RCW campaign (The Mill n°4) - Debriefings

[Anatoli]

Hi... 

Pierre and I started the RCW campaign which can be found in the Mill (n°4).

Here is the debriefing of the first battle, around Tsaritsyn area... We played it last saturday, in our local club (Liffré) in Brittany...

It was a 500 points battle.


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RCW campaign - Mission n ° 1 - Comrade General Anatoli Vassili Anatolovitch's debriefing.



March 1918, somewhere around Voronezh area...


My name is Anatoli Vassili Anatolovitch ... A few months ago, I was a sergeant in the 72nd infantry regiment of the imperial army of the Tsar... Now I am the comrade commanding a bunch of mismatched units of the People's Red Army...

I'm now sitting in a train going I don't know where, surrounded by 10 men from Comrade Trotsky's guard, and I am still a bit drunk...

Arriving at the station (I think this is Voronezh), I get off and my escort leads me to an office in the main building. At 100 meters on my right, a guy has just been shot ... An officer, it seems.

There, in the office, six (high ranked) officers are looking at me... No one is talking. I greet and introduce myself:

"Comrade commander Anatolovitch, at your orders, comrades".

"GENERAL Anatolovitch," replies the one who seems to be the boss ... I am promoted... Bad news...

"I am Comrade General Alexandr Peticanitch, who reports directly to Comrade Trotsky's staff. Here are the comrades Postitch, Kouglov, Saprisky, Grobov and Savapavitch. I will be direct. General Piotr Camulogénovitch's imperialist forces are gathering in the Tsaritsyn sector. Congratulations, comrade... You have just been proposed to command our army for an assault in this area in order to destroy his army. You shouldn't have a hard time doing better than your predecessor...

Damn ... it must be the poor guy I saw outside ...

"We have regrouped several regiments in the Voronezh sector. You will have a regiment of riflemen, another from Comrade Trotsky's Sotnia, two or even three regiments of regulars and a few conscripts. You will be assigned a cavalry unit as well as artillery and we will see what we can do about armoured vehicles. Any questions ?

- Uh yes ... When should we attack?
- As quickly as possible. From a reliable source, the White forces do not expect an assault in this sector... We have an opportunity to launch an unexpected attack "...

One of the officers sets a card on the table.

"This is the area where the White elements were spotted two days ago. We think they will take up residence near Tsaritsyn, there exactly. To achieve a decisive victory, we would have to secure four objectives:

- An area in the forest on our left flank (Zone 4),
- A crossroads in the center (Zone 2),
- A village in the center - Its church would be a perfect observation point for our artillery (Zone 3);
- A hill to the right of the battlefield (zone 1).

I know, comrade ... The task will to be difficult to accomplish ... But we know you will be able to do it, in the name of the revolution"!





Here I am outside, now... Officers of the different regiments I am going to lead into battle stand in front of me. It is my job to galvanize them so that they have only one goal in mind: victory against the imperialists!

Arrival in the Tsaritsyn sector takes a week by train. It was necessary to gather and equip the thousand men who will take part in the assault. I am not unhappy with the presence of the Kronstadt sailors and the Red Sotnia: they are really tough guys!

We still need a day for the regiments to take up their respective positions. During the train trip, I had time to plan operations and submit this plan to my officers.

It will be simple. The army will be divided into three columns:

- The bulk of the effort will go towards the center of the map, towards the village (3) and the crossroads (zone 2). My two elite regiments as well as a regular infantry regiment supported by two gun batteries will take place in this sector;
- The attack on the wood on the left flank (zone 4) will be made with conscripts and a regiment of regulars, supported by two artillery batteries and several machineguns;
- Finally, the assault on the hill on the right flank (zone 1) will be led by a cavalry regiment supported by some light armoured vehicles. Speed will be their main asset. A gun battery will support them back.

Our spies have confirmed to us that the Whites do not expect this assault... But I remain suspicious. I've had the opportunity to fight against them before. They are determined, efficient, well trained. Many former cadres of the tyrant's army (the Tsar) have joined them and they perfectly know how to fight...

