. The StuH-42 arrived at the road block and opened fire down the lane, where the M10 command gun ‘Ace in the Hole’ was lurking, and a long range exchange of fire resulted in zero hits.

As the US infantry filtered forwards and got to the lane, then the real action started. Suddenly, 81mm and 120mm mortar bombs rained down around the crossroads (an obvious PRTP) and more accurate infantry gun fire smashed into the lane by the orchard. Much pinning and first losses. Time to respond, the Piper Cub buzzed on and called in the ‘long tom’ fire, hammering the hedgerows to the right (US), and getting some pinning. The other StuG had moved up here and the M10 and it exchanged fire, only for the StuG to become immobilised as it shed a track slewing right to line up a shot… handy breakdown counter. It was stuck in position, but the M10 couldn’t get it (one hit glanced off). A bazooka team was moving up to try to help out.

At the crossroads, the shriek of nebelwerfer rockets could be heard. The priority request had called up 280mm rockets and they slammed into the crossroad’s PRTP, hard, much pinning, 2 rifle squads wiped out. The counter-battery fire mission failed to do its job! Hanging round on the lane was very unhealthy, so I had to try to push on, except German MGs awaited on ambush fire. The US tried to get them pinned down with BAR teams and M1 rifle fire… with limited success. German firepower was winning the hedgerow to hedgerow firefight on the right. To add to this, they pulled an air attack counter and a Bf-109 arrived, dropping its bombs as well. The Luftwaffe - what!

On the left, infantry had swung around, trying to avoid another PRTP and got to the lane, but one squad found themselves low on ammo, and 75mm infantry gun shells got others pinned. Pulling counters to unpin, the USAAF arrived, thanks to the forward air controller. A P-47 dived in, and it went after the 109 in a dogfight. The 109 then turned on the Piper Cub, chasing it, and pinning and damaging it. A three-way dog fighting had broken out!

Next turn, the P-47 scored a hit and damaged the 109, which failed its morale check and raced for home, freeing the skies for the USAAF. It then turned its rocket on the StuH-42 at the roadblock and immediately turned it into burning wreck with 3 rocket hits! This pilot was an ace!

More incoming IDF hammered along the length of the lane, and the US infantry casualties mounted. I couldn’t push on the right, too much MG fire was awaited, but as the US infantry was pinned down, a sneaking panzerschreck team crawled forwards and smashed the M10 with a hit. Argh! That flank’s advance had stalled out, then a squad broke and ran too. Could the US bazooka team do likewise to the StuG? No. It got spotted and hit and was lost too.

So, the right was a bust, but in the centre the push was on through the orchard, M10 close behind, hammering away with HE at the hedgerow ahead, at least pinning his MG team. The 155s critically failed to fire as comms gave out, and the P-47s last rockets missed the damned sIG-33 at the back of the table… which was a constant menace. One GI squad assaulted German ost troops in the white barn and wiped them out, but took heavy MG fire in return that saw them break. The counters had really mounted up. Back on the right, the Germans launched a mini-counter attack, grenadiers pushing up against feeble opposition, which did wipe out one squad in a close assault through the bocage than saw both sides loss their squads. The third M10, which had been working it way over there to help with the StuG since the StuHs destruction, suddenly found it had no infantry support and panzerfaust-wielding enemy infantry head. It reversed away sharpish.

The US had just run out of infantry. 1st platoon had been wiped out, bar about 4 scattered men. 2nd Platoon was at half strength and heavily pinned around the orchard. Unpinning resulted in breaking the US BR total. There would be no breakthrough at Croix-le-bocage today. The Germans had sent in enough troops to hold on… still with 14 BR left, so a solid win.

It was a well planned German defence, almost thwarted by a severe lack of troops to start with, but they scrambled into place just in time. The three PRTP along the lane meant I had to either sit under them and be pounded by mortars and infantry guns, or move up into the open fields and take waiting MG fire at close range. The M10s failed me (and so often do), scoring 0 kills. The 155s, my big hitters, had done OK, but had not scored enough direct hits to really hurt the Germans. Another day in hedgerow hell… and no ground gained.

