Russo - Japanese War AAR #3 Forcing the River.

Another outing for the RJW Project
This time a river crossing inspired by a scenario on Bart Zynda's excellent blog, you can see more here. http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/battle-of-ford-on-river-x-bitwa-o-brod.html

The Purpose of the Scenario

The Russians maintain a defensive line on the river Yalu, the Japanese seeking to turn the Russian flank scout tributaries of the Yalu, the Japanese must breach the river and create a bridgehead to continue the advance.

The river has 3 crossing points each of which present a viable option to continue the advance The river crossings each have a small village of 2-4 huts with hilly ground to the North of the river.

Japanese Forces.
4 Japanese Infantry Companies of 10 men each.
1 Chinese Auxiliaries Company of 10 men
Supporting HMG and Artillery

Russian Forces.
5 Russian Infantry Companies of 10 men each.
1 Ships Company & 1 Verteran Company of 10 men each.
1Cossack Cavalry Squadron
Supporting HMG.

Success Criteria

The Russian's succeed if they hold the their ground by nightfall preventing the Japanese from advancing North and establishing a bridgehead, the Japanese must force the Russians to abandon their positions and inflict as must damage as possible on them.

Russian Briefing

Major Lipov was unhappy yet more orders to fall back, your Cossack cavalry have provided a useful screen from the advancing Japanese allowing you to cross the Yalu tributary. Orders from HQ have finally come through to allowing you to halt and face the Japanese.

The March rains have made the ground a quagmire and a heavy storm in the night has meant contact has been lost with the Japanese Advance guard, they could be looking to cross the tributary at any one of three possible crossings.

A bridge at Village of Howhi and fords at Howmidel & Howlow.

Japanese Briefing

Lt Yosi Omura of the 17th Infantry March through Korea continues with the Russians steadily withdrawing before him, Osmura has orders to swing right to turn the Russian flank pinning them against a tributary of the River Yalu.

The March rains have made the ground a quagmire and a heavy storm in the night has meant contact has been lost with the Russian rearguard, they could have crossed the tributary at any one of three possible crossings.

A bridge at Village of Howhi and fords at Howmidel & Howlow.

AAR

As umpire I asked the players to distribute their forces across the 3 crossings, unknown to the Japanese player, they would be fighting over the crossing where they had placed the Artillery.

Reinforcements would flow through from the other crossings after 6 + 1D6 turns fro the middle crossing and 6 + 2D6 turns from the higher crossing.

Both sides rushed forward split across three blinds, 2 of which could be dummy's, the Russian's using their Vodka card make the most ground to seize the outskirts of the village.

By Turn 3 the Japanese had crossed the river and had split their forces between the right and left flank, unfortunately both the Russians and Japanese had the same idea, seize the maize field with it's stone walls. They crashed into one another on blinds the Russian's had combined two sections and were able to defeat the aggressive Japanese throwing them back over the stone wall, but they suffered significant casualties in the process.

  

Russian Cossacks appeared on the battlefield appearing from a blind and threatening the Japanese who were engaged in a fire fight with the Russian defenders in the maize field.

Additional Japanese Infantry had crossed the bridge, but were caught in the flank by the charging cossacks, forcing them to head left away from the bridge crossing.

As Japanese and Chinese forces forced the bridge they were greeted by withering fire from the increasing Russian defenders who had begun to line the stone wall of the maize field.

As the night drew to a close the Japanese were under serious pressure with shock and ammo markers a plenty and Veteran Russians and sailors closing in on both flanks.

The first Russian victory of the campaign. 

28mm Resin Trenches - Reviews

"You are so difficult to buy for" - Am I the only gamer who gets this thrown at them at Christmas.

This year thought I would make it easy - Trenches.

As the RJW project gathers pace, I thought I would look around for some suitable trench systems, I have opted for resin as my cloth is Faux Fur so I need the weight to keep them in place and bedded down.

Scouring the web has revealed the following candidates .

I would welcome peoples thoughts on suitability.

http://armorcast.com/

To many smaller segments likely to break apart during game play?
Are the deep enough?

http://www.ziterdes.de/ziterdes/de/

Is their enough variety in the range?
The mini trench is very nice.

http://ironcladminiatures.co.uk/

These seem popular amongst gamers, longest section is 150mm which would provide a reasonable length without being broken up by several pieces being put together.

http://www.wargameterrain.co.uk/index.php

A good selection of sections blending into weapon pits and command bunkers, these could be very useful for Port Arthur and more established defences.
Would they sit too high on the table?