Some problems were also reported to me during the deployment... several hundred conscripts deserted. Also problematic, we will have to launch the assault without the prior support of our heavy artillery... The latter will not be ready at best until long after the attack has started.

I don't like it ... But we can not go back!

At 6:00 am, I order the launch of the attack. The regiments quickly set off and launched out as one man in a formidable assault. Revolutionary hymns are heard and ignite the soldiers... Nothing can resist this red tide that will shed its blood for the freedom of the Russian people, for the just revolution of the proletarians ...

Many objectives, except the crossroads located further forward in the enemy lines, are unoccupied! I distinguish silhouettes among the Whites ...





They seem to have been taken by surprise ...

Our troops are advancing quickly in a formidable wave.













Our assault is successful, in the central area. The regular regiment quickly occupied the village and its church, with the two elite regiments in support. The Whites are getting positioned in front of us...





Occupying this objective is a good point for us... Our field artillery follows the movement.





The enemy takes position ...





I can hear the enemy armoured vehicles starting their engine on... They react more quickly than I expected. They are professional units in front of us...





Our forces prepare to dig in the central area ...





On the left flank, conscripts supported by a regiment of regulars and several machine guns arrive at the edge of the forest. For the moment, there does not seem to be any presence of enemy soldiers. The artillery has just deployed parts in a field...





As for the right flank, I watch from my position their rapid advance towards the hill, facing the city where several White units are positioned. The assault which will be launched MUST be successful there...





The village in the central area seems to be an easy target to hold. Indeed, enemies will have to cross a large swampy area before arriving in front of the first houses.

But the Whites react quickly... From my position, I see reinforcements arriving by the main road, at the bottom of their side...





Suddenly, a rumble followed by whistles and explosions makes the air vibrate... In the village, sprays of land are rising towards the sky, causing panic among the regiment of regulars who had just captured it. These last hold up at first...










But they end up shrinking from the intensity of the shelling.









On the left flank, an imperialist regiment has just taken up position in the wood. Damn! We will have to assault them quickly, or we will be in trouble in this area...






A first assault took place: the regulars run toward the position held by the enemy. The fighting is fierce... But the Whites, against all odds, are pushing our forces back on the edge of the forest. Our losses are significant and morale of the regiment drops.













Meanwhile, Red Sotnia units have just reoccupied the central village, allowing regulars who have withdrawn to reorganize. Hurray!





Our heavy artillery finally opens fire, pounding a position which could provide reinforcements to the Whites occupying the target area of the forest, on the left flank.





On the right side, cavalry and light armoured vehicles are doing extremely well: a white regiment which had previously occupied the hill is fleeing after a furious assault of the red Cossacks! Sailors took the opportunity to reinforce this flank, in order to support the cavalry regiment on its objective. Things are going on well.

The light armoured vehicle has taken a hit: it remains operational, but for how long?...

















A clamour grabs my attention. In the central area, a white regiment has just crossed the marshes and is attacking the village. Red Sotnia and regulars who had just reorganized succeed in pushing back the opponent... The Whites must fall back after having suffered heavy losses. It confirms my idea that this central position will be very difficult to be taken by the enemy...





On the left flank, a second air-supported assault was launched by the conscripts against the Whites' newly fortified position.





It's a true disaster... Volunteers are almost annihilated and the aviation is totally ineffective. The latter defected, that day...













I don't see how we are going to achieve to capture this position. Enemy units arrived in support. I then order the withdrawal, because it is still the best thing to do in this sector.

The remains of the volunteers and the regiment of regulars therefore retreat to the central village, with the mission of defending the left flank of this objective. Field artillery took up positions further back to cover the area between the left flank and the central village.

At midday, the situation is as follows:





On the right flank, the enemy fails in assaulting our troop, heroes of this day on the hill ...

















By meantime, two regiments of White cavalry and an armoured vehicle carry out a bypass maneuver which directly threatens my staff...









I order my officers to move to the left close to the artillery. A regiment of regulars left the central area at that time in an attempt to join and protect our headquarters due to the flanking maneuver of the enemy.