So, after 2 games in the D-Day to Berlin series, its 2-0 Germany. Next time we’ll move on to the Westwall book, an Aachen urban assault game.

US POV, along the lane to the crossroads of death. Beyond it would be a roadblock, with an AT gun, then the StuH-42.

1st Platoon head out on the right, M10 in close support.

'Major, I think we took a wrong turn!'. FHQ, handily upgraded to Radio Comms Network. Comms team just behind.

2nd Platoon arrive in the centre.

P-51 bombs the bocage fortress position on far right (largely not in the fight). Easy counter...

Reach the line of contact by the crossoads  - incoming!

Resupply truck helps out an M10.

The battle on the right as 1st Platoon get pinned down, then wiped out.

Piper Cub circles over head and calls in 155 fire ahead of 1st platoon.

USAAF are having a day!

A shocker, a Bf-109s skims in, drops its bombs then turns it sights on the Piper Cub... only for the P-47 to get after it and send it running back to base, trailing smoke. 

'Ace in the Hole' trades fire with the StuH... miss, miss. The P-47 got it!

Attack through the orchard, better than being on that damn road.

Panzerschreck team scores direct hit. Sneaky gits!

The far left, trying to get around unseen, but there is a third PRTP, and the infantry gun has them covered too.

 

Fox-Blue - with Battlegroup D-Day - D-Day to Berlin series game 1

Last year we played a series of Battlegroup games on the Eastern Front, from Barbarossa to Berlin, one battle from each of the Battlegroup supplements for '41 to '45. Then we repeated it in three desert battles from '41-'43. So, that just left the ETO. Getting back to some WWII action, we have decided to play a series of games using all the Battlegroup books that cover the ETO, '44-'45, from D-Day to Berlin. The plan being to vary the scenarios and the army lists used, and get 5-6 different game (often with the same models). So, to start with, D-Day then. I have the stuff and tabletop for an Omaha-ish type game. Time to dig-out the LCVPs.

This was an 800 point Attack/Defence game using the Beachhead scenario from Battlegroup:D-Day,  US Amphibious Assault force vs a Resistance Nest. 

Approaching Fox-Blue in low swell.

The forces, in brief were, roughly:

US: assault boat team in LCVP, DD Sherman tank platoon, Engineer Gap team and Sherman bulldozer in LCM, support weapons boat team in LCVP, M7 Priest, shore fire control party and HQ in LCM, with a PRTP and off-table 5” gun fire. BR 51.

Germans: Ost infantry platoon and auxiliary conscript labourer/kriegsmarine platoon, 152mm coastal gun bunker, 150mm infantry gun bunker, 75mm AT gun bunker (under farm outhouse), reinforced trenches for all infantry, lots of barbed wire (40”), a mined beach with beach obstacles, OP bunker and off-table 120mm mortar battery, plus a few timed strikes, a HQ and comms truck, 50mm mortar team. BR was 31 +6 for their ‘Deserters will be shot’ bonus, the max.

Time to hit the beaches "Let's Go!".

The US approached in three waves, with the gap team and DD Shermans leading, followed by the infantry and M7 Priest and change, at the back. The first turns were quick, as the US landing craft and DD’s all ploughed through low-swell towards the shore and the 5” guns plunged fire onto its PRTP, amidst the defences on the hill on the left. I had decided it would be a mistake to just go up the centre, and take fire from all sides, so chose a flank, here left, as the objective was on the high ground there. The PRTP was then placed to soften up the hill here… but the concrete proved strong enough to resist just about it all, except a lucky direct hit on a MG team that wiped them out… first losses of the game.

The Germans had very few orders, and so fired a few shots out to sea, causing some pinning on landing craft (but as per the special rules, then can still move if pinned at sea), and this was rallied off anyway. By turn 3, the first engineers hit the beach, ramps down and rushed to blow gaps in the obstacles for those DD tanks. It went OK, 1 gap formed, but two gap teams stepped on mines and became pinned. First losses on the beach. The German mortars rained in to add a bit more pinning, the engineers suddenly were fully pinned down. Only one DD tank could get through as the others fired HE up from the waterline, all smashing off concrete to little effect. The M7 Priest was firing en route in as well, but again, the coastal gun bunker was a monstrous bit of reinforced concrete, and the 105mm HE wasn’t denting it.

