DBH Japanese vs Russians 1905

Timeline 1905...the place somewhere in Manchuria. A beat up Japanese Division has been tasked with holding a vital Road/Rail crossing. Overlooking this position are two hills, the Japanese set up some earthworks on the hills. The Russians attack with a Division level force.


Game on, our 'try out' of the De Bellis Horribilis rules. I would be the Russians while General Amy took the Japanese. A straight forward enough game, one side defends, one side attacks.

To be fair, the battle was only half the size of picture below & concentrated on the Russians attacking the left hill.

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The Battlefield, the Russian attack would hammer the left hill.

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5 Japanese Infantry stands & one Machine Gun stand.

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Hordes of Russians ready to go.

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Russian Cavalry wait for the breakthrough

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On they go, the advance was a bit congested.
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The Russian Artillery advances, they would be in range next turn.

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Steady fire from the Japanese forces back some Russians.

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More Japanese fire destroys a Russian stand.

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Russian Artillery fire, forces back the Japanese.

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Russian attackers are repulsed

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I send the third Russian Battalion off to the flank
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Forward go the Russian Cavalry.

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A bad round for the Russians!

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At last one of the Japanese defenders is destroyed.

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Russian attackers gain a foothold on the hill.

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NO! They are forced back by Japanese heroics & Amy's dice throws.

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Another Russian bites the dust.

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Numbers start to count, some Japanese units withdraw.

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HooRah! Crack Russian troops beat back the Japanese.

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SLOWLY... the Russian Machine Guns are dragged up the hill.

The Cavalry reach a support position.

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The Russian Artillery woefully under performed.

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The Russian General looks on from his safe position in the rough terrain.

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HooRah! The Russian flag is hoisted on the hill, the Japanese safely retire.

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A victory for the Russians but with VERY heavy losses.
Mmmmm... What did we get from that. Well I must admit, the game didn't seem to flow. Whether it was the scenario or the rules, I don't know. The Russian attack seemed to be a little 'crammed', keeping the units in the radius of the Divisional Command. Ranges for the Artillery were quite short & the guns had to be moved very close to the enemy. Overall I reckon more questions than answers.

One big thing, Amy got bored, which hasn't happened in any of our other games before. Maybe that was me, trying to be a bit ambitious. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of things that I like about DBH, we just probably need to tweak it to suit our DBA style. Never mind, we'll give them another try out using WW1 armies.


STOP PRESS....... I've also come across a WW1 variant of the HOTT rules called 'Hordes in the Trenches', which after a brief read look rather good. Another excuse to have a game!

Plus Ospreys 'The Arab Revolt 1916-18' has just dropped through the post. Looks good & a Lawrence of Arabia Campaign is on the cards.... Bizarre, I've gone World War One Mad at the moment, now to build some more armies!

DBH Japanese

Imperial Japanese Army for the Russo/Japanese War 1904-05 . I couldn't resist keeping some of the Blue uniforms, in reality the Army switched over to Khaki during 1905. As usual, we used Osprey as a main resource, you can't go far wrong with that.




http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/The-Russo-Japanese-War-1904–05_9781841767086

This army is smaller than the Russian one, so I reckon this force we'll use in a defensive action. We'll add more units as we go, again I don't know most of the manufacturers of the figures we have. Though the Cavalry & Artillery is Irregular. Now to get a game planned!

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Prepared for the Russian onslaught.

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Japanese Cavalry

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Japanese General & Staff. Divisional Command

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Captured Russian Maxim Machine Gun

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Japanese Artillery

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Field Guns

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Meiji 38/15cm. Japanese 15cm heavy field gun

DBH Russians

I've been reading into other periods, after the Sudan & Victorian British adventures (Zulu War is on hold at the moment.... need a lot more Zulus than we have!) then the Boxer Rebellion. Next up is the Russo/Japanese War. I reckon the DBA 1500-1900 is at it's limits, so we've been looking around at other DBA'ish' rules. We'll be using the De Bellis Horribilis rules by David Manley & the Trowbridge Irregulars. They are for the First World War BUT I reckon we can 'try them out' on the Russo/Japanese War, plus we can morph the armies across into WW1...

http://www.btinternet.com/~david.manley/wargames/Odds/dbh.htm

"The basic manoeuvre unit is the Battalion.
Each battalion consists of 3-4 infantry stands (companies) or 6 cavalry stands (squadrons) plus an HQ stand (one of the individual officer figures) attached to one of the stands (alternatively one stand may be designated as a command stand).

LMG, HMG, etc., are added as supports.
Artillery batteries may be grouped into 'battalions' of up to 3 batteries with OP stands.
Tanks and armoured cars may be grouped into 'battalions' of up to 6 vehicles.

Players take on the role of Divisional commanders with up to 6 battalion sized groups, typically 3 infantry, one cavalry, one battery and one additional, which may be aircraft, tanks, support stands, etc.

