The Great War

[ConfederateSS]

------In the tourney of Trentino. Is says for further details go to The Great War...But it hasn't been put in The Great War Thread...I know it is a little like Asiago...But it has it's own flare... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... ...Wayward Day is sad...

[Dukasaur]

------In the tourney of Trentino. Is says for further details go to The Great War...But it hasn't been put in The Great War Thread...I know it is a little like Asiago...But it has it's own flare... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... ...Wayward Day is sad...

Trentino is listed in the list of Current and Upcoming Tournaments:

http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=207817&p=4556455#p4556459

[Kevi]

Why is there no TA medal for winning the Trentino Offensive?

[morleyjoe]

So, we're now almost a full year behind. A lot of the tournament writers that were helping in the beginning have dropped out, and I just can't keep up with it. Here's a list of tournaments that should have launched in the last eleven months but didn't because I couldn't keep up with writing them. If anyone wants to take a stab at any of them, that would be great. Don't worry that you don't know how to code the autotournaments; I can take care of that. I just need the composition.

• Asiago (battle fought 15th of May, 1916, therefore the corresponding tournament should have launched 15th of May, 2016)
• Trentino (battle fought 15th of May, 1916, therefore the corresponding tournament should have launched 15th of May, 2016)
• Jutland (battle fought 31st of May, 1916, therefore the corresponding tournament should have launched 31st of May, 2016)
• Lutsk (battle fought 4th of June, 1916, therefore the corresponding tournament should have launched 4th of June, 2016) see my post below
• Khanaquin (battle fought 4th of June, 1916, therefore the corresponding {etc., etc., I think you get the pattern.})
• First Day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1st, 1916 see my post below
• Bazentin Ridge, July 14th, 1916
• Delville Wood, July 15th, 1916
• Battle of Pozières, July 23rd, 1916
• Romani, August 3rd, 1916
• Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, August 6th, 1916
• Gorizia, August 6th, 1916
• Battle of Guillemont, Sept 3rd
• Seventh Battle of the Isonzo, Sept 14th
• Battle of Flers-Courcelette, Sept 15th
• Eighth Isonzo, October 8th, 1916
• Ninth Isonzo, November 1st
• Maghdaba, December 14th
• Second Kut, Dec. 15th
• Opening 1917, the small but exciting Battle of Khadairi Bend, January 9th, 1917
• Battle of Nahr-al-Kalek, February 26th, 1917
• Fall of Baghdad, March 11th, 1917
• Samarrah, March 13th
• Fallujah, March 19th
• Jebel Hamrin, March 25
• First Gaza, March 26h

If any of the above makes your short list of "most fascinating battles of World War I", you could consider writing a tournament about it.

I've crossed out the ones I've seen started recently. Am I correct in the updated list? Has anyone done something for Lutsk? I'm going to give it a try....I think....

[Dukasaur]

So, we're now almost a full year behind. A lot of the tournament writers that were helping in the beginning have dropped out, and I just can't keep up with it. Here's a list of tournaments that should have launched in the last eleven months but didn't because I couldn't keep up with writing them. If anyone wants to take a stab at any of them, that would be great. Don't worry that you don't know how to code the autotournaments; I can take care of that. I just need the composition.

• Asiago (battle fought 15th of May, 1916, therefore the corresponding tournament should have launched 15th of May, 2016)
• Trentino (battle fought 15th of May, 1916, therefore the corresponding tournament should have launched 15th of May, 2016)
• Jutland (battle fought 31st of May, 1916, therefore the corresponding tournament should have launched 31st of May, 2016)
• Lutsk (battle fought 4th of June, 1916, therefore the corresponding tournament should have launched 4th of June, 2016)
• Khanaquin (battle fought 4th of June, 1916, therefore the corresponding {etc., etc., I think you get the pattern.})
• First Day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1st, 1916
• Bazentin Ridge, July 14th, 1916
• Delville Wood, July 15th, 1916
• Battle of Pozières, July 23rd, 1916
• Romani, August 3rd, 1916
• Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, August 6th, 1916
• Gorizia, August 6th, 1916
• Battle of Guillemont, Sept 3rd
• Seventh Battle of the Isonzo, Sept 14th
• Battle of Flers-Courcelette, Sept 15th
• Eighth Isonzo, October 8th, 1916
• Ninth Isonzo, November 1st
• Maghdaba, December 14th
• Second Kut, Dec. 15th
• Opening 1917, the small but exciting Battle of Khadairi Bend, January 9th, 1917
• Battle of Nahr-al-Kalek, February 26th, 1917
• Fall of Baghdad, March 11th, 1917
• Samarrah, March 13th
• Fallujah, March 19th
• Jebel Hamrin, March 25
• First Gaza, March 26h

If any of the above makes your short list of "most fascinating battles of World War I", you could consider writing a tournament about it.

I've crossed out the ones I've seen started recently. Am I correct in the updated list? Has anyone done something for Lutsk? I'm going to give it a try....I think....

Yup, that's the correct list.

I had intended to do Lutsk, but I haven't gotten around to it, so by all means go ahead.

[morleyjoe]

I've decided to try my hand for at least one of these...lets see how it goes and take it from there


The Battle of Lutsk

While the Battle of Lutsk was relatively short (June 4th to 6th, 1916), it was the opening attack of the Brusilov Offensive (pic of Alexei Brusilov) which became known as the Russian Empire's greatest feat during WWI. It was the worst loss for Austro-Hungarian forces.

On the night of June 4th, the Russians started with a barrage of artillery against the Austro-Hungarian Fourth Army. It was so intense that it broke more than 50 gaps in the barbed wire defenses.

Those defending Lutsk fled in panic or surrendered without resistance. Although they fought back briefly, the overwhelming Russian Infantry pressed forward.

In just two days, 130,000 Austro-Hungarian forces were lost. This forced Austria to halt it's attacks in Italy. It also brought Romania into the war. From this point onwards, the Brusilov Offensive would move ahead in force for the next 4 months.

Credit to the following for most of my info:
http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/lutsk.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lutsk

24 Players start

Round 1: Russian forces pounded gaps in the barbed wire. Random Draw, 5 games, 24 move on, Games: 6 Players, Terminator, Escalating, No Fog. Map - Trench Warfare

Round 2: The defenders fled in panic or surrendered without resistance. 24 start, Random Draw, 6 games, 16 move on, Games: 8 Players, Terminator, Escalating, Fog. Maps - Middle Ages, Classic Cities: Pot Mosbi

Round 3: With overwhelming numbers the Russians pressed the attack. 16 start, Random Draw, 9 games, 8 move on, Games: 4 Players, Terminator, Escalating, Fog. Maps Austro-Hungarian Empire, WWII Eastern Front, Soviet Union

Round 4: A change of direction for many nations. 8 start, Score Resets, Random draw, 8 games, 8 Players, Terminator, Escalating, Fog. Maps Germany, Italy, Orient Express 1883, Europe 1914

[iAmCaffeine]

I like it.

[djelebert]

nice work morleyjoe

[morleyjoe]

What do you think Duk? If there are any edits needed, let me know!


The First Day of the Battle of the Somme was some of the worst losses for the British Empire. There were several nations involved in the battle, including the Newfoundland Regiment, who were with the 88th Brigade of the 29th Division.

Of all the battles that the Newfoundland Regiment fought during the First World War, none was as devastating or as defining as the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The Regiment's tragic advance at Beaumont Hamel on the morning of July 1, 1916 became an enduring symbol of its valour and of its terrible wartime sacrifices. The events of that day were forever seared into the cultural memory of the Newfoundland and Labrador people.

The Newfoundland Regiment was stationed in trenches near the French village of Beaumont Hamel, which lay behind German lines. It was a strategically difficult position. The German front lines were about 300 to 500 metres away, down a grassy slope and heavily guarded by barbed wire entanglements. The German 119th Reserve Regiment, tough and experienced, had turned the natural defences of a deep Y-shaped ravine into one of the strongest positions on the entire Somme front. The Newfoundland Regiment's assignment (along with the rest of the 88th Brigade) was to seize control of the German trenches near the village of Beaumont Hamel. The Regiment would be part of a third wave of attackers to leave Allied trenches.

As the first wave of Allied troops left their trenches at 7:30, they were greeted by a devastating barrage of enemy artillery and machine gun fire. It was far stronger than anyone had anticipated. Most men were killed or wounded in minutes. A second wave of troops left their trenches soon after and met with the same fate. The Newfoundland Regiment was still in its trenches, awaiting orders to go over the top as part of a third wave of attack.

The men left their trenches at 9:15 a.m., with orders to seize the first and second lines of enemy trenches. But as they moved down the exposed slope towards No Man's Land, no friendly fire covered their advance. Instead, German cross-fire cut across the advancing columns of men, killing or wounding most of them before they even reached No Man's Land.

The attack was a devastating failure. In a single morning, almost 20,000 British troops died, and another 37,000 were wounded. The Newfoundland Regiment had been almost wiped out. When roll call was taken, only 68 men answered their names - 324 were killed, or missing and presumed dead, and 386 were wounded.