As the first LCVP arrived, the infantry assault team piled out, rushing up the beach for the single (soft cover we decided). The team HQ stepped on a mine and was KO’d, the LT was the platoons first loss. Soon added to that was rifle fire from the high ground and 50mm mortar bombs, but teams made it to the single and got their bangalore torpedoes out to breach the barbed wire, before assaulting up the slope. The flame thrower team drew fire and were quickly wiped out. Meanwhile, the Sherman gun fire had pinned down the 150mm infantry gun and more 5” shells had smashed the hill top, but the German observer team inside their little bunker called in 120mm mortar fire, and did some damage to the parked landing craft. The Germans suddenly realising their were vulnerable, targeted then and a 152mm shell hit and sunk the empty LCVP… the LCM began backing out to sea.

The US would continue to press, and cleared another gap for the next DD Sherman, which moved up the beach, taking HE hits and shrugging them all off… the Germans lacked for AP, as the PAK bunker was far back and if it could get a line of site, needed 6s to hit. The DD, and bulldozed Sherman which had now cleared a mine-free route up the beach for engineers to follow, could well be the key (no panzerfausts for the infantry here). They continued to HE and MG left and right, but had to be careful, with no resupply for the HE ammo.

The US assault up the hill began, but the first rifle team failed to assault and instead got pinned on the bluff, then wiped out by rifle fire. The Sherman bulldozer through got up the slope and through the lines, behind the infantry gun bunker, which it again pummelled with HE. The Sherman need infantry aid, and engineer teams (demo charges used) pushed up, only to again be cut down by rifle fire (even the German 2 man OP team was shooting with rifles from their bunker now). BR counters were really mounting. Back on the beach, under mortar fire, 80mm and 50mm, the last engineers just couldn’t get the gaps blown and the last LCM, with the M7 Priests to unload, was repeatedly pinned. The last LCVP was raking the trenches with .50 cal fire, as the support infantry weapons team disembarked, humping MGs and their mortar. They again reached the single in force, and found a gap in the wire to assault the trenches and wiped out an MG team and then an Ost infantry squad, they were in the trenches, but pined down, until a unseen Goliath appeared, rolled up, exploded, and wiped them out in a big bang. The German position was cracking… and their counters jumped up too. The US also pulled an Air Attack counter and rolled a 5… USAAF P-47 incoming.

It was close, US losses far higher, but we had the BR to absorb the losses, but was it enough? Well, after the P-47 roared over and rocket attacked the farm, destroying the comms truck parked in the yard, it seemed it would be. The last US infantry were clambering up the bluffs, as Sherman HE continued to try and pin those bunkers. The 150mm sIG had run out of ammo (mercy), but the 152mm coastal gun final hit and penetrated a DD Sherman, leaving it a smoking wreck (first tank loss). 120mm mortars also sank the reversing LCM… and a US MG .30 cal team on the shingle firing into the trenches, as spotted and return fire wiped them out. After rallying, 4 counters left the US on 52 BR total… broken.

The Germans had raced to 27, well short of their 37 (but close to their 31, before the additional bonus). They had held out. ‘Fox Blue is not open’. We’d just have to hunker down and wait for aid.

So, game 1, and its 1-0 to the Germans in the series. Next, into the bocage with Beyond the Beaches.

The tabletop, so nice to get my beach boards out... they don't see much use.

German right and centre, in the gap (draw). This was the auxiliary troops, but they got off lightly.

Coastal gun bunker and infantry trenches beyond.

US disembark, engineer gap teams work on the obstacles just before the armour arrives, just as planned.

Sherman DD lends fire from the waterline as the support weapons boat team arrive.

