The Last Redoubt - Belgium 1914 - part 1

This was a toy soldier game played last week with 54 mm figures, the Belgians provided by me and the Germans by Lloyd. The scenario was more inspired by than based on any particular action but took as its setting the general situation in Belgium in the early weeks of the Great War.

A vast horde of Germans.  This photo by Russell, others by Pete, Martin and myself.

The Belgian Army, having inflicted something of a reverse on the Germans on the river gat is now pulling back in a degree of disarray towards the national redoubt at Antwerp.  In our game we had a Belgian mixed brigade with orders and secret individual objectives as follows:

Overall Belgian objective: carry out an heroic defence and inflict reverses on the Germans.

Nominate three objectives.

 
General J Van Acker (Martin) – 6^th Mixed Brigade
                                                HQ
                                                2 supply columns
                                                Fort Affreuse
                                                3^rd Carabiniers Rgt (-)
                                                                        HQ
                                                                        Inf Co
                                                                        MG Plt
                                                2^nd Artillery Group (-)
                                                                        2 Bty, 75mm guns
 
Personal objectives:     Speak with a French or (if you can manage it) Flemish accent.
Give press interviews and pose for photos, perpetuating the ‘plucky little Belgium’ image.
Be seen to be supporting your subordinates while secretly gathering as much resource as possible for the defence of Antwerp.
Issue lengthy and ‘inspiring’ orders to your subordinates.
  

The fort and it's garrison.  The CO is heroically/stupidly waving from atop the ramparts.

 
Colonel W Bogaerts (Russell) – 4^th Chasseurs a Cheval
                                                            HQ
                                                            2 Cavalry Sqns
                                                            Cyclist Sqn
                                                            Armoured Car troop
                                                5^th Chasseurs a Pied
                                                            HQ
                                                            2 Inf Co
 
Personal objectives:     Speak with a French or (if you can manage it) Flemish accent.
                                    Carry out an heroic action with your cavalry.
Refuse to cooperate with Bresseleers – he is an over-promoted bumpkin who knows nothing of modern war.
Demonstrate the usefulness of armoured cars
  

 
Colonel G Bresseleers (John) – 27^th Regiment de Ligne
                                                            HQ
                                                            4 Inf Co
                                                            MG Plt
                                                            Field Kitchen Co
 
Personal objectives:     Speak with a French or (if you can manage it) Flemish accent.
Undermine the General at every opportunity – everyone knows that job should be yours!
Protect the field kitchen.
Inflict an embarrassing defeat on the Germans.

27 Rgt de Ligne

The all-important field kitchen.  A Cobri (not quite Lego) model.

The Germans had a reserve corps of two divisions with the prospects of a reinforcement brigade depending on dice rolls. The letter never showed up as Corps commander Simon rolled an unbroken run of ones and twos.

Overall German objective: complete the encirclement of Antwerp and prevent it’s reinforcement.

Secretly allocate 15, 10 and 5 VPs to three objectives nominated by the Belgian player.

Lt General E Draeger (Simon) – IX (Reserve) Corps

                        HQ - 4 staff officers, 2 motor cars

                         3 Transport Columns

                         Artillery Rgt 17 – 2 howitzers

                         Feld Flieger Abt 17 – 1 aeroplane          

Personal objectives:  Speak with a German accent

                                 Strut around like the conquering hero you want to be seen as.

                                 Avoid military embarrassments.

Address your troops with the contempt they deserve – they are mostly fat old reservists.

Major General S Dubourg (Lloyd) – 5^th Reserve Division

                                                            HQ

                                                            Cavalry Sqn (2)

                                                            Reserve Inf Rgts 33,44,45 (20 figs each)

                                                            Reserve Feld Art Rgt 37 – 2 guns

                                                            MG Co

                                                            Transport column

                                                           

Personal objectives:    Speak with a German accent

                                    Carry out atrocities against the local populace

                                    Lead your men heroically, from the front!

                                    Win a great military victory

  

Prime targets for German 'frightfulness'.  A convent and....

...a monastery.  Possibly one of the orders which brews beer?

                                   

Major General Colonel S Jeschke (Pete) - 6th Reserve Division

                                                            HQ

                                                            Cavalry Sqn

                                                            Reserve Inf Rgts 141,176,2 (20 figs each)

                                                            Reserve Feld Art Rgt 71

                                                            MG co

                                                            Transport column

                                                           

Personal objectives:     Speak with a German accent

                                    You are a sensitive academic, given to quoting Schiller and                                                 Goethe

                                    Prevent unnecessary casualties on both sides

                                    Lead your men heroically, from the front!

Next time...the battle commences!

30cm Nebelwerfer - part 2

Here is completed lash-up.  It's not quite a replica of the original but conveys the message - a big scary rocket launcher!  I cannibilised two of the rocket crates to provide 'empties' as clutter and rockets for two of the crew to lug around. They don't look too pleased about it.

I rather like the result - what do you think?

 

30cm Nebelwerfer - part 1

Perhaps inevitably there was a chat about Nebelwerfers over lunch during the Twin Villages game a few months ago.  It was agreed that the 30cm version was a relatively rare sight in wargames, so needless to say I took this as a challenge!  I knew I had some suitable(ish) rocket crates from a 1/43 halftrack model, so these were swiftly adapted and mated with a chassis frame and wheels.  Crew were sourced from a Tamiya gunners set. Dubious origins but really no worse than the real one. 

Charlottenlund Fort

Back to my trip to Europe now.  This was our 'home' for 4 nights - a campsite in a fort!  Charlottenlund Fort was built in the 1880s to help protect Copenhagen from dodgy foreigners.  Given how easily I got in it's not working well.

The fort still has it's full complement of 12 305mm guns which were

 installed when it was remodelled in 1911-12

As camping spots go, this one was pretty surreal!

Some later steel and concrete.