Diehard: Glorious field of grief!

 

This week at the Wollongong Wargamers, Daniel, centre, organised a game set at the pivotal moment of the Battle of Albuera 1811. Daniel would command the Allied army, whilst Peter, left, and David led the French.

Even using Valour & Fortitude rules, the entire battle could not be played out in an evening. Daniel's scenario was just focussed on the scramble between the two armies for the undulating ground as the British finally woke up to the French deep outflanking movement to their south. 

Not your typical 'Brits lining a peninsula ridge and seeing off all comers' scenario - this would be a fluid and bitty engagement as the British and Portuguese arrived brigade by brigade. But the fighting would be suitably bloody to commemorate the bloodiest battle of the Peninsula campaign!

However, the French did come on in the same old way...

Although brigade activation difficulties did mean they advanced in two distinct pulses...

The first couple of British brigades on scene were soon overwhelmed!

A brigade of Light Dragoons arrived only to find themselves the principal reserve!

But they were soon committed in a desperate attempt to create some deployment space:

Initially they did well...

But the 'Headstrong' trait led them too far into disaster!

Fortunately by this point more reinforcements had arrived - an infantry brigade:

Daniel and I dared to relax for the moment!

But the French cavalry wanted to capitalise on success:

Wiping out an oncoming Portuguese brigade before it had even time to get into position...

Even Voltigeur detachments were feeling the fury and taking on entire battalions!

The game ended as a shattering French victory - not only did they possess both ridges, but they had inflicted five defeat points on us to their one!

Nevertheless, an engrossing and enjoyable game. The outcome probably better matched Marshal Beresford's original draft despatch than Wellington's more positive spin!

The Battle of 73 Easting revisited

 

I was greatly relieved and thanked God when the platoon leaders and the first sergeant reported that they had taken no casualties. The Troop had assaulted through four kilometers of heavily defended ground. In twenty-three minutes, Eagle Troop had reduced the enemy position to a spectacular array of burning vehicles.

Captain H.R McMaster OC Eagle Troop 2nd Armored Cavalry

The Battle of 73 Easting scenario is a refight of the battle that occurred when Captain H. R. McMaster and Eagle Troop, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment encountered and destroyed a dug in force of more than 50 tanks and armored personal carriers. This force had been positioned by competent officers, behind reverse slopes, in revetments and behind mine fields. Can the Americans emulate H. R. McMaster’s stunning victory? Can the Iraqi commander improve on the disastrous showing of the historical Tawakalna Division?

The Battle of 73 Easting is a perennial favourite with the Wollongong Wargamers ever since Ed debuted it as our show spectacular at the local Illawarra Plastic Modellers show where we showcase our best games.

For last night's game Daniel (above left) was commanding the Iraqi Republican Guard Tawakalna Division, whilst Ed, (above right) was leading Eagle troop and had to seize the objective in the bottom left of the photo above within 8 moves. Given the respective AFV values, this might seem like an asymmetrical task but the outcome has varied every time we play it!

On this occasion Daniel chose to seal off the northern line of approach by concentrating his minefields there. Below, the initial set up, with the bulk of Iraqi T-72s facing south and presenting their side armour to the US Cavalry:

The objective was a long eight feet away from the US start line!

The opening US volley was not as devastating as Ed had hoped:

And it soon became apparent that Daniel's BMP-1s were not going to sit this one out - they were Bradley hunting!

Ed closed in to continue getting side shots as the Iraqis reorientated:

But Daniel was getting frustrated as half his formation still had no idea a battle was raging the other side of the berm - or didn't want to know!

Those pesky BMP-1s were getting really annoying as they took out all the Bradleys!

With no time to lose, Ed pressed on towards the objective, where by now the penny had finally dropped!

Daniel's T-72s were scoring hit after hit on the Abrams, and Ed's saving armour rolls were consistently showing ones! The surviving pair closed onto the objective... 

But it wasn't just the cavalry that could maneuver! Side shots wiped out the last of the M1A1s for an Iraqi victory - this time!