Assault the high ground, only the engineer's Sherman made it up. The infantry trenches proved too tough for the GIs, even after 5" guns had pounded them. We needed the flamethrower team to clear them out.

 

The Battle of the Wyrhta, with Soldiers of Rome

Back to putting down the revolting Britons again... one of our occasional SoR games, a 300 point pitched battle for a few hours of fun.

Something a bit different, as in most games I’m on the attack with my Romans, just because I usually prefer to be active take the battle to the enemy, and not sit back too much. This time, I took the opposite plan and went completely defensive,with a Hold the Line battle plan, with solid infantry to do it and a centre built around missile fire (with a Loose card behind), to make the Britons pay on their way in. I’ve not used war machines in while, so it was a chance to get my scorpios (and a borrowed onager) on the tabletop. The barbarians are usually aggressive too, it’s what they are best at, but this time I’d wait the charge and do some serious damage on the way in.

That wasn’t it though. The plan was more cunning, because their is a special event card to change battle plan (Romans only) and so, if I got that card, I would use it to suddenly attack. So, first draw the enemy in, battering them en route and, when the came to the melee, sudden go on the offensive and get some charge cards behind my infantry to jump them and pressure them. (I coudn’t just sit back for good).

All good, I picked the legion’s units and deployed them, with a useful small hill in the centre for my war machines (terrain was randomly generated). The Britons would be attacking in the centre with harassing units on the flanks, a mob of slingers and archers and javalineers on their left, fanatics leading them on their right, but the nobles, mercenary spears and chariots were in the centre as the main strike force.

Time to go, and on Turn 1 I got the new battle plan special event. I held on to that card (and would for several turns) because it was too soon. Still, card in hand, the plan would come to fruition whenever I judged the time right. The celts advanced en mass (of course). The four war machines opened fire with great effect, scoring hits and direct hits and hammering the fanatics, but a lucky Rally card saved them, then did it again in Turn 2.. drat! Still, the scorpios fire was punishing… and the Romans waited, discarding cards to rally of any disruption (not much) from arrows etc. ‘Steady lads!’

After the first few turns, the lines had closed in. The fanatics had rushed in, but my fresh legions withstood the rush and started the grind… always back a legion in the attritional fights. His skirmisher heavy (very heavy) left was not going to charge (they ain’t mad), just fling a lot of rocks and arrows, so I started to push forwards a bit, hoping to get into charge range for when I switched plans, a rude shock of the Briton’s youths to suddenly get pilum and then gladius back. My cohorts were weathering the rock storm well. ‘Shields up!’

In the centre, things looked worryingly weaker, I had  single legion cohort to hold him up, behind which were the auxiliary archers and war machines, so that cohort had a big job on. I diverted a cohort from the left and right to turn in and move into the centre, like pinchers, but a lack of March cards made it so slow (even slower than heavy infantry trying to manoeuvre, this might have been a better job for auxiliary spearmen). Anyway, the Celts rushed in and suddenly one poor cohort was fighting 4 enemy units, and getting ground down. How long could I keep them in the fight? Time for the change of battle plan…

.. expect, with just 2 cards left in my hand the Barbarians played a Confusion card, taking one of mine and, in the 50-50, took the new battle plan! and discarded it. What? I was just going to use that, next play or two. Arghh! So, cunning plan out of the window, and  it would now be a close call. I had to fight it out with what I had.

My right kept marching as they could. But the light skirmishers fell back faster than the legions advanced, I wasn’t going to catch them, and so just stepped on in a hail of missiles each time. Still, Rally it off, and keep going. By the end of the game, they had advanced well over halfway, but never caught the skirmishers.

On the left, fighting off the fanatics, wild dogs and then warriors, I lost one cohort but the auxiliary spears stepped up and did a good job holding the line. It was a stalemate, especially after the annoying dogs were dealt with.

