"Potschlauken 17 August 1914" Topic

We play tested another of the scenarios from the forthcoming scenario book based around Gumbinnen and Tannenberg. Here's the AAR:

link

A fantastic wee game.
Kind regards
Robin

Thanks Robin. This scenario forms part of the Battle of Gumbinnen, where the German forces were surprised by the scale of the Russian advance. The Germans were thinly spread in this sector but were able to hold the Russians, or at least prevent them from breaking through. The line did give somewhat, which the advanced morale rule would mimic well.

Nice concentration of forces.

Robert

good show!

The game yet again supported the unit diary accounts of combat in this phase of the war: moving in the open is damned dangerous, and once contact is made, go to ground and engage in the firefight, win the firefight then move again. Deployment is crucial (surprise surprise!!), particularly with support weapons, and the ability to get the artillery working as early as possible and then combining that artillery support with the fire put down by rifle companies is the key to taking objectives. Both Russia attacks during the battle demonstrated this.
Robin

Robin, your point about artillery is well made. There is a balance to be struck between having the guns well forward and the risks that the horse teams run if they come under small arms and machine gun fire.

Robert