IT miniatures range
 

I couldn't find to much on the web about their Trench system, but they do have a number of command sections and bunkers to compliment the Trench lines.

http://www.diewaffenkammer.com/accessory_sets_terrain_and_decals.html

These look nice, they have a early war feel as opposed to the more established lines in 1916 onwards.
But I am not aware of a UK stockist.

So plenty of choice I need to work out what I am most likely to need in regular game play and the comparable costs, with a mix of unpainted and painted I really am spoilt for choice.

I would welcome other peoples views before I take the plunge.

Old Glory Nizam-i-Ceditso Infantry.

With the Egyptian Campaign gathering pace and the games slowly becoming larger and larger, I thought it was high time I finished the Nizam-i-Ceditso or New Army that had been sitting in the draw since the disaster with the Artillery.

Surprisingly the paint went on rather well and I managed to rattle through them in a few evenings, was I just lacking motivation before?

24 smartly dressed infantry, using the Sharp Practice Rules from the Too Fat Lardies, I have based them in 6 figure groups, with poor morale and poor shots, lets hope the mass ranks is enough to put off my French opponent and Ensign Claude Canard and his Friend and mentor Ensign Côtelettes de Mouton of the French Sloop "Le Vendeen", because if he ever gets into a prolonged fire fight he will see how weak they are.... :-)

 The New Army under inspection.

All Quiet on the Martian Front - British Home Service reinforcements.

These must have been sitting in a draw for over 6 years, with December fast approaching  and the launch of "All Quiet on the Martian Front" from Alien Dungeon. I thought I would bolster the human forces.

 

The additional Gatling guns, Infantry and Cavalry should give me a few more options of throwing back the Martian invaders.

Figures from Peter Pig and Old Glory 15's.

Brigade Games - Cossack Cavalry.

More reinforcements for the Imperial Russian Army. This time Cossack Cavalry from Brigade Games and their WW1 range. The photo on the website really does not do them justice.
 

I have had my eye on these for quite a while, I know cavalry will have their limitation on the Battlefield, but wanted to give the Russians some extra punch rather than just sitting in the trench lines awaiting the Japanese assault.

They are painted up represent the Tersko - Kubansk Regiment of the Kuban Cossacks which features in the Osprey Men-at-arms series on the Russo-Japanese War.
Over 207 Squadrons of cavalry were deployed in Manchuria the bulk of which was Cossack Cavalry, they were said to have performed disappointingly, poorly led, poorly trained and of poor discipline, regarded by the regular imperial army as no better than militia.

Although I propose to make them a little better in gaming terms to give the Russians some incentive to engage with the Japanese, perhaps the ability to charge with elan as prior to the war they were expected to be suited to the open plains and regarded as some of the finest cavalry in the world.


They are still lacking a standard, which I will pick up from Redoubt at Warfare in a few weeks.
 

The colours used were as follows.
Type 1 Tunic - Vallejo 167 German Grey.

Shoulder Boards - GW Red Gore.
Saddle Cloth - GW Death World Forest/Foundry - Storm Green Shade 27A.
Rifle Strap - GW Astronomican Grey
Boots - Black

Rifle - Tan Shade 14A, Vallejo Gun Metal Blue.
Sabre - GW Black, Fittings - Gold.
Rifle Strap - GW Rhinox Hide.
Webbing - Foundry Tan Shade 14A./Black
Saddle - Foundry Tan Shade 14A
Stirrup - Vallejo Gun Metal Blue.
Cartridge Store - GW Mithril Silver

Flesh - GW Elf Flesh
Wash - GW Agrax Earthshade.
Basing - GW Rhinox Hide, Dry Brush Vallejo Desert Yellow, Iraqi Sand.

 

Marcus over at Tsuba Miniatures has a planned release of Japanese Cavalry in the new year, so that should give me 3 months to complete some additional Russian mounted troops before the Japanese forces are bolstered.

Scenarios for all ages by CS Grant and SA Asquith

What a find...
Most of Saturday was spent clearing out the loft and various trips to the local charity shop and what should I find tucked away at the back of the bookshelf....

I forgot I even brought this.
What a hidden gem.

The book contains 52 scenarios. Each scenario includes a map and order of battle and can be played in almost any period with almost any set of rules.

One a week - Now that really would be a challenge.