Battle of Peking: 1912

Having watched the holywood epic "55 days at Peking" starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardener for most of the evening us two at tale of two gamers then went on to a two day-er game set in Peking during our 1912 campaign between the Japanese and the French over Chinese possesions. The story went that the French, anticipating growing agression from the native Chinese population, were moving in the 2e regiment of Tirailleurs to garisson their Legations in Peking and prevent a repeat of the siege 12 years earlier. Unfortunatly as they marched up legation street they were confronted by a large force of Japanese stationed in the Japanese legation. Scattering into the surrounding housing the French and Japanese forces would now be involved in a bitter fight across the Russo-American legations.

We used the black powder rules with some alterations for the use of biplanes and to represent cavalry of the period better. We gained one point for each enemy unit we broke as well as one point for the US legations, the Russian legations, the Japanese legations, the housing, the canal (the junk basically) and the rail road. When a unit was broken (unless it was a commander or an exceptionally rare unit) it would be regenerated form our board edge.

I deployed a brigade either side of the canal with Lieutenant Balliard and Major Louis Ney taking two Sections of Tirailleurs and the Bleriot Biplane along the left flank and Captain Charles Ney taking one section of Tirailleurs, the Machine gun and the Spahis up the right flank.

The Japanese Deployed their entire force behind the Railway and the ridge line with the Ashigaru taking the centre and the other units holding back. They started off in control of both the railway and the Japanese Legations where as the French would have to detach men to hold the Canal or the Houses.

 The Railway could be held by positioning troops within 6" of the centre of the pass. The village was held by having more huts occupied than the opposing player. The legations also worked in a similar way with the Russian one being made up of a courtyard and three huts which could all be occupied. The American legation was made up of a store house, a compound and a tower with a gun (representing "Betsy" or "the International") which could be captured and turned on the enemy (smoothbore artillery with 1-2 shots).

The French made a speedy advance down Legation street, with two sections of Tirailleurs closing in on the American Legations (one of them misunderstanding Captain Ney's blundered order and charging full out for the American legations, bayonets fixed) while the Spahi and one more section of Tirailleurs brought up a line behind. The Biplane also shot forwards across the village with machine gun at the ready.

The Japanese forces quickly surged over the railway and out of the pass towards the Legations, whilst a section of Tirailleurs occupied the American tower turning Betsy upon the Japanese. The Spahi had also occupied the American compound and the Bleriot was heading straight for the railway.

The French began a rapid bombardment of the Ashigaru pikemen from the American legations and compound, with Betsy opening up with her German shells and the Bleriots Machine gun rattling over head.

But the Japanese kept on coming. However the Spahi performed perfectly, charging out from the compound to intercept a Japanese charge. The force of their charge broke the Japanese and they followed up their charge straight into the Ninjas who managed to beat them back and send them retreating into the compound.

Having occupied the compound of the Russian legations, the Japanese now found themselves fighting off a fierce assault over the wall by the French Tirailleurs who were personally lead in the assault by Lieutenant Balliard himself, the heroic frenchman leaping down into the compound and fighting off many Japanese warriors. However the Japanese held out, but they did not quite beat off the French assault and the melee continued.

The Japanese Ninjas quickly assaulted the artillery position in the US legations, blowing off a powder store and sending the rest of the Tirailleurs garrisoned there packing! However the Japanese did not quite manage to take advantage of their flight and could not press the attack to capture Betsy and turn her on the French.

As 9:30 struck the troops settled down for the night and we left the game for the morrow. The positions were strong for the Japanese. They had ninjas ready to secure the artillery piece, they had just moved up their cavalry to strengthen the Russian legations, the spahi were surrounded beyond the railway, the French had made three bad blunders which had now sent the Bleriot flying for home and the Tirailleurs line facing the wrong direction, but on another side the Machine gun was fast approaching the disordered Ninjas, and could probably clear them in a good round of shooting.

The morning dawned over Peking but orders were not ready to be issued till around 1:30 in the afternoon so the men settled down in their respective camps, the French getting the rough side of their commander's tongues.

"The Japanese General surveys the positions from the lofty position of the Japanese legation's roof top, as he receives news of the latest French movements."

As Dawn brakes and the Tirailleurs renew their assault on the Russian legations, Balliard leaping over the wall into the frey. It turns out that but three horsemen now defend the compound, the Japanese infantry having broken at the renewed assault.

With the ninjas failing to receive their General's orders to secure the artillery, it proves too late as the French machine guns from the ground and the Bleriot open renewed fire upon them sending them packing for their own lines and cutting them down to a man.

