Mud & Blood - From Empire To Revolution
Mud & Blood - From Empire To Revolution
Mud & Blood - From Empire To Revolution
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3 Introduction
5 The Austro‐Hungarian Army
19 The Russian Army
30 Scenarios
31 In Search of a Drink, September 1914
33 Bridge Over the Wislonka, October 1914
36 Spilling Royal Blood, October 1914
39 Clear the Trench, October 1914
42 A Hunting Expedition, Spring 1915
44 Noblesse Oblige, March 1915
48 “Yashka”, Easter 1915
51 A Terrible Harvest, August 1915
54 A Scouting Party, Fall 1915
56 Bagging a General, November 1915
59 Kept in the Dark, November 1915
62 Frontkämpfer, April 1916
65 Dead Men’s Hill, August 1916
68 Against All Orders, October 1916
71 The Brides of Death, Spring 1917
74 Ending with a Bang, July 1917
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From Empire to Revolution is a supplement vast and varied. Swamps, woods, plains and
for TooFatLardies rules for the Great War, mountains proved too vast to fill with men
Through the Mud & the Blood. Whereas the and guns. Transportation to the front was
main rules focus on the Western Front, the problematic as road and rail lines were few in
purpose here is to give the reader a view of number. All of these elements led to a very
what happened elsewhere in Europe during different war than that of the Western Front.
the Great War and provide enough material
to get you started on gaming the Eastern From the start of the war, Galicia was the
Front. When I started this project, I was focal point of Austro‐Hungarian operations
focused on Max Maxwell’s new Troops against Russia. Russia’s initial gains
Weapons & Tactics variant in the 2008 threatened the heart of the Empire but, with
Christmas Special. After I started to work on German intervention, this was halted and the
it, Through the Mud & the Blood was front stabilized.
released and I switched gears. There should
be plenty of information here for either game The war had long periods of quiet and
and if you read between the lines, there is inactivity, where small skirmishes between
possibly enough to give a stab at an Eastern roving patrols would probe their opposition.
Front variant of If the Lord Spares Us. The distances involved reduced the number of
Regardless, it has been a fun endeavor and it areas where it was possible to create the fixed
sparked my interest. defensive entrenched positions which would
come to characterize the Western Front after
Background 1914. Some entrenched areas did exist but it
The Eastern Front of The Great War was a was not feasible to create a continuous
unique conflict, quite different to any other fortified zone. In some areas, such as the
front of the war. The transition to static terrain near Lake Narotch, the ground was so
warfare was slower to occur and in places swampy, only piled sandbag barrier could be
maneuver warfare was still possible. Due to erected for protection along the front. With
the vast size of the front, a single division the summer rains, the ground was nearly
would need to defend a frontage of between impassible and soldiers were kneeling behind
20 to 30 kilometers. The landscape, with only barricades with water over their waist. They
a few exceptions, rarely became the cratered had to be rotated regularly from the front to
moonscape of the Western Front. Terrain was drier and healthier climates or risk disease.
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As such, tactical changes that developed
rapidly in the West did not occur Where the Germans excelled was in their
simultaneously in the East. Even among the supply and living conditions. They built roads
German forces, tactical changes lagged to supply the front and to bring forward
behind, as the need for change was not as reinforcements. This allows them to move
pressing. troops rapidly and better contain the Russian
advances through a mobile defense.
A note must be made about the German Army
on the Eastern Front. The Germans had This supplement presents a number of
access to all of the advances that occurred in scenarios featuring the German Army. Details
the West but not all of the lessons and of how they were organized and fought may
technology was applied as rapidly to this be found in the main rule set. In the following
theater as it was in the West. While there section of this supplement we are able to
were places that the full defense in depth was introduce two forces, the Austro‐Hungarians
achieved as on the Western Front, it was and the Russians and look at how they were
common for there to be two, or in some cases organized and how they fought.
just one, trench line. Often only the front
trench line had wire defenses and where Note on Graphics
attempts were made at defense in depth, this Spaced throughout this work are various
was often in key sectors of less than two miles graphics that are loan, fund raising or war
in width. Normally, dugouts for the troops bond posters for Austria‐Hungary and the
were thirty paces behind the front line of Empire of Russia. I found these to be very
trenches and the second line was 100 to 150 evocative of the Eastern Front and the two
yards behind that. fated Empires.
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fight leading to the huge numbers of Prisoners AUSTRO‐HUNGARIAN FORMATIONS
of War captured by the Russians in the early As we have seen. the Austro‐Hungarian
campaign. However, by 1915 the situation military was formed by three separate Armies:
stabilized and the Russians noted that the the kuk Gemeinsames Heer, the kk Landwehr
troops of Austria‐Hungary would surrender and the Magyar Kirácy Honvédség. Forces
only with the greatest of reluctance. from each of these were taken to form the
various field armies that faced the enemy
Like other nations, the Austro‐Hungarian from 1914 through 1918.
Army underwent a series of changes during
the war in response to the tactical needs of There are several commonalities that were
the soldiers in the field. They sent a large shared among the three armies. Most notably
number of soldiers to Germany for training as was the replacement system. Each regiment
assault troops and also had large numbers of had a reserve and training battalion that
their own specialist troops that were pulled remained behind to recruit replacements.
into the fighting. Replacements were sent forward on a
monthly basis initially. By 1917, this had
One item that differed from the nations on changed to once every six weeks. Each
the western front was the lack of light regiment would receive between six to eight
machine guns in the orders of battle. By hundred men. These replacements were sent
1917, moves were made to rectify this and regardless of need.
each battalion was to be equipped with a
platoon of light machine guns. Still these For the first years of the war, replacements
weapons were held at a higher level and not were still being trained according to the 1911
distributed out to the troops in the front lines drill manual by troops that had no combat
directly. Nearly all machineguns were support experience themselves. This resulted in
weapons mounted on tripods. The orders of troops receiving obsolete training and being
battle for these are outlined below. ill‐equipped for the conditions of the front.
KUK COMMON ARMY INFANTRY
At the beginning of the war, the Austro‐
Hungarian Infantry Company had book
strength peacetime establishment was only
ninety men. The company was supported by
four machineguns from the parent regiment.
The wartime establishment raised this
number to 250 men. The company was
formed into four platoons each containing
four squads. The platoon’s approximate
wartime strength was between 40 to 50 men.
The platoon headquarters consisted of a
Platoon commander, the platoon second in
command and a pair of runners. The Platoon
was commanded by a lieutenant or a
subaltern or an officer candidate or even
senior sergeant.
The platoon was the smallest tactical unit of
the Austro‐Hungarian Army. The platoon did
not have formal organization based on the
tactics employed by the army from their
training manuals. The platoon leader was to
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lead his men in the advance, utilize the support of their own. While the platoon still
available cover, keep up a steady fire on the maintained four squads, the regiment was
enemy and close with the enemy. The reduced to three battalions instead of the
platoon was to advance in a double skirmish previous four. These changes took to the end
line of 8 men across (a section) and two deep. of the war to be implemented by all of the
front line units.
Sections within the platoon were organized
according to the available weapons and In 1918 the military situation again began to
preference of the commander. Each deteriorate. By October, Hungarian, Czech,
infantryman would carry a rifle and several Croatian and Bosnian units began to mutiny.
hand grenades. The Austro‐Hungarians Each of their ethnic groups sought to have an
utilized rifle grenades early in the war and had independent nation of their own and wished
a handful of men within the platoon so to break away from the Empire. By the battle
equipped. of Vittorio Venetto, the fate of the Empire
was sealed. Worsening supply situations and
Heavy machine guns from the regimental the loss of will to continue the fight brought
machine gun company and were of the about the end of the war for the Austro‐
Swarzlose or Skoda 8mm types. There were Hungarians and, subsequently, to the end of
no platoon or company level light machine the Empire.
guns available at the start of the war. As the
war continued, some troops began to use JÄGER INFANTRY PLATOONS
captured weapons or make field modifications Jäger regiments were very similar in
to heavy machine guns to use as light machine composition to their regular infantry
guns. But they still were not available to the counterparts but were better equipped. The
majority of the front line troops. Jäger Battalion was composed of four
companies of four platoons, with each
By 1915, changes began to occur in the platoon having four squads. In addition, it
organization of the infantry regiment. The had a machine gun company of two
regiment added a pair of 37mm guns to machineguns. The Battalion also had an
support the infantry. In addition, mortars, Engineer squad, a motorcar and a pair of
flamethrowers and searchlights were also motorcycles. Some battalions replaced one of
added. However, these changes were slow to their jäger companies with a cycle company
be implemented and were not universal until formed of three infantry platoons mounted
well into 1916. Another change was within on bicycles, more rarely motorcycles, and a
the platoon itself. Like on the Western Front, MG platoon of two machine guns hauled by
the squads within the platoon began to packhorses.
specialize. Bomber sections had begun to
appear. However, the Austro‐Hungarians
KK LANDWEHR INFANTRY
were still short of Machine guns generally
The Landwehr troops were formed battalions
and, like the Germans, no light machine guns
of 1000 men each. The battalion
were issued.
headquarters was formed from two rifle
squads and an engineering squad. Four
By 1917, further changes were made. A
companies were in the battalion. The
machine gun company was added to the
company headquarters consisted of two rifle
infantry battalion and companies were
squads and each company had four platoons,
reduced in size to three platoons. Each
each of four 14‐man squads. These were
company was to have two squads that were
supported by a machinegun company at the
trained as Sturmtruppen and a light machine
regimental level consisting of three platoons,
gun platoon of two squads of two machine
each of two guns.
guns each was added to the company as well.
Now the line riflemen had some mobile
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squads with all of the men being bicycle
KK LANDWEHR ALPINE TROOPS mounted. A fourth machinegun platoon was
Each Landwehr division had a company of present with two machineguns, each crewed
Alpine troops. The Alpine company was by seven men. From 1915 onwards some
formed of a headquarters of two squads, one cycle companies had an attached engineer
of which was ski‐mounted, and a telephone platoon as part of its compliment. This
section. The company had three ski‐mounted consisted of four squads in total. Divided
Alpine platoons, each of four squads. A among the four squads were two rifle‐
machine gun platoon was made up of two grenade launchers.
twelve‐man weapon teams, each with a single
machine gun, and was equipped with horses CAVALRY
for transport. Finally, a ski‐mounted The Cavalry of the Austro‐Hungarian Empire
reconnaissance platoon made up the was divided into Brigades of two Regiments.
company. Each regiment was, in turn, formed by four
eskadron (squadrons) each of 180 men of all
KU HONVED ranks. Each Squadron was in turn formed by
The Hungarian Landwehr infantry battalions four züge (troops).
were formed of four companies supported by
an engineer squad. The Company The cavalry was used to patrol ahead of the
headquarters was comprised of two squads infantry and venture deep into enemy
whilst the four infantry platoons were each territory. In addition, they were to function as
formed of four 14‐man squads. a communication link between the flanks of
the army. Lastly, they were couriers and
escorts for senior officers. The war quickly
HONVED LANDSTURM INFANTRY showed that the role of mounted cavalry was
The Landsturm battalions were formed of four
limited for front line use while engaged in
rifle companies with an engineer squad in
trench warfare. As such, Austro‐Hungarian
support. Each company was made up of four
cavalry was largely functioning as dismounted
platoons, each with four eleven‐man squads.
infantry by the end of 1916. The cavalry went
These were notably smaller than the rest of
to war in 1914 in their gaudy and colorful
the Austro‐Hungarian formations. The
uniforms of the peacetime field uniforms.
Landsturm received machinegun support at
Such attire had no place on a modern
the regimental level. The MG Company of the
battlefield and, understandably, led to high
regiment was formed by three platoons of
casualty levels. As a result these began to be
two guns each.
replaced and cavalry units tended to use
infantry uniforms when in the front lines.
MOUNTAIN TROOPS
The Gebirgsjäger battalion had a KUK STURMTRUPPEN
headquarters comprising two rifle squads, a
At the start of the war, the Austro‐Hungarians
motor car and a motorcycle. It also was made
had small units of GrenzJägerKompanien
up of four companies of four platoons, each of
which were used to patrol the borders of the
four 14‐man rifle squads. The battalion also
Empire in peacetime. However, these were
contained a machinegun company of two
seen more as a border police than as true
platoons, each with two guns with seven crew
combat units. At the outbreak opf the war,
each.
the Russians were quick to use their own
border troops aggressively against the Austro‐
Some Gebirgsjäger battalions were also
Hungarians. As a response, the front line
equipped with a bicycle company made up of
divisions and regiments rapidly formed ad hoc
a headquarters of two bicycle mounted
formations of Jagdkommando troops of their
squads with two motorcycles and a motorcar.
own with positive results. They approximated
Its three rifle platoons each had six rifle
the Russian formations that had been
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wreaking havoc among their frontline troops. the organization of assault units as they
Higher command elements knew of the determined that they would be unsuitable for
Jagdkommando elements but they did peacetime service. However, no orders were
nothing to formalize their existence, with given to disband the existing groups.
these units being seen as a local solution to a
local problem. In September 1916, the first Austrian troops
attended a German assault tactics course.
Each regiment would form assault units based This consisted of five officers and their
on their own experiences. An example unit attendants. Apparently, the result of these
would consist of 50 handpicked men that officers’ experiences in German tactics,
were drawn from parent companies just combined with a closer cooperation of
before the mission to which they were German and Austro‐Hungarian senior staffs,
assigned, performing patrol and led to a change in policy. By November of
reconnaissance missions as required. 1916, an Austrian Assault Company was
formed and assigned to work with each of the
By the fall of 1916, the various German Assault Battalions operating on the
Jagdkommando units were reformed into Eastern Front.
assault detachments. While news of
developments in German practice had come Also, in November 1916, a formal organization
down from the senior levels, and doctrine for for Sturmpatrouillen was finally laid down.
their employment was circulated in the form Unsurprisingly, the Austro‐Hungarian Army
of training material, the Austro‐Hungarian patterned its Sturmtruppen on the German
experience derived from the line troops model. Initially they were formed from
themselves. It was not until November of Engineer companies and were to be used on
1916 that Army Command gathered offensive and patrol duties. These men were
information about how Jagdkommandos were used to raid enemy trenches, take prisoners
used by the front line troops. Surprisingly, the and serve as guides to lead other units
conclusion of the survey of the various Army through the lines.
Commands was the decision to not formalize
ORGANIZATION OF A TYPICAL STURMPATROUILLE ASSAULT PARTY,
circa 1917
Patrol Leader. Equipped with a whistle for issuing commands, a pistol, flaregun,
two to five hand grenades, a watch and a set of wire‐cutters.
Two Bombers. Each with a short rifle, two to five grenades and twenty
marker arrows to indicate clear routes.
Three Grenade Bearers. Each carrying a short rifle and sacks with four to ten
grenades
One Sapper with a short rifle and two to five kilogrammes of explosives
Two Flank or Rear Guards with short rifles, six wooden posts and a phosphorescent
Ring for marking clear paths.
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It was envisaged that each infantry company engineer company. In fact, they often lacked
should have one or two Sturmpatrouillen artillery, machineguns and mortars.
consisting of an NCO and eight men. The
NCOs and officers were armed with semi‐ Even though the Assault Battalions had now
automatic pistols. The men were armed with been formalized, the various Sturmpatrouillen
rifles or carbines. In addition they carried still belonged to their parent companies. Each
bayonets, trench knives, wire cutters, regiment could therefore field a company of
entrenching tools, and two sacks of hand Sturmtruppen. It proved to be nearly
grenades. impossible to keep these troops separate.
Throughout the war the Austro‐Hungarians The Germans attempted to rush as many of
continued to use German assault tactics their troops as possible through the training
courses. When the trained men returned to with an attempt to re‐train the entire army.
their units, they created their own schools The courses were two weeks in length. The
where they began training men and Austro‐Hungarians were different in that they
incorporating them into their front line units. concentrated their units and trained their
Existing JagdKommando units were absorbed men significantly longer. By the close of 1917,
into the new Sturmpatrouillen and became it is arguable that the Austro‐Hungarian
part of the official organization. Sturmpatrouillen were better trained than
their German counterparts.
