The 18:15 To Waterloo

A couple of days ago a bunch of us met up at the UK Defency Academy in Shrivenham, to play Waterloo, using the excellent Bloody Big Battles rules. Lt-Col Dave, my old sparring partner, put together the scenario and Major Tom, kindly gave us access to a spacious room in which to play.

The Protaganists

From left to right: Nigel (F), Dave (A), Chris (A), myself (Wellington), Major Tom (P), Robin (F), Stu (F) and Lt-Col Dave as umpire. Adam (Napoleon) took the photo.

The Allied Plan

Lt-Col Dave had provided both sides with good pre-game information, which naturally the other side had no clue about. Just the right amount of 'fog-of-war'. In a flurry of e-mails, we the Allies agreed to:

• Keep the Infantry behind the ridge line, out of sight of the French guns.
• Keep the Cavalry as a mobile reserve.
• Target the French guns as they moved forward to try and prevent 'grande batteries' being formed.
• Artillery not shooting is wasted Artillery.
• Contest La Haie, La Haie Sainte and Hougoumont for as long as possible, to act as break waters to the French advance.

The Game

Well it was a full on day, so as and when time permitted, I took some photos of the action as it unfolded. Hopefully this will give you an idea of how the game played.

Chris (Allied left flank) and BBB author, sorting out troops with Lt-Col Dave. Dave and Robin chat in the background. Adam has his back to the camera.

A view from the allied left flank, with Nigel pondering French plans with Robin.

The French right flank, with their Cavalry covering Plancenoit.

The French centre.

The French left flank.

The French view of Hougoumont.

It looked like the French plan was to mask Hougoumont, and press forward in the centre and attempt a right hook on the Allied line. Napoleon's 'daughters' ready for action.

The right end of the French centre.

The Allies have the Guards in Hougoumont. The French deployed first, to allow us to adjust our own deployment.

The end of the Allied right flank.

A view along the Allied line, with the Infantry and Cavalry out of view of the French.

The Allied right wing.

The Allied centre and Mont St Jean.

The Allied left wing.

The 'Ball' has opened, with the French moving en masse towards La Haie Sainte.

Alten's 3rd Division were to perform heroics, holding off the French for around 2 Turns. The French Artillery is disrupted but the Allied guns, forceing them back, which was our plan.

The French move towards La Haie.

The Saxe-Weimar Division was to out perform the heroics of those of Alten's 3rd Division at La Haie Sainte.

It looks like the French plan to mask Hougoumont, rather than attempt to assault it. Dave on the Allied right wing attempts to move his Cavalry round to threaten the French rear, but repeated failed orders meant he was stuck in place for the moment.

Alten's 3rd Division is eventually forced out of La Haie Sainte, but has done sterling work and will certianly be mentioned in dispatches!

The French push forward as Adam (Napoleon) moves units to threaten La Haie and the Saxe-Weimar Division.

The French left flank is open to attack from Hougoumont.

The Saxe-Weimar Division holds out against all the odds, given that they are a Raw unit and are outnumbered.

"Give me night, or give me Blucher!" The Prussians arrive, commanded by Major Tom.

The British move forward to provide support at La Haie.

The Guards attack out of Hougoumont towards the French left flank...

...forcing them to deal with the threat, thus taking some pressure off the main Allied line.

 La Haie and La Haie Sainte are now in French hands, so they now push forward towards the ridge.

The brave Saxe-Weimar Division is still somehow combat effective, but only just, and has withdrawn towards the Allied positions on the ridge.

More Prussians arrive, but much to Major Tom's chagrin, he can't get them moving forward as much as he would like!

The Allied right moves some units down off the ridge to pressure the end of the French left wing.

This coupled with the ongoing battle around Hougoumont, is tying up the French left wing as we hoped.

The French close in on the ridge, but have been pushed back, but at the cost of the Allied guns being forced to retire, most of them off table.

The Allied troops display admirable 'sang froid' in the face of the French advance, as the French have brought the Old Guard forward to try and effect a breakthrough.

After all their exertions, the Saxe-Weimar Division is Spent and close to breaking.

The Prussians still unable to effect a break out.

The British move back into Hougoumont, have achieved their aim of breaking yp the French attack.

The French mass for the attack and...

... break through onto and over the ridge, threatening Mont St Jean. Desperate measures sees the British Heavy Cavalry forced to charge the French Old Guard, to try and slow them down.

It's not looking good for the Allies, as out of shot, the French take Mont St Jean on their last Turn of the game...

... only for the British to re-take it with literally the last die rolls of the game!

Despite having broken through on the ridge, the French have run out of time, as night falls and the game ends.

End of the Game

So with an epic and rather cinematic end to the game, we awaited the umpires decision on the result, which proved to be a draw, as both sides had two objectives a piece, which seemed a fair result, or so it seemed for the Allies!

