A return to Red Poppies Campaigns

Like said earlier, Menno en me enjoyed the Red Poppies Campaigns system and as a result tried our hands on the biggest scenario of volume I: Unfrozen at Frezenberg.

This deals with the opening German attack on May 8th 1915 of what now is known as the Battle of Frezenberg, the attack focussing on the Frezenberg Ridge, some three miles northeast of Ypres. This scenario is a one day ‘abbreviation’ of the full campaign scenario that deals with the six days battle better known as Second Ypres. This chapter of the war has the dubious ‘honour’ of seeing the first large scale gas attack with the Germans unleashing 150 tonnes of chlorine gas against the French Colonial troops - though this happened in April 22nd before the scenario itself.

On this day, four British brigades of the 27th and 28th Divisions were defending in trenches against the German 53rd and 54th Reserve Divisions.

The scenario uses the full 1915 map (though the action is limited to the area around Frezenberg Ridge, obviously) and has a relative low counter density with overall a little over 100 counters on the map. It uses a few things we hadn’t seen before, like Off Map Artillery (OMA) so this meant we now had used all rules except flamethrowers and gas.

Menno took the British side as defender with me trying to attack his line.

 *** Opening positions just before the attack on Frezenberg Ridge ***

I opened with a preliminary bombardment, which was quite successful in taking out close to eight companies and a battery of artillery, so I had high hopes to break through the now weakened British lines. Noticing that Menno had troops in reserve, I figured I need to quickly seize some locations before these troops would plug holes in the lines and I gave the order to advance. This, again, turned out to be a very costly affair as his well placed machinegun troops decimated my forces. There was some success to be seen in the north where my troops made it to Frezenberg itself, but the gains were not significant and the losses appalling.

*** Advacing on Frezenberg village in the north ***

After the opening advance had stalled and my troops that were left were taking cover in the craters of no man’s land, we had a slow period while I could not press my earlier advantage and Menno could not dislodge my remaining troops. There was however some success as his reserve troops which were rushed to the front were all but annihilated by my artillery and machineguns. Once again these weapons proved to be quite decisive, though exactly how decisive would become clear a little later.

For a long period I was at a loss how to achieve my goals – Herzog Albrecht of Württemberg having ordered us to take the villages between Ypres and the ridge and most problematic – the Frezenberg Ridge itself.

Now, the situation turned into a waiting game with us both trying to silence the deadly machinegun compagnies to make a safe path for our troops. Both of us had sent runners out to the artillery in the rear with orders to shell specific sections of the lines, but the mistreated landscape made for slow going. After about an hour into the attack, a British battery finally got their orders but their shells were off target and had little effect. My runners were lost, or so I figured and I was beginning to lose hope of turning this battle around. Then, another thirty minutes later my troops heard the tell-tale whistles of the shells overhead crashing into the British positions. But, unfortunately, this volley too was off target and did no real damage. But, ten minutes later another salvo came and this time it was spot on target, taking out the British defences on the northern end of the Frezenberg Ridge. My troops with a resounding ‘Hurrah!’ left their trenches and rushed forward at this opportunity. Though some of them were too enthusiast and took some casualties of our own artillery, they quickly took the entire high grounds – now mostly undefended – of Frezenburg Ridge.

*** German troops have taken the Frezenberg Ridge ***

So, in the end a barely managed to take the game with a very, very close 22-21 score. It was a great afternoon (the scenario took some 5 hours to complete) and it was very exciting with the Germans being stuck after the opening then turning it around once the artillery got a good attack in in the last turn. The game showed what the difficulties were in the trenches of 1915 and taught me how to use good tactics in order to be successful. A very fun scenario and thanks to Menno for offering the opportunity again to play this great game.