Battle of the Somme 1916

To help year 9 at my school with their history lessons, I offered to put

on a wargame of the first day of the Battle of the Somme. I already had

some polystyrene hexagonal tiles which I made myself a few years ago

back in England. I decided to add trench sides to the slopes and after 2

 or 3 weeks of gluing and painting , I came up with a passable trench

system that could be changed into numerous variations. Like the English

Civil War game I did for year 8 over a month ago, I would have to work

out a rules system that 23 pupils would be able to activily participate

and be interested in, for an hour and a half.



The Finished table before the game begins.

  16 pupils were asked to put themselves into 4 groups. Each group became a British Company and each pupil was an officer in charge of a platoon, each platoon had four bases. All these were clearly labelled and colour coded so we were able to identify whose unit was whose in the heat of the battle. There were also four platoons of German infantry that were starting in their dugouts. Two pupils were picked to be the British and German commanders they were in charge of their artillery fire and helping out in rallying supressed sections.
   

Potter's Pals C and D Company advancing slowly across no mans land.

    I based the British Battalion on a Pals Battalion, originally I was going to use the Accrington Pals, but I couldn`t find all the information I needed about them on the internet and so I chose to do a fictious Battalion based on my home town of Stoke-on-Trent. Each pupil had a identifying card hung around their neck with an officers name and which platoon and company they belonged to. For  the officers names I used Stoke City Football Players surnames.

The all girl German team breathe a collective sigh of relief as the British Artillery fails to block their Dugouts.  

The game started with the British artillery barrage, the British commander threw for each German dugout to see if any were blocked. Unfortunately for his battalion he needed to throw sixes and he threw well below.

The whole of the British line advances into no mans land.

Next was the dice off between the British and German Commanders to see who had the initiative. The Germans won and so this meant that the British artillery in this area finished firing 5 minutes before zero hour. The Potter's Pals waited as orders stated until Zero hour, whilst the Germans were rushing out of their dugouts to man the machine gun posts.

The centre Companies move slowly forward

The Off board German Artillery began to fire. This was worked out by the German Commander throwing six twelve sided dice in one go. There was twelve numbered craters spread evenly apart in no mans land. The commander shouted out the numbers and I placed two smoke markers in each of the corresponding hexes. Then the commander threw a eight sided dice to see if it landed in the actual hex or an adjacent hex. The pupils really enjoyed this part of the game, with cheers or howls of anguish depending where the shells landed. Finally if a platoon's hex was underfire. Four six sided dice (colour coded for each different section) were thrown to see if the were unharmed, Supressed or Destroyed.

A close up of the empty trenches.

   When the German machine gunners reached their machine gun posts, the British Commander threw one six sided die again to see if the posts were destroyed and unusable. Once again he failed to get the required number. At the end of each turn there was a rally phase where the platoon commanders with supressed sections can throw to see if they could remove their supress markers so they could advance again. If the Company or battalion commander was in the same hex, there was more chance of success.

Birdseye view of the action as the British begin to reach the barbed wire.

At the start of a new turn after artillery fire, there was small arms fire. The British weren't allowed to fire until they passed over the wire and got into close range. The Germans were able to fire if in a machine gun post basically at any hexes to their front. Other units or machine guns not in a machine gun post can only fire at a hex directly in front. All sections and officers in a hex were diced for to see if they were hit in the same procedure as artillery fire. A heavy machine gun could either fire at three hexes or three times at one hex. A light machine gun could fire at two hexes or twice at one hex. Any other section could only fire at one hex.

The British Commander looks on whilst some of his platoons attempt to rally.

     About six platoons have reached the barbed wire so the British commander throws again to see if the artillery has blown away the obstruction. In two places the wire is breached, in the other hexes the platoon commanders have to throw for each section attempting to cross. If they are successful they  cross into the adjacent hex, if they fail they are stuck on the wire and must throw again  next turn.

D and C companies finding out who has actually crossed the wire.

 When a section has crossed the wire, they are in close range and so next turn as long as they aren't supressed (Germans always fire first) they can at last fire at the Germans in the trenches.

The British Battalion Commander crosses the wire but is soon killed by the machineguns.

The Rifle-grenade section get a bonus firing into cover and if the British get into close combat then the bomber section has a bonus. However in this actual game nobody  reaches the trenches before the lesson finishes.


