Trench Clearance!

Our Centenary of Remembrance WW1 gaming continued this week with the Germans clearing out a French Trench system after a successful dawn assault, while a French rearguard desperately holds them off to buy time for the Regiment to withdraw.  I adopted a scenario from Too Fat Lardies' Stout Hearts and Iron Troopers supplement and kept with To The Last Man rules from last week.  I had the French start hidden and gave each team written orders to keep a few things hidden from eachother. It added a bit of tension which was fun.

The Germans moved up with their two squads and HMG team, while the French held their fire.  The Germans, unsure of what awaited them in the now seemingly empty French trenches, advanced cautiously, throwing grenades around corners (and taunting the French players to open up on them if they dare!).

 And when the opportune time came, the first French HMG team opened up!

 On the other flank, the veteran German squad found the trench ahead of them blocked by barbed wire and took the only option open to them- over the top!

Angriff!

The second French HMG team reveals itself with a burst of fire

The Bavarian infantry takes casualties but keeps pushing up

On the left flank the scene is mirrored, preventing the French HMGs teams from concentrating their fire. To their horror, the French discovered why the Colonial Tommies prayed that their gatlings wouldnt jam...

The HMG was overrun with minimal casualties.

While the other HMG starts to fall back under unyielding pressure

The veteran Bavarians, below half strength kept coming up. Some bayonet work saw men on both sides fall and in the end, against all odds with snipers taking pot shots at him as well, Private Stinky Pierre of the HMG squad escaped - the only survivor of the Rear Guard to report back to the Colonel. Had they bought enough time for the Regiment to prepare a secondary defensive line? Only time would tell...