Battle at the Canal - deployment

 The canal and L&YR junction presented a formidable position for Red to defend.  Unfortuantely, Red was thinly spread out - and Blue was in close pursuit.

Both sides fitted quite neatly into the baskets - and the terrain was placed.  This included the Canal Model mark 2.

The new canal model has genuine water, and is formed from florist oasis trays.

The view from the rear of Army Red

Directly to the front of the line was a block house. manned by a HMG.  And forward from here was a half compamy of cyclists with signallers.  The block house was connected by field telephone to the Station and HQ in town.

The advanced cyclist patrol soon made contact with Army Blue - in buses ...

and began to fall back.

Blue meanwhile 'debussed' and opened fire ...

Battle at the Canal - Burscough Bridge, 1912

The play testing of the new Campaign rules continues, and a fine Autumn day allowed

us to keep the momentum going.

The campaign is based on a game played by HG in which a mounted infantry army (Red) took on a dismounted army.  This was very much based on the experience of the Boer War.  

The campaign is set in my native west Lancahire, and Army Red is rertiring from Springpool Wood towards the sea at Southport.  Both sides have been replensihed and reinforced, and Red is holding a line behind the canal, and vital rail junction of Burscough Bridge.  

As the game is being played as a Kriegspeil on the map, only certain portions of the armies camie into contact.  

The Battle at Burscough Bridge

Red

 

Army Red deployed on the line Ormskirk – Burscough – Rufford

 

At Burscough Bridge elements of the 2^nd Volunteer (West Lancs) Cyclist Bde were in position holding the L&YR station, goods yard and canal :

 

At the railway

 

2^nd West Lancs Cyclist volunteers – Formby Flyers

1 x HMG

 

At the Canal

 

3^rd West Lancs Cyclist Volunteers

1 x HMG - forward 

RE Coy

Signals Plt

 

 

 Blue

 

2nd TF Brigade (South Lancs)

Bde HQ

1st South Lancs 

3rd Liverpool Scots - A Coy 

                                            1 x Artillery - supplied with 10 rounds

                        Supply –  Wigan and District ASC -- 3 x Motor Bus+ motor cycle  

 The campaign will now be conducted under the watchful eye of Lord K - and who will come out the winner, Bacsight Forethought (hero of Kakdorp) or  Leisurely Trundle ...

 

 

Kat and Kriegspiel - an intervention

 As the nights begin to draw in, thoughts are returning to FLW volume 2 - Garden Kriegspiel (HG's spelling).  As Jnr was down for the weekend, we decided to continue our Lancashire Territorial Force campaign - and the map phase.  

As Army Red and Blue clashed at the canal at Burscough Bridge, an advisor appeared.

Kat decided that the Army Blue QM should retire in a seawards dircetion ...

After further reflection, Kat decided that the QM should be evacuated from the Southport Pleasure Beach into the Irish Sea.

Having achived this mission, Kat began planning the Cyclist Brigade route to fall back on the defences of Southport ...

Kat is a keen student of Claws-witz and agrees with the great man;

'Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.'

Verdun - phase 3 - Attack

                                                                            Attack

As gas clouds swirled around the French gun line, it was time for the attacking forces to go 'over the bogs' - spearheaded by two Storm Troop Battalions and Guard Pioneers - equipeed with flame throwers.

StrossTruppen Von Wright (a genuine 1870 era Prussian theorist) attacked the wood on the left flank ...

They quickly overwhelmed the French Chasseurs, taking the command bunker.

Meanwhile, on the right, the seasoned StrossTruppen Von Gow attacked the fort.  This proved to be a much more difficult affair - especially as teh supporting fort gave some very accurate fire support.  

German reserves were appearing in large numbers, and the French defenders were now struggling to return fire.  Play ended at this point.  

Below -  a French recce aero observes the German occupation of the wood.

It proved to be an enthralling game, and the secne is set for a French counter attack. Some highlights were the German GHQ, complete with grand piano...

the ruined church of Douaumont was made from a period toy set 

and lots of aviation.

Thnaks to Tim, Russell and Pete for travlling to the 'land of lost content' and braving the heat of the day.

 

Verdun - phase 2 - Bombardment

Bombardment

 

Having secured control of skies, and recce'd the Horizon Blue positions it was time to launch the bombardment.  An impressive array of heavy artillery was deployed, with field artillery closer to the front.

