This day is set to play two WWI games; one set in 1914 and the second set in 1918. I organised the early war game, and was scheduled for the morning.
Since I prepared it, I will give the full details of the 1914 scenario here in Part One, then follow with the description of the game in Part 2.
1914 Briefings
General Situation
It is July 1914. Germany has declared war on Russia. France has declared war on Germany and Germany has declared war on France and Belgium, and has invaded Luxembourg.
On the morning of 4 August 4th, while Britain declared war on Germany, six German infantry brigades advanced against Liege, where General Leman’s Belgian Third Infantry Division and a few disconnected brigades stood. The initial German attacks were repulsed, but when the Germans brought up their 420mm ‘Big Bertha’ guns they began to take out one Belgian battery after another. On 16 August the last of the Belgian forts surrendered.
In the meantime the other four divisions of the Belgian Army fell back from the Frontier towards Antwerp and Brussels. The first elements of the British Expeditionary Force arrived in France on 12 August and began to assemble near Maubeuge forming the link between the French and Belgian Armies.
On 17 August the German army set the Schlieffen Plan in motion. By mid-day on the 17th the first patrols were approaching their next objective, Namur.
It is here that our story begins.
The map of the game table
Belgian Briefing
You are Major André Poirot, brother to the famed detective and ADC to General Ruldet commanding the Fifth Infantry Division. On 15 August you were ordered to proceed forward in the direction of Liege, with the purpose of securing and escorting to safety Archduke Charles, cousin to King Albert and fourth in line to the Belgian throne. Charles had been in Liege when the war broke out.
You met up with Charles and his entourage on the evening of the 16th at a village between Namur and Liege. Despite the seriousness of the situation Charles was remarkably cavalier. He has commandeered an armoured car, loaded it with personal booty, and had delighted at taking pot shots with the vehicle’s machine gun at German cavalry patrols. On the 17th you escorted the Archduke through Namur heading west. But progress was difficult and Charles insisted on pausing for lunch at one of his favourite bistros in the town. As you were ready to depart German patrols we seen near the walls of the fortress. Again Charles insisted in opening fire on them from the armoured car. Only after strenuous efforts did you manage to prevent him from driving forward in search of fresh targets. You lost several of your men in this absurd action.
Progress west was slow because the roads were choked with refugees and you halted for the night of the 17th in the village of Deux Fesses, mid-way between Namur and Charleroi, at the home of one of Charles’ school friends. Concerned that you might be overtaken you advised headquarters of the situation, requesting assistance.
On the morning of the 18th you struggled to get Charles’ party out of bed and ready to move, after a heavy night. When he was finally ready German cavalry was spotted to the west, squarely across the road by which your retreat was to pass. Then to make matters worse Charles’ armoured car wouldn’t start – it was out of fuel.
Charles refused to leave the car (along with its stock of champagne and other booty) and insisted that you find fuel for it.
Your objectives:
Exit along the Charleroi road with as much of tour force intact as possible
• The Allied force will earn ten victory points for every Belgian platoon, squadron or HMG team that exits the table at a strength greater than half
• Twenty victory points are earned if the Charles survives (less 5 if he is wounded)
Order of battle:
• One infantry company (3 platoons of line infantry, each 4 stands)
• One platoon of Guides (4 stands) (mounted and dismounted)
• Charles’ personal armoured car, with HMG
• 1 HMG team, with dog carts
You may lay up to 1,200mm of barbed wire entanglements.
French Briefing
You are Capitaine Etienne Le Grand, great grandson of the famous Napoleonic general (famous in our gaming terms if not in reality). You command, 2nd Company, Third Battalion, 129e Régimént de Ligne operating near the Belgian border in mid-August.
Not only have you inherited your great grandfather’s name, but also his love for collecting antiquities. With much of the Belgian countryside abandoned by the general populace, the opportunities for an antiquities collector like you are ripe. And if you don’t take advantage you know that the Germans certainly will, right?
On the evening of August 17 your battalion commander orders you to advance on Deux Fesses, a village mid-way between Namur and Charleroi, where a small Belgian force accompanying an important Belgian diplomat is holed up and has requested assistance to flee the pursuing Germans. You are to move on the town with sufficient force to protect their withdrawal.
You can’t believe your luck because you know that in that village lives Albert Bertrand, a well known antiquities collector and friend of the Belgian Royal family. Bertrand is known to hold the very rare and valuable painting “The Fallen Madonna” by von Klomp, that would fill that vacant space in the ballroom of the le Grand family home.
You set off at 0400 hrs and at around 0900 you are approaching Deux Fesses.
Your objectives:
• Make contact with the Belgians
• Assist the Belgians to exit the table west along the Charleroi Road
• The Allied force will earn ten victory points for every Belgian unit that exits the table at a strength greater than half
• Twenty victory points are earned if the diplomat survives (less 5 if he is wounded)
• You can claim a personal victory if you locate and secure the von Klomp painting and survive the game.