Post Game Thoughts

Well that was an absolutely cracking game, which went right down to the wire! You can't ask for more than that. As always a few thoughts in no particular order:

• The scenario worked a treat, so well done to Lt-Col Dave and Major Tom for this, as for us players, it really did make for a great, enjoyable and challenging game.
• The venue was superb and us lucky Allied players had a bit of a tour of the 'big toys shed', which featured a real mix of AFV's, aircraft and other stuff, which we didn't get to see more than a fraction of. Sadly no photos were allowed there, but Major Tom was a great guide and frankly we could have spent hours wandering around and chatting.
• Chris and Dave kindly allowed me to be Wellington, which worked well, given that they were both very experienced players, which meant I could concentrate on the bigger picture. I think our initial plan worked well and as the game unfolded, we were in agreement on how bes to react to the various French threats as they developed.
• The French players were brilliant and worthy opponents and a pleasure to cross swords with.
• The game was played in the right spirit from start to finish, with plenty of good natured banter all round, which really made for a great gaming atmosphere and experience.
• The game lasted 9 Turns and I reckon we ended up playing for nearly 6 hours, with a break for lunch. It was quite intense, as there is a lot going on in a small space, so I think we were all a bit pooped mentally at then end of it, but in a good way.
• Now regular readers will know that I'm not a big fan of Waterloo as a wargame, as too often over my gaming life I've seen endless attacks on Hougoumont, La Haie Sainte etc on the games table or in magazines. But this completely changed my opinion, as it made gaming Waterloo FUN, challenging and with plenty of replay value! Not something I ever expected to say. This is testament to both the rules and the scenario.
• There is talk of another get together later on in the year and, if we are lucky, this might become a regular get-together a few times a year. Fingers crossed on that front!

What Next?

Well certainly no wargaming for me as we are off to Austria soon for nearly two weeks of much needed R&R. When we return it will soon be time for the annual trip to the Colours wargames show, all being well. Chris and Dave will be there, putting on an ACW game, The Wilderness, using BBB, so that should be fun to see and have a go at, as well as a good chat too.

After that the aim is to finish off the mini-campaign set during the Greco-Italian War 1940, then I'm not sure what will follow after that. Plenty of options and ideas as always.

As always, thanks for reading and getting this far and any comments greatly appreaciated, assuming Google has allowed you to see this post!

TTFN.

Seize Sitaria - The Greco-Italian War 1940 - Campaign Turn 2

This is the second action of my mini-campaign set during the ill fated Italian invasion of Greece.

Background Fluff

30th October 1940. Communication problems coupled with a day of rest on the 29th, meant the the Sapienza Column was about a whole day behind other units in the advance towards Kalpaki. Having encountered resistance at Krioneri, which was overcome, the Column then advanced towards the village of Sitaria, now aware that the Greeks were putting up much stiffer resistance than they'd been led to believe would happen. 

Italian Sapienza Column OOB

1 x CO (CV8)

2 x HQ (CV8)

2 x HQ (CV7)

1 x FAO (CV6)

1 x Recce (Cavalry)

7 x Infantry (+1 die when rolling for Fall-Back)

3 x Infantry (Albanian Fascist Militia. +1 die when rolling for Fall-Back)

2 x MG

1 x 81mm Mortar

1 x IG + Tow (Horse)

1 x 75mm Artillery (Off table)

3 x L3/35 Tankettes

1 x L3/35 Tankette flamethrower

Greek Frontier Border Force OOB

1 x CO (CV8)

2 x HQ (CV8)

5 x Infantry (-1 die when rolling for Fall-Back)

1 x MG

1 x 81mm Mortar

1 x 75mm Artillery Support Unit + Tow (Horse)

Scenario Details

• There is still 10/10 cloud cover, so no air support is available.
• It has started to rain, so visibility is reduced to 50cm for the whole game.
• The terrain is very rough, with wooded hillsides and mountains. As a result, the L3/35 Tankettes cannot moved over of through this terrain. Horse drawn Artillery is able to do so, but at -1CV to reflect the difficult nature of the terrain.
• The Italians deploy using Static Deployment, 20cm in from their table edge.
• The game last for 12 Turns.
• The objective for the Italians is once again to exit the table edge and to avoid as many casualties as possible. Earlier losses have not been replaced the morale is faltering due to the unexpected tough Greek resistance.
• The objective for the Greeks is to inflict as many casualties as possible on the Italians and to try and prevent them exiting of the Greek table edge. Reinforcements are arriving in and around Kalpaki, but minimising their own losses would greatly benefit the Greek cause.

The Game

This game was played some days ago now, so I hope my notes and the photos will jog my old brain to produce a coherent narrative of how the action unfolded!

An overview of the table, with Sitaria sitting in a small valley with some flat farmland around the town. The Italians enter from the NW table edge.

The Greeks occupy Sitaria as best they can with the limited force at their disposal.

Francois le Fermier makes a guest appearance as he does some contract farming.

The Greek remnants from the previous action occupy forward positions in the rocks and orchard.

A view of the Italian positions, with the main force moving on the left flank, with the L3/35's confined to the centre due to the terrain, and a small flanking force on the right.

The end of Turn 1. As the Italians advanced, they came under fire from the advanced Greek positions, with the Albanian Fascist Militia (blue grey uniforms) losing two Infantry units.

The Italian left flank is in some disarray, as both HQ units are suppressed, which will cause some C&C issues. The L3/35 tankettes provide supporting fire which manages to cause some hits on the Greek units to their front.

