Dawn

Attack
French cavalry (Dragoons rather than
Cuirassiers in this case) charge
into the camp taking the
Prussians by surprise.

Introduction
"The grey dawn is breaking. The
horn of the hunter isheard on the
hill".
Dawn is indeed the time of the hunter. Hoping to catch his quarry still half asleep, he stalks through the early hours of
the day, surprise one of his strongest weapons. Surprise is not only the prerogative of the hunter. The military
commander, too, is well aware of the benefits of the "art of the unexpected" expounded by Sir Basil Liddell Hart in the
"Indirect Approach". Surprise can be used to deceive the enemy, catch him off balance and often compensate for the
enemies' superior numbers. It may be achieved in many ways and come in many forms; ambush, deception,
unexpected or un¬characteristic tactics are but a few. This month our Teaser deals with the use of night to gain
surprise and thus deliver a "dawn attack".

Period
This battle is suitable for almost any period of the wargamer's choosing and the use of the horse and musket period
armies in this account is only for simplicity. With a little imagination, one can envisage a Macedonian army surprising
an Indian camp or perhaps a US Army assaulting a Red Indian village at dawn. The choice is legion and some of the
possibilities quite exciting.

Terrain
The map depicts a river plane surrounded by rising woody ground. The river is im¬passable except by the bridge.
The hills provide the normal terrain obstacles to movement as do the woods.

Forces
Red Army
5 infantry regiments
2 heavy cavalry regiments (In camp
2 light infantry regiments (diagram2).
2 batteries of artillery (4 guns)
1 light cavalry regiment (In the outposts)

Blue Army
3 infantry regiments.
1 light infantry regiment.
1 light cavalry regiment.
1 heavy cavalry regiment.
2 batteries of artillery (4 guns).

General Situation
Red force has camped for the night on the south side of the river on the open plane. Blue has previously suffered a
severe reverse and is believed to have withdrawn from the area. For this reason. Red has been rather casual and
has not set out his camp with his customary good sense. He has crammed too many men into a small area with little
thought of defence and has only a token cavalry screen for protection and early warning. Red has, however, been
deceived by Blue who, despite his withdrawal, has left a strike force within reach of Red with the intention of making a
surprise assault. Sympathisers have informed Blue of Red's indiscretion and Blue has determined to attack Red's
camp at dawn thus taking him by surprise before he can deploy his superior forces to advantage.

Opening Narrative
Red's forces are concentrated in the camp, unaware of the approach of the foe. Blue has divided his force into two
approximately equal halves of his choice and has moved through the night to execute a two pronged dawn attack on
Red's camp. The game begins with Blue's arrival on the table before first light. Darkness means that Red is ignorant
of Blue's presence and may take no action until dawn. As dawn breaks to reveal the advancing Blue armies. Red
moves sluggishly into action, the cavalry outposts racing to the camp to wake and warn the army.

Playing the Game

I n order to play the game, it will be necessary to have a detailed layout for the camp and rules to govern the degree
of disorganisation and chaos that will occur as the troops are roused. We will also include some provisions to allow
for a degree of variation in the delay when Blue appears on the table and when Red's outposts first see them. We
will, of course, also include a clear set of instructions to determine what will decide the victor of the conflict or whether
it is an honourable draw.
All this will be quite sufficient to play the Teaser and produce an exciting and unusual game. However, it is possible to
complicate matters further by introducing yet another imponderable, this time simulating an element of error in Blue's
movement through the night resulting in a degree of misdirection and disorientation. More of this anon.

Dawn
Blue's force moves onto the table from both A and B in period one. His movement is at half move distance only,
because of the darkness. Dawn is about to break. Blue throws one dice for each half of his force to determine in
which period (1 to 6) the nearest cavalry outpost sees him. Once an outpost sees the enemy approaching it may be
considered to be light enough for all units to move at normal speed. The light cavalry outpost must reach the camp
area before any movement may begin in the camp. From the point at which the cavalry reach the camp, the warning
spreads inwards through the camp at the rate of six inches per period (see diagram 3).

We have now started to alert the camp-better late than never. However, the light is poor, weapons and horses are
scattered and the overcrowded troops are hard to organise. The Red forces have the manpower to defeat Blue's
assault but much will depend upon their steadiness and speed of deployment out of the camp.

Action in the Camp

Red's units are laid out in the camp as shown in diagram 2. As each unit is alerted, that is when it comes into the
gradually expanding arc of six inches a period shown in diagram 3, each unit is diced for to determine its actions.
Before we consider the actions of the units, perhaps it is appropriate at this stage to say a few words about the camp,
its visual aspect and the problems that face the surprised and sleepy troops.
Firstly, the camp area should be scattered with simulated tents which will represent the camping impediments and
serve as obstacles to troop movement. These can be made from paper using cotton reels for stability (see diagram
4). The tents should be placed approximately four inches apart. All move¬ment within the camp area is half speed.
Inside the camp, infantry may have their rifles stacked close at hand, but there will be some degree of chaos during
dressing, equipping and gathering weapons. This will be hindered by the lack of space to muster and the movements
of other units hastening out of the camp. Morale, of course, may have deter¬iorated because of the shock, surprise
and lack of orders.
The cavalry will be separated from their horses and will require time to saddle up and mount. Cannon fire crashing
through the camp, musketry or even the noise of other units may panic and stampede the horses thus increasing the
problems for other troops. Artillery will be unlimbered with teams grazing and guns and limbers parked up, while the
gunners may be separated. The guns them¬selves may not be on suitable tracks and movement may be difficult.