Order of battle:
• 2nd Company, Third Battalion, 129e Régimént de Ligne (3 platoons, each 4 stands)
• 2 HMG
• 1st platoon, 2nd squadron of 12th Dragoons (4 stands)
• 1 section of artillery (2 guns)
• A taxi - your personal vehicle.
British Briefing
You are Captain Arthur Hastings, ADC to Brigadier General Hamilton, commanding 3rd Division, operating in southern Belgium. On the evening of 17 August you were called to HQ and ordered to take a scratch force towards the village of Deux Fesses, mid way between Namur and Charleroi. A small Belgian force accompanying an important Belgian diplomat is there and has requested assistance to flee the pursuing Germans.
You set off at 0400 hrs and at around 0900 you are approaching Grosses Fesses
Your objectives:
• Make contact with the Belgians
• Assist the Belgians to exit the table west along the Charleroi Road
• The Allied force will earn ten victory points for every Belgian unit that exits the table at a strength greater than half
• Twenty victory points are earned if the diplomat survives (less 5 if he is wounded)
Order of battle:
• One infantry company (4 platoons, each 4 stands)
• One HMG
• One troop of 17th Lancers (4 stands) (mounted and dismounted)
• One cavalry HMG
•1 section of artillery (2 guns)
German Senior Officer Briefing
You are Hauptman Albert Hans “Hansi” Burkhalter commanding 3rd Company, First Battalion 105th Infantry Regiment and, in the absence of the battalion major, commanding the battalion. You are leading the division in the advance on Charleroi where you are to secure the rail yards.
During the 17th you have been skirmishing with a mixed force of Belgians. They appear to be remarkably well equipped and are accompanied by an armoured car that they seem to be willing to use with a recklessness unexpected of Belgians. As the day progresses a report is received from Divisional HQ citing rumours that Archduke Charles, 4th in line to the Belgian throne, is with this group of Belgians. Securing Charles would be a coup for the division.
As night fell, fearing that the Belgians could get away, you asked if cavalry could be despatched to see if it was possible to get ahead of the Belgians, to try to cut them off.
At dawn reports came back from the cavalry that they had succeeded in getting ahead of the Belgians, who are holed up in the village of Deux Fesses, mid way between Namur and Charleroi.
You will provide instructions to your two subordinate commanders, Hauptmans Rottenkoff and Grossblädder
Your objectives:
• Exit as many units as possible off the table along the Charleroi Road
• You will earn ten victory points for each company above half strengh that achieve this
• Capture or destroy the Belgian force
• You will earn ten points for each Belgian platoon, vehicle or MG captured
• You will earn 20 points if Charles is captured
Order of battle:
First Battalion 105th Infantry Regiment
• 1st Company (3 platoons, each 4 stands) Hauptman Norbert Rottenkoff
• 2nd Company (3 platoons, each 4 stands) Hauptman Rudolff Grossblädder
• 3rd Company (3 platoons, each 4 stands)
•4th Company (Not present - detached to guard the divisional supply train)
Attached and assigned at your discretion
• HMG Company (4 Stands)
• 1 section of 1st Battery, 59th Field Battery (2 guns)
On call (but not under your control)
• One field battery
• One howitzer battery
Also known to be operating in the area (but not under your control)
• Elements of 4th cavalry Division
Non-Player Character – under the umpire’s control
The umpire plays Lieutenant Wolfgang Klinkelpopper commanding 1st Platoon, 2nd Squadron,15th Uhlans, 6th Cavalry Division. On the evening of 17 August he has received the following orders from his squadron commander:
“The infantry of the vanguard has requested assistance in arresting the retreat of a Belgian contingent near the village of Deux Fesses. You are to take your platoon, together with a platoon of jãgers and their accompanying machine gun, and pass around the Belgians and block the road to Charleroi. Caution is to be taken. Your goal is to delay the easterly progress of the Belgians. You are to avoid any serious engagement that is not to your advantage. If pressed you should withdraw slowly, continuing to threaten the enemy.”
Order of battle:
•1st Platoon, 2nd Squadron,15th Uhlans (4 Stands - mounted and dismounted)
• 3rd Platoon, Cyclist Company, 5th Jäger Battalion (4 Stands - mounted and dismounted)
• 1 HMG from 5th Jager Battalion (1 Stand)
Unattached - although not technically part of the command, the umpire will fire them during the game
• One field battery (6 stands each) - off table
• One howitzer battery (6 stands) – off table
The Table
The table measured 4.8 metres by 2 metres. Central to the game was the town of Grosses Fesses a small town of sixteen houses surrounding a central square, amid rolling hills and hedged fields. Five roads led to the town and four small wood lots were nearby.
The table looking east
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