Boxer Rebellion - Two Battles - Rescue the Mission

Sorry for the long delay in posting this. I'm not sure I will remember all the details, but we had two very enjoyable games of Din of Battle 2nd Edition, featuring my 15mm Boxer Rebellion collection. Most buildings were made by Mal Wright. I made the Mud Fort (still need to finish it up). Temple is an aquarium piece.

There were two distinct battles going on in the scenario.

Americans and French attacking a Imperial Chinese held mud fort, while Russians and Italians tried to save the local Christian Mission from being overrun. The International forces already tried to evacuate the Mission with Royal Marines, Russian sailors, Italian Sailors but a large Boxer for appeared out of no where and they were trapped!

There were four commands, each with their own sequence deck:

• Americans\French 
• Mission Force - Italians, Russians, and sailors.
• Imperial Chinese
• Boxers

We fought this scenario twice over a two week period. I'm only posting photos of the first battle as the 2nd battle was relatively the same, but the Boxers didn't win the second battle.

FIRST BATTLE

Here is the International Mission with Black Banner Boxers and Yellow Banner Boxers prepared to launch another attack.

Russians and Italians ready to advance and relieve the Mission from the nasty Boxers.

The Chinese mud fort guarding the busy harbor while US forces on land and French Marines on paddle wheeler troop transports prepare for an amphibious assault.

Junks and sampans everywhere!

Imperial guard wondering the streets.

Busy dockyard

And the Boxers launch their first assault, with casualties everywhere. There were Russia sailors, British Royal Marine Light Infantry, French sailors, and Italian Navali Regina in the Mission.

Here you can also see that there is a RED Banner force of boxers heading for the mission.

Can the Russians and Italians get there in time?

International force holding so far.

Men are tested to their breaking point!

US Infantry and Marines start their attack on the mud fort.

French landing force arrives, but is too far from shore to support.

There is a Russian gunboat also shelling the fort. It is barely visible in photo at the bottom right.

Boxers breach the walls where the French sailors are defending with armed civilians.

Boxer casualties are high

Italian Bersaglia tear into the Red Banner boxers.

RMLI pushed back by Yellow Banners. Italian Regina Navali take over for the French and rout the Black Banners.

Massed Boxer reserve appears as the Russians arrive.

More hand to hand fighting outside the mission.

Massive attack by the Yellow Banner boxers (Each banner was reconstituted once to give the Boxers a better chance). The RMLI is driven from the wall and you can see all the yellow banners in the Mission.

It is over, the Boxers have driven the French, RMLI, and Italian sailors from the walls on three sides, while the Russian and Italian reinforcements are too little too late.

Phil, the Boxer Commander, wins a metal (Boxer Rebellion medal I purchased) and will be rewarded by the Emporer for his glory of destroying the mission!

Truly fun game! The Americans were defeated by being over-zealous on their assault on the mud fort so this was a total Chinese victory.

Historicon 2006 Boxer Rebellion Game

Founds some pretty cool photos from a pick-up game I ran at Historicon about 5 years ago.

We were using Din of Battle (Piquet supplement) for the rules and had a lot of my Historicon "regulars" playing in the game. Since the game happened so long ago I can't remember all the details, but Jim Mauro won  "Best Player" award and received a Boxer Rebellion medal (replica of the US Army medal for China).

Jim Mauro (left), Brian Connolly (in green), and Jeff Valent (laughing) before the game starts

Boxers going insane around the Catholic Mission.

Relief force arriving by river

Good shot of the Chinese town and the "Black Citedal" protecting the harbor.

HMS Kangaroo firing into the fort

Italians and Russians move to attack the Chinese city

Waters are getting think with gunboats and troop transports

Mike Bolling (the thinker), Howard Barasch, Tony, Jim, Brian (standing), and Ian drinking a beeer.

More Black Flag Boxers join the fight

Italians breach the city walls!

French are attack by the Black Flag Boxers

Russians and Italians take fire from Chinese regulars.

USMC and German Seabatallion storm ashore and wipe out the Black Banner Boxers.

