This game was based on an actual event at the start of the FPW, in Alsace, but I wasn't paying enough attention to get all the details - Mark will be able to fill us in later! Suffice to say, the Wurst Munchers, including their unenthusiastic catholic allies from the deep south, were attacking and the French defending. The leading French command had already been in action and most units were carrying two or three hits when the game commenced - I volunteered to command these troops, in the expectation that they would be no more than a speed hump to slow the Germanic hordes until the rest of the Poilus could get organised behind me.
Let's see how it went - lots of images, only a few words!
Alsatian village (Marks beautiful work)
The battlefield - French to the left, Germans to the right
Some of my troops already in position, carrying several hits
Prussians to the east, monsieur, fowsands of 'em! (Although these Prussians are actually Bavarians)
A black stain upon the fair green fields of La France.
The French begin to deploy - Andrew on the right to counter Nicks Prussians
Then, in the centre, Julian moved forwards to oppose Paul
Meanwhile, on our left, Barry moved on from the bottom right of the image as my seven battalions watched Bruce, John and Paul bare down on them!
With Prussian off table artillery sweeping the field, I was forced to pull all my troops back behind the ridgeline, which meant they could not take advantage of the longer range of their Chasse Pot rifles to put some pain on the filthy hun!
On the other flank, Nick deployed a formidable Prussian force, supported by several batteries of guns
Andrew shakes his troops out into line
The Prussian advance continues remorselessly
The elite Zouaves holding the heights in the centre of the French line come under huge pressure - but hold!
To their left, my other units face similar odds - three battalions face off against six Bavarians!
The Zouaves are still holding - Paul did not charge because in this era, steady infantry in line defending get +3 dice - Mark DOES NOT want uncontrolled charges, because his forty years of research indicates they rarely ever happened!
Nicks Prussians trying to find a way through/around the village and Andrews defending French infantry
While Pauls Prussians threaten from the other direction
Despite rounds of fire, the Zouaves are STILL holding the heights in the centre
On the French left, Bruce pushes hard against Barry, but fails to break through
As Johns Bavarians slowly close in on my three battalions
The heroic chasseurs - this unit repulsed a Prussian assault (benefitting from the +3 dice in combat) then pursued and destroyed them, THEN broke through onto another Prussian unit and routed them too!
One unit of Zouaves had been dispersed by this stage, but the other two held firm!
And finally, just in the nick of time, the French cavalry arrived - riding to the rescue (just like XXX Corps!)
Four regiments of Cuirassiers! The first smashed into a Bavarian line, putting them to flight.
Barrys French infantry, meanwhile, were gradually pushing Bruces Bavarians back.
In the centre, Pauls Prussians had finally overcome the heroic Zouaves - but not before they had been forced to retire their battered first line and move up fresh troops to complete the destruction of their French opponents
Johns Bavarians in some disarray as the cuirassiers press forwards into the gap
On the other flank, a traffic jam of Prussians struggles to overwhelm Andrews defenders
The Prussian guns pound at Julians troops in the French centre
The Bavarians even resorted to the age-old defence against cavalry - a square - not that it did them any good!
Barry's command pushing forward to support the cavalry
An unexpected win for the French, despite the fact I only had two battalions left out of the seven I started the game with!
Now, we move on to Johns close ups of the game
The Zouaves on the hill hold up half the Prussian army!
The action on the French right flank
John took "quite a few" images of the cuirassiers
Given they basically destroyed his command, his obsession with them seems understandable!
Hitting a Bavarian line from the flank - that ended up as you would expect!
Smashing into the Bavarian square
Finally for this post, Barry has set up a gallery of AI generated images of members of our group. Mark created most of the pictures, but I provided my own - Nick had suggested an RCW Commissar but the uniform was a bit bland, so I went for something twenty years later
Here you are, Marshal Rrossyiv in 1945, with the ruins of Berlin as a backdrop!
Given my recent obsession with collecting WW2 Red Army stuff, I thought this one was appropriate!
A great result for the French and good to see Mark's new unit of chasseurs perform so creditably. The AI photos are great although it has rather given you the look of someone who has just ordered the execution of a battalion for not advancing fast enough.
ReplyDeleteA cracking game and a rare French victory. Reminds me I need to sort my next FPW game
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