To The Last Man, Spring 1918

 Lyn McDonald | To The Last Man, Spring 1918 (Viking 1998)

A description of the the German offensive in March and April 1918 quoting eyewitness accounts. Some of these eyewitnesses fight in several different locations at different times and it is this movement which gives the book its strength. 

Most of the accounts quoted are British and so what we have is a description of the British (and French) reaction to the German offensive, unlike Martin Middlebrook's "The Kaiser's Battle" (Allen Lane 1978) which describes the opening day of the offensive using both British and German accounts. 

The book does not explain the context of the actions described. The British had introduced a new defensive system of outpost, battle and reserve zones. Understanding how this worked and the problems experienced by the British Fifth Army are critical to understanding what is being described and its significance. I noticed only occasional references to individual zones. The reduction of British divisions from 12 to 9 battalions and the take over of a large sector of inadequate French trenches by the Fifth Army are mentioned in passing.

There are many maps in the book but they describe the (relative) location of eyewitnesses or tactical actions. The location of corps and dvisions is not identified. As a result I was unable to understand sentences such as “but the Fifth Army held everywhere except for the 18th Division”.

The book is a useful source of tactical scenarios. The scenario“Then the man with the Flak said ‘Everyone Attack’ ..”  in Stout Hearts & Iron Troopers is based on one such action.

In the final third of the book the text become lttle more than linked eyewitness accounts. This accentuated the confusion and lack of context to the point that I stopped reading the book: the literary equivalent of loosing the will to fight and surrendering. 

Setting the East Ablaze

Setting the East Ablaze | Peter Hopkirk (!984)

Conflict in Central Asia following the Bolshevik Revolution.

1918 | An Absolutely First-class Man | The Indian Political Service instruct Eric Bailey to travel to Tashkent to find out what is happening in Russian Central Asia.

1917-18 | The Strange Adventures of a Butterfly Collector | The story of the Tashkent Soviet before Bailey arrived, based on the account of Captain Brun, a Danish officer sent to improve the conditions of the Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war in Russian Central Asia. Muslim Kokand was brutal sacked by the Soviets but an attack on Bokhara was violently repulsed.

1918 | Bailey Vanishes | General Mallinson’s troops clashed with the Bolsheviks in Transcaspia. Sir George Macartney arrives in Tashkent but leaves because British troops have landed in Archangel. Bailey is questioned by the Cheka but escapes arrest disguised as an Austrian PoW. Nazaroff, Bailey’s White Russian contact, plans to overthrow the Soviet but is arrested, and Osipov takes over the conspiracy.

1919 | The Executioner | Osipov, the Commissar for War, overthrows the Tashkent Soviet for a day. There is a blood-bath. Brun avoids revolutionary justice. Mallison withdraws from Russia. Bailey is unaccounted for. 

1919 | Hunted | Nazaroff is in hiding and escapes to Kashgar the following year. Bailey is in hiding in the hills but returns to Tashkent after the Osipov Uprising.  

1919-20 | Bailey Joins the Soviet Secret Service | The Kremlin regain control over Tashkent. The Third Afgan War breaks out. Bailey decides to leave Tashkent. In disguise he is recruited by the Cheka, with his police contact Manditch, to spy on Bokhara. From there they escape across the border into India.

1918-19 | ‘To Set the East Ablaze’ | Major Etherton replaces Sir George Macartney as Consul-General in Kashgar. Etherton enhances his intelligence network. Governor Yang Tseng-hsin disarms the Red and White Russians entering Sinkiang. The Kremlin set up the Comintern. Roy becomes the leading Indian communist.

1919-20 | The Army of God | The Cominten look to exploit increasing Muslim unrest. The British commit the Amritsar Massacre. Frunze occupies Bokhara. The Soviets lose the Battle of Warsaw. Roy proposes an invasion of British India. The British gather information on Comintern and counter Bolshevik activity. Etherton continues his flow of intelligence.

1920-21 | The Bloody Baron | The anti-Bolshevik and anti-semitic madman Baron von Urgern-Sternberg takes control of Mongolia with an army of White Russians, Cossacks and Mongols in a series of appaling attrocities.

1921 | An Avenue of Gallows | The Anglo-Soviet Trade Agreement is signed. Roy’s plan is abandoned and his activites move to Moscow. Etherton ignores the attempt to stop his activites. Lord Curzon is rude to the Soviets. Gandhi becomes the leader of anti-British protest in India. Urgern-Sternberg believes himself to be the rencarnation of Genghis Khan. He invades the Soviet Union and is defeated. The Soviets shoot the Baron and occupy Mongolia.

