Last Tuesday nights club game was a 1914 game using modified Bolt Action rules prepared by Gajo Games (gajominis.com). It was supposed to be a Brits vs Germans, Mons type encounter, however the BEF werent available so we had to thrust my Copplestone Sikhs in to test the rules.
The scenario was a simple one, after a very (and it turned out very very light!) preliminary shelling by off table fire, the Sikhs advanced from their improvised trenches across the fields to a farm held by a german platoon. I'd made up army lists for 1914 using the Gajo amendments as a basis, but cut the british sections down to 6 men compared with the german 9's making the latter proportionally stronger as is correct. Although this meant the Sikhs were weaker units there were more of them so we're able in theory to pin down the enemy and advance by fire and movement....
The shells thudded into the farm but landed short, just between the main buildings and a small orchard. Without knowing how successful the shelling was whistles were blown and the Sikhs began their advance, one party moving out and forward immediately, the other moving along the trench line to try and flank the Germans.
The MG08 opened up on the flanking move but wasn't able to hit anything because of the cover provided by the trenches, even in their improvised state. However the Sikhs advancing across the first field were hit by rifle fire as they reached the headgear on the other side. Meantime another unit became to move up the road to the farm.
Rifle fire began to take its toll on the smaller Sikh units but they were able to damage the Germans in return, but discretion was deemed the better part of valour and they retired after losing approximately half their men.
On the German left however the kaisers men had kept their head down and allowed the Sikhs to advance a fair way towards their line before opening fire with Rilfes and Mg. Eventually the flanking attack was reduced to a single man before he too was cut down.
Now was the time for a German counter attack. Two sections left their positions and began to rush forward, one getting as far as the hedge that had protected their enemy, the other getting very close to the trenches before becoming pinned down and eventually eliminated.
Eager to keep the game going we decided to reinforce the Sikhs with two sections of French Zouaves we happened to have brought along. These chaps made an appearance and began to push forward, forcing the Germans back to the farm buildings itself. Things were not going well!
Casualties were mounting and the first german section was eliminated with the rest becoming worn down. With the Sikhs coming round the flank the MG continued to fire for a few more turns til it was knocked out. The crisis point of the battle was reached.
At this point disaster struck and one section of zouaves fired on its countrymen and moments later the Sikhs were stopped by German fire. The friendly fire unsettled the second Zouave section who failed a rally and decided enough was enough and routed. With half their number remaining, the Germans had held their position and prevented the allied attack from succeeding!
Thoughts - a good intro to the rules and an illustration of a different mind set needed to play ww1 battles where automatic weapons and mean a heavier weight of fire for each unit. The one thing I need to resolve really is that sections are not the basic manoeuvre unit in WW1 so I am going to rejig the army lists and shift them a level up so that the smallest unit on the table is the platoon.
Oh and next time I will take my camera and not use my phone - crappy yellow piccies weren't worth showing!!