D company manages to get a lewis gun section over the wire but is supressed by German fire.

The time flew past and I had a couple of minutes to recap on what had happened and explain about some of the new tactics used by the British to improve their results when attacking in the coming months. The pupils seemed to have enjoyed themselves and hopefully learn't a little history along the way

This was the second attempt at this game the first was with the other year 9 class last Thursday. In that game D company actually captured a machine gun post. However the rules although simple and what I would use normally at home still needed refining to be played as a large participation game. One of the things was I had another status which was classed as pinned (can't move but able to fire). Cutting this status out made the shooting easier and in general faster and more bloody.

Pvt James Hackney

This game is dedicated to my Great Grand Father James Hackney who died in October 1916 at the Battle of the Somme.

Barcelona Lasalle Tournament 2013

Barcelona 2013

After a brief spell playing FOG N we decided to return to playing Lasalle. Four of us from Alicante made the long road trip to Barcelona to play in the the Lasalle Tournament. This time we played two games instead of three but with two supports. Personally I feel playing with two supports works the best for games, giving you more options to balance a game.

 

The Participants were:

 

French & Allies

Paconey: Div Inf Imperial+ Light Cavalry and reserve Saxon Cavalry (Despertaferro)
Javi: Div, inf. Conquest+ Light Cavalry and reserve Dragoons (Desperta ferro)
Anquises: Div. inf. Imperial+ Inf. Elite and reserve Cuirassiers (CROM)
Juanete: División de inf Conquest+ Light Cavalrygera and reserve Cuirassiers (Club Alea Iacta Est)
Caboeloeyen: Frances Peninsula +Inf. italian and reserve  Dragoons (A. napo)
Marechalde saxe: Div. Polish 1813+ lancers 1813 and  reserve  Dragoons fr. (A.napo)

Coalitión & Friends

Nº13: Avantgarde Austrians + infantry y reserve cuirassiers (taifa)
Keioth: Avantgarde Austrians + hussars y reserve cuirassiers (Honor y Gloria)
Ngash: Russian Guard+ cuirassiers and reserve Light Cavalry (Wargames & Rol)
Bollito: Prussian liberación+ Light Cav + reserve Cuirassier (Desperta ferro)
Koza: British Light div. + Brig. Brunswick and reserve Light Cavalry (Honor y Gloria)
Phil: British Light div + Brig. Brunswick and reserve Light Cavalry (Wargames & Rol)

My first match was against Eloi with his French Peninsular Division with an organic Italian Brigade and reserve Dragoon Brigade.

For the first time in a tournament I used my British Army, I decided to use Peninsular Light Division with an organic Brunswick Brigade and in reserve my Light Cavalry Brigade (Impetuous of course).

There was some special rules for the tournament, one was that there were 4 extra objectives one placed on each players flank but nearer the middle of the table than the players actual edge and a central objective placed in the middle of the table worth 2 points.

All of the six tables were laid out similar to the ones in the book but each side was a mirror image of the other, so each sides terrain was equal to the others. Each player had to place their objective and one player had to be the attacker, only to see who would deploy first and also the defender could place one extra piece of terrain. 

I was planning on being the defender for the games but due to the objectives being forward of the deployment zones I choose to attack. Eloi choose to defend so there was no need to roll. 

 

Eloi's French Army Deployed

Eloi Deployed his infantry in the centre covering his objective. Instead of mixing his conscript and veterans into two commands he kept them seperate with his conscript brigade covering his left flank.

My British army ready to attack

I used my artillery to cover my left flank and my main infantry Division was going to attack his centre and my Brunswick Brigade was to support the main attack on the right flank.

 

With being the attacker, my brigades advance quickly in march column

 

The French deploy their foot battery to fire on my advancing large units. 

 

My forces unit's form columns of attack as they begin to pass the town in the centre 

 

On my left flank my cacadores get ready to drive a unit of french irregulars out of the wood.

 

My Cacadores clear the woods and I capture his right flank objective. My Highlanders break an Italian Infantry unit but my Rifle Regt have been pushed back and are countercharged by two Italian units and are broken. So much for Captain Sharpe and Harper.

 

I feel better when my cavalry appear on my right flank. Now my Brunswickers can attack.

 

In the centre things are not going that well, although my Scottish Regt attacks and routs another Italian regiment and is in sight of the main objective. It has become surrounded by 5 French Dragoon Regiments because the French reserves have appeared.