With Betsy and the American legations now in french hands and the machine gun moved up to the compound, the Bleriot surges forward to bring its guns to bare on the Japanese lines from directly above them.

But even through the intense French artillery bombardment the Japanese natives still managed to get men within the walls of the US compound, though they did not quite make it to an assault which may cost them as they had already taken heavy casualties and were almost at breaking point another round of shots from a machine gun and Betsy may finish them off.

Having lost the first detachment of Spahis to the natives once they crossed the rails, Major Louis Ney now saw fit to bring on another detachment. They were to make for the Russian compound, defended by the three horsemen who had cut down Lieutenant Balliard and many Tirailleurs before sending that section packing!

The Native spearmen some how managed to stay in the compound and assail the artillery emplacements, even under fire from two Machine guns and a 6pdr pop gun!

The Biplane had also taken some damage as the natives (who appeared to have gotten hold of some old American civil war rifles) shot off a piece of the engine!

With Captain Charles bringing up a fresh section of Tirailleurs and the Spahi riding towards the Japanese cavalry who had sallied out of the Russian embassy to meet them in a counter charge, the Artillery and machine guns opened up on the Japanese in the US compound slaughtering them all!
The US legations were once again safe in French hands and the Natives were finding it hard to recover their loss of ground, especially with the Bleriot flying around their lines.

However they soon brought their act together and managed to cross the railway with some of their warriors, who instantly found themselves with an attack column of Tirailleurs in the front, firing off volleys at close range. The Spahi had also taken down their opposing cavalry and were riding on the Russian legations, but the Japanese had been too quick and had already moved some of their warriors into the legations.

And with the arrival of more Japanese cavalry to support them it would take all the skill, enthusiasm and courage of the Algerian horse to defeat them.

So instead of turning our fast cavalry to the job of building to building fighting at close and densely packed quarters we sent them to aid the Tirailleurs in breaking through the Japanese lines and crossing the railway. By now the Bleriot had also been forced to land as it had taken unexpected damage from the natives who had found rifles, something not expected by Major Ney. He was unwilling to commit such an expensive piece of equipment to a mission that could prove dangerous for it.

With the French troops holding off the native waves in their dense formations, and awaiting the order to form a line so as to completly hold the enemy off the US legations, the artillery began a bombardment of the spearmen crossing the rails, sending a few shells into them.

Captain Charles Ney, whilst advancing with his Sergeant and Askari lackeys along the flank found a and of Japanese natives rushing straight for them! They all took flight for the machine gunners ducking down and diving behind it as it sprayed bullets into the japanese before they began to make their (supposed last) stand in the US compound.

But suprisingly with naught but Charles' pistol and sabre, a bayonet and three rifles and a machine gun (all used as clubs) the French and Somalian Askari beat off the Japanese warriors.

This had given the Tirailleurs advancing on the rails enough time to form a line and open fire at close range, supported by the artillery piece.

The spahi on the left flank however engaged in a bitter cavalry clash with their Japanese counterparts, sabres flashing and cutting through the native's bamboo armour.

"The Tirailleurs section forms a line in front of the Japanese troops, opening fire and inflicting much loss on the native bowmen, whilst the Japanese commanders watch on"

Now stationed in the American legation's store house, the machine gun crew is in a perfect place to rattle out bullets at any natives trying to cross the ridge or execute a flank manouvere.

As Major Louis Ney watched on from behind the US compound, he could see his men performing perfectly. True they had lost yet another detachment of Spahis from the field, but they had  beaten off most of the enemy cavalry. Two of the sections of Tirailleurs had formed their lines up either side of the US legations and were supported by fire from the remaining section's artillery piece and the 2nd company's machine gun in the central building.

As the line advanced it fired its volley off at the archers, before moving up a 2nd line which in turn fired on the native spearmen defending the ridge.

It certainly seemed that the French forces would soon be wrapping up the Japanese line and advancing over the rails and on to the Japanese legation, hopefully to capture their General, before advancing on their own French legation.

But unfortunatly the native resistance was tougher than expected on our part and as one of our Tirailleurs sections fled the field the other made a move to roll up the Japanese flank, but it was confronte by a wall of archers joined by both their commanders in the melee which the French did not get the advantage of. The store house of the US legations had also fallen with the Native spearmen taking out the machine gun and settling down with the windows bristling with spears!

The Line was now completly broken and the French had lossed all the ground up to their artillery position. However with the arrival of more Spahi and a march column of Tirailleurs, plus a new machine gun things could be changed. But the Japanese wern't without their reinforcements either, and the Russian legations could soon be supported by more cavalry.