The new rules for 'box barrages' were being used - in which the attacker has a number of rounds to fire into a designated box.  The two areas were marked out with German flags - and the fring commenced.

The bombardment was fired at the woods and the fort.

A mixture of HE and Gas was fired - the gas being simulated by the green clouds.

The French gun line is pictured above - with a field telephone line running through.

The fort, being isolated sent a pigeon!  The pigeon rules allow for a pigeon model to be flown ...

The pigeon did eventually reach HQ, but not until after the attack had been launched ...
 

Verdun - phase 1 - Recce

 Here at FLW we have experimented with a number of 'Big War' games in a Wellsian manner.  The Great War, which HG predicted in 'Little Wars', is a fascinating wargames subject - as it is essentially a siege game.

The approach to playing a game with FLW is as follows:

• Recce phase - using aero's and balloons with air to air combat
• Bombardment phase - and mines
• Attack phase - or going 'over the bags'

The Verdun position included frontline trenches, a line of blockhouses and the fort - with artillery positions in the wood.

 

The Recce phase commenced with some sharp combats, and lots of Archie - and some very near misses.  It was a tumult in the clouds.

Armt Black (Germany) achieved air superiority and shot down two Horizon Blue (French) machines.  The plucky and outgunned French succesfully shot down a German balloon.  

The stage was set for phase 2 - Bombardment. But not before the soup ration arrived at the fort ...

 

Verdun - set up

 Gloruious weather and the Shrophire countyside - what could be a better for a garden wargame in the very land of AE Housman, and the Edwardian idyll.

So to the set up, and the scenario was looslely based on the German attack on Fort Douaumont in 1916.  

A small ridge marked out the 'quiet' French frontiline - with the Fort as the main objective.

The garrison had been reduced, both in the number of guns and the use of Territorial troops.  The defenders remained alert, with balloons and recce aero's active ...

Meanwhile, the German attacking forces were massing in the dark woods of the Meuse ...

 

VERDUN

for FLW ‘Big Wars’

The Pals Edition

Holcroft Wright

A WORK IN PROGRESS

“my own financial predicament is very unimportant when I think of the millions of men who are going to be massacred in a War of the Worlds, comparable to that of Wells, because the Emperor of Austria thinks it expedient to have an outlet onto the Black Sea.”

From the Letters of Marcel Proust

 

 

Verdun game - in the offing

After Tim's excellent Somme game, the focus now moves to the wooded Meuse region, and Verdun ...

Somme game - dispatches

 The Somme game proved to be a most entertaining exercise, and I will leave it to the Brigade Commanders to judge the quality of the Chateau Generalship - but we did achieve a first break through of a front line ...

The weather turned wet, so it became a floor game.

http://megablitzandmore.blogspot.com/

Communications proved to be remarkably effective - with the use of modern technology ...

A Funny Little Wars game tomorrow - the first day of the Somme, 1916. Tim is hosting the game and I am providing some Chateau generalship ...

This is a multi player scenario with the British fielding a Division of three Brigades - and 180 infantry figures.  There will be an observation, bombardment and attack phase.

Garden Campaigns is currrently being tested, and then a 'HG's Big War' edition is planned for 2023.

Somme Day

Remembering the Highfield and Up Holland boys on this Somme Day, 1st July 1916.

The three Wright brothers, Thomas Holcroft, Jack Foote and Joe Starkey.

And Elizabeth Ellen Holcroft, munitions factory worker in Vickerstown, Barrow.

Fondly remembered today.

The Wellsian Kriegspiel - or Little Campaigns re-written

 Many thanks to everyone who has supported the re-release of Funny Little Wars - there have been some really kind comments and I am delighted that the book is back in print, and widely available.  It is also available for sale from Tradition, Stockholm - and a very big thank you to Erik.

Little Campaigns is now on the table, and I have decided to go for a complete re-write - and make it a folllow on to the amplifications for Kriegspiel that are at the end of Little Wars.

The new version will have all new photos, and will be set in 1913.  I will use the blog to provide updates &c.  

The campaigning season will begin with the follow up actions to the Battle of Spring Pool wood - and both sides have now practised with the Kriegspeil system, and the wooden blocks...

Below - some snaps from the original Little Campaigns.