Eventually these troops were formed into
battalion‐sized formations. By 1917, each Recruitment for the SturmPatrouillen was
infantry division was to have a battalion as very high as many recruits were attracted to
part of its organization. These formations this service with the promises of better pay,
took their time reaching the front line units as greater chances for decorations and
with all changes within the Austro‐Hungarian advancement. These troops were also not
military. subject to the less desirable duties that
regular infantry were subject to. Indeed, the
Sturmtruppen units made use of captured Sturmtruppen could be said to have replaced
light machine guns and, as the war the cavalry as the elite of the Austro‐
progressed, they made field modifications to Hungarian military. As a side note, recipients
the Swarzlose heavy machine gun for use in a of the Golden Bravery medal were supposed
light machinegun role. They also used to be withdrawn from front line service and
captured machine pistols and made field assigned to training duties. This is clearly
modifications to existing semi‐automatic seen with the biography of Emil Poppr. Poppr
pistols, such as extending the magazine, for had won the Golden Bravery Medal. He was
use as trench brooms. ordered to his battalion headquarters to keep
him away from the fighting following his
By January 1917, the Austro‐Hungarian Army award in 1916.
had established the organization of Assault
Battalions. However, these lacked the Assault units received better or at least more
materials to effectively field more than just equipment than their line equivalents. They
the assault companies. The battalion was began to receive steel helmets as early as
intended to be formed of four assault 1916. They received armored breastplates by
companies supported by one to two the fall of 1917. All of the carbines produced
machinegun companies, a battery of four by the Empire were also redirected for their
mountain guns, a field artillery battery of four use.
guns, a mortar company of four mortars and
four trench mortars, a flame thrower In 1917 an Austro‐Hungarian sturmbattalion
company of six flamethrowers and an should have four assault companies, one or
two machine gun companies, a mountain gun
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battery with four guns, an infantry gun The Austro‐Hungarian Army now had a large
battery with four guns, a grenade launcher number of Sturmtruppen to utilize. However,
battery with four medium grenade launchers there simply were not enough of them to
and four medium mortars, a flamethrower overcome the changing defensive tactics used
squad with six flamethrowers and a sapper during the Battle of Paive River in June of
company. A directive was issued that all 1918. The Sturmtruppen were pulled back
infantry divisions should include a sturm, or from the front lines following this battle.
assault, battalion by late 1917, and many
units did achieve that.
By Spring of 1917, most of the field armies
had large numbers of assault formations. Up
until October 1917, the Sturmtrupp units of
TACTICS & TECHNOLOGY
The Austro‐Hungarian army was not prepared
battalion size did not have their own support
for a modern war. In pre‐war exercises, the
elements. Following the 12th Battle of the
various arms (artillery, cavalry and infantry)
Isonzo, captured Italian equipment was added
did not train together but instead operated
directly to Sturmtrupp units. They received
independently. Unit titles such as grenadiers
large numbers of SMGs and machineguns
and jaegers had been around for centuries
captured from the Italians. Prior to this, the
and denoted the roles undertaken by such
Sturmtruppen were as poorly equipped with
units in previous wars. By the time of the
automatic weapons as regular line units.
Great War, the names were obsolete as most
However, from this point onwards the Austro‐
were ordinary line infantry regardless of
Hungarian Sturmtruppen were as well
designation.
equipped as their German counterparts.
The tactics employed by the Austro‐
A typical raiding force would be formed by an
Hungarians were antiquated, with their
officer with one or two NCOs and four
foundation in observations made during the
sturmpatrouillen of nine men. Larger assault
Franco‐Prussian War of 1870. The army had
operations were conducted in three waves.
an extremely aggressive doctrine, with the
The first wave was formed by up to two
assault or attack being perceived as the best
sturmpatrouillen and two or three sections of
solution to any tactical problem. The infantry
line infantry grenadiers. The second wave had
was to be strong enough to carry its
three sections of line infantry accompanied by
objectives without the support of cavalry or
flamethrowers, signallers and machineguns.
artillery.
The third wave was another three sections of
infantry. The second wave was to deal with
In 1914, there was virtually no coordination
strong points that had been bypassed by the
between the three branches; air support at
initial wave of troops and to establish
the start of the war was non‐existent. From
communication lines back to friendly lines.
the beginning of the war to October 1914, the
The third wave was to re‐orientate captured
Austro‐Hungarians utilized the same doctrine
trenches and defend against counter attack.
and in many cases they used it without
consideration for topographical features. The
Coordinating large actions was difficult. There
same types of assaults were attempted in
was a shortage of watches for NCOs and
mountainous regions as well as on open
officers to use as well as critical shortages in
plains. The Doctrine employed can be
flare guns for signaling. This made large scale
summed up as “Offensive at all costs.” This
sturmtroop actions difficult and as such they
philosophy dominated the thinking at the
were not commonly attempted, even with the
senior staff levels, even after the ruinous
numbers that were present.
losses suffered in the initial battles.
Page 11
One of the contributing factors was that The net result of the divorce of the strategic,
platoon and company commanders did not operational and battlefield insight‐led tactical
write after action reports in the Austro‐ developments which, by necessity, came from
Hungarian Army and as a result, the senior the front line troops adapting to circumstance
staff was not kept informed of the rather than being directed from above. By
experiences gained by the front line troops. the close of 1914, the troops avoided attacks
Compounding this, senior officers or their across open ground and began to dig in to
staff did not visit the front; not once during secure territory gained. Whilst the doctrine of
the Carpathian Winter Campaign of 1915 did the offensive remained unchanged at the
Conrad von Hotzendorf nor his staff visit the senior staff level, the shift in focus now was to
front to assess what was happening and, as a hold all gains at all costs with reserves held
result, one commentator stated that they back specifically for counter‐attacks where
“remained oblivious to the harsh battlefield positions were lost. Unfortunately losses
realities, frequently basing their plans on suffered by the Austrians meant that reserves
faulty or incorrect assumptions”. were too few in number to accomplish that
mission.
This lack of change was costly to company
grade officers who suffered close to 25% Max Pitreich, as quoted in Ortner’s
casualty rates across the Army. Of the 90,000 Stormtroops, noted the change as “war is no
officers raised in the first year of the war, only longer a question of will and bravery, as it
half of these served in combat units. And used to be; victory depends on the availability
only a portion of the combat units were on to apply strength and morale in a superior
the front lines. Statistically, this meant that a manner”.
platoon leader was not likely to survive his
second or third combat experience. For the first two years of the war, soldiers
advanced in skirmish lines supported by light
artillery fire. They would open volley fire at a
designated point to keep the enemy's heads
down, and then advance across the area
between the lines in short rushes in order to
work forward to attack, ultimately, with the
bayonet. Needless to say, the machine gun
and accurate rifle fire led to massive
casualties and necessitated the need for a
change in tactics.
The Serbs and the Russians would heavily
fortify many of their positions. The initial
Austro‐Hungarian attack would take the
enemy outposts but the follow‐up units would
push on to the main enemy positions and
arrive in a disordered fashion. Now, in poor
order, they would encounter the enemy’s
main position and devastating machine gun
fire. In the initial phases, they took their
objectives and a victory looked likely.
However, as they pressed forward, the
infantry lost contact with their artillery and,
unsupported, would be beaten back.
Page 12
By the end of 1914, the Austro‐Hungarians official formations. Instead these were ad hoc
began to dig in. The troops were too formations raised to counter the threat of the
exhausted to continue to press the attack to Russian units operating in their area.
the enemy. This transition to static warfare in
the East occurred much later than on the By the spring of 1915, the Austro‐Hungarians
western front. Initially the trenches in the were now using artillery preparation before
east were single trench lines facing one launching the infantry assault. By this point
another. Only after the Austro‐Hungarian man‐power shortages were becoming
troops compared their experiences with the apparent, with just 500,000 combat troops in
Germans on the Western Front did they the field after the huge losses of 1914. One
develop a defense in depth strategy, adopting side effect of the officer losses suffered by the
a three‐position trench line system similar to Austro‐Hungarians was the rapid promotion
that found on the western front. As the war of officers with combat experience to staff
turned to the year 1915, artillery and infantry positions to replace losses. These younger
were obliged to coordinate in order to ward officers proved to be more flexible and
off enemy attacks. adaptable to changes required by modern
warfare. Static warfare was not part of
The switch to static warfare and the shared doctrine and regulations until the fall of 1915
experiences of their German allies led to even though it had been used in practice since
improvements of the Austro‐Hungarian trench the spring of that year.
lines. These changes had the effect of
improving army morale. This undoubtedly The practice was very familiar to the students
increased the survivability of the soldiers as of the Western front. The first position of the
well. As the war dragged on, specific skills trench line involved three lines of trenches.
were needed to deal with trench warfare. Each line was 100 paces behind the other.
The Austro‐Hungarian army adopted These were connected by communication
specialists, as did nations in other theaters of trenches. Dugouts were present for troop
the war, with bombers, trench cleaners, and quarters. Obstacles such as barbwire
trench mortars. The fighting in the Russian entanglements were present 50 to 80 meters
and Serbian front showed the value of the before each of the trench lines. The second
engineering units among the Austro‐ position was similar to the first and placed
Hungarian armed forces. Sappers and Miners two to three kilometers behind the first
were used to bring fighting saps and advanced position. And similarly the third position was
trenches forward to enable the infantry to two to three kilometers behind the second.
engage the enemy at closer distance during This was done to contain breakthroughs.
assaults. Machineguns were placed in enfilade
positions in the trenches.
On the Eastern Front, there were much longer
periods of inactivity as each side planned out The distances were based on German
offensives. Christian Ortner mentions in his experiences and their knowledge of the range
2002 book Austro‐Hungarian Assault of British and French guns and not on their
Formations during World War I that “Most of experiences against the Russian and Serbian
the fighting at this time was low intensity armies. The Austrians were positioned behind
fights, consisting of patrols trying to take the first position. In order to achieve a
enemy outposts or fighting each other in no‐ breakthrough, an enemy would have to cover
man's‐land.”. between four to six kilometers of territory in
order to be effective.
The Austro‐Hungarian Infantry and Cavalry
responded to the Russian small‐scale attacks In the first year of static warfare, the
with ones of their own. They copied the Austrians had heavily occupied the first line of
Russian Jadgkommandos. These were not trenches. As experience dictated, the first line
Page 13
of trenches became increasingly less during artillery barrages and spotting efforts
defended as it was almost always overrun in by aircraft. Furthermore, artillery firing at
an attack. over three kilometers tended to be less
effective on the Eastern Front during the First
The next significant change in Austro‐ World War than in the west.
Hungarian tactics did not arrive until 1917.
The change in static warfare from linear to In terms of the Austrian Command, the most
zonal occurred due to close cooperation with significant change was the shift in focus from
the German Command. Training courses, the the offensive strategy to one of “Abwehr‐
observation of the Western Front by senior Schlacht” or defensive battle. This change in
commanders, and a comparison of what was mindset was the most radical change to the
working on the various fronts contributed to high command. Now two types of offensive
the relatively quick change to zonal tactics. operation were attempted. The first was the
limited objective offensive. Here attacks were
The change divided the trenches into two undertaken to improve one’s own position.
zones. The forward zone remained the same These were sector level attacks undertaken by
as the first position in the linear static a division to the company scale. The second
warfare. The first position was still composed was the operative breakthrough which was
of three lines. Each line was separated by 400 only undertaken by the Austro‐Hungarians
meters now making the zone over 800 meters during the Piave Offensive in June of 1918.
deep instead of 200 paces. A line of outposts Here a general offensive was called to
were placed in front of the first line. These breakthrough enemy lines and make large‐
outpost lines were linked to mg bunkers and scale gains. Unfortunately, the Italians had
deep obstacle areas that were supported by used knowledge gained by their French and
hidden infantry guns and mortars. In between British allies on the western front and had
each line and before the outposts there was a implemented similar changes. This in part led
series of obstacles. The outposts were to to the failure of the Paive River Offensive in
provide early warnings of impending attacks June of 1918.
and to delay and infantry advance.
As 1918 drew on, the Austro‐Hungarian
The Core Zone replaced the second position military slowed and became increasingly
from the, now out‐dated, linear tactics. The defensive. By November 1918, the Austro‐
core zone was 2000 meters behind the first Hungarian army ceased to exist as an effective
zone. This placed the core outside of the military force.
range of light and medium trench mortars. It
was formed by two trench lines that were 150
meters apart. Each line was formed with an
obstacle belt and the reserves and artillery EQUIPMENT
was behind it. Austro‐Hungarian troops were not normally
as well‐equipped as their German allies.
A regiment in the field would have one When building your wargaming force the
battalion forward in the front line positions. following guidelines may prove useful.
The second battalion was in the outposts in
between the two zones and the third was in Helmets
the core Zone. Troops were rotated through In terms of equipment, it is interesting to note
the zones on a monthly basis. This allowed that steel helmets were not introduced on a
the men to know the area intimately. wide scale to the AH field forces until 1917.
Prior to this they wore cloth caps. Even
Another change was the heavy use of among the sturmtruppen, steel helmets were
camouflage and concealment on the trench not in wide spread use earlier.
lines. This reduced enemy effectiveness
Page 14
Grenades Infantry shields began to be employed by late
Like all armies, the Austro‐Hungarians started 1914. They were mainly used to stiffen the
the war almost entirely without hand defenses of trenches seized during an assault.
grenades. The front line troops developed The infantry shields and the empty sand bags
their own, and they utilized captured Russian they brought with them would be used to
gear in the first year of the war. Critical strengthen the taken trench. Also, body
shortages gripped the military throughout the armor was attempted and a breastplate was
war and, as such, the army violated one of its given to some troops in 1917. These were
principles of uniformity of equipment for a largely unpopular as it was heavy and slowed
more pragmatic approach. Numerous styles the soldier wearing it.
and manufacturers were utilized and pictures
abound of troops equipped with multiple More common were handguns. The Austro‐
grenade types. They developed the Rohr Hungarian Empire made several excellent
grenades which greatly resembled the handguns for their troops. These were highly
German stick grenades as early as 1916, but prized by storm troopers for use in trench
several earlier types were also produced. The assaults. Again there were shortages and not
Austro‐Hungarians supplemented their enough were present for demand. Even rarer
shortages with German imports as they did were flare guns. Troops in the field created
with many items. field expedient flare guns from offhand
materials, broken weapons and whatever else
As with many things, the Storm Troops were was available. Again there were not sufficient
well equipped. With units allowing troops to stocks for Storm Troop units let alone for line
carry twelve stick grenades or twenty egg troops.
type grenades. The line troops had access to
far fewer such weapons. Lastly, there were trench clubs. These devices
looked more at home in the time of
The Austro‐Hungarians developed their own Charlemagne than in 20th Century battlefields
rifle grenades for use in trench warfare. Their but they were highly prized by troops. These
Zeitzunder rod grenades were developed as could be found among any troops in front line
early as 1914. These were employed in the service. There were both homemade versions
same manner as other European powers. as well as purpose‐manufactured devices.
Another front line improvisation was grenade
throwers. These started out as simple
catapult style devices created at the front. As INFANTRY SUPPORT
the war progressed, specialized manufactured Prior to October 1917, the Austro‐Hungarian
items became available. One of which was a troops were not equipped with sub‐machine
pneumatic rapid launching system. These guns. However, at a local level, some units
were brought forward to stiffen the defenses acquired captured weapons and used these
of a captured trench line that the troops had against their former owners.
turned.
The Austrians did not adopt light automatic
Miscellaneous Items weapons into their infantry formations. Prior
The Austro‐Hungarians quickly saw that the to the start of the war, they had acquired over
rifles they employed were unsuited for trench 600 Madsen Light Machine Guns. During the
warfare in the assault. In response, they war, they experimented with converting some
adapted to a carbine version of their main Schwarzlose 1907 machine guns as light
battle rifle, but these were never available in machine guns, similar to the German practice
the quantities needed to even supply just the with the MG08/15, but numbers produced
Storm Troopers. were pitifully small and failed to reach the
majority of front line units.
Page 15
Both Schwarzlose and Skoda heavy machine M.16 model were used by assault troops after
guns were used to provide support for the their appearance in 1916.
infantry. The Schwarzlose machinegun was a
much simpler weapon than the German The infantry were supplied with some light
Maxim gun, with only one spring whilst the infantry guns in the shape of the M15 37mm,
breach of the Maxim had 22 separate parts. a small weapon which could be carried on a
These weapons were transported on pack man’s back. However, portable as it was, due
animals, limiting both the amount of to a reputation for poor range and poor
ammunition that they could move forward in accuracy they were unpopular with the
an advance and also slowing the deployment troops. As such, they were rarely moved
speed, as the weapon had to be assembled forward by the troops during an advance and
before use. instead were used to bolster defensive
positions.
Machine gun formations were generally
formed of three detachments of two guns
each, although mountain troops had
detachments of four guns. The infantry
division was equipped with only 24
machineguns. The Jäger battalions had an ARMOUR SUPPORT
added platoon of two guns each. Their Armor was almost non‐existent in the Austro‐
cavalry regiments had a machine gun Hungarian Army. Several plans were made to
detachment that had two platoons of two create a tank force but the critical lack of
guns each for support. equipment in so many areas prevented this
coming to fruition. Some armored cars were
As the war progressed, efforts were made to in use, but these operated behind the lines,
create units with a greater firepower. In guarding communications, rather than at the
1913, four Jäger battalions were selected to front itself.
add a fourth platoon to their cyclist
companies. This platoon was armed with four Where the Austro‐Hungarians did utilize
machine guns, although increased mobility armour was on their railroad rolling stock. By
came at the cost of a reduced amount of September of 1914, some improvised
ammunition that could be carried by the cycle armoured trains began to make their
troops. appearance on the Eastern Front against the
Russians. These were ad hoc affairs
Trench mortars were not widely available to constructed in various rail workshops to fulfill
front line troops until early 1917. Improvised an immediate demand.
devices did appear as troops made
improvised, as had occurred in the early days By October 1914, the government had placed
on the Western Front. Trench mortars were their first order for purpose built armored
available in three sizes: small with a calibre of trains to serve in a combat role. These trains
9cm, medium with 12co to 15cm) and heavy developed the first composite armor
with 26cm or larger. Some of the small trench consisting of a steel‐wood‐steel construction.
mortars were portable and able to be moved By the time of the Empire’s surrender,
forward to support an advance. armored trains served on both the Italian and
Russian Fronts. They produced at total of
Flamethrowers were available to some twelve purpose‐built armored trains and
engineer units and larger Sturmtrupp units. there existed several improvised ones. Only
Larger flamethrowers of the 50 liter variety one was destroyed in combat operations.
were added to fixed defenses. These had an
effective range between 20 and 60 meters.