But as the cavalry made for the Yamen houses the warriors in the Russian legation who had been counting on support found themselves beset by a section of Tirailleurs and a detachment of Spahi, which they pluckily fought off!

Legation street was now thick with the dead and dying from both armies where countless clashes had taken place between the Russo-US legations. Who could have imagined twelve years before that such firm freinds as they were then would spill each other's blood on the site of their greatest victory!

The Battle ended with the troops exhausted and the spirit of all broken. The Japanese held their legations, the rails and the Russian Legations whilst the French were in control of but the US legations however much blood had been spilt and as the casualties were totted up by the Aide de camps and orderlies the Ney's settled down for a glass of Wine ine the US compound.

But in the end with twelve Japanese units broken to the French eight the Japanese gained no advantage from their two extra positions held. They were swept aside by the French advance and they scattered out of Peking.

As a "necissary measure" Major Louis Ney, with the French Ambassador's permission, put the city of Peking under French marshal law.

Victory for the French, but scraped by just two points over the Japanese. A great game. Black powder lends itself well to Colonial games of the 1900-1914 periods though I would never even try to play a game of WW1 with it or another such type between european armies of this period.

If you wish to know what rules we use for our Biplane these are them (written by myself

Its gun uses the machine gun rules from the advanced rules section in the rulesbook. It can move 12" and can only be harmed by shooting attacks (meaning it can neverbe engaged in close combat).

We designated it at 26pts but in games where the enemy's total shooting adds up to three or less I would suggest 40pts.

Unit

type

armament

Hand to hand

shooting

morale

stamina

special

Bleriot

Biplane

Machine Gun

-

special

4+

4

maruaders

Napoleon's Invasion of Japan: Battle of Hokaido

On January the 1st, 1813, General Jacques MacDonald and Johann Yorck crossed the frozen sea at Riga, captured the British naval squadron and then the Russian's defences before marching on the city. By February of that year they and Napoleon were in st.Petersburg with the Grande arme at their command. More troops arrived from Prussia and France to support the dwindling force and by April 1813 Napoleon was back on the road. He planned to be the sole ruler of the world! He would march across the steppes of Siberia before conquering all the primitive feudal tribes of Asia and finally expelling the British from India! The April of 1813 saw the Grande Arme march across the steppes of Siberia, all along the way they were joined by the Cossack tribes before finally reaching the Pacific Ocean in the October of that year, just before the snow fell. The following April (1814) Napoleon ordered the construction of an invasion fleet which was completed within two weeks. He then launched the invasion of Japan!
May 3rd 1814; Napoleon landed on Hakaido, the northern island of Japan. He quickly subdued the primitive bear tribes of Hakaido and spent until June looting and pillaging the locals, but then he turned his interest towards the southern island...
July 17th 1814. The red devil clan sends an army of Samurai and Ashigaru to Hokaido to expel the foreign invaders who were threatening their northern borders. In Yo Ning pass the two armies clash!

This was a game based on an alternative history that us two gamers had come up with for the tale of two gamers. Basically Napoleon had actually taken St. Petersburg and had been declared Tzar of all the Russias. He had then marched his army East, planning to succeed where Alexander the great and Trajan had failed and become master of all Asia!
I was playing as the French force (I always seem to play French for black powder!) lead by General MacDonald while my tale of two gamers gaming partner was playing the Japanese force (as he always does in these historic games) we were using the Black powder rules (my army was selected from the Napoleonic armylist while the Japanese were made using the profile calculator at the back of the book), the models are 20mm (1:72) from Zvezda and Airfix.
Un be known to my opponent I was keeping 2 extra units of Prussian Landwehr off table just in case things were looking scary for the French (and in the spirit of uncompetitive gaming I was quiet prepared to declare that they had mutinied if the Japanese seemed to be loosing).

 My French force lead by General MacDonald was composed of two standard units of old guard, two standard units of fusiliers and two artillery pieces. We were facing off against a force three units of Samurai, one of Ashigaru musketeers and another of Ninjas.

Ichiro sichida, leader of the Japanese Red devil clan stands resplendent with his banner flying high at his side as he prepares his men for the advance down the gorge!

 The old guard, enthusiastic veterans of all Napoleon's campaigns some of whom had arrived here from as far as Spain, went charging off down the valley opting for firing lines rather than their classic Attack columns. Their aim was to deliver close range fire at the Japanese before falling back in their firing lines whilst holding up these primitive natives!
However with an almighty war cry the ninjas and samurai threw themselves at the picket of Old guardsmen, and even with their stamina shaken from the closing fire they still sent the veterans fleeing the field. But the Japanese were not without their own tactical faults and far too eagerly the Commander's samurai bodyguard had abandoned him and charged for the other old guard. The guard fell back and MacDonald brought up the artillery. When the bombardment had stopped and the smoke cleared the Samurai were blown to bits on the ground.

