This is a solitaire DTP game presented in Panzerschreck 6 along with a game on Dogger Bank (in which the British armour looks wrong) and one on the commando raid against Rommel. In style it is an experience game in which you pit yourself again the system but also watch the unfolding of the battle. If you have ever played a football or baseball "league" game then you will know how to play First Day of the Somme.
The map is a letter sized colour photocopy of a British map of the period (though without trench lines or other impedimenta). On top of this has been laid a network of points that provide the gaming grid. Each point is pretty near a major feature so that one achieves a good narrative feel to advancing from point 10 to point 30 (up Mash Valley as it happens). The point-to-point net builds a rather interesting series of lateral connections but does not always have diagonal links. The points are either British controlled, German controlled or Breakthrough Areas. As the map only covers part of the front (and the British part at that not including Third Army) the southern attacks have to push a long way into the map to encounter breakthrough hexes. But you are looking to go beyond Martinpuich and Pys to make the sort of attack of which the generals dreamed. There is no terrain as such with one exception, the movement lines between the two trench lines, which is where the wire lives.
The units are divisions for both sides. Each division occupies one point, but there can be stacking. There are no factors, merely counters. However, the British units have a series of rosters showing all the battalions with each of these divided into five casualty boxes. This is where the major experience factor appears. But providing you field your nine battalions per division you are capable of attacking. The Germans are also helped by wire (which must be attacked separately) and strongpoints (which count as immobile units).
The sequence opens with a Preliminary Segment. In this you plan and record your movement, make your bombardment, and generate "variations" (see below). Five Assault Segments then follow (each covering three hours). Each Assault Segment opens with an event Phase, German Reinforcement Phase, New Orders Phase, Combat Phase, Movement Phase and Rally Phase. The game thus allows you to show how much cleverer you are than Haig, and then watch it crumble to dust! Victory requires you to have 20 VPs (you gain these for capturing German positions and lose them for every 7,500 casualties (50 boxes) but you must also hold all German non-breakthrough points (something that happened in late September 1916 not July 1st). You are not therefore going to win, though you can play against history (a net 5 VPs I believe) and my first offensive netted me 9 points, so watch out Dougie. The game opens with all divisions on their jump-off points together with strongpoints and wire in position.
Each British division can move two areas a turn and these are pre-planned on a roster. The orders are either a point number (for entry) or a Halt order. Of course the Germans may cause their own delays but only a unit with a Halt order can give attack support (a very valuable matter), so you need to try to do a bit of planning here. Merely sitting around waiting is not sufficient. Reserve divisions only fill their order in once activated, and this allows you to reinforce success (if any). Reserve units followed up my big breakthrough to Courcelette in just this fashion. However, you can change orders already given in the New Orders Phase. Such changes though are limited in number and subject to failure on a die roll.
Those of you who feared the Barrage would consist of building an Alan Brooke fire table can rest easy. You receive a maximum of eight days of artillery preparation. This can be fired at two targets - the Wire or the Trenches. You do not target any particular area you simply allot fire between the two types. However, the more days you fire the more likely that "variations" will occur, of which more below. Fire is then tested per target hex (or No Man's Land line). At four days fire on each target two thirds of the wire will be removed and two thirds of the German units suppressed. If you were to devote all eight to one target type only one in nine of the targets would escape undamaged.
The artillery bombardment's duration has other effects than destroyed wire and stunned defenders. Firstly, it reflects on the chance of surprise (the 14th July concept of the sudden attack - albeit against a less formed line). A 1d6 less the number of days fired is taken, if the score is 2+ surprise is achieved. If one were to fire just four days at the Wire then scores of 5 and 6 would give one the Surprise advantage on the first turn (no chance if you fire off eight days worth though). In addition, bombardment causes a number of variations. Variations are a form of random event generated by 2d6. The numbers of variations is the days fired multiplied by 1d6 halved (so the maximum is 24: 8 days times 6 divided by 2). Quite why extra fire should create these strange items is beyond me. Perhaps the argument is that the longer the barrage the less chance that one can identify its effect, and the increased possibility of cratering damaging the attack. Apart from a number of "no effect results" the variation table can yield the following:
- "Unexpected Redoubt Defence" A random division next to a strongpoint is held back (converting "elim" results into no advance)
"Unexpected Uncut Wire" A random stretch of wire is placed in No Man's Land (and very annoying it is too).
"Unexpected Defence" A random suppressed German unit recovers.
"Unexpected cross-fire" A division suffers double casualties (it was this result that started the slaughter of my Ulster Division).
Each of these has a random placement table.
So as the dust settles and we gaze out (we hope) on a field of cut wire and shell-shocked Boches it is time for the whistles to sound.
