I went over to JohnB’s place Tuesday evening to play some Wargaming Nineteenth Century Europe 1815-1878 but we ended up playing something more like Wargaming Twentieth Century Asia c 1905! John busted out his old homemade 25mm Russo-Japanese War miniatures (the same ones we used the very first time we played a game!) and with a few tweaks to the rules we were on our way!
Manchuria, 1905
SCENARIO
We played the Rearguard Action
Scenario. The Attackers would essentially have twice as many units - both forces being randomly determined
by rolling on respective tables in the book. The attackers had 15 turns to get
at least five units off the far end of the table – though only four units would
start on the table – the rest were
in reserve columns of two units each and would have to be diced for.
FORCES
Japanese
5x Infantry
3x Cavalry
2x Artillery
2x Machine-guns
Russian
2x Artillery
1x Cavalry
2x Infantry
1x Machine-gun.
THE GAME
I took the Japanese and was
attacking. John took the Russians and was defending.
(Remember: click on the pictures
for a bigger version)
John could pretty much three
quarters of the table as his
deployment zone. He spread his
units along a ridge of hills.
Russian Artillery Battery and
Infantry battalion.
Another Russian Artillery
Battery and a Regiment of Dragoons.
The other Russian Infantry
Battalion and Machine-gun battery – with the rest of the force in the
background.
On the first turn my initial
forces marched onto the table. The Infatry I decided to drive up the right
flank – as the middle and left was dominated by the Russian artillery.
On the left I brought on the
guns – hoping ot keep his own guns busy and maybe silence them before giving my
advance some support from the flank.
Turn Two – the rest of my guns
arrive. On John’s first turn he clobbered my first battery of guns.
A view from the Russian side on
Turn Two
Another view from the Russian
perspective.
As my second battery came on
they were also pounded by his guns – but my first battery opened up with some
counter-battery fire.
The lead infantry battalion
charges over the crest of the hill and into the attack!
BANZAI!
The Japanese being mauled on the
way.
Follow on battalions moving up.
Though they took some hard
knocks on the way in the Japanese prevailed in the attack and drove the
Russians off the hill and swept away their machine-gun unit!
BANZAI!!
Once the first Russian battery
was silenced, the two Japanese batteries moved up into range of the second. As
they had taken some serious casualties from their duel with the first, one of
Japanese Battery was quickly finished off, but the remaining one stayed in the
fight for another turn or two to exchange shots with the remaining Russian
battery.
Fire from the Russian infantry
battalion finished off the first Japanese battalion – but the second one
following immediately fell upon the beleaguered Russians!
They too were mauled by the
Russians – but the Russians kept falling back and fresh Japanese troops gave
chase.
Somehow I missed getting a
picture of the Russian Dragoons before they were cut to pieces by the shattered
Japanese infantry battalion and their supporting machine-guns.
The Japnaese continue to pursue
the Russians ever closer to their own table edge. For a few turns I failed to
get my reinforcements – soon they would not have enough turns to make it across
the table!!
Another Japanese battalion moves
in for the final assault on that first Russian battalion – while another
Japanese battalion maneuvers to engage the other Russian battalion.
Finally the remaining Japanese
Infantry battalion and the first of the cavalry units arrived and made it over
that first hill.
Pushing forward taking artillery
fire from the flank.
The first Russian Infantry
battalion is finally broken – they sold themselves dearly, though – taking out
twice their number before finally breaking under the relentless attacks of
successive Japanese battalions.
Getting near the end…
That’s all I got for pictures…?
I did get four units off the
table. I think one unit of my cavalry was wiped out. Another unit of cavalry
was just an inch or two shy of being able to make it off on the very last turn…
a hard fought battle to the end!
I think this is going to work
out very well for some 1914 battles when we get enough figures painted.
Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:
Painting toys – a bunch arrived
today, including figures foe the second Sohei buntai from The
Assault Group and an order from Perry
Miniatures to fill out with … and … - that I only just placed on the
second – that’s less than one week from England to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Canada! Wow!? I have a few to convert – so I’ll get cracking on that shortly
and I also brought home some 40mm 1914 French infantry from John’s to paint up…
I've always fancied this war, so to speak. Lovely figures.
ReplyDeleteI really like the clean and well-painted look of the Old School figures. Your friend casts these himself? Please give us more details!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely cool and very Old School!
ReplyDelete