Christmas Hols and time for another 'If the Lord Spares Us' (Too Fat Lardies) get together, paying another visit to Great War Palestine to re-fight Umbrella Hill at the Third Battle of Gaza on 1st November 1917.
General Allenby is conducting his offensive to open the gate to Southern Palestine. British XXI Corps has been bombarding the Gaza defences for five days. XX Corps and the Desert Mounted Corps has captured Beersheba the day before and in order to pin Turkish XXII Corps to their Gaza defences, XXI Corps will now make a night assault on the town. As a preliminary operation, elements of 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade will capture and hold the redoubt on Umbrella Hill, southwest of Gaza, which flanks the main axis of attack.
British frontline reconnaissance from the southwest shows the objective (Photos 1&2) to be well wired. However, the wire to its immediate front has been damaged by the bombardment and is assessed as crossable.
To be continued.
Aerial reconnaissance shows Umbrella Hill from the west (Photo 3) and southeast (Photo 4) indicating the communication trenches to the rear of the hill, the extent of the sand dunes to the west, Fisher's Orchard to the south and the Cairo Road and the start of the cactus hedges running along the hill's lower eastern slope.
To be continued.
Wow, great looking table.
:-bd =D> :-bd =D>
Looking forward to seeing how this goes
We've done first Gazza need to find time to do both 2nd and 3rd
looks like a tough assignment for the laddies from 156th Brigade....
Nice looking table Martin...can you tell me what you made the barbed wire out of? it looks very realistic. Need some beach wire defences for a Cape Helles game I would like to run one day next year.
Look forward to the game report.
And we will need some wire for 2nd and 3rd Gazza, it does look very effective
Great stuff !
Cheers - Phil
Paul, Pierre
Good morning (or good evening?)
The barbed wire sections are homemade; plastic card base, miliput timber posts and commercially available model wire. A 'little' time consuming assembling each section with having to cut wire between the posts individually and attach with super glue. All sprayed brown, wire painted metallic and rust, timbers highlighted brown, sand glued to base. Done. A bit over scale and not as big in area as the rules suggest, but I think it works.
I'd better finish writing the report.
Regards
Mart
That's a cracking looking table 8).
Looks fantastic, but I could not get my head round those rules at all.
Its evening/night over here now....
Thanks for the reply Mart, very useful.
Will any Sections of E Company, Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps be making an appearance in your scenario or are they all in the main attack? They would take care of the wire.....
My troops have stormed a few Turkish trenches in ITLSU games over the years and would love support from a Heavy Section to help them out occasionally ;)
Great idea but they remain allocated to the main attack. Tanks are currently further down the metal acquisition plan. I keep telling myself to just finish painting what I've got! ;D
156th Brigade comprised 1/7th Cameronians and an attached company from the 1/8th Cameronians, part of 156th Machine Gun Company under the Brigade MG Officer and part of 156th Trench Mortar Battery. Off-table artillery support came from A Bty, 262nd Brigade RFA with 6 x 18pdrs (All Jolly Good Fellows – SR0).
The defending Turks had the 2nd Bn, 138th Regiment (Pasha Bashers – SR3) with an MG company (Johnny Turks – SR2) and off-table support from a 4-gun 77mm battery from 5th Field Artillery (Pasha Bashers – SR3).
(Photo 5) Major Karparc Bey (Young Turk) the CO of the 138th, sensed an attack was imminent for he had seen that the British had cut two gaps in their wire. He deployed his force under Blinds. 2nd Battalion HQ and its 3rd Company with attached MG held the redoubt on Ahmettepe itself. To avoid further shell fire and in anticipation for the need for counter-attack, the 1st Company with attached MG were held back in reserve nearest the road and the 2nd Company was further back near Karparc Bey's HQ. A small patrol (Dummy Blind) was positioned in the orchard to give early warning of an enemy advance through this covered approach. All units were on Hold orders.
Brigadier General Leggett (Harrow) also had his Brigade HQ well forward in order to interpret and exert more control over the night's action in the dark. Being informed he had a battery of field guns at his disposal for 20 minutes (4 turns of fire) he opted for a timed fireplan of 'barrage' fire. For 3 turns the guns (12x4" zone) would hammer the forward trench on the hill, hopefully destroying the wire also, and then lift to hit the communication trenches to the rear to disrupt any enemy reinforcement during the infantry assault. The trench mortars were also to target the wire in front of the hill once the bombardment had started, and the machine guns had orders to wait an be prepared to engage any Turks seen on the hill. Now, the Brigade MG Officer could only see the dim outline of the hill in the dark, but he knew the infantry had been told to go in with the bayonet. Any muzzle flashes, particularly MG fire, would be Johnny Turk.
