Westfront 1914

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Greetings if anyone is left in these parts

Maybe someone remembers that I was working on a WW1 mod for this game 12 years ago before giving up while transferring the project to the DC Community engine. I found the mod a few weeks ago and decided to finish it to a playable state, and after 200 hours of work I'm quite close. I did not do any scripting so all reinforcements are on the map and unlock through game rules (they are attached down below). It is a big game as you can see below with HQ's at divisional level and up.

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So I'm starting my first test match against myself to test the balance past August and I thought I'd give a preview of it here in a AAR format before putting the files up for anyone who wants to play it if the balance is ok.

The AAR will be from the French perspective starting 5th August 1914 all the way to (maybe) 30th November 1914. I hope you enjoy the carnage.

Game Rules Westfront 14.pdf

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Source of the journals: https://gallica.bnf.fr/accueil/fr/html/accueil-fr

5 August 1914

War it is. The German troops enter Belgium all along the front and even French territory at Briey and Jerny. We await news from Belgium but généralissime Joffre doesn’t think the German push into Belgium to be of consequence. French mobilization according to Plan XVII is under way with the active divisions starting finishing their concentration and moving into position for the first French attacks. So far no direct combat occurred but planes of both side have been spotted reconnoitering the terrain in front of them.

Left Flank:


5. Armée of Charles Lanzerac is moving north along the Semois and Meuse river to make a junction with Namur and the Belgian army. Behind it 4. Armée is moving up to slide in between 5. and 3. Armée.

Center left:


3. Armée is anchoring it's position in front of the Fortified region of Verdun on the two small citadelles of Montmédy and Longwy; waiting to see if the German army will try to challenge them. Planes reconnaissance has signaled cavalry formations moving west along the Luxembourg-Sedan railroad and infantry units outside of Metz and Thionville. A clash in the Woëvre plain is more than likely in the next few days.

Center right:


1. and 2 Armée are moving up to launch one of the two main French offensive into Lorraine. Cavalry of both sides are jockeying for position to cover the advance of six Corps d'Armée moving up to the front while XX. Corps d'Armée covers the Seille river and XXI. Corps d'Armée rushes forward to secure the mountain passes over the Vosges of Saales and Donon.

Right flank:


So far the right flank of the French army has not encountered any resistance in the second main effort: an offensive into the Alsace region. French mountain troops are rushing to secure the mountain passes of the Vosges while VII. Corps d'Armée pushes towards Mulhouse with 8. Division de cavalerie reaching the outskirts of Altkirch.

Conclusion:

So far everything is going to plan, the war should be over by Christmas.

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Source of the journals: https://gallica.bnf.fr/accueil/fr/html/accueil-fr

6 August 1914

First blood was drawn on this day. Who the first victim of this new war was is unclear, maybe future historians will be able to answer that question. The first French engagement happened near Réméréville, when 7. Kavallerie-Division attacked the 2. Division de cavalerie. Both sides suffered around 300 casualties but the French of the 2. Brigade de dragons retreated giving up a bridge over the river Seille without blowing it.

Dispatches from Belgium:
Little official news is reaching us, Belgian newspapers tout a great victory in front of Liège but it is impossible to know exactly. The only concrete news we have come from civilians that fled the German advance and reached our troops at Virton: they report bloody fighting between the Arlon Garde civique and German cavalry. The latest flyover by Escadrille C25 reported Arlon in German hands and the bridge over the Semois as intact, the fate of the Belgian militia is unclear.

Left Flank:


4. and 5. Armée are still moving. The Corps de cavalerie is getting close to the Givet while the German cavalry seems to be securing crossings accros the numerous rivers of the Ardennes.

Center left:


3. Armée is almost completely deployed and is blowing up bridges in the Woëvre plain to force the German advance into the the artillery positions of V. and VI. Corps d'Armée. An entire German army corps looks to be assembled in front of Briey so we expect an attack to happen tomorrow.

Center right:


1. and 2. Armée are still moving into place, it will take several more days before the main attack can happen. IX. CA is sliding into the left of the line, allowing XX. to concentrate it's units again along the Seille. 2. Division de cavalerie lost it's first battle but XV. Corps d'Armée is arriving behind it and should relieve the cavalry tomorrow. On the right the entirety of 1st Bavarian Corps appears to be crossing the Saar at Saarburg and this forced 6. Division de cavalerie (DC) to fall back towards the fort of Manonviller. The good news is general Pierre Lanquetot pushed his 43. Division d'infanterie to move quickly and the chasseurs à pied of 86. Brigade d'infanterie managed to capture the Saales mountain pass and to push into the Bruche valley, threatening Schirmeck alongside the bicycle company and artillery group of 6. DC which secured the Donon mountain pass.

Right flank:


Great news everyone! Mulhouse is liberated by 27. Brigade d'infanterie but a German division is at the gates of the city. A clash is surely about to happen, with French artillery still lagging behind and 41st. Division d'infanterie one day away after securing the lower Vosges mountain passes. In the central Vosges the race is on for the passes with German infantry at the gates of Münster and Markirch.

In other news:

- Joseph Joffre visited the 2nd Division coloniale today. We expect great things from our colonial infantry.
- The first French plane was lost today. A Blériot XI of Escadrille BL9 was either shot down or crashed in the Bruche valley during a reconnaissance flight.

Conclusion

The stage is almost set, the actors are sharpening their blade and the curtain will soon be soaked in blood. Our first engagement may have been a defeat but our quick advance seems to bear fruit in Alsace and the Vosges.