Above text and images are excerpts from Heritage Newfoundland & Labrador http://www.heritage.nf.ca/ website

Read all the details at http://www.heritage.nf.ca/first-world-w ... mel-en.php

Round 1. Germany had marched through Belgium and into northern France. 24 start, Random Draw, 6 games, 24 move on. Games: 8 players, Standard, Flat rate, random fog, adj forts. Maps - France, BeNeLux, Germany

Round 2. Newfoundland Regiment is with the 88th Brigade of the 29th Division. 24 start, Random Draw, 6 games, 18 move on. Games: 4 player, Terminator, No spoils, no fog, unlimited forts. Maps - Wales, Scotland, England

Round 3. Many soldiers sent letters home in the days before the battle. 18 start, random Draw, 6 games, 14 move on. Games: 9 player, Terminator, Esc, no fog, chained forts. Maps - Canada, North America, Golfe Du Saint-Laurent

Round 4. Allied trenches stretched along one side and Germans along the other. Score Resets. 14 start, random draw, 6 games, 14 move on. Games: 7 player, Standard, No spoils, random fog, adj forts. Maps - Trench Warfare, Siege

Round 5. This was a death trap for our boys. 14 start, random draw, 8 games, 8 move on. Games 7 player, Standard, random Nuclear/Zombie spoils, random fog, chained forts. Maps - Island of Doom, Madness.

Round 6. Beaumont Hamel plunged Newfoundland and Labrador into a period of mourning. 8 start, 8 games. Games 8 player, Standard, random flat rate/esc/no spoils, Fog, chained forts. Maps - France 2.1, Unification Germany, British Isles, Golfe Du Saint-Laurent.

[ConfederateSS]

Kool Morleyjoe...
-----Duk would let me know about what Xroads was doing..."Jutland"...I didn't want to step on anyone...Duk said he was doing Lutsk so I didn't want to repeat...Even though Duk is o.k. with repeats. As we try and catch up. I PMed Duk weeks ago. I'm working/worked on The 1st Somme through Gorizia...But feel free to run wild Morleyjoe...Mine are of a time traveling story teller...Wayward Day's adventures... ...Keep up the good work... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[morleyjoe]

Kool Morleyjoe...
-----Duk would let me know about what Xroads was doing..."Jutland"...I didn't want to step on anyone...Duk said he was doing Lutsk so I didn't want to repeat...Even though Duk is o.k. with repeats. As we try and catch up. I PMed Duk weeks ago. I'm working/worked on The 1st Somme through Gorizia...But feel free to run wild Morleyjoe...Mine are of a time traveling story teller...Wayward Day's adventures... ...Keep up the good work... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

Love your take on these - glad to be able to help move them forward.

I've got one nearly done for the Battle of Bazentin Ridge for now - so if you and Duk and Xroads are good with that, then I'll post it here in the next few days. If you are working forward to Gorizia, I could pick up with Guillemont and/or beyond...

I too don't want to step on anyone...and Duk did say okay to Lutsk...

So maybe we post here for future reference?

Lutsk - posted - morleyjoe
Khanaquin - posted - ConfederateSS
First Day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1st, 1916 -posted - morleyjoe
Bazentin Ridge, July 14th, 1916 - started - morleyjoe
Delville Wood, July 15th, 1916 - started - ConfederateSS
Battle of Pozières, July 23rd, 1916 - started - ConfederateSS
Romani, August 3rd, 1916 - started - ConfederateSS
Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, August 6th, 1916 - started - ConfederateSS
Gorizia, August 6th, 1916 - started - ConfederateSS

Battle of Guillemont, Sept 3rd
Seventh Battle of the Isonzo, Sept 14th
Battle of Flers-Courcelette, Sept 15th
Eighth Isonzo, October 8th, 1916
Ninth Isonzo, November 1st
Maghdaba, December 14th
Second Kut, Dec. 15th
Opening 1917, the small but exciting Battle of Khadairi Bend, January 9th, 1917
Battle of Nahr-al-Kalek, February 26th, 1917
Fall of Baghdad, March 11th, 1917
Samarrah, March 13th
Fallujah, March 19th
Jebel Hamrin, March 25
First Gaza, March 26h

Duk posts here for more battles....

[Mad777]

Thanks for all the help given so far, I'm sure we will catch up a good amount within the next months...

[Dukasaur]

It's really not a problem that we have two different Battles of the Somme. We can run both.

You guys are doing great! I'll try to get the thread tidied up a bit this weekend.

[Dukasaur]

Tenth Quarter Archive

[spoiler=lake naroch]Lake Naroch
Like Fifth Isonzo, the Lake Naroch operation was largely prompted by a need to relieve the pressure on France, which was fighting for survival at Verdun.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Naroch_Offensive

Under the terms of the Chantilly Agreement of December 1915 Russia, France, Great Britain and Italy were committed to simultaneous attacks against the Central Powers in the summer of 1916. Russia felt the need to lend troops to fight in France and Salonika (against her own wishes), and to attack on the Eastern Front, in the hope of obtaining munitions from Britain and France.[11]

The Lake Naroch Offensive was launched at the request of France, in the hope that the Germans would transfer more units to the East after their attack on Verdun.[12] Nicholas II acceded to the French request, choosing the Lake Narach area in what is now the Republic of Belarus because there the Imperial Russian Army had a significant numerical superiority over the German forces under the command of General Eichhorn.

The Russians lavished a massive two-day artillery bombardment on the Germans, but despite being the largest bombardment on the Eastern Front thus far, it was wildly inaccurate and ineffective. In addition to other problems, there was a professional feud between the long-range and short-range gunners, and they refused to share intelligence with each other.

Like other offensives in the Lithuanian area, the path of advance was limited by the lakes. Already bottle-necked due to the lakes, the Russians compounded the problem by advancing as a mass, instead of in scattered groups. The human wave attack had already been completely discredited on the Western Front. As a third factor, heavy mud bogged down the advance. So, channeled into predictable pathways by the lakes, forced into obsolete human wave attacks by their dunderheaded commanders, and slogging at a slow pace through thick mud, the Russian infantry were textbook-perfect sitting ducks for German machine guns and rifle fire. Not surprisingly, there were 100,000 Russian dead to only 20,000 German.

This iconic image of despondent German prisoners has been widely publicized.

http://greatwarproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/German-pow-Naroch.jpg
In truth, the image is probably famous not because it is typical, but because it is atypical. Faced with a huge defeat, the Russians were determined to turn it into a propaganda victory, and any losses suffered by the Germans were trumpeted far and wide.

By the end of April, any land gained in the attacks had been retaken by the Germans. The battle was therefore a quadruple failure:

1. The battle failed to capture any land from the Germans.
2. There were five times as many Russian casualties as German.
3. The Russian army was further demoralized, while the Germans were encouraged, and most importantly,
4. The battle failed utterly in its primary aim of relieving pressure on the French. Not one division was transferred from the Western Front to the East as a result of this battle.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This tournament will focus on eight maps.

• Soviet Union and Transsib1914 will represent the Russian side.
• Germany and Unification Germany will represent the German side.
• Baltic States and Baltic Crusades will (approximately) represent the region of Europe where the battle took place
• Arctic will represent the cold and Labyrinth will represent the treacherous swampy terrain.

There will be eight games in each phase, one on each of the maps. Settings will vary. The tournament is premium-only.

24 players begin. All games have a 30-round limit. Settings default except as specified below:

Phase 1: The Russians believed their numerical superiority in the area would guarantee victory
4-player standard games, 4 points per win
Flat rate, manual deployment

Phase 2: For two days there was a massive, but inaccurate, bombardment of the German positions
2-player poly games, 1 point per win
fog, trench, nuclear, polymorphic dubs

Phase 3: The Russian infantry surged forward in "human wave" attacks, a tactic already discredited
8-player terminator games, 9 points per win
unlimited forts, terminator

Scores reset, ten players advance

Phase 4: German machine-gunners inflicted devastating casualties on the advancing Russians
5-player Standard games, 4 points per win
parachute, zombie, trench

Phase 5: A second attack near Riga was no more successful than the first
2-player poly games, 3 points per win
no spoils, fog, polymorphic trips

Eight players advance
Phase 6: in the end, the battle was a humiliating failure for the Russians
8-player assassin games, 10 points per win
assassin

-- DK[/spoiler]
[spoiler=tragedy at kut]At the time of the surrender at Kut-el-Amara, not all the facts were known. In the narrative as it was understood at the time, Townshend's troops were trapped at Kut because their mobility and supply was crippled after the defeat at Ctesiphon. Only after the war did a much more tragic tale emerge. It turned out that Townshend's troops had been perfectly capable of retreating downriver after Ctesiphon. A brief rest at Kut would have sufficed to let them resume their journey back to Basra and relative safety. The British Army arrived in Kut on December 3rd and it was not until December 9th that the Turks surrounded the city. At any time during that week Townshend's force would have been free to resume its retreat to Basra.

It turns out that Townshend, a man of colossal hubris, deliberately let himself get trapped at Kut. He wanted to gain fame as the survivor of a great siege, as Baden-Powell had at Mafeking or Gordon at Khartoum. He got his chance, in a small way, in 1885 at the Siege of Chitral, but that was a small brush fire of a rebellion in colonial India. The Mesopotamian Campaign of WWI was much larger, and he hoped it would cement his reputation among the greatest commanders of all time.