Leggett had ordered two gaps to be cut in the British wire. He believed the approach through Fisher's Orchard to be too obvious and would be expected. None the less, he ordered the 1/8th company on a diversionary attack through the right-hand gap and into the orchard, heading for a known gap in the Turkish wire. The main assault, despite the difficulty of traversing the deep 'loose sand' of the dunes, would go through the left-hand gap. The 1/7th Cameronians were ordered to advance out into No Man's Land and form up ready to move to their right and storm the hill through what was left of the wire. H Hour was fast approaching and it was now down to the arty to do their bit.
As this was a night action the lights were off and I bounced the light of an angle-poise off the wall. It was actually darker than the photos suggest. The net result with the flash off was atmosphere, but poorer quality photos. Hope you can see in the dark.
The laddies of the 1/8th sensed they had drawn the short straw. They felt they were being used as a forlorn hope with the trepidation of advancing uphill through the orchard and undergrowth in the dark, where any number of Johnny Turks were bound to be hiding (Photo 6).
To be continued.
Ohh good luck
(Photo 7) H Hour and the British artillery opened up on time. Through his trench periscope Leggett could see the forward observers had done a perfect job registering the guns. Their fire was bang on the redoubt and also hitting the wire. "Bloody marvellous!" 3rd Company was taking suppression, but the MG crew was unscathed.
My house rule is that off-table barrage fire can inflict damage to troops under Blinds.
Despite his satisfaction with the arty, Leggett began to feel some frustration. There was no movement from his infantry and the trench mortars were not firing as yet. He was anxious that the Cameronians didn't lose the benefit of this covering fire. "Come on, come on!"
(Photo8) On its second turn the barrage slipped slightly northwards but was still inflicting heavy suppression to all the redoubt's defenders and causing damage to the wire, but not where it was most required. At last, the trench mortars got going and concentrating their fire, blew a hole in the wire on the front of the hill. Leggett was relieved to hear that his infantry to both his left and right had moved out of the trenches. His plan of attack might yet work.
The third turn of barrage fire slipped even further north, missing any defenders. The lift of fire onto the communication trenches proved ineffective against Turkish troops, but unknown to the British, had another decisive effect. A shell hit Karparc Bey's HQ dugout. A roof beam collapsed, hitting him on the head. Karparc Bey was knocked out cold!
To be continued.
Wonderful looking tabletop, Martin! :-bd
(Photo 9) The company commander of the 1/8th had led his men in extended line up through Fisher's Orchard. Nearing its far end, men started whispering that they could see shadowy figures up ahead. How many were there? He took a good look but couldn't see a damned thing. He had orders to attack and staying in the orchard all night spotting, wasn't the done thing. "Company will charge and clear the orchard! Company.... charge!" There were Turks alright, but not many, a small standing patrol perhaps, who scarpered.
Hearing shouts from the orchard, Leggett ordered his MGs to engage any Turks seen. Having ordered the 1/7th to commence their attack, he was aware that they would be well out in No Man's Land by now. He instructed the trench mortars to shift fire on to the hilltop.
(Photo10) Neither MGs or mortars had chance to fire. For those remaining within the British trenches suddenly saw the dim sun-helmeted silhouettes of men ascending the hilltop after their strenuous rush across the dunes. The Turkish 3rd Company had received so much excessive suppression from the bombardment that they only needed an opportunity to think and run. They didn't get the chance. The leading Cameronians were upon them and the shouts and screams of a brief bayonet fight carried across the night air.
To be continued.
Oh heck, someone's ears are going to be ringing!
(Photo 11) Despite their known Turkish tenacity for defending trenches, the 3rd Company was in no fit state to resist. Those that survived, broke and ran down the back of the hill. Battalion HQ and the MG withdrew down the communication trench, prepared to fight. They appeared to be on their own, for the remainder of the battalion was doing nothing. The Cameronians had broken into the redoubt for no loss.
(Photo 12) The 1/8th company had observed their sister battalion's attack. Elated at their own orchard survival, they wanted a share of the honours. They decided to carry the fight past their rivals in the 1/7th ..........
To be continued.
This appears to be a middle order collapse, will the Turkish tail end fight back?
More like the both openers getting golden ducks :o :o
It looks like it is going to be a very bad night for the Ottomans
Cracking layout and write up.
(Photo 13) ......... and charged down the right-hand side of the redoubt to attack the MG. The close combat was a draw, the Scots winning by default, killing the crew, but for equal loss. The Turkish battalion officers survived and re-joined the 3rd Company at the rear.
