RCW campaign (The Mill n°4) - Debriefings

[lekw]

Amazing looking game!!! Can I ask what size bases you used for the Freikorps and whites? Thanks so much!!!

[Anatoli]

Hi... 

This is the debriefing of the third battle of our campaign (see The Mill n°4) played 2 weekes ago in our local club (Liffré, Brittany)... We had a great time playing it...

Enjoy !! 



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RCW campaign - Mission n°3 - Comrade General Anatoli Vassili Anatolovitch's debriefing.



November 1918, somewhere around Arkhangelsk sector...



Our narrow victory in Pskov sector reduced the pressure of the white armies on our forces. Above all, it gave us time to dispatch a large force of cavalry to prepare for an assault on the Arkhangelsk sector, northside of the country. Weather conditions are deteriorating rapidly as we go through autumn. We must strike quickly before winter comes; we must harass enemy troops!

No less than 4 cavalry regiments (including an elite one) under the command of Comrade Boudienny have just arrived in this sector. Sailors from Kronstadt, motivated after their victory in Pskov, will also be there.

I just arrived yesterday after a long trip in an armoured train. We had to bring revolution to a few villages full of kulaks during our trip...

A meeting with leaders of all regiments allowed me to see that morale is high: the troops are well supplied and ready to fight against the enemy.

The enemy... Several reports indicate foreign imperialist troops have entered Russia to try to sabotage the revolution! French, Canadian, British... These troops, in small numbers, are located in the Arkhangelsk sector. Since these soldiers refuse to rally to our cause, we will sweep them away.

As we gathered these informations, I look at a map; four objectives needed to be captured and hold:

- To the west, a forest borders the main road. We will have to capture this objective to prevent enemy warbands from using it as a base for raiding the surrounding area (objective n°1).
- In the center of the map, two objectives must be captured: the crossroad and the village located to the north-west. Capturing this crossroads will allow our troops to move faster and, above all, the delivery of supplies. The village will serve as a supply storage (objectives n°2 and 3).
- Finally, to the east, a hill dominates the area: if we capture it, we will be able to install artillery there (objective n°4).

Moving fast is our main asset... I ordered two cavalry regiments to turn the enemy positions from the east, in order to strike in their back after the onset of the offensive.

It's 6:05 AM... It is really cold now. The assault will be launched in 15 minutes. All our comrades know what they have to do...







I take a seat in my command car. Austin-Putilov A/C start their engines near our positions...







6:20 AM: the assault is launched along the front line... From my position, I can see troops rushing towards the positions held by the foreign imperialist regiments.







Part of our artillery has moved through swamps, and set its guns on the edge.







Imperialist regiments have taken position in the crossroads (objective n°3). They didn't seem to expect an assault in this area!







Canadian troops prepare to climb the hill (Objective n°4) to dig in. This suggests bitter fighting to get them out from there ...







By seeing our troops attacking, enemy regiments know they have no choice but to fight in order to save their life!







Residents of the village (objective n°2) warned us that French troops had just reached the first houses...







The offensive of our revolutionary forces, supported by artillery, is off to a good start. Our advance towards the crossroads does not meet any strong resistance.











An armoured vehicle is heard beyond the crossroads. The enemy understood the strategic importance of this position. Artillery is also moving to this area...







During this time, two cavalry units enter the forest (objective n°1) after a very fast movement, without encountering resistance... Their objective is to hold the sector and wait for infantry units to reinforce them.







Objective n°1 is now under control, less than hour after the start of the offensive and our forces are ready to launch assaults on objectives n°3 and 4.







The first assault is launched toward the crossroads.











In the west side of the sector, two enemy infantry regiments are moving at full speed in an attempt to dislodge our troops located in the forest.







A red scout aircraft flies over the combat zone in order to prepare an artillery barrage.







Suddenly, against all odds, the imperialist artillery opens fire on our central and eastern forces as they rush toward the crossroads and the hill.







Our soldiers are pinned due to this accurate and violent shelling...











Enemy vehicles take the opportunity to position themselves along the front line, ready to move where they will be called.







In the west sector, enemy troops come under deadly shootings. Their morale begins to drop.







Half an hour later, things haven't changed much. Our soldiers are temporarily stopped in the center and east areas.







After a few minutes, our forces resume the offensive.











In the west sector, the elite cavalry regiment pushes the French back, as they were ready to assault our horsemen in the forest. The latter are then forced to withdraw with heavy losses. The situation is looking good in this area...







It is our turn to unleash hell on the imperialist positions. An intense shelling takes place at the crossroads. Unfortunately, the enemy forces are well entrenched and the shells do little damage.











Suddenly, the two cavalry regiments which had bypassed the White positions appears behind enemy lines, moving fast toward them!







At the same time, our infantry assaults the Canadians positions on the hill; the latter are strongly entrenched at the top of it.







The Canadians soldiers stared at the Red Cavalry advance behind them, as they already come under a frontal assault at the same time... The situation seems hopeless for them. We will quickly throw them away them from the hill...







At the same time, our assault on the crossroads turns to be a failure: the imperialists troops resist better than I would have thought...







Fortunately, a support fire from our artillery come on time to balance the situation.







On the hill, despite a well-conducted assault, the situation is not clear. Our regiments seem to have taken the advantage, but the Canadians hang on with the force of desperation. We still cannot push them back...











Our horsemen, who have just moved into the enemy line, are nearly stopped by heavy shootings.







