 |
|
Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - Printable Version +- Forums (https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards) +-- Forum: The Firing Line (https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards/forumdisplay.php?fid=1) +--- Forum: Squad Battles (https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards/forumdisplay.php?fid=13) +--- Thread: Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks (/showthread.php?tid=64363) Pages:
1
2
|
Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - fastphil - 05-20-2013 1915 Aug 06, Gallipoli Front. 1730 hours. Size: large (battalion +) Near the end of June, the Allies began formulating a plan that would bring about a breakout on the Gallipoli Front. Instead of landing additional units to assist at Krithia, the ANZAC sector and Sulva Bay to the north of it would be used as the spring board to launch a main attack which would cause the Turks to abandon their line at Krithia for fear of being cut off. The Turks would be kept in a state of disarray for as long as possible with diversions, and this would keep them from determining that the main push was in fact at Sulva Bay with the landing of a new British army corps. In order to assist their comrades in the offensive, the 1st Australian Brigade were to open the battle in the ANZAC sector with a series of vigorous attacks on the formidable Turkish positions on 400 Plateau. The initial attack was to be made at Lone Pine in the evening of the 6th, along with other attacks on both flanks of the Lone Pine area. This would commit the Turks to the southern half of the ANZAC sector and tie down their reserves out of necessity and fear that this was the main allied offensive, while the main attack and breakout would occur that night in the north towards Sari Bair, followed by a beach landing at Sulva Bay. In the Lone Pine area, to avoid Turkish fire and to achieve complete surprise, tunnels had been dug under No Man's Land and the openings of the tunnels would not be completed until the moment that the assault commenced, and even an 18-pdr field gun was man handled forward up to point blank range to support the attack. At about 1630, the bombardment of Lone Pine opened the attack with some 28 guns and a British cruiser firing on Turkish positions for one hour while the Australians opened up the ends of the tunnels. As the last artillery shells fell at 1730, the Australians sprang from the tunnels and over the trenches into the surprised Turkish positions. MISSION: (Allied Powers) Attack across the 400 Plateau at Lone Pine and push the Turks out of their trenches! Once the forward trench is broken into, push down the trench to secure as much of the area as possible. If possible, establish posts at trench junctions to defend against Turkish counter attacks. (Central Powers) Do not give a meter of ground to the enemy. Hold the trenches at all costs and counter attack and take back any lost positions! NOTES: Lone Pine: Under the Top! *This scenario covers the attack on the top of the 400 Plateau, not the attack in the 1st Battalion area on the southern slope of the plateau (which did not progress far). Just to the south in the area that is marked as impassible, a great battle was fought in the rocky area on the south slope of 400 Plateau. *Ottoman reinforcements show up on the second turn but are fixed. This is done to keep these units safely out of the artillery barrage that happens on the first turn (and to keep them from getting released from said barrage). These arriving fixed units are released at a point in which the two battalions fully recover from the surprise of the ANZAC attack. Bean's account of the Lone Pine battle's opening attack describes the initial rush in vivid detail. He states: ""Five twenty-seven-get ready to go over the parapet," said a young officer crouched in the corner of one fire-step, glancing at his wrist-watch. Almost immediately the order came: "Pull down the top bags in that recess." The men on the step dragged down the uppermost row of sandbags, thus rendering the exit easier. "Prepare to jump out," said the officer, putting his whistle between his teeth. The men of the second line on the fire-step crouched higher against the wall. Those of the third, on the floor of the trench, took a firmer foothold for their spring. A whistle sounded and was repeated shrilly along the front. In a scatter of falling bags and earth the young officer and his men scrambled from the bay. Rifle-shots rang out from the enemy's trenches, gradually growing into a heavy fusillade. One of the men leaving that particular bay fell back, shot through the mouth. From every section of the Pimple, and from the holes of the forward line, troops were similarly scrambling; the sunny square of the Daisy Patch and the scrub south of it were full of figures running forward." --Bean, C.E.W., The Story of Anzac, Vol. II , 1924, pp. 497 - 534. *The area was historically called "Lone Pine" because Ottoman troops chopped down all but one pine tree on the ridge to construct their network of bunkers in the area. The legend says that the tree was shot to bits in the attack and one of the Australian soldiers collected some pine cones from this tree and sent it home to Australia. Many years later a member of the soldier's family found the seeds and planted in several locations in Australia, some of which have become memorials to the Battle of Lone Pine and the Gallipoli campaign in general. The seeds from these trees are presented to schools and ex-service organizations in remembrance. Read more about it. Hint: Hex 18,6 is the weakest link. Pin the units there and assault into that hex on turn 1! Delay any attack on the Turkish bunkers to the north until the center push has diverted forces from that area. Dennis and I have met on many SB fields both on the Ladder and in playtesting. We have been playing the Gallopoli series of encounters