(Photo 14) Hearing a chorus of distinctive Scottish cheering and quite a few shouted anti-Turk obscenities, Leggett correctly deduced that Umbrella Hill had fallen. Mindful of the need to consolidate and organise at defence, he ordered the Bde MG Officer to take his fellows up on to the hill.
To be continued.
Looks like it's going a little too well
(Photo 15) Although the Turks remained surprisingly quiet, the CO of the 1/7th expected a counter-attack and having taken his objective, automatically went on to Hold orders. He organised an all-round defence in the redoubt, incorporating the 1/8th company and holding a company in reserve on the British side of the hill.
(Photo 16) Leggett was smugly pleased with the turn of events. The attack had gone better than anyone could have expected! He had no intention of losing his grip on Umbrella Hill now. Confidently, he ordered the trench mortars forward.
To be continued.
Dumdumdum!
8)
Cheers - Phil
:-SS :-SS :-SS
A really fantastic looking set up!
(Photo 17) Karparc Bey awoke slowly through the fog of pain in his head.
Finally! The Turkish Blinds card!
Becoming aware of the presence of his senior staff officer, he asked "What happened?"
"You were hit on the head Sir....... and I'm sorry to report that the enemy have taken Ahmettepe."
"What! Where's 3rd Company?"
"They ran from the redoubt Sir. The battalion CO is trying to rally them now."
"And 1st and 2nd? You've ordered a counter-attack, haven't you?"
"Still holding their positions Sir."
Karparc Bey struggled to control his anger. "You've called for artillery then?"
"The line's dead. Must have been cut by shell fire. I've sent linesmen out. But the telephone isn't working yet."
"And these enemy..... are they English troops?"
"I'm just not sure Sir. I know a little English and I've heard their shouting, but I can't understand them."
"No matter Lieutenant. I don't care if they're English, Australians, or those little bastards with the long knives, we've got to shift them! Right! Send runners back to the battery. I want at least 5 minutes of fire on that hill before I send 1st and 2nd Companies back up there! Get it done!"
Karparc Bey staggered painfully out of his HQ dugout. He had to get 2nd Battalion into action.
(Photo 18) Outside he learned that the battalion CO had failed to control 3rd Company who had routed, heading for Gaza. 1st and 2nd Companies were firing uphill at the enemy in the redoubt, with some suppressive effect.
To be continued.
Oh heck, here it comes!
(Photo 19) Karparc Bey sensed the situation was slipping from his grasp. He wanted to launch his counter-attack and every minute lost would make it harder to retake the redoubt. He could tell the enemy had got MGs up there now. Over the noise of rifle fire, his men would not respond and continued in their firefight.
(Photo 20) Even within the hard cover of trenches, MGs at such short range proved deadly. Losses and suppression within the Turkish companies mounted rapidly. Karparc Bey realised he had lost his combat strength and would not be able to retake the hill. He conceded defeat and would have to live with the humiliation.
156th Brigade had successfully taken and held Umbrella Hill with minimal loss, removing the threat to the main attack that was to follow. The 1/8th were down half the company, but the 1/7th hadn't lost a man.
Well there you have it. Thank you all for your comments.
3 hours to play 8 turns, representing 40 minutes of real time. The Brits ran away with it. Certainly, getting the run of the cards. The Turks couldn't get into the fight and could only be reactive. Frankly, Jase played a blinder! (Pun intended).
As for the Turkish artillery? Historically the Cameronians suffered quite heavily from retaliatory shell fire. In this scenario, Karparc Bey, rated Young Turk, had the chance of D6-1 turns of artillery fire. I rolled a 1! Summed up my night really.
Regards to all for 2019.
Mart
Mart,
A superb series of reports, full of excitement and flavour. I could learn a lot.
Well played all.
:-bd =D> :-bd =D>
A great looking game and fun to follow :)
One tweak we have made to ITLSU is to have two blinds cards for each side in the deck, only activating on the first drawn
This increases the likelihood of a blind card being drawn and reduces the frustration of large parts of a force doing nothing
We also tend to deploy our brigade commanders so they don't have to wait for the blinds card to turn up
Both of these would have made things more 'interesting' for the Scots :-\
Thanks Paul.
I fell foul of the very thing that attracted me to TFLs rulesets like IABSM and ITLSU in the first place - card induced friction.
I like your ideas, particularly about deploying commanders. They would be waiting for their own cards in the deck rather than just the one Blinds Card. It implies they could use command pips to activate units on Blinds even before the Blinds card. I will give it a try.
Happy New Year to you.
Mart
The card induced friction is definitely one of the major strengths of the rules :)
The trick is to get the level of friction right :-\
Lovely table and the lighting invokes exactly the right atmosphere for the subject.