1920-23 | The Last Stand of Enver Pasha | The sack of Kokand led to fighting between the Bolsheviks and the Basmachi. Frunze turns the tide in favour of the Soviets. Lenin appoints Enver Pasha to lead a Muslim invasion of British India but instead he leads the Basmachi against the Bolsheviks. Gandhi launches a civil disobedience campaign but stops it when turns violent. Roy makes little headway and is criticized by Stalin.

1922-23 | Curzon’s Ultimatum | Enver Pasha is defeated and killed. Lord Curzon tells the Soviets to stop interfering with British interests in Asia. Both sides think they win.

1923-24 | Squeezed Out Like a Lemon | Borodin organises the infiltration of Sun Yat-tse’s Kuomintang Party. Lenin dies. The British recognise the Soviet Union.

1923-27 | Skullduggery on the Silk Road | The Soviets appoint Doumpiss Consul-General in Sinklang. Nazaroff flees to Britain. Doumpiss unsuccessfully challenges Yang Tseng-hsin.

1927 | The Lady Vanishes | The British break off all relations with the Soviets. The Chinese communists are violently suppressed by Chiang Kai-shek. Borodin’s wife Freya is captured by the warlord Chang Tso-lin but the Comiterm arrange for her to escape.

1929 | The Last of the Central Asian Dreamers | The defection of Bajanov enables the British to crack down on Indian communists: the Meerut Conspiracy Trial. Yang Tseng-hsin is assasinated and a brutal civil war breaks out in Sinkiang between Chin Shu-jen, his Minister of the Interior, and Ma Chung-yin, leader of the Tungans 

1933 | The New Bogy-men of the East | The Soviets ccupy Sinkiang on the border of British India. But Stalin becomes preoccupied with the rise of Japan and the formation of a Popular Front against Fascism including Britain.

 

White Plains (Chatterton Hill) - an AWI battle using British Grenadier

A multi-player game of British Grenadier at Abbeywood Irregulars in Frome based on the White Plains scenario.

The British must cross the bridge over the Bronx river and drive the Americans off Chatterton Hill . 

The British force, under the command of General Von Heister, contained 4 brigades: -

1. Maitland - 3rd Light Battalion, Hessian Jagers, 17th Light Dragoons & local Tory Scouts. A elite brigade of skirmishers and scouts.
2. Leslie - 5th, 28th, 35th & 49th Regiments. A brigade of British line under an excellent general.
3. Rall - Lieb Regiment, Rall Grenadiers & Knypheusen Fusiliers. A second-line brigade of Hessians. 
4. Cleaveland - 3 batteries of 12 pdr guns and 3 batteries of 6 pdr guns A large brigade of artillery.

The Americans deployed the Maryland Continentals in a redoubt on the hill and the elite Delaware Continentals in a redoubt below it. A militia battalion was deployed in a third redoubt to the west. They were supported by 3 units of skirmishers and a reserve of a brigade of 2 second-line battalions. 

In Turn 6 the Americans were reinforced by a brigade of 3 second-line battalions.

The battle begins

Cleaveland's artillery brigade was deployed on the hill on the east side of the Bronx river. It fired at the American forces on Chatterton Hill but had no significant effect on the battle. The 12pdr batteries could not move. The 6 pdr batteries did not move. They were limited to ineffective bombardment of the redoubts. This powerful brigade could have more effect if the 6 pdr batteries had been moved and if Leslie's brigade had delayed before assaulting the American position.

Maitland's brigade deployed on the west side of the river. Van Heister wanted them to just screen the deployment of Leslie's and Rall's brigades and then turn the American's flank. Instead they engaged the American redoubts where their specialist abilities, and elite status, were wasted. 

Leslie's brigade crossed the Bronx river first and immediately committed its first battalion, the 27th Foot, to charge the entrenched Maryland Continentals. This isolated attack was driven back and the battalion routed off the table. Von Heister reminded Maitland that he should attack as a brigade not individual battalions. 

Rall's brigade marched behind Leslie's brigade.

