The Battle of Guise 29 Aug 1914
Taken from “Home Before the Leaves Fall” by Ian Senior, pages 139-146
The Actual Battle
This is an interesting battle. In modern cold war doctrinal terms, the French were conducting (even if they didn’t know it or have the intelligence to support it) a counterstroke operation; in other words a counter attack against a moving enemy to destroy the enemy. The British heavy cavalry attack against the flank of D’Erlon’s Corps at Waterloo is also a counterstroke.
Battlefield Design
I thought I would say a few words about the terrain for the
battle. I located a BEF 1:100,000 map for the period. This nicely showed the
terrain features. I downloaded a segment of the map and printed it and coloured
in with highlighter the important contours. This enables one to get a much
better picture of the terrain, and especially here the 120m contour line shows
the overall flatness of the terrain, but cut with valleys going south and east
and north and west.
I then overlaid over this map my available hills to scale to
approximate to the ground.
I then added extra layers between the hills to flatten out and join the hills into one main plateau.
I then covered it with my olive cloth, and laid out the
villages, first, followed by the main roads in grey and the secondary roads
in brown.
The Game
The Rules
I used the Age of Eagles 1914 module for the game with my
own adaptations. Further adaptations for this game were:
Reducing Infantry Long Range Fire
I reduced the firepower of infantry between 4 and 12 inches
(remembering that 12 inches is over 2000m). I do not believe there is any
justification for significant long-range fire effect from infantry. The most
that could be achieved from such fire would have been harassing area fire I
reduced the Germans to a factor of 1, and the French to 0 (but this increases
to a 1 because they had integrated machine guns). If the British had been deployed,
then they would be on the same factor as the Germans at this range. Given the
weight of shells it therefore would not be unreasonable for these batteries to
have a good fire effect against French 75mm batterys.
Heavy Howitzers on table
As with my adaptation for indirect fire I gave each battery
a factor of six as they were 155mm howitzers. I also gave them a minimum fire
range of 15 inches.
Initial Setup
This was a significant decision. Where would I deploy the
French which surprised the Germans. I decided to place them 12 inches away from
MESNIL ST LAURENT deployed for battle. The German were deployed partially in
open order to represent picquets, and the entire formation disordered because
of the traffic congestion in the village. I decided to leave it to fate, and
the initiative dice, to see who would move first – The French got lucky and were
the first player!
Doctrinally I decided to employ the French very much as they
were used in the early battles of 1914. With bayonet charges against German
positions.
0800hrs Game Turn 1(FR first player)
The 35e IR make a timid advance in line of battalions
towards MESNIL ST LAURENT. FR Arty fire disrupts BG Winterfeldt causing 2
casualties. GE arty deploys in support of BG Winterfeldt to the W of MESNIL ST
LAURENT, with the Heavy How Btys in defilade. BG Hochwachter deploys into open
order to defend IRANCOURT and provide flank support to BG Winterfeldt.
0830hrs Game Turn 2 (GE first player)
GE Hvy How silences a 75mm battery, and a further battery is silenced by accurate rifle fire from IRANCOURT. BG Winterfeldt open fire on 35e IR causing a casualty and disordering them, and they are forced to retire. Meanwhile in response 49e IR and 12e IR charge en bayonet in column against MESNIL ST LAURENT in a coup de main attack. 49e IR suffers 3 casualties and flinches and retires from the flanking fire from IRANCOURT. Meanwhile 12e IR on their right flank only take a single casualty and close to contact. In the assault they are beaten back by the Germans, and retire to lick their wounds. The FR arty silence BG Winterfeldt’s MG co.
0900hrs Game Turn 3 (GE first player)
49e IR successfully deploy into open order, despite their
losses, to protect the div’s left flank. 12e IR continue to retire. Div Comd
brings his reserve, 18e IR, forward to continue the attack. 35e IR successfully
regroup but are not committed. FR arty fire falls on MESNIL ST LAURENT causing
a cas on BG Winterfeldt. GE fire continues to slow and disorder the FR advance.
