RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR 1905

This weeks game at the SESWC was a 28mm Russo-Japanese War game.  All the figures for this game were supplied by Colin Jack who also developed the scenario and acted as the umpire.  The game gave us a chance to try out Colin's expanding collection of Tsuba Miniatures Japanese infantry.

I commanded a Japanese force pursuing the retreating Russians.  Bart Zynda commanded the Russians as there may have been some Poles amongst them.  See the player briefing below.   We both split our forces to cross and cover the river at the 3 points A, B and C.  Bart and I then discovered that the table we were using only covered one of the these points and the battle would be fought where the most troops had been deployed.  It turned out to be at village C where I had deployed my weakest force of 2 trained battalions and the 2 units of Chinese auxiliary cavalry.  This meant that I was initially facing the strongest part of the Russian army.  The forces assigned to sectors A and B then appeared as reinforcements on the flank of the action.  Those in sector B could arrive in 1 to 6 moves those in sector A in 7 to 12 moves.



Chinese auxilaries lead the advance

Luckily for me the Russians were still marching back to the river and I managed to throw my 2 Chinese cavalry units over the narrow ford across the river followed by a trained infantry unit.  The cavalry delayed the Russian advance but both units were destroyed once they engaged in melee!   My infantry at the river came under heavy fire from the Russians who using their local numerical superiority had now occupied the village.  I reinforced them with the other trained unit.  My one piece of artillery arrived quickly from sector B and its accurate fire managed to break 2 of the raw Russian units on their right flank.  However both my units across the river were being worn down by surprisingly good Russian rifle fire and my first veteran infantry unit had only started to cross the ford when the game ended.



Skulking Cossacks......



Fatal charge into flank of the Cossacks....

So the end of the game saw the Japanese with a very tenuous bridgehead over the river held by the remnants of 2 trained infantry units.  If the Russians could launch an assault they would be able to drive us back across the river.

We used Triumph and Tragedy for this game.

An account from the Russian side is at Bart Zynda's blog at
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/battle-of-ford-on-river-x-bitwa-o-brod.html/



End action situation - bridgehead under heavy fire...

JAPANESE PLAYER

Your march through Korea continues with the Russians steadily withdrawing before you.  You expect them to turn and make some kind of stand, perhaps at the River X.  You are maintaining contact with the retreating Russians using your Chinese auxiliary cavalry backed up by your own cavalry.
During the night, and a heavy rainstorm, contact has been lost but the advance continues.  On the basis of the following report from your cavalry commander you must decide how your advance should proceed.

"During the night, in low cloud and heavy rain, our scouts lost contact with the Russians. They are approaching the River X and there are three possible crossing points - a bridge at Village A and fords at Villages B and C.  It appears that the Russians may have crossed at all three points."

You have the following troops at your disposal:-
Infantry Battalion No 1    Veteran     10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 2    Veteran     10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 3    Veteran     10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 4    Veteran     10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 5    Trained     10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 6    Trained     10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 7    Trained     10 rifles
Cavalry Squadron No 1    Trained    5 sabres
Cavalry Squadron No 2    Trained    5 sabres
Chinese Auxiliaries A       Raw          5 sabres
Chinese Auxiliaries B       Raw          5 sabres
Artillery


RUSSIAN PLAYER

You have been steadily withdrawing before the inexorable Japanese advance.  Your Cossack cavalry provides the rearguard and maintains contact with the leading elements of the Japanese force.  Thanks to a heavy overnight rainstorm, contact now appears to have been lost.
Orders from Army HQ demand that you halt your withdrawal and attempt to hold the line of the River X which you crossed yesterday afternoon.  The Japanese have not reached the river but their axis of advance is unknown.
There are three crossing points, a bridge at Village A and fords at villages B and C.  You must decide how to deploy your troops to halt the Japanese advance.

You have the following troops at your disposal:-

Infantry Battalion No 1    Trained     10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 2    Raw          10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 3    Raw          10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 4    Raw          10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 5    Raw          10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 6    Raw          10 rifles
Infantry Battalion No 7    Raw          10 rifles
Cossack Cavalry A          Raw+          6 sabres
Cossack Cavalry B          Raw+          6 sabres
Cossack Cavalry C          Raw+          6 sabres
Cossack Cavalry D          Raw+          6 sabres
Line Cavalry                    Trained         6 sabres
Artillery                           Trained