Each Assault Phase (of which there are five) opens with an Event Phase. Mostly these are bad for the player. Reserve divisions suffer losses, double rolls for German reinforcements, double casualties, reduction in New Order ratings for a corps commander, German counter-attacks and miscellaneous casualties. Only one is in our favour, but as it comes on a seven with 2d6 as a VC winner "makes the difference" giving us a +1 in combat. In my battle I had two such VC successes.
German reinforcements now arrive on a 1d6 (-3 on the first turn). This generates new units (with a random placement method) and may recover suppressed units. As the day continues this can lead to a noticeable thickening of the enemy line.
Orders
New Orders can now be issued. Each division given a new order counts against the corps commanders order capacity, and will fail unless it scores against Initiative. (1-5 for Regular and territorial divisions, 1-4 for New Army). Rawlinson (as Army Commander) has a 2 order capacity, Pulteney, Morland, Congreve and Horne have four (but only to their own divisions) and Hunter-Weston has five. All this is handily recorded on rosters that you can photocopy.
At last the moment has come, and hark the cry is Astur and lo the ranks divide, and the great lord of Luna comes with his stately stride. The whistles sound, the 8th East Surreys kick out the football counter (oh dear me yes, we do have a football counter) and the British army joins the 20th Century.
Much of the feel of this game arises from the rosters. So a brief diversion before the machine-guns open up is in order. Each division has its badge, number commander's name and type (New Army, Territorial or Regular) recorded. It then has a series of battalions (five boxes per battalion) by brigade. So Nugent's 36th Red Hand of Ulster Division has:
- the 107th Brigade (the four Belfast battalions),
108th Brigade (South Antrim, Central Antrim, County Down and the Armagh, Monaghan and Cavan battalion),
109th Brigade (County Tyrone, County Derry, Donegal & Fermanagh and Belfast Young Citizens) and
2nd County Down as the Pioneer battalion.
Now these designations matter not a jot if you do not want them to, but if you have ever read an account of the battle or one of your family was there then it will interest you a lot. All the Pals units are there as are the South African Brigade and it adds immensely to the feel (if you want to use it). Each division uses nine battalions switching over to other as the point battalions hit 80% losses (assuming 33% killed and 67% wounded or missing). Can it be (we wonder) a coincidence that Shea's 30th Division (full of dreadful Mancunians and Scousers) lost 6,900 whereas Perceval's 49th (splendid West Riding and Duke of Wellington's battalions) a mere 1,200? I even had an undamaged division (it started in reserve and it got no better). In each case one can, if one wishes, generate a narrative as unsighted machine guns scythe down the lines or surprised Germans are rushed by the British assault units.
In the Combat Phase each division (attacking separately) tries to move along its order route. The CRT is ingeniously flavourful. It has four different tables. One for an empty point (meaning less than a German division in occupation), another for one defender (division or strongpoint) and one for two or more. Finally, there is a Wire chart. The modifiers are simple but effective. A British unit with less than three division adjacent (or stacked) is making a solo attack (-1 as the flanks are left open), if Attack Support is available then +2, a Suppressed Defender is +1 and Surprise gives +1 on the first turn. [One can almost see the modifiers for a creeping barrage]
If the Wire is not cut the first assault must be against it not the defenders behind it. You cannot attack those defenders until the wire is cleared.
The Wire Chart (as all CRTs) uses 1d6.
| Score | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | - (3) | No wire removed, three casualties |
| 2 | - (DR) | No wire removed, 2d6 casualties |
| 3 | Elim (4) | Wire removed no further attack, four casualties |
| 4 | Elim+ (DR) | Wire removed, make further attack, 2d6 casualties |
| 5 | Elim+ (5) | Wire removed, make further attack, five casualties |
| 6 | Elim+ (dr) | Wire removed, make further attack, 1d6 casualties |
| 7 | Elim+ (dr) | Wire removed, make further attack, 1d6 casualties |
A solo attack is thus going to hang on the wire 50% of the time and may with bad luck kill three battalions (my Ulstermen lost six battalions in a cross-fire) or we may see it cleared with 150 casualties. This brutal range of results is typical of the game and (I think) of the period.
An Empty Point Combat is as follows
| Score | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | - (1) | No advance, one casualty |
| 2 | - (dr) | No advance, 1d6 casualties |
| 3 | Advance (2) | Advance into point, no further attack, two casualties. |
| 4 | Advance (dr) | Advance into point, no further attack, 1d6 casualties. |
| 5 | Advance+ (3) | Advance into point, make further attack, three casualties. |
| 6 | Advance+ (dr) | Advance into point, make further attack, 1d6 casualties |
| 7 | Advance+ (dr) | Advance into point, make further attack, 1d6 casualties |
Although average losses will be 3 casualties (450 men) against a solo attack there will be no advance 50% of the time.
