Objective Ant Hill—version 1

I drew inspiration from Kubric's poignant and powerful Paths of Glory for this, my initial foray into wargaming the First World War.

The attack by the 701st regiment to take the 'ant hill' is the key action in the film, the planning, execution and results of which provide the vehicle for its hard-hitting, anti-war sentiment and its moving and hopeful ending.

I have gathered several sets of rules for the First World War. Initially I was thinking that I'd focus on company-level, battalion or regimental scale representations, but soon realised that I would also like to do grander stuff; battalion or regimental level for corps or multi-corps actions. Not suprisingly, perhaps, all of the sets that I have (or have investigated) take quite a similar approach, while having differences in some of the specific mechanisms and/or the level of detail included.

I was most impressed by Tom Jensen's Westfront by Ostfront Publishing. These are ostensibly company-level for actions involving a regiment or two (plus associated artillery, tanks, other vehicles and, indirectly, aircraft). It is clear on reading that they are eminently scaleable and in looking for a link to add to this post I found that they describe them as such in the promotional material on the Ostfront Publishing website:

Play games with a handful of platoons in a trench, or re-fight the entire battle of the Marne. If you have the table size, you can play it. The game suits company to fully armed battalion sized games, but there is no upper limit.

The rules include the key elements without getting bogged down in too much detail. So, for example, infantry weapons come in two categories: rifles and hand grenades/close assault weapons. Machine guns are a separate category of unit, enabling them to be allocated according to historical organisation. Artillery are simplified to four categories: trench mortars, flat-firing field guns, howitzers and heavy howitzers. There are only three levels of quality/morale of troops: raw, regular and assault/veteran. Choices of weapons and tactics are governed by what Jensen refers to as the 'evolution of warfare'. He divides the four-years conflict into three periods: early war (1914–1915), mid war (1916) and late war (1917–1918). Orders are determined by the draw of a card (joker included), providing 14 options which dictate attack, defense, hold, reconnoitre, any flanking, artillery support.

The rules are set out somewhat unconventionally with the order being organising a game, detailed rules, evolution of warfare, orders, deployment and gameplay, army lists, playing aids. This means that, for example, the game turn is found on page 32, but they are easy and clear to read and to navigate during a game (thanks to the detailed table of contents). There is not a quick reference sheet provided with the rules, but it is easy enough to duplicate the few necessary tables and make one's own (particularly if you opted for the pdf version as I did).

I kept this first game extremely simple, limiting the types of troops and ignoring some aspects of the rules like random events/blunders, communication (info. or requests to headquarters and responses back). In keeping with the film, the French attacked as infantry only with no artillery support and no machine guns. The Germans held a trench which I deemed a deep one (as opposed to shallow) so as to give maximum cover and received two supporting machine gun units in heavy cover.

Let's leave it at that brief introduction and overview of the rules and game and move to a pictorial report of the play-test where I can illustrate some of the mechanics. (Note: a standard unit in Westfront is composed of two bases, but bases may move and fire independently).

The 'cunning plan' hatched by General Mireau called for an advance with half of the regiment against the German left, while the other half came in a second wave against their right, weakened as it responded to the threat to the other flank. Clever.

Colonel Dax leading the advance.

The German defenders await the French. My first stuff-up was to make no-man's land too big. I forgot to check that bit of the rules! It was no great matter though as it merely meant that the French did a longer advance out of range of the German infantry weapons.

The French right approaches the barbed wire. Second mistake was to place this out of range of the German infantry, so they could not shoot the enemy as they cut the wire!

Back in the headquarters trench General Mireau observes progress (represented by the Airfix figure with telescope as I have not yet painted any French generals/staff).

Dax's men reach the wire. A base must spend two turns stationary at barbed wire to cut it.

Meanwhile, Dax's left-most companies have progressed through an area of destroyed wire and fired at the German defenders (die roll of five, modified to three for heavy cover), forcing some to become suppressed (indicated by the prone figure). I have included the die/dice in the photographs for this description. They are not necessary as markers in the game.