The attack on the redoubts

Maitland's battalions continued to engage the Continentals and Leslie's battalions continued to assault the redoubts but without achieving anything. The Americans deployed their reserve brigade between the two redoubts on Chatterton Hill. A charge by the Dragoons against one of these second-line battalion was driven back and eventually the cavalry routed off the table. Van Heister was frustrated that Maitland had not charged the Dragoons into the back of the Delaware Continentals while they were facing Leslie's brigade, but he had delegated such tactical decisions to his brigadiers.

The flank attack

Roll's brigade advanced along the road, as instructed by Van Heister, until then were ready to turn and engage the American right flank. This contained a battalion of levy skirmishers and a militia battalion in the woods, with a couple of second-line battalions behind them. There was a good chance that the large Hessian battalions could rout the levy and militia and then overrun the demoralised line battalions before rolling up the American line. Unfortunately their movement was slow and the battalions were disrupted. This prevented them from charging the Americans and instead they had to engage in an insignificant fire fight. 

With Maitland's and Leslie's brigades routed and Roll's brigade halted the American had an unexpected victory.

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Historically the Hessians deployed first with the British behind them. The Hessian brigade assaulted the American position on the hill and the British brigade followed up and overran it. 

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Von Heister's intention was for Rall's Hessian brigade to deploy first and wait for Leslie's British brigade to deploy to their left. Maitland's light brigade would continue to move along the road and threaten the American flank. The large Hessian battalions would then engage the Americans and the superior British battalions would assault their weak centre while the cavalry and elite light battalions got behind their flank.

The Americans had small, poor-quality brigades. If the British had broken an American battalion then this could have led to brigades fleeing and gaps appearing in the American position. Unfortunately fortune favoured the Americans on this afternoon.

Von Heister changed his mind and deployed Leslie's brigade first. This mistake was compounded by Maitland and Leslie forgetting the overall plan and engaged the entrenched Americans prematurely with individual battalions. This lead to the destruction of their brigades.

Honours of War - Overview

Rules for the Seven Years War (1756-63) in Europe.

Infantry fight as battalions (600 men) containing 16-24 figures. 

Cavalry fight as regiments (400 men) containing 6-12 figures. 

Units are Inferior, Standard or Superior

Units are organised into brigades. 

A brigade contains 2-8 units, usually 6-8. 

Independent units act as single-unit brigade.

Brigade commanders, and the commanding general, are Dithering, Dependable or Dashing

Turn sequence: - 

1. Move Commanding General
2. Dice for Movement Initiative (d6)
3. Movement, including charges | Alternative movement of brigades

When moving a brigade roll a d6 to decide whether than movement is Steady, Poor, Feeble, Admirable or Inspiring depending on the rating of the commander.

4. Dice for Firing Initiative (d6) | Alternative movement of brigades
5. Firing, followed by reaction | Hit on 5+

Units with 3 hits have a negative modifier to movement and firing. 

Units with 4 hits also have a negative modifier to morale. 

Units with 5 hits rout.

6. Melee, followed by reaction | Hits determined by table of unit type and rating and modified d6 

Reaction is the same as for firing.

7. Rally | Remove hits 
8. Check Army Break Points

The Army Break Point is half the number of units (modified for objectives). 

If the number of broken units exceeds this then the army loses.

Option Rules: -

• Brigade morale
• Battalion guns
• Lieutenant Generals | intermediate level of command
• Weather

National Differences: -

• Likelihood (d6) or a commander being Dithering, Dependable or Dashing
• Modifiers to Move and Firing Initiatives
• Penalties for formation change, movement to flank/rear and (un)limbering

Points System

Using Scales Smaller than 28mm

Scenarios | The dispositions and forces for 4 battles: -

• The combat at St Ulrich
• The clash at Kutzdorf
• The surprise at Spittelwitz 
• The battle of Lobowitz’

Quick Reference Sheet 

Too Fat Lardies 2019 Magazine

Sharp Practice

“Pushing the Envelope”: adapting Sharp Practice for Colonial Campaigns 1985-95, specifically … “It’s The Riel Thing”: the Red River Rebellion - British v Metis in Canada 1885

+ scenario: “Get Carter“ - British v Metis in Canada 1885

scenario: “To Sleep Is To Die“ - French v Russian in Russia 1812

scenario: “Retreat to the Berezina” - French v Russian in Russia 1812

General D’Armee

scenario: “The French Cavalry Charges at Waterloo” - French v British 1815

Kiss Me Hardy 

small-ship scenario: “Bahamas Broadside” - Spanish v British in the War of Jenkin’s Ear