Division HQ is denoted by a large command stand and appropriate transport. I have deliberately left this section vague as players are free to develop their own organisations dependent on the armies they wish to field." - taken from De Bellis Horribilis Rules

Here's our joint Russo/Japanese - World War One Russian Army. This is the basic Army that we have at the moment, we'll add extras as we go. Some of the Russian troops you'll recognise from our Boxer Rebellion games. I don't know what manufacturer the bulk of the troops are, but we've added some Irregular Minis Guns & Cavalry.

We'll run a few games around the Russo/Japanese War then move onto the First World War.
UP to now we've got some British, Germans & Turks.

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Russians ready to repel the Japanese.

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Russian Field Guns

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Big Russian Howitzer 150mm (Irregular)

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Russian Cossacks (Irregular)

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Russian Infantry Battalions ______________________

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Russian General & Staff, Divisional Command

DBA Boxer Reb.2 - 'Relief at Lofa Station'

Game 2 of our Boxer Rebellion campaign. Admiral Seymour has left a small garrison at Lofa Station. However the train journey is cut short. After some minor scuffles the way to Peking is blocked. Instead the Expedition sets off on foot to Peking & a detachment is sent to Lofa Station, after reports that a Boxer attack is imminent on the tiny garrison left holding it.

Game objectives, the Allied player (Jack) must try & ‘rescue’ the two elements stranded in Lofa Station, destroy the two Boxer Cannons deployed against them, destroy the two Boxer camps & capture the River Ford. The Boxer player should try to thwart the Allies without loosing too much of the Boxer Army.

Again the Boxers would have a much higher breakpoint than normal. Most of the Boxers would be deployed on the table. However some would be ‘hidden’ waiting to ambush ‘The Foreign Devils!’

Battlefield Overview

Lofa Station, British Naval detachment hold up in the buildings.

Straight down the Road! Would it be that simple?
One of the Boxer cannons is ready to give the Allies a warm welcome

Boxer Cannon up close

Good Pips for Jack & his Allied troops advance

BOOM! The Boxer attack begins. The Red Lanterns advance...
But rapid firepower sends some of the Crazy Chinese Ladies fleeing from the battle!!


Well spotted! Royal Marines Jagers spy the waiting Boxers!


Another Big Boom & this time it’s the Royal Marines legging it…


The stout Russians advance into the Cannon fire, but recoil back.


BANG! CRASH! WALLOP! The meagre building can only take so much,
down it comes & the British Sailors have to fall back.

Jack is persistent, on go the Russians till they reach Rifle range
& have a shoot out with the Boxer Cannon.


Back go the Boxers!


Boxers Sniping pushes back the Germans


Battlefield Overview, poor PiPs & it’s a struggle to move for both sides.


mmmmmmmmm BOOM!! Another building is blasted away!


The Germans respond with ferocious Rifle fire &
the Boxer Jagers recoil into the deep forest never to be seen again!!!


The Boxer Cannon is still firing & causing trouble.

Reinforcements, here come the French & American Marines!! HooRAR!

The Germans & Russians dig deep

SHA! SHA! SHA! In go the Boxers, they may be trouble ahead…..


GGrrrrrr!! Down go the Germans, but the Russians stand firm.

The Punjab Frontier force race to the rescue & plug the gap.
Meanwhile the Russians have ‘bayonet charged’ the Boxer Cannon.

(TETRIS theme playing).....

LA LAAAA LALALA LALA LAAA!! Go Russia!!

At Lofa Station, in go the Boxers!

Some Boxers fall to British Rifle fire.

HA!!! It’s time to commit more hidden Boxers!!

It’s Sikh versus Boxer……

…..NO, it’s close but the Sikhs win!!!!

The Allies are slowly forcing their way to Lofa Station.

God PiPs for Jack & the Navy Boys at Lofa Station go on the attack.

One Sikh detachment versus 4 Boxer Fanatics……

Boxers are cut down by precise Rifle fire.

RaHoo! The Sikh’s are masters of close quarter fighting too.
AAaaaargh… The Boxer force are slowly being cut down.

SHA! SHA! SHA! The Boxers cut down some of the Navy boys at Lofa Station


Jack sends the Sikh’s to Lofa & he uses the combined Marines to mop up.

But with ruthless efficiency he turns the Sikh's &
takes out the last Boxer attacker.


Oh dear! With that the Boxer General orders a retreat….


So close… The Boxers manage to hold the Ford, a Camp & retain a Cannon.
A hasty defence of the river is set up.


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Although the casualties are high for the Boxers, that was very close. A couple of the hand to hand combats could of gone the Boxers way and….well it may have been a very different result. We’ll put that one down as a Marginal victory to the Allies. But I’m proud of the Boxer Mob, they’ve nearly pulled of a surprise win. That was a better game, much closer & a bit of tension crept in on some of those combats.

‘The Boxer General nods in satisfaction, he knows that the next encounter with the Foreign Devils will include the Boxers & the Imperial Chinese Army!! HA HA HAAA…” .