Both lines had gained little ground and had lost many men, however even more bad luck was to fall upon the French and one of their Fusilier units misinterpreted MacDonald's rather poetical (and very Accented) order to advance as an order to fall out, and the French fusiliers marched off the field to some local tavern as the old guard were being cut to shreds by the red devils.

 MacDonald stood calmly astride his horse as the Japanese warriors hurtled down the valley, yelling war cries and challenges as they waved their weapons around in the air! The Old guard calmly formed a line, having fallen back previously, in front of the Fusiliers and prepared to deliver closing fire on the Ninjas spearheading the charge straight for them. As the ninjas got nearer the Guard let of a volley of closing fire, however the manic warriors merely shrugged off the shots, before laying about themselves at the Frenchmen with their Ninjatos! The old guard put up a valiant fight with their bayonets, but the ninjas weren't having any of it and soon the line of guardsmen was buckling as the pints of the local pub began to look a lot more inviting than a shiny medal for bravery.
With the loss of so many of my units to the local pub I decided to unleash one of my Prussian Landwehr units upon the Japanese!

 MacDonald acted quickly, moving his artillery, by limber, to the sides of the valley ready to deliver flanking fire on the advancing warriors. He then moved the Fusilier line across, leaving the Prussian attack column to take up the centre of the formation.
The artillery then opened up their bombardment with supporting fire from the Fusiliers and Landwehr

 Instead, even though they were much shaken from the intense bombardment, they charged straight for the Fusilier line taking the closing fire like men (well superhumans any way!) and whipping their Ninjatos out at the French infantry. But the ninjas must have lost the momentum of their charge and the French were taking none of the Japanese sword twirling and they met it with fierce bayonet blows. However in the end both units broke apart and rallied a little distance away from where they had clashed.

The Japanese were now upon the French line, the Prussians and French Fusiliers had formed a line to hold up the ninjas from doing more damage and deliver fire on the Red devil warriors. The Japanese archers and handgunners had managed to avoid the forward French line and were arranged to open fire on the artillery at close range. However this did not go quiet to the plan and the artillery men continued their dirty work under fire.
The Prussian Landwehr kept up their resistance for a very long time, holding off the Ninjas with many blows of their bayonets and many times they almost sent the Japanese packing but in the end that pub claimed them from my ranks as well and the ninjas stood triumphant with three units to their name!

 The artillery crews began to bombard the Japanese firing lines and soon sent the Samurai archers packing from the field, however the other Artillery piece was having as much luck against the Japanese guns as they were against it, even at such close range neither was making any impression on the other.
With but two guns and a line of Fusiliers to his name things were looking desperate for MacDonald

So as I was loosing quite badly I decided to deploy my next unit of Prussian Landwehr, bringing them up to support MacDonald in his position behind the Fusilier line (which had been charged by the Japanese warriors) as he aimed his last 12pdr (the last had lost its crew to that wretched pub when the Ninjas charged it) at the Japanese Handgunners.
The Fusilier line soon Buckled under the red devils and the French line infantry fled the field.

 MacDonald then personally joined the Prussians, hoping to inspire them to great deeds. He then formed them up into a line and prepared them to employ closing fire should the Japanese try a charge, meanwhile the last 12pdr continued to pound away at the enemy warriors, but to little avail.

 The warriors had charged towards the French cannon and it had opened up with closing fire upon the warriors, hitting their morale hard! They then proceeded to beat the Red Devil's commander to death with their rammer and send the rest of the warriors packing before the triumphal crewmen turned their gun on the Japanese musketeers and sent them fleeing the field as well!
Things were begining to look up for the French but then a blow from a Ninjato took down MacDonald and his men decided to quit the field with their wounded general.
With that the Ninjas went on to send the 12pdr packing as well.
The Japanese had successfully defeated the Grande Arme and Napoleon's plan of invading Honshu was set back considerably. Red devils victory!I

I included this pic of the Ninjas as they did stunningly. They were shaken from turn one as a result of the old guard's shooting but this did not stop them and they Spearheaded the Japanese army in taking down both guard units, both Landwehr units and both artillery pieces as well as General MacDonald. In the end the amount of casualties they took (but ignored) amounted to far more than there were models in the unit so i'm not quite sure how that works, they must have kept getting back up from being shot down!
They are also superbly painted considering this is 20mm! (don't believe them when they say 1:72 is 25mm, black powder says it is 20mm and that is what they measure up as)!