Chain of Command

“A Dekko at Recce”: building a 1944 British reconaissance force

+ scenario: “The Bridge at Saindoux” - British reconaissance v Germans in Normandy 1944

The Longest Yomp: adapting Chain of Command to the Falklands War 1981

pint-sized campaign: “Totensonntag” - Germans v British in the Western Desert 1941

scenario: “What a Whizz of a Wiz“ - Americans v Germans in the Netherlands 1944

scenario: “Battle of Karnstein” - Soviets v Germans & Zombies in Hungary 1945

ISABM

“I Ain’t Been Coc’d Yet, Mum!”: Chain of Command activation in IABSM 

scenario: “Bloody Omaha” - Americans v Germans on D-Day 1944

scenario: “Assault on Peleliu Airfield” -  Americans v Japanese in the Pacific 1944

What a Tanker!

scenario: “The Cannonball Run” - American Tanks v German Infantry 

Bag the Hun

scenario: “Crunch at Kursk” - Germans v Soviets on the Ostfront 1943

General

“A Series of Unfortunate Events”: reflections on event organisation by David Hunter

Infamy, Infamy! - introduction to the rules

Too Fat Lardies 2018 Lard Magazine

The Lard magazine, and the Oddcast podcast, replaced the Summer and Christmas specials

Sharp Practice

Force Rosters for Nassau Troops 1815

scenario: “Up Amongst The Pandies” - Indian Mutiny 1857

Pickett’s Charge 

scenario: “Command and Control at Chickamauga “ - American Civil War 1863

Kriegsspiel

scenario: “A Kriegsspiel Cockail”, using the If The Lord Spares Us rules

Chain of Command 

pint-sized campaign: “There are Many Rivers to Cross” - Germans v Belgian/British/French 1940

scenario: “The Green Wolves Meet The Fox - Germans v Belgians in Belfium 1940

4-player scenario: “Guards of the Escaut: - British v Germans in Belgium 1940

IABSM

“IABSM Lite”: adapting IABSM For a two-hour game

Including scenario: “San Pietro” - Brtish v Germans in Italy 1944

“Cold War”: adapting IABSM for the Cold War 

scenario design: “Blitzkrieg Shortcut"- 1940 French v Germans in France

What a Tanker!

“Are You a Complete Tanker?” - tactical tips and ideas for campaign (career) ladder

“What An Ambush!”: ambush rules

scenario: “Barkmann Corner Overdrive” - Americans v Germans in Normandy 1944

Bag the Hun

“Achtung! Indianer”: manoeuver and spotting 

“And Now … The Weather”: clouds 

“Johnny says …” - ammunition

scenario: “Apache Attack” - Americans v Germans in Italy 1944

Too Fat Lardies 2017 Christmas Special

Sharp Practice

“A Cruel Necessity”: adapting Sharp Practice to the English Civil War

“Rum, Piracy and Nautical Fun”: adapting Sharp Practice for the Spanish Main

+ scenario: “Government Reprisal” - Spanish v Pirates on the Spanish Main

+ scenario: “Boarding Action” - Spanish v Pirates on the Spanish Main

+ scenario: “Cutting Out” - Spanish v Pirates on the Spanish Main

+ two-part scenario: “The Great Raid” - Spanish v Pirates on the Spanish Main

campaign: “Lion de Mer”: Sharp Practice Campaign - French invasion of Sussex 1805

game: Lost in Musique - 1809 a Slave Revolt in the West Indies 1809

scenario: “Escape” - British v French in the Peninsula War

General d’Armee

scenario: “Guarena River” - British v French prior to Salamanca 1812

Kiss Me Hardy

simple campaign ladder: “Hearts of Oak”

ISBSM

rules fine tuning by Mike Whitaker

scenario: “An Affair in Gazala” - British v Italians in the Western Desert 1942

Chain of Commmand

rules: Allied Misundertanding in 1940

+ scenario: “The Bridge at Gehondeskirk” - British+French+Belgians v Germans in Belgium