At the end of the day, with my officers, we agree that the situation is blocked... We hold two objectives out of the four, on which we are firmly entrenched. The enemy is in an identical configuration. He is weakened, and have nearly no chance to capture our fortified and well defended positions. Unfortunately, we no longer have any hope of seizing the wooded area on the left flank, and the central crossroads seem impossible to capture, its troops being deployed around...





I think that Comrade General Peticanitch is not going to like this situation... We must now evaluate the situation precisely...

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To be continued next month, as we still have to determine the victory conditions... Who won this game? Mmmm... What a suspense!! 

[Colonel Kilgore]

Anatoli - what a wonderful write-up of a beautiful game - thank you!

At the risk of diving into trivial detail, I don't think I've seen such effective explosion markers before - did you make those yourself, of did you buy them?

In any case, well done all round,

Simon

[Anatoli]

Hi Simon,

Thank you... 

Here is the 3D file used for explosions :

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3254204

You need to rescale it (I use a 21% scale - Maximum 25%) as it is quite big...

Those in the pictures have been painted by Pierre...

[Colonel Kilgore]

Wow - newfangled 3D printers - whatever next? 

[Antioch (Bob)]

Anatoli.... also enjoyed reading your report on what looked like a great game.

...and thank you for the pointer to those wonderful explosion markers.

Bob

[Smoking gun]

Thank you for this entertaining write up of a fantastic looking game.

Martin Buck

[Leman (Andy)]

Wow! wish I could get my stuff to that level of completion.

[Nick]

I very much enjoyed reading that. That was a great report.

regards,
Nick

[Sean Clark]

Excellent write up. It really drew me in to the constant back and forth of a Square Bashing game.

[Anatoli]

Results of the first battle


After having calculated the score of the very tight game (92 points vs 81) we played a month ago, it turns out to be a White victory at Tsaritsyn!
Nothing could stop his armies after his victory; so general Piotr Camulogenovitch invaded the Voronezh sector...

Motivated by this victory, the White HQ decided to launch a major offensive towards Pskov from Riga, west side of Russia. He launched an elite army into the battle : his formidable German Freikorps (n°34 in the army book)!

The Bolshevik HQ decided to launch several regiments of the Red Shock Army (n°42 in the army book) into the battle, to defend Pskov! Comrade general Anatoli Vassili Anatolovitch will be in command of the Red Army in Pskov.

The battle coming will be fierce... 

Debriefing of this 2nd battle in a few weeks, when we play it in our local club ! 

To be continued...


Congrats to Pierre for his victory !! 


Cheers,

Xavier

[Colonel Kilgore]

Wow, that's a very tight score on points. I'd ask for a recount 

Looking forward to the second after action report!

[Anatoli]

Hi...

Here is the second battle of the Square Bashing RCW campaign initiated last february...

It was a fierce and tigh battle as you will notice by reading this battle report. Some objectives were captured and re-captured several times...

We had a great fun playing the game.



RCW campaign - Mission n ° 2 - Comrade General Anatoli Vassili Anatolovitch's debriefing.



May 1918, somewhere around Pskov area...



After our defeat in Tsaritsyn and the loss of the city two months ago, we have learned that the enemy forces have decided to launch a major offensive at Pskov, in the north-east of the country. Our reports indicate that the Bermondt-Avalov Freikorps will lead the attack to capture the city.

These units are mainly made up of elite regiments ...

The task will be arduous... A part of the troops that I will command is still on the way towards Pskov and will not be ready when the Whites launch their attack... Only 25% of my artillery guns will be available.
It's a very hard blow. Our opponents are well equipped ... That's what Comrade General Peticanich told me during the trip.

Let's talk about Tsaritsyn's trip to Pskov: it was long and tiring, with many various incidents. Bandits has committed countless sabotages of railways ... We ended up neutralizing them, at the cost of a significant loss of time and many deaths in our ranks.

Fortunately, when I arrive there, I discovered that the troops who will defend this strategic area of Pskov seem to be well supplied. In particular, I find there a regiment of the Red Sotnia and troops of sailors from the Baltic. Several regiments of regular troops are also present. We should be able to do something with what we have there ...