Smaller man portable units like the 15 liter
Page 16
ARTILLERY SUPPORT still the primary training deployment while in
The Austro‐Hungarian artillery began the war the field, the artillery were deployed for
under‐equipped and struggled to keep trench warfare.
abreast of demand as the conflict developed.
Indeed the arm was affected by shortages In 1914, the artillery was under orders to hold
throughout the entire war. their position and fire on advancing infantry at
all costs. This led to high casualties among the
In 1914, they were at a significant numerical artillery and the loss of a number of guns that
disadvantage compared to their Russian they could ill‐afford to lose.
opponents, with the Russians having between
one‐and‐a‐half and two guns for every one The Austro‐Hungarian artillery arm was
Austrian piece. Furthermore they had no innovative with the materials that they had.
medium caliber artillery of the 15cm size. The Austro‐Hungarian artillery utilized many
Many of the weapons deployed at the start of field expedient adaptations. Fortress guns
the war were older, outdated models that were given rough made carriages to be used
were not up to the task of modern war. These in the field. Naval guns were adapted to land
shortages prevented the Austro‐Hungarian use. Batteries were moved from unit to unit
army from ever being able to supply the types based on the needs at hand. Most interesting
heavy barrages that were seen on the was the use of decoy batteries. Similar to
Western Front. General Longstreet's stove‐pipe batteries in
1861, the Austro‐Hungarians used fake
In January of 1914, the German commentator batteries to draw off enemy fire while their
Balck noted, “In an army corps there were real batteries were concealed.
only 8 gun batteries, 2 light and 2 heavy field
howitzer batteries, a total of 84 guns against As the war progressed, the Austro‐Hungarian
160 in the German army. Austria's artillery Empire followed German practice but was
had not been sufficiently trained for the tasks generally six to nine months behind their
of fire control in large scale battles”. developments. However, Austro‐Hungarian
General Tadeusz Jordan‐Rozwadowski is
By the start of the war, Field Gun batteries credited with inventing the artillery barrage
and Field Howitzer batteries had six guns in tactic called Feuerwaltze ‐ "Fire‐roller". While
1914. Horse Howitzer batteries were four well trained, they lacked sufficient numbers
guns. From the onset of the war, artillery was for modern warfare. The strength of their
concentrated at the Corps level. This barrages was be substantially weaker than
prevented direct support of the various their German counterparts as a result.
divisions in the field in a timely fashion.
Despite the critical shortages they had, the
During the course of the war, artillery began Austro‐Hungarians gave artillery to the
to make its way to the divisional level. As Ottoman Turks. This was an odd decision that
early as 1915, significant reforms were was commented on by the Germans. Yet
underway, with a brigade of artillery being even with the critical shortages and the high
allocated to each infantry division. This losses of the first two years of the war, the
brigade consisted of a field gun regiment of industry of the empire was able to reequip
four batteries (24 guns), a field howitzer the army so that by 1917, the army was better
regiment of six batteries (36 guns) and a equipped with more modern pieces than it
heavy field gun regiment of two batteries of 4 has started the war with.
guns each and an additional four howitzers.
Just as the infantry replacement troops were
initially trained in outdated methods, so too
were the artillery. Open firing positions were
Page 17
FIELDING AN AUSTRO‐HUNGARIAN FORCE Regular due to the intensive training and
When using Austro‐Hungarian forces for experience gained. Mountain troops may be
Through the Mud & the Blood, we rated from regular to veteran in experience
recommend that the unique nature of their and morale of reasonable.
forces is reflected by making the following
adjustments. FORCE LIMITATIONS
In trench formations, about half of the
THE GAME DECK troops should be deployed in supporting
Austro‐Hungarian troops should be given a trenches until 1917. Following this, 60%
Hesitant Troops card whenever Slavic units must be placed in support trenches.
are facing Russian opponents up until late
1916 and again for all units, no matter what Mountain troops are able to treat heavy
their ethnic group, in 1918. terrain as light terrain (‐1 penalty instead
of –2).
Austro‐Hungarian troops can quite often have Sturmtrupen will always count as
a Heroic Leader card attached as much Aggressive troops.
emphasis was placed on leading from the
front. Line infantry will not have access to light
machineguns. Sturmtruppen will have some
An Ammunition Shortage card should be access to portable automatic weapons
added to the deck whenever Machine gun following the Isonzo campaigns in 1917 as
units are moving using their pack animal well as Swarzlose Machineguns that had been
transports. modified for use as light machineguns similar
to the German MG 08/15.
The Stormtrooper card is present for any
Stormtrooper unit present. Sturmtruppen
units will also have Dynamic Leader card.
A Friction card should be added to the deck
when fielding units that are of differing
language groups.
Air support will not exist prior to 1917.
TROOP QUALITY
Austro‐Hungarian troops are a varied lot. In
the early war period, any Slavic units fighting
against the Russians would be rated as poor.
Most other units should have a reasonable
morale. Good units would include any
Stormtrooper unit. Experience of the units
would primarily be regular for many kuk units
in 1914. Following the bloodletting of the
early campaigns, this should drop to Green in
1915.
Honved and Landsturm units would rate as
Green in most cases with some regular units
intermixed. Very few units would count as
veteran. By the late war, an increasing
number of kuk units should be rated as
Page 18
Prior to the start of the Great War, the Empire population, they were able to bring together
of Russia endured radical changes. Militarily, an army of staggering size. In 1914, they
the Empire had lost the Russo‐Japanese war in began the war with over 114 Divisions. Yet
1906; a conflict which had left the country numerical advantage masked some core
nearly bankrupt. However, during the years issues which would blight performance.
between 1906 and 1914, Russia began an
economic turnaround. Several years of The Army found that it was difficult to attract
excellent grain harvests and influx of foreign bright young applicants to the officer corps.
capital investment allied with some significant The pay was terribly low compared to other
political reforms had begun the process of armies of the day; for instance, a Lieutenant
economic modernization and fiscal success for Colonel in the Russian army received only a
the Tsarist state. Socially, the serfs were quarter of the pay of his German equivalent.
largely emancipated, the freedom of speech As such, the available pool of men that the
was introduced and some trade unions were Army could draw from tended to come from
allowed to exist. the lowest classes as the army served as the
primary means of social advancement in
The industrial capacity of the Russian Empire Tsarist Russia. This meant that there were a
at the start of the war was actually in very large number of junior officers who had not
good shape. As a result the army was well even completed primary school education, a
equipped by any standard. They possessed fact which contrasted badly with the Russian
more machine guns per regiment than any General Staff, which was overwhelmingly
other army in the world. Not to mention from the nobility and wealthiest segments of
having more regiments. The most significant society.
shortfall was not in manpower or equipment
but in the area of infrastructure. Rail and The Russian General Staff was a study in
roads were simply insufficient for the vast size contradictions and inefficiency; warring
of the territory that they possessed. This was factions paralyzed development. One of the
obvious during the 1914 and 1915 advances best examples was with the artillery branch.
that Russia made into Galicia. The supply While most armies had moved to six or four
train was hopelessly overwhelmed. A gun batteries, the Russians still had eight gun
humorous side effect was that troops and batteries. Even through it was acknowledged
supplies had to vie with Orthodox priests who that a six‐gun battery would be easier to
were rushing into Galicia in hopes to expand maintain and flexible in its employment, an
their influence among the “liberated” peoples eight‐gun battery was commanded by a more
of Galicia. senior officer and the patronage system
lobbied to keep the batteries as they were
As touched on, the Russian Army of the Great and not to disperse them to more junior
War was rich in manpower. With a huge officers. The separation of the various
Page 19
branches (infantry, artillery and cavalry) was the Germans did not believe that the Russian
maintained by petty feuds and arguments morale was low. What was affecting the
among the senior members of each. Artillery, troops was the inattention to their needs and
whose officers tended to be dominated by the distain for their human dignity by the senior
gentry, viewed the infantry with disdain and officers towards the men. It was this situation
in some cases believed it was beneath them that allowed the openness of the troops to
to answer orders from the infantry. the seduction of the revolution.
The tactical changes that were experienced in By the February/March 1917 Revolution, the
the Russian Army were largely regional. fate of the Russian Army was sealed. The
During the Brusilov offensive, new tactics Revolution brought about the collapse of
were attempted using more dispersed order and discipline and the institution of
infantry formations, but at the same time, committees at the army, division and
other commanders continued to utilize the regimental level. Most punishments were
same close ranked mass‐attacks that they outlawed, especially capital punishment. This
began the war with. causes the cancellation or failure of several
offensives as the men decided not to go over‐
The Russian Empire had the largest standing the‐top and reserve troops choose to not
peacetime army of some 1,423,000 men. support the gains achieved by those that did.
After the mobilization of their reserves at the By November of 1917, the Bolshevik
start of hostilities the Russians began the war Revolution would see an end to Russia’s overt
with 3,115,000 men with the ability to call involvement in the war. In this way, the Great
upon another 22 million men if the need War destroyed the Russian Empire as surely
arose. When the Revolution caused Russia to as it had the Austro‐Hungarian and Ottoman
call for a separate peace, some 14 million Empires.
Russians had seen military service. Their
greater numbers also cost them some of the
largest casualties of the war. Over 2 million
Russian soldiers were POWs with another
million or more killed in action. They also
suffered an additional four million men
wounded. Russia suffered the largest
butcher’s bill of any nation in the war.
The Russian General Staff created its war
plans for the Great War as early as 1912 that
was labeled Plan 19. They had three primary
enemies: Ottoman Turkey, Germany and the
Austro‐Hungarian Army. The Russians viewed
their army in the Caucuses as sufficient to
hold off the Ottomans and saw Germany as a
greater threat than the Austro‐Hungarian
Empire. Plan 19 was modified several times
between their initial offensive starting against
Germany or against Austria‐Hungary. By
1914, Plan 19 called for the major push to be
into German East Prussia.
The Germans noted that the Russians
attacked with determination with little to no
regards to losses. Even as late as March 1916,
Page 20
RUSSIAN FORMATIONS “The older officers, trained in pre‐war
The Russian army was more modern in many conditions, were no longer to be found, having
respects than most of their allies and enemies died in battle or been disabled. The new junior
at the start of the Great War. Following the officers, all young men taken from civil life,
Russo‐Japanese War, the Russian army many of them former students and school
attempted to correct many of the problems teachers, were liberal in their views and very
highlighted by that experience. The 1912 humane in their conduct. They mixed freely
Regulations for infantry were adapted to the with the men in the ranks and allowed us
realities of modern war than nearly any other more liberty than we had ever enjoyed. At the
nation. Added to this, they were theoretically New Year festival we all danced together.”
better equipped with machine guns than any
other nation. Yet, in truth, poor leadership at A number of changes occurred as the war
all levels meant that these regulations had not progressed. In 1915, infantry Brigades were
been drilled into the front‐line troops and the removed from the army structure, with
valuable lessons were wasted. Infantry Regiments were directly assigned to
Divisions. However, the most radical of the
What was more, the Russian Army was changes that occurred were brought about by
weakened by its high command which the February Revolution.
seemed to prefer to react to situations as they
developed rather than implement any serious After the overthrown of the Tsar, the officer
long‐term strategy of their own. This was corps was in chaos. Companies, regiments
made worse by the fragmentation of the and armies were suddenly ruled by
General Staff into factions who were more committees in place of their previous
focused on political infighting that defeating structures. In places along the front, the
the enemy. changes of the Revolution brought about an
informal cease fire to wait and see what
At lower levels, the gulf which existed would happen. With the changes, the
between officers and men equally as situation for the Russian soldier changed
pronounced as that of the Austro‐Hungarian beyond all recognition. Orders were openly
service, but largely for cultural rather than rebelled against as men exercised their new
linguistic reasons. Discipline was very harsh found “freedoms” by ignoring instructions
and the officers were actively discouraged which they did not wish to obey.
from associating with the rank and file. This,
however, was a situation which changed as The informal cease‐fire turned into an
the war progressed. openness that saw soldiers from either side
crossing no‐man’s land with invitations for
By the end of 1916, most of the regular meals and drinks and undermined the will to
officers who had begun the war had been fight of the Russian Army. Prior to the
killed or promoted. Their replacements, formation of her Women’s Battalion of Death,
largely civilians who had enlisted for the Maria Botchkareva attended a briefing on the
duration of the war, were more inclined to conditions at the front across all sectors in
share the hardships and the company of their May of 1917 where she noted “Discipline was
men. Unfortunately the rank and file, whose gone, fraternization was on the increase, the
only escape was death as opposed to agitation to leave the trenches was gaining
promotion, were increasingly exhausted by strength”.
war in inhospitable terrain and
termperatures. What began as an adventure One of the most significant acts of the
in 1914 was a terrible, ceaseless burden by Revolution was the removal of the death
the time 1916 ended. In her first‐hand penalty in the Army. This was followed by the
account of the war, Maria Botchkareva recalls: subsequent removal of most, if not all,
punishments. By the summer of 1917, the
Page 21
state of the army was one of near collapse. response to the requirements of trench
Isolated offensives were attempted but all warfare and, again theoretically, the numbers
failed or were not supported when they of men fighting with a rifle decreased to just
achieved initial success. two‐thirds of the battalion, with other
specialist weapons being introduced.
THE LINE INFANTRY
The organization of the Line Infantry actually
extended to both the Guard formations and
the Siberian and Turkestan rifle units. As such
we will consider them all collectively. The
basic infantry formation was the battalion
formed of four companies. Each company
was commanded by a Captain supported by
three other officers, a second Captain, a
Lieutenant and a Junior Lieutenant. In
addition there was a Sergeant Major, a
Kaptenarmus who was a senior NCO
responsible for the issue and maintenance of
weapons, a drummer, a volunteer officer
cadet and four platoon sergeants. Sixteen
petty officers and twenty corporals made up
the Junior NCO contingent and this whole
force was completed with 180 privates and
fifteen non‐combatants who were batmen,
porters and kitchen staff.
Several sources claimed that the Russian army
had a similar structure to that of a British
Infantry Company. Whilst this is not certain, it
would be extremely unlikely if the formation RAZVEDCHIK TO JAGD‐KOMMANDOS AND
was not made up of four platoons, each with BEYOND
four sections. In theory a platoon was At Regimental level a detachment of scouts,
commanded by a Sergeant with each section designated as a kommando were drawn from
would have 11 men commanded by a junior the best men in the battalions to form a body
NCO. of 63 men, an officer, two senior NCOs, six
Corporals and 54 private soldiers. These men
In 1914, machineguns were assigned at the were not a separate corps to the infantry but
regimental level in a detachment, or were an elite who were trained to operate
Kommando, of eight guns. These were with individual initiative
typically deployed with two guns to a
battalion. As the war progressed the need for Initially formed in 1886, the Razvechik served
increased firepower was recognized and, from as the regimental reconnaissance units for the
1915 onwards, each battalion was Russian Army. They had extensive training
theoretically equipped with four machineguns and were granted access to the Imperial
each, although this was unevenly applied with Russian hunting reserves to hone their
shortages until 1916 and with some battalions tracking and marksmanship skills. Baron von
never reaching that desired total. Tettau noted that these Razvedchik were
successful in accomplishing all of their
As the war progressed the theoretical missions assigned to them during the Russo‐
composition of a Russian battalion changed. Japanese War, and much was expected of
By 1915, the Russians had adopted mortars in them at the outbreak of the Great War.
