This weekend was of course the return of Williamsburg Muster here in Williamsburg, Virginia. As has become our custom, Williamsburg Legati took the opportunity to run a number of games which I hope were all well received and most of which were pretty well attended. I will leave it to other (Chris) to make a full convention report but will take this opportunity to write an after action report for my Spanish Civil War game THE BATTLE OF SUICIDE HILL.
Suicide hill is the name given by the British Brigade of the International Brigade to a fight on the first day of the their three day fight in the Jarama Valley. (February 12, 1938). Four companies of the British Brigade were tasked with defending what was at the time being called Casa Blanca Hill and Conical Hill from and attack by Nationalists forces of the Army of Africa. These are Moroccan Regulares and Spanish Foreign Legion.
Moroccans advancing
The game was based upon the introductory scenario in Egglestone’s A World Aflame Rule book published by Osprey.
The fight began with Nationalist artillery firing upon the two hill tops, and some ground support provided by the Condor Legion.
Henschel 123 strafing 15th IB
Unlike is usually the case however, the Nationalists did not enjoy air superiority at Jarama, and soon a Republican I-16 was on hand to chase off the other plane and to repay the Nationalists with their own medicine.
Republican Air Support
Then came the advance of the Nationalist Brigade, with a platoon of Spanish Foreign Legion and a platoon of Moroccan Regulares. Lively fire from the LMG in Casa Blanca (the farmhouse from which the hill gets its name) proved disastrous to La Legion’s 2nd Company, causing it to seek cover and eventually to depart in hopes of finding a safer location.
Unfortunately this early success would not be enough to stop the onslaught as the Nationalist’s experienced soldiers continued up the slopes of the two hills , towards the positions of their outnumbered foes. Withering fire from the Nationalists soon proved too much for the Republic’s British friends. the company of the conical hill took a large number of casualties including their company commander and were soon driven from the field.
With the cover provided by the farmhouse, the British Brigade’s 1st Company faired better, but it still could n0t stand against the forces quickly climbing up the hillsides towards their beleaguered positions. The Platoon headquarters came forward in the hope of strengthening Casa Blanca’s defense.
The 2nd company of the British Brigade armed with 3 maxims, had been suffering from ammunition difficulties all day, having been supplied with the wrong ammunition for their old Russian supplied guns. Matters were finally corrected but only after the loss of a great deal of important time. Finally the 2nd company made their way forward, to their defensive position at the edge of the plateau,, just across the small valley from the two hotly contested hills.
2nd Company did its best to save the day and served to slow the Nationalist advance, but in the end it was in vain. Neither their firepower or even the addition of a t-26 which had finally arrived on the scene would prove enough to save the 1st company from the withering firing it was now receiving from both the Legionnaires and the Moroccans together. They died bravely within Casa Blanca, and both hills were now in Nationalist control, just as the sun set on this scene of blood and violence.
Republican T-26 moving through the valley
I would like to thank those Ron, ,Justin and Pete who participated in the game on Saturday, as well as my fellow Legati who helped to fiddle this game into existence.
I also wish to give my heartfelt thanks to Age of Glory. This business was just short of being an official sponsor for the game and was the source for a great deal of the elements within the game. Always a great Pleasure to do business with!
Casa Blanca
Ron Carnegie
Williamsburg Legati 