Against One Defender (strongpoint or division)
| Score | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | - (3) | No advance, three casualties |
| 2 | Pinned (dr) | Pinned (see below), 1d6 casualties |
| 3 | - (4) | No advance, four casualties |
| 4 | - (5) | No advance, five casualties |
| 5 | Advance (6) | Advance into point, no further attack, six casualties. |
| 6 | Advance (dr) | Advance into point, no further attack, 1d6 casualties |
| 7 | Advance+ (dr) | Advance into point, make further attack, 1d6 casualties |
The defender retreats if a division or is eliminated if a strongpoint. This attack gives average losses of only 600 men but fails four times out of seven (so the need to get modifiers becomes very important).
Against Two or more Defenders (strongpoints and or divisions)
| Score | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | - (dr) | No advance, 1d6 casualties |
| 2 | Pinned (DR) | Pinned (see below), 2d6 casualties |
| 3 | - (5) | No advance, five casualties |
| 4 | - (6) | No advance, six casualties |
| 5 | Elim (7) | Destroy/retreat one defender, no further attack, seven casualties. |
| 6 | Elim+ (Dr) | Destroy/retreat one defender, make further attack, 2d6 casualties |
| 7 | Elim+ (Dr) | Destroy/retreat one defender, make further attack, 2d6 casualties |
Average losses have risen to 900 men.
Results
The result of this can be that a unit is frozen on the wire or (in three combats one after the other) it can clear the wire, destroy the strongpoint, and then eject the German division. Losses could be as much as 3,600 (doubled to over 7,000 in a crossfire). There are many ways to lose a lot of casualties but nothing succeeds like success in this game. However, a very brave unit that scores high on both attacks and losses can be destroyed in a couple of hours, though it will take its trench. Pinned is a particularly nasty result. You suffer losses with the pin result, then further losses in the Rally Phase, same again in the next Rally Phase before you return to normal three hours later and a lot more dead troops.
In movement you follow your movement orders providing the areas are British controlled. Judicious use of New Orders or positioning reserve units to give vital support occurs here representing your best chance to influence combat. First Day of the Somme is intended to be humbling to the gamer.
In the Rally Phase Pinned units suffer 1d6 casualties and Rally if this is their second Phase Pinned.
The game contains some useful notes and proposed optional rules. The latter allow the game to have considerable replay value. Some of these are:
- You can have a Dawn Attack (adding a sixth Assault Segment)
- You can increase your artillery (but with the same Variations method)
- Improved artillery - the designer believes the British overestimated the effectiveness by a factor of two, so you can now double your barrage dice to see what GHQ really expected.
- Mines - you can explode four mines (two max per point) with 1-4 no effect results, a 5 destroys a strongpoint unit, and a 6 deducts one from the Surprise dice.
- Rushing enemy trenches: no walking, you run and get a +1 on the first turn.
- Rawlinson effect: Rawlinson overrules a New Order on 1-2.
- Haig intervenes: Rawlinson is overruled.
- Attack with vigour: one turn per game each division may do this, allowing a reroll of its attack BUT at the cost of losses from both die-rolls.
- Infiltration tactics: Regular units count "-"results (except on a score of one) as bypass results. The attacker coexists with the defender and may try to move on next turn.
- Cavalry Exploitation: Can move more easily in purple (breakthrough areas).
In my game while I had a 57,000 men casualty list some high scores carried me through to the 14 July line in many places and to Courcelette in the centre. However, a few less fives and sixes would easily have seen the footling gains experienced in many places in the real campaign. It is vital to get support at key areas and the multiple turns really give one the feel of the battle getting less and less well organised as a scattering of advances results in many more solo attacks than one would like. At times pinned units cover entire sections of the front.
The game is to a degree a bloody re-enactment. Your contribution to victory is to bombard, provide a good movement plan and then reinforce this with New Orders. Since the first of these is a guess, the second suffers from first contact with the enemy, only the third can do much and even here chaos awaits you.
If First Day of the Somme is not a great contest in the classic gaming tradition it remains a very worthwhile gaming experience. With minimal assembly and a $12 price it is good historical value and you may find yourself enjoying Dogger Bank or the Raid game. As a piece of design simulation it is, I think, pretty damn good. It also does not suffer from the Ted Raicer "Attacking does not cause more losses" syndrome. It is a game that "reads" like the real thing, all too closely at times. Smart-alec types should not play it unless they are prepared to see the other side of the argument.
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© Copyright 2001 by Charles and Teresa Vasey.
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