BATTLE BOOK Clash of Giants The Campaigns of Tannenberg and The Marne, 1914 Table of Contents Tannenberg . 2 The Marne . 7 1.0 Introduction . 2 1.0 Introduction . 7 2.0 Game Components . 2 2.0 Game Components . 7 3.0 Game Setup . 2 3.0 Game Setup . 7 4.0 How to Win . 3 4.0 How to Win . 8 5.0 Sequence of Play . 3 5.0 Sequence of Play . 8 8.0 Supply . 4 8.0 Supply . 9 9.0 Reinforcements and Replacements . 4 9.0 Reinforcements and Replacements . 9 10.0 Command . 5 10.0 Command . 10 11.0 Operational Movement . 6 15.0 Strategic Movement . 11 15.0 Strategic Movement . 6 16.0 Special Units . 11 17.0 Battle Scenario: The Allied Counterattack . 11 GMT Credits . 11 GAMES Game Design by Ted Raicer Clash of Giants: Tannenberg Tannenberg, 1914 developed a plan to redeploy the Eighth 2.12 The Retreat Compass. Note the 1.0 INTRODUCTION Army to destroy Samsonov’s forces. The Retreat Compass for each side on the stage was set for the climactic battle of map. German units retreat to the Tannenberg, which resulted in the de- north, northwest and southwest. Rus- struction of the Russian Second Army and 1.1 Tannenberg sian units retreat to the northeast, the end of the first Tsarist offensive against southeast and south. Imperial Germany. On August 15, 1914, the Russian First Map Corrections: 1) The terrain key Army under General Pavel Rennenkampf Tannenberg simulates this opening cam- in Tannenberg incorrectly reverses the crossed the border into East Prussia. With paign of The Great War in the east at a German and Russian VP hexes. Ger- the Second Army, under General division/brigade level. The German player man VP hexes are yellow, Russian VP Alexander Samsonov, advancing into East is outnumbered, but has the advantage of hexes are red. 2) The hexside between Prussia from the south, the two armies of the central position, and knowledge of 1811 and 1910 is a river. General Zhilinskii’s Northwest Front Russian capabilities (provided by inter- threatened to trap and destroy the out- cepted wireless orders). The Russian numbered German Eighth Army, under player has the larger force, but a creaky 3.0 GAME SETUP General Prittwitz. command and logistical structure with which to try to coordinate the actions of The first battle of the campaign was his two widely-separated armies. fought on August 17th at Stalluponen. 3.1 Counter Setup Attacking without orders, the aggressive It is August 15, 1914. The clash of giants Prussian General Hermann von Francois, is about to begin... Note: The color shading on the German commander of the German I Corps, in- counters may make it unclear which go flicted a sharp tactical defeat on one of Living Rules Note: All segments to Tannenberg and which to Marne. All Rennenkampf ’s divisions. In doing so, marked with a red circle to the left of 8th Army counters are Tannenberg, the however, he cost the Germans the element the rule are NEW additions or clari- rest are Marne. (In other words, ALL of surprise—instead of blundering into fications from the original book. the German units with an exact hex set the Eighth Army’s prepared defenses up number are Tannenberg units, plus along the River Angerapp, Rennenkampf the 3R XX entering on Turn 2, and the cautiously halted the Russian advance 1 LW XX on Turn 11. All the other around the town of Gumbinnen. 2.0 GAME COMPONENTS German units are Marne units.) On August 20th the Germans attacked the The Russian 53rd division which en- Russian First Army and were bloodily ters Tannenberg on Turn 3 is missing repulsed. At the same time word arrived 2.1 The Game Map its ABC entry hexes notation. that the Russian Second Army was ad- vancing on a broad front some 60 miles 2.11 Game Scale. Each hex on the Both players should take all the units they to the southwest. In a panic, Prittwitz map represents approximately 4.5 miles control and sort them into two piles: 1) phoned the German High Command to across. Each turn represents the pas- units with an at-start setup code or hex announce that he was abandoning East sage of one or two days. Units are di- number, and 2) units with a reinforcement Prussia and retreating to the safety of the visions or brigades. turn of entry (circled). Place the reinforce- Vistula. As a result he was quickly sacked, ments on the Turn Record Track. replaced by the soon-to-be-famous team Design Note: The pace of events during the of Erich Ludendorff and Paul von first week of the campaign was slowed by 3.11 Russian Setup. The Russian