So, to the crucial centre, where my hard pressed cohort broke and it seemed all would be swept away. My archers were charged and chariots rushed on, their chieftain reaching and destroying a scorpios. To save the centre my feted leader rode into the fray to slow them down, fighting alone, but two cohorts were on the way… quicker… never has a man needed a March or Charge card more. Somehow, my general survived and just in time to get my first cohort across and into the fray. From the other side, the second cohort (veterans) were still trying to get there, and only did so late in the day, but did catch a unit of armed civilians in the flank and butcher them all in a gory massacre… no mercy!

In VPs it was very close… the Romans had 7 left, the Celts 4. In the final turn it was tense again. My leader was cut down, but the auxiliary spears final killed all his crazy fanatics… and that was just enough to win the day. Celts reduced to -3 VPs, Romans had 3 left… but it could have gone either way on the cards and dice. My centre had just survived the crisis, and the scorpios crews did a good job defending themselves (I thought I’d loose them all, but 2 survived). My heroic general would be carried from the field of his victory… his cunning plan ruined, but selling himself in the end to help save the day.

Another great game, so close, really dramatic and unreadable, so many interesting card plays, but stealing my new battle plan took the biscuit… the barbarians didn’t even know they had wrecked my plans until after the game (serious poker face was required). But ‘Roma Victor! ‘. Another corner of Britannia conquered.

 

The legion's lines, cohorts and auxiliary interspersed, war machines in the centre. 

Slingers and archers, lots of them, form the Celts left. A deluge of rocks and arrows to withstand.

Roman centre, just 1 legionary cohort to cover the missile troops, not enough (or they should have been veterans).

Briton's right, advance over the Wyrhta stream and through the village. fanatics rushed off... as they do.

The naked nutters, wode proving little use against scorpios bolts and onager rocks.

Steady lads await the onslaught on the Roman left.

Fanatics wave closes in, having somehow (by Rally cards) survived the war machine barrage.
Still, a wall of steel awaits them.

The Roman right, step-on, into the rock storm and drive their flank back, beyond the hill behind them.

The fighting the centre as the cohort is overrun. Archers and general are next in line. The archers didn't last long, but the general sold his life like a hero.

The left flank must hold, and does, despite having their arses bitten by damn dogs...

They kill off the first wave of fanatics, but the legionaries go under too. Dogs won't die (yet) though.

Chariot chieftain breakthrough to the war engines hillock, but the onager crew aren't giving up easy.

The long and fruitless pursuit of the skirmishers... they had most of the tabletop to retreat back into. They carried the Aquila across the table... 'forward to glory, for Rome and the Emperor!'.

 

Before the Walls of Acre, with Soldiers of God

 One of our semi-regular returns to Soldiers of God for a one-off pick-up game, an open battle with 300 points aside. We both went for the same battle plan, both double-enveloping and both with our cavalry strike forces on the flanks and infantry in the centre. So we both though this might not take long, a quick charge to impact in turn 1. My cavalry, ghulam, the al-halqa guard and a few small units of horse archers in support, for archery really would try and smash his flanks, but these were knights, mounted men-at-arms and some supporting infantry in armed peasants and Turcopoles. The Saracen centre was mujihadeen and Sudanese mercenaries with rank and file infantry as a second supporting line. They would press in the centre, but try not to get wiped out. The crusader’s centre was men-at-arms with crossbows and two light war engines behind to lob rocks over.

Both deployed and we set-to with the furious action.

First, the ghulam on my right rode up, three ranks deep due to the village in the way, to meet his knights coming the other way. here would be the first melee, in front of the gates, at it by the end of turn 1. More cautious on the left and centre, they just moved up, whilst one horse archer unit tried a flank march, eyeing his baggage or the true cross in his centre rear (if they turned up again).

So, by turn 2 a long attritional melee in the front of gate had begun, ghulam with support vs knights with armed peasants rushing in behind. This fight swung both ways, but by the end of the turn, both the first ghulam and the knights had broken… advantage Saracens with the mere peasant now holding the line against my ghulam. His left was in some trouble, as the mounted men-at-arms had ridden off and got involved in a fight with Sudanese mercenaries, which used repeated Fear cards to intimidate them, and see them off – routed by scary foreigners!

