Pitched Battle (1)

OK, I finally decided to write a blog. Thanks to the constant prodding of friends I will now try to document my games. Hopefully it will also encourage me to play more too.  I play solo, with 54mm models, usually on a 3' x 3' gridded table. This will be familiar to fans of Wargaming Miscellany and of course 54 Or Fight. From the first I was put onto gridded games, and from the second pulled into the world of 54mm (although Tim Gow of Megablitz fame is mostly to blame with his Little Cold Wars). The small table comes from One Hour Wargames OHW) by Niel Thomas. So there are the influences on my current gaming, although like many others I have played with toy soldiers since I can remember, but that is another story.

So. I need a plan. Recently, the author of the Up the Blue Blog shared his latest version of his WW2 adaptation of the WW2 OHW rules (see above and keep up). I thought it might be nice to use his suggestions for using grids with his rules and play through the scenarios in the OHW book as a series of connected battles featuring my imaginations, Albionia and Teutonia.  These two countries have forgotten why they always tend to be at war. If there was to be a reason for their regular wars (about once every twenty years) they have long forgotten it. Lets just say that they need a good reason to distract their people from domestic issues with a splendid war, and that this time it was Teutonia's turn to invade Albionia.

The first battle on my list was the Pitched Battle (1). This battle was based on the 1544 dust-up between the Austrians and French at a place called Creosole.  This battle I am knowing from nothing except that the two sides had drawn up on two opposing hills across a valley and thought this was an excellent spot to kick the snot out of each other! How to turn this battle into a mid 20th century affair?  I decided that reinforced companies from both sides were searching each other out and had by chance met opposite each other in the fair valley of...Creosote.

The battlefield (according to Wikipedia entry on the Teutonian-Albionian war) was about a mile across dotted with fields, hedges, babbling brooks and the occasional potting shed (presumably used by wargamers which was a common past-time in both countries. The area was close enough for armies to bump into each other unawares but open enough that the only significant features were two large hills to the north and south.

Each force was made up of a company of three platoons, reinforced with support elements as they were available (won the auction on Ebay). So, using the random tables in the OHW book and allowing an absolute minimum of three infantry the two sides were as follows.

Captain Scarlett of the Albionian Rifles commanding A Company, with three platoons, 2 mortar sections and a WHOLE TANK troop.

Kapitan Schwartz of the 123rd Infantry Regiment commanding 1st Company with three platoons, an extra platoon drafted from another company, a mortar section and a small anti-tank battery.

Now. As a solo player one has a different approach to a more competitive social type of wargamer. I looked at the problem from one of likely military possibilities (like I would know one if I saw it). The scenario asked for as much bloodshed as possible with the highest bodycount winning the game. I also included the narrative idea of an invading and defending force seeking each other out and winding up in an encounter battle. It made sense for the support units of both sides to be held back while the footsloggers went out to find each other.

I assumed the role of the Teutonian set up and randomly chose the Albionian. An infantry platoon dug in on the hill supporting the mortars and anti-tank guns. Two platoons would march North East to South West, while another platoon would patrol the western part of the battlefield. I quickly made up a programmed plan for Scarlett. His infantry would probe ahead until they found the enemy, at which they would call up mortar support and if the tanks were handy they would advance to the contact point. A random selection, placed both of Scarlett's mortars on the hill, with two platoons to their immediate front and left, with the tanks another platoon to their right.

Turn One
All the infantry advanced across the valley, on the eastern side, contact was made at the range of 300 yards.

Turn Two
The Teutonians won the initiative and smartly called up mortar support. All units roll 3D6 with modifications and check against a target number to hit. The mortar section with 3 dice (-1 for indirect fire, +1 for troops in the flat and open) rolled and achieved 2 hits. A unit can take 7 before it is removed.  The Albionian 3rd platoon, for such they, were fired on the Teutons, they rolled 4 dice and needed 4s to hit if I recall (2, 5, 5, 5), ouch! Three hits. A mortar strike added another point to their woes. They had taken 4 hits and were now suppressed (its like being surprised and depressed at the same time). Hopefully their side would win the initiative next turn and be able to withdraw. Meanwhile the Albionian armour trundled up.

Turn Three
The Albionians won the toss. The remaining Teutonians were sent packing by 3rd platoon. Meanwhile, 2nd platoon had wandered into their opposite numbers and a quick firefight had resulted in 2nd platoon rolling 4 dice (1, 2, 5, 6) for 2 hits. The mortar sections rolled (1,5 and 2,4) for two separate hits. Soon, the Teutonians were down another platoon.  Do not caught in the open in these rules. Meanwhile the tank troop roared onwards and came face to face with the Teutonian redoubt.

