St. James Road

With Hook's Farm and Green Ridge played and resolved, it was time to try the third and final map from Featherstone's War Games (Trimsos River having been played back in 2020(!)).  The third map in question is the "Tank and Infantry Action on the St. James. Road" map/action report that accompanies the modern warfare chapter in War Games.

French starting positions.

There are of course no tanks in my Belle Epoque games, but, once again, the map from War Games is interesting to set up and play for any period. I even broke out and refreshed the foam hill pieces previously used in my Marston Moor game forever ago. Once the board was set up I diced to see which side each army was approaching from, and then used my randomized deployment table again.

British starting positions behind the embankment.

The British forces started entirely behind the embankment running their length of the table, while the French artillery was ideally situated on the French left but perhaps too much infantry was behind the thick woods atop the ridgeline.

French starting positions, mostly behind the woods.

The key positions were of course Copse Hill near the center of the board, which could both shelter troops within and and behind from enemy fire, and Red Farm, which was the sole "built-up area" on the board.

Looking towards French from behind the embankment.

Sides were exactly equal again (can't resist having more figures on the board), although I traded several British regular units out for Rifle Volunteers (King's Royal Rifle and Queen's Westminsters) and a company of Gurkas. In my head this reflected British bringing up reserve units due to heavy losses in prior two games.  I again used the same chance cards used in prior two games.

French infantry moves up into the woods.

Things got underway and the French moved infantry into the woods to defend the top of the ridge, and positioned their artillery neatly in a battery on the lower part of the ridge, facing Red Farm.

French artillery deploys at the edge of the hill.

The British mostly stayed behind the embankment (which was out of range of artillery completely), except for moving some regulars in to the Orchard.

British infantry moves through the orchard.

The Royal Foot Artillery attempted to deploy atop of the Embankment, while Maxim machine gun teams sprinted out to set up on Copse Hill.

British artillery deploys on embankment, while the infantry remains in cover behind.

As artillery unlimbers, British HQ surveys unfolding situation.

Early  ong-range French artillery fire is accurate however and pushes a British gun back behind the embankment, losing a limber in the process.  It took a turn for me to realize the British could simply use the second limber team to move both guns as necessary, and both guns were up and shooting from the Embankment in good time.

As the remaining limber repositions the other British field piece, the Westminster volunteer rifles move into support by the British regulars in the orchard.

Meanwhile the French had moved a Hotchkiss machine gun into Red Farm and were peppering the British regulars in the Orchard with fire.  The British field guns accordingly concentrated fire on Red Farm.

"Keep firing at that Hotchkiss in Red Farm."

First one hit and a lost SP, then another and the second lost SP, and the Hotchkiss gun was gone!

British artillery drops a casualty marker on the French Hotchkiss MG in Red Farm.

With the majority (4 of 6 companies) of the French infantry sitting in the woods atop the hill, the British sensed an opportunity, and so two companies of regulars and the Westminsters advanced to take Red Farm.  From behind the Embankment, the Gurkas started a march to over and up the road to Red Farm to act as an extra push.

French HQ observed the British taking of Red Farm...

When the French Hotchkiss was lost, the French moved one of the two companies on their left flank to try and hold or retake Red Farm (perhaps their field artillery, in each range and direct line of sight of the Farm, could offset British numerical superiority?).  However, the French drew a "Loss of Nerve" chance card (-2 on close combat rolls), so the British came at them hard, routing one French company and pushing the other before them to the base of the ridge.

A company of British infantry can now be observed at the base of the ridge itself while two more companies push forward from Red Farm.

Around the same time the Gurkas began shifting towards Red Farm the French had pulled a company of infantry out of the high-ground woods and had them move to reinforce the French left, which was now under a fairly sustained and concentrated assault.

The British kept lucking out, with the French artillery proving ineffective and a Rally card keeping the attack going as SPs started to mount up.

The British attack on the ridge at its most furious.

However, at this juncture, the French Hotchkiss on the ridge realized they were just barely in range of the Westminsters, and let lose several barrages into the Westminsters flank.

Gunned down and then routed, and the Gurkas not yet close enough to offer support, and the French reinforcing company almost close enough, the British assault seemed in danger of collapsing and perhaps turning victory into defeat. The remaining British limber had swung a field gun all the way across the field to the left of Copse Hill, and the Kings Royal Rifles and the remaining company of regulars had moved up behind Copse Hill.  In an attempt to put a squeeze on the French, both Maxim units dropped down off Copse Hill, putting them in range of the French infantry sheltered in the woods, and opened fire.

The Maxims open up!

This was enough to push the French past their exhaustion point but did the British have the strength to drop them to 50% losses and win the game outright? At first it seemed possible as two regular companies sandwiched a French company in close combat and routed it.

A French company is routed between an attack from two directions.

But although the could no longer advance towards the enemy, they were able to pour fire onto the weary units that had been attacking the ridge.

The regulars are routed under heavy fire.

Both sides were now exhausted. The British fired into the woodline some more, but the French fell back instead of losing SP, so that front ceased to be the source of possible victory.

British at the base of the ridgeline, but the French have fallen back.

At this point, no infantry was in range of enemy infantry whatsover.  The British artillery also had no targets.

The French Hotchkiss gun that stalled the British attack.

The French guns could still target a sole maxim gun before Copse Hill.  But the British simply moved that unit over a square, and that was it.  With both sides exhausted and unable to advance, and with no targets left for shooting, the game to a close as a draw.

French HQ at the end of the battle.

British command at the end of battle.

Something you may not realize from the above report: this game was an exhausting 24 turns long!  This is mainly because both sides kept the majority of their forces in reserve, and either in cover or out of range, for most if not all of the game.  Indirect and direct artillery fire was the main action turn after turn after turn. Long range rifle fire was mostly absent, with deliberate commitment of troops to close combat at specific areas (Red Farm, the the lower ridge) being the main role for infantry.  The whole thing felt more like the battle of Sedan as described in The Debacle rather than a quasi-Napoleonic linear affair. 24 turns was a bit long for my tastes but this was otherwise a very satisfying game! 

I am not sure what is up next. I want to add engineers, cavalry (that will fight as mounted infantry, basically), and signal corps that can direct artillery fire from a distance, to the mix, but that will take time. I also have a copy of Featherstone's Advanced Wargames on delivery soon and perhaps a map in there will jump out and inspire me.