The left was stand-off, both had Charge! card behind them and could attack at need, but to move up was to invite a thunderous charge, so both lurked, awaiting the cards to come right or for the other to blink first. No great rush to battle here, in fact the opposite. Hold! Hold! Let’s not be too hasty.

So, into the next turns and the battle seemed to be going the Saracens way to start with, just. But now things changed. The armed peasants but up a huge fight, against 2 ghulam units and, aided by the command stand boldly piling in, they held their ground and forced the ghulam to rally, then used a ‘God Wills It’ special event… inspired by their faith. The flank would not collapse, and this gave time for another unit of mounted-at-arms to gallop up and aid them. Damn, the chance to turn a flank was dwindling.

In the centre, my infantry moved up and took some incoming and accurate rocks on the head. The Crusaders finally broke the stand-off on my left and their knights charged, catching some horse archers that had been harassing them. The horse archers would be easily broken, but the Saracen counter-charge was now on, and the ghulams lowered their lances and rushed in. That prompted a ‘one-in, all-in’ cascade and in came his hospitallers to be met by the Al-halqa and one huge cavalry melee began. Here, the battle would surely be decided.

The melees on the left and right were fought out over the next few turns, eventually the armed peasants finally broke, but so did another ghulam unit, a good trade for them. The third (and last) ghulam unit was now facing the mounted men-at-arms and commander.

Both fought and rallied on the left, the Al-halqa a rock, but the Hospitallers not showing themselves as very elite (an unerring ability to roll 1s and 2s for Resolve tests). More infantry joined in and the big fight saw a ghulam unit beaten and broken by his knights… and advantage Crusaders here.

On VPs it was close, but the Crusaders had just edged ahead.

The end of the game came in the left’s big melee. Many cards played and discarded, saw Sudanese infantry cut-down and the Al-halqa now under a lot of pressure. Meanwhile, after all these turns, my flank riding horse archers had failed to turn-up and obviously just gone home! More VPs for their failure, for the Crusaders. I was loosing, so threw everything at breaking his weakening Hospitallers, and it almost worked, 1 more hit would have done it, but the men in black just survived in some exciting, critical dice rolls.

Adding up the VPs, the Saracens had fallen to -1, the Crusader still had 7 left. A win for the forces of Christianity then… but 5 of those points were the roll for the True Cross at the start of the game, so without that handy relic, it would have been very, very close.

Another great game, always love a ‘duke-it out’ game of SoG… nice to play without relying on horse archery for once, and it almost worked, a few better rolls (mostly from my rubbish ghulam on the right, failing to deal with armed peasants for 2 turns) would have changed the outcome.

Some pics of the action…

The battlefield, Saracens deploy from the right (pink), Crusaders from the left (blue), both with cavalry forces on both flanks, both advancing into a full attack.

The Saracen lines, two cavalry wings with an infantry centre.

The Crusader's line, two cavalry wings, with some infantry support, and infantry and war machines in the centre. This is their right, knights and knights hospitaller leading.

Saracen right, ghulam column, with some horse archer support (not shown here)

Clash in front of the gate, ghulam vs knights, with armed peasants moving up to aid in support.

and ghulam eventaully meet knights meet on the other flank too, again armed peasants moving up in support. A lot of armed peasants today... and inspired by their faith too.

Mounted men-at-arms plunge in to stop the Saracen centre from coming round the village to aid the ghulam. The Sudanese infantry's 'fearsome reputation' would prove too much and the men-at-arms eventual fled like cowards.

Still at it in front of the gates, the third ghulam unit, now against mounted men-at-arms, having lost two units, but for the return loss of the knights and the armed peasants - tribal cavalry have just arrived to help too... the baggage train guard sent to fight.

The big clash, as Al-halqa guard cavalry and hospitallers finally meet and both players throw whatever they can into a big melee... this will surely decide the day.

The Saracen centre kept pushing up, led by mujihadeen fanatics, but without a charge card, they just can't press home and instead face war machine rocks and crossbow bolts. Still, dying for Allah is their thing...

