Destroyer Action in the North Sea

Throughout the Great War large and small violent naval engagements involving the German Imperial High Seas Fleet and the British Grand Fleet. Here we have the start of one of these fights between opposing destroyers.

The British ships are Acorn class, Goldfish, Comet, Ruby Nemesis & Sheldrake: 970 tons, 27 knots 72 crew with 2–21-inch torpedo's, 2-4 inch and 2-12 pdr guns. They are facing five German V class (later reclassed as torpedo boats) V150, 152. 153, 154, 156 & 158: 421 tons, 28 knots, 84 crew wit 2-88mm (3.5 inch) cannons and 2-45cm (17.5 inch) torpedo's. No matter who wins the fight will be vicious and deadly.
 

These are metal pieces from CinC that I painted in the early 1980's

1914 German vs France Battle of the Frontiers

This is a repost of a after game battle report from 2014, that I thought might be fun to read for those new to my blog. Rick

                                                                Prep for Battle

In the early days of the Great War, two platoons meet in deadly earnest in the Battles of the Frontiers Campaign.

The Imperial German force- Command Squad-Lt., Sgt., 3 Pvts., two sections of infantry, 1st- Sgt. 7 Pvts, 2nd- Sgt. 6 Pvts, one section of Jagers-Sgt. 7 Jagers, then a Sgt. and 4 Grenadiers, a Maxim section with 1 Sgt., 1 Cpl., 3 Pvts., and last, a Sniper team of a Cpl. and Pvt.   All the Germans have grenades

  

French Regulars, Command section-Lt, Sgt., 3 Pvts., 2 sections of infantry each with Sgt., Cpl., 7 Pvts., a section of infantry with a Sgt., Cpl., 8 Pvts., a Chasseurs a Pied section with a Sgt., Cpl., 8 Pvts., and finally a HMG section-Sgt., Cpl., 3 Pvts. The French have six more men but no grenades or sniper team.

8mm  French Hotchkiss HMG.

The deadly Maxim HMG, the German Platoons big hitter.

The forest of "protection" where three sections of Germans (infantry, Jagers and grenadiers) hide for most of the battle.

Command section, Maxim and Jager sniper team take cover in the ruined house while the 2nd infantry section  takes position to the left.

The lucky 2nd section.

French arrive on the board. Infantry take to the ruins and forest on the right.  The Hotchkiss sets up on the small hill near the middle.  While the Chasseurs take to the forest on the left (this turned out to be a big mistake).  The battle is ready to commence.  

First Blood

The French HMG and 1st section drop two privates but miss the sniper...bad news.

The Chassuers drop another invader of France.

The grenadiers rush a ruin to get closer to the French while a section and the Jagers cower in the protection of the wood (a lot more successfully than the French).

On the French right 4th section loses three men in the forest and one in the ruins.  German marksmanship is very good and about to get much better!

"SNIPER"-the last world Lt. Valois hears before the fatal shot takes down the leader of the platoon. the command section loses its sgt and a pvt as well.

Things are worse on the left where a cpl, chasseur and two more privates fall for France.  French marksmanship seems on target but hits are few...is something wrong with the ammunition?

Who Will Win?

The Chasseurs have lost half their section including their sgt.

At least one German section is taking some casualties, but not the sniper.  Hit after hit lands but none wound this lucky and deadly shooter (He personally drops the French Lt., 3 sgts., 1 cpl. and a pvt.).

French casualties mount and still their "hits"fail to wound more than half the time. The one French success is the elemination of the German Maxim section, right before the Germans wipe out the French HMG team.

The dreaded "10" another failed French to wound after a hit...15 times ugh!

 

Last of the Chasseurs

 

Soul survivor on the left...

Soul survivor on the right...

The last bastion of the French platoon.  Brave to the end, not a single French soldier routed from the field as they fell defending France to the last man.

 

The end is here, the Germans finally advance from the cover of the forest the last French troops, now outnumbered 5 to 1 resist to the last...oh but for the luck of the gods....

All the men are metal pieces from Renegade Miniatures that I painted in 2010.

BEF Northern France 1914

 

News Photos from the front: Northern Franch August 1914, British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) advance through a ruined French village to stop the advance of Imperial German troops.

When it comes to stopping power, nothing works better than a battery of the excellent Vickers .303 machine gun. The Huns will soon turn tail and run back to Germany in the face of these brave Tommie's.

                          These are metal pieces from Renegade Figures back in 2010.

Happy New Year-1918 Style

 

  Another New Years' Celebration full of lights in the sky. But on January 1, 1918, the fire in the sky wasn't from fireworks.

Rather it was from two sets of massive warring forces the Allies vs the Central Powers. Here an Imperial German 77mm field gun.

And its opposite number the famous French Soixante-Quinze (75) mm. None of those fighting in the Great War knew that 1918 would be the last year of the terrible conflict. Yet it was and New Year's Day 1919, saw a World that while not at total peace, as least saw the guns of the Great War silent.

These are metal pieces from Old Glory that I painted for my Great War Armies back in 2010.

May 2023 be a good one for you and yours, and hopefully the current guns of war will fall silent as they did in the Great War 125 Years ago.

Flash: Christmas Truce Breaks Out On Western Front Lines

This grainy photo from our intrepid front line reporter Flash N. Pan shows the peace of Christmas breaking out among the ruins of war.  Reports of the unofficial truce up and down the battle lines have filtered through the ranks...one day of peace on Christmas. 

1914-Attacking Trenches is Really Bad News

The order of the day-ATTACK!

Intial losses are heavy...

but not as heavy for the French in their protective trrenches

But the French have fewer men so each lost harder felt.

Seeing what has happened to the rest of the force, the Jagers hunker down in some rough ground...

for the German left has been virtually wiped out!  The few survivors crowd into a shell hole.

1914 Trenches are Bad News!

Frontier lines between Germany and France, some hasty trenches, light wire entanglements and a small prewar concrete defense work. Held by an understrength platoon, a section of Chasseurs and two HMG's.

With time pressing, the end of the line is but wire and some light wood works, finished just in time as...

The first Germans have arrived, a strong platoon-five sections of infantry and Jagers, a section of Grenadiers, Command section and three HMG's 

The sight awaiting the attacking German's.

For France...

light trenches for the regulars...

while the chasseurs and one HMG make do with hasty log works.

French Frontiers Battle Royal 1914

 

The Chasseurs have lost half their section including their sgt.

At least one German section is taking some casualties, but not the sniper.  Hit after hit lands but none wound this lucky and deadly shooter (He personally drops the French Lt., 3 sgts., 1 cpl. and a pvt.).

French casualties mount and still their "hits" fail to wound more than half the time. The one French success is the elimination of the German Maxim section, right before the Germans wipe out the French HMG team.

The dreaded "10" another failed French to wound after a hit...15 times ugh!

Last of the Chasseurs

Sole survivor on the left...

Sole survivor on the right...

The last bastion of the French platoon.  Brave to the end not a single French soldier routed from the field-they fell defending France to the last man.

The end is here, the Germans finally advance from the cover of the forest the last French troops, now outnumbered 5 to 1 resist to the last...oh but for the luck of the gods....