REGINA TRENCH: The Game!

This past weekend was ToonCon 2016 - our local game convention. It’s really become mostly a board game convention, but I try to roll out with a miniatures game every year. This year I planned an event I called REGINA TRENCH! (you can read more about the whys and wherefores are the link).

The game focused on the First Canadian Division's actions at the Battle of Theipval Ridge which commenced on 26 September 1916 – 100 years ago this week.

Four players would each command one of the assault battalions or the two brigades of the division that were involved – each of the brigades also had a supporting battalion that was to follow up and help hold the trenches taken against counter attacks.

Preceding the Canadian advance was a creeping barrage that would first hit “no man’s land’ (to try and cut the wire) and then successively hit the three lines of trenches – mostly to keep the Germans heads down and get the Canadians onto their objectives without being shot to bits by rifles and machine-gun fire.

Facing them were three battalions of Germans. there was supposed to be a fourth in reserve that I could counter attack with should any of them make it to Regina Trench – the third trench line – but I forgot to bring it at home… I guess if it cane to it I could have reconstituted “dead” Germans from the front lines…

Because there has to be a “winner” for each event at ToonCon – to whom prizes are awarded – but this was essentially a co-operative game, I came up with a simple victory point system. Basically however many men each player had left of their original battalion multiplied by how many trench lines the successfully captured was how many “victory points” they’d have and whoever had the most would “win”! Firstest with the mostest, I guess.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)

I had the most fabulous participants for the game – they really got into it!

On the right of the picture is Roch (in the Service Dress Cap) who commanded the 8th Battalion (90th Winnipeg Rifles) (which was on the extreme left of the line). Next to him was Brennan (in the helmet – I know, I know… it’s a WW2 helmet…) who commanded the  5th Battalion (Western Cavalry) the other assault battalion from the 2^nd Infantry Brigade. Together they sort of shared command of the 10th Battalion - the supporting battalion for the 2^nd Canadian Infantry Brigade – and the 2^nd Canadian Machine-gun Company.

Over on the left of the picture is Bob (in the balmoral – who actually drove up all the way up from Regina to play the game!) who commanded the 14th Battalion (“Royal Montreal Regiment”) and next to him is John (in the 48^th Glengarry) who commanded the 15th Battalion (48th Highlanders). both of them shared command of the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish) - the supporting battalion for the 3^rd Canadian Infantry Brigade – and the 3^rd Canadian Machine-gun company

There was a LOT of other people that wandered by the table to see what was going on.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The barrage commences – hoping to cut some of that wire in “no man’s land”.

Once the barrage lifted to the trench line the Canadians began their advance!

The Germans did have their own Artillery batteries on call – but their barrages were intermittent and a bit random (due to communication breakdowns once the Canadian barrage came down and started cutting telephone wires and such)

Bob’s 14^th Battalion got hit particularly hard – on 15 dice I hit on 5+ which, statistically should have carried off 5 of his lads – I managed to roll EIGHT fives and sixes instantly dropping him to half strength! OUCH! The brave lads from Montreal pressed on, however!

This would have been turn five as the barrage lifted to the second line and the Canadians fell on the defenders of the First trench line.

This looks like some of John’s 15th Battalion (48^th Highlanders) falling in on the Germans in the front line trenches!

The 5^th and 8^th Battalions of the 2^nd Infantry Brigade hit the frontline trenches!

Casualties started mounting as the Germans desperately tried to hold onto Zollern Graben – the first trench line!

Canadian barrage continuing to pound the second line – but all too soon it would lift and get away from them!

The Remnants of the 14^th clear out the last of the German resistance in Zollern Graben – the first line of trenches was completely captured!

Looks like the 16^th Battalion (Canadian Scottish) are moving up to support the depleted 14^th.

The 2^nd Canadian Infantry Brigade again – with their supporting battalion (the 10^th) moving up to help consolidate the trench the assaulting battalions are just capturing.

With Zollern Graben captured the Canadians are moving on to their second objective Hessian and Sudbury Trenches – but with their barrage had lifted ot the third trench line and they would be and the mercy of the German Machine-guns in the second line…

…Or.. in some cases, not so much… The 2^nd Canadian Machine-gun Company must have been recruited from the Divisional Track and field team because they sprinted across “no man’s land” and past the first trench, set up their guns while taking fire from the German machine guns – who were shooting like Imperial Stormtroopers ( I just could not hit them!) and then massacred the German Machine-gunners with some insanely precision machine-gunning!? I think someone really wanted to bring a Victoria Cross home to show their sweetheart!

With the machine-guns cleared on the 2^nd Brigades axis of advance, Hessian Trench was all but clear for the taking!

John striking a martial pose!

The remnants of the 14^th and 15^th Battalions capture Sudbury Trench – the second trench line on the 3^rd Brigades line of advance. But they could go no further – both were down to about ¼ strength.

Remember that Machine-gun/sniper/track and field team I mentioned earlier… yeah, AFTER storming across “no man’s land”, setting up their guns in the open under fire and wiping out the Germans machine team in their trenches, they picked up again and sprinted up and over the hill and set up just beyond the second line of trenches and started machine-gunning the Germans in Regina Trench!

DAKKA- DAKKA- DAKKA- DAKKA

Eventually their luck would run out and they were cut to ribbons by the Germans holding Regina Trench.

The 3^rd Brigade Assault battalions exchange (mostly) ineffective fire with the Germans still holding Kenora Trench.

The 2^nd Brigade captured Hessian Trench and might have advanced further if time had allowed – but their ranks were getting pretty thinned as well!

As all battalions captured the second line trenches – their main objective for the day – it came down to who had the most troops left. I think the 8^th, 14^th and 15^th battalions had been whittled down to 3-4 figures (of their initial 15) – but Brennan’s 5^th Battalion (Western Cavalry) - hearty prairie boys from Saskatchewan! – had 7 left – so he was declared the winner!

The lot of us – from left to right; me (in the pickelhaube - I actually had to wear the chinstrap throughout the game because otherwise it would have fallen off my head onto the table with disastrous results!), John, Bob, Roch, and Brennan. Hopefully I'll be able to get all these guys out for the Vimy game in April! 

Big thanks to these four guys and their enthusiasm with made this the highlight of the weekend for me and made all the work seem worthwhile (if you haven’t checked out the post on how I made all the trenchworks, see the previous post: REGINA TRENCH: The Terrain!)

Also I have to say thanks again to all the organizers and volunteers at ToonCon for hosting my game and putting together another fantastic convention! You can see my report of the rest of the convention here: ToonCon 2016

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Well.. if I learned anything from the last week, it’s that I need to get working on the Vimy Terrain NOW!

Of course The Men Who Would be Kings arrived in the mail this afternoon… so… I might just have to try that out!! I have a fair few British and Zulus ready to go – shouldn’t have to paint up anything new…