The enemy air force comes to bring even more confusion in our ranks; our soldiers are struggling to recover from the last assault.







The Canadians troops have a good view of the surrounding area... They hope that our cavalry will not surround them.







Except the western sector where the fighting is turning to our advantage, the offensive is slowing down because of the fierce resistance of the enemy regiments.







Enemy reinforcements have just arrived near the forest, ready to support their comrades who have been previously assaulted by our cavalry.











A tank stands in front of the horsemen and opens fire...







The enemy seems to recover along the sector. We have to make more efforts unless we fail... This is not an option!







The Allied Air Force attacks our artillery, causing more fear than damage...







Another assault fails in front of Canadian troops... Their losses are terrifying! However, the situation is dramatically tense for us...







Explosions can be seen near the forest to the west: the enemy calls for its artillery in an attempt to destroy our elite cavalry regiment...











At the same time, a daring counterattack by the imperialists in the center fails to push back our regiments.







Behind the hill, what seemed improbable just an hour ago is now happening: our horsemen are routed after having suffered armour and artillery fire... This is a major part of my initial plan that collapses!







Same situation in the west sector: violent artillery fires and assaults led by the French push back two regiments of red cavalry from the forest... The area is free for the imperialists to settle there. We just lost target n°1! It is a disaster...











French regiments size the forest and our troops are unable to counterattack... It is an epic failure for the Revolution!







The situation has turned into a disaster: in the west sector, we lost objective n°1. In the center area, our regiments withdraw after having failed in their attacks. In the east sector, the Canadian survivors, heroes of the day, still manage to keep the hill.







It is a major defeat for the Revolution!

We must now withdraw in order to prepare another assault in another part of our country.

So far, after 3 battles, the Whites have captured 2 territories (Tsaritsyn and Arkhangelsk), and our forces, only one: Pskov in the west part of Russia.

I am afraid of Comrade Trotsky's reaction...



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Congrats to Pierre : it was a brilliant victory after 4 hours of an epic game...


Cheers,

Xavier

[John Watson]

It could be the gulag for you comrade. Great game Xavier.
John

[Colonel Kilgore]

Wow, what a battle. And a write-up of suitably epic proportions too! The ebb and flow of the fortunes of war were palpable. I would probably try to avoid Comrade Trotsky for a little while...

Congratulations to both Xavier and Pierre for putting on such a show (lovely figures and terrain as usual) and thank you for sharing it with us here.

Simon

[Mike6t3]

Fantastic looking game and report. Thank you ☺

Mike

[Stewart 46A]

Fantastic looking figures, well done.
Looks like a great game


Stewart

[Westie]

I second all of the above. 

[Smoking gun]

Simply fantastic. Thank you.

Best wishes,
Martin Buck

[Leslie BT]

Great game and report Xavier and Pierre.

Ralph and myself had a great WW1 game at this club with these guys and we were well looked after and had an enjoyable afternoons gaming.

[martin goddard]

Thank you very much for showing this.
Very very good.
C'est tres bon (see what I did there).



martin

[Anatoli]

Thank you very much for your really kind comments... 

We play this campaign in a 500 points format. But for the last battle (Moscow), we should play it in a 900 points format.
Oops... That reminds me I still have 2 regiments to paint in order to reach 900 points... 

@Leslie & Ralph : we hope to see you soon at the club for another great afternoon around a game ! 

Have a good weekend, everyone...

Cheers

Xavier

[Grey Heron]

Excellent looking game and report. Thanks for sharing.

Helen

[Leslie BT]

Xavier we will be coming again, but at present not doing too much to help protect our elderly neighbours who we see and help most days.
And my daughter who works with elderly mental disabled and needs to be very careful as her partner runs a bar. If he gets shut down they need her money.

Have been talking to Fabrice about some scenery he is making.

[Anatoli]

Hi everyone... 

Here is the debriefing of the 4th mission of the campaign... We had a great fun in playing it, as it was full of surprises !!




RCW campaign - Mission n°4 - Comrade General Anatoli Vassili Anatolovitch's debriefing.



March 1919, somewhere in Ukraine...



Comrades! Today is a great day ! Ukraine is free, now! Makhno and his tsarist's bandits fled from this part of Russia! The revolution spreads in the country, and nothing could stop it!

The battle was fierce! Our HQ was captured by the ennemy; some red regiments have been wiped out due to the enemy cavalry.

Some red soldiers were heroes today... An objective (n°4 on the photo) has been captured with the remains of a regiment, led by a brillant man. We will never forget our comrades who fell during this attack. the red soldiers who held the objective n°2 never retreated!

Let's have some rest, today, and we will prepare our next combats tomorrow!

Hourre !


I have to go to debrief with comrade Trosky. All the documents has been lost when my HQ was catured... The following photos are the only ones we could save from this battle. On one photo, we can see Makhno talking with White officers... This is a proof of his betrayal!


The 4 objectives are indicated on the map. At the begining of the fight, only one was held by our troops.






















































































































































































































































This battle was fierce... Makhno's cavalry, really mobile, led some violent attacks, sometimes on our flanks... these cavalry charges were very effective!

The following map shows what the strategic situation is, in mid-campaign ... This is what we call a draw, for the moment ...
The next battles will be decisive... 








On the left picture, the situation at the start of the campaign. On the right one, after this battle in Ukraine ...

Besides Moscow, there are now 6 territories controlled by each of the two camps ...

[Leslie BT]

Xavier.

Lovely pictures of an excellent game. All beautifully done, figures, terrain and report.