Page 22
As the war progressed, the role of the political events on the home front pre‐
Razvedchik rapidly changed from general empted this.
scouting duties and, drawing on their success
as raiders in previous conflicts, changed to SHOCK BATTALIONS
that of trench raiders. They rapidly developed As the political situation deteriorated in
a reputation on both sides of the lines, with Russia throughout 1917, the army formed a
the Austrians referring to them as Jagd‐ number of dramatically named assault units
kommandos, a name which summed up well with names such as Shock, Storm or even
their aggressive approach. Death Battalions. These formations stemmed
from the February Revolution. They began to
From October 1915, these units were arrive by April of that year. These were all
reorganized as discrete forces of one officer, volunteer civilian units. These were formed to
four NCOs and 48 men. They had their attempt to bolster the armies failing morale.
officers drawn from the pioneers, a reflection These Shock battalions and death units were
of the change in their role with the onset of raised at a rate of one per division in an
positional warfare. What was more, the attempt to solidify the disintegrating front.
success of these kommandos inspired the
development of more specialist troops within The shock battalions were assigned the
the infantry companies. hardest tasks of the army. They were the lead
units in the Summer Offensive in the vain
By the end of 1915 infantry companies were hope that with their success other less
beginning to field a fourth platoon comprised enthusiastic units would follow.
of grenadiers. Rather like the “bombers” of Unsurprisingly, they suffered significant
the British Army, there was no affiliation with casualties and failed to turn the tide of the
the Grenadier Corps of the Russian Army. war; but, at a local level, they were often very
Instead this phrase was an indication of the successful in achieving their set objectives.
way in which these troops were armed and
fought with hand grenades. One sub‐type of the Shock battalion was
purpose raised “Shock units”. These units
The men were armed with 10 grenades each were not from fighting units but raised in rear
as well as an entrenching tool and wire areas and brought forward. Many of these
cutters. Others were armed with short pikes, units did not even have uniforms when they
revolvers, carbine rifles, hatchets and special arrived at the front. These battalions were
daggers. As on the Western Front, it was nominally a 1000 “man” formation that had
found that the hand grenade was a weapon of three machineguns and eight infantry guns
assault and its effect was multiplied in the apiece. Occasionally these were grouped into
confines of a trench system. These grenadier larger formations as well.
units would be used to spearhead assaults
into enemy entrenchments, or to counter Most famous of these raised units was the
attack where the enemy had broken into first Women’s Battalion of Death. This unit
Russian trenches. was unusual in that it was organized along the
lines of a Pre‐Revolutionary battalion and
With the onset of 1917 marking a general fall maintained the normal officer hierarchy
of morale across the army as a whole, the instead of the committee structure that had
Russians turned more to smaller, better sprung up in February of 1917. This first
motivated units to form a reliable core of battalion maintained pre‐revolutionary
many units. Frontline schools were discipline and order. The organization of this
established to teach assault tactics with an first unit began as two battalions of 1000
eventual plan was to have a Jadg‐Kommando women each. Each divided into four
unit as part of every regiment; however, companies and each company into four
platoons. This organization did not survive
Page 23
the four weeks of training as most women Just prior to the war, it was recommended
were dismissed or rebelled against the that the cavalry undergo significant changes in
discipline. When finally committed to battle, its organization and tactics. Dismounted
the first Women’s Battalion of Death could combat was emphasized. To this end, every
only field 300 personnel. cavalryman was issued a rifle with bayonet in
addition to their saber or lance. Lances were
Later organizations were formed but these generally despised and it was not uncommon
lacked the discipline and allowed committees for them to be “lost” in combat. In spite of
within their structure. These were much the training, officers preferred the older ways
larger in size. At least fifteen Women’s of the charge with drawn sword. So the
Battalions were formed, several of which had tactics were unevenly applied, as many clung
names just as blood‐thirsty as the original. to the old ways of the arme blanche. This was
Officially, the Bolshevik government dissolved also reflective in the mind‐set of the officers
all of the Women’s Battalions in November within these units, with the cavalry retained
1917, but the remnants of many of these units the largest percentage of nobility among the
went to serve on both sides of the Russian officer corps of any branch of service in the
Civil War. Russian military. Other branches, notably
infantry, had allowed a much greater degree
CAVALRY of social mobility. It is for this reason that the
Cavalry in the Great War was still divided into cavalry were the least likely to join with the
their various historical distinctions of Uhlans, October Revolution.
Dragoons, Hussars and Cuirassiers. However,
in terms of actual employment and tactics, When fighting dismounted, two of every three
these distinctions had, for all practical troopers would dismount and the third would
purposes, vanished. Tsarist Cavalry divisions lead the horses away. Each Regiment was
were half of the size of their infantry equipped with two Maxim Machine guns.
counterparts. The regiment was composed of This would be increased to four during the
1000 men. The cavalry squadron at the start course of the war.
of the war was formed five officers and had
between 150 to 180 men. This was based on COSSACKS
the same order of battle that was utilized in No discussion of the Russian army would be
the Russo‐Japanese War. Each squadron was complete without Cossacks. The Cossacks
formed into three troops and each troop into formed two‐thirds of the wartime strength of
three sections between 8 and 15 men each the Russian Cavalry. Most of these Cossack
depending on the unit strength. units were not active in the peacetime army
but raised as needed just as they were during
Interestingly, all cavalry units were trained to the days of Napoleon. These cavalry troops
utilize the Cossack style of attack called the fought skirmish actions in both mounted and
lava. The lava attack was a loose formation dismounted roles. They were armed with
that attempted to lap around the outer edges sabers and carbines. Unlike their regular
of enemy formations. Gone were the dense cavalry brethren, the Cossacks were not
cavalry formations seen in the Napoleonic issued bayonets. In addition, many carried
wars. The lava was seen as a form of attack their traditional lances and some even carried
that would reap larger benefits while costing whips making them a sight more suited to the
less in terms of lives of the cavalry. It was Napoleonic age than a modern battlefield.
chaotic in appearance but depended on The Cossack sotina (squadron) was formed
causing the enemy to disperse where the around a headquarters of a single squad of
riders would have the advantage with their mounted Cossacks. The rest of the squadron
weapons and training. is formed of three troops of three squads. All
were mounted. Each squad would have
Page 24
between 8 to 15 men depending on the changes of success. Based on a belief in the
strength of the regiment. moral advantage of the bayonet over
marksmanship, this policy often meant that
the Russians advanced without proper fire
preparation and suffered heavy casualties as a
result.
TACTICS AND TECHNOLOGY
The Russian Army was in pretty good shape at As early as 1914 General Lesh provided an
the start of the Great War. It was fairly well alternative tactical plan. Men were to be
equipped and had preparation in place for the grouped in threes and, as the platoon
fighting. Their tactical innovation during the advanced, it did so with only two groups
course of the war was limited however. moving at any one time. This method of
proved to be less costly in lives than the use
In the attack, the Russians attempted to reach of “chains”, but it was also significantly slower
its objectives through brute force by utilizing and, as a consequence, was not widely
its superiority in manpower. Up to 1916, implemented.
Russian troops advanced in close order
formation for as long as was possible, only In 1916 Brusilov further modified the tactics
taking up battle formation at a range of 1065 further, taking advantage of better co‐
meters. After that they would advance in ordination practiced between the infantry and
long, broad rushes toward the enemy, artillery support. For the Brusilov offensive,
without firing, from one position of the Russian Infantry would attack immediately
advantageous ground to the next. These after artillery preparation. The attack was
intermediate positions would be rapidly made by no less than three to four waves of
improved with entrenching tools to provide troops following each other at distances of
cover while waiting to make the next tactical 150 to 200 paces. Machine‐guns were
bound forward. brought forward with the third and fourth
wave of the attack. Instead of pack animals,
The Russian regulations were laid down so the Russians now relied on manpower to
that in the advance, there was to be a rifle move their Machine‐guns which were
every four meters. Each wave of advancing mounted on wheeled carriages to facilitate
troops should have an interval of no more movement. While presenting a smaller
than six paces to maintain control. The target, this abandonment of pack animals
platoon formation was known as “chains”, reduced the amount of ammunition which
with six meters between each chain and two could be manhandled forward. Squads would
meters between each man. be employed in column at the rear of each
wing of the advance to protect the flanks.
If an obstacle was encountered that impeded
movement, troops were to go prone some In a doctrinal statement which mirrored the
100 to 200 paces before it and fire rapidly on beliefs still held in the west, a successful
the enemy for several minutes while a cutting breakthrough would be exploited by cavalry
party moved forward to create two gaps per and Cossack troops, who would rush into the
company for the advance. breach and on into the enemy’s rear.
Once within 50 to 70 meters of the enemy, On the defensive, the Russians prepared
grenades would be thrown and the troops trench works that were very similar to those
would rush in with the bayonet. According to on the Western front but, due to the
the doctrine established by General distances involved, may only involves one or
Dragomiroff, the hero of Port Arthur, The two trench lines. Firing was done through
charge was delayed as long as possible as the loopholes and shrapnel proof roofs were
closer the charging distance, the surer the made as available. Ten‐man shelters were
Page 25
prepared in the rear of the trenches. British, these lessons did not make their way
Counter‐attack was the recommended to the troops in the front lines and lack of
method for the defense once the enemy was numbers did not allow a comprehensive or
within 30 meters of defensive positions. homogenous approach to training as was seen
in the West.
At night, Cossack posts were established 200
to 400 paces in front of each company behind
which Observation posts were established 30
to 70 paces in front of the main defences and
piquets sent out.
Where the lines were stabilized, the Russians
would establish four man listening posts in
no‐man’s‐land in an attempt to intercept
enemy raiding parties. Listening posts were
established some 50 feet from their wire
positions and the position was rotated every
two hours.
.
One of the key failings of the Russian system
was largely out of their hands. The distances
involved and the lack of a modern transport
infra‐structure meant that it was highly
problematic to have a system whereby troops
in the front line were rotated in order to
provide opportunities for rest and training. As
a result, two‐thirds of troops were deployed
in the front line where they remained for
lengthy periods of time in the most EQUIPMENT
uncomfortable of surroundings. This, as much The average Russian soldier was well
as enemy action, sapped Russian troop equipped compared to their Austro‐Hungarian
morale as the war dragged on. and even German opponents. Their side
arms, rifles and machine‐guns were
By 1917, the heavy losses suffered under the comparable with those of their opponents
Brusilov Offensive of 1916 left the Russian and entirely adequate for the task. However,
soldier jaded. Attempts to repeat the same a lack of marksmanship training and an
type of attacks resulted in open mutiny by the emphasis on outdated tactics favoring the
troops. Attacks were now made in dense bayonet limited the effectiveness of the
skirmish lines following heavy artillery “drum‐ Russian soldier.
fire” bombardments fire. Companies were
divided into half companies for the attack in a As we have seen, the Russians developed
depth of 50 paces. Officers lead the way. their own assault troops early on in the war.
Trench guns and infantry support cannon fired While these specialist troops trained in trench
over the attackers’ heads as the infantry raiding there is no record of any specialist
advanced. equipment being issued to these ad‐hoc
formations. However, that is not unique. In
In truth, despite localized initiatives, the the West, as well as in the East, Engineering
tactics of the Russian Army did not undergo tools such as grenades, entrenching tools and
rapid changes or advancements. While the wire sufficed to allow a rudimentary approach
upper echelons of the army received reports to the new type of positional warfare.
and lessons learned from their French and
Page 26
Headwear wheeled carriage for transport, allowing a
Similar to the Austro‐Hungarians, the bulk of rapid advance with the main attacking force.
Russian troops wore caps instead of steel
helmets. Some troops did receive French On July 28, 1916, the Russian General Staff
Adrien helmets but these were few in recommended to the Directorate of the Field
number. All of the members of the Russian Inspector‐General of Artillery that
Expeditionary Corps that served in France flamethrower detachments be formed and
from 1916 to 1918 were issued the Adrien merged with the trench‐gun batteries already
helmet and utilized them. However, the bulk planned for each of the 236 Guard, Infantry,
of Russian soldiers in the East did not see a and Grenadier Regiments. Each of these new
steel helmet except for on the heads of their infantry sub‐units would be armed with
enemies. Some assault units utilized where twelve portable flamethrowers and four
they could be acquired, even occasionally 37mm Rosenberg M1915 trench guns; that
pressing captured enemy helmets into use, being three portable flamethrowers and one
but that was the exception rather than the trench gun per infantry platoon.
rule.
The flamethrower detachments were trained
Grenades by February of 1917, but before they could be
Russia was actually quite well equipped with deployed to the front the March Revolution
grenades from the start of the war. They forced the Tsar to abdicate and the armed
deployed both impact fused and time fused forces were thrown into chaos. The
grenades. The impact fused grenades were flamethrower detachments never made it to
withdrawn shortly after the start of the war the infantry regiments. Instead, the 14
They also had gas grenades that could be Chemical Detachments (each army at the
employed by front line troops in order to flush front had its own Chemical Detachment)
out soldiers in bunkers. The gas was less would temporarily attach flame‐chemical
poisonous and more of an irritant. sappers armed with flamethrowers to
individual divisions or brigades within its
army. Apparently most infantry regiments
were also never to receive their batteries of
four trench guns.
Infantry Support
As with other nations, the Russian army ARMOR SUPPORT
developed hand grenades and rifle grenades, The Russian Empire was an innovator in tank
but by far the most significant weapon was design, producing several experimental
the rifle and bayonet. What the line infantry models. One model, the Tsar tank, that had
did not adopt was light machineguns, similar huge bicycle‐type wheels by which it could
to the Austo‐Hungarians. The tactical navigate obstacles. However, none of these
developments of the Russian army were developed beyond trial stage to see front‐line
halted by the 1917 revolution. Only when the use.
Revolution turned into Civil War did light
machineguns begin to make their appearance What the Russians did do was to develop
on the battlefield. armored cars such as the Putilov armored
halftrack armed with one or two
The Russians did not adopt light automatic machineguns. Around sixty of these were
weapons, nor did they widely use sub‐ built during the war although these were not
machine‐guns at any level. The chief used until after the Revolution and were
automatic weapon used was the Maxim chiefly employed during the Russian Civil War.
M1910, a weapon essentially identical to
those seen in other armies. Unlike other
nations though, the Russians employed a
Page 27
ARTILLERY SUPPORT artillery techniques the war was, to all intents
Artillery support was limited due to lack of and purposes, lost.
material and ammunition. Artillery was
assigned across broad fronts with sectors of
between 20 to 30km in length. The 2nd Army
in 1916, for instance, had a front of some FIELDING A RUSSIAN FORCE
60km long. Along this long front, the artillery When using a Russian force with Through the
had a scant density of just 14 or 15 guns per Mud & the Blood, we recommend that the
kilometer of the front. Of these, less than a their forces are reflected by making the
third were heavy guns. This should be following adjustments.
compared against the French in late 1915
where 70 to 75 guns were deployed for each The Game Deck
single kilometer of front with close to half of The mass‐training given to the men limited
those being heavy howitzers. the independence of action that was seen
with other armies. Specific training in trench
Russian artillery pieces were quite good if few raids were done through experience and little
in number. The standard Russian Field Guns, training was available to the troops as a
the 76.2mm and 122mm, were robust enough whole.
to be used in World War Two and still be
fielded in some reserve units in the 1980's. Few units practiced marksmanship as the
Yet they were employed poorly and not bayonet was the preferred weapon of choice.
coordinated with the infantry. The Dynamic Commander card should not be
present for any Russian Force that is not an
Broad stationary barrages were used initially assault or Jagd‐Kommando force.
but from 1916 onwards “drum fire”, a rolling
barrage, was employed by the Russians. Prior A Russian force should always have a Poor Fire
to 1917, Russian artillery fire was not Discipline card present.
sufficient to create the moonscape landscape
typically seen on the Western Front. The wire A Kommando card should be present for any
obstacles were largely unaffected by these high quality assault or Jagd‐Kommando force.
early barrages.
Big Men should be allocated sparingly with a
The summer of 1917 saw the Russian artillery Russian force with the Hesitant Commander
turn front line positions into a cratered card normally present. Additionally, the
landscape for the first time. Following the Hesitant Troops card should be present for
February 1917 Revolution, the artillery attacks any Russian force from late 1916 forward.
were sufficient to blow large enough holes in This may be present for some earlier Green
the obstacles to make roads for advancing formations. From February 1917 onwards all
infantry. Gas was not employed during the troops will have two Hesitant Troops cards.
1916 Brusilov campaign but was used during
the Summer Offensives of 1917. A Vodka card can be present for any
formation. On drawing this card, any Russian
Lack of coordination between the infantry and unit may roll a 1D4 and remove that many
artillery led to friendly fire casualties and the Shock points.
inability of Russian infantry to call on artillery
support when attacked. In addition, the An Uhrahhh! Card may be present. This
barrages often failed in their objectives to allows the Russian player to launch an attack
suppress the enemy or to break wire with any number of infantry units that he
entanglements. This left the men exposed chooses, as long as no unit is further than 9"
during their advance. By the time the Russian from any other single unit in the group. This
forces had learnt to develop more effective will automatically unpin or un‐suppress any
Page 28
unit taking part, Shock being ignored for Man per squad as well as the platoon
movement purposes (but not for combat). leader.
The player must use all of his dice for
movement. To do this the unit must be In close combat, Russian troops should
accompanied by a Big Man, and the enemy count as Aggressive for their preference
must be within viable charge range, i.e. within for the bayonet.
the number of inches it is physically possible
to roll with the dice. For example, a unit with
three dice must start within 18" of the enemy
or less if the terrain impedes movement.
Troop Quality
The Russian troop quality varied considerably.