 

LA ROTHIERE, 1814 with SOLDIERS OF NAPOLEON, GAME 5

Well, this is a bit of an problem. In a 'senior moment' of clearing pictures off my phone, thinking I'd already transferred them, I mass deleted all the pics of the game from it. Gone!  I have 2 left... oops! So, La Rothiere ends with little record of it, but it did happen. 

The final scenario is for the last action of the day. The Russians had almost captured the village, of La Rothiere, so in the evening the battalions of the Young Guard were called up to counter-attack and take it back, throwing the Russians (Prussians standing-in in our games), back and allowing time for the French to withdraw from the field. As the snows fell and gathered, and darkness approached, the French counter-attack encountered, coming the other way, the full force of a Russian grenadier division (2 brigades)... so good infantry against good infantry here, and almost no cavalry (French have 1 weak unit of Guard lancers that were guarding the road and did advance into the village). All set for guns and ground-pounders then... 'Forward the Guard! '

It opened with some sparring around the village buildings, the Russian guns being dragged up and deployed and French skirmishers starting their work. One French battalion occupied the first buildings and that would later prove useful in fulfilling the 'tale a stronghold' objective. There would be skirmishing around the buildings for the rest of the game.

In the open fields, the Young Guard brigades started to advance and came under galling cannon fire from the big Russian batteries. The round-shot pummeling was short lived after ammunition ran low, saving the guard and allowing the really attack to begin unmolested. This attack would come on the far left, as Guard columns moved 'at the quick' against a weakened line. Skirmisher fire did not deter them and on they came, before charging in and driving the Russian line columns back in melee. One broke... the other two were hanging on, but the pressure was buildings. The French had had a good start and build up a healthy VP leads.

This continued as the Young Guard pressed home on the left and broke another battalion, then overran their supporting battery. The entire Russian brigade was wiped out next turn and the French VP raced to a big lead, 22 to 7. The Russians were looking at rapid and hefty defeat. They needed some help, and, thanks to the arrival of their Corps commander, and then the swift arrival behind him of two grenadier brigades of 8 strong battalions, in the centre and on their (now destroyed ) right. The grenadier columns marched up to face-off the Young Guard, who had already been in combat and were rallying for the next push, but here would be the climax of the fight.

And it was an epic clash of infantry. The French pressed the attack again, holding a 'grand assault' objective card and keen to win it with those VPs, they moved up, exchanged volleys and tried to press home. It didn't work, only 3 columns charged (not the 4 required) and the others came up short... allowing the grenadiers to unleash heavy firepower back and close range. The grenadiers also held their own in most of the melees and threw the Young Guard back... a hefty reverse and one Guard battalion broke and fled. The Russians were back in it on VPs. Next turn, they went for it, declaring their own charges and countering the Guard. Every battalion ordered charged (5 in all) and in the mass bayonet fight and brawling, the Young Guard could not hold out, losing four of the five melees. The Russians broke another battalion too, and suddenly, from a dominant French position the Russians had pulled it back to even-stevens. But, they had also completed their own 'grand assault' and rolling for the VPs scored the max, added to this, the punitive VPs from the French for failing their own... oh dear!

The Russians had, somehow, won it! From looking like a huge defeat, the last-ditch arrival of the grenadier battalions had turned it around and won the game. The French still needing 3 more VPs to break them, but completing the objective (after the French had failed the turn before, which would have won it) was the difference. A narrow Russian win, pulled out of the fire...

Great game, so close at the end, and an epic final turn of close melees. The marginal Russian win in game 5 means the campaign ended with a French narrow win at La Rothiere after 5 games. The French took 3 games, the Allies 2... so we are done. I shall now add this of the pile of work to turn into a SoN 'Great Battles' supplement, available as a pdf from Gripping Beast in the next few months (hopefully). 

The only surviving pics of the action... lesson learn, double check you have the pictures before deleting them!

 

La Rothiere sits between the (P)russian and French lines, lots of skirmish fighting. Young Guard deployed are to the left, to attack around the buildings. Here, faced by some line regiments, awaiting aid from grenadiers, en route

(P)russian lines, a big battery hammering the Young Guard, but ran low on ammo. Huge infantry brawl building to a climax. Prussians up against it, but grenadiers deploying at the quick.

