Flers 1916

This month sees a hundred years since the first use of the tank in combat, and to commemorate this we started on a scenario based upon it. 

After a weary summer inching forward, from the start of the Somme offensive in July, the British have finally captured Delville Wood (or 'Devil's Wood' as it became known to the Tommies). British XV Corps must attempt to use this as a jumping off point to capture Flers and beyond.

Their main forces consist of  the 14th (Light), 41st and New Zealand Divisions. They are reinforced by D Company, Heavy Section, Machine Gun Corps, armed with the new-fangled 'tank' weapon. Defending, the Germans mainly have 4th Bavarian Division.

'Aerial photo' of the vicinity, showing objectives and artillery zones

I adapted this from a scenario based upon one available from the GWSH Yahoo group. The details of my version can be found here. As there is discussion about the tank rules at the moment I took the opportunity to tinker with these a bit, adding in a bit of flavour for the shock value of first use of tanks.

As usual, Crafthole took command of Bavaria's best, whilst Stuart and I did our damnedest for the British and Commonwealth. Stuart assumed leadership of the 14th Division and I controlled the balance of XV Corps.

After a 3 day preliminary bombardment, the Germans emerge from their dugouts, ears ringing, to man the parapets, what's left of them anyway....

The BEF prepare to launch themselves across no mans land with the Devil's Wood to their backs.

The array of defences the British and New Zealanders must take. As they go over the top the strange 'tank' machines accompanying them roar into life...stutter and mostly stop. Only half of those on board manage to start up, and behind the front another is also having mechanical difficulties.

Both sides have some luck on the first turn , as they both manage to get air support, which in both cases is immediately shot down. This is where we learnt not to fly our air support over where there are lots of machine guns.

An Albatros C.III comes down in flames in the middle of Devil's Wood. The gunners of the artillery, unperturbed, carry on giving the Hun hell.

They hit Flers with a gas attack to clear it, however there is not much left in there to clear after the preliminary bombardment.

After a slow start the tanks make themselves useful by clearing some barbed wire, those that are still moving. So far they haven't fired a shot and the most the Germans have seen of them is distantly through the haze of  the fog of war. Further back, some more tanks lurch on to the field...and stop as they break down.

Tanks and engineers frantically try and clear the wire as the BEF surge forward into no mans land

A second German Albatros C.III of the Fleigertruppen appears and makes a more successful attack, suppressing two stands in the reserve. They soon recover however.

As the first tank rolls over the German front line, cheered on by the Tommies, a couple of Spandaus open up on it. They don't know what the hell it is but whatever it is can't be good news. The tank immediately becomes a roaring inferno.

Having pummelled the first two trench lines, the preplanned bombardment moves on to Flers, however the attack is behind schedule (largely because I had failed to factor in the time taken to cross enemy trenches), and there aren't actually many people in there anyway. 

After securing the first line the British surge passed the burning 'tank' machine to attack the second. Most are as bemused as the Germans as to what it is exactly, and what it is for.

On the British right flank, severe losses are incurred as they have furthest to go to cross no mans land, and clearly the orders for their smoke screen failed to get through as it didn't appear...I mean the British CinC wouldn't have completely forgotten about it in the excitement surely...?

Further back, their artillery support attempt to suppress the opposition. A guard is posted on the downed Albatros to deter souvenir hunters. At Corps HQ the pilot is offered a cheering cup of tea.

Finally tank D2 springs to live and ponderously makes it's way to the front. Where as a crashing Hun plane is no cause for comment, this time the gunners stop and stare open mouthed, this could be why the artillery was not so responsive this turn, or perhaps the tank crushed the communication wires as it lumbered forward.

The British stream over the German front line, passing the burnt out remains of the FE shot down earlier.

Meanwhile a second FE puts in an appearance, but veers off as the Spandaus open up.

Another view of the tide of khaki flooding the German front line.

On the left flank the New Zealanders secure their section of the 'Brown' line objective and prepare to tackle Flers itself.

German reinforcements start to appear in the form of a hastily patched together Sturmbattalione

At this stage, about halfway through, we ran out of time so will continue another day.

Situation at close of play for the day. The BEF have secured the front 'Green' line Switch trench and half the 'Brown' line Flers trench. Two of their Divisions are in pretty good shape, but two brigades of the third have taken heavy casualties and have yet to secure their second objective. The Germans have had one regiment break and another is close, although just reinforced by stosstruppen.