The Italian right flank struggles forward through a mountain pass.

The end of Turn 2. Little movement from the Italians, but their FAO brings down accuarate fire on the Greeks in the orchard, leading to one Infantry unit being KO'd. With limited visibility due to the rain, the Greeks have no targets in sight.

The end of Turn 3. As the Italian right flank advances through the pass, things go less well for the Italians. The FAO has an issue communicating the grid reference for his Artillery, leading to it falling on the Albanian Fascist Militia! Despite this, they do manage to KO the remaining Greek Infantry unit in and around the orchard. Again the rain prevents the other Greek units from having any targets they can see.

The Italian advance has stalled.

At least the right flank has navigated the mountain pass to close in on Sitaria.

The end of Turn 4. The Italian left flank and centre pushes forward somewhat slowly, but the right flank comes under fire from Sitaria.

The Italian right flank deploys to attack Sitaria, but takes fire as it does so.

The L3/35's advance cautiously towards the town.

The remaining troops on the left flank reach cover and prepare to move towards the town.

The end of Turn 5. The Italian advance struggles, failing to do much to put pressure on the Greeks, who in turn manage to suppress two Italian Infantry units.

The way is open to the outskirts of Sitaria, but the Italians fail to take the opportunity to advance.

The Greeks hold their positions in the town and await the Italian attacks that will surely come.

The end of Turn 6. With no Artillery arriving in support, the Italians still manage to KO the Greek MG unit in the town. The Greeks KO and Italian Infantry unit in return and, as the L3/35's advance, they hit one with ATR fire, but fail to KO it.

The Italian right flank is not in a good state at present, having taken losses.

The Greeks hold on and hope they can do something to halt the L3/35's.

The end of Turn 7. The Italian Artillery hits Sitaria, but fails to cause any casualties, and both sides lose and Infantry unit each. But it is the L3/35 flamethrower tankette that is now a major threat, having KO'd the Greek Infantry unit with the ATR. 

The Greeks look on nervously as...

... as the L3/35 tankette moves past the burning building it has just torched.

The end of Turn 8. Suddenly the Greeks reach their Breakpoint as they take more losses from combined arms attacks. Despite passing, they realise the retreat is the best option now and they begin to pull back towards Kalpaki, leaving the Italians in control of Sitaria.

A suppressed Greek Infantry unit wisely decides to surrender that the L3/35 flamethrower tankette closes in on their building.

The remaining Greek troops begin to pull back.

End of the Game

In the end the Italian numbers told, especially having armoured support in the form of the L3/35 tankettes. 

The Italian losses were quite heavy and not something they could afford, given their tenuous supply lines.

The Greeks paid heavily, but they were safe in the knowledge that they were working on interior lines and that more troops and materiel was arriving in Kalpaki.

Post Game Thoughts

Well that was another nice solo game that fitted in nicely with the overall mini-campaign narrative. As always a few thoughts:

• After the game I realised that I completely forgot to give the Greek troops in the BUA a saving throw! Whilst this was a big error on my part, I don't think it would have altered the overall outcome. 
• The Rain worked well and certainly gave that feeling of limited visibility, which in this case actually hampered the Greeks more than the Italians. It's rare we use Weather in our games, but it is good when we have the opportunity to do so.
• The L3/35 tankettes were once again a real bonus for the Italians, as the Greeks just didn't have anything to fight back against them with. They might have been able to KO maybe one with the ATR, but this would have been a slim chance. Deploying the IG in a more direct fire role would have helped, but would have exposed it to the risk of Italian fire, which I felt to be too risky.
• Playing a game in such mountainous terrain is tricky, not only from a game point of view in terms of line-of-sight, movement issues etc, but from a practical point of view of how best to replicate this on the games table. Luckily I have just enough hills etc to do this on a 4'x4', but on anything larger I would struggle.
• Once again a good game that drives the campaign narrative and one that you might not normally play as a one off, but it is nice to have the chance to do something different from the norm.
• Google Maps and Street view is a real boon for us gamers, as it allowed me to get a pretty good idea of the actual terrain in and around Sitaria. Naturally it will be a bit of a compromise given the terrain you have to hand and the type of game you are playing, but it does help an awful lot when thinking of how to set the scenario up.

What Next?

Well first and foremost I need to get my Napoleonic hat on in advance of Tuesday's game, so time to dig out the BBB rules and to have a bit of a refresh on the battle of Waterloo too. No matter the outcome I'm sure we're going to have a great days gaming on so many levels! I'm not sure how many photos I might be allowed to take, but hopefully enough to give an idea of how the day went.

On the Greco-Italian campaign front, I'd like to get the final game in before we're away on holiday in just over a week's time, but don't want to rush things. Even if I don't get to play the game, at least I can get the scenario all sorted in advance.

Given the Blogger is still playing silly buggers, I hope that at least some of you get to see this AAR as the previous action received fewer comments than normal. Maybe that's down to Blogger or the campaign is not to many people's liking?

Thanks for getting this far, assuming you've seen it of course, and as always any comments greatly appreciated!

TTFN.