Storm on the Caspian: Battle of Guryev (Back of Beyond Campaign)

Philip’s Bolshevik First Shock Army took on Pete’s White Russian Army at Guryev on the Caspian Sea, on Tuesday 30 December at the War Room, with Rob hosting using his own rules. The game was part of our Back of Beyond campaign. Philip, Alex and Brian were the Reds, while Pete, Doug and I were the Whites. Each side had around 20 brigades.

Terrain

A fortified river line presented the Reds with a tough defensive position to crack. Besides the town in the White centre, there was a village (Red left) and farm (Red centre), a large hill on the White left, another in the Bolshevik centre and a third on the White right. The whole White line was protected by field defences.

White Deployment

Pete held the White left with six infantry brigades, Doug was in the centre with four more, while I was on the right with two. Five White cavalry brigades were initially off table.

Red Deployment

Philip concentrated all his infantry (approximately 8 brigades) on the Red right, while Alex and Brian masked the centre and left with five cavalry brigades. Two further elite infantry brigades were off table.

The White plan was to hold the left, and attack from the right, to destroy the Red cavalry. Philip’s plan was to outflank from the Red right, with the two off-table brigades coming on as a flank attack.

Turn One

Alex crested the hill in the Red centre with his cavalry, while White artillery pummeled the village held by Brian on the Red left.

I began to emerge from the trenches on the White right, and my other brigade moved up. Two White cavalry brigades came on and approached the White frontline.

On the Red right, Philip’s infantry began to advance, while he dealt two hits to Pete’s White infantry in the defences.

Anticipating a Red flank attack, Pete advanced two infantry brigades onto the hill on the White left.

Meanwhile Doug moved two White armoured cars from Guryev into the centre of the table. A White tank soon followed, as one of Doug’s guns hit a Red target but went low of ammo.

Turn Two

Philip’s attack was developing, as he inflicted three casualties on Pete’s infantry on the hill with machine gun fire. One of Pete’s infantry units was forced back 6″ from the defences on the left.

My two infantry brigades, and the two cavalry brigades, continued to move up on the White right. Brian occupied a building across the river in the village facing me.

Pete’s left was suffering a windstorm of shells, and took 14 casualties from Philip’s artillery. Philip’s infantry was slowly moving up at the speed of its heavy machine guns.

Doug began to move up another infantry brigade on the centre-right of the White line, and dealt 3 casualties to Brian’s dismounted cavalry in the village on the Red left.

Pete had now lost a large infantry unit on the White left, with as many as 24 figures removed, following Philip’s barrages.

More positively for the Whites, Doug’s tank destroyed a Red armoured car, and dealt a hit to Alex’s cavalry.

Turn Three

Brian deployed his machine gun supporting the cavalry brigade in the village, and hit one of my Conscript infantry units advancing into the open three times. However, I deployed my heavy machine gun attached to this brigade and obliterated Brian’s machine gun…

The White right continued to advance slowly, as Doug again dealt three hits to the dismounted cavalry in the village. One White cavalry brigade veered towards the centre, while the other veered to the right table edge.

Philip, who had six guns in total (including a Big Bertha, and off board artillery) was continuing to damage Pete’s defences on the left, and destroyed one White gun position. Pete had now taken 30+ casualties.

The Big Bertha duly destroyed a White armoured car.

Alex’s cavalry were perched dismounted on the crest of the hill, tachankas arrayed with machine guns. One unit advanced further, but was reduced to half strength by concentrated fire from Doug’s tank, armoured car, artillery and machine guns.

Pete and Doug now fired their artillery, focusing on the farm near the centre. Pete’s field gun dealt three hits to the Bolshevik infantry there, while Doug added several more, for a total loss of 9 casualties out of 12 in the farm. The Whites were thus damaging the Red centre.

Turn Four

As one of my Conscript units broke after a failed morale test, another of Pete’s units in the defences were also removed due to failed morale…

Brian withdrew his cavalry from the village and began heading for the centre, having received an order from Philip to do so.

But the farm was not cleared, and Alex now destroyed another White armoured car with the machine gun located there.

Fortunately, I rolled a double six and took out the Tachanka in Brian’s other brigade in the woods on the Bolshevik left. The loss of two Red machine guns would now make the White advance on the right much easier. My infantry and cavalry attack was developing, and my horsemen occupied a building in the village vacated by Brian.

Doug pushed forward an infantry brigade onto the hill in front of the White right, and destroyed one of Alex’s Tachankas with machine gun fire.

As Philip advanced onto the hill on the Red right, the White fortifications facing him were almost bereft of men.

Doug caused four casualties on the Red infantry behind the farm, while his tank hit Alex’s dismounted cavalry at the hill, and destroyed one unit in the farm, adding three more to Philip’s infantry behind the wood nearby. The Red centre was being eroded and isolated from the rest of the battlefield. The tank soon accounted for one of Alex’s cavalry units. Brian now took over from Alex who went home.

The Red left and centre was under pressure and preparing to move back to Philip’s position while also having to hold off encroaching White forces and survive ranged fire. The left of Philip’s infantry was being damaged by Doug’s artillery in particular.

Doug now massed the quality infantry brigade to the right of Guryev in preparation for a general advance.

Turn Five

As my broken conscripts rallied, another of my units fell back after a failed morale test. Philip now unleashed his flank attack – two fresh infantry brigades, some with flamethrowers, with armoured cars and a tank in support.

The Red cavalry in the centre failed to damage the White tank with tachanka fire. Meanwhile, Philip’s assault commenced, as he dealt 4 hits to Pete’s infantry on the hill with his tank, 5 more with flamethrowers, and 8 more hits with infantry fire.

My two cavalry brigades advanced, hitting Brian’s withdrawing cavalry brigades 5 times with machine guns. The village was finally occupied and Brian’s cavalry almost trapped.

More White infantry crossed the river near Guryev to initiate a general advance on the Bolshevik centre.

Pete also advanced from the hill on the White left, but was taking mounting casualties from Philip’s naval infantry. It seemed the White left flank was going to be destroyed, though Pete hit the Bolshevik infantry there 5 times with artillery.

The question was, could the Red Cavalry be destroyed? The tank sealed off the cavalry’s route of escape, while my cavalry brigades began to envelop either end of the Red horsemen on the Red left.

Doug’s artillery fire against the Red centre was eroding Philip’s infantry there. Unfortunately for the Whites, two more units in the brigade on their left were destroyed by Philip by 4:30pm and the brigade retired, when I went home.

Turns 6-7

Two more turns were played, resulting in further White advances in the centre and on the right…

…and on the Bolshevik right flank, which left the White defences there exposed.

Conclusion

The game ended after 7 turns. Philip had badly damaged the White left, but had not broken sufficient brigades to win an outright victory. Moreover, his left and centre were under threat of collapse as the Whites advanced. Therefore an indecisive battle, with Guryev still in White hands!

The formal result of the game is yet to be adjudicated.

Thanks to Rob for setting up, umpiring and hospitality, and to the players. An enjoyable game played in a sporting atmosphere.