Portland Little Wars: Green Ridge

With a play of Hook's Farm from Little Wars in the books, the next game was a British vs French rematch using the Plattsville map from Featherstone's War Games. The rules were again the gridded early-20th century rules (minus the 'Pinning' parts) from Developing the Portable Wargame. The armies are 54mm homecast, recast, and converted Britains-style figures built up over the last two years.

British in starting positions.

I drew up a hasty 1d6 deployment randomizer, which spreads each army along its back line, with variation for more infantry to the left, center, or right, supported or not supported by artillery and machine guns. On some of the deployments, a flank might deploy one square further from the back line than the rest of the army. Machine guns and artillery are allowed to "stack" on squares with each other or with an infantry unit in order to fit everyone on the back line. After deployment, however, units cannot co-occupy a square unless allowed under the rules as written.

Looking across the board from the British side.

While playing Hooks Farm, I realized I was missing some key points on how Developing the Portable Wargame is played. I had been ignoring the "indirect fire" rules because they seemed overpowered but because the most "damage" a unit can take is 1 SP, and because there are no morale tests that might cause a unit to flee the board after taking its first hit, I decided to let them play as written, and the effect was not adverse. It even acts a nice incentive for infantry units to get a move on and close with the enemy as they will otherwise be slowly bombarded to death. For this game I also strictly adhered to the artillery phase being simultaneous at the beginning of a round, then rolling a d6 for each side with the winner going first. This created some nice ebb and flow with one side sometimes getting to go twice in a row.

I should add that in the Hook's Farm game and this one, I used Chance Cards. These were drawn simultaneously for both sides before the Artillery Phase started.

Deployments were then randomized, figures placed, and the French won the toss and would move first.

Green Ridge is located directly in front of British positions. On French side of the river, Rabbit Ridge is to the left and Mole Hill to the right.

Randomized deployment gifts the French a small flanking force on its extreme right flank, and finds the British artillery very out of position and behind Church Hill in relation to the main bulk of the French forces.

As you can maybe tell from the above photos, the randomized deployment was not kind to Army Red, with their artillery concentrated on the left flank when it needed to be at the right or center. Infantry was in acceptable positions but Army Blue's artillery started quite close to the bridge and they also received essentially a flanking force facing Platts Woods with no one opposite of them!

French are also gifted by randomized deployment with tirailleurs and all artillery deployed close to the bridge and one square ahead of rest of French army!

French artillery.

The French flanking force began moving along the board edge towards Platts Wood in a way that kept the out of direct LOS of any British artillery. In the center infantry moved up onto the back of Mole Hill and a field gun was unlimbered on Rabbit Ridge directly overlooking the bridge.

First moves and French tirailleurs are already at the bridge and French artillery is unlimbering on Rabbit Ridge!

With French tirailleurs already on the bridge, the British started sent a full half of their infantry in the directio of the bridge, with a maxim gun thrown in for good measure. The British deployed a field gun on Church Hill and HQ situated there as well.

British infantry swarm towards the bridge, hopefully to overpower the tirailleurs and the French gun early on.

The tirailleurs pushed on and crossed the bridge, and the British engaged them.

The other French gun moves to take position atop Mole Hill.

French infantry starts to ford the creek, while British infantry engages the tirailleurs.

The tirailleurs try to hold the bridge, but they are outnumbered and not very well supported.

Outnumbered two-to-one with some close combats in the flank, the tirailleurs fell back across the bridge and the British pursued. Maybe Army Red would overcome its poor initial deployments?

British infantry throws the tirailleurs back across the river and take the bridge.

Heavy fighting at the bridge.

The British get a maxim up on Green Ridge to deter river fordings.

In the center French infantry attempted to ford the river, and are met with maxim gun fire from Green Ridge and infantry fire from Rogers House and Hank House.

The French who have crossed the river come under heavy combined fire from Rogers House and Hank House.

The French finally unlimber their second field gun atop Mole Hill, however.

French deploy their second gun atop Mole Hill.

Heavy fighting in the Platts Wood by Church Hill.

Overall things look okay for the British. They are holding a slightly larger French attack at Platts Wood at bay, stalling the attempts by the French to ford the river in the center, and have made their way across the bridge in the face of heavy rifle and artillery fire.

British brigade command, directing artillery fire.

French battery atop Mole Hill opens fire.

Then, some bad breaks. A "Rally" chance card for the French, which strengthens the French defense of the bridge. Then the maxim gun on Green Ridge is taken out by artillery and rifle fire. French infantry climbs to top of Green Ridge. A Hotchkiss gun is forded across the river as well.

The British maxim atop Green Ridge is dispatched. The French cross the river and climb Green Ridge and send a Hotchkiss machine gun across as well. British have infantry in reserve behind the ridge, however.

In the center French infantry pushes through rifle and artillery fire and assaults Rogers House.

Fighting at the Rogers House.

More fighting in Platts Wood.

The rallied French left counterattacks at the bridge and sends the British back across the river with heavy casualties.

A well-supported French counterattack pushes British back across river and retakes the bridge.

The British infantry at the bridge is pretty beat up...

With good artillery support and fire from the Hotchkiss now atop Green Ridge, the French rout two British infantry units and swarm across the bridge. On the opposite flank, British resistance at Platts Wood collapses and French infantry and another Hotchkiss emerge from the woods next to Church Hill and cause the British field gun and HQ to fall back.

Things fall apart. One British unit at the bridge routs, and the one at Green Ridge is caught in a horrible crossfire, and the British defending the extreme flank at Platts Wood rout as well.

As the British hit 50% lost SP and the game ends, the French are still not even at thier exhaustion point yet and closing in on the British around Rogers House and Hank House from three directions.

All that really remains is a salient of British situated in the center at Rogers House and Hank House, with French approaching from three sides.

Clearly and soundly beaten, Army Red (what's left of it) retreats.

British forces withdraw.

British HQ ponders what went wrong as they slip away while the French close in.

While the French benefited from some slightly more reliable artillery fire, the critical factor was probably French élan, in the form of their drawing Rally cards at key points during the fight for the bridge, allowing them counterattack with confidence against what a moment ago was an equally sapped British opponent. The British artillery also ended up hopelessly out of position and did not support the attack on the bridge at all. This is also meant it was unable to support its infantry when the French counterattacked and then ultimately swept clean across the entire British right flank.