A FR 75mm Group (Bn) suffers damage and has been silenced.
0930hrs Game Turn 4 (GE first player)
The GE arty has achieved fire dominance and silenced more FR
75mm btys; helped by ammo supplies reaching the Hvy How batterys. MESNIL ST
LAURENT suffers more artillery and FR rifle fire with BG Winterfeldt suffering
a further 2 cas. 18e IR advance in line and are responsible for some of the
casualties in MESNIL ST LAURENT. 49e IR take further losses but hold their
ground. 69th Res Div fails to arrive and is now late.
1000hrs Game Turn 5 (GE first player)
69th Res Div arrives and starts to advance on URVILLIERS.
BG Winterfeldt abandon MESNIL ST LAURENT, but the 36th Div are
oblivious despite the apparent slackening of rifle fire and do not follow up. While
they halt and wait orders the 18e IR take punishing fire from the Hvy How and
flanking fire from IRANCOURT and lose 2 cas.
1030hrs Game Turn 6 (GE first player)
18e IR retire to regroup, but 12e IR seize the mettle and
charge through heavy fire to seize MESNIL ST LAURENT suffering a cas. 69th
Res Div advance continues despite traffic jams. BG Winterfeldt retires further
from MESNIL ST LAURENT.
1100hrs Game Turn 7 (GE first player)
69th Res Div’s 138e Bde has a breakdown in command
and control and fails to continue its advance, with the 287e RIR retiring. In MESNIL
ST LAURENT 36th Div’s 12e IR receive punishing fire losing 2 cas and
retire from the village. 35e IR also retire. BG Winterfeldt continues its
retirement. Hvy How are redeployed to support BG Hochwachter in IRANCOURT from
the NE of NEUVILLE ST AMAND. BG Winterfeldt’s arty is silenced and damaged.
1130hrs Game Turn 8 (FR first player)
15 Foot Arty Bn arrives with four 155mm btys and deploys to
the NE of NEUVILLE ST AMAND alongside the other 2 How Btys. They open fire on
the arty of 69th Res Div which has deployed to support their attack.
BG Winterfeldt regroups. 36th Div stabilises its position and its
regiments regroup. BG Hochwachter receives fire in IRANCOURT and loses a cas.
138e Bde again has command and control problems again with a regiment
withdrawing. 137e Bde continues its advance to the right of 138e
Bde.
1200hrs Game Turn 9 (GE first player)
Hvy How fire punishes 69th Res Div arty, damaging
two batteries and silencing another. Fire diminishes against IRANCOURT. 69th
Res Div’s lead regiments recoil from their attack and fall back. 287e RIR
disengages and withdraws from the battle. The 36th Div’s 12e IR are
destroyed by fire., with the 49e IR taking a further cas. BG Winterfeldt moves
forward to reoccupy MESNIL ST LAURENT.
1230hrs Game Turn 10 (GE first player)
All French forces start falling back. No forward movement
from the FR. BG Hochwachter retires from IRANCOURT due to arty fire. BG
Winterfeldt reoccupies MESNIL ST LAURENT.
Outcome and Analysis
It is firstly very interesting that the overall outcome was
as with the actual battle. Albeit that the Germans lacked the strength to counterattack
in any great strength.
The rules once again played well. I think the Age of Eagles
use of cohesion levels is very effective at constraining correctly the operations
of both sides to the end of the game. This is done through the cumulative
effect of losses that gives a negative factor to manoeuvre command dice rolls.
I also think this was balanced by the reduction in infantry
firepower I applied at ranges beyond 4 inches. This meant that the longer-range
fire combat was solely down to the impact of artillery fire, which again is
entirely reasonable and correct.
I have to confess that I rather like these rules and they
are starting to give me the flavour of 1914 combat.
French 75mm Group
German 155mm Bty