We were assigned with four objectives to defend.

- n°1: a sector covered with forests in the east;
- n°2: a strategic crossroads (center of map);
- n°3: a village along the road (center / west);
- n°4: a hill, in the north-west, which could constitute an excellent site for the deployment of artillery guns.

Looking at the map and taking into account our forces, I immediately decide not to occupy objective n°4 (the hill): I cannot afford to divide my forces. In addition, my scouts have just announced the arrival of the White vanguard north of our positions.

We are starting a race against time ... The imperialist forces should sizer objective n°1 (the forest) before us ... We will probably have to fight in order to re-capture it. The crossroads and the village are being fortified. The hill at the northwest will be covered with enemy troops soon.

In the east, the Red Sotnia, a regular regiment and a machine guns platoon are moving towards objective n°1 (the forest). A cavalry unit and an armoured carsplatoon enter the crossroads, ready to be deployed where the need arises; sailors and a regiment of regular troops supported by a machine guns platoon took up positions in the village (objective n°3). Finally, a piece of artillery was deployed on the hill between objectives n°1 and n°2.







Quite far away in front of us, villages near Pskov are occupied by Whites; they have got armoured vehicles. I've already seen these machines at work: it's terrifying!







The fortification works begin at the crossroads, ... But we are under pressure: I guess the White units are getting closer and closer...







In the small village (objective n°3) along the road heading to the west, everyone holds their breath: the first White units are now walking towards our positions.
But the village is well defended by our regiments!







Suddenly, in the center area of the map, the Whites launch their attack... They arrive quickly, their tanks in front of them...







In the east side of the battlefield, Freikorps have just taken up position in the forest. I immediately order an assault on this objective, and I send a cavalry regiment in support.







After a very violent fight, the Whites retreat and our troops immediately occupy the forest. Unfortunately, I can see two other regiments ready to launch a counterattack.

In the northwest, white artillery and armoured cars have just occupied the hill (objective n°4).







Our troops in the forest do not have time to build fortifications, even basic ones ... The pressure is great.







In the distance, white conscripts have just occupied another village, without a fight. We had no troops to oppose them.







Suddenly, a huge noise sounds in the village (objective n°3): the enemy has just launched a terrible artillery barrage. Men will need nerves of steel not to panic in this sector.











In the east sector, Freikorps launch an assault on the forest which is repelled with difficulty by our troops. The first losses take place. It's going to be impossible to send reinforcements to the sector, as they only come in sparse...







In the center area, towards the village (objective n°3), the White troops are preparing for the assault... The artillery barrage is formidable and the morale of the defenders begins to go lower.











Fortunately, some of the shells fall outside the village...











In the east sector, the White army launched a second assault ... The latter was also repulsed, but with difficulty. Losses are piling up. The situation of our troops in this sector is not brilliant ... Morale is low as men are exhausted.

I have no reinforcements to send there, as an assault is preparing towards the crossroads (objective n°2).











An enemy force supported by armoured vehicles rushes to the crossroads. I have no choice but to withdraw the cavalrymen who were in support of the besieged troops in the forest to charge them.

The horsemen charge from the hill on the side of the attackers; on the other side, troops positioned between the crossroads and the village (objectives n°2 and n°3) come to support in an attempt to break the advance of the Whites.







The fighting was tough and the White regiments involved were forced to retreat under the violence of the counterattack. The crossroads is temporarily saved. Hourre!







Simultaneously, the village (objective n°3) is under an attack of a White force which will be repulsed by our troops.







Situation at mid-game is as follows: the white intensifies the pressure, but with the exception of the hill (objective n°4) to the west side, the forest, the crossroads and the village are still in our hands!







In the forest sector, our air force finally comes to relieve the defenders in the forest. Attacking aircrafts on Whites seem quite effective, but it finally appears that little damage will be inflicted.

Hell!







Enemy forces are reorganizing in order to launch another assault towards the crossroads. Our reinforcements still slowly enter the battlefield... We need some more troops!







Another assault is launched against the village...