 

LA ROTHIERE, 1814 with SOLDIERS OF NAPOLEON, GAME 4

It has been a while getting to this. Other stuff, games, work, summer hols, etc... but finally, game 4's AAR. We've already played game 5.

The Austrians and Bavarians are launching an attack on the French left wing at Morvilliers. The French must hold on and prevent a breakthrough. The French force is two infantry brigades with 2 small, weak cavalry brigades behind (dragoons and light cav). The Allied force is 3 infantry brigades (1 Austrian, 2 Bavarian, here with stand-ins from Wurttemberg - which is close, and more Austrians), and 2 cavalry brigades behind (light cav and a mixed one of dragoons and hussars - an oddity, but how they had it on the day). The Allies had the steady advance order to breakthrough enemy lines, and the French defend... to hold the line.

The Allied main attack was to be in the centre and their left, but with the Austrians first launching a holding attack on the right, to get the French busy there, then hitting on the other side to breakthrough. This 'sort of' worked to start with, but the French in the buidlngs were tough and skirmishing well, and the attack in the centre was soon in trouble, and countered attacked by charging marine infantry yelling 'Vive L'Empereur!'. The Allied best hope was on the left, passed the church, but the French light cavalry arrived here to block the route and threaten the infantry columns. When their hussars boldly came forwards, they met a furious fusillade though, and broke (we don't have much luck with hussars)... it seemed the time to strike was now... but the infantry dithered and waited for the their own light cavalry to move up behind and clear the French chasseurs first, enduring cannon fire as they did so. It had reached a bit of a stalemate.

That was broken by the arrival of French dragoons on their left, to rush up and threaten the Austrans, in fact, quickly smashing one Austrain column into ruins and forcing the others into squares. To counter this, the Austrian reserve dragoons and hussars galloped up, and the hussars charged and defeated the lead dragoons heavily. Payback!. There was fighting all along the board, cannon fire, skirmsh fire, volleys and cavalry charges and both sides had taken damage. On VPs it was close, French maybe just ahead. Theywere aided when 'Boney' himself turned up himself to make sure the line would hold at Morvilliers.

Into the final, and it would be settled by the cavalry, dragoon on dragoons as the Austrians charged in. They won but needed a more decisive victory to claw back the VPs and snatch the win. It wasn't to be. In the end the French had just edged it and the Allied breakpoint was met, with the French having just 3 VPs left. So close, but a valiant and desperate defensive effort from the French. Napoleon's presences on the field might have been just enough to swing it! Great game, loads of action, all 5 brigades in the thick of it at some time or the other, swinging back and forth.

After 4 games from the 5 planned at La Rothiere, the French have a slight advantage and are currently just winning La Rothiere by 1 VP. The finale, game 5, might well change that. That's coming soon, as the Young Guard counter-attack at La Rothiere village in the evening gloom...

Pics of the action...

 

The French line up to defend Mortiers village, the Austrians and 'stand-in' Bavarians ready to go... to start with, an all infantry affair. 

Austrian column's on the Allied right, for a 'demonstration' attack

The French columns and battery facing them, just need to hold the line.

The skirmishers out front stall the Austrian columns, but their not looking to press to close quarters anyway, just pin the French in place, keep them nice and busy. 

To the Allied left rear, light cavalry gallop on, in columns of march.

The centre, 'Bavarians' embroiled with more skirmishers and veteran infantry holding the buildings.

French dragoons gallop on behind their right, sent by the Emperor himself.

Vive L'Empereur!'. The biggest boss turns up to make sure the left flank doesn't cave.

The Austrian hussars storm forward to meet the dragoons, who have just sabred to pieces a Austrian battalion, other all form square - quick!

The left flank try to get forwards but encounter the French light cavalry. Their own moves up to counter them, can they win the battle here?  Err - no.

A finally cavalry clash, dragoons to dragoons... a marginal Austrian win, but not decisively so.