I began by photographing each base firing one at a time, but improved as I went on. The second French base missed (die roll of one, modified to minus one). I did not realise until reading the text around the table more closely after the completion of this game, that the result can be lower than one. This is important as a result of one is 'no effect and low on ammunition'. Lower than one is simply 'no effect'. I got it right this time by the serendipity of an error!

The suppressed result forces a morale test, passed easily. Suppression remains until the end of the German turn, but the base remains in place.

German turn. The three produces a suppressed result and the two by the French for morale leads to a break. The German two is 'no effect'. This was the start of some poor shooting by the Germans early on in the game. The 'angleometer' is showing the firing zone of 45º from either base edge.

Back at the wire the cutting begins, indicated by the prone figures.

French base makes break move while the companies forming Mireau's clever left-hook come up. A broken unit must return to the army baseline (starting trenches) before testing to rally.

Good shooting by the French produces '50% casualties*' (indicated by the dead German), but a six for morale sees the Germans pass. *This is actually the wrong result as the French six should have been modified to four which is a 'suppressed' result.

In homage to All Quiet on the Western Front, a bit of beauty amongst the hell and misery.

Great shooting by the Germans, but only one French base to take the fire; now removed (indicated by dead figures).

 

French now through the first line of wire and up to the second—also placed out of rifle range by me. What a duffer!

 

French at wire and advance.

Actually, not all of the French at the wire were out of range. The left-most base cops it and breaks (roll of two on the blue die). At this stage it seemed to be going according to Kubrick et al's script!

French at wire begin to cut, indicated by side-on prone figures. I was beginning to develop a system.

Germans manage only one hit from four attempts and the French base receiving the 50% casualties passes morale.

Second turn of French cutting.

Now with only one French base in range, the German's miss.

The French were saving this one up! Three suppression results (above) and two German units break (below).

German turn and perhaps they are beginning to get the range. One French base broken (die roll of one for morale) and one wavering (walking wounded marker).

Anything the Germans can do... The base at the left of the German trench gets a break result with that one for morale.

Only one hit to the Germans here and that six on the blue die is a pass for the French base with 50% casualties (dead figure). The German base that fired with a four is modified by minus one for low on ammunition and another minus one for French being 'gone to ground' (indicated by crawling figure), hence 'no effect'.

Perhaps the luck has swung? That is a set of misses to the French.

Two more broken French bases.

First German base fails to rally (requires four or better) and is lost for the game. I realised when I did this test and re-read the rally rules that it should have been testing all the way to the table edge.

Second base rallied.

French turn, only one successful fire, causing suppression of the second German from the right, but it passed morale with a four (regular infantry).

Good German shooting and Mireau's left-hook is blunted.

Rallied.

A whole lot of nothing for the French, save for the base in the German trench whose grenade/close assault has broken the German defenders.

I finished the game with this German turn. Another French base broken (blue die showing the two for morale on a suppressed result (already having suffered 50% casualties).

The end of the action, as captured by the Imperial Army's photographer.

Another of the images from the Imperial Army's photographer, digitally enhanced in colour.

This was a double positive result. A year in the making, my initial foray into First World War wargaming has me more interested than ever. The Westfront rules held up pretty well. The simple morale rules could do with having a few more modifiers (for situation and current condition of a base perhaps) so as to make the result more than pure chance. The range for the machine guns seemed a little short too, but we'll see after "Objective Ant Hill v2", where I'll add artillery and perhaps some other details.

References

Jensen, T (2016) Westfront - Tabletop Game for the First World War. Ostfront Publishing http://www.ostfrontpublishing.com/games/westfront/

Kubrick S, Willingham C, and Thompson J (1957) Paths of Glory (screenplay) based on the novel "Paths of Glory" by Humphrey Cobb.