player Hindenburg. the shaking out of problems associated with sets up first. Place all units that start the mobilization, and the natural caution (ex- game on the map in the Russian Entry cept on the part of von Francois) exhibited Even before the new commanders arrived, by commanders in the opening days of a war Hex indicated on the counter. Place however, the Eighth Army’s brilliant (hence the variable time scale). those Russian units with a hex number Chief of Operations, Max Hoffmann, had Page 2 Living Rules Battle Book 12/25/01 Clash of Giants: Tannenberg printed on them in the indicated hex. 1) He controlled that hex at the Note that normal stacking limits do not start of the game and no enemy 5.0 SEQUENCE OF PLAY apply in these hexes. Place unit has entered it, or all remaining Russian units 2) He controlled that hex at the on the Turn Record Track start of the game and a friendly 5.1 The Turn Sequence on the turn indicated on the supplied unit was the last to en- unit. The Russian player ter that hex, or Each game turn represents one day of begins with 0 Victory Points (VPs). 3) The opposing player controlled the hex at the start of the game and he real time. The sequence for a game turn is outlined below. Note the sequence 3.12 German Setup. The German was the last to enter that hex with below takes precedence over the ge- player sets up second. All German a friendly, supplied infantry unit. neric sequence in the standard units which start the game on the map rulebook. have a specific hex number listed on AS units are not considered supplied the counter—these units must be set for the purpose of this rule. up in the indicated hexes. Place all re- maining German units on the Turn Note that all victory hexes at the start of 5.2 The Sequence of Play Record Track on the turn indicated on the game are under German control, so the unit. The German player begins conditions 1 and 2 apply to the German I. Mutual Supply Determination Phase with 15 Victory Points (VPs). player, and condition 3 to the Russian. II. Russian Player Turn Note: The German 1st Cavalry Divi- A. Russian Reinforcement/Re- sion sets up overstacked at the start. It placement Phase must comply with stacking limits at the B. First Russian Operational Phase end of German movement on turn 1. C. Second Russian Operational Phase D. Russian Combat Phase 4.0 HOW TO WIN E. Russian Recovery Phase III. German Player Turn A. Wireless Intercept Phase 4.1 Game Victory B. German Reinforcement/Re- placement Phase Victory is determined at the end of the C. German Operational Phase September 2 game turn (turn 15). The D. German Combat Phase player with the most victory points E. German Recovery Phase wins. A tie is a Russian victory. The Russian player scores victory points for IV. Game Turn Advance/Victory those hexes marked with a red victory Phase number, the German player for those marked with a black victory number. Note that hex 2804 is a Russian vic- 5.3 Phases and Procedures tory hex-this represents the successful breaching of the outer Konigsberg de- 5.31 Mutual Supply Determination fensive works and the placing of the Phase. Check all units of both sides. fortress city under close siege. Place “AS” and “OoS” markers as ap- propriate. The supply status lasts until the next Mutual Supply Determination 4.2 Hex Control Phase. All units of both sides begin game turn 1 in supply. 4.21 At Start. At the start of play, the German player controls all hexes in 5.32 Reinforcement/Replacement Germany. The Russian player controls Phases all hexes in Russia. 5.321 Russian Phase. Newly-arriving 4.22 Victory Hex Control. A player Russian units may be placed on any scores the victory points for a specific Russian Entry Hex of that army (to the hex if: east for the First Army, to the south Copyright © 2001, GMT Games Page 3 Clash of Giants: Tannenberg for the Second Army) unless a specific less Intercept Phase, using the command gin a new game turn with the Mutual Sup- Entry Hex is indicated on the Turn roll made at that time (the ACM placed at ply Determination Phase. At the end of Record Track. There are no stacking that time will serve as a reminder). The the September 2 turn, determine victory limits in Russian Entry Hexes. Russian player moves all units desired of [4.0]. the currently active army up to the limits of their current MA. 5.37 Wireless Intercept Phase. Starting on turn 4, the Russian player rolls during 5.332 Second Russian Operational Phase.