Townshend was a military legend in his own mind. In reality, he was a competent, aggressive, and often successful commander, but his pride blew his capabilities out of proportion. As quoted in wikipedia, many commentators note the long shadow that Townshend's self-importance cast over all his deeds.

Townshend's biographer, the British historian A.J. Barker noted: "Anybody who could further his career was invariably called up to help, often in the most pleading of terms".[3] Sean McKnight, the Deputy Head of War Studies at Sandhurst called Townshend as "just about the most dramatically ambitious senior officer I think I've ever come across. He's never content, he's always looking for the second or third job down the line, and one of the most irritating facets of him is, even when he's got something he should be very happy with, he's not content".[8] Townshend's endlessly ambitious streak, together his tendency to view whatever position he held as insufficient for him, and a penchant for writing letters attacking whoever was his commanding officer as incompetent to their commanding officer, made Townshend very unpopular with his other officers who viewed Townshend variously as a treacherous intriguer forever scheming for a promotion, a pathetic whiner who was never happy with what he had, and as a dangerous megalomaniac whose vainglorious quest for yet another promotion led him to take gratuitous risks.[9] The British historian Geoffrey Regan described Townshend as an officer whose high intelligence and abilities were marred by his egomania.

On the offensive the previous fall, Townshend had scored one victory after another, at Qurna, at Narirayah, at Es Sinn. It looked like he was about to capture Baghdad, but the defeat at Ctesiphon stopped his offensive. Baghdad was so close, and yet so far.

Once again, I'll turn to the commentators quoted in wikipedia:

Townshend began to fall to pieces when he realized that he would not take Baghdad after all, a blow that was quite psychologically shattering for him.[87] Strachan commented that:

"...retreating from Ctesiphon for Townshend shatters his dreams of a glorious entry into Baghdad, and that clearly has a profound impact on his decision-making. From Townshend's point of view it could lead to the preference of one of his fellow generals: for example, Major-General Gorringe might get the coveted promotion to lieutenant-general. Even worse, it could lead to the Mesopotamian campaign doing what Townshend's strategic brain told him it ought to do, which is becoming a backwater, any hope of seizing Baghdad being abandoned, and of course any hope of anyone making their military reputation and getting their promotions also being abandoned: the dire possibility of yet again being in another military backwater while the action is elsewhere and the limelight is elsewhere...The ability to sustain a siege was one way of guaranteeing a high profile. The Siege of Mafeking had made Baden-Powell's reputation, had made Baden-Powell into a household name and had prompted enormous jubilation when the siege had been lifted. So he knew full well that conducting a siege was a more satisfactory way to, or more likely to be a successful way to achieve public adulation than simply conducting a very successful fighting retreat down the Tigris back towards Basra".[92]

Townshend could have retreated back to Basra if he wanted to, but instead he chose to make his stand at Kut.[93] Townshend chose to fortify Kut out of the hope of repeating his success at Chitral in 1895, knowing that if the Ottomans besieged him at Kut, then the British Army would have to send out a relief force to break the siege.[93] Townshend's decision to allow the Ottomans to besiege him and his men at Kut was taken to allow him to come out of the campaign as a hero just as he had at Chitral rather for any compelling military reasons.[93] Townshend claimed that his men were exhausted and could not march anymore, hence his decision to stop at Kut.[5] General William Delamian, one of Townshend's subordinates was to later write that this claim was a lie and after a day's rest at Kut, the men of the 6th Division could have easily continued to march if only Townshend had given the order.[5] Perry wrote: "The fact is, Townshend wanted to endure a siege at Kut".[5] Townshend (who had been part of the relief expedition to save Charles Gordon at Khartoum) had been greatly influenced by how the British press had lionized Gordon, and wished to be lionized by Fleet Street in the same way.

So, 8,000 British and Indian troops hunkered down in Kut, waiting to be gloriously rescued. Many rescue attempts were made, as we have already documented in this series. General Aylmer and his 19,000 troops dutifully headed up the river, fighting actions at Sheik Sa'ad, at "the Wadi", at Hanna, and at Dujaila. After Aylmer was relieved, General Gorrige made one final push advancing up the right bank of the Tigris, but stopped at Sannaiyat, 12 miles from Kut. (Aylmer's attempts on the left bank of the Tigris had gotten much closer.)

The British also sent T.E. Lawrence (better known as Lawrence of Arabia) with £ 2,000,000 to attempt to bribe Khalil Pasha into accepting a truce. With all the rescue attempts having failed and the bribe rejected, Townshend surrendered on April 19, 2016.

Altogether during the Siege and the various rescue attempts, 30,000 British troops died and 14,000 went into captivity. It was one of the most humiliating defeats in British history. It was hard enough to swallow on the face of it, but when after the war it became clear that the whole affair was unnecessary, humiliation turned to disgust.

Townshend was used as a celebrity prisoner by the Turks. He spent his captivity living in a palace on the island of Prinkipo, and was allowed the use of a yacht with which he could sail across the harbour and attend state dinners in Istanbul. He was paraded in front of foreign news reporters and diplomats as proof that the Ottoman government was prepared to be magnanimous with defeated enemies. In fact, while Townshend dined on dainties in the capital, three-quarters of the men he had led into captivity died of disease or starvation in their desolate prison camps.

During his trip to Constantinople, Townshend saw at least once the battered, starving, thirsty and broken-down remnants of his division travelling north on the death march.[105] Townshend raised the subject once with Enver (who already knew about the death march as he had the POWs marched past him during a victory parade he had attended in Baghdad) who assured him that he knew nothing about the death march, but he would look into it.[106] This was the first and only time that Townshend ever expressed concern about how his men were being treated as POWs

After the war Townshend ran for Parliament. In 1920 his fame was still sufficient to get him elected, but by 1922 the truth about his misconduct of the campaign, along with the truth about his opulent lifestyle in captivity while his men died, was emerging, and he was not re-elected. By the time he died in 1924 he was rapidly becoming a pariah, and each new history or biography has brought forth a new story reinforcing his disrepute.

Townshend was studied as one of the worst commanders of all time in Dixon's book "On The Psychology Of Military Incompetence."

For a break from wikipedia, here is a short article on firstworldwar dot com, detailing the battle:
http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/kut1.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

24 premium players begin

Phase 1
Townshend was related to minor English nobility, but never got the title he craved
Map: England
3X 8-p term games, 1 each of parachute, adjacent, chained, otherwise default

Phase 2
His career began at Khartoum, and the hero-worship accorded Gordon made a lasting impression on him
Map: Dark Continent
3X 8-p standard games, no spoils, fog, trench, otherwise default

Phase 3
He gained fame at Chitral during the brush wars on India's Northern Frontier
Map: Indian Empire
3x 6-p games, randomly term/standard, 1 each of flat/esc/nuk, randomly foggy, otherwise default

Phase 4
Townshend had an almost Napoleonic belief in his own importance
Map: Austerlitz
3X Poly dubs games, foggy, 1 each of flat/esc/no spoils, otherwise default

Score resets, 15 players advance
Phase 5
His bold action in Mesopotamia almost captured Baghdad, but failed in the end
Map: Battle for Iraq
3X 5-p Standard games, trench, otherwise default

Phase 6
During the five-month seige that followed, numerous rescue attempts were made
Map: Das Schloss
3X 5-p Assassin games, foggy parachute randomly esc/nuk, otherwise default

Phase 7
Even Lawrence of Arabia was sent to try to broker a truce
Map: Middle East
3X 5-p Term games, foggy, randomly parachute/unlimited, otherwise default

Score resets, Seven players advance
Phase 8
In the end, the Ottomans triumphed
Map: Ottoman Empire
3X 7-p Standard games, flat and trench, otherwise default

Phase 9
30,000 British and Indian troops died, and 14,000 went into captivity
Map: Hong Kong
4X 7-p Term games, random fog, otherwise default

Score resets, 4 players advance
Phase 10
In the horrific conditions of the prison camps, three-quarters of the prisoners died
Map: Bamboo Jack
9X 4-p games, 3 each of Ass, Term, Stand, randomly trench, randomly fog, randomly flat/esc other settings default


-- DK[/spoiler]

back to main index

[Dukasaur]

Eleventh Quarter Archive (April to June of 2017)

[spoiler=Jutland]

The Battle of Jutland was the greatest sea battle of WWI, and the winner is still in doubt to this day. It was fought in the North Sea off the coast of Denmark from May 31st to June st 2016.

From WIKI

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Jutland

"Germany's High Seas Fleet intended to lure out, trap, and destroy a portion of the Grand Fleet, as the German naval force was insufficient to openly engage the entire British fleet. This formed part of a larger strategy to break the British blockade of Germany and to allow German naval vessels access to the Atlantic. Meanwhile, Great Britain's Royal Navy pursued a strategy of engaging and destroying the High Seas Fleet, thereby keeping German naval forces contained and away from Britain and her shipping lanes.[4]

The Germans planned to use Vice-Admiral Franz Hipper's fast scouting group of five modern battlecruisers to lure Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty's battlecruiser squadrons into the path of the main German fleet. They stationed submarines in advance across the likely routes of the British ships. However, the British learned from signal intercepts that a major fleet operation was likely, so on 30 May Jellicoe sailed with the Grand Fleet to rendezvous with Beatty, passing over the locations of the German submarine picket lines while they were unprepared. The German plan had been delayed, causing further problems for their submarines, which had reached the limit of their endurance at sea.