pint-sized campaign: “The Road to Bermen” - British v Germans in Germany 1945 

game: “Sidney’s Big Day Out “- Germans v Soviets on the Don 1942

Bag the Hun

“Taking off into Aerial Gaming”: thoughts on aerial warfare

scenario: “Warhawk” - Americans v Germans over the Western Desert 1942

scenario: “Za Rodinhu” - 1942 Germans v Soviets on the Don 1942

Summer and Christmas Specials are replaced by the Magazine and The Oddcast

Lardies 2017 Summer Special

Sacker of Cities - Adapting Dux Britanniarum to the Trojan Wars 

Adapting Sharp Practice to the late 16th Century

Adapting Sharp Practice to late 17th Century Armies 

1745 - Sharp Practice Lists for the Jacobite Rebellion by David Hunter

Sharp Practice Scenario

Battle of Frank Sanbeans Farm - 1862 in the American Civil War

Sharp Practice Campaign

Flashman and the Emperor - 1866-7 in the Mexican Civil War

IABSM Scenarios

Attack on Schaczew - 1939 Germans v Poles in Poland

Vlle delle Marie - 1944 British v Germans in Italy

Sharping Up IABSM: Adding Command Cards to I Ain’t Been Shot Mum

Chain of Command Scenarios

Unternehmen Rollschufahren - 1940 Germans v Home Guard

The Bridge at Sandoux - 1942 Commandos v Germans

A Holding Action - 1944 Americans v Germans in Normandy

Achtung! - 1944 Germans v Americans in Hurtgenwald

The Westwall (Siegfried Line) by Rich Clarke

Build a Bunker by Rich Clarke

Charlie Don’t Surf: LARPs Teams + Scenarios

The Roundwood Report

Sharp Thwarted - A Peninsular War game using Sharp Practice

Carole Flint and I played a game of Sharp Practice using David Hunters' Cerro Manteca Campaign, in preparation for an event. [Carole is the author of the Hippolyta's Tiny Footsteps blog]. We fought the Escort Duty scenario with the British force trying to get an Exploring Officer (intelligence officer) past a French force.

We had 85 points each side. The British force contained 4 groups of Line infantry and 3 groups of Light skirmishers. They had 6 leaders. The French force contained 5 groups of Chasseurs and 3 groups of Voltigeurs. They had 4 leaders. Both sides had a Force Morale of 11.

In the Cerro Manteca campaign French Legere are superior to French Line and of a similar quality to British Line and Light. David encourages players to limit themselves to four leaders each. If one player has more than this then the relative probabilities of drawing of chits, to activate leaders, can jar with your expectations and appear unbalanced and frustrating. This was the case in this game.

The British Deploy | The 4 groups of Line infantry, with the Exploring Officer, advance in open column up the road with one group of skirmishers on the right flank and two groups on the left flank, by the river.

The French Appear and the British Respond | It was Turn 5 before the first French leader deployed: 2 groups of Voltigeurs appeared in the church in the centre of their position. The British reacted to this by forming their Line infantry in line in the centre of the table. One group of skirmishers occupied the house by the bridge. The other two groups of skirmishers crossed the stream and advanced.The French deployed 3 groups of Chasseurs, with their Level 3 leader, in a formation behind the church, out of musket range.

The French Deploy and the British React | The British sent the Exploring Officer across the steam to joint the skirmishers and the Line infantry resumed their march in column down the road. Once this column had crossed the bridge it formed into two lines. The group of skirmishers crossed the river and captured the French Deployment Point. It then joined the front line to attack the French flank. 

The French Level 3 leader was activated using 3 flags. One group of Chasseurs turned to face the British and, with the support of a group of Voltigeurs, delivered an effective volley that halted the British. The rear British line was shot at in the flank from the church. This formation was unable to advance and suffered casualties and significant shock.

After 15 Turns we stopped, as we had run out of time, and called the game. Casualties were light: the British lost 4 Line and 4 Light figures and had two Level 1 leaders wounded; the French lost 2 Chasseurs and 3 Voltigeurs and had one Level 1 leader wounded. Force Morale was still high: 10  for the British and 9 for the French. 

The Historians Speculate | Carole thought that the 2 groups of Light skirmishers would not be able to escort the Exploring Officer past the French right flank. They faced 3 groups of Chasseurs and 2 groups of Voltigeurs. The attempt by the 4 groups of Line infantry and 1 group of Light skirmishers to force the French to move groups to defend their left flank had failed. 

The British plan was based around using the fire power of their massed line infantry. Once they had committed them to the centre of the table, which was tactically unimportant, they surrendered the initiative to the French. 

It might have been better for the British to use their Line infantry to support the advance of their skirmishers, as the French did on their right flank. [Groups of skirmishers in Sharp Practice get a third, movement, activation each turn and can quickly move through terrain or around a position].