Fistful of Lead - Bigger Battles - Our Man in Petrograd

OUR MAN IN PETROGRAD - 1919


Two years has passed since Lenin stepped of that famous train and into history. The heady days of revolution are passed and expectations have to be met, counter-revolutionaries supressed etc etc. The Bolsheviks promised Bread, Peace and Land. Bread, the food supply in Petrograd is dire. Peace, a disadvantageous peace was negotiated with Germany but civil war and lawlessness are everywhere. Land, the peasants supported the revolution for land reform, but the Bolsheviks want to collectivise the farmland instead. Now an anti-Bolshevik army, led by General Yudenitch and supplied by the British with weapons including tanks, is approaching Petrograd. If the railway line from Petrograd to Moscow is cut, then the anvil of the revolution is lost.

Britain’s opposition to the Bolshevik Government is not confined to the land, the sea or the air; there is the secret war too. The Bolsheviks have cracked down hard on British intelligence gathering and London has little insight into what is going on in Russia today; Britain desperately needs a new man in Petrograd and Paul Dukes is that man. 

A long-term resident of Petrograd and a member of the prestigious Mariinsky Theatre’s orchestra, Dukes was summoned to London and recruited into the secret service by a mysterious officer known as “C”. Now he is soon back in Petrograd with orders to rebuild Britain’s battered intelligence network in the city and wider Russia. Despite no experience and little training, Dukes is brave, resilient and a master of disguise. He passed himself off as part of The Bolshevik secret police (Cheka) and then as a Post Office employee: both jobs allowed him to move freely about city. Facing conscription into Trotsky’s new Red Army and deployment to who knows where, Dukes “volunteered” so he could work alongside ex-Czarist Army and Navy Officers to undermine Trotsky’s effort. On returning to Britain Dukes was awarded the KBE, because a civilian is ineligible for the VC.

Paul Dukes disguised as Josef Afirenko of the Cheka

I decided on using the “Fist Full of Lead” rules set, because its uncomplicated card driven mechanism delivers a level of unpredictability characteristic of this theatre. The objective of the game is to cut the Petrograd to Moscow railway line, to do so both the White players must get twenty figures, in good order, off the Red-side of the table edge. Any other result is a Red victory.

Order of Battle




Bolshevik, defenders

8 average infantry units, 4 artillery pieces,4 maxim guns, 4 command figures and 1 army general

Bolsheviks start with 6 units already deployed on the table, up to half way across.

For the Bolsheviks the four command figures are Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin and Dzerzhinsky

White Forces, attackers

2 elite infantry units, 10 average infantry units, 2 conscript infantry units, 4 artillery pieces, 2 tanks, 4 command figures and 1 army general

White start with 12 units already deployed on the table, within 6 inches of the board edge.

For the white forces the four command figures are three Russian priests, who can influence Russian units only and a Baltic German Officer, who can influence Baltic German Landeswehr only.


On both sides the “command” figures represent individuals who can improve morale by removing shock. At the start of the second turn each side rolls a D6 to determine the number of additional units that they can deployed.

Paul Dukes – Britain’s man in Petrograd

A D6 is rolled to represent Paul Dukes, as follows:

1. Our man, cunningly disguised as a member of “The Putilov Works Workers’ Trade Unionists’ Soviet” tampers with Bolshevik artillery ammunition: All Red Artillery NOT available this turn.

2. Our man, cunningly disguised as a member of the Cheka warns Dzerzhinsky of “Radishes” in the Bolshevik army (i.e. red outside, but white inside). Dzerzhinsky removed from the game for this turn to investigates.

3. Our man, disguised as a Post Office employee, delivers an urgent telegram to Vladimir Ulyanov. A parcel he left on the train in 1917 has been handed in at the Finland Station, please go to Lost and Found immediately. Lenin removed from the game for one turn.

4. Bread: Our man, cunningly disguised as a member of The Petrograd Soviet of Bakers, show a unit of Red Army men a loaf of white bread. One Bolshevik unit out of action for a turn as everybody admires the loaf.

5. Land: Our man cunningly disguised as Social Revolutionary and erstwhile anarchist Fanny Kaplan, warns a unit of Red Army men that the Bolsheviks will not honour promises about land redistribution. One Bolshevik units may not move this turn as everybody claims the land they are standing on.

6. Peace: our man, cunningly disguised as a member of The Revolutionary Education and Propaganda Dept, tells a group of Red Army men that the war is over and they can go

home. However, they get lost and arrive as Red Army reinforcements. Our Man is hailed as A Hero of the Revolution and joins the party.

In the event of a number being rolled a second time in the game, Paul Dukes has no effect.