In the west area, General Piotr Camulogenovitch moved his armoured cars forward in an attempt to initiate a flank maneuver. Our armoured cars are immediately dispatched to try to counter intruders.







In the center area, the Whites are once again heading towards the crossroads...







...While in the west, the armoured cars will meet to fight...







Meanwhile, the defenders in the village are shaken up by a new assault... There are losses, but the objective does not fall into the hands of the Whites... I consider the defenders as heroes of the Revolution, as the battle was really fierce!











In the east side, our troops still hold the forest. Many heroic actions have taken place in the past few hours...







Whites still can't get in the forest due to our heroic resistance...







Situation :







From now, the entire White front launched assaults simultaneously.

This is the case in the village.







I'm trying to call our artillery in order to launch a barrage on the attackers. Unfortunately, communications are cut. I do not succeed in calling them (not even one "6" out of 17 dice !!). 😊







A regiment of regular troops has just arrived as reinforcements! Hourre! I immediately send them toward the crossroads, where very few defenders occupy the premises. And considering the assault that is preparing in front, we really need them in this sector!











The fighting at the crossroads and in the village is fierce and the situation indecisive... I can not see anything because of this smoke screen in the village...







A new assault on the forest in the east side has shaken up the defenders. Our troops give up and abandon the objective after heavy fightings.

Hell! We lost objective n°1!







The Whites take the opportunity to launch a flank maneuver: troops are on the way to over flank the defenders who have just abandoned the forest... We will soon have to head towards the crossroads to gather with the troops there.







Hell! The crossroads has just fallen into the hands of the Whites. Our troops were forced to retreat.







Finally, in the village, the last White assault overruns our regiments: the latter are driven out, with heavy losses. Our regiment of regular troops who fought with the sailors has just paid a very heavy cost...







The enemy doesn't waste his time... He immediately occupies the newly captured objective.







At the end of this series of assaults, our situation is very complicated: we have lost all of our objectives. But the Whites are also exhausted from the fighting. We may still have a card to play...







I made up my mind and order the sailors to attack again in an attempt to re-capture the village...

I know men are exhausted, weaken and shocked. But we have no other solution except attack again and again...







Simultaneously, at the crossroads, our men who were retreating have just reorganized... They are now heading towards the enemy...







And against all odds, the assault lead by sailors and regular troops succeeded in pushing back the Whites from the village! Hourre! The positions are immediately reoccupied by our men. We have just re-captured objective n°3!







Several victorious assaults were launched against the Whites who occupied the crossroads. The latter suffer appalling losses, being surrounded... The defenders of the forest, back to the crossroads, came to support the attackers...











But we have a problem coming... A part of the White regiments which now occupy the forest have just left it to try to help the defenders who still hold the crossroads.







Imperialist forces now attack the red Sotnia and the regiment of regular troops; the shock is severe and our troops are forced to retreat, opening agap in the eastern flank of the crossroads...











But elite troops regroup, join the newly arrived reinforcements and launch an attack on the crossroads to crush the last weakened White defences.







At the same time, the Whites have recovered themselves near the village (objective n°3) ... They successfully counterattack, forcing our men to retreat. But this time, unfortunately, our losses will prevent us from re-capturing this objective...







Meanwhile, our regiments have just recaptured the crossroads after destroying the weak troops still present! Hourre! The Party will be proud of us!







From now, the situation will no longer evolve... The game comes to an end.

We have retained only one objective out of the four: the crossroads. The White army occupies the others. The losses were appalling on both sides.








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After the fights, the score was extremely tight: 53 to 57, which turned to be an Ex Aequo.

The game was epic, with a lot of surprises on both sides... A big thriller until the end!

Can't wait for the next one !! 😊

[Colonel Kilgore]

Anatoli,

That is a fabulous set-up, battle and write-up - thank you so much for taking the trouble to write up and share.

Simon

[Smoking gun]

Anatoli,

Fantastic, I really enjoyed reading the battle report and looking at the fabulous figures and terrain.

Thank you,
Martin Buck

[Nick]

Wow, that was an epic post. Really enjoyed that and all the photos.
Thanks,
Nick