Definitely good times!
Cheers
Eric

Boxer Campaign - Battle of Feng Go Forest - Part 12 of 12

The Germans sent this top secret communique not to be shared with any allied player. Five fast couriers are to proceed to the Lutheran Mission under flags of truce. They carry an order that reads thus:

Honored Gentlemen,

I am aware that you have beseiged the Lutheran Mission near Mia Tuchin. An allied coalition force is prepared to attack and relieve the mission at once. We can assure you that our intentions are simply to spare the lives of those men, women and children that we are responsible for protecting. I beseech you to peacefully release these persons into our care at the earliest possible moment. We have been very impressed with your bravery and understand that you are men of honor. We asked that you comply with this appeal out of honor. In no way do we think you to be cowards. We understand that you are prepared to defend to the last, as we have seen evidence of your bravery on many bloody fields before. The resultant clash of arms will result in a great effusion of blood. If you allow us to gain custody of the missionaries, we give you our word that we will march north and out of this territory and will leave you in peace. I send a young German captain fluent in Chinese that will interpret and bring me your reply. If you answer in the affirmative, then we will work out a specific time to allow the missionaries to march out under a flag of truce. At this time, we will immediately march out of this area.

Respectfully,
Field Marshal Ludwig von Bolling

The appeal went unanswered and the you German captain never returned.

The Internationalist (Germans, Americans, Italians) have cut their ties with the railway and have launched an assault on the 2nd Chinese Imperial Army that has been shadowing their force from the south for over a day. The Chinese Western Trained army is also shadowing the force, but it is to the west and is dug in. The Internationalists are counting on their superior firepower and surprise to destroy the 2nd Imperial Army before they can unite with the Western Trained army.

The 2nd Imperial Army is deployed in Feng Go forest and will try to use the large woods to protect them from the Foreign Devil's artillery and rifle fire. Who's will will break today? Will the Western Trained Army abandon their trenches to help the 2nd Imperial Army? Even if they did would the arrive in time?

The battle was excellent and tense throughout, with USMC and one German unit taking heavy casualties, but pushing on and routing the less sturdy Chinese. Chinese 2nd Imperial Army had hidden deployment due to their positions in the Feng Go Forest. I'm sorry I didn't take more interactive photos.

USMC knocking out the first of the Chinese battalions!

Entire German army moving in.

General advance into the woods.

Chinese Western trained army arrives, but once again German and their mausers put them to flight.

US Marines (light blue pants), fight through the woods.

Italians get shot at point blank range by Chinese guns. (Will the Italians ever get a break in this campaign?)

Germans advancing into the woods to clear out the Imperial Chinese.

The veteran German Seebatallions are taking the fight directly to the Chinese.

Americans flank the Chinese line, rolling up the Chinese and putting them to flight.

With the smashing success of the International Forces at the BATTLE OF FENG GO FOREST the allies hastily pushed on to the LUTHERAN MISSION at MIA TUCHEN. The Boxers were no where to be found, but their handy-work was evident. The Lutheran Mission was burnt to the ground and the missionaries were slaughtered. Priests, nuns, Chinese Christians were all killed in horrible ways. The massacre appears to have been carried out a day or two before hand. The Germans, Italians, and Americans buried the dead and turned north to their journey home.

This ended the campaign as all effective Imperial Chinese and Boxer forces in the region had been defeated. The International armies made their way without incident back to the port of WIE LUNG HOO, where they evacuated the remaining Western civilians, Chinese Christians, sick, and wounded.

It was an extremely successful campaign, but many battles were in doubt right until the end. I think some of the International Commanders were thrilled just to be marching out of China, rather than coming out in a dead cart!

The final tally for the campaign VPs were as follows:

France   24   --- Winner!
Russia     20
USA       17
Italy        17
Germany 16

As the winner, Eric Cottrell, received a copy of Columbia Game's Rommel in the Desert, and every player received a reproduction Boxer Rebellion medal from the US Marine Corp!

Some of the commanders receiving their medals! Left to right: General "Mad Dog" Hood, Chinese General Johnson, Field Marshal Ludwig von Bolling, General Konnellovski.

From General "Mad Dog" Hood:

"I'll be setting up a "coffee" house in Hong Kong, writing my memoirs of the campaign. It'll be presented to Congress and read into the record."

As an umpire for a campaign, this was one of the most rewarding campaigns I have ever run. Players were active, they remained in character, they contributed to the drama, and we were able to successfully finish the campaign! A rare accomplishment in the wargaming world!

Cheers!

Eric