PBI 1918?

[agamemnon]

Evening chaps.
I raise this subject here though admittedly it concerns two different PP periods.  Anyway, here goes...
While enjoying the Square Bashing rules, I wondered whether a lower level game, set, as the title suggests in 1918, could be handled under the PBI rules, suitably amended as appropriate.
I find the idea of portraying the more open combat of the last few months of the Great War at the battalion or company level more and more appealing.
Ideas, thoughts, hysterical laughter?  All comments welcome.
Thanks in advance.
Best,
Stephen

[Leslie BT]

PBI would work fine, you just drop all the more modern weapons, you may just need to research the platoon structure for 1918 units.

[Colonel Kilgore]

I played in a WW1 mini-game of PBI, run by Peter Pig at a show some years back. So it works!

Alternatively, perhaps look at the newly-revamped PP Spanish Civil War rules, which are perhaps both simpler than PBI as well as being closer in time to 1918?

[agamemnon]

Leslie, Colonel,

many thanks for that.  I think perhaps a spot of research on 1918 company structures for Tommy and Jerry is in order this weekend.
Luckily, I will be at the Colours show next Saturday so I will be able to give in to the temptation of buying a Late War German army from that nice Mr Goddard!!!
Bayonet and Ideology...what a good idea....

[Sean Clark]

I played on that PBI game too Simon...at Warfare in Reading if I remember rightly.

As Les says, a simple matter of sorting out the company structure and ignoring all the fancy weaponry and equipment of the main game.

[Colonel Kilgore]

I played on that PBI game too Simon...at Warfare in Reading if I remember rightly.

Correct!

A quick Google search gives the following as a starter for 10 on lower-level organisations for the Germans (from http://www.worldwar1.com/sfgermreorg.htm):



I've not found anything similar online for the British, but I'm pretty sure that the excellent Paddy Griffith book [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Tactics-Western-Front-British/dp/0300066635] includes appropriate detail (sections of riflemen, bombers, rifle-bombers and Lewis gunners all acting in concert).

[agamemnon]

Colonel,
thanks for that.  I found this yesterday and found it really useful in sorting out a piggy order.  haven't found a GB equivalent yet though I have some indications.

[Colonel Kilgore]

agamemnon,

Osprey Elite's "World War I Trench Warfare (2) - 1916-18" gives (page 50):
- platoons of between 24 and 40 men
- each platooon is comprised of 4 sections, plus an HQ of 1 officer + 3 other ranks
- each section is led by an NCO, totalling 5 to 9 other ranks each
- one section was the Lewis gun section; the others were all rifles
- all riflemen were trained in the use of the "bomb" (hand grenade), and about half in the use of the rifle grenade
- one section was supposed to act as a specialist "bombing team"
- two men in each section were able to operate as scouts

The "British Platoon Attack" picture (page 42), shows Lewis gun and rifle grenade sections pinning an enemy strong point, while the two remaining platoons advance by "bounds" and engage the enemy with rifle, bayonet and hand grenades.

Does this help any?

[Colonel Kilgore]

The Paddy Griffith book confirms the Osprey guidance for the British but is a little more prescriptive, quoting (page 113) manual SS 143 of February 1917, which expected one section of each platoon to be hand-grenadiers, and another rifle-grenadiers.

He also states that incendiary grenades - Thermi, "P" (phosphorous) and "Fumite" (smoke) could be used to set alight enemy wooden defences, and were much easier to use in this respect than flamethrowers.

He also points out that rifle grenades could be powerful in defence, out-ranging German grenades (whether "egg" or "stick").

[Smiley Miley 66]

We all played that game. It did indeed work very well.
I think some of the SCW rule ideas would be good, because that would bring it more in line with the period intended.

[Peterloo]

I did quite a bit on ww1 PBI , I'll  attach the file
When attacking trenches I found it best to deploy the platoons in column as in a line you quickly lose control of it

Early war is very Spanish CC as there's no light Mgs and unit sizes are bigger , that's an interesting game. later war its more ww2 ,

[Colonel Kilgore]

Peter, that's a very interesting document you've attached for the French - thanks! Would you mind sharing where you sourced the information from?

[agamemnon]

Some great stuff here!  Many thanks to all for your contributions.
Can't get to Colours after all (rats!!!) but am looking forward to receiving my late war German pack next week. 
I suddenly have a new project!  (Yes you might well say...but what happened to all the others???)
S