The Siberian troops were well regarded by the
Germans and should be treated as having
Good Morale and Regular Experience. Other
Russian troops should be rated as Good or
Reasonable Morale with mostly Poor and
some Regular Experience to reflect the lack of
training.
Russian morale should fall from reasonable to
poor from late December 1916 forward with
all formations except assault units, Jagd‐
kommandos and Shock Battalion troops. The
Russian soldiers experience should vary fairly
evenly from Regular to Green. Veteran troops
should be very rare.
Guard formations had Reasonable to Good
Morale and Regular Experience rating. Shock
or Death Battalion troops should be rated as
Green with Good morale.
FORCE LIMITATIONS
At least two‐thirds of any Russian force
must be deployed on the front line
trench. The remainder may be in
support trenches.
Russian infantry crossing rough terrain
only take ½ the penalty pips that
regular infantry would take (rounded
down). For example, Russian infantry
passing through heavy terrain take a –1
pip penalty as opposed to –2. For light
terrain there is no penalty.
Big Men should be allocated sparingly.
Assault and Jagd‐Kommando units are
exempt from this and may have one Big
Page 29
The following scenarios have been designed popular 28mm scale works just as well and
to provide an introduction to warfare on the with no changes to the dimensions.
Eastern Front and, in particular, the fighting
between the Austro‐Hungarian and Russian The scenarios have been laid out in order to
Empires, although the Germans do feature in allow the players to simply print out the pages
a number of them. for the game they want to play and to get
straight into the action. In view of the fact
These have been designed to provide the that this is a PDF supplement, I have
player with a range of game types, from the attempted to keep the use of color to a
open Russian countryside to the rigors of minimum, with only the maps being in full
trench warfare. color as this does allow the terrain to be best
reflected in the illustrations. The rest of the
The emphasis here is on playing some text is in black and white for easy and low‐
interesting and varied games, rather than cost printing.
following any particular campaign, as this best
allows the gamer to get a feel for the war in Some Russian and Austro‐Hungarian ranks are
the East in all of its various stages. generally unfamiliar to the English speaking
reader, whereas German ranks tend to be
It is my hope that this supplement allows you better known. I have taken the view that in
to gain an appreciation of how interesting and some cases it is easier, and less confusing, to
varied the Eastern Front is and how it use the English version, Sergeant or Corporal,
provides an alternative view of the Great War or even the more generic “squad leader” as
to the more ubiquitous Western Front. To opposed to the original format. I hope this
that end, I have made sure that many of the does not detract from the playability of the
scenarios are small enough to allow the scenarios.
gamer starting out collecting a new force to
get figures onto the tabletop as quickly as
possible. What is more, the scenarios provide
for a mix of both open and trench warfare.
For all of the scenarios present, we
recommend a 6’ by 5’ table. I have used this
size with 15mm troops which provide what is
essentially a 1:1 figure and ground scale with
Through the Mud & the Blood, that said, the
Page 30
SCENARIO ONE
In Search of a Drink
September 1914
In the early days of the Russian advance into East Prussia in 1914, a group of Cossacks from the 3rd Don
Cossack Regiment would be awarded one of the first Orders of St George of the war. In a rare all‐cavalry
engagement, a party of Cossacks spotted a larger German Cavalry patrol. Unperturbed, the Cossacks
charged the German formation causing it to break apart and then dismounted and opened fire. Their
leader, Kozma Firsovich Hooks, and three companions, Mikhail Ivankov, Ivan Shchegolkov, Kozma
Kryuchkov, were all wounded in the subsequent fight. Hooks was awarded the order of Knight of St
George 4th Class for his actions on that day.
UMPIRE NOTES
This is a pure cavalry scenario. To simplify things, cavalry from either side will be considered Green
infantry if dismounted. The fields are surrounded by low stone walls which provide some cover but do
not impede movement by horses which can leap them with ease. The hills can be ascended by horses at
‐1 pip (for the total die roll). Fields may be crossed at ‐1 pip per die due to the broken nature of the
ground.
Page 31
GERMAN BRIEFING
You and your Dragoons have been tasked with scouting some local farm country to seek out the enemy.
Stories have been passed along by some of the older hands about what their great grandfathers heard
about the Cossacks as they drove back Napoleon’s hordes. Now it is your turn to face the Russians. Find
the enemy and report their location back to headquarters. Your Wachtmeister is a competent and fierce
warrior. Your corporals, well you are not sure of their qualities. You believe that your men will fare well.
Your Troops are Green with Reasonable morale. They are as follows:
Leutenant, Status III
Wachtmeister, Status II
Two Corporals, both Status I
Twenty men armed with carbines, lances and sabre. These should be broken down into two or more
Groups as the player desires.
You enter the table at the North‐Western corner, top left, with your figures deployed (i.e. not on Blinds).
Your objective is to seek out and engage any enemy scouting force in the area, obliging them to retire.
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
What a glorious day to be a Cossack. You have stumbled across a wonderful small farm. The farmer and
his family have generously decided to donate their small belongings to you and your men. You, Kozma
Hooks, and your first section have spent the night at the house. You have heard the sound of horses
nearby and have alerted your men of action to come. You are waiting on your other two sections to
arrive. You are looking to make off with the three small barrels of schnapps that you have found in the
farmer’s cellar. It is not vodka but it will do in a pinch.
You will begin the game on hidden in the sole farmhouse. Your men have their mounts and lances
stashed behind the house. If you emerge from the house, you will have two Blinds to work with. Your
men are of Good Morale and Regular experience. Your force is as follows:
Kozma Firsovich Hooks, Status III
Section One
Mikhail Ivankov, Status I
Eight men armed with lance, sabre, carbine and pistols.
Section Two
Ivan Shchegolkov, Status II
Eight men armed with lance, sabre, carbine and pistols.
Section Three
Kozma Kryuchkov, Status II
Eight men armed with lance, sabre, carbine and pistols.
If the Cossacks defeat the Germans, or leave with most of their forces and the schnapps, they win. To do
the latter they must exit at the North Eastern corner, top right, of the table. A section carrying the
schnapps has its movement reduced by 2” (in total, not per D6 of movement).
CARDS
German Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Big Man 1‐4 Big Man 1‐4
Command Initiative III x1 Command Initiative III x1
Command Initiative I x1 Command Initiative I x1
Charge! Charge!
Page 32
SCENARIO TWO
Bridge Over the Wislonka
October 1914
Early in the war, V Corps of the Austro‐Hungarian Empire was engaged with the Russian Empire along the
borders. In early October, Infantry Regiment “Schikofsky”, Number 83, part of the 33rd Division of V
Corps, moved against the village Borki that was 25km South‐West of the mouth of the River Wisloka.
Once seized, the Regiment’s commander ordered the pioneer platoon of the 83rd, be sent to cut wood in
order for a bridge to be built across the river. While undertaking that mission, local villagers informed
the platoon commander, Leutenant Karl Freiherr Ungár, that an intact bridge was located just 3km South
of the junction with the Vistula River with the road East from the town of Ujscie leading to the ford.
Leutenant Ungár led his men to find the bridge. As they approached the structure they came under rifle
fire. Ungár led his men in a bayonet attack against the defenders and seized the bridge, holding it
reinforcements arrived. This scenario recreates this skirmish.
UMPIRE NOTES
The terrain should gently slope down toward the river from both sides. There is swamp on either bank
of the river. The river is not crossable by any other means than the bridge. The nearby house has a
walled garden .
Page 33
AUSTRIAN BRIEFING
You, Leutnant Ungár, have been ordered to take your platoon to examine a possible crossing of the
Wisloka River, seizing it if possible. You have encountered some villagers who have informed that a
bridge is nearby, even though it is somehow not shown on your map. This would prove far superior to
the ford you had hoped to find so you are now advancing to take and hold the bridge. Your force is as
follows:
Platoon HQ
Leutnant Ungár, Status III
Platoon Sergeant, Status II
Six riflemen/runners. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad One
Squad Leader, Status I
Fourteen riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Two
Squad Leader, Status I
Fourteen riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Three
Squad Leader, Status I
Fourteen riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Four
Squad Leader, Status I
Fourteen riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Poor
Your force enters the table on Blinds on the Eastern, right‐hand, table edge. You may deploy two
dummy Blinds and may elect to start the game with all Blinds on the table from the start or to feed them
onto the table over a number of turns. If the latter, you may elect to deploy as many remaining Blinds
onto the table each time the Blinds card is dealt.
To win the game you must drive off any bridge guard present and seize the structure with men on both
banks of the river. You can then call for assistance, ending the game.
Page 34
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
Following a poor showing by your men at their last inspection, you have been ordered to guard a bridge
in some God‐forsaken back‐water. Your men are bored and unhappy as their rations failed to arrive this
morning. Even you are beginning to think you’ve been forgotten by your superiors, especially as this
place is not even listed on the map! Still, you must hold the bridge as ordered.
You may set a sentry anywhere within 12” of the bridge. Half of your force is resting just off the
Western, left‐hand, edge of the table but one squad must be placed on the Western bank of the river
where they are patrolling and another squad may be placed behind a makeshift barricade on the Eastern
side of the river. Your force is as follows:
Platoon HQ
Lieutenant, Status II
Platoon Sergeant, Status III
Four riflemen/runners. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad One
Squad Leader, Status I
Nine riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Two
Ten riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Three
Squad Leader, Status I
Nine riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Four
Ten riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Poor
Your troops on the table will deploy on Blinds with any troops behind a barricade being considered
hidden in cover. Any troops off‐table at the start of the game may enter on the Western table edge on
any turn of the Blinds card. To win the game you must maintain control of at least one end of the bridge.
CARDS
Austro‐Hungarian Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Dynamic Commander Hesitant Troops
Heroic Leader Big Man – Lieutenant
Friction Big Man – Platoon Sergeant
Big Man – Leutnant Ungár Big Man ‐ Section Leader 1
Big Man – Sergeant Big Man ‐ Section Leader 2
Big Man ‐ Squad Leader 1 Sentry
Big Man ‐ Squad Leader 2 Command Initiative III x1
Big Man ‐ Squad Leader 3 Command Initiative II x1
Big Man ‐ Squad Leader 4 Command Initiative I x2
Command Initiative III x1 Vodka
Command Initiative II x1 Hesitant Commander
Command Initiative I x4
Page 35
SCENARIO THREE
Spilling Royal Blood
October 1914
Prince Oleg Konstantinovich Romanov was the son of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich. At the
ouset of the war he and his brother, Prince Igor Gabriel, were both serving in the Life Guard Hussar
Regiment which was positioned on the extreme right flank of the 1st Russian Army as they invaded East
Prussia.
In early October, heavy fighting took place near the town of Shirvindt with Russian troops entered the
town on the 5th of October. On October 10th, the Hussars had moved near the village of Sharvinishki
where Prince Oleg led a patrol tasked with locating the enemy. Contact was made early in the day and,
after engaging the Russians with rifle fire, the Germans fell back towards a roadblock that they had
established with the Prince and his men in pursuit.
In the ensuing fight the Germans were put to flight, half their number being captured. However, Prince
Oleg sustained a mortal wound. As he lay in a field hospital he commented "I am so happy. It will
encourage the troops to know that the Imperial House is not afraid to shed its blood". The Prince was
posthumously awarded the Order of St. George in the 4th Degree.
UMPIRE’S NOTES
The triangular orchard, between the two roads, does not reduce movement. The other woods restrict
mounted movement, with any cavalry required to dismount to move in them.
Page 36
GERMAN BRIEFING
While you hear of great advances in the West, here in the East our forces are attempting to stand firm
against the Russian steamroller. Your men are a blocking force detailed to an important road near
Shirvindt and you are on your guard as reports suggest that the Russians have been spotted nearby. You
just hope that the reinforcements you have been promised arrive before the Russians do!
If you spot the enemy, you are to delay them as long as possible to provide time for the army to react.
However, don’t sacrifice lives needlessly. You have a fallback just down the road at a roadblock where
your men can find shelter. Your force is as follows:
VizeFeldwebel, Status II
Gruppe One
Gefreiter, Status I
Eight riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Gruppe Two
Nine riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Gruppe Three
Gefreiter, Status I
Eight riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Gruppe Four
Nine riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
You begin the game with one or two Gruppe of your choice at the roadblock marked on the road
towards the Western, left‐hand, table edge. The rest of your force begins the game with one Blind at the
bend in the road in the centre of the map and one or two more Blinds (depending on how many Gruppe
are at the barricade) within 9” of that point.
At the start of the game the roadblock and any troops behind it are not placed on the table. These are
only placed on the table if the German player wishes to do so on any turn of the Blinds card, or when any
Russian troops reach the point where the road emerges from the trees. If deployed on the blinds card,
the roadblock is placed on the road and any Gruppe present are then deployed on Blinds within 6” of
that point.
To win the game you must repulse any Russians whilst retaining control of the roadblock.
Page 37
Russian Briefing
As the advance continues into East Prussia, your cavalry is leading the way. Your unit has been tasked
with finding the enemy positions and driving in any enemy outposts. So far, things have been going fairly
well for you and the Russian Army as a whole in these early months of the war. You have detailed one of
your sections to check for the enemy to the north of your current position while you are leading the rest
of your men down the road. Your force is as follows:
Prince Oleg Romanov, Status III
Platoon Sergeant, Status II
Section One
Corporal, Status I
Eleven Hussars armed with carbines and sabers. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Section Two
Twelve Hussars armed with carbines and sabers. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Section Three
Corporal, Status I
Eleven Hussars armed with carbines and sabers, two with grenades. Experience: Green, Morale:
Reasonable
Your force begins the game with one Blind on the Southern road on the Eastern , right‐hand, table edge.
On each subsequent turn of the Blinds card one Blind will arrive. You have four Blinds in total, one being
a dummy. Prince Oleg must be attached to the first Section to enter the table with the Sergeant
attached to any section the player wishes.
CARDS
German Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Big Man 1‐3 Big Man 1‐4 Random Event
Command Initiative III x1 Command Initiative III x1
Command Initiative I x1 Command Initiative I x1
Rally Charge
Dynamic Commander
Page 38
SCENARIO FOUR
Clear the Trench!
October 1914
Lieutenant Nicholas Nechaev was a devoted soldier who, by October 1914, had already lost an eye due
to an explosion but had returned to duty commanding the machine gun platoon of the 106th Regiment of
the 27th Infantry Division, part of the 1st Russian Army advancing into East Prussia.
In late October Lieutenant Nechaev participated in a night attack on the village of Kapsodze; an attack
undertaken without artillery preparation in the interest of achieving surprise. The Russians crossed a
river with marshy banks in order to get to the enemy trench works. However, the enemy learned of the
attack and countered this move. Lieutenant Nechaey was able to take a house on the German held side
of the river and cover the retreating Russian troops throughout the next day by providing flanking fire
against the German positions. He and his men returned to the Russian side of the river that evening.
This scenario replicates part of that action.
UMPIRE’S NOTES
The area of the ford is very shallow and troops crossing there only loose one pip per die crossing at that
point. The other areas of the river can be crossed at a loss of two pips per die. The rest of the terrain is
relatively flat and open and provides no real cover.
Page 39
GERMAN BRIEFING
Last night the Russians crossed the river in force in an attempt to assault our positions. Fortunately an
alert sentry foiled their plan and our troops drove them back, albeit at significant cost. The report is that
the enemy is now massing for a second push against our severely weakened position.
As you advance you meet stragglers falling back who tell you that the front line position has been
abandoned. You must move your troops to the front line, consolidate our position and repel the next
attack. Unfortunately you have not been issued hand grenades as there has simply been no time. Your
force is as follows:
VizeFeldwebel, Status II
Gruppe One
Gefrieter, Status I
Eight riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Gruppe Two
Nine riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Gruppe Three
Gefrieter, Status I
Eight riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Gruppe Four
Nine riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Your force will enter the table on Blinds at either end of the trench line. Select which end is your entry
point and then all your forces will arrive at that point. At the start of the game one Blind will be on the
table, with a further one blind arriving on each turn of the Blinds card.
To win the game you must clear the Russians from our side of the river.
Page 40
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
Our forces attacked across the river overnight in what should have been a surprise attack which swept
the enemy from their trenches. Unfortunately some noisy peasant in our ranks alerted the enemy and
our initial attack was fought off. However, a small house was captured across the ford and a machine
gun team still holds that.
You must push forward and cross the river to take the enemy trenches. The enemy have been badly
weakened and one push should do the job. Your men are green but are full of patriotic zeal and you are
in high spirits. You will win for the Tsar!
Your forces are as follows:
Lieutenant Nicholas Nechaev, Status III
Machine Gun Team
Five man Maxim 1910 group.
Platoon Sergeant, Status II
Section One
Ten riflemen, two with grenades. Experience: Green, Morale Good
Section Two
One Corporal, Status I
Ten riflemen, two with grenades. Experience: Green, Morale Good
Section Three
Ten riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale Good
The Lieutenant and his Maxim Group begin the game on a hidden Blind in the farmhouse by the ford.