All in all, the situation is a far from enviable one. The following charts (at the end) are designed to embody these
factors on the table and to provide a range of actions for each unit. Each unit in turn, on being roused, throws two
dice which will decide its action as shown in the 3 tables below.
The result of each unit's actions reached from these charts should only be known to Red and the umpire unless the
result is clearly visible. After all, Blue is unlikely to know what is happening in the tumult of the camp.

Horses bolting and troops running

When horses bolt or troops run they move at 2/3 speed through the camp in the direction indicated by throwing two
dice -12 being 12 o'clock or due north and so on round the clock face, one o'clock being the only direction to be
unrepresented. On meeting a tent they will go right or left (odd or even dice throw) and continue in the same
direction. The width of the mass of men or horses should be about three inches. Any bolting or running moves are
compulsory and are done before normal moving at the start of a period. Any unit or person in the way must be able to
move out of the way or in the case of bolting horses, they will be run down. Similarly, in the case of running infantry,
anyone in the way must throw a dice, three or more being required to avoid being swept up in the rout. Each period
the bolting mass of horses may throw one dice, a six being required to halt them. Once out of the camp, the horses
move at normal speed and
con¬tinue in the same
direction by-passing all
units.

Any unit of Blue's attacking

into the camp will move at
half speed but will have no
penalty for disorganisation,
whereas allRed forces fight
disorganised in the camp.
Blue force's cavalry
meeting any Red forces
who are dismounted and
unable to fight will ride
them down. (This does not
include cavalry united with
their horses).

Well, we have plenty of scope for a hectic game and no doubt a few fraught periods for Red until he is able to
organise some defence and deploy his troops. Despite Red's superior numbers, the game is quite balanced with the
great imponderable being determined by the dice. However, as we said earlier, it is also possible to add a degree of
confusion to Blue's forces. This may be done by simulating the problems of the night march. This is done by dicing for
the entry points of the two Blue forces, determining whether they arrive as intended at A and B or to the left or right.
Points are designated A or B 1, 2 or 3 as shown in diagram 3. One die is thrown to indicate the point of arrival (1 or 2
being A1, 3 or 4 being A2 and so on). Once on the table the destination is still concealed behind a cloak of darkness
and the direction in which the troops march may again be diced for as shown in the diagram. The resultant direction
is maintained until dawn arrives and the Red camp may be seen.

Conclusion
We have now ensured that units of both sides are going in ail directions with all the resulting confusion and disorder.
Our worthy third party, the umpire, will be a busy man and indispensable. (If chaos and disorder should spread to his
domain all will be lost). All we need to consider now is the yardstick by which we will determine the winner and loser.
For once, I feel simplicity can be our keyword. The Red force will have won if it rebuffs Blue and defeats him causing
him to withdraw, while Blue will win if Red is decimated or driven from the table.

The table is set, the sun begins to rise -Good Luck and keep your head!
C. S. GRANT

Tables:

Infantry dice score:

2 : Break and run, unarmed : cannot be rallied, retire to the north.
3 : Break and run, armed. Take the shortest route out of the camp. May be rallied when out of camp if
not attacked.
4 : Stand for three periods during which they will run if attacked, but may be rallied. Throw again after
three periods.
5 & 6 : Stand two periods then throw again. They may defend themselves if attacked.
7 : Stand two periods, then deploy out of camp moving north.
8 & 9 : Stand two periods then deploy out of camp by the shortest route
10 & 11 : Stand one period then deploy out of camp by the shortest route.
12 : Deploy out of camp by the shortest route in the next period.
Cavalry dice score:
2 : Horses bolt. Troops totally de-moralised and run unarmed out of camp and retire north.
3 : Horses bolt. Troops stand two periods, then throw again using infantry chart.
4 : Troops and horses unite but rout while mounting and run out of camp. May be rallied once out of
camp.
5 : Troops and horses united, stand for six periods. Will run if attacked.
6 : Troops and horses united, stand for four periods before moving out. Will defend themselves if attacked
but fight as infantry in the first three periods.
7 : Troops and horses united stand for three periods before moving out of camp. Will defend themselves if
attacked but fight as infantry in the first two periods.
8 : As for 7.
9 : Troops and horses united, stand for two periods before moving out of camp. Will defend themselves as
cavalry if attacked.
10 : Troops and horses united, stand two periods before moving out of camp. May counter charge if
attacked in the second period.
11 : Troops and horses united, stand one period before moving out of camp. May counter charge if
attacked.
12 : Troops and horses united. Move out of camp in the next period.

Artillery dice score:

2 : Horses bolt, gunners run, guns abandoned.
3 : Horses bolt, gunners retire de-moralised north but may be rallied out of camp. Gun abandoned.
4 : Half the horses bolt, the remainder controlled by gunners who take six periods to prepare the gun for
movement. Will break and run if attacked.
5 : Horses retained, gunners take six periods to prepare guns for movement but stand and fight or fire if
attacked in the last three periods.
6 : Horses retained, gunners take five periods to prepare for movement but will fight or fire if attacked in
the last three periods.
7 : Horses retained but guns cannot be moved. Gunners will fight or fire from present positions.
8 : Horses retained, gunners take four periods to prepare guns for movement but will stand and fight or
fire if attacked after the first period.
9 & 10 : Horses retained, gunners take three periods to prepare guns for movement but will stand and
fight or fire if attacked. 10:As for 9.
11 & 12 : Horses retained, gunners take two periods to prepare guns before moving out of camp. Will fight
or fire if attacked.