On the afternoon of 31 May, Beatty encountered Hipper's battlecruiser force long before the Germans had expected. In a running battle, Hipper successfully drew the British vanguard into the path of the High Seas Fleet. By the time Beatty sighted the larger force and turned back towards the British main fleet, he had lost two battlecruisers from a force of six battlecruisers and four powerful battleships – though he had sped ahead of his battleships of 5th Battle Squadron earlier in the day, effectively losing them as an integral component for much of this opening action against the five ships commanded by Hipper. Beatty's withdrawal at the sight of the High Seas Fleet, which the British had not known were in the open sea, would reverse the course of the battle by drawing the German fleet in pursuit towards the British Grand Fleet. Between 18:30, when the sun was lowering on the western horizon, back-lighting the German forces, and nightfall at about 20:30, the two fleets – totalling 250 ships between them – directly engaged twice.

Fourteen British and eleven German ships sank, with great loss of life. After sunset, and throughout the night, Jellicoe manoeuvred to cut the Germans off from their base, hoping to continue the battle the next morning, but under the cover of darkness Scheer broke through the British light forces forming the rearguard of the Grand Fleet and returned to port.[5]

Both sides claimed victory. The British lost more ships and twice as many sailors but succeeded in containing the German fleet. However, the British press criticised the Grand Fleet's failure to force a decisive outcome, while Scheer's plan of destroying a substantial portion of the British fleet also failed. Finally, the British strategy of denying Germany access to both the United Kingdom and the Atlantic did succeed, which was the British long-term goal.[6] The Germans' "fleet in being" continued to pose a threat, requiring the British to keep their battleships concentrated in the North Sea, but the battle re-inforced the German policy of avoiding all fleet-to-fleet contact. At the end of 1916, after further unsuccessful attempts to reduce the Royal Navy's numerical advantage, the German Navy accepted that its surface ships had been successfully contained, subsequently turning its efforts and resources to unrestricted submarine warfare and the destruction of Allied and neutral shipping, which - along with the Zimmermann Telegram - by April 1917 triggered the United States of America's declaration of war on Germany.[7]"


Since this battle was a big guessing game of who was where, all games will be fog. All games will have 20 round limits

Round 1 48 players High Seas 8 player games, no spoils, 3 games

Round 2 48 players Europa 4 player games, escalating assassin 5 games per round

Round 3 48 players British isles 1 vs 1, games 5 games per round. Fog, escalating, parachute.

Score Resets

Round 4 36 players Trafalgar. 6 player, fog, freestyle, escalating. 5 games

Round 5 36 players, Spanish Armada 4 players, fog, nuclear 3 games

Round 6 36 players Battle of Actium 1vs1 fog, flat rate, 5 games

Score Resets

Round 7 24 players Kingdom of Denmark 6 players, fog, nuclear, 5 games

Round 8 24 players Nordic Nations 4 players, fog, flat rate 3 games

Round 9 24 players Copenhagen 1vs1 fog, 5 games, nuclear

Score Resets

Round 10 12 players High Seas 6 player games escalating, 5 games

Round 11 12 players Germany 4 players, assassin, escalating. 5 games

Round 12 12 players 1982 fog trench escalating 1vs1 7 games

[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Asiago]

The Battle of Asiago/Story line.
-----Hello all, my name is Wayward Day. I am an American who is studying abroad in Florence, Italy. One day I decided to go site seeing. To enjoy and soak the 1000's of years of History of a country and the surrounding area of Europe. While I'm lucky enough to be here free on scholarships. "Luck" is the key work, as I was soon to find out.
-----I chose to go biking in the northern part of Italy. I found myself in the mountains of The Alps known as the Dolomites. In the area of Trentino. As I explored the area. I came across a path with white and yellow dove symbols painted everywhere. White doves on wood and yellow doves on rock. There was a sigh,"Sentiero della Pace"(Path of Peace). One of the symbols started glowing. Yup, you guessed it. I touched it. Bright flashes of light, then I passed out.
-----When I awoke. It was to the sound of thunder or what I thought was thunder. I soon realized I wasn't where I thought I was. Oh, I was in the same spot. But I found myself dressed in different clothes. I looked around, the painted doves had vanished. I came across a man laying on the ground. When I spoke to him. My words were no longer in English. But Italian and German.
-----He told me he was dressed like an Austro-Hungarian. Because he was an Italian spy. He was dying and told me to get these papers to Italian General Luigi Cadorna. Leader of the Italian armies. But he sorta laughed. For Cadorna is one of the worst generals ever, he claimed. As he handed me his satchel his eyes closed for the last time. I soon came to accept where I was. Right smack in the middle of The First World War. Although part of me still didn't believe it.
-----When I arrived at Italian H.Q.. I was taken to Cadorna. I pulled the papers out of the satchel and handed them to him. I told him it was the Austro-Hungarian battle plans. MARKED: The Strafexpedition or punishment expedition. He was impressed that I spoke English, Italian and German. The plans were by the leader of the Austro-Hungarian forces. General Conrad von Hoetzendorff. He wanted Italy to pay for switching sides in the war.
-----Austro-Hungarian's army was made up of: 3rd and 11th armies,300 battalions and 2,000 artillery guns. Where as Italy's army was made up of: 1st and 5th armies, 172 battalions and 850 artillery guns.
-----Conrad's plan was to break through the Alps into the Venetian Plain. Cut of the Italian troops along the Isonzo in the south. Forcing Italy out of the war. The plans revealed the attack had been postponed 4 times do to snow. The new target date was today May 15th, 1916.
-----As I was informing Cadorna. He stopped me. He let me know the attack is underway. The thunder I heard this morning. Was the Austro-Hungarian guns opening up a barrage of shells raining down on Italian positions all along the line. As 400,000 Aus/Hun troops poured in there after. Although surprised ,Cadorna was already making plans in the Venetian Plain. He was pulling troops together from all over Italy to form The V Army. In case his forces are beaten back in the Alps. Up until the attack. Cadorna considered the Trentino region a backwater place. As opposed to the Isonzo river. Most Italian soldiers felt the same way. The area had kept Italy safe from invaders. As far back as The Roman Empire. No one would be crazy enough to try an attack there. Cadorna would soon come to realize just how unpredictable Conrad is.
-----As news from the front lines poured in. I would inform Cadorna. During which time he would tell me stories of what Austro-Hungarian troops were doing in the region before Italy switched sides. A deal with the Allies which would give Italy land from the Aus/Hun Empire. Where Italian people lived. The Aus/Hun Empire was arresting anyone who refused to serve in the army. Or those who tried to help them. The Aus/Hun Empire would send them to refugees camps by train. A long the way. Boys and men would be taken off the trains. To help dig and build fortifications along the Aus/Hun-Italian border. The most famous of these. Was The Emperor's Fortress. Built by Emperor Franz Josef. It was his own Maginot Line if you will, so to speak.
-----As the Aus/Hun guns continued to pound the Italians. The barrage would last from, May 15th to May 20th. The Aus/Hun army knew from fighting the Russians in the Carpathians. That it was vital to secure an army's flanks in mountain warfare. Cadorna told me. He was well aware. The wounded started returning from the battlefield. Many Italians were pummeled not just by the shells from the Aus/Hun army. But by the rocky ground, that showered them with lethal chips of rock and steel.
-----As the days past the news was not good for Cadorna. The Aus/Hun army was pushing through the Asiago Plain. The Italian reinforcements tried to hold back the Aus/Hun's at bay. But to no avail. The Italians were being pushed back to their last line of defense. As they knew failure here, would destroy all of Italy's defense everywhere.
-----The 11th Aus/Hun army under the command of Count Viktor Dankl von Krasnik on May 15th crushed the Italian forces between Vallarsa and Val d'Astro. All Cadorna could do is listen as. Aus/Hun army would take Val Terragnolo and the Altopiano di Tonezza. Between May 15th and May 20th, Colsanto, Mount Maggio, Mount Torano, Mount Campomolon and Mount Spitz di Tonezza all fell into Aus/Hun hands. On May 20th the 3rd Aus/Hun army under the command of General Hermann Kovess. Was thrown into the battle at Altopiano dei Settie Comuni.
-----I could see the 1,000 yard stare in Cadorna's face. As he was coming to grips with the facts that the Aus/Hun army in a span of 2 weeks. With a flood of 400,000 troops Conrad had pulled off the Russian front. Had smashed through the Italian center line. Captured 30,000 Italian soldiers. Was on the door step of the Venetian Plain. With only a few natural barriers that Cadorna hoped would stand in their way. Cadorna could only imagine what his counterpart General Conrad von Hoetzendorff was feeling. As Hoetzendorff had his most goal of the offensive in reach. The encirclement of Isonzo. With the news on paper coming in. The Aus/Hun army leaders had every reason to celebrate.
-----Cadorna could see his forces were not going easy. Their resolve remained unbroken. As the Aus/Hun army was finding them to be rugged as they advanced. As the center was cracking. The Italian flanks were holding strong. Which pleased Cadorna. He knew that is what Hoetzendorff was trying to break.
-----As the reports of the fighting came in. Put on the war front battle board. One thing was becoming quite clear to Cadorna. Although the Aus/Hun army controlled the best part of the Sette Communi plateau and the upper portion of the Brenta valley. That area was a sorta blocked in place. Which made it hard to maneuver or advance. Which was a blessing for Cadorna. It gave the Italian troops a chance to gain time. To regroup and catch a second wind. I watched as Cadorna addressed his men. As he prepared Italy's last stand, on the Venetian Plain. He shouted his order,"Remember that here we defend the soil of our country and the honor of our army. These positions are to be defended to the death.
-----Cadorna let on to me. He had pulled of a miracle. In just 3 days time. He pulled troops from all over Italy. Formed the V Army to make a last stand on the Venetian Plain. The V army was made up of 5 corps, a cavalry div., and 400,000 men in total. He knew full well, that the Aus/Hun army was running out of steam. They had no help of their own to call on. The rest of their troops were tied up elsewhere.
-----On May 25th knowing the Italians were regrouping. The Aus/Hun army attacked Monte Cimone north of Arsiero, pushing 2 Italian Alpini battalions. Causing Cadorna to realign his front lines. Some good news for Cadorna coming in was that the Aus/Hun High Command with it's early success in the offensive. Became overconfident and sent troops East from the front. Fearing a Russian attack.
-----On June 4th the Italian H.Q. exploded in cheers. For news came in. That in Glacia, the Russians opened up an offensive of their own(not that Italy hasn't been begging them for weeks). Under the command of General Aleksei Brusilov. June 5th marked the High point of the Aus/Hun offensive in Trentino. The momentum was disappearing for the Aus/Huns. Was quickly building steam on the Italian side.
-----Cadorna started his counteroffensive. Unleashing the V army on June 14th. On June 16th they were pushing at the Aus/Hun flanks. The same day General Hoetzendorff called of his offensive. News was to cause mass celebration on June 25th throughout Italy. For on the 25th of June, The Austro-Hungarian High Command ended all offensives in the region. Cadorna had done what many armies had done before him. Repel the Invaders on the Venetian Plain. Saved Italy, keeping Italy in the war. In one of the treacherous battles of World War I. Where more died from the cold and nature, then from the enemy.
-----As I turned and took one last look at a relieved Italian H.Q., I started walking away. My satchel started glowing, like the dove symbol earlier. Flash of light...Where will I find myself this time?