How the game played…

The Times has reported the following from Petrograd on 1st November 1919. “Our correspondent reports astonishing developments in Petrograd. The city is now cut off from the rest of Russia by a major advance of counter-Bolshevik forces. Several senior Bolsheviks are reported killed and the architect of the revolution, Lenin, has fled to Finland. There is fighting between various political factions within the city, but the imminent advance into the city by General Yededicth’s army, is expected to restore order. Deposed Prime Minister Kerensky has called for The Duma (Parliament) to be recalled immediately. Claims by some Bolsheviks of British interference in Russia affairs, have been vehemently denied by Whitehall.” You must be wondering what on earth has happened?



The first round of cards and some good dice rolling by the Whites caused the Reds sufficient casualties to retire deeper into the forested areas, where many would remain until the Whites closed the range. One the second turn the Whites did well to get the maximum of six reinforcement units onto the table. The Reds got a decent number of units onto the table, but their efforts were slightly confounded by Paul Dukes, disguised as Fanny Kaplan (5). None of this stopped a Bolshovek Maxim gun opened up on some Baltic German Landeswehr, killing their senior officer characters though.

The next deal of cards saw the White forces pressed forward and, as luck would have it, Paul Dukes got to sabotage the Bolshovek artillery ammunition (1). The Bolshevik artillery was the main threat to the White Army’s British supplier MkIV tanks, so the tanks pushed forward as fast as possible taking full advantage. The unexpected speed of the White advance, meant that some of their units were screening their own artillery’s observation so the Whites started to fire indirectly at the Reds now. Then the unexpected happened, Trotsky was delivering a rousing speech, when a misdirected White artillery shell exploded near by; when the smoke cleared Comrade Trotsky was found dead in mid-sentence. Everybody gasped in amazement, except Stalin, who just smiled.

Another round of the cards and the White forces pressed forward. There was vicious bayonet work, between the Landeswehr and Bolsheviks, in a hotly contested wooded area. The Landeswehr got the better of the Bolsheviks and the Whites now had a foot hold in the enemy defensive perimeter.



Elsewhere the fire fight escalated to a crescendo with the Whites suffering considerable casualties, with their perhaps over confident Officer Cadets suffering badly. At the same time the Whites lost the first of their tanks too. Paul Dukes stood by watching helplessly as he had tried to tamper with the Red Artillery ammunition again, but the enemy were wise to his schemes now.



The Landeswehr had a foot-hold in the Red line now and they weren’t going to let it go. The foot-hold became the objective of White reinforcements, as more units were fed in to exploit and expand their advantage; even a unit of White conscripts, perhaps sensing that the tide was turning, did surprisingly sterling work.

 


The second White tank was lost, but it would be worth it, if the advantage already gained could be capitalised upon. But then near disaster for the White cause as Paul Dukes’, resplendent in his new Red Army uniform, misdirect some Red Guard armoured cars back towards Petrograd. Instead of going home they got lost and arrived on the battlefield instead (6). Fortunately, one armoured car got bogged down almost immediately, but still it wasn’t what the Whites needed.



As more rounds of cards were delt, both sides were suffering, with many units depleted and shocked. The command figures were working hard to maintain motivation on both sides. Paul Dukes, pulled a good one on Dzerzhinsky who hurriedly left the field to check on radishes (2), so couldn’t help improving Red morale for the turn.



Despite determined Red counter-attacks, the White troops were not to be denied their lodgement in the Red’s line. The first two waves of White troops were now quite spent, but so were many of the Bolsheviks too. With less friendly troops to obstruct their field of fire, the White artillery was now picking off the remaining Red defenders with direct fire, particularly directed at enemy units obstructing the full exploitation of the White foothold. An important Maxim gun position and an armoured cars were lost in short order. To make things worse, a third wave of White infantry were now about to descend on the Thin Red Line; there was little short of a miracle to stop the break through to the railway line and beyond.



White artillery shells seemed to be falling everywhere with no apparent fire plan and but still causing Red casualties. Stalin, who thought manly to set a good example, was helping out at a hard pressed Red gun battery when one of these random shells landed in the ammunition cart. An almighty explosion followed and Stalin and the artillery were no more.



However, if you are the right person and in need a miracle, Paul Dukes will oblige (3). At that moment, disguised as a Petrograd Post Office employee, Dukes delivered an urgent telegram addressed to Vladimir Ulyanov. As Lenin tore open the envelope, Dukes reached for the Webley concealed in his greatcoat pocket, but the hammer got caught on the pocket lining.

 


As he struggled to free the revolver, he heard Lenin tell his chauffer that there was urgent business to attend to at Party HQ, and the pair of them sped off in a Rolls Royce. However, I can confidentially tell you all that Lenin never stopped at Party HQ. Instead, he was last spotted at the Finland Railway station, buying a first-class ticket on the over-night express service for Helsinki and beyond. With the railway to Moscow now blocked, he has nowhere else to go.



Thanks to the players: Ian, Luke, Tom and Ken playing the counter revolutionary forces. And to Chas and Vince for being heroes of the revolution. Figures are mostly Copplestone, but some Empress, Gripping Beast Wargames Atlantic too.