The remainder of the force will be deployed on three Blinds anywhere on the Southern river bank, just
about to begin their crossing. You also have two dummy Blinds. To win you must break into the enemy
trenches and clear them of any German troops.
CARDS
German Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Big Man 1‐3 Big Man 1‐3
Command Initiative II x1 Command Initiative III x1
Command Initiative I x1 Heroic Leader
Rally Uhrahhhhh!
Friction
Page 41
SCENARIO FIVE
A Hunting Expedition
Spring 1915
Albin Mlaker was born in Planina near Rakek in the province of Lower Styria in 1890. At an early age he
decided on a military career and received his commission as a Leutnant on the 1st of May, 1912 into a
Pioneer battalion, later transferring into the newly formed Sappeur‐Battalion 14. Throughout the war
Mlaker gained a reputation on the Italian front for his skills in engineering works which allowed the
Austrians to overcome a number of supposedly impregnable positions. However, what is not always
known is that Mlaker began his war on the Russian Front where he gained a local reputation for his
courage when he encountered a Cossack raiding force. This scenario is based on that encounter.
UMPIRE’S NOTES
This is a short and sweet scenario and a good introduction to the Eastern Front. With the numbers
involved it is a great place to start your collection of Austrian and Russian troops.
The map shows a small farmstead, with a farmhouse adjacent to an orchard and low crops in the field.
The field slows movement as the ground is still damp, with ‐1 pip per dice of movement. The light woods
at the North‐Western corner will oblige cavalry to dismount, whereas the orchard does not slow
movement for either foot or mounted troops.
Page 42
AUSTRO‐HUNGARIAN BRIEFING
The situation in this area of the front is particularly fluid. With such wide open spaces it is difficult to
form a continuous front on which to face the enemy. You have been ordered to take your squad out in
the hope of capturing a prisoner who can provide information about the whereabouts of the enemy.
Your force is as follows:
Leutnant Albin Mlaker, Status II
Nine riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
The Austrians begin the game with their entire force on a single Blind anywhere on the Western, left‐
hand, side of the table.
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
A Cossack’s life is a fine one, and never better than when there is some loot to hunt out! Your patrol has
fortunately met some peasants who tell you that a farmhouse is just over the next rise. You are already
licking your lips at the thought of the chickens that will be just waiting for you to “liberate” them. Would
it be too much to hope for a piglet?
As your men's horses are laden with blankets, pans and a few other odds and ends that you “found” you
have decided to dismount to approach quietly. Leaving your horses and two of your men to the South,
you have crept circuitously round to make your approach via the cover of an orchard. Your force is as
follows:
Cossack Leader, Status II, armed with two pistols and a flare gun.
Nine men, all rifle armed, two with grenades. All with pistols. Three with swords. Experience: Green
Morale: Reasonable.
You enter the table on the northern, top, edge in between the light wood and the orchard. Your entire
force is on a single Blind. To win you must liberate your dinner from the farm. In case of trouble you can
summon your horses with the flare pistol. After the flare is fired they will arrive on the next Blinds card.
CARDS
Austro‐Hungarian Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Heroic Leader Cossack Leader
Friction Command Initiative I x1
Albin Mlaker
Command Initiative II x1
Page 43
SCENARIO SIX
Noblesse Oblige
March 1915
Karl Ungar, who we first met in Scenario Two, was born in Budapest and graduated from cadet school in
1911. H was promoted to Oberleutnant in early March 1915, by which time he was already the holder of
the Order of the Iron Crown 3rd Class with War Decoration, the Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with War
Decoration and the Bronze Military Merit Medal. At the end of March 1915 his regiment was holding
positions along the crest of the Beskids Mountains near Bukowe Berdo. Their orders were to maintain
contact with the adjacent units at all costs and it was Ungar’s Regimental Pioneer Platoon which was
tasked with expelling any Russian encroachments into the forward positions. Three times on one day the
platoon was called upon to repulse the superior Russian attacks before the Russians conceded defeat, by
which time Oberleutnant Ungár's platoon had itself suffered considerable casualties during the
engagement ‐ twelve dead and 14 wounded.
Following this action, Karl Ungár was nominated for and finally awarded the Military Order of Maria
Theresia at the 184th Promotion on the 17th of August 1918 and raised to the nobility with the rank of
Baron. This scenario recreates the actions of Oberleutnant Ungar’s Pioneer Platoon operating as a “fire‐
brigade” to counter‐attack against a superior Russian force.
UMPIRE’S NOTES
The map shows the front two lines of the Austro‐Hungarian trenches around the crest of a mountain,
here shown facing North. The wire entanglements had been breached in the previous two attacks.
Additionally, artillery has breached the wire in additional places. Troops lose 1” per dice of movement
when moving uphill. The crest breaks line of sight, but units anywhere on it can see either side of it.
Page 44
Austro‐Hungarian Briefing
The Russians have been attacking non‐stop and you have had a busy time restoring the line when the
enemy has been able to break into our positions. You have just received your third call of the day; the
enemy are in our trenches, it’s time for another counter‐attack!
Your Pioneer Platoon is as follows:
OberLeutnant Karl Ungar, Status III
Platoon Sergeant, Status II
Squad One
Squad Leader, Status II
Ten riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Two
Squad Leader, Status I
Twelve riflemen with two equipped as bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Three
Squad Leader, Status I
Ten riflemen, two equipped as rifle‐grenadiers. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Four
Squad Leader, Status I
Nine riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Poor
Regular Infantry Squad
Squad Leader, Status I
Seven riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Poor
At the start of the game the Regular Infantry Squad listed above is the only unit deployed on the table.
This may be deployed anywhere in the southerly trench line. It may not move and will only fire if the
enemy come within range.
Ungar’s men arrive anywhere on the Southern, bottom, edge of the table on Blinds. They are advancing
over the top to get into the threatened area quickly. They arrive on blinds.
To win the Austro‐Hungarians must drive the Russians out of the trenches altogether.
Page 45
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
You have been beating the Hungarians back across the whole of the front with a succession of hammer‐
blows against their positions. You and your first two platoons have reached the Hungarian front line and
driven off the defenders (with the exception of a few who will be dealt with imminently). You have a
third platoon that is following right behind you so you must push on and secure the second line, ideally
before the Austrians counter‐attack. Your force is as follows:
Captain, Status III
Platoon One
Platoon HQ
Lieutenant, Status III
Two riflemen/runners. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Section One
Section Leader, Status I
Eight riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Poor
Section Two
Seven riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Three
Squad Leader, Status I
Eight riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Four
Seven riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Poor
Platoon Two
Platoon HQ
Platoon Sergeant, Status II
Three riflemen/runners. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Section One
Section Leader, Status I
Six riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Poor
Section Two
Nine riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Three
Squad Leader, Status I
Eight riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Four
Eight riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Poor
You begin the game with your first platoon deployed on the table in the northerly line of trenches. Your
second platoon will arrive shortly on Blinds.
Page 46
SCENARIO NOTES
Russian reinforcements need to test to see if they arrive each time the Russian Blinds card is dealt. This
card is ignored in the first turn and on the second turn they will arrive on a roll of 6. If they don’t arrive
the first time they test, a roll of 5 or 6 will be required the next time the Blinds card is dealt, 4, 5 or 6 the
turn after and so on, with the number required being reduced by 1 each time the test is made.
When the reinforcements do arrive they do so at a rate of one Section per turn, with their Blinds placed
on the northern table edge anywhere wire does not block their entry. In that turn they will do nothing
other than arrive on the table edge, being activated on the next Blinds card as normal.
In the Austro‐Hungarian second line, there is a machine gun position in the bottom right hand corner as
shown by the circular position. It is currently unmanned but the machine gun is in working order.
Anyone taking the position must first clear the dead crew away, spending two full turns of activations to
do so, before using the weapon.
CARDS
Austro‐Hungarian Russian General
AH Blinds Russian Blind Time for a Snifter
Dynamic Commander Big Man ‐ Captain
Heroic Leader Big Man – Lieutenant, Platoon
One
Friction Big Man ‐ Section Leader x 2
for Platoon One
Big Man – Leutnant Ungár Big Man ‐ Sergeant, Platoon
Two
Big Man – Platoon Sergeant Big Man ‐ Section Leader x 2
for Platoon Two
Big Man ‐ Squad Leader 1 Sentry
Big Man ‐ Squad Leader 2 Command Initiative III x2
Big Man ‐ Squad Leader 3 Command Initiative II x2
Big Man ‐ Squad Leader 4 Command Initiative I x4
Big Man ‐ Squad Leader 5 Vodka
Command Initiative III x2 Hesitant Commander
Command Initiative II x2 Friction
Command Initiative I x4
Page 47
SCENARIO SEVEN
“Yashka”
Easter 1915
Maria Bochkareva was a woman who would find fame creating the first of the Women’s Battalions for
the revolutionary government in 1917. However, her military career began two years earlier when she
petitioned the Tsar to be allowed to enlist and fight in the ranks. In her book, Yashka, My Life as a
Peasant, Officer and Exile, she reveals that her baptism of fire came shortly before the Orthodox Easter
in 1915 when she took part in an assault on a German entrenched position.
The night before the attack Yashka, for such was her nickname, and her unit was moved from the reserve
trenches to the front. Here endured shelling and a gas attack while advancing up the communication
trenches single file. The front line trench was no more than a dirty ditch that was one verst, about two‐
thirds of a mile, from the German trench line. They attack they made is represented by this scenario.
UMPIRE’S NOTES
The table is a largely open area with the German trench atop a slight incline which dominates the ground
before it. There should be some shell holes, but this is not the moonscape of some areas of the Western
Front. The wire before the German positions was continuous but some holes have been made by
artillery fire, albeit not many.
Page 48
GERMAN BRIEFING
You have been warned that the Russians are preparing for a general offensive. Word has been passed
that there is activity for miles along the front and your artillery has been firing into the enemy lines in an
attempt to disrupt the build up of enemy troops. Your Machine gun crews have also been engaging
some advancing columns of troops that have been funnelling up to the front.
This morning the enemy shelled your position but the effects appear to have been insignificant. Just one
of your men was wounded and the wire is largely intact. If the enemy attack in your sector you must
make them pay in blood! The distances your Regiment is obliged to cover means that our men are thinly
spread and if the enemy break into your trenches you are unlikely to have the strength to hold them, so
kill them while they are in No‐Man’s‐Land. Your force is as follows:
Feldwebel, Status III
Squad One
Gefrieter, Status I
Eight riflemen, two equipped as bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Two
Gefrieter, Status I
Seven riflemen, two equipped as bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
MMG Group
Gefreiter, Status I
One Maxim HMG with five crew
Your objective is simple. You must repulse any Russian attack in your sector. If you do so you win. All of
your forces are deployed in the trenches, being treated as hidden on Blinds. When they open fire they
will be placed on the table.
Page 49
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
The order to attack has been given! Clambering over the top of the front line trench your men begin
their run toward the enemy lines. The distance between the two lines is very long, half mile or maybe
more. As you advance, you are aware of men falling, but the advance continues. Desperately you scan
ahead to try to see gaps in the enemy wire. Almost up with you, you can see Yashka, the woman soldier,
encouraging the men forward. Stragglers from other units have joined your platoon, inspired by her
leadership. God save Russia!
Commander Grishaninov, Status II, with a pistol and a whistle.
Section One
Corporal, Status I
Nine riflemen, two with grenades. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Section Two
Eight riflemen, two with grenades. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Section Three
Corporal, Status I
Seven riflemen, two with grenades. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Section Four
Corporal, Status I
Six riflemen, two with grenades. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Straggler Section
Eight riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Before the game begins, roll 1D6 for each 9” section of wire. On a roll of 6, there is a 3” breach present
in that section and the Russian player has spotted it. If two adjacent sections have a breach remove one
complete section of wire of the Russian player’s choosing. The German player should not be aware of
where the smaller 3” breaches are, but will be aware if any complete section of wire is removed.
The Russians deploy their force on the Southern, bottom, table edge and may make one move
immediately with all of their units before the Game Deck is shuffled and the game begins.
The Russian player must designate one of the infantry as Yashka. Any squad which she is part of may add
1” to their movement to represent her enthusiasm. If Yashka is killed all units will take two points of
Shock immediately. To win the game, the Russians must capture the trenches from the German
defenders.
CARDS
German Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Big Man 1‐3 Big Man 1‐4
Command Initiative III x1 Command Initiative III x1
Command Initiative I x1 Command Initiative I x1
Rally Uhrahhhhh!
Page 50
SCENARIO EIGHT
A Terrible Harvest
August 1915
A graduate of The Academy of Fine Art in Vienna, Oskar Koloschka was not a natural soldier, devoting his
life to his pictures, plays and poetry. However, at the outbreak of the war he volunteered for service and
began his new life as an officer candidate with a cavalry regiment.
On the 29th of August 1915 his squadron was advancing towards a small wood near Sikiryczy in Volhynia
when they spotted a terrible sight. An earlier patrol of Dragoons had been ambushed and killed, their
corpses being draped among the trees as a warning. Koloshka later wrote “From a branch a few paces
further on a cap dangled and on the next tree a dragoon's fur‐lined blue cloak. He who had worn these
things himself, hung naked, head downward, from a third tree”.
Attempting to retrieve the bodies of their comrades, Koloshak’s patrol was itself ambushed. During the
fight the unit suffered significant causalities. All the officers were killed or captured by the Russians and,
despite fighting valiantly, Kokoschka was grievously wounded in the action and reported as dead.
UMPIRE’S NOTES
The woods are light but troops outside of them cannot spot more than 4” inside of the woods. Spotting
within the woods should be treated as if it were double the distance. This dead dragoons are hung on
the tree marked with red.
Page 51
AUSTRO‐HUNGARIAN BRIEFING
You have taken a portion of your command on a patrol near the village of Sikiryczy. As you approach the
woods you see a horrible site, several of your comrades have been killed and their bodies hung from
trees. You must retrieve their bodies and return to your main forces with them.
You are an inexperienced officer, but fortunately you have an old‐hand of an NCO with you. Your force is
entirely mounted and made up as follows:
Fähnrich Oskar Kokoschka, Status II
Platoon Sergeant, Status III
Two runners, sabre and rifle armed. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Section One
Sergeant, Status I
Eight Dragoons, rifle and sabre armed. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Section Two
Sergeant, Status I
Eight Dragoons, rifle and sabre armed. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Section Three
Sergeant, Status I
Eight Dragoons, rifle and sabre armed. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Section Four
Sergeant, Status I
Eight Dragoons, rifle and sabre armed. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Your force of Austrian Dragoons enter the table from the road on the Eastern, right‐hand, side.
To win the game you must collect the bodies of your comrades and leave the table by the same road on
which you enter. To free the bodies from the tree takes one full move for a single section, during which
time they may do nothing else. If they are contacted by the enemy they count as being contacted in the
rear. You suspect a Russian trick, so protect the men doing this unpleasant job!
Your troops may dismount if they wish, if so they fight as Green troops.
Page 52
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
You have set up a very nice ambush position along a roadstead, using the bodies of some enemy
Dragoons you killed yesterday as bait. You hung the corpses in the trees, and there is no way that the
Austrians will leave them hanging there. You are certain they will attempt to retrieve the bodies, and
that is when you will strike!
You have managed to acquire a machinegun as a support, but try not to kill them all. You want prisoners
who can be interrogated, so try to overcome them if you can. Your force is as follows:
Lieutenant, Status III
Section One
Corporal, Status I
Ten riflemen. Experience: Regular, Morale: Poor
Section Two
Ten riflemen. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Machine Gun Group
Corporal, Status I
Maxim Machine Gun, with a five man crew
You may deploy anywhere on the table, but you will be hidden on Blinds if in the wood.
CARDS
Austro‐Hungarian Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Dynamic Commander Lieutenant
Heroic Leader Section Leader
Friction Section Leader
Oskar Koloshka Command Initiative III x1
Platoon Sergeant Command Initiative I x2
Sergeants 1 ‐ 4 Sentry
Command Initiative III x1 Vodka
Command Initiative II x 1
Command Initiative I x 4
Page 53
SCENARIO NINE
A Scouting Party
Fall 1915
In Maria Bochkareva’s account of her experiences, she describes how scouting parties from both sides
would often encounter one another in No‐Man’s‐Land. On occasion this led to a brief skirmish, whilst at
other times one side may lay low in an attempt to avoid detection in order to escape or, if they fancied
their chances, to attack the other scouting party from the side or rear to capture prisoners.
Yashka claimed to have taken part in over a hundred raids during her service in the Great War, describing
how Russian scouting parties were usually made up of around thirty volunteers and set off heavily laden
with grenades. They would approach the enemy wire at night and attempt to raid the enemy lines. The
following scenario is based on one of those missions.
UMPIRE’S NOTES
The table is largely open with just a few shell holes scattered about. In truth, you can make this as varied
as you like: some dead livestock, a few trees, a tumble‐down cottage, all could add variety to this
scenario.
This action takes place at night so spotting should be reduced accordingly.