Battle of Asiago/Tournament...1/11
-------Wayward Day's Diary:
-----When I arrived at Italian H.Q.. The Austro-Hungarian offensive(The Strafexpedition) was underway. The Aus/Hun High Command took 18 divisions from the Eastern front. Made up of 400,000 men and 2,000 heavy guns. Their hope was to surprise and smash the Italians in The Alps. Break through to the Venetian Plain. Cut the southern Italian forces at the Isonzo river off. Knocking Italy out of the war.
-----Early successes almost made it possible. If not for a brave last stand by the Italians on the Venetian Plain. Also at the same time, with a weakened Austro-Hungarian Eastern front. The Russians launched an offensive of their own. In a turn of events. The Aus/Hun High Command had to stop their offensive(Strafexpedition). Which allowed Italy to stay in The First World War.


Round 1:(Reason for map---Armies since the Roman Empire have tried to invade Italy from the Alps.)
The Strafexpedition, Gen. Conrad von Hoetzendorff's Austro-Hungarian plan to punish Italy for switching sides in The First World War. With the thumbs up from Archduke Eugene. The offensive against Italy in the Alps opened up on May 15th, 1916. With a barrage of 2,000 artillery guns raining down on Italian lines all along the front.
24 start and 24 move on. Map: Imperium Romanum.,8 players play once, Terminator, Auto, Sequential, Flat Rate, Adjacent, Fog, 30 rounds.

Round 2:
On May 16 Cadorna seen the key position of Mount Pasubio had not been occupied. Ann Italian battalion was hurried up. In a night time march by way of the Passo di Xamo. They beat the Aus/Hun army by 2 hours. When the Aus/Hun army showed up. They were quickly repelled by the Italian defenders.
24 start and 22 move on. Map: King of The Mountains.,1-vs-1,3 games, standard, Auto, Sequential, Escalating, Chained, Fog, 30 rounds.

Round 3:(Reason for map---Many died from frostbite.)
On May 24th The Aus/Hun infantry advanced along the great ridge from Col Santa. Gen. Bertorri had just 4 brigades to stop them by the Barcola Pass. The conditions were very hard, and frostbite was responsible for many casualties.For the snow still lay deep on the high ridges.
22 start and 18 move on. Map: Dustbowl., 1-vs-1, 5 games, Standard, Auto, Sequential,(Flat Rate, Nuclear,Zombie),(Chained,Adjacent), Fog, Trench,30 rounds.

Round 4:(Reason for maps---Misreading orders)
On May 25th the Italian Alpine troops withdrew by misreading an order. The Aus/Hun army was able to occupy the vital position of Corno di Campo Verde. Do to the blunder.
18 start and 18 move on. Maps:(Doodle Earth,Crossword,Poker Club),6 players play on all 3 maps once.,Terminator, Auto, Sequential,(Flat Rate,Nuclear,Zombie),(Chained,Adjacent), Fog,Trench, 30 rounds.

Round 5:
On May 26th Cadorna thought it was wise to make further preparations to considered and planned a retreat from the Isonzo and Cadoro.
18 start and 16 move on. Map: Conquer Rome.,6 players play 3 games.,Terminator, Auto, Sequential, Escalating, Unlimited, Fog, 30 rounds.

Round 6:
On May 27th Conrad asked the Germans to send to Italy a division of the Aus/Hun XII corps, which belonged to prince Leopold's army group. By then Cadorna was holding. Except the parts where Dankl and Kovess were advancing.
16 start and 12 move on. Maps:(Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy).,4-4 player games, 2 on Austro-Hungarian Empire, 2 on Italy,Standard, Auto, Sequential, Escalating, Chained, Fog, Trench, 30 rounds.

Round 7:(Reason for map---Lost in the dark)
On May 29th Dankl's army took possession of Pria Fora. When the Italians who were falling back. Lost their way in the dark, by passing Pria Fora.
12 start and 8 move on. Map: Madness, 6 players play 3 games., Assassin, Auto, Sequential,(Escalating,Flat Rate),(Chained,Adjacent), Fog, Trench, 30 rounds.

Round 8:
On May 28th Kovess had been pushing back the Italians in the Seven Communes. Asiago was evacuated, in the north the 34th div. retreated across the Nos and Campomulo valleys. But communications were hard. Kovess had to make his efforts more to the south.
8 start and 8 move on. Map: Magyarorszag, 4 players, 5 games, Standard, Auto, Sequential, Flat Rate, Adjacent, Fog, Trench, 30 rounds.

Round 9:(Reason for map---Cadorna formed the V army in 3 days.)
On June 2nd Cadorna's V army was assembled in the Venetian Plain. To make Italy's last stand.
8 start and 4 move on. Map: Unification of Italy, 4 players, 3 games, Terminator, Auto, Sequential,(Escalating,Nuclear,Zombie),(Chained,Adjacent), Fog, 30 rounds.

Round 10:(Reason for map---The Russians attack on the Eastern front.)
On June 4th Russian Gen. Brusilov broke through at Lutsk, in the East.
4 start and 2 move on. Map: WWII Eastern Front, 4 players, 5 games, Assassin, Auto, Sequential, Escalating, Chained, Fog, 30 rounds.

Round 11:
On June 6 in spite of the Russian news. Conrad pressed the attack for 10 more days. The Archduke Charles kept attacking Petitti's div. and Kirchbach's I corps made great effort. But with his troops being sent East and Italian reinforcements. Conrad called off the offensive on June 16th 1916. But minor skirmishes continued as both sides stabilized. Italy was saved and stayed in The First World War.
2 start ---Map: Italy, 1-vs-1,7 games Standard, Auto, Sequential,(Flat Rate,Nuclear,Zombie),(Chained,Adjacent), Fog, Trench, 30 rounds.

