What did NQM do in the Great War Daddy?

NQM proudly states that it covers 1914 - 1945. As regular readers will know I have tested it out with the Spanish Civil War with a decent amount of success and only minor changes (or "scenario rules" as Chris calls them). Perhaps it was time to try and push them further back than that on the table top?

One of my long standing and not often used 15mm collections is for the 1916 - 18 period, all in glorious Minifigs. I haven't run a game in SHQ for a month or so, which meant it was about time I pulled my finger out. I decided after a few false starts elsewhere (and knocking my copy of NQM of the bookshelf whilst being clumsy) that it was time to test the 1914+ hypothesis. 

Because I like the tanks, I went for something in 1918 during the 100 days. I really needed to hunt down some proper maps and orbats but typically I'd left it too late, so I improvised something. I was also uncertain in my head how the unique Great War artillery tactics and issues with supply and reorganisation should be addressed.

So late 1918 sees the move from static to mobile warfare, but not necessarily mobile warfare as we would understand it in 1939+. I went for a Divisional/Corps Scale Orbat mash up, with about 1km per hex, and battalions of two bases counting as 3 SP. Battalion HQ/support was three 1SP bases, one being command, one trench mortars and one HMG company. The British Empire forces had a couple of tank squadrons to support a Divisional attack. This was a Colonial Division, with two four battalion brigades as opposed to the British three battalion brigades. The assault was supported by a couple of supply tanks, and masses of off table artillery.

The Germans had two trench lines with a row of hexes between them. The front line was anchored on two reinforced pill boxes. The front line was held by a couple of battalions, some MG posts and some minenwerfers. The second line had double the infantry. The German artillery was about half the Empire strength and also off table.

Here' a view from behind the German trenches. The tents are the Casualty Clearing Stations for both sides, but I never had their usage fully worked out. I didn't think the standard NQM reorg on the battlefield worked for the period, but I don't know enough about how mobile medical support was to be certain. I had similar issues with resupply for the Empire forces, which I fixed by the use of supply tanks. Similarly I wasn't sure what to do about "out of ammo" rolls for the defenders and re supply.

For the attacking fire plan they had three phases for each battery: front line shelling, second line shelling and counter battery fire. Artillery all started with firing at the front line, but could lift to any other target whenever they wanted, but couldn't then go back. A roll of 6 when firing wasn't out of ammo, but was a compulsory lift to the next target.

German artillery had two SOS lines, two hexes in front of the first line, and the hex between the two lines.

Phil & Christ took the attackers, and Steve and I ran the Germans.

The attack begins. We fire our SOS barrage with minimal effect. The Empire forces barrage is represented by red counters, as I don't have enough spiders.

I made the trenches medium cover and the pill boxes heavy. All off table artillery was heavy. I think this was too much. The artillery needs dropping to medium, or the trenches raising to hard and the pillboxes to extra hard (from the front).

The pillbox facing Phil proved to be not much of an obstacle, and was soon overrun, although Phil's infantry took a lot of casualties coming in. It was then that my vague ideas on how to do reorg fell apart.

Chris avoided the pillbox, and crashed the trench line, disrupting the wire. The shelling and the assault fire suppressed the defenders effectively. This would have been my preferred tactics - crash the trench line, then blow the back doors off the pill box with the tank.

Phil then swung round and enfiladed the trench. Not good for us Germans.

Chris was soon over and across too.

The tank did a good job of clearing the front line of Phil's sector, but was out running its infantry supports.

A quick aerial photo showing the artillery barrage dropping on the second line. The assault troops are running low on ammo...but the supply tank is close by.

Pow! and Chris' tank smashes over the second line, as the pillbox succumbs to an infantry assault.

The armour starts to enfilade the second line, although the following up infantry is caught by MG fire.

The attack however, is stalling slightly. The infantry attacking the MG are "bounced" with heavy casualties, and the tank is out of ammo. However, out of picture Phil's armour has also breached the second line, so it is game over for the Germans.

All in all it went okay for a one off. Much more work needs to be done before we revisit this period both in me refreshing my memory on how things work and then mapping that on to the NQM framework. I think there will be need for some scenario rules, and it might be that this isn't the best solution for the period. 

Much to ponder.

Chris K's account of the game can be found here.