Historical background
General Herbert Plumer’s Second Army, on 7 June 1917, attacked Messines Ridge, a natural stronghold southeast of Ypres and a German salient since late 1914. Plumer had begun plans to take the position a year earlier and authorized the laying of 22 mine shafts underneath German lines all along the ridge. Prior to the attack, a fourteen day bombardment of the German lines was followed by the detonation of 19 mine explosions, which dazed the German defenders. Nine divisions of infantry, along with British tanks, then advanced against the ridge.
Plumer’s plan for limited successes, rather than a significant breakthrough, saw all of the initial objectives taken within three hours.
The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.
Victory Medals: 6
- 1 Medal for each soldier unit eliminated.
- 2 Medals for each British tank eliminated.
- The British forces gain 1 Permanent Victory Medal for each soldier unit that exits the battlefield from the German baseline and 2 Permanent Victory Medals for each tank.
- The British forces are racing against time. The German player may take a Victory Medal, instead of taking two command cards, when playing a “Recon” command card.
Special Rules
- British player does the No-Man’s-Land shelling roll.
- * Because the German forces are stunned, the German player starts the battle with 2 command cards and will draw 2 command cards, instead of 1, at the end of turns 1 and 2.
He will then have a hand of 4 command cards for the rest of the battle.