[/spoiler]
[spoiler=trentino]

*********The Battle of Trentino/Story line*********
----------May 15th, 1916---A felling of DejaVu.----------
-----Hi, I'm Wayward Day. The last time I spoke. I was walking away from the Italian H.Q. in the Alps of World War I. After my satchel was glowing. A flash of light. I now find myself, well in a feeling of deja vu ,kinda. Two soldiers run up to me and say in German,"The men and boys have been taken off the train. They have begun work on the fortifications." I look at them and tell them,"very good." I then look down and realize I'm wearing a Major's uniform in the Austro-Hungarian army.
-----Oh,no! I thought to myself. I remember what Italian General Cadorna had told me about this. I know where I am. In a place in The Aus/Hun Empire, where they are sending people to refugee camps. Where mostly Italians live in a section of the Aus/Hun Empire. It looks like I am about to revisit a moment in time over again. But this time as an Aus/Hun. Knowing I can't let on what I know. History can't be changed.
-----Who should appear next to me, inspecting the Emperor's Fortress as it is known. But the head of the Aus/Hun forces himself, General Conrad Von Hoetzendorff. "Very good major, very good. We must be on our way to headquarters.", he said quickly. Yup, it looks like I'm Conrad's aide now. As we entered the battle/war room. You could see his plan laid out. On a huge oak table, with silver covered edges.
-----------The Strafexpedition as it was called. Placed on the battle map of the Trentino region were military pieces carved out of ivory. They showed the current front lines.
-----The Red colored pieces of The Austro-Hungarian forces: The 3rd and 11th armies, 300 battalions, and 2,000 artillery guns.
-----General Luigi Cadorna's Italian forces were colored green. The battle map showed less. But I knew there were the: 1st and 5th armies, 172 battalions, and 850 artillery guns.
-----As news of all of the troops that had come from the East were in position. Conrad gave the order to begin the offensive. That would punish Italy for switching sides in the war. Conrad hoped to drive through the Alps, push through the Venetian Plain and cut off Italian troops to the south at Isonzo. In hopes to force Italy out of the war.
-----In a span of 5 min. you could hear the world coming to an end on May 15th, 1916. With crashing sounds of thunder, the horizon was lite up with flashes from 2,000 heavy guns of the Aus/Hun army. Not to mention the shells raining down rock, fire and steel all a long the Italian lines. Then soon after, 400,000 Aus/Hun troops would slam into the shocked Italian forces. Conrad was happy his offensive was finally underway. He already had to postpone the attack four times do to snow. But the offensive was starting out better than even Conrad could of imagined. He knew Gen. Cadorna, or anyone else for that matter. Could never dream of an attack through the Alps.
-----Not only is Count Viktor von Krasnik Dankl commanding the 11th army. General Hermann Kovess in charge of the 3rd army of the Austro-Hungarian forces. But the son of the Aus/Hun Emperor Franz Josef. Archduke Charles had his own IX army. He was very effective on the battlefield. He would become Emperor later in the war. When his father passes away. Becoming the last Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father built the Emperor's Fortress,his own Maginot line if you will. In the past year, it's defenses were being fortified by refugees who refused to join the army, or those who chose to help them avoid the army.
-----As Conrad's armies advance. They know to keep their flanks secure in mountain warfare. As they had learned from their time fighting the Russians in the Carpathian mountains in the East. By May 20th the 3rd and 11th armies were steamrolling through the Italians. Like a hot knife through butter. Mostly in the Italian center. In just two weeks the Aus/Hun army had captured 30,000 Italian troops. Was in control of over 15 vital mountain tops and plateaus. That they pushed the Italians away from. The Aus/Hun army was at the brink of marching onto the Venetian Plain. With one more push ,a hop,a skip and a jump.
-----Conrad was over joyed as the map was showing the news. Most of his goal was in his grasp. He was on the verge of encircling the Italians in the south at the Isnozo river. Once he breaks through to the Venetian Plain. The Aus/Hun H.Q. was erupting in cheers of overwhelming celebration. As I watched them laughing happily. I couldn't help to think of what the New York Yankee baseball player Yogi Berra would say,"It ain't over, till it's over." As I knew what was about to happen. They were in for a fat lady singing. But not singing an Italian song. Wink.Wink.
-----Conrad could see that the Italians flanks were holding strong. "The Italians are throwing everything at us. From every bullet, rock, and even every drop of their blood!",he shouted. Conrad knew even as his armies were massively. The Aus/Hun army controlled the best part of The Brenta Valley and surrounding plateaus. The couldn't maneuver or advance from them. He could feel his counterpart Gen. Cadorna thinking the same thing. As I knew Cadorna was. As it gave the Italians a chance to rest and regroup.
-----I went outside for a break from the war room. I seen some soldiers playing poker on some oil drums and wood crates. As I walked over towards them. They jumped up and saluted me. I told them to knock it off. I am a KOOL regular soldier's officer, they relaxed. I said,"room for one more." The skinny red head dealing smiled and giggled,"You have officer's pay on ya." I reached into my satchel. Sure enough, I pulled out huge stack of cash. A short black haired bearded man, brushed off a crate with his hat. Laughing,"take a seat major." We played for hours. Drinking, smoking cigars, as they would share tales from the front lines.
-----A sickly looking man, told a story of a magnificent city being dug out of Ice in the Dolomite mountains. It is being made of a network of tunnels spanning over 7 kilometers. It is being used to launch surprise attacks on the Italians. The soldier said,"being in the Ice city, it's colder than a well digger's ass." The red head soldier throws his cards down on the oil drum. "I've got you all beat, cards, stories and all. It's so cold fighting on top of the highest mountains. Men are dying and staving from the cold. In some cases, their fingers are freezing from frostbite. They are freezing right to the guns and coming off. Sticking to the guns. A horrible sight.", he said with a smile as he raked in the pot he just won. "That might be, you won the hand. But I just came from fighting on a mountain side. The Italians were fighting to the death. When they ran out of ammo, rocks to throw at us. They would charge our men. Grab onto them inn a pushing motion. Flying to their deaths of the mountain. Taking our men them. Now that is a sight to see.",said the short black haired bearded man, with a saddened look on his face.
-----After a few more hands of cards. The drinks dried up. It was getting late. The poker game broke up. With the red head leaving with all the lute. The soldiers returned to their units. I headed back to the war room. As I approached the door I could hear yelling and the footsteps of people running around in panic. As I entered the room. Conrad was slamming his fist on the battle map. As if he himself could brush the real Italian armies away with a swipe of his hand. As he has done with the green ivory battle map army pieces. Events were starting to make Conrad lose his grip on his offensive. At the start of the offensive, the Italians occupied Mount Pasubio and Mount Grappa. They were the highest strategic points. In that they were the last defensive positions guarding the Venetian Plain. Mount Pasubio was known as the 52 gallies(tunnels) road. As it was used to supply the Italian troops. Out of Aus/Hun artillery range. Near by is where the Italians took the Cima Palon from the Aus/Hun army. Occupying the southern peak known as the Italian tooth. Separated from the Aus/Hun tooth by a small saddle path. The two sides would fight bloody battles here. Until the end of the war. There is even a Stone Tower,"Pasubio Ossuary", that holds the remains of 5,000 soldiers from both sides of the war.
-----I could tell by the yelling it was around the 1st week of June. Conrad had run out of time. For by now his troops would be running into the Italian V army. 400,000 troops that Italian Gen. Cadorna had pulled from all over Italy. To make a last stand on the Venetian Plain. As many Italian, Roman and others had stopped invaders from the north. That were trying to attack from the Alps.
-----Conrad had no new troops of his own. He tried one more push to break through. As he was trying to break the Italians. Earth shattering news swept through the Aus/Hun H.Q.. The Russian Gen. Aleksei Brusilov had opened his own offensive against the Aus/Hun Empire in the East at Glacia. The Aus/Hun high command ordered troops from Conrad's army to be sent East. With the Italians stopping his army at the foothold of the Venetian Plain. The Russians attacking in the East. Conrad called off his offensive on the 16th of June, 1916. On the 25th of June, the Aus/Hun high command stopped all offensives in the Alps. The two sides would continue fighting in the Alps ,but more of a trench style front, till the end of the war. A war Italy was still in. After Emperor Franz Josef died, Gen. Conrad Von Hoetzendorff was replaced as head of the Aus/Hun forces. He would fade away into history. Italian Gen. Luigi Cadorna on the other hand. Would become a hero to the Italian people.
-----On the afternoon of the 25th of June, I left the war room. Out side I seen Conrad looking towards the Italian Alps. As I approached him. He talked softly,"Almost major, almost. So close, if the snow would have let me start sooner. We would be drinking Italian wine right now. Instead of sour grapes." He saluted the Italian Alps, patted me on the back. He went back to his quarters. I turned towards the path leading downwards. As I started down the mountain. I couldn't help thinking of the 25th of June and an attacking General who himself would lose making a last stand in the American Old West. As I was uttering his name, CUSTER! At the same time my satchel was glowing, Flash, off again, but where to this time?

*******Tournament of The Battle of Trentino ******
-------1/7------------16 player Tournament
--------Wayward Day's diary:
-----My second trip in time. Landed me right back to the same World War I battle area in the Alps. But this time as an Austro-Hungarian soldier. I stood by the leader of The Strafexpedition offensive himself, Gen. Conrad Von Hoetzendorff. Already knowing the outcome of an Italian victory. I watched how the events unfolded as Conrad made his strategic choices. His feeling of assured victory. As his surprise attack of a barrage of artillery shells fired from 2,000 heavy guns. 400,000 troops flooding the region, rolling over the Italians at every turn.
-----To his angry reactions as his armies would slow down. Just as he was in reach of crushing Italy. His shocked look as Italian Gen. Cadorna raised the V army out of nowhere. Making a heroic last stand on the Venetian Plain. At the same time headquarters of the Aus/Hun Empire falling apart. As the Russians attacked in the East. Forcing Conrad's hands in the matter. Making him call of his dream of punishing Italy for switching sides in The First World War.