Schwartz was not having any of this and spun his anti-tank guns round to deal with the threat.They rolled (3, 3, 5 and 6), all hits. Since there were four hits at once, one of those hits became permanent which in these rules degrades the fighting value of the unit. The Teuton mortar section desperately joined in, although not as effectively and only added another hit on the tanks. Meanwhile, the last badly battered Teutonian platoon pulled back.

Turn Four
Kapitan Schawartz could not believe his luck. The Teutonians won initiative and quickly rolled (2, 3, 4, 4), three hits and the Albionian tanks were punished for their careless charge. The western most Teutonian platoon swiftly dug in. The Albionians had now lost contact with the enemy so 1st and 2nd platoon advanced forward and contacted the Teutonians that had dug in. Meanwhile 3rd platoon rallied its troops.

Turn Five
Scarlett ordered his mortar sections to destroy the dug in Teutonians. They rolled poorly (1,1) and (1,3) inflicting only one hit. 1st platoon added another point of damage but the Teutons stayed in action. Meanwhile, 2nd platoon had arrived in a position where they could radio firing instructions to their mortars. Now it was the Teutonian's turn. The dug in Teutonians asked for support but the soldiers on the hill were more focussed on the infantry to their own front. Schwartz's men fired on 2nd platoon, but only four hits were scored despite the efforts of a platoon of infantry, the mortar section and the anti-tank guns joining in.

Turn Six
The Teutonians won the initiative and once more blazed away as well as they could. The Teutonians to the west of the hill rolled (1, 3, 5 and 6) now 1st platoon were down to four hits. The other platoon rolled (1, 2, 3 and 6) against 2nd platoon, they needed 4 to hit, aww come on! The Teutonian mortars added another point of damage before the anti-tank guns led personally by Kapitan Schwartz (who quite rightly had 'the dander up' by now). A deadly volley (3, 5, 5, 5) turned 2nd platoon into red mist (not really, it was more like the 1980s TV show, the A-Team where the baddies would just crawl out of their burning wreck of a car rubbing their heads).

Desperately, 1st platoon dug in and the battlefield was starting to look like it was going to turn into the last war with miles of trenches. But no fear. Once more the Albionian mortars pasted the dug-in Teutonians opposite. With rolls of (2, 6, 6) and (4, 5, 5) the Teutonians were no more a threat.

Turn Seven
The Teutonians now had two Albionian platoons to deal with, backed up by some fiendishly accurate mortars. They continued their hail of fire on 2nd platoon inflicting just four hits between all of them. 2nd platoon's luck was uncanny. Because they were now in line of sight of the Teutonian redoubt they called in mortar fire against the anti-tank gun. The mortars needed a 3+ to hit with 3 dice each they rolled (1, 3, 5), OK two hits then (1, 1, 1). I have only once seen this rolled before. Meanwhile 3rd platoon was in trouble, they had taken six hits so far and were looking for a place to rally or dig in.

Turn Eight
No such luck. Yet another Teutonian initiative win resulted in 3rd platoon's demise as the mortars scored (2, 2, 6). It was around this time, I thought the game had run its course. Both sides were in well protected positions. The Albionians still had a battered platoon which if they had any sense would have limped back to their start line. The Albionian 1st platoon tried to rally its men, but its heart really wasn't in it.

Turn Nine
But no! Albion won the toss, and 1st platoon once more worked their way forward from the relative safety of their foxholes in order for the mortars to do their magic again. The mortars fired on the last Teutonian platoon (2, 3, 4) and (2, 3, 4) for two hits each. Of course this was the worst move ever for the plucky men of 1st platoon as every Teutonian gun barrel swiveled their way with predictable results. Such was the devastation, that the anti-tank battery had time to rally a point.

Turn Ten
A lull ensued. Scarlett had no desire to advance from his strong position (and would have to explain the debacle is it was) and for the next three turns the Teutonians continued to lick their wounds and rally more troops, bringing their strength back up.

Turn Thirteen
Scarlett at least move his mortars so they could spot any advance. Schwartz reasoned that he might be able to get his now depleted force towards the enemy position in time, but to what end? Technically he had won by inflicting more casualties than his own force had taken. Sensibly both sides called it a day and a close Teutonian win. The stragglers, the survivors and the casualties were all collected up and put back in their toy box for another day.