Late War WW1 Game
Today I managed to slip the leash of familial restraint and do something I WANTED to do on a Sunday - which of course, was play with toy soldiers with me mates!

Rick had set up an imaginary scenario in the late war period, with French and American forces pursuing a depleted German force who were fighting an offensive rearguard action. I assume this was envisaged to be part of the 100 Days Offensive in 1918 - as per the quote below from Wikipedia...

"By late April 1918, the danger of a German breakthrough had passed. The German Army had suffered heavy casualties and now occupied ground of dubious value which would prove impossible to hold with such depleted units. In August 1918, the Allies began a counter-offensive with the support of 1–2 million fresh American troops and using new artillery techniques and operational methods. This Hundred Days Offensive resulted in the Germans retreating or being driven from all of the ground taken in the Spring Offensive, the collapse of the Hindenburg Line and the capitulation of the German Empire that November."

Our forces consisted of three battalions of Americans supported by the lone French aircraft on our left, a battalion of the French Foreign Legion, a small tank and battery of guns in the centre and three battalions of French infantry with two HMG and a trench gun on our right - I commanded this force. 

Opposing us, the Germans had two battalions in each position, supported by HMG's. In the centre, they occupied a ruined village and had the support of an A7 tank, and on their right, opposite the Americans, they had artillery.

My three battalions did very well against the two battalions of Germans, employing concentrated fire power of an HMG (4 dice) seven bases of infantry (1 die each) and an LMG (3 dice) to take out the first battalion and HMG for virtually no loss to my command. I was then able to flank the second battalion facing my advance and put three battalions of fire onto this single unit, with the inevitable result.

One of the two German battalions in the centre advanced to support their left wing but soon beat a retreat. The A7 tank lumbered slowly towards my force but by this time, the Legion Etrangere and the artillery had got in on the act and were causing casualties in the ruined village.

On the other flank the Americans made hard work of overcoming the stubborn German resistance but eventually were able to drive off their opponents, albeit that only one of their three battalions remained on the field to claim La Gloire! The two German battalions in the centre realized the game was up, and we ended around 2pm.

Here are some pictures I took of the action

 The partially destroyed village occupied by the German rear guard

 The French on our right begin their advance

 On the Allied left, our US allies move forward....

 ...whist overhead, they are supported by the French airforce

 A general view of my three battalions moving against Adrian's Germans

The view of my advance from the German lines

 Another view from the position of Adrian's second battalion

From the rear of the German centre commanded by Paul

 The Poilu's storm forward with great elan.

 The German high command look a bit concerned

On the German right, Barry's force is making life difficult for Mark's Doughboys

 But they are still advancing in good style - tres bon, mes amis!

 The scene of our first triumph - the German HMG and first battalion were previously in possession of this hill

My attacking force concentrates fire on Adrian's remaining battalion

 As my right wing swings in to envelope him from the flank

A last view of my advance from Adrian's position before his unit was destroyed

Barry's force moves forward to engage the Americans

Above and below - the French advance moves inexorably towards  the village in the centre of the table

The A7 moves into position to act as a mobile pillbox - it had two HMG's from three of its four sides

But the game is over - apart from the troops in the picture, the rest of the German force had been destroyed

The Foreign Legion supporting my attack on the village