Round 1:
-----As The First World War got underway. The Austro-Hungarian Empire would arrest anyone who didn't join the army or helped hide them. They were sent to refugee camps. Men and boys would be pulled off the trains before the reached the camps. To dig and build fortifications along the Empire's borders.
16 start and 16 move on. Maps: Austro-Hungarian Empire, Das Schloss, 4-4 players play, 2 on Austro-Hungarian Empire, 2 on Das Schloss, Standard, Auto, Sequential, Escalating, Chained, Fog, 30 rounds.


Round 2:
-----Most of the fortifications were built by Emperor Franz Josef in the 19th century. To fortify Trentino--Alto Adige to the Balkans. His own Maginot Line if you will. Made up of forts and battlements a hundred miles across. He reasoned no enemy could penetrate it. This area would become the Italian Front in The Great war.
16 start and 8 move on. Maps: Balkan Peninsula, Castle Lands, Siege!, 2-8 players play, 2 on Balkan Peninsula, 2 on Castle Lands, 2 on Siege!, Terminator, Auto, Sequential,(Flat Rate,Nuclear), (Chained,Adjacent),Fog, Trench, 30 rounds.


Round 3:
-----With Archduke Eugene giving the O.K., Conrad launched his Strafexpedition offensive. On May 15, 1916 the Alps exploded in fire. As the Aus/Hun army's 2000 heavy guns opened up on the Italian front lines. 400,000 Aus/Hun troops would pour into the battle, shortly there after.
8 start and 8 move on. Map: Italy, 2-4 players play, 7 games, Terminator, Auto, Sequential, (Escalating,Nuclear,Zombie), (Unlimited,Chained), Fog, 30 rounds.


Round 4:
-----The Aus/Hun army would quickly captured many, many mountains and plateaus, pushing the Italians off them. But the Italians took Mount Pasubio and Mount Grappa at the start of the war. They were the last defensive points, defending the Venetian Plain.
8 start and 6 move on. Maps: King of the Mountains, Unification Italy, 2-4 players play, 2 on King of the Mountains, 2 on Unification Italy, Assassin, Auto, Sequential,( Flat Rate,Zombie),(Chained,Adjacent), Fog, Trench,30 rounds.


Round 5:
-----As the war above the clouds raged on. There were cities built under the Ice. People dying from the cold and frostbite, on the highest mountain peaks.
6 start and 4 move on. Map: Antarctica, 6 players play, 3 games, Terminator, Auto, Sequential, (Nuclear, Zombie), adjacent, Fog,(Trench,No Trench), 30 rounds.


Round 6:
-----Mount Pasubio was the strategic point of the trench line on the south eastern borders of Trentino and Veneto regions. Mt. Pasubio had a military road and tunnels, known as 52 galleries(tunnels). On the southern slope of the mountain , outside the range of Austro- Hungarian artillery. With it's spires, deep canyons ans sheer rock faces. It allowed the transfer of supplies from the base to the summit area of Mt. Pasubio.
4 start and 2 move on. Map: Circus Maximus, 4 players play, 5 games, Assassin, Auto, Sequential, (Nuclear, Zombie), (Chained,Adjacent), Fog Trench, 30 rounds.


Round 7:
-----Early June 1916 would bring a quick turn of events for Conrad and the Aus/Hun army. Italian Gen. Cadorna would make a last stand in the Venetian Plain. Holding off the last attempts of the Aus/Hun army's chance to knock Italy out of the war. At the same time Russian Gen. Brusilov was launching an offensive of his own in the East at Glacia. Forcing Conrad to call of his plans to punish Italy for changing sides inn The First World War.
2 start : Map: Imperium, 1-vs-1, 7 games, Standard, Auto, Sequential, (Flat Rate,Nuclear,Zombie), (Chained,Adjacent),Fog,(Trench, No Trench), 30 rounds.

[/spoiler]



back to main index

[morleyjoe]

Installment #3 is below, as noted previously was in draft, now completed.

Lutsk - posted - morleyjoe
Khanaquin - posted - ConfederateSS
First Day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1st, 1916 -posted - morleyjoe
Bazentin Ridge, July 14th, 1916 - posted - morleyjoe
Delville Wood, July 15th, 1916 - draft started - ConfederateSS
Battle of Pozières, July 23rd, 1916 - draft started - ConfederateSS
Romani, August 3rd, 1916 - draft started - ConfederateSS
Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, August 6th, 1916 - draft started - ConfederateSS
Gorizia, August 6th, 1916 - draft started - ConfederateSS
Battle of Guillemont, Sept 3rd - draft started - morleyjoe

Seventh Battle of the Isonzo, Sept 14th
Battle of Flers-Courcelette, Sept 15th
Eighth Isonzo, October 8th, 1916
Ninth Isonzo, November 1st
Maghdaba, December 14th
Second Kut, Dec. 15th
Opening 1917, the small but exciting Battle of Khadairi Bend, January 9th, 1917
Battle of Nahr-al-Kalek, February 26th, 1917
Fall of Baghdad, March 11th, 1917
Samarrah, March 13th
Fallujah, March 19th
Jebel Hamrin, March 25
First Gaza, March 26h


Battle of Bazentin Ridge July 14-17, 1916

The disastrous opening of the Battle of the Somme on is still remembered as the bloodiest day in British military history, but it was merely the beginning of five months of horror that resulted in 1.3 million casualties on both sides, including 310,486 killed and missing. The lion’s share of these were inflicted in a series of incremental Allied offensives throughout the summer and fall of 1916, as the British and French pushed forward again and again in search of an ever-elusive breakthrough.

The second big push fell just two weeks after the first assault, during the Battle of Bazentin Ridge from July 14-17, when the British scored a rare victory but then failed to exploit it, giving the Germans a chance to regroup and dig in again – by now a frustratingly familiar result on those rare occasions when either side scored a success.

In the early morning of July 14, the shelling culminated in a five-minute “hurricane” bombardment. By 10 a.m. on July 14, the British 3rd and 7th Divisions had torn a hole in the German defenses, clearing the way for an advance into the High Wood north of Bazentin le Petit, but the divisional commanders were under orders to hold their positions and couldn’t call on reinforcements, which were being held in reserve in case of potential German counterattacks elsewhere.

Meanwhile the British attack didn’t succeed everywhere: the 9th Division in particular, attacking the German lines near the village of Longueval, suffered very heavy casualties as it tried to push the Germans out of Delville Wood. South African troops continued to battle for Longueval and Delville Wood from July 14 to July 17, but the planned cavalry attack was called off after an abortive advance by the Indian cavalry division revealed the Germans were still well entrenched.

By July 17, the arrival of growing numbers of German reinforcements finally spelled the end of the fleeting British success at Bazentin Ridge.


Above text and image are excerpts from Mental Floss http://mentalfloss.com/
Read all the details at http://mentalfloss.com/article/83219/ww ... ntin-ridge

Round 1. The British scored a rare victory but then failed to exploit it. 25 start, Random Draw, 6 games, 25 move on. Games: 1 point per game, 5 players, Standard, Flat rate, fog, random adjacent/chained/parachute forts. Maps - British Isles, Classic Cities: London, England

Round 2. Douglas Haig ordered the Fourth Army to push ahead on the southern front. 25 start, Random Draw, 6 games, 20 move on. Games: 2 points per game, 5 players, Standard, Esc, random fog, unlimited forts. Maps - WWII Western Front, WWII Eastern Front, Europe

Round 3. Indian cavalry hindered by shell holes and debris strewn across the battlefield. 20 start, Random Draw, 6 games, 15 move on. Games: 3 points per game, 5 players, Standard, Flat rate, no fog, adj forts. Maps - Indian Empire, South Africa 1885, Dark Continent

Round 4. The situation remained a stalemate – albeit an extremely violent one. 15 start, Random Draw, 6 games, 5 move on. Games: 4 points per game, 5 players, Terminator, random Esc/flat/no spoils, fog, chained forts. Maps - Halloween Hollows, Salem's Switch, Monsters

Round 5. German reinforcements finally spelled the end of the fleeting British success. 5 start, Random Draw, 9 games. Games: 5 points per game, 5 players, Standard, Esc, no fog, unlimited forts. Maps - Germany, Holy Roman Empire, France 1789

[Dukasaur]

Magnificent work, both of you.

This weekend I was tied up with getting the USA Supertournament off the ground, but now that it's almost done I can turn my attention back to this. Will be coding Khanaquin within a few days, and then pounding away at the rest of it. Thank you very much for all your great entries!

[ConfederateSS]

-----Thank you kindly...Heck no Duk...I am happy as hell...I hope 100 more people would jump into helping TGW...My daughter and niece's city softball team just Won their district round... The team they beat has won 24 years in a row...I've been riding my bike to the games holding up a target sign in left center since they were both 6 years old...9 years later still doing it...3 girls on their team can put'em over the fence...I am still trying to track one down ...It looks like a 22hr bike ride(non-stop) to KALAMAZOO for regionals...They all love it...Laugh...I am used to long bike rides...When I was 8...My family road bikes across the Ambassador bridge to London, Ontario...Those were the days when you could walk across the bridge ,long gone... ...I'll get battles done over the weekend...But me , my bike and my Target sign(although in today's world I don't know or care,"F" the P.C. police...Home Run target signs are a baseball tradition... )...Will be on the road from July 12th--thru the 16th(lucky Micky "D's" has wifi)...The magic of the sign doesn't work unless you ride the bike to the game... ...Once again...Everything is KOOL... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[morleyjoe]

Battle of Guillemont, September 3rd to 6th, 1916

Progress on this eastern flank of the British line was essential if the French and British were to cooperate properly north of the Somme. By the start of September the capture of Guillemont was becoming more urgent, as the plans for an attack north toward Flers and Courcelette began to take shape.

