Bloody Big Balkan Battles Game: June 29th 2019 Luleburgaz

Hi there,
This will be an irregular diary of my wargaming/history hobbies.

Last Saturday me an Morten met at Karargah Club to play a game from latest Bloody Big Battles (BBB) supplement Blood Big Balkan Battles (BBBB). Namely Luleburgaz.

It's been a while since my latest BBB game, so we prepared last night and examined the scenario, forces and map well. That proved important but didnt affect the outcome much (you will see).

Scenario:
The Luleburgaz was a big battle in 1st Balkan War just before Catalca Battle. The area was hard going at best with several streams across the battlefield. A fertile land for farming but hell for fighting.

Game Map

We diced and I took Morten's nicely painted Bulgarians as attacker. Morten Pasha commanded the Turks. We used my 1877 Blue uniformed Ottomans and with a couple of khaki-clad original Ottoman bases. The 2-man bases were indicating skirmishers while khaki-clad based were indicating unit has D (Devastating Volley). Units with flags were Nizams (Regular Trained units) and ones without were Redifs (2nd Class units).
Bulgarian 1st Ban units were in green uniform and 2nd Ban units were in brown uniform.
We used felt cuts to represent hill (light brown), woods (dark green) and crops (light green).
Gray line up North was representing the road from Jenno to Vize while gray line at South represents road starts from Luleburgaz to East edge. All other green and brown lines were streams!

The objectives were four towns (Luleburgaz, Karaagac, Bunarhisar and Congara).
Bulgarins needed 3 or 4 to win in 9 turns. Capturing 2 objectives meant a draw and all other outcomes were a Turkish victory. Forces were similar but Turkish units were weaker in general.

The table after deployment

Here are the Turkish and Bulgarian deployment and close-up of 10mm minis

My plan was to make early quick assault on Karaagac and advance on Congara.
By presenting many targets in front of Karagac some of my units will come in assault range. Up North I was planning to meet as far as I can the Turkish fresh troops coming from Congara edge on turn 1. First part worked, second not. Turkish fresh troops were too many for me to handle.
Down the South I didnt want to attack Luleburgaz but scenario forced me to deploy some of my units there. So I utilised them to at least tie-down some Turkish troops. It didnt go as I planned but to my favour.

Bulgarian 1st and 10th Divisions captures Luleburgaz early in the game

Meeting engagement around Bunarhisar

Karaagac exchanged hands several times. For the moment it is No-mans-Town!

My tactic was to use my superior Bulgarian units to engage close-combat with weaker Turkish units. It worked well. We did several close combats and Bulgarians win most of them (6 out of 8 as Morten's reckoning). 

So Karaagac and Luleburgaz captured in 2nd and 3rd turns. But we blunted each other around Bunarhisar. There were many Turkish units and we close-in to bayonet-range but couldnot kill all Turkish units. Also Around Karaagac and Luleburgaz Bulgarians suffered horrible loses to combined rifle and artillery fire even in early turns Morten's rolls were very bad.
Night Interval at the end of Turn 3 was good for Bulgarians. Bunarhisar, Luleburgaz and Karaagac at Bulgarian hands meaning, if we stabilize the situation we will win.

End of Turn 3 Night Interval

From Turn 3 to Turn 6 firefight and close combat continued. Karaagac and Luleburgaz troops were anhiliated by massive firepower and both objectives liberated by Turks.

East of Bunarhisar Bulgarians got bold and tried to spare one infantry and one (and only) cavalry unit to flank Karaagac. It was mistake. Attack made piecemeal and Turks thwarted all attempts. This also meant that my units in East of Bunarhisar woods were now outnumbered. They slowly dwindled.

End Turn 6 Night Interval

Note that Morten Pasha kept his two big reserve unit at the back to respond possible front collapse.
Bulgarians got only one reinforcement (to Luleburgaz area) and running short everywhere.
My units were still strong but moving in the open alone meant a certain death. In North West of Karaagac we saw 5 to 6 Bulgarian units destroyed. And Morten's dices began even out his early rolls. With FirePower from 20 to 30, every turn I was losing multiple bases.
But I was still confident that with good close combat oppurtunities I tried to recapture Luleburgaz and Karaagac. And I did!

 Last attack on Karaagac

Luleburgaz recaptured!

My gamble with cavalry flanking move is sandwiched between two big Turkish reserve unit and units around Karaagac. Then All those combined Turkish force beat my every unit back!

Turkish Counter-Offensive everywhere!

By the turn 7 it was clear that I was back tracking my own steps. I tried to keep Bunarhisar and another objective to get at least a draw but it was not to be. Heavy Firepower oblitirated my all units except 1 artillery unit across Luleburgaz. I soundly defeated. It is the second time I saw such a bloody defeat.

End of Game Table

Well, debrief time. What went wrong? It was a mistake to attack everywhere. I should concentrate and kill off one area then continue to others and clear whole map one section at a time. I shouldnot go after Congara objective which was too far and too strongly defended.
I afraid streams more than my opponent so tried to advance in optimum road. It is good for racing but not for fighting. There were times when my artillery group couldnot get clear line of visions to shoot enemy. Anyway it was a fun to the fullest and I enjoyed much in which most credit goes to Morten who is the best Dane wargamer I know (and the only Dane wargamer I know).


Below are the video shots of each end turn (there is no video at the end of turn 6).