The Red Hand at Thiepval Wood

The Somme, Scenario 1. The Red Hand at Thiepval Wood

 

Unit:  1st  Platoon,  A  Company,  14th  Royal  Irish  Rifles  Battalion  (Belfast Young Citizens), 109th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division (New Army).  

 

Historical Result:  A Victory is medium casualties sustained

With traditional cries of “No Surrender!” the Ulstermen of the 36th Division swarmed over no man’s land and took the initial German trench line on schedule--and kept on advancing--in one of the most successful assaults of July 1st. 

In front of them was the Schwaben Redoubt, one of a number of heavily fortified positions along this sector of the German line. This was one of the areas that General Haig had insisted that more than just a bite and hold operation took place and for this reason the plan was that the reserve Brigade (107th Brigade) would follow through the leading Brigades to sweep on deeper into the German position.

108th Brigade

On the left of the line were the remaining two battalions from 108th Brigade: 13th Bn Royal Irish Rifles and 11th Bn Royal Irish Rifles. Their task was to sweep around the left of the Schwaben redoubt keeping to the east of the village of St Pierre Divion down in the Ancre Valley.

109th Brigade

On their right were the four battalions of 109th Brigade: The 10th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 9th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in the front with 11th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and 14th Bn Royal Irish Rifles behind them.

It was the initial task of 109th Brigade to take the Schwaben Redoubt by means of a direct frontal assault.

107th Brigade, behind them, sheltering in the wood was 107th Brigade made up from four battalions of the Royal Irish Rifles: the 8th, 9th, 10th and 15th.

They would come up through the first two Brigades pushing on towards Grandcourt.

The preparatory bombardment along this stretch of the front line appeared to have worked well and the wire entanglements seemed to have been cut sufficiently to allow the infantry attack to proceed almost unhindered – after all, the theory went, all the Germans would either be dead or so shell shocked that they would be incapable of resistance.

Tragically it didn't turn out that way.

I`ve deliberately changed the names for the "Big Men" in this game, and feel that I will have to do this for any game involving the battle.  The real names can be found at: 

http://historyhubulster.co.uk/tag/royal-irish-rifles/

1st  Platoon,  A  Company,  14th  Royal  Irish  Rifles

Captain Davis

Lieutenant Kerr

Sergeant McGarrell. 

Corporal Doyle

26th Reserve Division (Swabian)

51. Reserve-Infanterie-Brigade

Württembergisches Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 119

3rd Company 2nd Platoon

Leutnant Friedel Lutz

Unteroffizier Wolfgang Paul

Feldwebel Karl-Heinz Schnellinger

Gefrieter "Little" Willi Schulz

The Germans begin under random blinds as the programmed force.  I will control the 36th Division Force.

Table layout

My (really, really) home made cards

The trench terrain is a work in progress

The blinds move in.  The Irish Captain is spotted

The German's pop up

The German Leutnant uses an initiative but the firing doesn't stop the Ulstermen's charge

The Irish Captain uses his Command initiatives to get the sock down, as the Sergeant comes off a blind to get forward. 

The German support weapon barrage lands too close for comfort.

With more shock mounting the Irish Lewis gunner gets some excellent hits in.

More German artillery fire, and again it lands close

The Irish get into the forward trenches, and clear them.  With artillery fire landing on them they have fulfilled some of the victory conditions but this was a grim fight.  Now we wait for the support battalion to pass through.