 

The Italians start to press in the centre and I have to bring up some reinforcements to shore up the line.

 

Meanwhile my cavalry start to gallop around the French left flank.

 

 

My Scottish regiment forms square and waits for reinforcements, the Brunswickers are close but the sneaky French have unlimbered a horse battery and are firing cannister into the Scottish ranks.

 

 

Unfortunately the Brunswick are too late and the Scots are charged on both sides by cavalry and infantry.

 

 

To the shout of "avenge zee Jocks" My Brunswicker's charge the French conscripts and drive them back. Also my British cavalry charge and ride over a conscript square.

 

 

Some French Dragoons try to flush my irregular infantry out of the woods but in true Robin hood style, I move my unit forward and  gives them the slip.

 

                                The French Dragoon unit backs up to have another go.

 

 

But as my Brunswick and cavalry push through the French left flank and destroy another conscript unit. The French have arrived at their breakpoint and the game ends with a Decisive victory to me.

With capturing all the objectives, I get 33 points and after the first round I am in  first position.

 

We stop for lunch and go to the same pizza restaurant as last year and catch up with old friends Paco and Javi from Palma Mallorca.

 

After lunch and due to the competition running late, the organisers decide to play the next round with each player choosing one support. I wasn't too happy with this decision because a) the British army doesn't work well with only one support b) I had just spent 3 weeks painting my new Brunswick Brigade and now I wouldn't be able to use it.

 

Due to my poor Spanish I compounded the issue by thinking my next opponent was pulling a fast one by choosing French light cavalry which was not on his original list. It finally dawned on me that the player I should have played had not turned up and I was playing Marc and Oscar who had kindly filled in at the last moment with his Bavarian Army. I would like to extend my apologises once again to Jose Ma, Oscar and Marc for me behaving like a "burro".

 

The table was set out as a crossroads with very little terrain, therefore I elected to be the defender. I used for my extra piece of terrain a narrow hill (ridge) that I had bought with me and was in very high demand (Jose used the other one I had bought and Miguel asking to use this one). 

 

The Bavarian Infantry advanced in march column, whilst the French Cavalry advance onto my open left flank.

 

                                 My British cavalry brigade evenly face their rivals

 

I charge with all my cavalry units, My opponent does not try to fall back but just accepts the combat, As often happens my first unit loses and is forced back, but my other units fare better and the French lose two units. 

 

Five Bavarian Infantry advance in typical Lasalle close order columns, My infantry units advance onto the ridge and pour volleys on to the dense mass before them.

 

 

My cavalry break the two remaining French cavalry units and now my plan is to fall onto the Bavarian Infantry Rear.

 

 

My Infantry retire behind the ridge and a British Infantry Reg charge the flank of the Bavarian attack force that have been weakened by the previous volley and rout it. The Bavarian-French Army has now reached breaking point and it has only reached turn 7.

 

 

This is where my new secret weapon the narrow hill comes into action. Because my troops have retreated behind the hill the Bavarians can not charge or fire at them even though they are in range because they could not initially see them. The Bavarians climb the heights and I pour another volley into them and then charge.

 

As always with my dice rolling,  not everything goes to plan and I lose two combats but break another enemy unit.

 

I countercharge once again and break another unit, now there are only two Bavarian units left surrounded by five British Infantry units and with my cavalry now bearing down on his rear. The Bavarian-French Army is defeated and have lost 8 units whilst my British Army hasn't lost any.

 

Even though this was an easy victory, I still had to play it right because if it ended to soon then I might not have broken enough units to gain enough points to win overall. Also I was aware that time has a way of going quick and if he kept on rolling over his turn number and we run out of time then the game could end in a draw. As it was I just beat Salva to the top prize with us both having two decisive victories each but I had the most points.

 

 

Me still in shock at winning receiving my prizes from Oscar and Jose Ma.

 

Salva receiving his prizes for coming second.

 

Juanete receiving his prize for coming 1st out of the French Commanders

                   Team Alicante at the end of the day with Jose Ma and one of the sponsors from Bandau Wargames.

Once again this was a very fruitful and enjoyable day which we will be hoping to repeat next year. I thought the rules for playing with two supports (objectives etc) were very good and it was a pity we couldn't play another game with the two supports in the afternoon. Maybe it would have been better to have kept it to the the normal 16+ turns instead 20+. A Big thanks goes out once again to the organisers and also the Sponsors for supporting the event.

