From: Saunders Alan Subject: Volley and Bayonet Game Report - Long WARNING ! Miniatures related post ! One of my last three games played was: >Volley and Bayonet - Fictional Franco-Prussian War scenario in 15mm Doug Murphy asked >Can you tell me about the V&B game. How did it go? Only too glad to. For those that don't know, Volley and Bayonet is a set of brigade level miniatures rules covering the period 1700-1900, written by Frank Chadwick I believe. A base of troops represents a single brigade, one turn in an hour and 1" is 100 yards; this is for long, big battles. We played a Franco-Prussian War scenario. The French have higher morale than the Prussians and a better, longer ranged rifle, but the Prussians have massively superior artillery and bigger units. The French were defending with three infantry divisions and a cavalry division against the Prussians attacking with about five or six infantry divisions (I was playing on the French side so I was unclear about the exact Prussian make up). The table was a square about 6' a side. The SW corner was almost entirely blocked off by an impassable ridge line with a small gap in it allowing a road to exit the table in that corner. On the ridge, to the S of the gap was a chateau. Just forward of the gap was a small village. Roads exited the table in the NW and NE corners and the centre of the S and E edges. The rest of the table was had scattered woods, hills and villages. The French started with one infantry division on table, and the other three divisions arriving at pre-chosen points on a random turn. The Prussians brought two divisions on in the NE corner and their other forces would appear at pre-chosen points on a random turn as well. The Prussians had 12 turns to seize control of the gap and the dominating chateau. The French had to stop them. The French set up their on-table division around the gap itself. Two infantry brigades, the artillery and machine guns were in the gap, one infantry brigade held the chateau and one brigade with some chasseurs was in the village just ahead of the gap. They opted to bring on one infantry division in the SW corner (behind our position) and the cavalry followed by the third infantry division were to come on at the S edge. The plan was to hold the Prussian attack using the on table division reinforced by the first reinforcement then use the cavalry and third infantry division to hit the Prussians in the flank. The Prussians entered the table and quickly began to form up out of the range of our artillery. Their first division was then pushed forward to outflank and then clear the French troops in the village, whilst their artillery deployed in a line to bombard the troops in the gap. The attack on the village drove off the chasseurs but the defending infantry were made of sterner stuff and resisted assault after assault. The troops in the gap began to suffer heavy casualties from the Prussian artillery, but fortunately the first reinforcing division arrived and allowed the French to pull out some of the more damaged units and replace them with fresh troops. More and more Prussians were appearing and the pressure on the village was mounting. Other Prussians were working around to get into position for an assault on the chateau. At that moment the French cavalry arrived on the S edge, but it transpired that a Prussian infantry division was only a turn behind them. The French knew the cavalry were going to die, but deployed them close to where their pursuers must enter reasoning that all they had to do was force the Prussians to deploy which would slow them down enough that they would be hard pushed to be in a position to support the main attack on the gap in time. The cavalry did not last long, but it cost the Prussians on the S edge two turns to get rid of them. By now the Prussians had cleared the village, but the division that did it was to shot up to commence an assault on the gap itself. The troops in the gap were in poor shape having endured artillery fire for several turns whilst unable to reply. The troops in the chateau were also suffering from artillery fire, and the original occupiers had already been replaced. However, in order to assault the French position the Prussians were going to have to mask their own batteries. The French in the gap fell back therefore to preserve their numbers ready for the final assault, although the troops in the chateau remained. One gallant machine gun battery was left in the gap to cover the retreat and inflicted fearful damage on the Prussians before it was overwhelmed. The first Prussian assault on the chateau was driven off and they prepared to come in again as the game reached the final turn. Other Prussians were rushing to seize the vacated gap, masking their artillery. As the final Prussian assaults prepared to advance, the French rushed troops forward to screen the gap and the chateau. Although these would be swept away by the advancing Prussians they would hold them up long enough for the game to end with the French still in control of both the gap and the chateau. This was a close fought and desperate game, and really did go to the last turn - on the penultimate turn the Prussians almost took the position and only the rushing forward of sacrificial troops stopped them doing it for certain on the last. key factors in the French victory were the delay caused to the Prussians by having to shift the French cavalry and the gallant defence of the village by one brigade of French infantry. This is a scenario we will be trying again. Oh, the twelve hours of battle took us 3 1/2 hours to set up and play. Phew ! Alan Saunders A.Saunders@datasci.co.uk