from the First World War. He as the Tommies and myself as the Turks. We will maintain separate threads to chronicle our battle turn by turn. We hope that you will find it interesting. Dennis is the first player in this scenario. RE: Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - Stejones82 - 05-21-2013 Most excited to read the progress - thank you gentlemen! Steve RE: Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - fastphil - 05-21-2013 A few thoughts before viewing the initial damage. First World War is a unique SB title and plays differently than all the other titles. Defensive fire is deadly and the rate is high. Fire once offensively and then duck because it seems like everybody in the line of site fires at you. Also artillery off-board and on-board is much more common and much more deadly. This leads to adopting new tactics like having your troops advance and not fire at all. Close the target as fast as you can even upright(until in small arms range)-take advantage of the blind spots to close the enemy. Use artillery/MG to pin your enemy so that you may close and assault. If on attack don't use illuminating fire anyway near your troops-too much defensive fire. The cloak of night is your best cover. I have made it to the ANZAC trenches and taken many objectives but at an enormous cost of life. On defense I fire artillery and support weapons (especially those that are not reduced in effectiveness). Dig in, hunker down and carefully fire during offensive fire. If you fire at a unit with a lot of other enemy forces within range and LOS you are apt to get blasted so be careful. when my opponent closes and can assault, fire to disrupt/pin units to handicap assault. The Turks 1/47 and 2/47 Battalions have morale of D and weapons for the most part ar not as good as the ANZAC but they do have real grenades where the ANZAC's have home-made ones fashioned by the troops. The front lines are quiet now and the evening meal should be brought up soon. Hopefully the night will pass quietly. [/b] RE: Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - fastphil - 05-21-2013 So much for dinner and so much for controlled fire. At 1730 ANZAC artillery hit 2/47 out of the blue. So much for a quiet front. The artillery had hardly stopped and the front lines were still enveloped in a cloud of dust when the gates of hell opened up and out of the ground liked hounds from hell rose hundreds of ANZACs. With hardly a chance to respond strongpoint (18,6) on Lone Pine was overrun. Fortunately the reserves in the rear were left untouched and the Turkish support units began to move up to reinforce the front lines. The Turkish machine guns take on the follow up troops but the troops in the trenches have no time to whittle away at the ANZACs. All the Turkish units adjacent to attacking ANZAC's open fire and inflict further losses on the ANZACs hoping to pin as many units as possible. The more units pinned the less likely more trenches will be threatened. It is better to pin them further out but the range here precludes it for the inital assault forces. My turn started with casualties of 4?/40 and ended with 6?/42. I have lost no leaders so far-with the D quality troops rallying troops quickly is crucial. Rallying troops can attract a lot of Defensive fire. RE: Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - fastphil - 05-23-2013 We are still receiving some direct fire form a gun brought up close to our lines. Hopefully it is taking some ANZAC's with it. Two more strong points have been take by assault but reinforcements have arrived. We are trying to rally the front line troops and are trying to organize a counterattack. An intell phot attached shows the current positions at the start of Turkish Turn 2. RE: Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - fastphil - 05-23-2013 The troops pushed out of my trench lines fell back to gain a short respite and rally in strong points further back from the front line. The 1st platoon #2 Company of the 2/47 arrived on the scene and occupied strongpoint (20,9)on my southern flank about 100 yds behind my front line. My remaining front line troops rallied and fired at nearby ANZAC troops to pin them down before they assault. We have pleaded with the regimental commander to release 1/47 but he is keeping it in reserve. Our calls for artillery have been for naught. So far by bayonet and small arms the ANZAC troops have created a breach in my lines. Hope reserves will be released and arrive in time to counter attack. I have a feeling this is going to be a long night. RE: Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - fastphil - 05-27-2013 The ANZACs keep there slow advance and another strongpoint falls. Our troops crawl forward to reinforce the remaining strongpoints and hopefully to muster the courage to counterattack and restore the breach. The front line troops fire to pin down the appraching troops. The din of small arms firing and grenades exploding is deafening but with all of that the insessant buzzing of flies is a constant reminder of that death is everywhere. We must cover our mouths and nostrils to mask the stink of rot and keep the damn flies out. At seems at times that the flies are the greater enemy as the fighting bursts out and then fades away with a certain cadence but the flies are always with us. 
RE: Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - Compass Rose - 05-27-2013  Good Stuff! RE: Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - Ozgur Budak - 05-27-2013 http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/2visiting/walk_08lonepine.html A nice site on the battles around Lone Pine or Kanlı Sırt (Bloody Ridge) as the Turks call it. And a video on the battle with lots of nice pics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d3nBOUkwTs RE: Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks - TheBigRedOne - 05-28-2013 Keep up the great work, guys! |
){kind=link}