Page 54
GERMAN BRIEFING
You have gathered a scouting party together to raid the Russian lines. Move forward through no‐man’s
land and attempt to take some prisoners. Beware of enemy scouting parties. Your force is as follows:
Leutnant, Status III, pistol armed.
Squad One
Gefreiter, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable.
Squad Two
Gefreiter, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable.
Squad Three
Gefreiter, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable.
You begin the game on Blinds on the Eastern table edge. You have two dummy Blinds with your force.
You win by driving off the enemy force, winning a major victory if you capture a prisoner.
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
You have gathered a scouting party together to raid the German lines. Move forward through no‐man’s
land and attempt to take some prisoners. Beware of enemy scouting parties. Your force is as follows:
Lieutenant, Status II, pistol and a whistle.
Section One
Corporal, Status I
Five riflemen, four bombers. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Section Two
Eight riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Section One
Corporal, Status I
Seven riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
You begin the game on Blinds on the Eastern table edge. You have two dummy Blinds with your force.
You win by driving off the enemy force, winning a major victory if you capture a prisoner.
CARDS
German Russian General
German Blinds Russian Blinds Time for a Snifter
Big Man 1‐4 Big Man 1‐3 Random Event
Command Initiative III x1 Command Initiative II x1
Command Initiative II x1 Command Initiative I x1
Command Initiative I x1 Friction
Friction Uhrahhhhh!
When the Random Event card is drawn, roll 1D6. On an odd roll, a machinegun opens up on the table.
Place a marker in the center of the table. Roll 3D6 and a deviation die. The closest unit to the direction
the deviation die points is the target under fire in that turn.
Page 55
SCENARIO TEN
Bagging a General
November 1915
One of the largest and most successful uses of Russian raiding forces occurred on the night of the
November 27th to 1915 when a large formation of these troops, roughly 500 in number, penetrated the
German lines near the town of Newel near Pinsk. Under the command of Jacob von Gyllenschmidt, a
Baltic German whose family had served the Tsars for generations, the raiders assaulted the headquarters
of the 271st Reserve Infantry Regiment.
Clearing out the guards and staff officers with bomb and bayonet, the raiders captured Major General
Karl Fabarius, the commander of the 82nd Reserve Infantry Division. The force took numerous prisoners
and captured two beer trucks before withdrawing when a relief force sallied out against them. This
scenario offers a rather fun, but abbreviated, version of those events.
UMPIRE’S NOTES
The house is made up of two parts, the red‐roof area being two storeys, the grey roof being just one
storey. The whole property is surrounded by open lawns with just a sentry box on the drive up to the
house. Outside the property are two trucks loads with beer.
Page 56
GERMAN BRIEFING
You are guarding the Schloss that is the headquarters of the 271st Reserve Infantry Regiment and houses
the Regimental HQ and, for the moment, a visiting General from Division. You are far behind the front
lines and as a consequence you should be safe. However, you had reports that there was activity at the
front and that currently the phone lines are dead. As a result you have sent out a patrol to check the
lines for a breakage.
Your Force is as follows:
Non‐Combatants
Major General Fabarius
Colonel
Colonel
Major
These all begin the game in the house and will not fight, even if attacked by the enemy. If contacted by
the enemy they will surrender.
Guard Commander
Feldwebel, Status III.
Squad One
Gefreiter, Status I
Eight riflemen, all rifle armed. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Two
Gefreiter, Status I
Eight riflemen, all rifle armed. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Three
Gefreiter, Status I
Eight riflemen, all rifle armed. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Your force must deploy as follows:
Squad One and non‐combatants in the house.
Squad Two must deploy to the rear of the house in two tents. These must be placed within 12” of the
house. Two men from this squad are on duty in the sentry box.
Squad Three is at the trucks where it is just beginning to unload the beer. Their rifles are stacked on the
circular lawn at the end of the drive.
The German troops are all armed with rifles. They have no grenades.
To win, the Germans must repel the raiders and keep the General and his non‐combatant staff safe.
Page 57
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
Your men have managed to break through the German lines. From a captured prisoner you were able to
find the location of the local regimental headquarters. Raid the house and attempt to take as many
prisoners as possible and flee back to friendly lines. Be on the lookout for any senior officers from the
regiment. Even one such officer would prove to be a very valuable trophy.
Your Forces
Lieutenant, Status III
Section One
Sergeant, Status II
Seven riflemen, three bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Good
Section Two
Sergeant, Status II
Seven riflemen, three bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Good
Section Three
Seven riflemen, three bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Good
Your force enters the table on the Eastern, right‐hand, side on Blinds. You have one dummy Blind to use
with your force.
To win, you must capture any senior officers in the house and escape. If you can manage to find any
valuable items to raise your men’s morale then all the better.
CARDS
German Russian General
German Blinds Russian Blind Time for a Snifter
Dynamic Commander Heroic Leader
Heroic Leader Lieutenant
Sentry Sergeant 1 ‐ 2
Feldwebel Command Initiative III x1
Squad Leader 1 ‐ 3 Command Initiative I x2
Command Initiative III x1 Vodka
Command Initiative I x3
Page 58
SCENARIO ELEVEN
Kept in the Dark
November 1915
By the time her unit had moved to Ferdinandovi Nos, between Lake Naroch and Baranovitchi, Maria
Bochkareva had been promoted to Corporal. On their first night in that sector, she volunteered to be
part of a thirty‐man scouting party sent out to raid the German lines. The party moved through the
Russian wire entanglements and proceeded single file to reach the German wire but, as they approached
they were ambushed by a German patrol that had flanked them. In a brief but vicious hand to hand
contest, Yashka managed to break free from the encirclement and bayoneted a German soldier to make
her escape. This scenario represents that action.
UMPIRE’S NOTES
This scenario actually took place with snow falling, so if you wanted to you could represent that.
However, it is not necessary. The ground is muddy and has a few shell holes. Movement is reduced by
one pip per D6 to represent the poor ground conditions. There is a single path through the wire which
the Germans leave open for their patrols. This scenario takes place at night and Spotting should reflect
that. Due to the darkness, the small copse of wood will completely hide any troops inside it with no
spotting attempt being successful.
Page 59
GERMAN BRIEFING
Earlier today you were ordered to assemble a party of men to raid the Russian lines. You assembled the
usual culprits and slipped over the parapet an hour ago. However, as you moved through the wire you
spotted movement out towards the Russian positions carefully you moved into a small copse of trees
where you are now hiding with your men. If the Ivans come close you have a great opportunity to
ambush them! Your force is as follows:
Leutnant, Status III, pistol armed.
Squad One
Gefrieter, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Two
Seven riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Three
Gefrieter, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
You begin the game with three Blinds in the trenches, one of which represents Squad Three as shown
above, the other two being dummy Blinds. Being hidden in the trenches they do not have to be
deployed on the table, although you may if you wish.
The Leutnant and the other two squads begin the game on Blinds hidden in the copse at the South‐
Western, bottom left‐hand, corner.
To win the game, you must stop the enemy raiders entering your trenches. If you can capture an enemy
officer or NCO alive you win a major victory.
Page 60
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
Your mission is to raid the enemy’s trenches and grab a prisoner or two and generally make a mess of
things. Morale on our side is not great, so something to show the flag for Mother Russia is a good idea.
So far, you have made your way across No‐Man’s‐Land and have nearly reached the enemy wire. You
must now make your way forward and finish the job. Your force is as follows:
Lieutenant Bordov, Status Level II
Section One
“Yashka”, Status II armed with grenades
Seven riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Section Two
Seven riflemen. Three bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Section Three
Seven riflemen. Three bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
You begin the game on the Southern table edge 36” of the South‐Eastern, bottom right‐hand, corner.
You enter the table on Blinds and with two dummy Blinds to use.
To win the game, you must exit the table with one or more enemy prisoner. If they are an officer or NCO
then that becomes a major victory.
CARDS
German Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Big Man 1‐3 Big Man 1‐2 Random Event
Command Initiative III x1 Command Initiative II x2
Command Initiative I x1 Friction
Rally Uhrahhhhh!
The Random Event card may is added to the Game Deck on the turn of the Snifter card immediately after
firing begins. When the Random Event card is drawn, roll 1D6. On an odd roll, a machinegun opens up
on the table. Place a marker in the center of the table and roll 3D6 and a deviation die. The closest unit
to the point indicated on the table is the target for fire from the machine gun for that turn.
Page 61
SCENARIO TWELVE
Frontkämpfer
April 1916
Emil Poppr was one of the bravest men in the Austro‐Hungarian Empire who, throughout the Great War
intentionally placed himself in the way of danger at every opportunity. What is remarkable about his
career is that despite being highly decorated and acknowledged as a great Hungarian soldier ‐ even being
selected to attend the coronation of the last Emperor as an example of the “courageous nobility” – he
never rose to hold rank above Leutnant. This was a true frontkämpfer.
One example of his heroism, earning him the Bravery Medal in Gold, occurred during a night patrol on
11th of April, 1916 when he led a small force on a raid to the South of Nowi Aleksiniec.
Umpire Notes
The table represents undulating and lightly wooded terrain, none of which affects movement, but can
interrupt line of sight. There is a small hollow on the ridge that runs diagonally across the table which
should be treated as a large shell‐hole.
Being a night action spotting should be made harder, as covered in the main rules.
Page 62
AUSTRO‐HUNGARIAN BRIEFING
You are in command of a patrol of two squads with orders to conduct a night time patrol of No‐Man’s‐
Land in order to hamper any Russian patrols probing our position. We are building up strength in our
trenches for an attack on the enemy and it is imperative that enemy patrols are held at arm’s length.
You commander suspects that the Russians have sent a patrol, so you have been sent out to make a
spoiling attack to drive them off.
But look! Up ahead. In the light of the moon you can see the Russian patrol clearly. Now is the time to
launch your attack. You have the following force to achieve this:
Kadett‐Aspirant Emil Poppr, Status III
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Veteran, Morale: Good
Geifreiter, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Good
You enter the table on Blinds on the Southern, bottom, table edge. You have two dummy Blinds
available. To win you must drive the enemy from the table.
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
High Command suspects that the enemy are about to launch an imminent offensive, so your unit has
been sent out to check the enemy’s front line trenches to see if a build‐up of troops can be identified.
You have been advancing cautiously across No‐Man’s‐Land and now need to move southwards to
complete your mission. Your force is as follows:
Lieutenant, Status II
Section One
Sergeant, Status I
Seven riflemen, three grenadiers. Experience: Reasonable, Morale: Poor
Section Two
Seven riflemen, three grenadiers. Experience: Reasonable, Morale: Poor
Section Three
Sergeant, Status I
Seven riflemen, three grenadiers. Experience: Reasonable, Morale: Poor
You begin the game with your forces deployed on the table anywhere to the North of the white dotted
line. You have been advancing with your formation spread out in order to try to avoid any enemy
speculative fire into No‐Man’s‐Land, so your Sections must begin the game a minimum of 12” from the
nearest friendly unit. The Lieutenant can be with a section or deployed on his own, as the player wishes.
To win you must exit your force off the southern edge of the table.
Page 63
CARDS
Austro‐Hungarian Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Dynamic Commander Friction
Heroic Leader Poor Fire Discipline
Big Man – Poppr Hesitant Troops
Big Man – Geifreiter Hesitant Commander
Command Initiative III x1 Big Man ‐ Lieutenant
Command Initiative I x1 Big Man – Sergeant 1
Big Man – Sergeant 2
Command Initiative II x1
Command Initiative I x2
Vodka
SCENARIO NOTES
The Russian objective to exit men off the bottom table edge should take into account the need to
complete their mission and then fight their way back with that intelligence. As such, the Russians win if
they can exit ten or more men plus at least one Big Man off the Southern table edge.
Page 64
SCENARIO THIRTEEN
Dead Men’s Hill
August 1916
In summer 1916 the Russians’ launched the Brussilov offensive, intended to seize the towns of Kowel
and Lemburg. Unfortunately, for the Russians, heavy and unseasonal rain in July turned the Stochod
river, already a significant obstacle, into a major defensive position which the Central Powers clung to.
The Russians repeatedly attempted to cross the river, building small bridgeheads which were eliminated
as soon as possible by the Austro‐Hungarian troops. Some of the hardest fighting occurred near
Zareszcze where a sandy hill was which was taken and retaken several times within a few weeks, neither
side were able to hold this location longer than 24 hours. It soon earned the name "Dead Men’s Hill".
On the 3rd of August 1916 Fähnrich Eidenberger was ordered to occupy the southern part of the
Austrian trenches which were just 15 meters from the Russian trenches on the top of the hill. We
replicate this action here.
Umpire Notes
The Austrians occupy the most northerly trench line, with the rest being occupied by the Russians. The
distance between the closest points of the two trench lines should be around 8”. The ground between
the trench lines should include wire entanglements that are broken in multiple places. The Russian
trenches are on the uphill slope of the hill; however, they do not afford a vantage point to shoot down
into the Austrian trenches; however, any troops not in the trenches can be seen and fired upon.
Page 65
AUSTRO‐HUNGARIAN BRIEFING
The hill is quickly earning its name! Your men have been called forward to attack once again and have
reached your jump‐off position without any difficulty. The cadet looks nervous but determined. Your
sergeants are competent. Prepare to dislodge the Russians and press through your attack and hold their
trenches. The Russians cannot be allowed to hold any position on this side of the Stochod! Your force is
as follows:
Fähnrich Eidenberger, Status III
Cadet, Status I
Feldwebel, Status II
Three runners with rifles. Experience: Regular, Morale: Good
Sturmpatrouille One
Patrol Leader, Status I
Five riflemen, two bombers, one Sapper. Experience: Regular, Morale: Good
The Sapper has a 5kg explosive charge, the bombers have four grenades each.
Sturmpatrouille Two
Patrol Leader, Status I
Five riflemen, two bombers, one Sapper. Experience: Regular, Morale: Good
The Sapper has a 5kg explosive charge, the bombers have four grenades each.
Sturmpatrouille Three
Patrol Leader, Status I
Five riflemen, two bombers, one Sapper. Experience: Regular, Morale: Good
The Sapper has a 5kg explosive charge, the bombers have plenty of (i.e. unlimited) grenades.
Sturmpatrouille Four
Patrol Leader, Status I
Five riflemen, two bombers, one Sapper. Experience: Regular, Morale: Good
The Sapper has a 5kg explosive charge, the bombers have four grenades each.
You begin the game with two of your units deployed in the trench (i.e. not on Blinds). The other two
units are on Blinds and will enter the table on the northern communication trench on the first turn of
your Blinds card. Your commanders and their runners may be allocated to the four Sturmpatrouille as
you wish.
To win you must drive the enemy from the table. Any other result is unacceptable!
Page 66
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
Brusilov's Offensive has allowed you to cross the Styr river in force, and now you have a vanguard across
the Stochod. However, it has been a tough fight. Your men are exhausted. Last night's back and forth
bombardment with grenades has taken its toll and they desperately need rest, not to mention food.
Despite this, you know that this toe‐hold on the western river bank must be held. To retreat now would
potentially mean the end of the whole offensive. You must hold your section of the trenches until
reinforcements come. Your Force is as follows:
Lieutenant, Status III
Three runners, rifle armed
Squad One
Sergeant, Status I
Seven riflemen, two grenadiers. Experience: Regular, Morale Good
Squad Two
Seven riflemen, two grenadiers. Experience: Regular, Morale Good
Squad One
Sergeant, Status I
Six riflemen, two grenadiers. Experience: Regular, Morale Good
MMG Group
Sergeant, Status II
One M1910 Maxim, five crew
Your Maxim group must be deployed in the round weapons pit in the second line trench. Other than
that, you may deploy your troops anywhere you wish in your own trenches. Any troops in the front line
trench, on the lower contour, begin the game deployed on the table. Any troops in the second line
trench, or in the MG dug out begin the game on Blinds.
To win, you must retain control of any part of the trenches on the table.
CARDS
Austro‐Hungarian Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Dynamic Commander Hesitant Troops
Heroic Leader Vodka
Friction Heroic Leader
Fähnrich Eidenberger Ammunition Shortage
Cadet Lieutenant
Feldwebel Sergeant 1 ‐ 2
Patrol Leader 1 ‐4 MG Sergeant
Command Initiative III x1 Command Initiative III x1
Command Initiative II x1 Command Initiative II x1
Command Initiative I x5 Command Initiative I x2
Note: To reflect the fact that the MMG is short on ammo, an Ammunition Shortage card will be put into
the deck when it first fires. Once the Ammunition Shortage is drawn the first time, you may only fire on
troops at close range. On the third time it is drawn the weapon will be out of ammunition entirely. The
crew may then revert to acting as riflemen.
Page 67
SCENARIO FOURTEEN
Against All Orders
October 1916
The Brusilov Offensive continued until September of 1916, at which point it was recognised that no
further major gains could be made without fresh troops. However, in some areas the Russians continued
to launch localized attacks in order to stabilize the line and improve their positions. One such attack was
made against the Austro‐Hungarian defenses in the area of Batków.