There were a lot more demostration Napoleonic games going on during the day which you can see pictures of at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.274000196063710.64392.100003611960669&type=1

One of the guys playing from Seville (numero 13) anounced on the stage that they would be organising a Lasalle Tournament in the  next couple of months time. So a roadtrip to Sunny Seville look like its on the books.

  

Battle of Naseby 1645

 

 

To help our secondary children in the school where I work to get to grips with history.  In the September I offered my wargaming services to the history department, they enthusiastically took up my offer and wanted me to organise battles for the English Civil War and World War One.  The objectives  I made myself was that the  game should be fun, fit into a single double lesson whilst attempting to have  23 pupils , boys and girls participating at the same time and hopefully they should learn something along the way.

 

Royalists commanders for the second game.

 

The first game was the first lesson on a Monday morning so an early start was needed to prepare the table. The rules used were based on the free wargame rules Marston less by Tony Cullen . These used a grid sytem so it was easier to for the pupils to understand movement. I changed the rules for command, each side had a general for each horse and foot line and also higher commands for the centre and each wing (Oliver Cromwell, Prince Rupert etc). Each Pupil therefore had their own command to look after. I used the bucket of dice system and when there was combat several pupils (supports, line and generals) involved were able to throw dice.

All the pupils seemed to be engaged and having a good time.

 

Each pupil had a card around their neck explaining which units they were in charge of during the game. These were also colour coded red and orange to explain which side they were on.

 

The Majority of the girls were on the Roundhead side

 

 On Monday we played the Royals actually won, after a see-saw infantry battle in the centre. The Parliament Commander-in-chief, Lord Fairfax was captured by the Royals when his second line was routed, although the Royals had lost their major General of foot Lord Astley when their front line had routed earlier on in the game. The cavalry on both wings were both engaged but without a decisive breakthrough on either flank.

 

 

The Royalist throwing their dice for combat, looks like the result was a good one.

 

For some reason I thought the lesson was ending at half past ten instead of eleven and so wrapped the game up with a royalist victory because parliment had  only 1  foot unit on the table. I was able to make up the time however explaining what actually happened in the battle, and taking charge of a healthy question and answer session, mainly about Prince Rupert and his dog.

 

King Charles (second boy to the left) taking advice fron his generals.

 

   On Thursday was the other Year 8 class, this time I was more prepared and like the first game, the majority of the girls went on one side (Parliament) and the boys the other side (Royalists). When I gave the command cards out I got the players with higher commands to stand up and I explained a little about their historical  lives. This group were a lot more cautious, (on Monday there were lot of shouts of Attack, attack) In the end I had to encourage the Royalists to move off there hill or both sdes would have stayed there all day looking at eachother.

 

Birdseye view of the action.

The cavalry under Rupert charged and the Royalist infantry advanced. The Parliament infantry charged down the hill to meey the Royalist line. When the first foot line were engaged in combat . King Charles finally decided (the boy playing Charles had the same charateristic of indecisiveness and listening to the last person who spoke.) to move into the melee to help reform the line. He was successful in removing the Disruption marker, but failed to fall back to safety. In the next combat resolution the Royalist line broke and the King was captured causing the whole of the Royal Army to be demoralised.

 

The Royalist Centre Command consider what to do next after losing their front line and the King.

 

On the right wing Prince Rupert cavalry had charged and due to the King being captured, they had an extra DP placed on his front line., This in turn meant his front line routed, Rupert managed to escape capture and retreat back to his second line.

            Another view from the gallery, I think at this time, I was explaining the importance of not moving your King into the combat area.

Prince Rupert charged with his second line but they were also routed and this time Rupert wasn't so lucky and was captured. Meaning Parliament had well and truly won the battle (and the war). I then explained what had actually happened and answered any questions they had. (one asked where he could buy the figures from and another asked about gaming World War 2).

 

A view from Parliament side, at this moment the Royalists still thought they had a chance of winning.

 

Afterwards I gave each Pupil a worksheet to choose another major battle, giving then four options Edgehill, Marston moor, Newbury and  Cheriton . They have to research it and write a scenario to play with the same board and rules. Then the best ones will be picked out to played hopefully in a few weeks time.