Had an enjoyable game of Kreigspiel today. I realise there are no miniatures, but I think you will appreciate this, as well as what happens when there is no 100 foot general. All three players were in the same hall (2 allied, 1 German), with their tables 15 feet apart, and obviously on their honour not to cheat, while the umpires had a smaller room with the master map.
The map
link
(You may need to fiddle around with zoom and centering- the area is between Loxwood and Billinghurst. The Google Earth images look like it hasn't change much in the last 70 years)
It is 1940. The Nazi capture of the French Fleet has allowed them to invade Britain, and CIGS is trying to stablize a defensive line along the River Arun in Sussex. Fritz has forced a bridgehead at the bridge at Billingshurst (apparently this was the previous scenario, a pyrric victory). 1 Canadian Infantry Brigade has been tasked with doing something about this.
The finalised plan (arrived at during the previous few days by use of this modern teletype mail gadget) was a battlegroup consisting of 1st and 2nd Battalions, each with an attached 2 pdr AT battery would advance from Loxwood (our start point) to the bridge- 1 Bn down the road (now known as the B2133, the orange one on the OS map), while 2 Bn would parallel it to the east between road and river. These were under command of Martin (or Carruthers as he had decided to be known while my sub-ordinate). I would command the rest of the Bde- the attached artillery (limited ammo) deployed south of Loxwood and 3 Bn, which we had managed to scrounge up some lorries for, who were reserve- my intention being that they could either be quickly moved to reinforce success, or to react to a German attack. We also has 4 tanks(a number of others having been left at dunkirk, the tin cans were a bit thin on the ground).
My original plan had to be to form these into the Battlegroup with 1 and 2 Bn, but one of Carruthers' staff officers (a brilliant young major called Algy, apparently) had suggested we use them as a diversion. In a rather wizard wheeze, they were sent off to advance down the west towards Dounhurst farm (just west of the road Loxwood-Wisborough Green). Having so few tanks (and on the original briefing I had thought that 'Squadron' had meant about a dozen, not 4!) the Tank leader was told his job was to make 'noise', not to get caught up in any fighting. The hope was the infantry attack on the road would be assumed to be a diversion once the tanks had been spotted, and the tracks the real attack, allowing 2 bn to force the eastern path.
0445- H-Hour (well in the game) and 1 Bn headed down the road. 2 Batteries of 25lbs were ready to give fire support, and a battery of 6" howitzers limbered and ready move south to deploy with in range of the bridge. As they passed Lakers Lodge they transmitted the codeword Cromwell, and shot a very pistol- the signal for the tanks to move south holding up 'LOOK AT ME' signs. The tanks were effectively out of our control now.
The Battle group (with me as CO now riding with 2 Bn so I could get a better view and decide on artillery, given the low stocks) engaged and defeated enemy forces in the woods south east of Roundstreet Common, though the toll was heavy. (Don't worry Martin, I won't tell anyone that you deployed 1 Bn into attack formation on top of a pre-registered artillery point). Though the rifle companies were badly mauled, both Bns still had their Heavy Weapon Companies, and the AT 2lb'ers. I ordered these formed into a provisional Bn, under 'Carruthers', with orders to defend 3 Bns western flank, deploying along the dogleg inthe road by Love's farm. 3 Bn (having debussed earlier to follow 2 Bn once news of the Arty at Roundstreet Common had come back) would then pass to the east, and take the target under my command.
This they did admirably. Capturing the bridge, I had it set for demolition, got the now deployed 6" targeted on the approaches and bridge, and asked whether Division wanted it held or destroyed. Destroyed- they didn't have the resources to relieve us. Having given the order, the head umpire came in and announced there was a hell of a bang from the direction of the bridge. The look on Phil's face (Martins's son, playing the Germans) told it's own story (though we joked as a German general the bridge continued to exist while he believed it still existed, and he had not seen any destroyed bridge, ergo it still existed. We joked that it was Schrodingers Bridge)
My problem now was what now? I was becoming concerned for my Western flank- attempts to get the Provisional Bn to defend my rear had failed, and as I withdrew north we kept getting blocked by Germans who hadn't been there when we passed through a hour or so before (The gravity of the situation had been brought home to me just after blowing the bridge. My liaison umpire said that my staff were becoming nervous about how exposed we were to the west- which worried ma as Martin was supposed to be covering that. I sent a message to him to meet me on Hughes Hill, and took a Company with me to secure the high point. On being told there were Germans on the hill I ordered the company to assault it- and nearly died as the company was cut down around me! I learned later there had been the best part of a Bn on there, and we had badly mauled it, despite the massacre! It was at this point the word RETREAT bacme the only option.)
Unfortunately the remains of the Bde, now formed together to try and punch our way north, was surrounded at Malham, and ceased as a fighting force- men making their own way north.
It was about the time of the bridge blowing that the question that gives this thread it's title was asked. I idly wondered what had happened to the tanks, and I wanted to speak to the commander after the battle to find out. Phil very pointedly said he had the same question- he didn't look happy.
What had happened was that our desperate throw of the dice with our handful of armour had not only worked, but worked better than we could have dreamed of.
Communication was mostly by dispatch rider- radios of the period requiring you to set it all up, and being virtually useless on the move. The tanks had made good time, outpacing the leg infantry and coming out of the wood by Spar Farm, NW of Wisborough Green. Phil received a message that he had lost half a company to a tank attack. Because this was by dispatch rider it to 3 or 4 turns to get to him. He sent a large amount of his force, including all his low on fuel armour and armoured cars. These of course tok time to get there.
The lack of fuel meant that the chief umpire had conceived the tanks as 'one shot' weapons- which they had used destroying 75% of our armour. Unfortunately 75% only meant 3 tanks! The fourth had managed to extracate himself from the pocket being formed.
By this time the infantry are pushing down from the north, and Phil hurridly tries to pull his men back. This of course meant more delay while the message was take, and they turned round to come back.
Worse still, the area west of Roundstreet Common was now littered with abandoned tanks as they had run out of fuel!
However the returning infantry kept arriving behind me- making the route home the battle I should have had on the way in, just with less troops, and no artillery ammo!
At the end of the game the Germans were trapped with no fuel on the wrong side of a desroyed bridge. There may be words in the officers mess of the 29th Motorised Division.
All in all a Allied win- though 1 Can Bde was effectively lost, we had attacked an enemy of roughly equivalent strength, completed the mission, and pulled off a wonderful diversion- the tank commander is being recommended for a gong!
Now the game was of a size where it could be easily played with Spearhead or BKC. However it would have been a totaly different game. The diversion wouldn't work, and 3bn would have been unlikely to pass the screen of 1/2 bns without the Germans reacting. I think the first Phil knew of the fact we had captured the bridge was when it went BOOM.
Every gamer should kreigspiel occasionally – it is a whole different perspective. There is a pause of 5 mins or so for the players at the end of every turn while the umpires disappear to carry out the orders, and in one of these I said- "I have no idea where over half my forces are"- I was with 2 Bn, and I assumed the 25lbrs were still at Loxwood. 1 Bn I had only Martins last message, and I was getting nothing back from my attempts to confirm 3 bn were following on the road. The 6" had had orders to move and deploy at lakes farm, but I had no idea if they had (or even if the message had arrived) and the tanks were lost to me from the moment they received the 'Go' order.
begins to think about terrain for Team Yankee.