After strong artillery preparation the Russians advanced and routed the Austrian front line positions. At
the regimental headquarters of Infantry Regiment No. 83, Fähnrich Emil Poppr faced a dilema. Now
heavily decorated he was under orders to avoid contact with the enemy for fear of the Empire losing a
hero. But the moment was grave and Poppr assembling around him men from various units and went
out, against all orders, to stem the Russian tide.
Umpire Notes
The table represents a rear area behind the lines with an Austrian trench at the northern edge which has
fallen to the Russians. To the South is a wooded area which is largely intact but with the odd fallen tree.
The wood does not restrict movement.
Page 68
AUSTRO‐HUNGARIAN BRIEFING
All is chaos! The Russians are attacking again and it seems that the enemy have broken in to our
positions. All around you men are running to the rear, all semblance of order gone. You have specific
orders not to get involved with the enemy. You are a highly decorated officer and the Emperor has
issued instructions that brave men are to be kept alive. And yet this is a terrible moment. You cannot
stand by as the line crumbles!
Your battalion officers are nowhere to be seen, you presume them dead. You have managed to rally a
group of men from various units who know you by sight and who know even more of your heroic
exploits. They trust you, and you will stand firm where others run. You must stop the Russians!
Your Force is as follows:
Fähnrich Emil Poppr, Status IV
Two runners
Squad One
Squad Leader, Status II
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Two
Squad Leader, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Veteran, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Three
Squad Leader, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Your force begins the game on Blinds in the southern woods.
To win the game you must stop any further Russian advance from the trenches and, when the
opportunity presents itself, re‐occupy them yourself.
Page 69
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
Under General Brusilov's leadership we have driven the Hungarians back. Your men have taken
significant losses from the constant offensives, but still we advance. Our artillery has allowed us to break
into the enemy positions here and we are advancing now to exploit that victory. Your Force is as follows:
Major, Status IV
Lieutenant, Status II
Section One
Corporal, Status I
Seven riflemen, one bomber. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Section Two
Seven riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Poor
Section Three
Corporal, Status I
Seven riflemen, three bombers. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Section Four
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Poor
Section Five
Corporal, Status II
Eight riflemen, two bomber. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Sections One and Two and the Major begin the game in the trench line. Sections Three, Four and Five
will arrive on Blinds on the Northern, top, table edge on the first turn of the Blinds card. To win the
game you must exit the table on the southern edge.
CARDS
Austro‐Hungarian Russian General
Blinds Blinds Time for a Snifter
Dynamic Commander Friction
Heroic Leader Poor Fire Discipline
Fähnnrich Poppr Major
Squad Leader 1 ‐ 3 Lieutenant
Command Initiative IV x 1 Section Leader 1
Command Initiative II x 1 Command Initiative IV x 1
Command Initiative I x 3 Command Initiative II x 1
Command Initiative I x 2
Friction
Page 70
SCENARIO FIFTEEN
The Brides of Death
Spring 1917
By February, the effects of the Revolution held the men of the front lines in its grip. All fighting slowly
came to a close and order collapsed as soldiers’ committees overruled their orders and desertion
reached epidemic proportions. Amid this chaos Maria Bochkareva approached authorities and begged
to be allowed to form a new disciplined unit, one which would show the men of Russian how to fight:
The Women’s Battalion of Death.
The battalion’s arrival at the front saw it ready to go on the offensive. However, neighbouring units
refused to provide support. Reinforced by volunteer officers from other units, The Women’s Battalion of
Death attacked anyway, routing the German troops and seizing their objective. This scenario focuses on
that action.
Umpire Notes
The terrain here is relatively unscathed, with just a few shell holes and some trees still standing. Roll for
each section of barbed wire when spotted or unspotted but reached by the Russians. Roll 1D6 and
subtract 1 from the result. This shows the state of the wire as shown in Rule 14. A Roll of 5 means the
wire is State 4.
Page 71
RUSSIAN BRIEFING
So, after the hard training the Women’s Battalion of Death is ready to face the enemy. Remarkably, the
battalion was largely ignored as it lined the forward trench ready to go over the top. Where are the
others? Where are the units which were to support our attack? All that we appear to have are some
officers from the neighbouring regiments who have volunteered to support us, but nothing else. Some
soldiers even jeered you as you advanced. Red flags were seen among them. We must show them that
there is still hope for the Motherland!
Your Force is as follows:
Commander
Maria “Yashka” Bochkareva, Status III
Section One
Sergeant, Status II
Six riflemen, three bombers. Experience: Green, Morale: High
Section Two
Seven riflemen, three bombers. Experience: Green, Morale: High
Section Three
Six riflemen, three bombers. Experience: Green, Morale: High
Officers Section One
Major, Status III
Six riflemen, three bombers. Experience: Veteran, Morale: Reasonable
Officers Section Two
Captain, Status III
Six riflemen, three bombers. Experience: Veteran, Morale: Reasonable
Officers Section Three
Captain, Status III
Six riflemen, three bombers. Experience: Veteran, Morale: Reasonable
Your force is deployed on the Western table edge on Blinds at the start of the game.
To win you must break into and clear the German trenches.
Page 72
German Briefing
Well, things are going well. Now the front seems like a vacation compared to the reports in the West.
With the Russians so confused by their revolution they actually form committees among their soldiers to
discuss their orders! What foolishness – they never agree to follow the orders, so why even debate it?
Command has sent troops openly across the wire to assure the Russians that we want peace too.
Providing strong drink and a sympathetic ear, the activity in our sector has dropped to nil.
Well, it was nil until now. The Russian artillery have just opened up! Mind you, their shells land for the
most part on open ground. The word we have received is that there is some new “shock” battalion in
our sector that believes it will rally the Russians back for the war. Some hope! Mind you, you’d better
stand to and see what this is all about.
Your Force is as follows:
Leutnant, Status III
Squad One
Gefreiter, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Squad Two
Seven riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
MMG Group
Gefreiter, Status I
Maxim M1908, five crew
You deploy anywhere in the trenches on Blinds. To win you must keep the Russians out of your trenches.
CARDS
German Russian General
German Blinds Russian Blind Time for a Snifter
Big Man 1‐3 Big Man 1‐5 Random Event
Command Initiative III x1 Command Initiative III x1
Command Initiative I x1 Command Initiative II x2
Rally Command Initiative I x2
MMG Bonus Fire Uhrahhhhh!
Dynamic Commander
Postscript
Historically the Russians broke the first line of German Defenses but because they were not reinforced,
their attack was thrown back by a subsequent counter‐attack. The officers of other regiments that
joined her in the attack made for a well led force and, even though she was just a lieutenant, the more
senior officers who went along with the attack deferred to her as the commander of the attack.
Maria Bochkareva escaped Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution but, after a short time in the USA
attempting to raise support for the White Russian cause, she returned to Russia to join Admiral Kolchak’s
forces. She was captured by the Bolsheviks and executed in 1920.
Page 73
SCENARIO SIXTEEN
Ending with a Bang
July 1917
By the summer of 1917 Leutnant Emil Poppr was the most highly decorated field officer Hungarian in the
K.u.K. Army. The standing orders still remained in place barring him from involvement in front line
action. However, his skills in leading raids was such that he was allowed to be involved in selected
missions of great importance.
One such mission occured in the summer of 1917 when he was ordered to lead his men forward to
secure a prisoner, as it was necessary to learn the composition of the enemy reinforcements in the area.
This event would serve as the second and decisive action that would decide on Poppr's award of the
Military Order of Maria Theresa.
Umpire Notes
The map has several shell holes that can serve as cover. The wire entanglements are all complete and
intact. The ground is largely flat and featureless.
Page 74
AUSTRO‐HUNGARIAN BRIEFING
This is a difficult mission. The Russians have a strong position in front of us, their wire is unbroken but
their defenders are unprepared for anything, gripped, as they are, by the spirit of revolution. High
Command needs information about which units now occupy the defences in this area. As a result, you
have had to improvise, creating a breaching charge from over a hundred hand grenades and some other
bits of explosive you had lying around lashed to an old ladder. In theory this should blow a huge hole in
the wire, but it might also blow a huge hole in whoever detonated the damned thing!
You must send forward a party to plant the charge in the wire and retreat back to safety before it
detonates. Once the charge explodes and the wire is cleared you must use the breach to rush the enemy
position and grab a prisoner.
Your Force is as follows:
Lieutenant Poppr, Status IV
Two runners, rifle armed
Squad One
Corporal, Status II
Six riflemen, two rifle grenadiers. Experience: Veteran, Morale: Good
Large ladder shaped breaching charge, four men required to carry it.
Squad Two
Corporal, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Veteran, Morale: Good
Squad Three
Corporal, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Veteran, Morale: Good
Squad Four
Corporal, Status I
Six riflemen, two bombers. Experience: Veteran, Morale: Good
Your forces begin the game on Blinds on the Southern, bottom, table edge. With the wire intact it is
necessary to move the section with the charge to the wire where they must spend one turn stationary to
set the fuse. In the name of all that is Holy, this is a short fuse and anyone near the blast will be blown to
Kingdom come. The only safe place is to retire off the table when this occurs, a shell hole is a poor
second best!
Page 75
Russian Briefing
It has been a quiet day in the trenches, spent drinking Vodka and singing songs of the brave new world
which the revolution will create. The new Regiment that has come to support you has increased the
time you are allowed to spend in the rear and this has proven to be a great blessing to you and your
men. In the morning, you are due to rotate to the rear where you hope to hear of news from Moscow.
You intend to spend the rest of the day darning your best socks and removing counter‐revolutionary lice
from your underwear.
Your Force is as follows:
Section One
Corporal Leader, Status I
Eight riflemen, one man also has three hand grenades. Experience: Regular, Morale: Reasonable
Section Two
Nine riflemen, two men are also armed with two hand grenades. Experience: Regular, Morale: Poor
Section Three
Corporal, Status I
Eight riflemen, two men are also armed with two hand grenades. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
Section Four
Nine riflemen, two men are also armed with two hand grenades. Experience: Regular, Morale: Poor
Machine Gun Team
One M1910 Maxim. Experience: Green, Morale: Reasonable
You may deploy anywhere in the trenches on Blinds. The machine gun team is actually deployed off‐
table but has a clear field of fire across the whole table. Unfortunately, they are short of ammunition.
Page 76
CARDS
Austro‐Hungarian Russian General
AH Blinds Russian Blind Time for a Snifter
Dynamic Commander Hesitant Troops BANG!
Heroic Leader Lieutenant
Leutnant Poppr Sergeant 1 ‐ 2
Squad Leader 1 ‐ 4 MMG Team
Command Initiative IV x1 Command Initiative II x1
Command Initiative II x1 Command Initiative I x2
Command Initiative I x3 Vodka
SCENARIO RULES
The Big Bang Theory: The charge which the Austrians have rigged up should work, in theory. However, it
is untested. Once the Austrians lay their charge and set the fuse, a BANG! card will be added to the
Game Deck. When the BANG! Card is dealt for the second time 48” of wire will be removed from the
table in a massive explosion. Any Austrian troops in the open or Russian troops in the open between
their trenches and the wire will be killed instantly. Any Austrian troops on the table in Shell holes roll
1D6 per man with a 1 resulting in death and a 2 or 3 in a point of Shock on that unit. Any Russians in
their trenches and not on Blinds roll 1D6 per man with a 1 or 2 causing a point of Shock. Any Austrians
off‐table are entirely unaffected.
The Russian MG Team: This is very short of ammunition and is crewed by inexperienced men. If a
jammed result occurs while firing, the weapon is out of action for the rest of the game.
Postscript: For this action, Leutnant Emil Poppr was awarded the Knights' Cross of the Military Order of
Maria Theresa. For what remained of the war, Poppr was transferred to the replacement battalion in the
Fall of 1917, remaining there until the war's end, involved in the training of assault troops. Sadly, after
such a heroic career, he died as a result of a road traffic accident in 1928, aged just 32.
Page 77
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and Tactics. Vienna, Austria: Verlag Militaria. ‐ This is THE definitive book on Austro‐Hungarian
artillery.
Podorojniy NE. 1938. Русская армия в Великой войне: Нарочская операция в марте 1916 г. (The
Russian Army in World War I: Narochskaya Operation in March 1916)
http://www.grwar.ru/library/Podorozhnyi‐Naroch/index.html
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Sowers, LTC (P) Susan R. 2003. Women Combatants in World War I: A Russian Case Study. Pennsylvania:
U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks.
Stone, Norman. 1975. Eastern Front 1914‐1917. London: Penguin Books. Kindle edition.
Thomas, Nigel & Dusan Babac. 2001. MAA 356 ‐ Armies in the Balkans. Osceola, WI: Osprey Publishing
Ltd.
Tunstall, Graydon. 2010. Blood on the Snow: The Carpathian Winter War. Lawrence, Kansas: University
Press of Kansas.
US Army War College. 1918. German and Austrian tactical studies : translations of captured German and
Austrian documents and information obtained from German and Austrian prisoners, from the British,
French, and Italian staffs (1918). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govt. Print. Off. ‐ Electronic copy from
www.archive.org.
WEB SITES AND ON‐LINE SOURCES:
With the increasing amount of digital information available and with the an increasing number of web
sites focusing on the Great War in general and the Eastern Front in particular, I have found the following
to be useful:
http://www.grwar.ru/library/Tikhotsky‐Gorodok/TG_06.html
http://waristheh‐word.blogspot.com/search/label/armoured%20trains
http://www.inert‐ord.net/russ02i/gas/index.html
http://hero1914.com/poruchik‐p‐n‐nechaev/
http://hero1914.com/knyaz‐oleg‐konstantinovich/
http://hero1914.com/kryuchkov‐kozma‐firsovich‐1890‐1919‐2/
http://www.austro‐hungarian‐army.co.uk/ ‐ This whole site is a gold mine of data.
Dixon‐Nuttall, John. 1993. The Austro‐Hungarian Army 1914‐1918: For Collectors of its Postal Items.
Scanned and reformatted for web: M Brumby and A Taylor, 2000.
http://www.austrianphilately.com/dixnut/dn4.htm ‐ Excellent source of information.
New York Times. November 30, 1915. Bold Russian Raiders take Two Generals.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive‐
free/pdf?res=9407EED71239E333A25753C3A9679D946496D6CF.
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Other Works Available
If you have enjoyed this scenario supplement, please be sure to check out these
other titles.
Published by TooFatLardies at www.toofatlardies.co.uk
THIS LAND DIVIDED
This scenario supplement for Sharp Practice is set in Georgia during the American War of Independence
and focuses on the campaign fought between Loyalist, Rebel and Indian forces during February and
March of 1779. Twelve scenarios cover the main and minor actions of this period.
WITH FIRE AND SWORD
Also for the American War of Independence using Sharp Practice, this supplement one continues where
This Land Divided ended, covering the activities in South Carolina between June and August 1780. It is a
critical time for the American Revolution in the South after the fall of Charleston.
There are twenty‐four scenarios for Sharp Practice that will provide the gamer with a selection of
scenarios, from a dozen or so men a side up to over 100 figures each covering militia, provincial and
regular troops. Even Banastre Tarleton gets to make an appearance.
Published by Chris Stoesen
IN THE NAME OF ROMA
In the Name of Roma contains thirty company and platoon level scenarios designed for rules such as
IABSM and Chain of Command covering the actions of the 80a Roma Regiment from August to December
of 1941. You’ll follow them across open steppe to the Donetz industrial basin, including the amphibious
attacks across the Dnieper, and the fateful decision of Column Chiarimonti to attempt to seize Nikitovka.
http://cstoesen.blogspot.com/2013/09/in‐name‐of‐roma‐is‐released.html
Or on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IPLUJXO
THE COMING THUNDER
This is a set of seventeen American Civil War scenarios and a campaign that is designed to be used with
the TooFatLardies Sharp Practice rules and their ACW supplement, Terrible Sharp Sword. All of the
scenarios take place in Northern Virginia from June to December of 1861. These are all skirmish
scenarios that are easily adapted to other rule sets. For more information, go to:
http://cstoesen.blogspot.com/2011/11/coming‐thunder‐scenarios‐for‐terrible.html
THE FALCON AND THE GLADIATOR
This is a campaign generator and historical scenarios for the first year of the air war over North Africa
with 38 historical scenarios covering a number from June 1940 to February 1941. The scenarios cover a
number of different types of actions including: level bombing, dive bombing, torpedo bombing and of
course fighter actions.
Orders of battle are provided for the start of the war, Marshal Graziani's September Offensive and for
Operation Compass. In addition, there is data on squadron changes and movements. The campaign
system includes information, where available, for the pilots for each squadron including notations on
pilot quality. A pilot progression system is present for both fighter as well as bomber pilots. Each of the
three campaigns contains a brief potted history as well as information on the corresponding ground
campaigns.
Find out more at http://cstoesen.blogspot.com/2012/04/westerndesert‐air‐campaign‐june‐1940.html
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