Rearguard at Dalian 1904 RJW using Blood Big Battles

This scenario, Rearguard (2) from Scenarios for Wargames, follows on from the successful Russian defense of Dalian.

The Russians have been ordered to evacuate Dalian and most of the Division has embarked leaving a regiment as rearguard. The Japanese have got wind of the withdrawal and have sent a brigade to capture the harbour.

The Rearguard map from Scenarios for Wargames

The table

The Terrain

All hills are steep sided - level 3 of Lijia Ridge is impassable

The streams are impassable to artillery except at bridges

Minquan, Shidiao and Fuguo are villages and each count as 1 Objective

Dalian Harbour is 2 villages and each one counts as 2 Objectives

The battlefield from Sinjan Hill

The Forces

The Russians have 12 Companies of 3 Bases and 2 Guns

The Japanese have 21 Companies of 3 Bases  and 4 Guns

Both sides are armed with repeating rifles and breach loading artillery

All troops are Trained.

The Japanese are not classed as Aggressive due to their kicking in the initial fight for Dalian.

Objectives

There are 7 Objective points - the 3 villages (1) and Dalian Harbour (2x2) The game lasts for 8 turns 

The Game

The Japanese advance to Lijia Ridge

Mike, Rodge and myself were the Japanese. We had to deploy first and concentrated everything on Posu Ridge and Anjin Hill with the aim of punching straight through to Dalian

Lijia Ridge

The Russian Reserves

Dave N and Shaun were the Russians who deployed a token force on Lijia Ridge and the remainder as reserves between Minquan and Shidiao

In  order to secure the villages of Shidiao and Fuguo the Japanese push forward a battalion

Japanese troops approach Hongqi Hill

The fight for Hongqi Hill and Shidiao

A Japanese Company moves to secure Fuguo

The main attack was aimed at Lijia Ridge

The Japanese prepare to storm Lijia Ridge

The attack goes in.

The Russians get hammered on the ridge

The Japanese start to advance down Lijia Ridge to Minquan and Dalian

The Russian line crumbles under the Japanese pressure

Individual Russian companies attempt to hold Minquan and Shidiao

The Russian company hold Dalian is ordered to hold to the last by their Commanders

But on the last turn the Japanese get a foothold on the Harbour

The final tally for Objectives had the Japanese on 3 for the villages of Minquan, Shidiao and Fuguo and the Russians on 2 for half of Dalian Harbour - the other half being contested. So a less than minor victory to the Japanese with the Russian commanders having to abandon their Faberge Egg collection!

Another excellent scenario from Grant's book - going down to the wire. 

The Japanese Artillery failed to get into action due to miserable dice rolling but weren't really needed as their infantry were more than up for the job.

3 Base infantry units disappear very quickly especially with close range Repeating Rifle fire so I will try 4 Base units next time. 

And as for next time. With the Japanese capture of Dalian they can now start bringing in troops and supplies for the assault on Port Arthur. However will the Russians give up the Liaodong Peninsula and just sit in Port Arthur as they did historically? I doubt it.

The figures are all by Pendraken and the buildings  by Mura Miniatures

The terrain is all by Homebase - the hills and villages are the "luxury" £5 carpet tiles, reduced to £2.50 and the sea and streams are the sadly out of production Oxford Blue self adhesive vinyl tiles. I keep writing to them but they just ignore me.