Battle of Lake Baikal AAR

The Red Fleet moves to attack

Last weekend we gathered and played my Lake Baikal scenario for the Russian Civil War. Our rules of choice are Red Actions from the Perfect Captain. This game had three gunboats and two armored trains, as well as three gun barges and four batteries firing from land. It was a completely different game than what we normally play; different and yet still fun.

One of the Czech Legion armored trains

The other Czech armored train

I plan to post the scenario soon. The premise is that two Czech Legion armored trains are moving through this area as they roll East. They are "escorted" by a brigade of Cossacks from the Siberian Provisional Government. A small infantry command garrisons the train station.
A group of gunboats are moving to attack, accompanied by a transport. The game begins and both sides fight to control the rails in this area.

The Red gunboats pull gun barges and screen the transport

 

The Cossacks are pounded by the gunboats

This armored train begins to take hits

View from the hill behind the White position

I needed to have a large hill on the table. I wadded up newspapers and put my ground cloth over them. With a little more practice, I hope to be able to perfect this terrain method.

The gunboats clear the way for fire from the barges.

It was a very lopsided affair. The Whites did not put a single hit on a gunboat or a barge. The Reds managed to destroy all of the batteries, as well as both trains. The only positive for the Whites was the beating they gave the Red infantry and cavalry that landed from the transport.

A fun game, but the next one will be more traditional with infantry and cavalry roaming the table.

As a matter of fact, I'm working on a scenario for the Red attack on Kiev in early 1918.

Red Actions Scenario: Defense of Rail Station #1703

I just found this scenario that we played in September, 2011. The AAR is a post on this blog from that time. It is designed for the Perfect Captain's Red Action rules; my rules of choice for the Russian Civil War. This is the only game I've run with two armored trains.

 The Defense of Rail Station #1703 White Players Briefing:
Two days ago, the front was 30 miles to the West. Today there is no real front; most of the army is routing to the East. Isolated groups are making a stand where and when they can. This is one of those stands. An armored train is on it's way to aid in our defense and assist our escape. Expect the enemy from every side.
 Whites
 Irkutsk Hussars
Three cavalry squadrons of three stands
76.2mm Field Gun

 7th Inf Rgt
 Three companies of White Conscripts, each of 5 stands
One machine gun detachment

33rd Inf Rgt Three companies of White Conscripts, each of 5 stands
 One machine gun detachment

HQ Company One company of White Cadets, four stands
Two 76.2mm Field Guns
One machine gun detachment
The armored train, “Victory”

 Red Players Briefing: Our forces have defeated the enemy in a major breakthrough yesterday. Seize Rail Station #1703 and cut off their retreat. It is lightly held.

Reds
47th Cavalry Rgt
Two companies of three stands of Red Army Cavalry Squadrons
One Tchanka

13th Cavalry Rgt
Three companies of three stands of Red Cossacks
22nd Cavalry Rgt Three companies of three stands of Red Cossacks

2nd Bn, 57th Infantry Rgt
Three companies of 4 stands of Red Regulars
One machine gun detachment

3rd Bn, 57th Infantry Rgt Four companies of 4 stands of Red Conscripts
One machine gun detachment

Armored train  "Victory"


 All White units set up within 12" of the buildings, except their Armored Train, which enters on turn one from the railroad at the top of the picture. The Reds enter along the edge of the table at the bottom of the picture. There are three buildings on the table. The side that controls two of the three is the winner. Playing time is four hours. None of the vehicles parked near the buildings are operational. The Reds did not know this in my game.

Tsaritsyn AAR

I recently found these pictures from a game I ran at Origins a few years ago. The scenario represents the White right flank attack. The White artillery started game with very good shooting. Their cavalry moved to the attack while the infantry moved forward as fast as they could. It was a fun game, and regardless of how it appears, I do not put an armored train in all of my RCW games.

The mighty Red armored train rolls on; and picks up a hit from the White artillery.

The Whites advance down the table.

The White cavalry moves past the armored train.

Long view of the table.
The pictures were taken by one of the players, Peter Bogdasarian. The Reds held on and won this one. I really enjoy the Red Actions system; it models the period very well, is easy to learn, and if the scenario is set up correctly, provides a resolution in a reasonable amount of time.

Defense of the Train Station AAR; RCW

Yesterday I ran a Red Actions game; the Defense of the Train Station. It was a hypothetical scenario set two after Kolchak's lines break in Western Siberia. The Whites set up their defense amid the buildings. The Reds entered at random points on the near table edge. The tanks and armored cars are all inoperative, although the Reds did not know that. I had the Whites roll at the end of each turn to repair the vehicles as a ruse.


Red cavalry moved through the woods, attempting to avoid the White artillery and move to attack the White left flank.



On the Red left, conscript infantry advance. More Red cavalry move behind the infantry towards a woods.


The Whites receive cavalry reinforcements and start riding toward the Red conscripts. Red cavalry intervenes before the Whites can reach their targets and a cavalry fight begins. By games's end, the Reds are slowly pushing the Whites back.


A White armored train rolls on the table. The train station, in the official colors of the Trans Siberian Rail Road, sky blue and white, is only a few moves away.

On the next turn, a Red armored train appears, carrying three companies of Red regulars. It heads for the White lines.

Six companies of Red cavalry are now facing the White center and left and attempt, again and again to close to contact. One company crosses the rail road and forces a retire result. It then receives fire from a fresh White unit and retires. One of the White guns is destroyed by the armored train, but the White lines hold.




Great period, great rules, great players.

Four Hour RCW Armored Train

Shortly after starting my Russian Civil War project five years ago, my friend Richard gave me a Peter Pig 15mm armored train as a Christmas present. I was a little surprised as Christmas was months away and we did not give one another presents. I gladly took the gift and painted it and it made an appearance in our next game. At that point Richard confessed that it really wasn't a gift, he knew if I had it, the armored train would be painted and on the table quicker than if he had to paint it.
It's fun having an armored train to trot out when needed, and whenever I host a game and the railroad tracks are on the table, everyone wonders if an armored train will appear. Most often it does not.

Of course, having one armored train is never enough. I had the idea to scratch build one. I took air dry clay and sculpted the basic shapes of the engine, tender, and gun car. After the clay dried, I added a few details and painted and dry brushed it. I then realized I needed to sand some of the edges, so after that, I painted and dry brushed again. Total time, not including drying time was about four hours.




It is still very rough, and I plan to do another one. I will spend a lot of time sanding and squaring it. But it doesn't look too bad from 3'.
I can see a game in the future on Lake Baikal with armored trains dueling with gunboats!