WW1 Bolt Action

[Brin]

Hi All,

This has probably been asked already – is there already produced or will there be a conversion to enable BA to be played for WW1..? Esp the early days of WW1 and the fast flowing advances and retreats of 1914..?

Regards
Brin

[Janos900]

Hi,

one one WSS magazine issue from last year has an article about this topic. I can’t remember which issues sorry. Basically use the army list from Warhammer Historical The Great War rules, with Bolt Action second edition rules. In WH lists every figure represent 3 real soldiers. So a BA squad became a platoon, but with the same number of figures, for Early War 1914 the German platoon is 10-18 figures big.

You must do this scale up, because not much support weapon was available. Only two MG in every battalion, so You need 8 British squad each with 10-12 figures to be able to have 2 MG unit each wit 5 figures. And this lot will represent a half real battalion. Each company has a unit of 5 figure as a company command platoon, plus four platoon with 10-12 figures. You need four company to have a battalion.

I hope You get the idea.

[Brin]

Hi Janos,

Thank you for the detailed reply.

WH Historical – The Great War and a copy of WSS, many thanks, will look for such with interest.
Again, many thanks.
Regards
Brin

[Janos900]

Hi Brin,

You welcome. It might worth to check Wargames Illustrated, they also had an article this Year about using Black Powder for 1914 early battles.

[Robert]

Bolt Action is perfectly suited to early WW1 as is. There are a lot of misconceptions about how the first battles played out in 1914. The Wargames Illustrated article includes some of these. I would not recommend changing the figure scale. Fire and manoeuvre occurred down to the section/squad level in all major armies on the Western Front. It is no problem to assign a medium MG team, as even with the German MG companies, an MG section would be parcelled out and would inevitably be linked to the nearest infantry platoon or company. You can also consider a field gun per side as well, as these could be operated more like infantry guns in close terrain. You don’t get mortars and should not use aircraft in any role. You do get the option of an armoured car for British, French, and Belgian forces, as well as cavalry in both mounted and dismounted roles.

Black Powder gives a completely different perspective. The adaptations that I have seen so far have not factored in the distances at which all sides changed to the ‘Skirmish Order’ formation. Basically, troops would almost always operate in Skirmish Order on a Black Powder table top. March Column would be very rare at this scale.

Robert

[Brin]

Hi Robert,
Thank you for the alternative perspective on using BA for early WW1 encounters – really appreciated, and gives something to think about..

Dismounted cavalry – hmmm…

Regards
Brin

[Robert]

Hi Brin,

Cavalry mostly fought dismounted, across all nationalities on the Western Front. There are numerous references to the prowess of British cavalry with the SMLE rifle (rightly so). They were trained to the same levels of marksmanship (individual level) and musketry (troop/squadron levels) as their infantry colleagues.

Less well known are the abilities of the French, German and Belgian cavalry with carbines. For example, dismounted German cavalry were able to successful attack and overcome Scots Guards in the opening engagements of First Ypres (October 1914).

Robert

[Dr Dave]

Dismounted? Well yes, but where’s the glory in that?

If only Lt. Harcus Strachan were still here.

Get them mounted AND dismounted.

[Brin]

Hi Dr D.,

Interesting, until searching had not heard of Captain H. Strachan of the CEF… An interesting read.
For 1914 I was looking at Nery as a possible campaign type game involving the 2nd & 5th Dragoon Guards, the 11th Hussars and of course L Battery.. As a campaign series of games will most likely look at combining aspects from the 2 Fat Lardies using heroes and causality/replacement aspects together with the medal awards, but much prefer the BA method of determining the flow of action with the random drawing of the action dice. Still considering if to use the Historical Warhammer stat selection or to opt for the more simplistic BA format – under consideration.

So yes – cavalry to be mounted and dismounted…

Q: Did the British Cavalry (Hussars, Guards and Dragoons) use lances in 1914? Or was it mostly the 1908/1912 (except for old timers) pattern swords and carbines?

Regards
Brin

[Robert]

British Lancers used lances but not otherwise, unlike German cavalry that were all armed with lances.

Nèry and (more so) the events surrounding it would make a nice campaign. There is a huge ravine that ran between the town and the German cavalry. It brought the German attempt to charge the town to a complete halt. This means that you should consider the British attempt to outflank the Germans to the south, which bypassed the ravine.

Robert

[Brin]

Hi Robert,

Many thanks for the reply. Yes – the ravine will have to be taken into account, but maybe not on a modelled terrain..

Nery is of interest as I have the sword of Captain Richard Romer Claude Baggallay of the 11th Hussars together with an unknown Officer’s sword of the German 16th Hussars from the WW1 period.

[invisible officer]

Early WW I is a nice mix of 70/71 style mobile war, HE and MG.

Well, the lance question. The German Lanze made no difference in close combat between cavalry. The training of the German cavalry was for cossack style lance fencing, not just thrusting. The Stahlrohrlanze was light enough for that. The British OR P1908 and officers P1912 had the same range the lance had.
The main advantage was against foot lying on the ground.

[Dr Dave]

Nery is thrilling.

A pal of mine bought me a book on the German 4th (?) cav div that was at Nery. What really strikes you is how poor they seem to be.

And never forget that British cavalry all carried rifles, not carbines. A useful lesson from the Boers?

[invisible officer]

Carbines are not ever an inferior arm. The WW I German cavalry 1908 version K98AZ barrel is just 10 mm shorter than that of the all arms standard K98 K of WW II fame. The 1902 K98A used by reserve units was not bad but had a strong muzzle flash.

The 1914 firing ranges are not the reason for the better show of British cavalry on foot but the better training on firing range. The British fired faster. Post 1905 the shooting training was improved but German cavalry still dreamed of the swift attack on horse. So even the last Kaisermanöver pre war showed the big attacks.

The aim was swift riding, so men are chosen for weight. I’m not even in size for a heavy Kürassier, being 183 cm. They had to be between 167 – 175 cm. Hussars just 157 – 172 cm.

The complete surprise of 1st Cavalry Brigade shows that the main job of 1914 cavalry – recce – was not ever well done. On both sides. The German problem was the same that day. They stumbled onto the British horse, thinking to follow a retreating foe.

We read of more than 5.200 Germans against some 2.000 Britisg. Well, that British authors normally forget the infantry reinforcements is….. 😉

The fog was the main problem and the ravine caused the German horse to dismount. Loosing the advantage of surprise. And their main role. The artillery had to close to see anything and was in MG range. So it was lost. Similar most L Battery losses came from German MG fire.

British reinforcements began to envelop the northern flank of the 4th Division and ammunition ran short, the train being behind. (No big action was expected)

The losses are given in a wide range. What is surprising, we have the lists from British and German units. 162 Germans and 133 British.

L Battery was out of action with 23 kia, 31 wounded and 150 horses lost. The rest went home. But the Germans lost 12 guns. 8 to the Middlesex Regiment – Infantry.
Most German POW had been wounded and most had been left there.

The result of the affair was small. But a big morale Booster for the British

[Robert]

The German cavalry carbine was an excellent weapon. I have numerous accounts of successful defensive and offensive actions fought by dismounted German cavalry.

It didn’t take long for the lance to cause problems. German cavalry found that it could expose the patrols if carried in the normal way (vertical with point up). Also, the lance was a significant impediment when trying to negotiate wooded areas, such as the Ardennes where many German cavalry units operated in the first weeks. I know of one skirmish where British Lancers engaged with German ‘Uhlans’ in a lance v lance charge.

Robert

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