The successful attack on Guillemont was made by XIV corps, and was led by the 20th Division, with the 5th Division to their right. Their target was Leuze Wood, 1,500 yards beyond the village, on a ridge overlooking the village of Combles.

The southern part of the attack on 3 September suffered the most heavily. There the 13th Brigade had been relying on the French for a final bombardment of their objective, Falfemont Farm, but the French became stuck in Combles Ravine, and were unable to make and progress. The leading waves of the first battalion to attack were wiped out by German fire. To their left the 95th Brigade (5th Division) captured its first three objectives, and reached a line east of Guillemont.

The 20th Division attack on Guillemont began from a series of trenches very close to the German front line. The village itself had been destroyed by repeated artillery bombardments, but underneath it was a maze of German strong points. Despite this the 20th Division attack succeeded, captured its three objectives and reaching the Ginchy-Wedge Wood road, east of Guillemont. Elsewhere British attacks on Ginchy and further west around the front met with little or no success on 3 September.

The advance east of Guillemont continued over the next three days. By the end of 6 September the British had reached their target line, around Leuze Wood, and were ready to turn north to deal with Ginchy. Everything would soon be in place for the next big attack, at Flers-Courcelette.

Above text is from article: Rickard, J (21 September 2007), Battle of Guillemont, 3-6 September 1916, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/ba ... emont.html


Image is from guernseydonkey.com, showing the 6th Royal Irish regiment, as they were heading back for a rest after taking Guillemont

Battles:

Round 1. The 6th Royal Irish regiment attack the village of Guillemont as part of the middle stages of the battle of Somme. 30 start, Random Draw, 8 games, 30 move on. Games: 6 players, Standard, Manual deployment, Flat rate, fog, chained forts. Maps - Ireland, Celtic Nations

Round 2. German defensive fire pinned down the French 127th Regiment in the ravine. 30 start, Random Draw, 6 games, 24 move on. Games: 6 players, Terminator, Esc, no fog, adjacent forts. Maps - Egypt: Valley Of The Kings, France 1789

Round 3. The 95th Brigade (5th Division) captured its first three objectives. 24 start, Random Draw, 4 games, 16 move on. Games: 8 players, Standard, Flat rate, fog, parachute. Maps - Operation Drug Lord, All Your Base Are Belong To Us

Round 4. The village itself had been destroyed, but underneath it was a maze of German strong points. 16 start, Random Draw, 4 games, 8 move on. Games: 8 players, Terminator, random Flat rate/Esc/Nuke, no fog, chained forts. Maps - Draknor - Level 1, Stalingrad

Round 5. The British had reached their target line, and were ready to turn north. 8 start, Score resets, 9 games. Games: 8 players, Assassin, random Flat rate/Esc, parachute forts. Maps - North America, Northwest Passage, First Nations North America

[morleyjoe]

Lutsk - posted - morleyjoe
Khanaquin - posted - ConfederateSS
First Day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1st, 1916 -posted - morleyjoe
Bazentin Ridge, July 14th, 1916 - posted - morleyjoe
Delville Wood, July 15th, 1916 - draft started - ConfederateSS
Battle of Pozières, July 23rd, 1916 - draft started - ConfederateSS
Romani, August 3rd, 1916 - draft started - ConfederateSS
Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, August 6th, 1916 - draft started - ConfederateSS
Gorizia, August 6th, 1916 - draft started - ConfederateSS
Battle of Guillemont, Sept 3rd - posted - morleyjoe
Seventh Battle of the Isonzo, Sept 14th - posted - morleyjoe

Battle of Flers-Courcelette, Sept 15th
Eighth Isonzo, October 8th, 1916
Ninth Isonzo, November 1st
Maghdaba, December 14th
Second Kut, Dec. 15th
Opening 1917, the small but exciting Battle of Khadairi Bend, January 9th, 1917
Battle of Nahr-al-Kalek, February 26th, 1917
Fall of Baghdad, March 11th, 1917
Samarrah, March 13th
Fallujah, March 19th
Jebel Hamrin, March 25
First Gaza, March 26h

If anyone else is thinking of posting an event, please make a note of it for others...I plan to do more, as I've had fun with it so far.

[Dukasaur]

Lutsk has been coded and sent to BW for release.

[BUDMAN]

any freemium games ever coming up again

[Dukasaur]

any freemium games ever coming up again

Yes, I'll get at least one done this month.

[morleyjoe]

Freemium friendly Seventh Battle of the Isonzo, September 14-17, 1916

Since it joined the war Italy has launched a series of offensives along the Isonzo. Most of these have been bloody failures.

But the last offensive, the sixth, saw the Austro-Hungarian pushed back as the Italians surged forward and captured Gorizia. That success was unexpected. The Italians were hoping only for minor gains and were unprepared to exploit their breakthrough, allowing the Austro-Hungarians to fall back and establish new defensive lines.

In preparation for another attack Italian artillery has been blasting the enemy for the last few days. However the bombardment’s effectiveness has been diminished by poor weather, which had made it difficult to observe the enemy lines. The Austro-Hungarians have also carefully camouflaged their positions, so the Italians are more or less firing their guns blind and hoping for the best.

Now Cadorna sends the infantry forward. The Austro-Hungarians are being pressed by the Russians in Galicia and the Romanians in Transylvania, so he hopes that this Italian assault will be the hammer blow that breaks their resistance.

Unfortunately the battle goes more like the first five Isonzo battles than the sixth. Italian troops emerge from their trenches and begin to move forward, adopting close-order formations like something from the Napoleonic Wars. Then the Austro-Hungarians open up with their hidden field artillery and machine-guns, cutting great holes in the Italian columns. To one Austro-Hungarian officer the Italian attack looks like “an attempt at mass suicide”.

Gains are minimal and often lost to Austro-Hungarian counter-attacks. The sixth battle is revealed as an aberration as the Isonzo returns to its normal pattern of bloody stalemate.

Above text is from article: https://ww1live.wordpress.com/2016/09/14/isonzo-24/


Image is from same article listed above

Battles:

Round 1. Italy launched a series of offensives along the Isonzo. 32 start, Random Draw, 1 game, 32 move on. Games: 2 players, Polymorphic (2), Auto deployment, Flat Rate, no fog, chained forts. Map - Italy

Round 2. The sixth battle saw the Austro-Hungarian pushed back. 32 start, Random Draw, 1 game, 32 move on. Games: 2 players, Polymorphic (3), Auto deployment, Escalating, fog, unlimited forts. Map - Austro-Hungarian Empire

Round 3. The Italians were unprepared to exploit their breakthrough. 32 start, Random Draw, 1 game, 16 move on. Games: 2 players, Polymorphic (4), Auto deployment, No spoils, fog, parachute forts. Map - Imperium Romanum

Round 4. Artillery blasting the enemy for the last few days. 16 start, Score Resets, Random Draw, 1 game, 16 move on. Games: 2 players, Polymorphic (2), Manual deployment, Flat Rate, no fog, chained forts. Map - WWII Western Front

Round 5. Hopes that this Italian assault will be the hammer blow. 16 start, Random Draw, 1 game, 16 move on. Games: 2 players, Polymorphic (3), Manual deployment, Escalating Spoils, fog, unlimited forts. Map - Unification Italy

Round 6. Italian troops emerge from their trenches. 16 start, Random Draw, 1 game, 8 move on. Games: 2 players, Polymorphic (4), Manual deployment, No spoils, no fog, parachute forts. Map - Trench Warfare

Round 7. Italians adopted close-order formations like the Napoleonic Wars. 8 start, Score resets, Random Draw, 1 game, 4 move on. Games: 2 players, Polymorphic (2), Auto deployment, Flat rate, no fog, unlimited forts. Map - Napoleonic Europe

Round 8. Austro-Hungarians cut great holes in the Italian columns. 4 start, Random Draw, 1 game, 2 move on. Games: 2 players, Polymorphic (3), Auto deployment, Escalating Spoils, fog, parachute forts. Map - King Of The Mountains

Round 9. Isonzo returns to its normal pattern of bloody stalemate. 2 start, Random Draw, 1 game, Games: 2 players, Polymorphic (4), Auto deployment, No Spoils, fog, chained forts. Map - Poison Rome

[ConfederateSS]

----I'll post hear from now on. to save PM space... You can still PM me Duk...That is my only thing I hate about C.C. we have all the wall space we want...But the PM's are limited to a few hundred...Any other site you have unlimited PM space...You know, if you want to save them... ...Plus,it will be easy to edit here if I have to...
--------O.K. others might like copying articles, for faster time and more tourneys...I prefer Quality over quantity...That said.......WAYWARD DAY is back in the saddle again... ...ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... ...Please give me a chance to post back to back...The Story line of the battles...Then the tourneys...before posting...but I'll understand if someone has to jump in...That's Kool too... ...THANK YOU KINDLY...